davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
Strange Fishing Matches.

In the olden time In England lords
and ladies sometimes invented queer
amusements. They were always on
the lookout for some novelty. and one
of the strangest they discovered was
fishing by n goose. A line with a baited
hook attached having been fastened to
the goose, tied TO its leg, she was flung
into the water from the boat In which
were all the gay lords and ladies. Then,
when a pike caught the bait she was
sport indeed, a royal battle between
bird and fish, and all the time, between
the loud splashings, wheelings and
flounderings, the onlookers In the boat
giving vent to their feelings In cheers,
handclappings and handkerchief way
ing
But the goose was usually the victor,
and ended the struggle by landing Its
prisoner on the shore, where It's quack,
quack, as it cleared itself from the line
and waddled away ended the scene.
The lake of Monteith in the southwest
of Perthshlre was often the scene OF
such angling matches.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
The nIhIe md I.nNN.

A certain well known lawyer. whose
wife is almost an invalid, is telling n
story which illustrates the often point
ed, If unconscious, wit of the darky.
On one occasion, 1t seems. his wife
was suffering intensely from n nerv-
GUS headache and, thinking, perhaps,
his voice might soothe her to sleep.
asked him to read aloud to her, which
he did as the colored maid went back
and forth about the room setting
things in order for the night
Presently the maid quietly withdrew
to the kitchen below, where the old
cook, Aunt Phyllis, was making ready
to lock up and depart.
"Mr. Alex sho' Is good man." said
the maid, beginning "He settin' up
dar readIn' de Bible to Miss Alice, an
she sick"
"Go on, chile" answered Aunt Phyl-
lis; "don' yo' know Mr.. Ajax ain read
In no Bible? He's a lawyerp-New
York Herald.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

Never" II
''or take you to bed with him and
roll on your"
"Never. was always placed on the
shelf in the closet"
"Or kick you or whack you or throw
youT'
Never. Watch-I can present arms
as well as ever"
'Or kiss you and hug you with all
his Night and cry for you when he
was sick through eating too much
candy"
Never. He used to forget me en-
tirely for days and days. Did your
boy really do all that to you"
Yes, all that and more" answered
the battered soldier softly.
and did he kiss you, you say?"
asked the spick and span soldier bit
wistfully.
Yes; he kicked me and he kissed
me-" laughed the first.
And did you enjoy it?" pursued the
second curiously.
Il had the time of my life" declared
the other. "How did you find things
up to your expectationsT
The spick and span soldier hesitated;
then he replied:
Possibly. can't complain. But.
but somehow I grew dreadfully en-
nuied. 1 almost longed at times for
more excitement more energy. We
got tired of one another. After a day
or so we exhausted all our programme
of proper exercises, and he was SO eau
tious of wearing me out that l was
laid aside, and-and, finally, here I
am. l don't suppose he even knows
that I'm gone"
Dear mew unused the other. I'm
glad my little boy was not like yours.
OF course there are the knocks; but.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

TT was a brilliant holiday store,
the windows and the shelves and
the cases ablaze with filigree
and thronged with dolls and
dishes and engines and trains and
skates and sleds, and hobbyhorseS
that galloped, and COWS that mooed,
and mice that ran, and-and every
thing, absolutely everything, that-ever
enters the most rapturous Christmas
dream.
In the center of the large show win
dows, fronting upon the gay street,
stood two soldiers. They were by all
odds the finest soldiers in the store,
much superior to the personnel COM
posing the different troops and regi-
ments and companies stationed here
and there along the aisles. The pair
were made of tin, to be sure; but they
were of heroic stature, eight inches
tall, richly uniformed in black and
yellow, and could be wound up so that
they would present arms several times
in succession.
The other soldiers, poor things, were
compelled to remain the whole time at
a "carry" or a fright shoulder" with
out relief
Naturally these two soldiers were
proud and of aspirations reaching be-
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
without thy help

