davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
SINGING AND DANCING
TAUGHT PARISIAN WORKERS

Through his interest in the type of
little Paris working girl around whom
he wrote his charming opera, Louise"
Gustave Charpentier has established
school which he calls the "ConserVa-
toire Mimi Pinson."
Here at least one afternoon and even
ing in the week the noted French COM
poser spends his time personally direct
ing the instruction of about 600 of the
dressmakers and modistes' little as
sistants-the "trottins' and errand
girls, the little hands, as they are
POLITICALLY called, of the Paris work.
shops They are taught to sing and to
dance by some of the best masters in
France, musicians and teachers whom
Charpentier has interested in his work,
and latterly they have taken up the
study Of pantomime under the tuition
of George Vague, the famous French
pantomimist.
Every Saturday evening these little
"midinetteS" take on for a few hours
the souls of Columbines; they pirou-
ette. they dance and bow, and gesture
with their pretty hands and heads in
time to tinkling music. AT present
they are rehearsing a pantomime play
which will be presented at the Troca-
dero this summer. 1t relates the ad-
ventures of a good young man, who
wishes to select for himself a wife
from among seven sisters. The father
tells him the good qualities of each, but
he very cleverly discovers for himself
that one is lazy and one is selfish, one
is bad tempered and one is gluttonous,
one is pretentious and one is eoquette,
therefore only one is perfect. the in
dustrious, the merry little Mimi Pm
SON. And so he marries her.
1t is extraordinary to observe with
what grace, with what ease these
young pupils move, how quickly their
laughing faces become by turns cruel
or kind, mocking or desolate.
All this instruction means a great
deal of happiness and profit added to
the lives of these young girls. Whether
they are to become ''mannequins' or
modistes and couturieres it will add to
their grace and their usefulness by
giving them an understanding of line
and poise, without which no gown or
hat can successfully be made or worn.
Certainly they add to the gayety of
life in "a weary world just by the
pleasant snatches of song that occa-
sionalIy one catches as they float out
Of workshop windows. AS for the di-
version, and the healthy interest and
exercise 1t adds to their lives, who can
estimate that?
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
a NOVEL RAT TRAP

Talking with a farmer in an Ayr
shire coast town the other day, writes
a correspondent, he told me among
other things of a curious affair that
happened at his farm lately. TWO or
three boys were playing in an out
house in which were five old disused
milk cans. They placed these cans IN
a row and amused themselves for
time by pitching ears of corn at them
to see who could put the most ears in
a can. There were ears of corn in
each can when the boys stopped play
ing and left the outhouse. A couple
of days after the farmer himself had
occasion to go to the clubhouse ana
was greeted with certain sounds that
rather startled him. 1t was ceaseless
grating and humping and squealing
combined. Going forward to one or
the milk cans he looked in and was
greatly surprised to see it alive with
large rats struggling to get out. Each
of the other four cans had also. a
number of similar occupants. 1t was
not until he had learned of the boys
and the corn that he could explain
the presence of the rats in the cans.
They had jumped into the cans to get
the corn, but found it impossible to
get out again. How to dispose of the
rats was at first puzzle to the far
mer, but he finally hit upon a plan.
Covering the cans so that none of the
rats could escape, he rolled them to a
pond, then, opening the covers just
enough to let water run into the can,
he filled each one and drowned the
rats. When the cans were emptied the
least number of rats in each can was
found to be nine, while one had twen-
ty-one. There was a total of seventy
nine rats in all. Not bad bag.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

neat little home and started on his UNI
expected travels.
(which way to go
/ do not know he said to himself, as
he stood on the doorstep. And at last
he decided that il didn't make any
difference, for if the world was round
and he kept on straight in any direc-
ton long enough it would bring him
back to his own house. And as he had
always had a curiosity to visit the big
house under the roof of which his
little house hung, he flew in at the
nearest open window and found him
SELF in Mary James nursery. Now
Mary Jane was not there at the time,
so Sandy had a splendid opportunity
to do all the exploring he wanted. He
inspected Mary James toys, admired
himself in Mary James mirror and
finally flew up on the desk where all
Mary James school books were lying.
And among these what should he find
but a geography, and what should be
standing on the desk but a round
globe of the world.
1.-The very thingl" cried Sandy. "If
1 am setting out on such extensive
travels I certainly ought to know
something about where I'm going be-
fore | go there" So he set to work
to read the geography, and he logged
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

