davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26

his food in the sand" answered Mr.
Hartwell, land his long legs are made
on purpose for wading. He has a
great many sandpiper cousins. just a
little different from himself, who live
on the seashore and run about the
sand in great flocks. But peetweet is
more fond of his own company and
often builds his nest in the grass away
from the water and not always in the
sand, like the others"
The bird that Roy and his father
were watching must have found great
fun in his bath, for he kept up his
splatterinS aud futtering for some
minutes. At last he turned and stepped
lazily out of the water
The clouds which short time ago
had looked so golden now darkened
and spread rapidly over the sky. 1t
was plain that the thunderstorm
which had threatened now and again
during the afternoon was to have its
way in spite of the short triumph of
the sun at its setting.
But hasn't peetweet a nest and fam
lily to go tO?" asked Roy as his father
glanced apprehensively at the sky and
then at the bird, who was standing mo-
tionless about six inches from the wa
ter.
He is going to sleep just where he is,
tonight at any rate" said Mr.. Hartwell.
THAT is quite clear" The sandpiper
was standing with his back to the wa
ter. Gradually his body seemed to in
cline forward, and he drew his head
and neck in toward his shoulders.
They watched him in this crouching
position till the first pattering drops of
rain began to fall. At once the two be-
lated sportsmen seized their oars and
sped over the stretch of water TO their
little camp. Roy did not mind his wet
ting. for he felt that he had found
new friend in the sandpiper, and he
determined TO try to become better &C
quainted with him another day.-New
York Tribune.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
( How a Sandpiper
{ Went to Bed ss ss

Roy and his papa had had a glorious
day together on Wamscut lake. OF all
good times-and there were many of
them, too, to be had in the little camp
where the Hartwells spent their sum.
mer vacations-Roy liked best those
long fishing excursions with his father
And how good the dinner always tasted
when they would land at some shady
nook and cook the fish over the fire of
twlgs and branches for their MONDAY
meal!
This day had been a lucky one for
both the fishers, for Roy had made his
first good catch, and now he gazed
proudly at the string of pickerel and
black bass beside him, which weighed
down the little boat as they rowed
slowly homeward and trailed its smell
of fish through the soft air. At last
they turned into the narrow stream
that flowed beside their camping
ground, when suddenly a low, clear
"Peetweet" was heard.
Roy turned TO look, and there, skim
ming along over the water and giving
his queer little whistle as he came, was
n strange. dark bird like none that Roy
had seen before.
at is a sandpiper." said Roy's father
in n low voice as the bird drew slowly
nearer. "Sit still, and we will watch
him. Sec, he is almost beside u.s.
The two dropped their oars and sat
quite still, while the little boat scarce
ly stirred I'm the lazy current. They
were near the sandy bank of the
stream. and as the bird came closer he
seemed to pause in his long, zigzag
flight, then. with a quick motion, dart
ed to the shore. The sun had set near
ly an hour before. but the clouds over
the western tree tops were still bright
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
The Elm King.

Who rides so late through the midnight
blast?
'Tis father spurs on with his child full
fast
He gathers the boy well into his arm:
He clasps him close and he keeps him
warm.
My son. why thus to my arm dost cling?
Child
Father. dost thou not see the elfin king
The elfin king with his crown and train?
Ny son. tbs streak of the misty rain.
Come hither. thou darling. come so with
me;
Fine games I know that I'll play with
thee;
Flowers many and bright DO my kingdoms
My mother has many robe of gold,
Oh. father. dear father. and dost thou not
hear
What the elm king whispers SO low In
mine ear?
Calm. calm thee. my boy; it is only the
As it rusties the withered leaves under
the trees.
Elhn King
And wilt thou go. bonny boy. wilt thou
90 with me
Ny daughters shall wait on thee daintiIy
My daughters around thee in dance shall
sweep
And rock thee and kiss thee and sing thee
to sleep.
Child
On. father. dear father. and dost thou not
mark
The ELF kings daughters move by in the
dark?
Father
I see It, my child. but II is not they:
p IT'S the old willow nodding its head so
gray.
Elfn King
love thee! Thy beauty It charms me so,
And I'll take thee by force IL thou wilt
not go,
Child
oh. father. dear father. he's grasping me.
My heart is as cold cold can bel
The father rides swiftly. with terror he
gasps;
The sobbing child in his arm he clasps:
He reaches the castle with squirting and
dread.
But. aIack. in his arms the child lay
dead.
johann Wolfgang Goethe.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26

