davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

the CHEEKY crate in a contented little
|. heap to dream over again those first
treasured chapters before the misunder-
standing folded them in.
Turn backward, turn backward, o,
Time, in your flight"
Writing material and a heap of I'M
answered greetings lay on the desk at
her elbow, and the pen bristled in its
rack with impatient waiting; still Miss
Belle dreamed on.
Here's letter for you, Niece Farms
worth" Aunt Roxy had toiled upstairs
and pushed open the door as she spoke.
There were no preliminaries with the
blunt old lady and she omitted the COM
mon courtesy of tapping on the panel,
as useless, seeing it was only Belle"
"Not by the postman." queried the
girl, rose color suffusing her anxious
face; but luckily the old auntie did not
notice the signal Of the heart.
mo; boy brought it moment ago.
Some business of the society, | pre-
sumo" and Aunt Roxy waddled down
stairs to her coy corner again without
even suspicion of the purport of the
message that could not wait to put in its
appearance in the conventional way.
Hurriedly opening the cream-tinted
envelope with its gold and blue mono
gram on the corner, Belle thanked Heav-
en- for once that her aunt's eyesight
was none of the best; then she read:
Dearest, l saw you to-day The old
love is warm in my heart and l want
your forgiveness, and the old-time con-
fidence. Am hungry for your presence
would have starved to death long ago
had it not been for the image. Am COM
ing to see you this evening; going to
make a New Years call. Allan"
Things are better than they have
seemed for a long time" again modified
Miss Farnsworth, folding the gold and
blue monogram over her delighted heart,
''and people aren't so bad after ALL"
That night as the happy stars looked
down over the rim Of the new cycle and
| winked at some millions of crisp resolu-
lions going up to the Recording Angel,
Belle Farnsworth, very much alive,
watched her lover out of sight around
the corner, humming softly in her old
fashioned way.
Zone is not obliged to be hypocritical
| after all, l find" she whispered to the
beaming cupid lowering near, land my
New Year calls turned out lovely in
spite of everything.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
Two Surprises
By Eliza B. William

ssTHE last day of the Old Year
makes a fellow feel sort OF
i reminiscent, dosen't it?' said
the man at the roll top desk. THE worst
case of homesickness l ever had was
brought on by encouraging that feellng'
81 lived in Chicago then, and for
some reason or other hadn't visited the
old farm for five years, though the old
folks made an annual visit to me, and l
made them enjoy it. Well, when the
clock announced the last day OF w, l
was sitting in hotel lobby with lot
of travelling men. Every one of them
had been a farmers boy, and we fell TO
telling stories. We spoke of skating and
swimming, forgetting frosted ears,
chores, and the interview with ma when
we came home late for supper and she
felt our hair to see if it was wet. We
lived over orchard rai0S-neyer refer
ring to the painful memory of how pa
waited in the dark, when We climbed III
at the window. We remembered the
sweetness of stolen melons, overlooking
what happened when old Thompson
complained of us next day. By and by
We were all homesick.
Then a fellow from North Dakota
spoke of the holidays on the OLD farm; l
thought of the old folks with lump IN
my throat the size of prize pumpkln.
Why, hadn't written home for month,
and hadn't spent New Years day there
since l came to the city. Suddenly re-
solved to go home and surprise them.
The man from North Dakota said for
two cents he'd go with me; he didn't
know my mother, but he knew his own,
and he'd risk his welcome. l offered
him two cents.
1--WE could make it if We took the seven
o'clock train in the morning, and that
would bring us home when the lamps
were lit and the smell of supper met you
at the back door. The man from North
Dakota hoped they'd have sausage, dried
apple sauce and hot biscuits! He said
it cured his dyspepsia to think of it.
Before l slept wired my brother
Jim, who lived three miles from the old
place, to meet us at the station, not let
ting the old folks know.
1T was showing when We started, but
that only made it seem more like New
Years. 1t showed all day and our train
kept losing time; but | only pitied Jim
waiting at the station. We gave up
the home supper and ate in the dining
car 1t was nine when we arrived, and
the station master, a stranger, hadn't
seen Jim! There was no hotel, but a
travelling man offered us a lift to the
cross roads. The man from North Da-
kota hoped the old folks hadn't gone to
bed; l knew they had. 1t was further
from the cross roads than thought We
stopped talking, as we f1oundered
through the snow But, anyhow, l was
going home for New Years!
There was no light when we turned
in, and hoped pa had not covered the
fire too carefully. l meant to tell Jim
a few things next day, but tonight I
was at home! knocked and waited for
the window to 60 up and to hear pas
voice when | shouted but no sound
came. I knocked again; then we took
turns knocking.
at seemed an hour before a surly
voice above told us its owner was armed,
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

