davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23

mind bit, dear Aunt Susan. Vt course
we'll stay over Sunday, and l will help
you cook tomorrow; and Saturday
we'll have big dinner, l am not at
all afraid of starving in the meantime"
Although the dinner was two days
late, never was n more tempting one
placed upon board nor ever did hap
pier people gather around it. Just as
Cousin Jim had finished asking bless
ing, his eldest son returned from the
village, where He had gone upon an err
rand.
Here is a letter for you, Cousin
Sarah" he said, handing her a large
envelope.
"A letter." she echoed. "Who can be
writing to me?"
She broke the seal and crisp bank
note fell upon her plate.
She read aloud:
Dear Madam:
Il beg that you will pardon the liberty !
take in sending this amount. / shall never
miss it, as l am a wealthy man and have
no family. One who knows how to make
much good use of home should certainly
not lose it. Yours truly,
ROBERT UPTON"
"Oh, don't deserve it l don't deserve
TO be paid in this way!" and Aunt
Sarah buried her face in her apron
Eleanor Norton Parker, in n. Y. indie
pendent.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
MEXICAN WASP AND NEST.

til she has placed as many spiders in
the tube as, according to her judgment,
will be needed. She then lays an egg
in the cell and walls up the opening.
''rhe remarkable thing about this per-
Torrance is the magic effect of her
sting. Whether it is the result of a
subtle poison or whether it is a special
spot in the spiders nervous system
where the sting is inserted we do not
know. Certain it is that after being
thus stung the spider lives on in
paralyzed condition for weeks and even
months. 1t can move only slightly, and
remains helpless in its mud sepulcher
until the wasp egg matches into vora-
cious grub, which at once falls to and
eats with great relish the meat thus
miraculously preserved.
Another remarkable thing is that
the wasp knows that the spider is q
great glutton and can eat in one day
26 times its own weight in food, and
when it wants to can go weeks and
even months without eating It all. Now,
how does the wasp know this?
Another equally remarkable thing
is that the spider is the only animal that
is rendered unconscious by the wasp's
sting. The wasp does know it, for she
invaribly selects the spider to provide
food for her young. She knows that
when she stings the spider it is not
killed, but will live without food long
enough TO be fresh meat for the young
wasp when it is hatched and until it
liberates itself from the cocoon. But
what kind of an instinct or sense that
tells all this to Nine. Wasp we do not
know.
whether the wasp sting renders the
spider insensible to pain or not is a
question not yet settled. However, the
chances are in favor of the theory that
it does. Anyway, we need waste no
sympathy on the spider, the most blood
thirsty of all the little people of the
woods. There is sense of retrbutive
justice in the thought of spider help
less at the mercy of a small insect which
it would have merclessly deyoured had
II been able. O
$50 we need not accuse our alert, in
dustrious cement maker of any unreal
sonable cruelty if she, like us. insists
upon n meat diet for her young, nor
need we have any fear of her sting, for
she seldom uses il as weapon of Of
Tense or Enthusiastically Eagle.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
WISE MEXICAN WASP.
How 1t Manages to Provide n Fine
Meal of F-esh Meat for
Its Young.

Here is a picture of a Mexican wasp
and its nest, or rather the nest in which
ii lays its eggs. The natural speci-
mems from which the artist made the
pictures were sent to John Dean, the
well-known Brooklyn naturalist, and
when asked to tell about the habits of
this wasp he said:
THE wasp is not a vegetarian like the
bee, and our cement maker has before
her the problem of supporting her
young with meat, rather than with
bread. AS her eggs are laid out in hot
weather, and as enough food must be
stored in the cell with the egg to ma
ture the young insects, the question is
how to preserve the meat fresh for SO
long a time. She meets the difficulty
thus: After tube is finished, except
at one end which is left open, she flies
off on a hunt for spiders. She finds
fat, healthy one, pounces upon it, stings
it and carries it off and places it in
mud cell. She repeats this process I'M
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
A FUNNY OLD MULE.
Always Has His own Way md Stands
with His Head where His Tail
Ought to he.