"a wooden headed doll should be
careful not 70 hit her head against her
mothers lest she should hurt her.
"A wax doll should ayOni the fire if
she wishes to preserve Il good complex
ion
"Often an old doll with cracked
head and a sweet smile is more be
loved than Il new doll with sour
face.
It's n bad plan for dolls to he
stretched out on the floor. as people
may tread upon them. and doll that is
trodden on is sure to go into Il decline"
AIadge was reading these rules 10 her
dolly. with a very sober face. Then she
laughed.
Dolly" she said its funny, but
really believe these rules are more for
me than they are for you."-Sunday
School Advocate.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
HE RAN LIGHTLY ALONG THE SAND.

/
with red and gold. and Roy could see
plainly the pretty round marks on the
birds white breast and the dull brown
ish gray of its back and wings.
THAT is the spotted sandpiper," said
Mr.. Hartwell. DO you see the spots ?
1t is his bedtime. Let us watch what
he will do"
"Oh. but he is going into the water"
said Roy in an excited whisper. and he
nearly knocked his oar out of its oar
lock as he leaned over to look at the
bird.
The sandpiper, or pectweet, as he Is
sometimes called because of his well
known cry. did not hop like the birds
Roy had always seen, but ran lightly
along the sand to the edge of the wa
ter and, sure enough, stepped boldly in
| till the water Tapped over his toes in
little ripples. Then he stood still, as if
he were trying to decide what he would
do next.
He perzed his head first to one side,
then to the other, sending curious
cIanCes at the boat now and then, but
all was still there, and the two people
seemed harmless enough. No creature
stirred, for the song sparrows were
now asleep in their nests higher up the
bank, and peetweet had the world all
to himself.
Soon he began to teeter his body up
and down, throwing his head forward
In quick, short jerks, till Roy almost
laughed aloud at the funny sight and
was only stopped by his fathers warn
Ing SSH
ayes. he always does that before he
takes a BATH" said Mr.. Hartwell soft
ly. land some people call him the tee
ter ND. He's famous little fellow for
nicknames."
"He must be a pretty clean bird,
too" whispered Roy u moment after.
..if he takes a bath before he goes to
bed"
Row was quite right. The bird was
going to take his evening bath, habit
common among many birds, for they
are always scrupulously clean in their
habits and pride themselves on keep
ing their little feather suits looking as
well as possible.
The sandpiper waded into the stream
till his long. slender legs were out
of sight. Then he dipped his body
and fluttered his wings, just as the
sparrows do who battle in the pools
standing in city streets after the rain,
and he poked and pulled his feathers
with his bill.
"What a long bill he hasr' said Roy
as he watched this operation.
THAT is because he has to probe for
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
An Old Ennne.

The Britons derived nearly all their
games from the Romans and Greeks,
and in the fourteenth century perhaps
the most popular was what was called
water quintain." This was played by
boys and was very popular in London.
y pole or mast was fixed in the
Thames river with shield fastened in
the middle OF IL. Three or four boys
would row rapidly up to it, one stand
ing in the stern OF the boat with his
lance.
When he drew near enough to the
shield. he would endeavor to break
his lance against II. II the stroke was
not skillful enough, the standing boy
would be thrown with some violence
into the water. But IL the lance broke
the boy would preserve his position
and the boat would proceed Oh its way.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
Too HIuch Trouble.