dow in the brown stone cottage as Miss
Farnsworth fairly flew out into the
street; carelessly glancing at first, then
scrutinizing the supple figure in gray.
The next minute he was out on the
pavement, but the tailor-made gown had
vanished around the corner.
Quickening his pace he saw the girl
ascending the steps of humble cottage,
third from the angle.
Making New Year calls?" he cogitat-
ed, but she did not ring at the Druers'.
No wonder; poor little grill"
Instead of waiting to be received,
however, he noticed that she went right
in and closed the door behind her I'M
tremendously. Miss Farnsworth was
at home
Aunt Roxy was snoozing in her easy
chair near the fire, when Belle peeped
into the parlor, SO retreating on tip
toe she went upstairs with far-away
look in her shining eyes.
Il believe am alive!" she exclaimed,
triumphantly, to the dimples in the mir
ror, "and | am sure he has the image
still intact"
Removing her wraps the new old
Miss Farnsworth settled herself before
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

also that the dog was loose. The dog
arrived just then; he was a stranger
and seemed to have double set of teeth.
The man was new hired hand. He
said l wasn't Ed, because the old folks
had gone to Chicago to spend New
Years with him. He backed up his
opinion with a gun which looked as big
as a howitzer in the starlight
''The man from North Dakota sug-
gested we go to Jim's. 1t was the long
est three miles l ever walked. Jim
was at home; he hadn't got my tele-
gram. His wife had gone with the old
folks to surprise me. There was nothing
to eat in the house except some cold
potatoes and a jug of molasses, and the
fire was out.
''The next time I go home for New
Years III wait till pa writes; he'll meet
me at the station!"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

what they SEEM" modified
= Belle Farnsworth after her
favorite author, "and people, never!"
Turning slowly around before the long
mirror she noted the faultless reflection
of the new tailor-made suit, but her
thoughts were otherwise occupied.
Zone must be positively hypocritical
sometimes, find" she continued, more
leniently. Now, for instance, l am to
circulate, as the politician says, among
the people of Hanover Square this aft
ernoon, wishing them the joys OF the
New Year as if life was simply reflected
Paradise. But the truth is, the cob
webs are thick in my sky and have not
the ambition to emulate the example OF
the old woman who went heavenward
with her broom.
20, if it were only cobwebs," she add
ed, bitterly, that obscured my sun,
would not hesitate to try the sweeping
process; butts more!"
Miss Farnsworth had been delegated
by her society to make New Year calls
in her neighborhood and she had con-
scented.
Anything was preferable to mop
at home with Aunt Roxy on this espe-
cial day; the day she died-not the
prosaic old auntie, but she, Miss Isabelle
FarnSworth-for ever since she and AL
Ian Druer had broken faith three years
ago, she had considered herself dead"
And he might as well be, for had he
not left Cliff Point that very day, 'for-
ever" he vowed? And so far he had
grimly kept his word.
With a sympathetic glance at the sus-
piciously solemn face in the glass, Miss
Farnsworth adjusted the badge of the
Kings Daughters on the gray lapel
and went thoughtfully downstairs. The
blithe young year reflected his joyous
ness on all the faces she met and, in
spite of herself Belle began to speculate
happily. But the anniversary which
followed" came suddenly abreast of
her as she mounted the steps of pre-
tentious brown stone cottage on the
corner, for the fifth and last call.
Lost for the moment in the unusually
pleasant musing, her fingers sought the
bell-pull unconsciously.
Her first call had been on "snobs," as
Aunt Roxy would have said. They had
bowed her in and bowed her out in
dressed-up-iciclef fashion, with patron
zing smirk that would have done credit
to the kings fool.
Another call revealed fat roly-poly
lady who giggled continuously while she
displayed her cheap diamonds and en-
tertained the plain tailor-made gown
condescendingly.
But the fourth call: Well! it would
always be a bright spot on the ami
versary A little old lady in soft, vel
vety costume drew her to a sunny cor
ner where an invalid daughter lay smil-
ing genuine Happy New Year" in her
welcome AS the thin fingers closed
over the callers hand a long silent
chord somewhere in the dead heart vi
brated in harmony with the greeting;
and Miss Farnsworth concluded that she
was not walking mummy after all.
Far from it; the Kings Daughter felt
like shutting herself in with these other
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
When the Year Begins
There Is No Reason Why 1t Should Be
on January First.