A wasp and his wife lived peace
full life without care or strife in a nice
little house built under the edge of
the roof of a nice big house that be-
1onged to the father of a little girl
named Mary Jane.
Now the wasp's name was Sandy,
and his wife's was Sarah. She was a
good and careful soul, and she swept
and busted and made the beds and
cooked the dinner. and then busted
things all over again, because she was
such a good housekeeper Now Sandy
had a poetical temperament, and he
was sometimes a trial to his good wife,
because he would forget to put things
back in their proper places, and be-
cause he would sometimes become so
absorbed in thought that he would for
get to come to table when the dinner
bell rang, and because, worst OF all, he
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

excited. Unfortunately, this further
poetry did not please his wife.
IL wish you would!' she said.
"Well then, I'll leave my native
ground. the great big world I'll travel
round" said Sandy. And he was so
pleased with his poetry that he almost
forgot how angry he was.
"I wish you would said his wife,
beginning to mix batter for more pan
cakes.
Now Sandy was very fond of pan
cakes and he would have liked to have
put off going around the world until
the new batch was done, but he did not
feel that it would he consistent with
his dignity to stay. So remarking
'Goodby
Don't cry,
And I'll be back again
Bye and bye" he went out from ms
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

along so intensely interested that he
completely forgot that he had started
out to travel around the world"
At length his studies we're disturbed
by a faraway sound. 1t was a silver
tinkle, tinkle. tinkle.
my goodness. gracious me-" he
cried. II do believe that's my dinner
bell' But before he had time to start
for home he suddenly remembered MS
quest.
"Oh. bother" he said. 81 wish [
hadn't said [ was going around the
world, because l know there'll be nice
pancakes for lunch. Well, If I'm going
I suppose I'd better take a look at
that globe up there and see what it's
like" and ne climbed on top of book
and began examining it,
The silver tinkle kept getting nearer
and nearer, and the first thing he
knew in came his wife, ringing the
dinner bell in most decided fashion.
Sandy pretended to be absorbed in the
globe before him, but his good wife
would have none of it.
81 said I'd leave my native ground,
The great, big world to travel round,'
began Sandy
Don't stop to talk poetry" said
Sarah, "the pancakes are getting cold
But 1 said / was going around the
world" cried Sandy.
At this Sarah walked up to where he
was standing, and, giving the globe
vigorous push, set it twirling around
before Sandys astonished gaze.
There, now" she said. you've seen
every country in the world. Now come
home to dinner"
So that was how Sandy finished his
travels, saw every country in the
world, and was home again in time
for dinner.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
scHooLBoY's FIRST SPEECH

A Portland (Me.) hoy had to speak a
piece for the first time in school, and
he chose that old-time favoite:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How 1 wonder what you are!'
He learned it easily enough, but when
he came to speak it before the school
he was so excited that he made the fol-
lowing transposition of words:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How you wonder what l are!"
And that was as far as he ever got
with that speech.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
If SHE FORGOT

A little seven-year- girl living in
Denver was very fond of Saratoga
chips. She had an aunt living in one
of the suburbs, on Saratoga avenue.
The similarity had evidently struck
little Janet, for one day, when going
alone on the electric cars to visit this
aunt, the nurse said to her, "Now,
Janet, where will you tell the conductor
you want to get OFF," "Oh, 1 know"
was the quick reply. "And if I don't
remember the name of the street, I'll
just say it's some kind of potatoes. -
EXCHANGE
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

