davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-31
Helping Along a Good Work

"I have mailed a package of pieces to Mrs. c. H. L., according to your request am glad to help along the good work of exchange which brings change. antcipa- tion, and occupation to many who are living in the shadows of life. I shall be glad to investigate for you any cases in our city when you are in doubt of sim cerity and report true conditions.
 MRS. A. M. IT.
 I do not think you can guess what the offer to join our committee of investiga- tion-or, as some prefer to name 1t, our visiting committee-means to us. It is through women like yourself that we are able to weed our lists of the unworthy and designing. Thank heaven we find few of them in any locality. But 1t is solid com fort to be assured by the visitor that we will make no mistake in succoring the widow and the fatherless and opening windows into the outer world for the shut-in. "We know your works" and profit by them with great delight
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-31
WILD-ARCHER

Mrs Annie Archer announces the en- gagement of her daughter, Blanch Rosa lind, to MT. Thomas Ashworth Wild of Chattanooga. the wedding to occur No vember f. No cards.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-31
More Later On

Thank you very much for sending ms the address of Mrs. Lydia E. H. I sem her small package of mixed beads. and was pleased to receive a nice letter of thanks from her. One cannot help but feel happy that even such a small aci through the H. H. c. has been so ap. preciated. I will send more later on.
 JENNIE F. H. step aside from the beaten track to offer an offset to the "discouragement. engendered by the silence of some re. cipients of tokens of the corners good will. might multiply it by the hundred
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-31
Unable to Buy Necessities

I have letter from one of your ap- picants for old white rags. Owing to two cases of typhoid. I have sent sev- eral packages of cloths, stockings, etc, but my supply of white cloths is exhaust ed. Will you not make a personal re- quest of your Cornerites? These people live on ranch and have no opportunity of obtaining necessities. The father has been out of work for over four months I shall esteem it a favor of you will give this your consideration. They are unable to pay express or postage upon anything sent to them. I wrote you had a num- Der of magazines for some needy one
 MRS. M. K"
 A faithful colleague writes the above, every word of which may be relied upon as truth. May I ask a careful reading O,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-31
'ers Quilt Pieces

Offers Quilt Pieces
 T had nice note of thanks from Mrs B., to whom I sent the boys hat, ore paid. l also had lovely letter iron Mrs. w. to whom l sent the silk scrap and doll. I have since sent her anothel package. l have given a suitcase anf laundry boxful of clothes and boys thinga to Mrs. M. P. to be sent to different poor people in the mountains. where toys etc, are so longed for. I have packed another box for the same purpose
 thank you for supplying me with th' addresses Of these people. I have somt quilt pieces for some who wishes te finish quilt MRS. J. e.
 A letter replete with encouragement and winding up with an offer that will beseagerly accepted by quiltmakers. Read, CTS have right to know how steadily and happily our work is going on
 q sent two packages of magazines to NIT. O., and received letter from him thanking me. I shall endeavor to sem him more. also gave Mrs. M. largs number of magazines. Still my supply s unexahusted. Any shut-in may havs some who can't afford to buy reading matter. ISABEL W. C."'
 Magazines are never dead stock ir our hands. We read with pleasure of supply that still holds out for the ben. eft of any "shut-in who can't afford tt buy reading matter" :,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-31
SOME HELPING HAND
 HINTS FOR THE HOME
px NATION nARLANp

the whole lecture? We hold the address o the writer and of the distressed house
 hold she describes. And the winter vii soon be upon the stricken family.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-31
Acknowledged the Remnants

.%@sS " rug Cu tiic ClitdhtS
 T must tell you that I received q nice letter from Miss B. a short time ago, thanking me for the pennants I sent to her. She had been i'll and could not write before. I am glad they made someone happy. Surely your Corner does a great deal of good.
 IRENE L.''
 Enough thought and work go to the making up of the Corner to bring forth something good. I am glad Miss B. acknowledged the pennants. It helps one to charitable judgments of delin- quents in this respect to learn that she had an excellent excuse for the delay. We will hope that dozens of correspondents who never return d word of thanks have as good.
 Offers Free Lessons
 Perhaps there are a good many young women working in stores and elsewhere and young men who would like to learn shorthand, were it not for the cost? My course cost me $75, and believe there are many who have not this amount for the purpose. now offer to teach shorthand absolute 1y free to those who wish to take ad- vantage of the opportunity. I consider myself good shorthand writer, as I have given most of my spare time for the last two years to the study and have met with more than ordinary suc- cess. It is my idea that in this small way I may be of use in the world and help some who can use my aid in this same small way. USEFUL"
 This remarkable and most generous proposition is made by member whose address is In my hands for stu x.,f.o I. 1,z II. offer. She gives what is far more val uable than money or articles that may be useful to the needy. She bestows herself--her time. her mind, her exper- fence. And verify. say unto you, she will have her reward"
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16
CHAPTER X.
The Turn.