TT is a common saying that there is
a reason for everything, and usually
L a good one;" yet no one has yet
found any sensible ground for Degln-
ming the New Year with the first day OF
January. If it were made to occur IN
March, as the old Romans placed IT,
there might be sense in 1t. 1t would De
the more reasonable if it began March
%, the vernal equinox, or at the autumn
no-vernal equinox september 22); or
June %, or December %. Excellent astro-
nomical reasons could be assigned for
such reckoning.
Higher civilization is in the northern
hemisphere; yet January in this part
of the world is season of cold and snow
or chill and rain. 1t is season when
moving is not only inconvenient, but
next to impossible. 1t is time OF the
beginning of nothing, coming ten days
after the winter solstice and 20 days be-
fore the spring equinox.
The day was chosen, probably, upon
the assumption that any time is GOOD
enough for general starting point, pro-
vided everybody agrees to it, and 1t will
probably have to go at that. 1t is queer,
though, that in setting back the begin
ming of the year two months, the names
September, October, November and De-
cember should have been suffered to re-
main. These were, as their origin i'm
plies, the seventh, eighth, ninth and
tenth months when the year began with
hot &c
they are the ninth, tenth, eleventh and
twelfth months, respectively. Conse-
quently they are decided misnomers.
Yet there is no use of finding fault,
where no amount of it will correct the
blunder complained of. 1t has been made
and stuck down a mile-post of time by
all the civilized nations, and no profane
hand will be suffered to pull it up and set
it forward. 1t has been hallowed by
usage, and must be and abide until the
coming of another civilization.
Whatever its origin or causes, the day
brings in with it thoughts and associa-
tons that should prove serious to the
reflective mind. Unerringly as the clock
records the passing minutes and hours,
the New Year writes down the passage
of the years as they come and go. The
birth of the new is the death of the old
year. 1t proclaims that the past is gone
and cannot be resurrected. That time
| which was lost in it can never be re-
gained; that follies committed, that sins
! INDUCED, that vices practiced, while
past, have left their impress upon mind
III oo41 toll ~
that will never die. of manly actions, OF
heroic suffering for the right. All OF
! these are in the dead past, irrevocable
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

make a good beginning for the year?
He refused at first to listen, but finally
said he'd do it, 1t would be good
chance, he said, to show his strength of
will, and, anyhow, it was only an ideal!"
'Of course, you applauded that!'
81 did. and he went off, delighted to
count up how much he would save DUR
ing the year by not smoking. AS for me,
I improved the time by making notes
of the bargains advertised in the papers
and mapping out shopping tour for
the next cay which would keep me until
six O'Clock and bring me home ex-
hausted. Mr.. Smithson didn't come
back for two hours and when he did, he
was cross tried to interest him in the
advertisements, when he suddenly
turned on me, saying that l spent more
time and money, as well as wasting
more health, on bargain hunting than
he did on tobacco, and if he could give
up the one, he thought l could give up
the other!"
''Oh, but that was different"
Indeed it was, and so told him, but
ne wouldn't listen. He said was in the
habit Of spending five dollars worth of
time to save five cents in money. He
reminded me that / had a quantity of
things put away upstairs which | had
bought because they were cheap and
which I could never use; he proved that
many bargains had shown themselves
dear and said l could save more money
by remaining at home and seeing to the
house. When demurred, he quoted my
own arguments in regard to smoking.
until | got mad, said l had as much
strength of mind as he had and J
wouldn't buy a bargain for year,"
"Oh, gracious, but how can you"
well, everything went wrong that
day. Mr. Smithscn was cross and criti-
cised the dinner until the girl got mad.
Mrs. Trotter came in and told me that
Blank was to have bargain sale in cur
tains-I needed curtains for the bed
rooms My sister came in with a new
boa bought at a bargain, and told me
could get its mate. Going into the par
lor for one mere peep at Blanks adver-
tsement found Mr. Smithson chewing
the stem of his empty pipe!"
Its too bad; I'm on my way to a rib
bon sale now. and | thought you"
wait till get my wraps. You see,
the next morning thought I'd just run
downtown to merely look at the sales,
and went into the parlor before break
fast to tell Mr.. Smithson l found him
smoking. He looked foolish for a mo-
ment. then gave me $50 and asked me if
didn't want to go shopping. Where
did you say the ribbon sale is?"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

