davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29
VOL. 33
THE DAWNlNG OF THE YEAR.

When the snowflaSes of December robe
the earth in spotless white,
And the stars in dazzling beauty decorate
the wintry night,
We watch the old year vanish like a
ghost into the past.
To the music of the sleighbells and the
dirges of the blast.
We bless 1t for its kindness and we sigh
above it's dead.
Across the heart graves it has left most
solemnly we tread;
But we tIsn with hope and gladncss as
we brush away n tear
To pleasures which still hidden lie with
in the glad New Year.
When it dawns in all its glory we shall
put the past away.
And, trusting in its coming. greet its
bright, initial day.
The sun will burst in grandeur on the era
that it brings,
And loves unknown today will touch the
hearts melodious strings.
Oh. when it breaks upon the world may
every mist depart
And may its bells ring joyously in every
human heart:
For everywhere on land and sea the mil
lions wait to cheer
The banners which in splendor wave
above the glad New Year.
can almost see its footsteps in the soft
and fleecy snow
And hear it's wondrous anthems as its
bells swing to and fro,
For Father Time is standing 'twiXt the
new year and the old
He rings for one n parting dirge for one
the chimes of gold.
Aye, in the crisp, clear night he stands,
n smile upon his face.
And wishes joy, the while he rings. for
all the human race;
For in the sweet tones of tha balls what
heart can never hear
The promises of peace that crown the
dawning of the year?
New York Clipper
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29
ocrat.
NEW YEARS IN SCOTLAND.
Superstitions Regarding the First
Caller of the Year.

1t is an exceptional thing for Scot
tish family to go to bed on Hogmanay
On the contrary, they sit up waiting
for the first foot" or the one who is
the first to put his foot over the doorsill
after the clock has struck 12. Refresh
ments have been prepared and are kept
in readiness on tables decorated as elab-
orately as possible.
There are many superstitions connect
ed with first footing" The most mark
ed of these has to do with the lucki-
ness or unluckiness of "first foots" 1t
is generally believed that the prosperi-
ty OF adversely of any family is due to
the "first foot" of that year. So strong
is this belief that when it is known
that reputed unlucky person intends to
first foot" family all sorts Of schemes
are resorted to in order to prevent it. A
lucky friend is besought to get there
first, or member of the family stands
outside the door to enter as soon as the
moment arrives.
But all this is done with the greatest
delioacy, so as not to violate the strin-
gent laws of hospitality or offend in
the least the unlucky "first foot"
The lucky first footers" are friends
and wellwishers, kind man, a good
man, sweetheart, people who spread
out their feet, those who were born feet
first, man on horseback, man with q
horse and cart. Unlucky "first footers"
are thieves, pigeontoed people, Grip
PIES deformed or weakminded folk,
stingy man, an immoral man, hypo-
critic, the hangman, gravedigger or an
undertaken, a midwife, all who were
suspected of dealing in witchcraft, those
whose eyebrows meet and men with
red hair
There is always great rivalry among
the young men for the honor of "first
footing" the home of the reigning BELLE
Excitement runs high when four or five
athletic young men reach such house
before the hour has struck. 1t is the
wise youth who incites his companions
to bout at wrestling to decide the dis
puted question, and himself steps over
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29
Now Yenr,s BELLS.


Ring in the new year with gladness,
Ring out the old with a tear;
There's always a feeling of sadness
AS we witness the death of a year,
A year so swift in It's fleeting
With sorrow we watch its last hour,
Then give the new one a greeting
From the bells in each steeple and
tower
A sigh for the year that is dying,
tear where the memory dwells,
Then Danish the past with it's signing
And list for the voice of the bells.
The song of thanksgiving and pleasure
That welcomes the birth of an hour,
The soul stirring, vibrating measure
That rolls out from each steeple and
tower
Afar DER the night shadowed city
The surges of harmony roll.
In anthem triumphant or ditty,
They Tighten the sorrowing soul.
a voice from each country and nation
Responds to the jubilant hour
And joins in the wild exultation
OF the bells in each stceple and tower
A thought for the dead calmly sleeping
Below in earth's drcary gloom;
No song of Thanksgiving or weeping
Can pierce their dull ears in the tomb
But above. where all heaven rejoices,
And heralds with praise every hour,
They greet with sweet welcome the
voices
That ring out from each steeple aad
tower.
Boston Globe.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29
THE WESTERN FARMER.
It Is n Great Race That Is Peopling the
Plains and Prairies