\ little golden haired miss out in the
west end is n devoted admirer of her
Aunt Sallie. whom she calls Aunt
Tai" and whose baby. Hathryne. is Of
ten her playmate. The other evening
her father said to little golden hair:
Wouldn't you like to have a baby
sister of your Own:"
Yes. papa" she answered.
Suppose we take Aunt Tal's baby
and keep it,"
NO. no, no. said the little miss en-
phatically-
And why not?"
She was silent for a long time, but
at last she answered:
''Oh, Katy is too much chubby" Qrou-
ble).-St. Louis Republic.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
WHEN HE WAS A BOY.
james whitcomb RiIey's Little story
of His Childhood.

|
of His Childhood.
James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier
poet. tells in the Indianapolis News OF
his boyhood. He says:
81 recollect distinctly when l was a
small hoy and from choice spent much
of my time in the kitchen rolling dough
and making miniature pies. After
awhile, through the obliging assistance
of the hired girl. advanced so that 1
could build pie of legitimate size. My
| joy was complete when l actually fash
toned custard pie, and then came the
feat, worthy of a sleight of hand per-
former, of getting it into the oven
without spilling. You may gather from
this that my first ambition was to be Il
baker, and at times l have felt n
twinSe of disappointment that my jul
venile ambition was not realized.
really think / would have been a sue
cess as a baker.
Where did go to school? was not
4 success in attending school. had
somewhat of a record for running
away from school. and l succeeded in
but one study in distinguishing myself
above my school fellows. That was
reading in McGuffey's readers, which
gave me my first delights of literature.
was sensitive child, but no one ever
thought me so. and l received no con-
sideration on that account and man
nged to be in hot water most of the
time. At school if l read anything pa
thetic, like Dickens death of Little
Nell, while l had the best lesson.
would spoil it by too much weeping. If
4 I, arlnn 90 H.
ed it licked in those days-on coming
home with red eyes 1 would receive
parental logging because the teacher
had licked me. Consequently l have
Isuperabundance of sympathy for chill
dren.
Children in the country and in small
towns have Il self reliance and power
Of invention. an adaptation of the re-
sources of their surroundings, that Of
ten make them stronger intellectually
than city bred children. They have few
paid for amusements, and all the fewer
because OF lack of money to pay for
them. So they are thrown upon their
own resources to furnish amusements
for themselves. l have walked four
miles in the country to where l knew
there was n whirling jenny. A whirling
jenny is made by saving off a sapling
about four feet from the ground. The
core of the tree is left sticking up to
form n peg. and n hole TO fit the peg
is bored in the middle of n long and
heavy plank. This plank is placed
across the stump. n boy running at
each end of the plank. and away they
20, 1t takes repeated doses of soap
grease to make the jenny get around
with the desired speed.
When l was 4 boy, there were few
feuds between town boys and country
boys, and when they exchanged visits
each could introduce the other TO n diff
ferent series of delights. l do not sup
pose there are many boys today who
have. as in my time. scrambled eggs
and cooked them on brown paper atop
of the stove in the old schoolhouse. l
really think that TO bill of fare at the
finest banquet that ever may be will
ever have n dish that can come any
where near that
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
DnndeIfon BIossoms.

Little buttons of FURNISHED gold,
Clasping mantle OF green.
over the russell gown of earth,
With Jewels sewn between
Dandelion blossoms. kissed by the sun,
Stealing his rays of light
And hiding them in your yellow folds
While the daisy pales in alright;
Nothing daunted by wind or storm,
Bravely you face the gale
Till December chiIls your trembling hearts
And your little forms grow pale.
So your sold is lost IN the fluffy down
And you glisten awhile on the spray;
But. alas. the frost kings icy breath
Scatters your soft down away
Away Ger the waves of the laughing
brook
That sweetly to me doth sing,
And 1 know that again in your yellow
gowns
You will dance with the flowers of
spring.
Agnes Helen Lockhart.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
Rules For Dolls.