At the Cincinnati workhouse is an
considered one of the most peculiar and
eccentric of mules because of one habit.
Jack refuses, and has refused ever since
he came to the workhouse, several years
ago, to occupy his stall like the other
mules and horses in the same stable,
and instead of walking into it, as they
do, he approaches the door, and, turn
ing about, backs into the stall. In this
position he occupies the stall allotted to
him at all times, his head being where
his tail ought to be.
No one knows just how Jack con-
ceived the idea that this is the proper
way for him to enter the stall, and little
is known as to his views on the subject
beyond the fact that they are positive
and Interchangeable, for no living man
has ever yet been able to convince Jack
that he is in the wrong or to induce him
to reverse his movements in taking his
place for meal or to retire for the
night.
Thus it is that the stall occupied by
Jack, though originally Ike the others
in the row, has been read justed to suit
his habits and needs. In the front
proper of the stall is the regular feed
box and the rack into which the hay
is thrown from the loft above, butJack
has never seen them, because he takes
his subsistence of life from an impro-
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
DON FRANclsco's sTesD.

Don Francisco's suit is blue
In silver buttons drest.
He wears flowing neckerchief
And silk-embroidered vest.
His hair is brighter than the sun.
His cheeks are rosy red,
And in his flashing deep blue eyes
The stars their luster shed.
Don Francisco has a steed
With skin as white as milk
With sweeping tail and waving name
AS soft and fine as silk
This noble steed can prance and trot,
Can jump and pace and rear;
Yet never does he overturn
His gallant cavalier.
He never wearies, though he runs
A thousand miles day,
He knows Just when TO halt--and when
To madly dash away.
He climbs the hills and leaps the streams
And scales the mountains DER,
Then bears the fearless-hearted prince
Back to his native shore,
Upon little chair there lies
Franciscos suit of blue:
AS in little trundle bed
He sleeps the long night through.
And In those dreams of witchery
Which little children see
Are flying through the misty air
His Pegasus and he,
Marie Zetterberg. in Chicago Interior
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23

lavish her affection, she turned it all
lived for two generations. Cousin Jim
had spent many years in Missouri, and
his wife and children she had never
seen.
The one great shadow that darkened
Aunt Sarah's life was a mortgage for
81 900 upon the place, the time fer the
payment of which was rapidly ap-
preaching. Her usually cheerful dis
position was so clouded by this trial
that for several years she had not been
able to find heart for the celebration of
any festivities. However, since "Jim's
folks" those that really cared for her
and were her own, were coming, she
must make suitable preparations for
their entertainment.
So the morning before Thanksgiving
found her up by four o'clock, and bus
Ting about with q brighter face and a
brighter step than she had known in
years. All day she mixed and stirred
and baked and tasted, regardless of the
lowering clouds and steady rain with
out. By three o'clock in the afternoon
the last pie, steaming hot, was placed
beside many others in neat rows on the
paAltry shelves, the enormous turkey,
brown and crisp, lay in regal state be-
side spiced ham. Cakes, snowy loaves
of home made bread, jars of preserved
fruits, jellies and marmalades and pats
Of golden butter were arranged in
tempting array. Aunt Sarah gave
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
JACK IN HIS STALL.

vised box built in the left-hand corner
of the rear of the stall and at the side
of the door through which he backs.
Jacks popularity was discovered the
evening of the first day he spent at the
institution. His introduction was
days work at grading, and when he was
relieved from the harness and led TO the
door of the stall assigned to him he re-
fused silently, but emphatically, to go
into it. The men thought this was due
to the fact that everything was strange
to him, and they began to coax and per-
suade him, but to no avail. They then
resorted TO force, but this brought no
more satisfactory results, for Jack could
not be made to enter. After working for
disguised, angry and weary. They sat
down on boxes and barrels to discuss
the stubbornness of mules and to devise
some meaps of making the new one
obey instructions, when, to their sur
prise, before even suggestion had been
made, Jack turned around, lined him
self up evenly before the door, and was
soon standing in the stall calmly and
with an air of satisfaction, staring at
the men.
He was led out and another effort
made to have him go in the stall in the
proper manner, but he again, and just
as emphatically, refused; yet as soon
as released he repeated the operation
of backing in.
Since that time he has been allowed
to have his own way, and never has he
followed the example set by the other
mules and the horses in the stable. Jack
is an honest and conscientious worker,
vorite with the employees and prison
ers who work about the bles.-Cin-
cinnati Commercial Tribune.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
SMART WOODPECKERS.
They Saved Themselves Much Hard
Work by Calling Chemistry to
Their Assistance,