Plains and Prairies
DR.. Albert Shaw says, in an article
In the Century, OH 'The Trans -Missis-
sippians and their Fair at Omaha:
When one bears testimony to the fine
ness and beauty of all this array of
machinery-a beauty that lies in the
ever-increasing perfection of it's fitness
for the conditions that have to be met
one is really paying n tribute to the
brains, energy and character of the
Western farmer. l have been on the
Hungarian plains and witnessed the
costly attempts of a progressive gov
ernment to teach the landowners and
peasants the use of improved farm ma
chinery imported from America or
else adapted from American types.
And | have also observed-what Is
confessed by the government and not
ed by all who visit those regions-the
persistent fact of scores of men, wo-
men and children in the corn fields
with old-fashioned hoes, while long
rows of white-tunicked men, in the
bayfield, or the ripe grain, are swing
ing sickles and short scythes. And
little later in the season 1t is common
enough to see the oxen treading out
the grain or to hear the thud of the de-
scending fail. Meanwhile, the new
fashioned corn-plows are rusting; the
rejected moving and reaping ma
chimes rot in their neglected corners;
and the threshing machine is viewed
askance as an ill-omened monstrosity.
1t is all simply difference in men.
1t is great race that has peopled
our prairles and plains, and that Is
producing corn, wheat, and oats by
the thousands of millions of bushels
where only few years ago there was
the ancient matted sod Of the prairies,
unbroken for centuries. The men
who drive the gang-plow, ride the sui
ky-cultivator, manipulate the twine-
binder and send millions of horned
cattle. hogs and sheep to the packing
establishments of Omaha, Kansas
City and Chicago are to be credited
with II series of achievements worthy
not merely of respect but even of EN-
thusiasm. l cannot for moment
doubt the ability of such men to rear
Ia fine and varied fabric of civilization
upon so great a material foundation.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29
BLOOMSBURY, PA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29 1898

Henri and MS two friends, dresseu as
demons, and began dancing and halloo-
ing and waving burning torches till
they scared MS children SO that we cried
as loud as they did.
The fine folks at the windows clapped
their hands and applauded Justify, but
all at once somebody cried out:
81 thought there We're only three of
them. Who's the fourth?''
And when we looked, there, sure
enough where there had only been three
dancers Elinute back, there seemed
now to be four. But no one could tell
exactly what the fourth was like, for
be fitted about like shadow, now
here, now there and sometimes seeming
to be everywhere at once,
Then Il strange horror fell over the
whole assembly, and every one saw in
his nciGhbcr's face the terror that was
upon bis own. The lights burned blue,
and tho air suddenly became foul and
sitting, like the air of charnel vault
And as the courtyard grew darker
pale, dismal light, like half quenched
fire, began TO rise over the stage, show
ing us that the faces of the dancers had
grown haggard and ghastly and that
their dancing was like the writings of
men in mortal agony. Many of the
great ladies, who had always Knocked
at such things and believed neither in
God nor the devil, tainted outright,
and tho boldest of the gentlemen were
little better.
Then, amid all the tumult and terror,
forth came NJ. de Courval. Up he went
on to the stage and, lifting his calm,
commanding face above the tortured
visages of the doomed men, said SOL
emnly:
"Stranger, if you are of mortal mold
come forward and meet me like man.
If you are spirit of evil, begone in the
name of him who died for us all. "
There came a clap of thunder that
seemed to rend the very sky, and all
was dark as night, but through the
darkness and the silence walled low,
dying groan. When the light came
again, all tho gay guests were huddled
together like scared sheep, while the
three dancers lay prostrate upon the
stage, with their dresses all scorched
and blackened as if by lightning, but
the terrible fourth was nowhere to be
seen.
Monsieur the marquis sprang upon the
stage and called to his son, but Henri
made no answer. He was dead. 1t Jared
even worse with NJ. de Mericourt, for
he, the bold, high spirited, reckless
cavalier, was hopeless idiot ever after,
crying and covering like a frightened
child. AS for CASTOR de st. Cyr, the
shock sobered him once for all. Thence
forth he devoted his life to good works,
and died long after in foreign land,
reverenced like saint.
"And the young lady?" ask l, as
Dame Madeleine pauses.
"She married M. de Courval six
months later, and went away to Amer
lea, where they lived many years, work
ing manfully for their own living and
beloved by all who knew them, and only
two years ago their grandson (he's an
officer in the American army, and such
fine fellow came over to see the place
where his ancestors had lived, and SEEM
ed quite pleased to find old Madeleine
still alive and hearty. So, you see, mon
sieur, the good can bring good out of
evil, after all. st. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29

