davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
CHRISTMAS CHA T ER

HE fragrance of holly and mis-
 tletoe is in the air. For the
 last three weeks I have spent
 nearly all my spare moments ~ shopping. As rule, my com
 panion has been Maisie Ben der, but now and then, when she could md time from her busy hours of labor, Folly Benedict accompanied me, and I must admit found these latter expedi- tions by far more delightful. After all, there is something revolting in too much wealth. Maisie would lean laziIy over counter and order the clerk to bring her lot of, say, photograph frames. Then she would paw them over listlessly, finally yawning into her huff and 1nquiriHg in the most bored tones in the world, "Oh, haven't you some thing misunderstanding that isn't the same old idea?''
 l remember on one occasion the sales man showed her a charming gilt em- Dire frame with an oval mat of tapes try, the whole a model of daintiness and good taste. Maisie admired it un- til she learned the price. That's much 100 cheap" she commented scornfuIly People will think dad is losing his money Show me something much more costly" And she finally bought an atrocity heavily studded with brilliants and rubies, very ugly, but costing a small fortune.
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

 & #s
WonoaD's Sbare ID It's Good Work

by feminine divinities. How they haw. worked again, those devoted womenf They beg, they cajole, they sew, they crochet, they embroider, they darn, they make illuminated doilies and titi- vated Workbaskets, all fairer to look at than to use. They make cake and jelly, they beat eggs and whip cream, they work their dear fingers stiff their slen- der feet weary, their nerves to exhausa tion and come to the oyster supper to serve as waitresses and hostesses, with all their members worn out except pers haps their tongues.
 And after the great occasion is oyer- what? Perhaps warm and soft new overcoat as Christmas present for the minister, or maybe the minister's wife appears next Sunday in church in a. new gown, plain and sober, as becomes a country minister's wife but we'll made and of good quality, as also be- comes minister's wife in country OF city. Or maybe the money they have thus earned by hard work and good will goes to meet an obligation the con- gregation has taken on itself, and they hand the lump sum over to the trustees --men, always men-making them a New Years present of a church free from debt. Religious denominations
 
 cording to them all rights and privi- leges besides that of collecting money, for without women no church could live.
 The world is so accustomed to wom- ans benevolent ministrations at the holy and happy Christmastide that 1t probably has never once considered what the loss of these gentle ministra- tions would mean. Woman does not count for much until mankind tries to do without her. At a great hospital where I called on a friend one Christ- mas day every inmate of the wards, charity patient or otherwise, if a man, received the gift of warm. handsome dressing gown; if woman, of an equally warm and extremely pretty wrapper. These the convalescing pa- tients took away with them. Doubtless it had been many a day since some of the battered wrecks of humanity in that hospital had had anybody take so much care and thought for them. These useful and slightly articles had been contributed by the young ladies of benevolent club-mere schoolgirls they were-getting their breaking in early to woman's Christmas work.
 Here the children of an orphans home receive Christmas gifts through the efforts of thoughtful ladies; there the inmates of blind asylum get them; there, again, the hapless souls waiting for death in home for incura- bles, the saddest and only altogether hopeless place on this earth. None has
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

soldiers, of home crocheted mittens and a bargain counter silk handkerchief.
 The fruit of the tree all told Is not worth $1O, yet it represents the labor and savings and the beggings of, 1t may be, six weeks of time on the part of those devoted sisters. If blessing from the most joyous, sacred day of all the year descends on any Christmas benevolent enterprise, be sure it will come to theirs. Or if conferring genu- inc happiness be the test of real success the country sisters Sunday school Christmas tree will show itself illumi- mated with a great widening light, while that of many congregation numbering millionaires among its mem- bers will stand, as it were, with its elec- tric lights extinguished. Gifts make us happy according as we have before lacked gifts. Here and there in the coming years an unsatisfied man or woman who has won earthly success will look back and smile sorrowfully to think that the toy and bag of candy the world has bestowed have given far less joy than those of the country church Christmas tree.
 Among congregations slightly more urban there is the winter holiday oyster supper or society festival. presided over
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
A Present Getter.