HEN the turn of the year comes
4 in; the year begins to mount.
~ Birth is in it; growth is in it;
spring is in it. Sometimes,
away back in beginnings, they knew.
this. They knew that the time of
the winter solstice is in some strange
fashion the high moment of the year,
as the beginning Of new activity in
nature and in the gods. They SOL
emnized the return of the fiery sun
wheel; they traced in those solstice
days the operations on earth of Odin
and Berchta; they knew in themselves
thing they could not name, and
when the supreme experience took
place in Christ they made the one .ex-
perience typify the other and became
conscious Of the divine nature of this
nativity. So, by the illuminate, the
prophets, the adopts, the time that fol-
lowed was yearly set aside-forty days
Of dwelling within the temple of self,
forty days Of reverence for being, Of
consciousness of new birth. Then the
emergence, then the apotheosis of ex-
preston IMPLYING and typifed by
spring the time when bursting, press
ing life almost breaks bounds, when
birth and the impulse to birth are in
every form Of life, without and within.
These festivals are not arbitrary in
date. They grow out of the universal
experience.
Is it not then cause for stupefaction
that this time Of divine bestowal''
should have become so physical a
thing? From the ancient perception,
to have slipped into sense Of annual
social comradeship and good will and
peace was natural and fine-to live in
the little what will some day be true
in the large. But from this to have
plunged down into time of frantic
physical bestowals, of present trad
ing of lists of Grace and Margaret
and Philip, of teeming shops with
hunting and hunted creatures within,
Of sacrificial trees and beasts, Of a
sovereign sense of good for me and
mine and a shameless show of Lord
and Lady Bountiful- can tlfft
have come about? How can the Hafgtfft
festival. have been 30 dishonored? s,s.ss
Not all dishonored. for within It Is
its own vitality which nothing can dis.
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16

should go back on our paper. either.
But mebbe there's more to Christmas
than it knows about-or than we
know about. Mebbe we can do some
thing that won't interfere with the pa
per we've all signed. and yet that'll
be something that is something. Meb-
be they's things to use that amt new
er been used yet. Oh, 1 dunno. Nor
guess you dunno. Let us find OUT"
+
Christmas week came.
Cities by thousands made prepare
ton. Great shops took on vast cargoes
Of silk and precious things and seemed
ready to sail about, distributing gifts
to the town, and thought better Of it
and let folk come in numbers to them
to pay toll for what they took. Banks
opened their doors and poured out now
a little trickling stream of pay envel-
opes, now torrent Of green and gold.
Flower stalls drew tribute from mil
lion pots of earth where miracles had
been done. Pastry counters, those mock
commissariats, delicately masking as
servants to necessity, made ready their
pretty pretences to nutrition. The.
woods came moving in-acres Of living
left faithful to a tryst with the sap.
their tops summoned to bear hybrid
| fruitage. From cathedrals rose the
voices of children. now singing little
carols and hymns in praise Of the
| Christ Child, now speaking little verses
| in praise Of the saint, Nicholas: now
clamoring for little new possessions.
And afar from the fields that lay
empty about the clustered roofs Of
towns came chorus of voices of the
live things, beast and fowl, being offer
ed up in the gorgeous pagan rites of
the day.
Hither and yonder in every city the
grown townsfolk ran. The most had
lists Of names-Grace, Margaret, Laura,
Alice, Miriam. John. Philip, father.
mother-beautiful names and Of rich
portent, so that. remembering the
time, one would have said that these
were entered there with some import
of special comradeship. of being face
to face. of having realized in little
what will some day be true in large.
But on looking closer the lists were
found to have quite other connota-
tons, as Grace. bracelet: Margaret.
spangled scarf: Laura. chatting dish:
Philip, smoking set: father (Memo:
Ask mother what she thinks he'd likel.
And every name, it seemed. stood for
some bestowal Of new property. most
~ of luxuries, and chiefly of Injuries
Of decoration. And the minds Of the
buying adults were like lakes played
uDon BIZ clouds and storm birds and
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16