A Chicago professor who has been in
the Maine woods this summer tellp an
interesting story of the intelligence of
a family of >woodpeckers which he en-
countered near the headwaters of the
Allegash, and which were most uncom-
monty bright birds. As everyone
knows who has observed these birds
at all, they feed on the worms which
burrow into trees. Any worm with a
fair amount of activity can bore gall
lery three or four feet long in a tree,
in single season, so to find his prey the
woodpecker has to make several holes
in the tree in order TO get a his victim.
This particular family of woodpeckers,
having some difficulty in getting at the
worm after they had drilled hole into
his gallery, proposed to save themselves
think they did? In the Allegash woods
grows the Indian poke,' plant with
berries possessing an alkaline Juice
particularly disagreeable to all animal
life. And SO these Allegash wood peck
ers, having made an entrance into the
domain OF the borer, proceed next to
drop berries of the Indian poke into
the opening. And so much does the
worm dislike the odor of the poke ber-
ries that he comes out to get away from
it, and incidentally to see who has had
the impertinence to cause him so much
discomfort. He never gets any farther
than the entrance, because Mr.. Wood
pecker is waiting there, and that worm
is gobbed up so quickly that he never
knows what happened to him. This
seems like a good deal of fairy story,
doesn't it, but Prof. Eastman j. Clarke
says he saw it with his own eyes.-Chi-
cago Post.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
A Welcome Day,
Times.

The setting aside of day of national
thanksgiving is one of the finest Gus
toms that could grace the record of a
prosperous nation, and no time in the
year offers more graceful opportunity
for living out the spirit of the day to it:
most practical extent. All expect a
good dinner on Thanksgiving. They
don't always get it, to be sure, but the
day has so long been associated with
the thoughts of an exceptionally good
meal that the very name of Thanks
giving day almost smells like turkey
and cranberry sauce.-Detroit Free
Press
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23

with heavy heart. The brightness and
warmth of the sitting-room smote her
with deep sense of guilt. She tried to
put the matter from her mind; but
every time she looked into the glowing
flames she saw a host of cold, haggard
faces. Unable to bear it longer, she left
the room on the pretext of seeing that
all was well upstairs. She passed from
one to another of the neat bedrooms.
Never before had the old-fashioned,
high-posted beds looked so inviting. She
paused in deep thought. Suddenly her
eyes rested upon a faded sampler she
had worked when a child. The long,
uneven letters in red. green and purple
silk danced before her eyes. "Inasmuch
as We have done it unto one of the least
of these, My brethren, We have done it
unto Me-"
Done it unto Me-" the words echoed
in her ears. What if He were out in
the rain hungry and cold, would she
have treated Him thus?
She sank beside the bed and bur
led her face in her hands.
Dear Lord" she sobbed, sit is so
hard, when it is the only pleasure I've
had since mother died, five long years
ago. l wasn't expecting it, and it all
came so sudden like, and now to have
it spoiled. But for Thy sake, Lord,
accept the sacrificed"
Susie Belle" said Aunt Sarah n
few minutes later as she appeared muf-
fed from head to foot, I'm going down
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
sigh of satisfaction as she surveyed the