Margery Briscome finds enjoyment in another way. She tries to see how many presents she can get. Not that Margery is in need of them; no, indeed. But she wants to lord it over the other girls the day after Christmas. There fore, like the small boy and the Sunday school Christmas tree, she begins her campaign month in advance. All her old acquaintances are hunted up. She is charming to them and invites them to lunches, theater parties, etc. Likewise she is particularly gracious to the men she knows. They hardly recognize her, she is so changed. Even her old maid aunts are cosseted and f1attered, and all at once Margery becomes tremendously popular. Every one exclaims how charming she is. The week before Christmas Margery's efforts redouble Presents begin to come in. They rain in, they pour in. Margery is almost showed under by them. Her triumph is assured. for not one of us can even pretend to such a long list of present giving friends. We acknowledge our defeat. A fortnight after Christmas Margery begins to slack off, on her attentions to these numerous kind friends. In a month her calls have grown noticeably fewer, and by the be-
 ginning of Lent her visiting list has shrunk to its normal proportions.
 Maisie Bender by way of celebratine Christmas does the biggest thing she can think of. She has a house party for the week at the Bender home on the Hudson. Everything is carried out in true baronial style. The place of the retainers is supplied by the many serv. ants. There are dancing around and un. der the mistletoe and a splendid feast which causes the tables to groan. The only thing lacking is the family ghost. The Renders unfortunately were all too shrewd and too practical line to har- bor any such romantic foolishnesS.
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
HAVE YOUR OWN HOME.

Begin your married life in a home of
 your own is sound advice to all pro- spective brides Boarding is at best a
 lazy way of existence. and the young couple who commence life in this way
 will surely regret it sooner or later. Take a house, no matter how small 1t must be, make careful selection of rugs, curtains and furniture, and when the little nest has been cozily furnished settle down to become acquainted with each other for this is a matter of no small account.
 Living in his own house, the man at Ionce becomes a factor in society, While lin a boarding house he is as but a grain of sand. So it is with a woman. In her own home her interest is constantly aroused, every wcmanly instinct IS called forth and she becomes more and more womanly and lovable.
 It is the woman who boards who be- comes the trifler, not the woman who has her own home. It is the woman 1 who boards who becomes hippant, not 1 the woman whose thoughts are center ed on her household. It is the woman 1 who boards who becomes the gossip, not the woman with home ties and home cares A woman who spends | few years in a boarding house becomes l accustomed to the ease and comforts
 which surround her without any exer- |
 ton on her own part. and she becomes l more and more reluctant as the years h pass by to exert herself to'make home I for her family.
 l Children brought up in a boarding
 house lose the best part of their right
 ful inheritance, for they have no home
 association. no happy recollection of l their home life, none of the true pleas
 ures to which they can look back when
 they have become men and women. Make. then. home, girls, in which l you can look back after many years
 have passed with pleasant thoughts of
 the many happy hours that were pass ed beneath your own roof.
 There are cares and trials in every
 home, but the pleasures are also to be found there rather than in boarding house, where gossip and idleness are
 among the chief features and where home pleasures are lacking.
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

ton, which was in session at Budapest. her son, Professor Henry Marion Howe, head of the department of metallurgy at Columbia university, was elected president d'honneur of the committee on prizes in the section of awards-that on metals. More than 500 people attend ed the conference. The proceedings were carried on entirely in French and
 German.
 Of all the royal residences in England Balmoral can boast of the most roman tic history. It was there the crown prince of Germany, the father of the
 present emperor. wooed and won the
 princess royal of England, and from this happy event it became the late l neighborhood of the castle to celebrate the marriage of each of her children,
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

Years ago when she first came to New York struggling student, she knew all the misery of being a girl ut terly alone in great unfeeling city. From the little window of her fourth story hall bedroom she could look upon the thousands of housetops all over the city, and she used to crouch by the side of this window during the long solitary evenings and watch the cheery lights in other peoples homes, wondering the While if by some means she could not possibly make them hear the despair ing cry of her lonely heart. Holidays were worse than death to her when she would wander alone among the gay, careless throng of shoppers and pleas ure seekers. Then there were those in- ternlinable gray afternoons after the uninviting boarding house dinner was over and there was nothing else to which she could look forward; those Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving afternoons when every soul who had even one single friend deserted the in- hospitable dining room to bask in the cheer of that friends fireside.
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