.:1a :ss1sisIs.
BY now the two women were "
storing hood aud stocking cap to the
little girls. and It was; Mis- Winslow.
who had followed. who spoke to Pep.
who's dead. Pep?., she asked. 81
!. Sandy Claus" he answered readily.
Were doing it for little Emily" he
said conf1dentially. ''She couldn't get
It straight about where Sandy Claus
would be this Christmas. The rest or
US knew. But Emily's little 80 we
thought we'd play bury. him on her
count"
Mis- Bates. who had not heard. turn
ed from Gussie.
''Going to do what on Christmas?"
she exclaimed. you amt to do
thing on Christmas. Or amt you
grown up. after all?"
well. we thought Christmas fu-
neral wouldn't hurt" interposed Ben
net defensively. Cant we even have
a funeral for fun on Christmas?' he
ended. aggrieved.
tits Sandy Claus funeral" observed
little Emily. putting curl from her
face.
Were goin' dress up Sandy Claus.
you know" Pep added soto voce. Its
goin' to be right after breakfast Christ
mas"
Come on. come ahead. fellows said
Bennett; I'll be corpse. Keep your
lids on. I don't mind Go ahead.
sing"
Already Mis- Winslow was walking
back to the house; the other two wom-
en- overlook her. and from the porch
they heard the children begin to sing:
''Go bury ST. Nicklis." The rest was
lost in the closing Of the door.
Back in the sitting room the women
stood looking at one another. Mis-
Bates was frOwning and all Mis- Nor
rams expressions were on the verge
of dissolving: but in Mis- Winslow's
face it was as though she had found
some new way of consciousness.
Ladies' Mis- Winslow said them
children are out there pretending to
bury Santa Claus-and so are we. And
l bet we can't any of us do it.
Ladies'" she said, II don't want we
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16

llgrtning. and, tS D. SdIe. many sStar;
but an III unuttese7 1ilnae confusion. III
Also from the ttlHfgo laden shops
there came other voices IN thousands.
but these were mostly answers. I. And
when one. understanding ehfi Stmas.
listened to hear what part In It these
behind the counter played, he heard
from them no voice OF sharing in the
theory Of peace. or even OF truce, but
instead:
'sTwo yard and double width. Jew
elry is in the annex. Did you want
three pairs Of each? Wells and neck
wear three aisles over. Leather. glass
ware. baskets. ribbons. down the store
beyond the notions Toys and dolls
are in the basement-toys and dolls
are in the basement. Jewelry is in
the annex"
So that great part Of the town
seemed some strong chorus Of inyoca-
ton to new possessions.
But there were other voices. Whole
areas of every town lay perforce with
in the days of Christmas week--it must
have been so, for there is only one cal
endar to embrace humanity. as there
is only one way of birth and breath
and death. one source of tears. one
functioning for laughter. But to these
reaches OF the town the calendar was
like another thing. for. though it was
upon them in name. it's very presence
was withdrawn. In those i'll smelling
stairways and lofts there was little to
divulge the imminence Of anything 9th
er than themselves. And wherever
some echo of Christmas week had crept
the usefulness or the lust was for pos
session also. But here one could I'M
derstand it's insistence. So here the
voices said only. II wish-I WISH ard
Il choose this-and this. at windows.
or. "If had back my nickel" Don't
you go expecting nothink!" And over
these went the whir of machinery,
beat of treadles. throb of engines or
the silence OF forced idleness or OF
the disease of dereliction. 1t was a
time of many pagan observances. as
when some were decked in precious
stuffs and some were thrown to lions.
To all these in the towns Christmas
week came. and of them all not many
stood silent and looked Christmas week
in the face. Yet it is a human expe-.
rience that none is meant to. die with
out sharing. for the season is the SYM
Dol of what happens to folk If they
claim it.
Christmas is the time of withdra wal
of most material life. It is the time
when nature subtracts the externals.
hides from man the phenomena Of
even her evident processes. Left alone.
his thought turns inward and outward,
which is to say it lays hold upon the ).
flowing force 50 slightly externa1ized
in himself. If he finds in his own be-
ing a thousand distractions, a thou
sand persons-dogs. sorcerers. scandal
mongers-he will try to escape from
them all back to the externals But IL
he finds there a channel which the
substance of being is using he will be
no stranger. but a familiar. with alhim-
self. Only when the channel has been
long cleared. when there has left It all
consciousness of striving. Of self: In
any form. only when he finds himself
empty. ready. immaculate. Wills he
have the divine adventure. For it Is
then that in him the spirit of God will
have it's birth. then that he will first
understand his own nature. the nature
of being. 81:
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16