daughters of the king for the rest of the
day. But she meant to go back. for they
had most cordially invited her.
Yes; and her fingers closed mechanic
ally over the silver knob of the brown
stone cottage, but-she did not ring!
A painful awakening ran over her,
bringing up at her dead" CD heart with
a desperate grip.
81 cannot do it," she said, staring hard
at the handsomely-lettered plate; 81
simply cannot; it is impossible!"
She could have manufactured dozen
plausible reasons for the omission, but
she could not go beyond that gold and
blue lettered plate cleaning above the
bell handle Putting her hands out
blindly she turned back to the seven
broad stone steps, the way of escape.
Had she followed him, or had he fol-
lowed her to North Adams?
If he had followed her was it because
he still cared? Or was he married to an
other and she stumbling on to the fact
in this cruel manner? She could settle
the whole matter by turning back; but
LudC WERE luupOSSlUio to-udy, at least
Across the clear sunny air of the New
Years day came the old familiar words:
81 shall always carry your image in my
heart, Belle; no matter what has come
between u.s." Like a mysterious reve-
lation came response from the inner
sanctuary and she knew that Allan
Druer had hidden more than the
image" it was her very life, and that
was why she was dead"
For a moment it came to her that he
was still true to the Image" and that
there might be blessed resurrection in
North Adams.
An answering impulse went to her
heart like old wine and she hurried
homeward dazed with the possible out
come of the call she did not make.
Some one looked from an upper win
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30


HEAvEN-GRDLED
A
A wTsTFUL LOOK BEHIND HIM EVEN NOW;
MORNING ON HIS BROW.
INITIAL GUEST.
NATIONS OF THE EARTH
A KNOWS
SEAL OF MIRTH
ROSE
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
One New Years Day
b. Elisa Armstrong Bensough.

H| GOD morning. Mrs. Smithson.
Did you have pleasant New
~ Years day."
well. No, Mrs. Nayber, to tell the
truth. | didn't. You see, Mr.. Smithson
and concluded we would not spend the
day with his family, as usual. we
thought we would remain cozily at home
and have a nice long talk. Since he has
been kept so close at the office and
have been out so much, we don't seem
to see nearly as much of each other as
we used. and New Years Gay seemed
Just the time to get acquainted all over
again.
well. after breakfast, We sat coZlly
by the fire to have nice long talk about
our plans for the coming year. just
took up the paper to glance at the ad-
vertisements for the next Gay, and he
went looking for his pipe-you know he
is miserable without it-and he couldn't
remember where he had left it the night
before Suddenly an idea came to me-
New Years day is the time to give up
bad habits; now, isn't it? At any rate,
I felt it ought to be, and told Mr.. Smith
son he smoked too much; he admitted
that he did 1T is bad habit. | told
him, dirty. expensive and injurious to
health He admitted that it was.
Then, why not give it up, to-day, and
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

and useful only as the good done has
made better and stronger the character,
and evil done has made one less fitted to
meet the duties and responsibilities of
the hour.
The New Year suggests the beginning
of things. 1t is time of good remorse
or sorrow for the past, and of good reso-
lutions for the future. The trouble is
that too many good resolutions are made
in this first day of the year and too many
of them are broken. 1t may be we'll to
purpose to do; but it is far better to do
and to hold fast. Broken promises, wheth-
er made to self or to others, tend to
lower character and render one more
fertile in pledges to do, because Of the
very ease of breaking them.
The New Year is time with bust
ness men for casting up accounts. They
figure out losses and gains for the year
that is past, and upon the result lay
plans for the year just begun. Here is
serious work in which there can be no
self-deception, no false hopes and no
false pledges. Business is made up of
fact, of work, of energy, of will. 1t will
stand no false estimates and will not
delude itself with idle fancies.
'"The king is dead; live the king"
The year is dead; live the year. The
old year is gone; the new year is on.
And so go on our lives, made up OF
years, or many or few, as the case may
be, each one bringing us nearer to the
shores of that sea which is shoreless and
that country in which time is not reck-
oned.
With the saddening and subduing re-
Elections come those of cheer and good
feeling, and we greet our friends with a
Happy New Year"-happy, it may
prove, if past errors and follies are cor
rected and each one lives, with brave
heart, in the light that is given him.
WILLIAM ROSSER COBBE.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
A New Tack.