sigh of satisfaction as she surveyed the
goodly store.
"Here, Susie Belle" she said, filing
the child's hands with some of the
choicest cookies. 'Take these and eat
them. We've got enough for to-mor-
row. Let me see, Jim has five children.
Well, l want those little ones to have
their lives. / don't believe they ever
had one out there in Missouri. Dear
me! how it does rain!" she CALCULATED;
''but I'm not mite afraid of its keep
ing Jim's folks at home. Once Jim sets
his head to do thing, he always would
have his way or die"
And she settled back in her armchair
by the coy sittingroom fire ''to rest a
bit" after her hard days work.
Just as she was dreaming of a
Thanksgiving long ago when she and
jim and her brothers and sisters popped
corn and roasted apples before the
great open fire, a loud knock caused her
to jump to her feet in alarm.
"Who on earth can be coming on such
an EVENING"" she muttered drowsily,
as she CROPPED her way through the hall
to the door.
"Why, Mr.. Stanton! what has brought
you up here in such rain as this!" she
exclaimed in surprise. Come right in
The cashier of the Newton bank
glanced down at his dripping mackin-
tosh and muddy boots, then at the i'm
maculate oilcloth on the hall floor.
"No, thank you, Miss Sarah" he an
swered. Il am in great hurry.
Haven't you heard the news? The dam
at Watertown has broken; nearly all
the place is submerged, especially the
poorest quarters near the factories.
The people are focking to Newton in
droves. Every hotel, private house and
public building is full and yet more are
coming. 1t is pitiable to see them
drenched and shivering after walking
four miles in this dreadful rain. Many
of them have had nothing to eat since
early morning. We are trying to find
shelter for them in the nearest farm
houses, and thought, as you haven't
much family and considerable room,
you might accommodate good num-
ber."
Aunt Sarah's eyes grew round and
her jaw dropped in dismay. At any
other time she would have made the
poor wanderers welcome enough. But
now-and, in imagination, she beheld
the grooming pantry shelves, the shin
ing floors and the beds with their fresh
lavender-scented sheets.
"Mr. Stanton" she began, family, 81
never hated SO much to refuse any
thing in all my life. 1t doesn't hardly
look Christian, and under ordinary cir
cumstances / wouldn't think of refus-
ing; but my cousin, tfat haven't seen
for years, is coming tomorrow. His
children never have had real good
Thanksgiving, and | can't think of hav-
ing rything torn up before they get
here. ] am dreadful sorry"
MIR. Stanton was disappointed, yet he
went away glad that such an unexpect-
ed pleasure was coming into Aunt Sa-
rah's life. He quite understood her
feelings. though when h. thought of
the miserable unsheltered S'eatures in
the town, he wished il might have been
otherwise.
Aunt Sarah turned from. the door
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23

to the village. 1 hate to leave you,
though there isn't anything to hurt you.
/ will hurry back as quick as i can, and
you kindle fire in the kitchen stove"
The child, dumb with establishment,
could only gasp: "Yes'm." She stood
watching the resolute figure until it
was lost to view, and turned away with
a SILVER DIS she thought of the distance
to the village. She knew nothing of
the interview with Mr.. Stanton. She
understood, however, that only some
stern duty or pressing necessity could
take Aunt Sarah from home so late and
on such a stormy evening.
I Notwithstanding her promise to re-
turn promptly, it was nearly two hours
her sitting-room invitingly open.
Come right in" she said, cheerily,
"every one of you, just as fast as you
can"
Susie Belle. who had fallen asleep
after a weary watch, started at the
sound of Aunt Sarah's voice. She fell
back few steps and began TO rub her
eyes. What could it mean? She was
surely dreaming Pouring into the room
were rough men and miserable,
drenched women, many of whom were
carrying small children.
Here, child! These poor people have
had their homes washed away. Show
the men into the kitchen while / get
dry clothes for the women and chill
dren."
And Aunt Sarah fell to emptying
chests, drawers and wardrobes, utter
ly regardless of her usually orderly
habits. BY ten o'clock that night, 20
men, women and children had been
warmed, bountifully fed and comfort
ably bedded.
Aunt Sarah felt a strange lightness
of heart as she and Susie Belle sought
hard bed in the attic. True, she was
at first unmindful of His command; but
had she not made generous atonement?
Even the garments of her beloved dead.
which she had aired and treasured year
after year, were put into use that night.
A dry sob arose in her throat as she
thought of "Jim's folks. Never
mind" she said TO herself. perhaps
they will stay over Sunday, and / can
cook them another Thanksgiving din
ner."
Morning dawned clear. Aunt Sarah
and her willing little helper were up
betimes preparing breakfast for their
numerous visitors, and a right com
Portable one it was. Many of the way
farers set out early to return to the
doomed town or to seek friends or rela-
tives in the country. Others fingered as
though they were too weary and fright
ened from that terrible days experience
to think of aught else. Most of them
were of the poorer class. One among
them, however, was a man of kind and
gentle manners, who somehow won
Aunt Sarah's confidence at once. He
did not ask many questions; but before
she realized what she was doing, she
had told him of the expected guests,
the disappointment and even the mort
gage.
A little later Aunt Sarah was lowering
about her relatives, explaining and
apologizing with tears in her eyes.
Wasn't it grand of her to do that? %
said Jim's wife, who proved to be a
plump, kind little woman. Don't you
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23