WY w WHAT would Christmas char- A A ities and benevolent en-
 NW/ terprises be without wom-
 " " an?
 From the embroidering
 of a pair of slipper tops which she presents-too often, alas, without soles-to some man to whom she feels under obligation, to the man agement of fair and bazaar at which thousands of dollars are collected for a worthy undertaking. her nimble brain and fingers are busy during the first winter month. Tn the cities for weeks before Dec. 25 gentle sisters of charity in their dark robes, with haloS of white linen around their sweet, grave faces, are familiar figures. They haunt the markets to get donations of turkey and vegetables for the Christmas dinner of aged and pauper women and men un- der their care. They hover about toy shops, candy shops and bookstores. They hunt in couples, usually, some times in wagon, in which to carry home the treasures they have gathered for their poor. Frequently they go afoot with healthy looking orphan girl to help bear the burden of a generous basket.
 It is not easy to beg even for benevo- lent Christmas enterprises, and for that reason-because it is not easy-it is doubtless left by man to woman as one work, like taking care of children, cer- tainly belonging to her sphere. Men, of course, pay most of the money because man is the moneyed sex, but that they expect. Perhaps they rather like, un- less in case of few old curmudgeons, to have fair faced, neat woman come at them and fatter them inSiduouSly by appeals to their we'll known great heartedness ill the cause of warm f1an- nels for old women or tops and dolls for orphans. Things a man considers too small for himself to do he often rather likes to have women do. All over this great country the masculine sex hand out literally of their means to these fair solicitors of Christmas char ity.
 Tn the poorer rural neighborhoods a pathos invests the efforts of woman to gladden. with Christmas cheer hearts outside her own home circle. I see in my minds eye the Christmas tree for the children of the rustic Sunday school. OftentimeS the region is so de- pleted of men that woman must even be superintendent of the Sunday school, yet for that reason the young ones are all the surer of their Christmas tree, with it's strings of white and colored popcorn, it's few cheap waxen tapers, it's little gilt balls and tinsel paper, it's gifts of bags of stick candy and ginger bread rabbits, of homemade dolls all but the head, of tin trumpets and tin
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

Mrs. F. N. Doubleday, Mrs. Frances Sparhawk and Mrs. Candace Wheeler presented the industries and arts that have been furthered and Miss Collins and Miss Scoville described work on the field in mission lines.
 The small Roosevelts always dine at D. m. The president and Mrs. Roose- welt take their luncheon at that time, so the family will meet at this meal and breakfast. The youngsters have SUD- per served in the nursery about 5 o'clock and do not appear at the formal dinner served for their parents
 Its a Long Lane That Has No Turn ing the new play song by George Tag gart and Max s. Witt. authors of the successful ballad "The Moth and the Flame" has made New York hit It tells the story of Clyde Fitchs popular
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

Two of Princess Henry of Battenberg's 8 children were born at Balmoral, Prin- cess Ena being the first royal child born in Scotland since 1594
 Mrs. Georgia Hopley of Columbus, O., has been appointed by D. M. Ratchford. state commissioner of labor statistics. as his special agent to inspect the fac tories and workshops of Ohio and in- vestigate the condition of women and children employed. Miss Hopley is we'll fitted for this work, having been a newspaper woman for years and enjoy ing large acquaintance with all class es throughout the state.
 Women took a large part in the Mo- honk Indian conference. Mrs. Quinton. secretary of the Woman's National Ir- dian association gave an admirable summary of work done during the year;
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

drama, Lovers Lane" and is dedicat- ed to Grace George, wife of Manager William A. Brady.
 The two surviving daughters of Dr. Livingstone recently had a pleasant public duty to perform. They opened the extension of the Livingstone college at Leyton, founded eight years ago to give medical and surgical training to missionaries. It was because Living stone himself was such noble example of the medical missionary that the fine college at Leyton was erected to his memory.
 k ,At St. Guenole, in Brittany, the fish- efmens wives. employed in the sardine factory three months of the year, work for twenty hours out of the twenty-four at the hardest of hard labor, salting
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
{ W ITS just horrid, so it isl" said Mrs. Smithy. Heres a
 E wretched French writer, H man. of course, asking the
 f111aCfinYa ra a II women