ture of his back to enable him to hoist
his foster brothers out of the nest,
and never rests until he has done so,
and made things quiet and comfortable.
The foster-parents then pamper the
young cuckoo with silly infatuation,
due, apparently, to it's size and appe-
tte. 'See what a fine child we have
got!" is the obvious feeling of wagtais
or hedge sparrows fussing round a
young cuckoo, which, though fully
f1edged, is too lazy to feed itself,
Even other young birds, if placed in
the same cage with a cuckoo, soon be-
gin to feed it. Yet, after all the spoil
ing which it receives. the cuckoo is a
thoroughly ilI-conditioned, surly and
spiteful bird. A young one, which was
daily fed by a thrush no older than
itself, which was confined in the same
cage, pecked the poor birds eye out
because it ventured to eat worm
itself
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

would talk poetry. When it was other
peoples poetry Sarah didn't mind so
much, but when he distracted her at
tention from the baking or the sweep
ing or the brewing OF whatever she
was doing, by reciting to her mis- own
poetry, she sometimes became very
fractiouS
Now it happened one day that Sandy,
being in a joyful mood at just having
completed a long poem of 2547 lines,
hurried into the kitchen where his
wife was busy making griddle cakes
and began eagerly repeating his mas
terpece.
Now, if you ever made griddle cakes
or saw anybody else make them, you
know that if you don't keep an eye
on them all the time and pay atten-
ton to them they are very apt to burn,
and that's just what happened with
Sarah's griddIe cakes.
Then Sarah lost her temper, and she
cried: "There, now see what you made
me do with your silly old poetry! Go
away and don't bother me- I'm busy!'
Poor Sandy was extremely grieved
and astonished at this unsympathetic
remark:
4T'n go away
And maybe stay
For all the day!" said he. He gem
erally talked in poetry when he got
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
MARYs READING LESSON

The little girl in the class was reading
laborfousIy. "See Mary and the lamb," "
she read II slowly Does Mary love the
lamb, button-hook?"
'Why do you say button hook?"
asked the teacher.
Picture of a button hook here" re-
piled the child, triumphantly pointing
to the Interrogation mark.-Exchange
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
Peaceful Wasp and
Wife Have Short Trip

Sandy and Sarah Have Differences of Opinion and Sometimes
When the Cause Dssension Was Poetry and Worst of ALL
Sandys Poetry the Wfe's Patience Would Fail and Trouble
Would Be Nea-This Fact Caused Sandy to Decide to Travel
and Starts Out When the Tnke of the Dinner Bell Calls Him
Home Again
Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

For all the dayl" said he. He gen.
erally talked in poetry when he got
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23
CHAPTER xI.
Tho Mystery Takes Human Form.

The Mystery Takes Human Form.
He turned from the window where
he had presented a long. dropping,
patient back, and his warm, ironic
mirth-the same that had played with
her the first night-fashed out at
sight of her. But after a moment an
other expression mixed with it.
sharpened it, and fastened upon her
with an incredulous intentness.
She stood on the threshold, pale,
and brilliant still in her blaze of an
ger. equal. at last, to anything. Kerr.
as he signaled to her with every line
ament of his enlivened face, his inter
est, his defiance, his uncontrollability,
was not the man of her imaginary
conversations. He was not here to be
used and disposed of; but, as he came
toward her. the new admiration in his
face was bringing her reinsurance
that neither was she The thought
that her moment of bitter incredibly
had made her formidable gave her
courage even to smile, though she
grew hot at the first words he spoke.
You should not be brave and then
run away. you know"
She thought of her rush up the
stairs again. Il had to go back to
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23
CHAPTER XII.
pisenchantment.