without thy help
80 they went their way and left me
to go mine. But when the time came
that I found it convenient to follow
the star clouds obscured the heavens,
and there was no star to be seen, and
so l knew not how to seek the Christ
Child
II have been seeking him ever since,
up and down in the land. Whenever,
wherever l see a little child l think
perhaps | have found the One l seek,
and my heart yearns over him. But
not yet have found the Christ Child,
whose face must shine with the radi-
ance of the star | lost"
With tears of sorrow wetting her
eyelashes Baboushka fell asleep in her
chair She had filled all of her beds
with cold and friendless children.
And as she slept a tender hand
seemed to dry her tears and loving
voice to whisper in her ears:
"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto
the least Of these little ones ye have
done it unto me. They were homeless,
and ye took them in. They were hun
CRY, and you have fed them. They
were cold, and you have warmed them.
The Christ Child is in thy own heart"
And on that glad Christmas morning
Baboushka awoke with a great peace
in her soul, for she knew that she had
found him she had been seeking far
and wide.
UnErateful Queen Bess.
Her majesty's service was apt to be
more plentifully supplied with kicks
than ha'pence. Every one who ever
did anything for Queen Bess seems to
have been left with a bad debt on his
books. So we find an unfortunate John
Coney writing to Sir Robert Cecil that
for the last two years he had been
suitor for f100 for "beeves for the
army" and complaining that unless
some order be taken | shall be un-
done" Sir Edward Hastyngs. after
spending his life in serving the queen,
had to pawn his wife's jewels and beg
her majesty Ito bestow something upon
me in this my latter age"
So badly was the fleet that beat the
armada provisioned that Francis
Drake had to seize at Plymouth ninety
bags of rice. and the unfortunate own
er, after ten years waiting. was re-
fused payment, rice being an extraor-
binary victual not allowed for the
navy" Nor did common soldiers fare
better The chief anxiety Of all Eliza
beth's ministers ought. in her view, to
have been how to save most money
London Telegraph.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
HOW BABOUSHkA
FOUND THE
CHRIST CHILD
Bly,.
JEANETTE H.
WALW0RTH
Copyright, 1909,
By JeGnnctte
II. WdltpOl-th

comes to claim thee she shall find thee
rosy and happy"
Then Vasalissa quickly dried her
tears, and with her hand clasped in
Baboushka's she trudged cheerfully
forward until they came to a tiny little
cottage set back from the road a short
distance In it's one window a lamp
was burning brightly.
The window and the lamp belonged
to Baboushka's cottage. She pushed
its unlocked door open, and the chill
dren entered with her into a clean
swept, well warmed room.
4 large chair was drawn close up to
the hearth. As Baboushka entered she
glanced eagerly at this chair, and again
she muttered under her breath:
Il had hoped he might have come
while was out"
Good mother" Ossip asked, why
do you leave lighted lamp in the win
dow when you go away"
$50 that" she answered, should any
one go astray in the cold and the dark
he might find his way to my poor
cottage. And now let US see If the bean
broth has kept warm all this time.
made it before / left home in the early
morning hours so that if any wander
ers found their way hither they might
not leave my roof hungered."
The bean broth had kept warm. She
: bade Ossip throw a few more fagots
under the pot and set Vasalissa on q
stool in the warmest nook. Then she
brought three bowls, filed them with
the bean broth and put them on the
table. Over them she asked a blessing.
Before her own wooden spoon had
made two Journeys from bowl to lip
she heard a timid knock at the door.
She ran quickly to answer it. tall,
pale lad stood outside. In his arms he
carried small mite of a boy, about
whose shoulders was wrapped worn
and soiled woman's shawl.
The tall, pale lad looked into the fire
lighted room with longing eyes. His
teeth chattered with the cold as he
asked: "Good mother, may we ask
shelter for the night? The cold bites
bitter hard, and my little brother Pc
trusha is but a sickly cripple"
Then Baboushka opened wide her
door with an eager hand and fast beat
ing heart. Perhaps, at last, this was
the child. What she said aloud was:
'That indeed thou mayest But why
trt thou abroad ON such a bitter night
with the little one?"
She took the crippled boy in her
strong, loving arms and carried him
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