do you intend to swear off this year?"
NO. I'm going to try a new scheme
Pm going to see if by attending little
more strictly to business l can't earn
enough to afford the things I've been try
ing to swear off on in the past"-Chi-
cago Record Herald.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
Getting Ready.

ct seems to me-" remarked the frank
friend, that you are hitting pace that
is little too swift"
mot at all, not at ALL" replied the
youth. 81 am merely arranging for a
suitable case of remorse to strengthen
me in my usual New Years resolution"
Post.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

AFFAIR
STRAIN
OF
CELESTIAL PLAIN;
IN
MORN
AND SACRED NIGHT
FAIREsT BORN
SNOW is ON THY HAIR
A
TILL ANOTHER
THEE LONG,
SHOULD KNOW
GRAND IMMORTAL SONG
SNOW
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
Make New Resolves.

Because resolves of other years
Have fallen by the way
And for the new leaf you have fears
1t won't keep white till May,
Don't hesitate new paths to seek
Lest you should take fall.
For if you're only good a week,
Why, that beats none at all.
Chicago Daily News.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
TALES BRIEFLY TOLD.

During the funeral Of an unpopular
man in . New England village, a
stranger having asked of the sexton:.
who's dead?" and What complaints"
the sexton replied: There is no COM
plant; everybody is satisfied
II meant to have told you of that
hole" said the kindly host to his
friend, who had suddenly disappeared
in the course of stroll through the
grounds into a pit full of water. The
friend climbed out and shook himself.
1T doesn't matter" he said. cheerily.
II found it,
John G. Carlisle, who has farm on
Long Island, was discussing with his
foreman the advisability Of putting on
a new man. NO." said the foreman.
Il wouldn't bother to take on Frank.
He wouldn't suit" why not?"
We'll, because you couldn't place no
dependence on his stickin' to the job.
He's such predetermined cuss he
never stays at any one thing
1t was a new voluntary and the or
ganist had been going through it for
the first time. After she had finished
the organ blower asked her If it had
gone all right. With some surprise
the young woman answered.: "Oh, it
went very we'll, thank you. But why
do you ask?" We'll" said he, 81 had
never blown to this piece before and
was rather anxious about it,
An Irishman travelling in France
was challenged by a Frenchman to
fight a duel, to which he readily con-
scented, and suggested shillelahs as
weapons. THAT won't do" said the
Frenchman's second "As challenged
party you have the right to choose the
arms, but chivalry demands that you
should decide upon weapon with
which Frenchmen are familiar" "Is
that 500" replied the Irishman, coolly.
VERY well, We'll fight with guillo-
tines"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
Possibly.

IL wonder what he ever saw about
her that attracted him."
Perhaps the $4,000 worth of dia-
monds and pearls with which her par
ents had decorated her."-Chicago
Record
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

Higgins-Here's funny typograph-
ical error in this paper. 1t speaks OF
mans ''mother-in-jaw."
Wiggins-Well, isn't that all right?
| can't see anything wrong about it.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
A New Years Prospectus.

Well make good resolutions
Just as in seasons past,
With the usual understanding
mot guaranteed to last"
>-WaShington Star.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
Sure of q Call

Newitt-It seems the old custom of
making New Years calls has died out
altogether.
Borroughs-Not altogether. Our
friend Markley will surely make one on
me this year. A three months note
gave him will fall due on that day
PHILADELPHIA Press.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
Might Avert Trouble.

Jaggs (returning home)-Wish
wash Shanta Claus, an could get in
down the chimney.-Brooklyn Life.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30
FACETIoUS FILINGS.

Johnny-Pa, what is tact?
Pats the art of letting a person
know you know enough not to know.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-30

Now, if l were only an ostrich"
began the mean man at the breakfast
table, as he picked up one Of his wife's
biscuits, then"
Yes" interrupted the patient bet
ter-half, then l might get few
feathers for that old hat I've worn for
three winters"