A question, Are all women liars? ? and he goes on to try to prove they are. It makes me 1url- ouS, this way men writers have of say ing mean things about women in print so the women cannot talk back! Now, I know positively that myself always tell the exact truth or nothing. pride myself on it."
 And so do IT. said Mrs. Jonesey. Mrs. Greenie said, "So do l.. Mrs. Brownie said, "So do 1. Mrs. Blackie said, And so do l." And r." said Mrs. Whitey impress sively, flor the sake of setting good example to my servants, to my cnll- dren and to my husband make 1t the rule of my life conduct to adhere to simple fact without color or yarnish in all my statements. Simple fact is my | motto"
 Mine, tool" echoed Mrs. Smithy Mrs. Jonesey, Mrs. Brownie, Mrs Greenie and Mrs. Blackie in chorus. As Mrs. Brownie and Mrs. Smithy were leaving the tearoom where they had met the former remarked: T don think you look quite well today, my dear. You are pale, and I'm sure you are little thin too" Arriving at home. Mrs. Smithy says to her hus sband: John, I'm all gone to pieces. I'm | @O0S ~S 1 telling me how i'll look
 ..Who says sop asks Smithy.
 "Oh, everybody that sees me; Mrs. Brownie for one"
 Mrs. Jonesey went home and had just taken off her hat when the maid an nounced that Mrs. Summer, the Guard I ian Angel society's agent. had called. ..Oh, that horrid bore!" exclaimed Mrs. Jonesey. Tell her I'm not at home that I'm out and will probably not be i in all day.
 Mrs. Greenie had a few friends to dinner that evening". She and her hus- band lived with her father. an obsti- nate, loud voiced old gentleman. At dinner he told a story concerning his daughter.
 Tt happened when Mary was a girl. 2 he said, and Mary is forty five years old now"
 It's no such thing, father, and you know it. I'm only thirty -five!" retorted Mrs. Greenie indignantly.
 Mrs. Brownie at home narrated to her young lady daughter the gossip of the day, woman fashion. T saw Mrs. Greenie at the tearoom." said Mrs Brownie, and she had on a hat she had made herself-the awfullest thing YOU ever saw Made her look like a crazy Jane, with her old face and gray brown skin. She asked me how liked it. Of course I had to say it was a beauty and most becoming to her: but, land sakes, Laura, never saw such an image as she was in my life!
 Mrs. Blackie and some friends dis cussed the size of American Beauty roses over the tea and cake
 .As truly as I live and breathe ' uuoth Mrs Blackie. "at the last flower show there was one American Beauty as large as the biggest cabbage you ever saw
 The tearoom clock struck the halt hour past 6. Mrs. Whitey sprang to hel feet saying, T promised MT. Whitey te meet him at Currenjelli's at to dine Goodby."
 She hurried out. She reached Curren. jelli's at ten minutes past '.
 Tt was those exasperating trolley carsl" she explained to Whitey. ''1
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
Remembers the FriendIess.

So, now that this woman has come into her own and friends flock around her and her talent has brought it's re- ward. she does not forget those others who are still struggling. Every Christ mas day she holds great feast, not for her friends, but for those who have no friends. You may see at her table a merry bevy of girls who bear on their young faces the lines of care and hard work; girls who are fighting against odds much too great for their years: girls who, thanks to her, will struggle and win out and who but for her would perhaps fall prey to loneliness and de- spair.
 How does she find them? In multi tude of ways, all tactful and delicate. She hears of them through friends, she sees their sad faces on the street, she finds them in dismal lodging houses.
 What do you think of her way of spending Christmas?
 New York.
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
WoMAN'S WORLD.