The Lewlstown Gazette" says that by the
use of milk and pumpkin seeds tape worm
over seven feet long was removed from a
young son of John b. Keller of that town.
As the lads age is only 4 years, it is believed
he is the youngest child known to be afflicted
in this manner
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29
In England Long Ago.

Dunbar, in his poems, greets James
~ thus:
My Prince in God gif tho guild grace,
JOY, glaidnes, comfort and solace,
Play pleasance, myrth and mirrie cheir
In hansell of this guild New Yeir,
and Scott, in "Ane New Yeir Gift to
the Quene Mary, Quhen Scho Come First
Hame" (156D, says:
To seiss thy SUBJECTS so in luf and feir
That rycht and reasoun in thy realme may
rule,
God gife thee grace agains this guide New Yeir
Selected.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-29

the threshold on the stroke of the hour
while the others roll and tumble out in
front.-New York Herald.
Evening star., 1898-12-10

and recipients. From cups and saucers,
plates, pitchers. tea sets. chocolate pots and
other useful as well as ornamental articles
down TO dainty and odd fancy dishes or a
OH or brown or green pottery everything IN
china is welcome to those who DO not pos
sess II IN the greatest abundance
AFTER ell that is said, written and thought
on the subject of Christmas gifts we come
PACK TO the old Christmas card Idea as best
OF all Not that one does give cards nova
days, but their spirit was the right one A
woman who clings to this idea will this
year send out to all her friends. instead OF
gnts' Individual notes. written with white
INK on red paper. with a green monogram
al the top, carrying out the Christmas
coiors The notes will be very short. but
each VIII convey some warm-hearted little
greeting. Another woman always sends
molly wreaths and punches OF mistletoe to
her friends, tied with bright red ribbons
nreatns ana greens are not necessarily In
expensive, neither are flowers vet thew
come under the category of gifts which
never bring to the recipient sense of obV-
cation, and are hence the most graceful OF
all offerings. MABEi, RoyD
Evening star., 1898-12-10
To Stop the Window Shade Flaming,

The Tapping Of the window shade. when
the sash Is raised and the shade lowered,
is serious annoyance TO nervous people
who are generally light sleepers. The noise
which the air and the shade produce is like
nothing SO much as "a rapping. as Of some
one gently tapping. tapping at the cham
Der door accompanied by soft rustic as
OF stin skirts. This in a gentle breeze.
When the wind is high the noise is louder
ana murders sleep. If the shade is raised
the light wakes one too early in the morn
Ing, yet ventilation is absolutely necessary
to health.
The way to prevent the tapping IS very
simple when one knows how. / screw two
little brass hooks. one on each side of the
window frame, opposite each other about
twelve inches from the sill. At night tie a
ribbon or broad tape across the open win
dow, from one hook to the other, as sail
ors say ''taut" Screw third hook in the
molding below the sill. exactly in the CEN
ter. Pull down the shade over the ribbon
and tie the cord to the lower hook The
shade will be firmly held in place and moth
ing short IF high wind or a rainstorm VIII
cause noise enough 10 awaken YOU
Evening star., 1898-12-10
hiuffs.
From Harper's Bezsr.