Then this was the end Of all TO,
nance? She must turn her back on
the charm, the power. the spell that
had been wrought around her. and.
horror-struck. pry into her own mind
to discover what lawless thing could
be In her to have drawn her to such
person, and TO keep her. even now
that she knew the worst, unwilling to
relinquish the thought OF him. His
dcpravity doomed to her enormous;
but was that all there was to be said
Of hiln? Did his delicacy his insight.
his tempered flneness. count for moth
ing beside It?
She couldn't believe that this one
spot could make him rotten through
out Her mind ran back into the past
She could not recall a word, an &C
ton. or a glance OF his that had
shown the color of decay. He had not
even been insincere with her. He had
come out with his convictions so fat
ly that when she thought Of It his
nonchalance appalled, her. He had
been the same then that he was now
But the thing that was natural for
him was impossible for her, and she
had found II out--that was all.
Yet the mere consideration OF him
and his obsession as one thing was
intolerable She curiously separated
his act from himself. She thought OF
it, not as a part OF him, but as some.
thing that had invaded him--a dis
case-something inimical 20 himself
and others, that mixed the thought of
him with terrors. and filed her way
with difficulties. Now 1t was no long
er a question Of how to meet him, but
of how she was not to. II vas not his
strength she feared, bu. her own
weakness where he was concerned.
Her tendency to shield him--she must
guard against that--6nd that disturb
ing influence he exercised over her.
too evidently without intention. But
he would be hard to avoid. This way
and that she looked for way out of
her danger, yet all the while she was
conscious that there was but one plain
way of escape open TO her. She
could give the sapphire back to Harry
within the "a hours.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23
Old Records Tell OF Case Where One
Pleaded Before Court In An
cient BsbyIonia.

Among the most interesting treas
ures of the British museum are the
clay tablets of ancient Babylonia,
These tablets, resembling unglazed
tiles. throw quaint lights and shadows
on the manners and customs Of long
ago. Usually the records are frag-
mentary, but are occasionally fairly
complete. as is that Of legal proceed
ing instituted by a woman Of Bor-
sippa." which action Is Of particular
interest as showing that a married
mans property law was in force as
early az $50 p. c.
The proceedings TO which the doc
uments' refer were taken by a WON
an against her brother-in-law TO re-
gsin possession of property left by
her husband. The evidence showed
tnat a man OF Babylon had married
the woman from Borsippa. and with
the money Of her dowry he had
bought an estate. After a few years.
having no children Of their own. they
adopted a son, and shortly afterward
the husband mortgaged the estate
Later be died. leaving the estate mort
ggged, and his brother attempted to
claim the property.
The widow took the matter before
the court at Borsippa: but It was be
You'd the Jurisdiction Of this court and
was referred to the high court at
Babylon. Here the case was duly
heard. and the judges rendered a de-
cision to the effect that. as the proper
~ had been the husbands. the widow
could have It upon paying OF the
mortgage. and that the brother had
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23

man; lay It to my being a crack
Drained enthusiast, a eonfounded
beauty worshiper. a vicious curio deal
er. an ill-mannered ass, But"-and
he flashed around at her with a snap
of his nervous fingers-"where did
you get it?"
FOR the life Of her she couldn't help
her wave of color, but through il all
she chung to her festal smile. Sheer
nervousness made it easy.
well. suppose it was begged, Dor
rowed, or-given TO me? Suppose ii
came from here or far away yonder?
What's that to do with its beauty %
She gave him question for question.
did you ever see it before?"
He never left of looking at her,
looking at her with hard inquiry, as
if she were some simple puzzle that
he unaccountably failed to solve.
That's rather neat, the way you
dodge me-" he said, lodging in his
turn. But don't see 1t now. You're
not wearing it?"
She played indifference with what
a beating heart! "Oh. only wear it
of and on"
"Off and on" His voice suddenly
rang at her. "off and on! Why. my
good woman. it's just two days you
could have worn 1t at ALL"
She stood up-stood facing him For
moment she knew nothing except
that her horrible idea was a fact. She
had the eye of the Crew Idol, and this
man knew it! Yet the fact declared
gave her courage.
She watched him with increasing
doubt. After saying so much, was he
going to say nothing more? She had
a feeling that she had not heard the
worst yet, and when he turned back
to her from the other end of the room
there was something so haggard, so
harassed, so fairly guilty about him
that If she had ever thought OF tell
ing him the truth of how she came by
the ring she put it away from her
now.
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23