Bryn Mawr at the end of her senior year. She spent the year in European study at Heidelberg.
 Mrs. Laura Ormiston Chant on her return to England was given a recep- ton by the Society of American Women Tn London at their handsome club rooms. Mrs Ella Dietz Glynes pre- sided. and there were flowers. music. songs and recitations. Mrs. Chant was then called upon to give her address on America Seen Through an English Woman's Eyes"
 Mrs. Julia Ward Howe has frequent cause to. rejoice in the honors achieved by her children. At the biennial con- gress of the International Association For Testing Materials and Construc-
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

Skating is an accomplishment most persons possess in these days of skat- ing clubs and carnivals. but few of us can skate as Lady Minto can. In Can ada even she IS supreme. and all her children. from her tall son down to baby. are as much at home on the ice as on terra frma-
 Miss Mary Bidwell Breed Is now dean of women in Indiana university at Bloomington. position created by the board of trustees at recent meeting. She Is a native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of the Pennsylvania College For Women at Pittsburg. Later she took the bachelors degree and that of doctor of philosophy at Bryn Mawr- Ghe He1 the European fellowship at
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

dry in the sun, cooking them in boiling oil, drying them anew and packing them.
 After five or six years of hard work, Fraulein Clara Ripberger of Dresden has reproduced in needlework Ra- phaels "Sistine Madonna"
 At Bryn Mawr the essay department with it's equipment of six readers in English, is continuing the work begun last year in the fortnightly papers as we'll as long essays. It is required course for two years. All the students receive careful training in the writing of English. An additional course is giv- en under the name of descriptive Eng lish." Here the training is more defi- nitely for creative work. The course has grown steadily in popularity and the class is now very large
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
A RENEFlcENT PRINCESS.

The Isle of Wight is the favorite resi- dence of Princess Henry of Battenberg, and this gentle lady never wearies of good deeds which may benefit the in- habitants of the little island which owns her as governor. Recently her royal highness invited the wounded soldiers staying in the Convalescent Home at Cowes to take a trip in her private steam yacht, and a most en- ioyable cruise around the Needles and Alum bay was the result. No doubt the pleasure of the invalids was much enhanced by the fact that Princess Be- atrice, her two sons and her daughter were also on board.
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

Know I think it is those who have little money that enjoy their Christ mas shopping most? Every penny means so much pleasure to them. while those who don't have to think of the price of things find it all such a bore, and, as Maisie Bender put it, ''the same old thing every year!"
 Isn't it funny what different ideas we have of Christmas? Aunt Sophronia, for instance, for once tries to live up to the godliness of her name. She puts on a demure air and is hostess at charity
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
A Misguided Samaritan.

Christmas makes Daisy Van Twiller sentimental. She drives her family dis tracted by haunting evil smelling tene- ments of the worst description, and she orlves the inmates of these tenements distracted by asking them all manner or questions and poking herself in general where she is not wanted. Last year she gave herself Christmas pres ent of the measles as a result of her phllanthropic enthusiasm. This year it may be something different. I hear that the young vicar of St. Euphrasia' s has undertaken to guide her misdirect- ed generosity and that he has personal
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21
TELLING THE
 SIMPLE TRUTH

started in plenty time to be here at 5 or maybe a minute or two after, but the car poked and poked till I thought I'd never get here.''
 Among the ladies in the tearoom was one who said nothing, but listened care fully She made a resolve to herselT that for one week at least she would tell the exact truth. She went home with tight shut lips, and all she would say to her husband was ''yes" and no. He thought she was i'll or crazy or an- gry or something. But she was not. She was afraid to speak lest she in some way deviate from accurate state- ment. ALICE A. BROWNE.
Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21

ever thought to compute the amount of money and the value of the gifts gath- cred through the benevolent work or women at Christmas time, again possi- bly, because woman's charitable work is taken so as a matter of course. But if the amount of cash that the women of this country quietly and unobtru- sively gather to distribute in benevo- lent works for Christmas could ba counted it would be found to be not less than $1, 0O0, 900 annually.
 ALICE w. MORTIMER. |