The turkey and the Wild FOWL, 20 increase
the scanty fares
Our husbandry hath prospered there is
corn enough for food.
Though the pease be parched in blossom.
and the grain Indifferent good
Who blessed the loaves and fishes for the
feast miraculous,
and flied with oil the widows cruise, Re
hath remembered US!
"GIve thanks unto the Lord Of Hosts, by
whom we all are fed,
WHO granted us our daily prayer: Give
us our daily bread!
BY us and by our children let this day be
kept for aye,
In memory of Els bounty, as the lands
Thanksgiving day."
Each brought his share of Indian meal the
pous feast to make,
With the fat deer from the forest and the
wid-fowl from the brake.
And chanted hymn and prayer were raised
though eyes with tears were dim
1.-The Lord He hath remembered US, let us
remember Him."
Then Bradford stood up at their head and
lifted up his voice:
1.-The corn is gathered from the field, l call
you to rejoice;
Thank Goo for all His mercies, from the
greatest TO the least:
Together have we tasted, friends, together
let US feast.
1.-The Lord who led forth Israel was with
US in the waste;
Sometime in light, sometime in cloud, be-
fore US He hath paced;
Now give Him thanks, and pray to Him
who holds us in His hand
To prosper us and make of this strong
and mighty land!'
From Plymouth to the Golden Gate, to-day
their children tread,
The mercies Of that bounteous Hand upon
the land are shed;
The Clocks are on thousand hills" the
prairies wave with grain,
The cities spring like mushrooms now
where once was desert-plain.
Heap high the board with plenteous cheer
aid gather to the feast,
And toast that sturdy Pilgrim band whose
courage never ceased.
Give praise to that All-Gracious One by
whom their steps were led,
And thanks unto the harveStS Lord who
sends our daily bread"
Queen.
'"rhere was great store of wilde turkes
of which they took many beside venison.
. . The fowlers had been sent out by
the governor that so they might-after
special manner-reioice together after they
had gathered the fruits of their labors.'
Palfrey's History of New England.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23

,W H%S u pies are burning!"
o. And a small head
with two tight faxen braids was thrust
hastily out of the kitchen window and
as precipitately withdrawn.
Aunt Sarah, who was evidently lost
in deep thought, gave such sudden
start that the great yellow pumpkin
she was lovingly caressing fell from
her arm.
"Well, l do declared" she exclaimed
reproachfully, as she FASTENED to re-
cover her treasure and turn her steps
towards the farm house. IF things
haven't come to a pretty pass, Sarah
Jane Smithers. You a woman of 60,
and standing out here dreaming like
meyoung girl, and leaving your mince
pies to the mercy of child. But
guess l ought to be excused this once,
things have come 80 terrible sudden
like. This time yesterday l was living
my old humdrum life, and not thinking
about making a Thanksgiving dinner
l always said I'd have big one when
I got the mortgage paid and not be-
fore. But ! haven't seen one of my own
flesh and blood for 90 years. And to
think that Cousin Jim is coming and
bringing his wife and children"
BY this time she had reached the
kitchen; and breathlessly depositing
her burden upon the spotless table she
proceeded to open the oven door, whence
issued a sayory odor.
Just one minute more. Susie Belle,
and these mince pies would have been
burnt to a crisp"
"Yes'm," replied Susie Belle, re-
spectfully, and with shade of awe
in her tone. "That was the reason why
I called you. thought you had for
gotten"
1t was such an uncommon event for
thoroughgoing Aunt Sarah to forget
anything that the rather timid child
felt some hesitancy in abiding to SO
1agrant breach of the good woman's
strong point. Aunt Sarah colored
slightly. but made no reply.
"Now, child, you fall to work on this
pumpkin while dress the turkey. 1
want to get everything pretty well
done up tomorrow so there won't be
much on hand when Jim's folks get
here"
Aunt Sarah was the last surviving
member of a large and prosperous
family. She lived alone with the ex-
ception of an orphan child of - years.
AS one by one those whom she loved,
and for whom she had cheerfully sacri-
feed her life, passed away, and she
had no animate object upon which to
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23
Democratic Dewey,

o dewey was the morning and dewey
were the-but after all the greatest
thing about living in free country is
that 'ae awabiding citizen can always
go about his own affairs, says the Chica-
go Times-Herald, without caring what
the crowd is going TO think or do about
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-11-23

Wasn't it lovely in the Jones' to ASH
us to eat Thanksgiving dinner with
them?"
II don't know; they waited so late
think they expected us to ask them. =
Chicago Daily News.