Copyright. 1902. by W. L. Larned.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
Can Yon BLOW 1t ontf

When it is your turn to provide your
quota of fun at an evening party. ask
for a piece of candle. and after you
have obtained it light it and request
the person nearest to you to place it
on the top of his head and then blow
it out.
Very probably he will claim that it
cannot be done. but if you assure him
that you can do it he will certainly
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
The Cats Tail.

Margaret, eyed five, was making pic
lures some time ago with pen and ink.
She made a picture of cat without
any tail.
where is the tail?" asked Norman.
She looked puzzled for moment,
and then she replied, with wise look:
"Why, it's in the ink bottle yet"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26
ssThe Ninety and Nine"

\ traveller tells the story of n scene
which wildly illustrates Christ's par
able of the ninety and nine" He says:
zone day we were making our way
with ice ak and alpenstOck down the
glacier when we observed n flock of
sheep following their shepherd over the
intricate windings between crevasses
and so passing from the pastures on
one side OF the glacier to the pastures
OH tine other. The flock had numbered
200 all told. But on the way one sheep
got lost. One of the shepherds. in his
German patois, appealed to us if we
had seen it. Fortunately one of the
party had 4 fieldglass. With its aid
we discovered it up amid tangle OF
brushwood on the rocky mountain side.
1T was beautiful to see how the shep-
herd. without a word, left his 100 sheep
out i'm the glacier waste. knowing they
would stand there perfectly still and
safe. and went clambering back after
the lost sheep until he found it. And
he actually put it on his shoulders and
returned rejoicing Here was our
Lords parable enacted before our eyes,
though the shepherd was all uncon-
scious of it, And it brought our Lords
teaching home to us with a vividness
which none can realize but those who
saw the incident."-Ram's Horn.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26

can be put OUT, and quite easily. pro-
vided it is placed in proper position
on the head. 1t must be placed as far
forward on the head as possible, and
the head must be tilted back while it
is being placed there. Even a slight
breath will then suffice to blow il out.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26

place the candle on his head and blow
upward at it with all his might, much
to the amusement of his companions.
He will be unable, however. to extin-
guish the candle, and so will all the
others who try to do the trick. Yet il
Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-17
"MR DooLEY."

''AIr Dooley" appears in new role i'll the Century Magazine as a censor or things literary. He says of the ex- pansiveness of the book market:
 The longer tn wurruld lasts tn more books does be comin' out. Day be day l r-read in tn pa-apers an- nouncemints iv new publications that look like tn dilinquent tax-list They's a publisher in iv'ry block, an, in thou sands iv happy home some one is pluggin' away at tn romantic novel or Whalin' out pome on tn type writer upstairs. Is Malachi near sighted, peevish, an can't tell whether tn three in tn front yard is blue or green? Make an author iv him. Does Miranda presint no atthractions to tn young min iv tn neighborhood, does her overskirt dhrag, am Is she poor with tn gas-range? Make an authoreen iv her. Forchunately tn manly insthinct is often too sthrong fir tn designs iv tn family, an nanny a man that if his parents had had their way might have been at this moment maxim artificial feet fir q deformed pome is Iadin' what me frind Hogan calls a glad, fee, an timperymintal life
 on the back iy sthreet-car."
Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-17
The electors of Connecticut, as man,

The electors of Connecticut, as many
 of them as cared to go to the polls, have decided that such reform as the constitutional convention offered is not worth accepting. Considering the smallness of the vote in the several towns and cities, the majority ill oppo- sition to the adoption of the work of the convention is large. It is to be regretted, however, that the expression of disapproval was not more pronounc- ed so that there could be no doubt as to where all the people stood on the question: The convention agreed to q few changes which might be regard ed an improvement upon things as they now exist and offered them to the peo- pie accompanied by condition almost equivalent to an agreement that we never should have another constitu- tional convention in Connecticut. Many things contributed to the defeat of the work of the conyention,- but probably nothing exercised more influence over the minds of those who went to the polls yesterday than the manifest de sire on the part of q majority of the men who made up the so-called reform convention to tie the hands of future generations.
Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-17