4 n 2yIIv
spendthrift with nanna,' !. he went wen "a.
Ellen's mother appeared. give over t.
Ellen the supper preparations. content
ed herself with auxiliary Offices OF chi.
ma and butter getting and talked the
while, pleased that she had something
to disclose. ~. &
ben Holders stopped in." she told.
"He's going to the city tomorrow,
What do you s'pose after? A boy.
He's going to take him to bring up and
work on the farm
where's he going to get the boy 2
Ellen asked. =s ,s !.
Her mother did not know, but Mrs
Holders was going to have a new di.
agonal, and she wanted the. number
of Ellen's pattern. Ben would stop. for
it that night. AZ 49,.
Evenings their kitchen was a sitting
room, and when the supper had been
cleared away and the red cotton spread
covered the table. Ellen asked her hus-
band to. bring in the little tree. She
found cracker box. handily cut a
hole with cooking knife and set up
the little tree by the window in the
kitchen.
What under the canopy'-said her
mother, her voice cracking.
''Oh, something to do in the even
ing" Ellen answered. Fathers going
to pop me some corn to trim it with,
aren't you, father? Mother, why don't
you get you a good big darning needle
and string what he pops?''
"It'n make lot of litter" said her
mother, but she brought the needle for
something to do.
"Hey, king and country" said her
father: IT'D ought to have somebody
here to shell it for mev'
'Who you trimming up tree for?''
her mother demanded. Il thought they
wasn't to be any in town this year,
1T amt Christmas YETI Ellen said
only. II guess it won't do any hurt
two days before"
While the two worked, Ellen went to
the cupboard drawer, and from behind
her pile of kitchen towels she drew
out certain things-walnuts. wrapped
in shining yeast tinsel and dangling
from red yarn; wishbones tied with
strips of bright cloth; a tiny box, made
like house, with rudely cut doors
and windows; eggshells penciled as
faces, a handful of peanut owls, a
glass stoppered bottle. a long neck
lace. of buttonhole. twist spools. A GER
tain blue paper soldier doll that she
had made was upstairs. but the other
things she brought and fastened to the
tree.
Her husband smoked and uneasily
watched her. He saw something with
in her plan, but he was not at home
there. ''If the boy had lived and had
been upchamber asleep now" he
thought once, ltd be something like
to go trimming up tree. But this
way y
"What you leaving the whole front Of
the tree bare for?" her mother asked.
''The blue paper soldier goes there.
I want it should see the blue paper
soldier first thing" Ellen said and stop
o..
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16
CHAPTER TX.
Burying Santa Claus.

SQOne SOmeClmeS Wlen one
of her seven under fifteen
had given it's first sign of conscious
ness of more than SELF
II believe We'll do it some day." she
said. II believe there's more to US
than we've got any idea of. l believe
there's so much to us that one of US
that found out about it and told the
rest would get bounded out Of town.
But even now. bet there's enough to
us to do something every time-some-
thing every time. no matter what.
And believe there's something we car
do about this little orphaned boys
Christmas. if we nip our brains on to
it in the right place."
"Oh. DEAR" said Mis- Moran. "some-
times when l think about Christmas
almost wish we almost hadn't done
the way we're going to do"
Mis- Bates stiffened.
-. "Jane Moran she said, do YOU
think it's right to go head over heels
in debt to celebrate the birth of our
Lord?"
, "No," said Mis- Moran, Il don't.
But
"And you know nobody in Old Trail
Town could afford any extravaganza
this year?"
EYES," said Mis- Moran, Il do: still
"And if part could and part couldn't.
that makes it all the worse. don't it,"
II know" said Mis- Moran-"I
know
"Well, then" said Mis- Bates tri-
umphantly. we've done the only way
there is to do. Land knows, 1 wish
there was another way. But there
ain't.''
Mis- Winslow looked up from her
Eversbces.
II don't believe there's never no
other way" she said. There's al
ways another way"
mot without money" said Mis-
Bates.
Money" Mis- Winslow said-"mon-
ey. That's like setting up one day Of
peace on earth. good will to men, and
asking admission to it,
mis- Winslow,' said Mis- Moran
sadly, whats the use of saying any
thing? You know as we'll as do that
Christmas is abused all up and down
the land and made day Of expense
and extravaganza and folks overspend.
ing themselves. And we've stopped all
that in Old Trail Town. And now
you're trying to make us feel bad"
IL amt" said Mis- Winslow. eve
felt bad about it already, and you
know it. Pm glad we've stopped all
that. But I wish't we had something
to put in it's place. 1 wish't we had"
"W hat in time are them children do
ing?" said Mis- Moran abruptly.
The three women looked. On the side
lawn, where a spreading balsam had
been left untrimmed to the ground
stood little Emily Moran and Gussie
and Bennett and Tab and Pep. And the
four boys had their caps in their hands
and Gussie. having united her owl
hood, turned to take off little Emily S
The wind. sweeping sharply round thu
corner Of the house. blew their hail
wildly and caught at muffler ends
Mis- Bates and Mis- Moran, with one
impulse, ran to the side door, and Mis-
Winslow followed.
Emily" said Mis- Moran. put OF
your hood this minute
..''Gussie," said Mis- Bates, put OF
your cap this instant second. Wha
you got it off for? And little Emily
doing as you do-I'm surprised at YOU
please" said Pep, ':it's a funeral
An we thought we'd ought to take ou
caps off till it gets under
"a funeral" said Mis- Bates. "Wht
you burying?''
Its just rehearsal funeral" Pei
explained, 'the real ones going to b,
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16