tons she led Mrs. Herrick ON to spin
out the subject. to play it over with
lights and shades. to beat all around
1t. And all the while she knew that
Kerr was watching her.
The lady's clear gray eyes travelled
between Flora's face and his. Under
their steady light there was a strange
alertness. as if she sat there ready
enough to avert whatever threatened
but anxious to draw her skirts aside
from 1t. distressing the quality, hating
to have come in upon anything so du
bious. When the hall door opened
and closed she listened as If for de-
liverer; and when Clara appeared be-
tween the lcrtieres she turned to her
and met her with a flash of reliel as
If here at last was a safe quantity.
Clara was still wearing her hat. with
the veil pushed up in a little mist
above her eyes. and still had her
white gloves on. The sight of Mrs.
Herricks hand soliciting the clasp of
those gave Flora a curious sensation.
She looked from one face to an
other. and last at Kerr's. She shut
her eyes an instant Here was a thief.
He was standing in her drawing-room
now. She had been talking with him.
She opened her eyes The fact &C.
knowledged had not altered the color
of daylight 1t was strange that
things-furniture and walls and and
scape-should remain so stolidly the
same when such a thing had happened
to her! For she had not only spoken
with thief, but she had shielded
him.
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23

see Mrs. Britton" ooh. how she had
seen herl)
"Ah, l thought you only ran back to
hide in your dolls house"
She laughed. Such picture Of her,
We'll. at any rate, now I've come
out, what have you to say to me?"
Now you've come out" he repeat
ed, and looked at her this time with
full gravity. as if he realized finally
how far she'd come.
She had taken the chair in the light
of the eastern windows. She lay back
in the cushions, her head a little bent,
her hands interlaced with a perfect
imitation of quietude.
He looked down upon her from his
height
You know what I've come for" he
said, but now I'm here. now that
see you, wonder if there's something
| haven't reckoned on" He looked at
her earnestly. If you think I've taken
advantage of you-if you say so-I'll
go away, and give you a chance to
think it over"
1t would have been so easy to have
nodded him out, but instead she half
put out her hand toward him. mo;
stay"
He gave her a quick look-surprise
and appreciation at her courage. He
dropped into chair. Then tell me
about it."
Flora's heart went quick and little.
She held herself very still, afraid in
her tense consciousness lest her
slightest movement might betray her.
She only moved her eyes to look up at
him questioningly. suspending ac-
acknowledgement of what he meant until
he should further commit himself.
Il mean the sapphire he said. He
waited.
Yes" she answered coolly. Il saw
that II interested you last night, but
couldn't think especially why. It's
a beautiful stone"
he laughed without a sound-shook
noiselesslv for a minute. Meaning
thst a gentleman shouldn't pounce
uT,on an beautiful stone be may hap
Zen 40 seer" He got UP and moved
about restlessly In the little space
between their two chairs Quite so;
lay it to my being more than a gentle
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23

That the war on tuberculosis pays
immediate dividends in human life
IS proved by a report Of Or. Bosley.
health commissioner Of Baltimore. In
the monthly health bulletin for July
II Is shown that the number Of deaths
from tuberculosis occurring In ne city
was 90. as compared with 1913 for the
same month last year Dr. Bosley says
that he attributes the decrease In the
number of deaths to the educational
campaign that those Interested in the
fight against the white plague" are
making. The interest OF the public
has been aroused" he declares. and
there is a general tendency on the
part Of the people to heed the warn.
ings and to observe the hygienic rules
being promulgated In ten years, II
the present progress is kept up. DR..
Bosley believes that tuberculosis will
be stamped out.
Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-23
ke COAST Of

more have faced Clara than II she
had surprised Clara naked.
She snatched the ring out OF the
pocket of her gown and clutched it in
her hand. Was there no place in the
world where she could be sure Cs
safety for this?
With trembling fingers she fastened
il again to the chain about her neck
She thought of Kerr downstairs wait
ing for her. Well. she would rather
keep it with her. Then, at least, she
would know when it was taken from
her. Still in the fury of her outraged
faith. she passed through her violated
rooms, and slowly along the hall and
down the stairs.