Acting upon the testimony of MT Thurber,' writes a Washington cor respondent. ''eighteen senators, ot whom MT Ellzins is the leader, resolved to contest the passage of the Cuban bill to the end and to notify the demo- cratic leaders that such was their in tention The news of Mir Thurber's disclosures was telegraphed to the president, then at West Point, and he abandoned his intention of spending q day with his family at Oyster Bay and returned to Washington immediately and on Friday sent a special message to congress urging that body to pass the Cuban reciprocity bill, and inci- dentally mentioning that he could not approve of the rebate scheme put forth by the ''fnsurgent" senators. While Mir Roosevelt's statement is very fair exposition of his views, it does not ap- pear to have produced any marked i'm pression upon his opponents in the sen ate and the question of Cuban reel procity is as far from settlement as ever. In this connection it should be borne in mind that. were the president or the republican senators who desire to befriend Cuba willing to take any action which would tend to decrease the protfis of the sugar trust, the way to aiding Cuba would be made clear. The eighteen republican senators, who oppose reciprocity with Cuba on the ground that it would result merely in augmenting the profits of the trust, would gladly vote for the reciprocity bill as it passed the house and which removed the differenfia1 on refined sugar, and they could count on the combined support of the democrats The support of the insurgent' republi- cans and a large number of the demo- crats could also be secured for the suD- stitute bill of Senator Dietrich, which would transfer the duty now imposed as a differential on refined sugar to the raw product and then grant straight reciprocity to the extent of 9 per cent to Cuba The difficulty with which Mr Roosevelt and his supporters in the senate are contending is their effort to. serve two masters, the sugar trust and Cuba. and the indications are that they will fall between the two and that re- publican harmony in the senate will suffer as severely as it did in the house when the same bill was considered tlere.s
Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-17
MIR BRYAN'S FUTURE.

MT Bryan displays sound political sense in refusing, under any tcircum-
 stances to become candidate for
 governor of Nebraska. A man who
 has twice been nominated for presi- dent of the United States and is still
 the national leader of his party can
 not afford to stake his political future
 upon the petty office of governor If
 he won, the victory would add little to his power or his prestige If he lost, he would be hopelessly discredit- ed, not only in Nebraska, but through out the United States. The utmost dividends that could be realized would
 be insignificant in comparison with the size of the investment and the de- gree of the risk
 It appears probable that the demand for the nomination of MT Bryan came from the men that intended to vote against him, rather than from the men that intended to vote for him. The Democrats that are opposed to his leadership would uzooubtedly have Wecomed his candidacy. It would have given them their chance to seal dramatically the sepulchre of his polit- ical hopes for all time. Naturally, they would have received the assistance of their friends, the Republican enemy, in this great work. Mir Hanna's com mittee would have taken Horace Gree ley's advice and gone west the moment the nomination was made. All the re- cources and all the ammunition that the Republican party could command 10r- Il. to defeat MT Bryan. His candidacy would have been made national is sue. The Republicans could not have afforded to permit him to be elected governor of his state, if there Were means within their command to defeat him. The Democrats who believe the leadership oe MT Bryan fatal to the party could not have supported his candidacy and remained true to their own principals.
 In view of his position before the country, MT Bryan could not be can didate in the local sense. His candi- dacy would of necessity be q matter of national importance, and the con- test would be as severe tax on his strength and popularity as a national campaign. If he was defeated, as he probably would be, his leadership would be at an end. Perhaps it is al- ready at an end, but even his ex- traordinary popularity could hardly survive defeat for governor after two successive defeats for president. His most enthusiastic admirers would be forced to confess that a man that seemingly lacked the ability to be elect ed to any office to which his party could nominate him was not an ideal leader or safe political advisor. Un- less Mir Bryan has resigned all hope of ever being president, he could not afford to become a candidate for gver- nor of Nebraska. The game is not worth the candle.-From the Detroit Free Press.