care for him as though he were my
very own. l am called Baboushka,
and keep my promises"
Then Katoma, the moujik, died hap
by, for he knew that Baboushka was
friend to all little children, and when
she gathered Ossip close into her moth
erly arms when the end came the child
ceased weeping for his dead father.
When Baboushka and Ossip were
well on their way to the old woman's
home, in the next village, they heard
q pitiful sound of weeping somewhere
on the tree shadowed side of the road.
The oldwoman stopped at the sound.
1--WE will go and see who Is IN trou-
bic, Osslp. Our eyes and ears should
always be kept well opened so that no
Sign of distress may escape u.s."
Guided by the sound, they came to
stone where, wailing and shivering
In the darkness of the winter night,
they found n little girl scarcely as
large as Ossip, who was not at all well
grown for his eight years.
Baboushka knelt down by the child
and, gathering her cold little feet into
n warm clasp, muttered:
perhaps this is the child"
Then she said aloud, "What Is thy
name, little one, and what doest thou
here alone in the bitter nighttimeT
AT which the child's tears flowed
afresh, and between her sobs she told
Che kind, soft eyed woman how she
had been travelling with n great COM
papy of men and women who were
leaving their own village to seek bet
ter land across the seas our own
blessed America, 1 make no doubt -
and how, when they had encamped for
the night, her aunt, who was the only
relative she had In the world, had sent
her into the woods to gather fagots to
put under their soup kettle, and how
she had wandered so far that she had
not been able to find her way back to
the camp, and how she feared the
wolves would devour her before any
oue should come to look for her. Then
she told Baboushka that her name was
Nasalissa.
Baboushka clasped the little wander
er 10 her great motherly heart
"That, indeed, the wolves shall not,
my dear little Vasalissa. l cannot give
thee back to thy aunt, for 1 know nc
better than thou dost where this great
company of men and women may be
camping for the night. But thou shalt
go home with Ossip and me. Thou
shiJt share our fire and our porridge
and all that is mine thou shalt share
With Ossip. 1 can keep the wolves OF
'i1tnger.and cold away, and If. thy. aunt
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

Apropos of the eternal domestic ques-
tlon, an Engllshwoman relates this ex-
perience: 81 engaged maid named
Pedrl, and rs l simply couldn't ask
Pearl to fill the coal scuttle or to holy
stone the doorstep, | said: L would
rather call you by some other name.
Have you second oneT Yes" replied
the damsel brightly, my second name
is Opal SO | stuck to Pearl. At one
time all but engaged maid named
Hermlone, but upon asking her, Have
you black dress, white caps and
apronsY she replied acldly: Yes, l
have; but I'm not going to wear 'em.
Ma didn't christen me 'Ermione for to
wear a livery"
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

the snow was piled high
against the outer walls Of
the hovel where poor mou-
jik peasant named Kato-
ma lay dying in little village in far
away Russia.
Katoma knew that he was going to
die. 1t was Christmas eve, but there
was no gladness in the season for him.
His wife, whom he had loved very
dearly, was already gone. For three
consecutive years now his crops had
failed. A few weeks before the wolves
had devoured his last COW. If he had
been entirely alone in the world he
would have said to death, Come; thou
art welcome"
But there was one other, his boy
Ossip. The idea of death became ter
rible when he thought of leaving his
boy all alone with not copeck to bless
Himself with
When 1 tell you that it takes 100
copecks to make q ruble and that
euble is less than co cents, you will
understand how dreadfully poor Ka-
toma was.
He could not die peacefully for think
ing of Ossip's future. His dim eyes
turned fondly toward the pillow by his
side, which the boys thick black hair
almost covered. Ossip lay motionless
IN sleep. The sick man put one feeble
hand upon his boys smooth forehead
and silently commended him to heav-
ems care.
The house was very still. The hour
was late. Ossip's healthy, regular
breathing was the only audible sound.
IL only kind heaven would raise up one
friend for his boy out of the millions
Of good people this big world swarmed
with, Katoma felt that he should not
mind how soon he was laid away un-
der the frozen sods.
While his hand rested on Ossip's
head and his heart was filled with
these anxious thoughts the door of the
bowel opened softly. The moujik
turned wondering eyes in that direc-
tion, and there, coming noiselessly to-
ward him across the beaten earthen
foor, was a tall woman with soft
brown eyes full of plying tenderness.
She came close to the bed, on Ossip's
side of it, and, looking down upon the
sleeping child, she muttered:
Perhaps this is the one at last"
Katoma looked at her anxiously.
whence came you, good mother,
and what seek your
Across the sleeping boy she an
swered softly:
81 have come for Ossip. They told
me in the village that thy days were
numbered, and l knew that Ossip
yould need a friend. I will love and
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
Freak. of the Tariff.
Cockney Riddles.