From Harper's Bezsr.
Almost all the muffs this season are larger,
much larger. than those carried last year.
Many of them are perfectly plain: 9th rs
are fanciful, and there are still others
made of velvet combined with fur that are
most elaborately gotten up, trimmed with
ribbon and lace. These last are smaller
and are supposed TO match the costume
with which they are carried. A new fad
but one that has hardly as yet received
general approval, is the head and tail of
the animal both on the muff. For instance,
with gray squirrel or a blue fox, the head
of the fox will be at one side the nun be-
ing supposed to represent the body, while
the tan hangs down at the other side Of
course, 1t shows the fur to great advantage
but is a little exaggerated.
The red fox is one of the new fads and
is much less expensive than almost any
thing else. In the sable, chinchilla, beaver
otter and bear all the snuffs are very large
and ara really too cumbersome to be very
comfortable to carry. They will necessi-
tate the wearing of muff chains more than
Evening star., 1898-12-10
GYMNASTICS FOR WOMEN.
They Can Find Pleasure and Benefit
in Physical Culture.

in Physical Culture.
From Harper's Bazar.
Many new gymnasums and gymnasium
classes for women have been opened this
season in our large cities, and smaller
towns are not far behind in providing op-
portunities for women who have become
interested in their bodily development to
take up such practice work.
Women generally go into physical culture
with great enthusiasm and well-appointed ed
symnasiums used by them are fitted up
with parallel and leaping bars and rowing
and riding machines, the bicycle school, the
running track, the bowling alley the SWIM
ming tank and plunge bath, are all pro-
Vided for the woman who wishes to become
an athlete.
Even the lighter apparatus, clubs and
durnbbells, are used of about the same
weight by both sexes. The light appa ratus
Is thought to give better development, and
is used even by men who are ira inine for
professional athletes
BAH playing in gymnasiums has become
quite a rad. In old times our great-grand-
iathefs went out modestly and threw their
palis against the side of a house. Today
their great-grandsons and great pranj
danehters are taught to play ball scfen-
tlncaily, and have walls carefully erected
In gymnasiums to practice on '-Teams'' of
girls trained to play all sorts of athletic
games are no longer a novelty. and our
sranoaaugnters bid fair to equal our grand
sons in skill and strength,
An excellent feature in good gymnasiums
Is the medical examiner. whose duty it is to
prescribe the proper exercise to correct
physical 1mperfections and to improve i'm
perfectly developed and weak bodies. No
violent or excessive physical exercise
should be undertaken except on the advice
OF some one well qualified to understand
the human body, and the best means to i'm
prove ana strensthen 1t in any given direc-
ton. So guarded. women can And great
pleasure and benefit in the various sorts of
physical exercise now open to them, and
women who are looking for some am1Ise
Inent Tor the coming season, as we'll as wo-
men whose health and nerves need bracins
would be wise to turn their attention to
physical culture.
Evening star., 1898-12-10
What Shall We Give as Tokens of
Holiday Spirit?
THINGS A GIRL COULD SEND 4 MAN
Pretty knickknacks in Silver and
Leather.
FLOWERSANDHOLLY WREATH
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence OF Inc Evening Star.
NEW YORK, December g. 1898.
Clothes. indeed said a busy woman
the other day. Don't mention them to me
for the next three weeks. I have no time
for them until after Christmas" Her re-
mark is echoed by women all over the land
and until We have settled the question of
what we shall get for Christmas gifts
others gifts, not our own-Dame Fashion
will be wholly neglected.
Some families have good and conven-
lent fashion of making out lists, that is,
each member makes out list of the things
he or she would like, and from these lists
the other members of the family choose
gifts. This smplifes the matter, far as
the family are concerned, but it does not
help outsiders much. For no matter how
near and dear our friends are we can't ask
them for lists of their favorite ungratified
wants good way to begin is with list.
however, even if it is one you have to make
yourself and on which no light is thrown
Evening star., 1898-12-10