ia abruptly. -
Y0u talk like you was trimming the
tree for somebody, her mother obsesv-
F. ed. aggrieved. ~
Maybe something might look in the
window going BY" Ellen said.
'tGet In there! Get your heads I'M
there. We beggars!' said the. old man to
the popcorn. "I'A ought to have some
body hero % pick up them shooting
kernels" he complained.
In little while, with fat footed
stamping, Ben Helders came in. When
he had the pattern number. by labor
| ions copying against the wall under the
bracket lamp, Matthew said to him:
Going to get boy to work ont, are
you:' =, - -, 80.
Heders laughed and shifted.
..He's going to work by and by" he
said. 1--WE allow to have him to our
selves a spell first" 49,
keep him around the house till
spring?'' -.
More said Holders. You see," he
added, its like this with Instantly
all gone, all married and got their own.
We figured to get hold of little shaver
and have some comfort with him be-
fore he goes to work for life
adopt him?" said Matthew Gu
riously.
That's pretty near it." Holders adj
mitted. We've got one spoke for at:
the City Orphan asylum
Ellen Bourne turned. "How oldyr
she asked.
.'Around fve-six. we figure" Hell
ders said it almost sheepishly.
Ellen stood facing the men, with the,
white festoons of popcorn in her
hands.
Matthew" she said, "let him bring
us one
Matthew stared. you mean bring
us boy?' he asked.
Il don't care which-girl or boy.
Anything young Ellen said.
Good Lord, Ellen,' Matthew said,
with high eyebrows, ''ain't you got
your hands full enough now?"
Ellen Bourne lifted her hands slight
~ and let them fall NO. she an
swered.
The older woman looked at her
daughter, and now first she was solic-
itous as mother.
Ellen" she said, "you have, too, got
your hands full. You're wore out all
the Hme.''
That's it," Ellen said, "and I'm not
wore out with the things l want to
do"
Hey, king and country!" the old
man cried, upsetting the pepper.
Don't get child around here under.
foot. I'm too old. l deserve grown
folks. Ny head hurts me-
Matthew said Ellen to her hus-
band, "let Holders bring us one. To-
morrow-for Christmas, Mat!'
Matthew looked slowly from side to
side. 1t seemed incredible that so
large decision should lie with man
so Intellectual.
Seems like we'd ought to think
about it awhile first he said weakly.
''Think about it, said Ellen. when
New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-16
SYNOPSIS

A notice to this effect is signed by near
1y every one. Mary Chavah receives a
letter from her sister Lily's boy.
This boy asks her to take his six-year-
old brother, son of Adam Blood, lover
who Tilted Mary for her sister Lily.
Mary prepares to welcome him. Despite
their resolutions many people find it diff
cult to cut out Christmas altogether.
Ebenezer Rule, grieving for his dead
son. Malcolm. and his dead wife, finds the
boys hobbyhorse in an unused attic.
Boys and girls are unhappy because
there will be no Christmas. Women re-
gret that Mary's boy will find none await
ing him.
Children of the town are rehearsing for
q funeral on Christmas. They are plan
ming to bury Santa Claus.