"Why Is n crane like a well known
shellish?" Because it's an oyster" "a
holster.
1t is stated that q well known riddle
was written by costermonger. The
riddle in question is a charade and
runs as follows:
My firsts a little bird as ops.
My seconds needful in 'ay crops,
My ole is good with mutton chops.
The answer, Of course, is sparrow
grass" which the learned DIR. Parr al
ways insisted on using In preference TO
the potter asparagus. Notes and
Queries.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
LOOKING FOR
SANTA CLAUS

The snow was falling on the noun
tains, hiding their tops in misty veil,
and the air was full Of whirling fakes,
which were rapidly covering the brown
earth with carpet of white and oblit-
Grating the trail up the mountain side
where trudged, or, rather, stumbled,
along a grotesque childish figure in q
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
Patient Walters.

"Mary, what are you sitting out on
that damp porch for? Don't you know
it's IL o'clockr
George and / are looking for the
new comet, ma"
"But the new comet isn't due for
several nights"
"Well, we are in no hurry, MAJ
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
wellington a. nm Art connoI.seur.

In his "Reminiscences" Frederick
Goodall tells story of Wellington as
an art connolsseur. He paid Wilkie
COO guineas for his Chelsea Pension
ers" and laboriously couated out the
amount in cash. When the artist sug-
gested that 1t would be less trouble to
Write a check. the great duke retorted
that he would not let his bankers
know what blank fool / have been
to spend GOO guineas for n picture"
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18


GUARD MoUNTP
yond their present narrow quarters.
They pined for a wider sphere. As
they stood and stared with stern, fixed
gaze through the plate glass into the
gay street they talked together in toy
language, and none, not even the most
versatile linguists among the people
passing and repassing, knew that they
talked.
ooh, to get away from this eternal
guard mount over lot Of fripperyF
sighed the one.
with all my hearth agreed the
other. "The monotony is frightful."
"Td give half my solder to receive
orders to report to some little boy"
continued the first. "Oh, for changer
"But the majority of little boys are
so rough and careless" responded the
second. 81 understand they scratch
you and bend you and otherwise mall
treat you without cause, and soon
you're done for. prefer duty of a
more quiet, instructive nature, where
l may teach by means of my deport-
ment rather than by violent action"
"well, l should enjoy a hard drill
and a tussle, / believe" asserted the
first.
"Our organism is too fine for such
active service, my lad" indulgently
corrected the second. "What-scratches
and dents? No, no. Give me a post of
more elegance, where my uniform will
be treated as ii deserves"
Christmas day had been over and
gone month when after their separa-
ton the two soldiers again encounter
ed one another, but this time in great
heap of rubbish at the city dump,
where the dump man had unwittingly
thrown them out.
'Hurrahl Hello, old chap~ exclaim-
ed the first soldier delightedly.
"Hellow returned the second, with
rather more reserve Goodness! Been
through the Seven Years war"
Well might he put this query. The
other soldier was a perfect wreck. He
had lost an arm and n foot, his head
was sharply inclined forward upon his
chest, he had only one eye, his body
was twisted askew, his gun was bro
ken, his cap was missing, his features
were battered and distorted, and as for,
his uniform of black and yellow-therei
was hardly q spot Of paint on him!
live been having my tussle," an
nounced the first, with cracked laugh.
"But you-why, you evidently found
just what you were looking for"
YES" explained the second, II fell
into an excellent post. 1t was the
hands of little boy, sure enough, but
he wasn't allowed to hurt me. See, I
haven't n mark on me-" And he ex-
hibited himself proudly.
True, he was still In dress parade
condition.
Thunder and Marsr' chuckled the
first. "And look at mel Do you mean
to say that you never were stepped
on?"
"Oh, no." replied the second. Il
didn't lie around on the floor. l was
put away just as soon as he was done
playing with me. His mother had
made him n very orderly little boy"
80 you never stayed out all night
In the hall or In the middle Of the sit
ting room?'
Never" said the spick and span SOL
dler.
"And did he shoot at you with his
rubber gun ever?"
Never" said the splck and span SOL
dler.
"And he didn't bite you TO see how
soft you wereY
Never" said the spick and span SOL
dier.
"or drag you about among the chairs
with n stringf"
Never" said the spick and span SOL
dier.
cor sick the terrier on youT"
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

=, =, =, =, ,t.., Dorothy was
ner rag uoii III the hloe going to
brown hut which served find Santa
as shelter and home. Claus.
Santa Claus may not come here
now mother has gone," the little girl
said, "and 1t must be near Christmas,
so will find him, and perhaps he will
take me in his reindeer sleigh to see
mother and God"
Little Dorothy paused in her task
of sweeping the one room of their
home, and, putting some potatoes In
the ashes to bake that her fathers
supper might be ready for him, she had
wrapped herself in his old coat, donned
her red hood and started out to find
Santa Claus.
1t chanced that day that one of the
mine owners was down from the city
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