| occasion was of rather light shade of
| brown. trimmed on the skirt with bands of
| fur, alternating with bands of cloth COW
cred with rows Of stitching. The bodice
| was a bolero with fronts arranged in plaits
from the shoulders. The prettiest feature
| of the costume was thu front of brown
| chiffon, tucked bayadere-wise and falling
in loose, soft folds from throat to waist
line.
Cloth and Fancy Velvet.
OF the many combinations of fine. glossy.
smooth-faced cloth with fancy velvet, one
of the most successful is a dress Of rich
plum-blue with bodice of velvet in vary
ing shades of mauve and blue. Over the
bodice comes an odd bolero of the plum
blue cloth, strapped across the front with
two large pearl buttons. The skirt is trim
med with inset bands of lace in the popu-
lar black over white arrangement.
A second cloth and velvet combination is
skirt of black and white small-fgured
velvet worn with a long sacque coat of
black cloth. lined with white satin.
Black cloth cut out in scroll designs over
white silk or satin is perhaps at present
the best liked of all dress materials. Such
costume will have Louis XVI coat with
revers of white silk embroidered in black,
and a bodice front of white lace over silk.
1t will be worn with a rather small black
velvet hat adorned with ostrich plumes.
For Elegant Occasions.
The velvet dresses are the richest of the
season. One of a deep, soft green shows
an applique embroidery in black and white
OF satin and chenille, and a white satin
collar, revers and cuffs covered with white
lace More than half the velvet dresses
are in black or else in the popular plum
blue. Velvet coats with cloth skirts are
the happiness of those who cannot afford
the full velvet costume.
Red and white is something like as pop
rT1 n cob hi ptpt -
tune, for example, has a square collar of
white cloth cut out in scrolls over red silk,
a white lace yoke and band of white down
the front. This is lined and stiffened and
caught to the skirt in some mysterious man
ner.
In red white and black is a pretty cloth
gown with tunic overskirt, pointed and
trimmed with rows of stitching. The un-
Evening star., 1898-12-10

| of the scheme and the folly of folks who
fatigue themselves and waste time doing
| their own shopping.
1t is only fair to say that each woman is
undoubtedly better dressed than she ever
was before or than she could be in any
/ other way.
1t will be objected that such a plan is a
sacrifice of individuality; but any one of
The three will laugh at this. The average
dreSsmaker, they say, is a tyrant who tells
her customers what Is the style" and the
average customer exercises little more per-
sonal will or judgment, except to what
she ought to pay. than If she weren't con-
suited. There is good deal of smoke in
proportion to the fire in any talk of in
dividuality in dressing.
Enrnest and SkiIlguI.
But it must be acknowledged that un-
usual circumstances contribute to the sue
cess of this experiment. The dressmaker
Is possessed OF a really artistic faculty
which enables her to suit her clients fig
ures and compilations better than they
could do themselves. In the same way, an
architect will plan better house than its
owner could have done, or decorator will
make it more beautiful The same enthu-
siasm that an artist puts into his picture
she puts into beautiful dress whila a sensi-
tive conscience. not popularity supposed to
be universal with dressmakers makes her
study economy for her customers as zeal
ously as she studies fabrics and colors Not
one of the three is spending as much as
when she did her own shopping.
That this plan would work in many cases
or without notifications / am not claiming
but there are enough busy women and
enough delicate women to whom the shop
ping conditions of the present are martyr
dom, to warrant its description. In a club
of six or eight women dressmaker wish
ing to give her entire time to the business
would find larger profit.
Vatican House Dress.
Nearly everything notable In dress at
present strives for effects in soft draperies,
and the amount of founcing and of over
elaboration of trimming diminishes at least
so far as concerns imported costumes. A
very simple house dress, for example, in
warm red albatross cloth is made with
Watteau plaits in the back and with a
Evening star., 1898-12-10
At HER EXPENSE,

''They say that married people get to look
alike"
'Of course; a mans wife is bound to look
hike him when she wears all his collars and
cravats. Chicago Record.
He-''What lovely flowers. Do you know.
they remind me of your"
She-"Why, they are artificial"
He-"Yes | know; but II requires close ex-
animation to detect it."-Chicago News
neutrality-suspicious. have you been
until this hour in the morning."
He-"You wouldn't know the place IL L
should tell you. Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Woman in Black-"He's her third
you know, but she really blushed like a
young girl all through the ceremony"
The Woman In Mauve. Yellow and Green
II don't wonderi Just look what she
was marrying Journal
Il admit that she is puzzle to me-"
"In what way?'
We'll / can't decide whether she involy-
ed herself In a scandal because she wanted
to go on the stage or whether she went on
the stage because she became involved in q
scandal. Chicago Record.