SHE TOOK THE CRIPPLED BOY IN HER ARMS.
straight to the great chair In the chin
ney corner. She raped her own
best shawl about him and chafed his
small, withered feet until they glowed
with warmth. The tall, pale lad
looked on gratefully.
81 am seeking an asylum for the lit
tie one" he said. 81 have to work hard
to keep him and myself from want. A
rich merchant has promised me work,
but he says 1 must not bring Petrusha.
That he would take too much of my
time"
"And where seek you an asylum for
him?"
Baboushka looked pitifully at the
small sad face of the cripple. The tall
brother answered sadly:
"Alas that | know not yet. 1 was
seeking the nearest town to ask coun-
sci of the priest"
Baboushka laid a kind hand on the
boys arm.
"Put care away from thy young
L.
for thy crippled brother. He shall
travel no farther on the frozen roads.
He shall be my own little Petrusha. l
have tiny truckle bed into which he
will fit to a nicely. Such as have,
dear child, l make thee welcome to In
the Christ Childs name"
The night was but very little older
when the three children, Ossip, Vasa-
IIssa and Petrusha, fed, warmed and
comforted, were sleeping the care free
sleep of innocent childhood.
Only the tall lad and Baboushka sat
by the fireside, because there was no
bed left for them.
"Tell me, good mother" the boy said.
looking straight into her kind eyes,
"why are you so good to all children?
Your fame has gone abroad"
Baboushka did not answer him at
once. When she did, her voice sounded
as sweet and solemn as church chimes
at vesper time.
"Yes, will tell you, my son, for you
are nearing your own years of respon-
sibility, and It will be well for you to
learn in good time the solemn lesson
that an opportunity once lost Is lost
forever.
MANY years ago | was setting my
house In order when three men stopped
at my door with great piece Of news.
"We have seen radiant star In the
east they said, and we know that the
Christ Child must be come. Leave thy
labor. Come with us to find him and
to do him honor
"But | sent them away with words
of foolish impotence. 'Seest thou not
that | am setting my house In orderF
Go thou to where the star beckons
thee, and 1 will follow at some more
convenientrtIme. 1 can see slight
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
THE VETERANS MEET.

oh, our companionship was sweet! /
bet he's crying for me at this instant.
poor chum! Still, 1t Is as well that
am carted to the dump. I am old and
disfigured and back number, and
wanted to go before he would cease to
miss me-"
The splck and span soldier was 81.
lent.
"Hi, yip' soliloquized the veteran.
with a sigh and with chuckle, stif1y
rolling over on his back. I'm past re-
pairs, but 1t was sweet-aye, 1t was
worth itl had-the-time-of
-my-life."
And with his one eye he gazed
through a chink In the debris up attthe
stars.
Freaks of the Tnrfn.
The following amusing details OF the
freaks of the custom house are told in
the Munchener Zeitung: A German gen.
tleman returning from southwest Afri-
ca brought with him a tiny monkey
weighing about two pounds. From
Tanga to Genoa the animal was con-
veyed gratis. Thence to the Swiss
frontier 15d. was charged on 1t as "a
bird" The St Gothard railway Of
ficials, however, viewed it as "a dos" y
and charged rs, while on the Eastern
Swiss railway it became mere pack,
age" liable to Sd. Through Baden and
Wurttemberg the animal was passed.
free, but at Stuttgart it again became
"a dog" and cost another It'd.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18
Not So Strange.

It doesn't seem SO remarkable that a'
diamond will cut glass when you con-
slider that 1t will even make an impress
sion on woman's heart.
Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-12-18

mans rough Jacket, the
sleeves rolled over and
over to let out the small
brown hands, while the
edge of the coat, on a line
with her heels, left a trail
in the snow. A red hood
covered the child's head,
dark curls peeping out
around her face, and in
the fearless, wistful eyes
shone a new light, for
Dorothy was going to find
Santa Claus. When her
mother had gone to heav-
en- a short time before,
they had carried her up
the mountain, and God
and Santa Claus were al
ways associated together
In the child's mind. So,
If God lived up there. San
tn Claus could not be far
away. Thus reasoned lit
tie Dorothy in the hours
when her father was Off
working in the mine and
she was left alone with
her rag doll in the little