davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25

yawned sleePily, and at that instant
she saw the Christmas tree and her
eyes popped wide open.
| The little tree stood on a table near
| the fire, propped with heavy stones.
Strings of popcorn festooned it and
there We're puzzling tinseled ornaments
nuts covered with tinfoil. There
were a Mexican quirt, a pair of gayly
beaded Indian moccasins. a roll of
Navajo blankets and some apples and
oranges.
Il wonder whose Christmas tree this
! is" marveled Bernice.
The sun was Strea ming through the
windows when Jim and Billy knocked
at the door and entered in response to
hher call, --..
They had arrayed themselves in
their best garments and they glanced
expectantly from the girls shyly
at looks SO Christmasy in here"
said Bernice; I'm afraid I've STUN
bled upon somebody's Christmas tree
Jim laughed. "Oh, that's your
treet"
"Mine?'' she stammered.
.'Yes-it was Billy's idea-your be-
ing away from home and everything
These are just trifles we had around
the house. Please don't cry!' he pro-
tested as tears filled the lovely eyes of
his guest.
But you don't know how beautiful
it is she sobbed. "I was hating
Christmas this year, was so lone
some-and everything"
She told them how she had disliked
the west, not dreaming it could hold
such kindness, and in return both
men became very gruff indeed and
Billy sternly insisted upon her coming
out and eating her breakfast of corn
bread, bacon and coffee. Jim said
nothing, but his eyes were eloquent.
1t was late afternoon when the
storm ceased so that they could put
on snowshoes ard set out down the
trail toward the Gulch, Bernice hug
ging her precious gifts close to her
heart
ITS the happiest Christmas I ever
had she told JIM with eyes all
ashine.
And you don't hate the west and
its people?" he smiled.
NO, indeed"
'Then-perhap s-you will like 1t
well enough to stay here always!" he
blurted, and then in panic of bash
fuIness he dashed away from the
fuckers front gate, leaving Billy sole
witness to Bernice's bushes and tell
tale eyes
Wen have another Christmas tree
next year-we three-and it won't be
any accident either predicted the
guide shrewdly.
BiIly's prophecy was fulfilled, and |
Bernice's happy Christmas was fol- |
lowed by many more in the country |
which she learned to love because ]
Love had really sought and found her /
there.-( Copyright. 1915, by Mcclure /
Newspaper Syndicate
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
EU g Chat
Wishing My Reader Friends Happy
Christmas.

(Republished by Request.

| (Republished by RequeSt.)
Dear friends east and west and
north and south, to some of you /
wish Merry Christmas this morning.
And to those of you for whom change
or loss or suffering have rendered the
wish of Merry Christmas q mockery, I
wish instead a SWEET and HAPPY
Christmas, made endurable by the
ability to see the stars shine through
your cypress trees and made happy
by trying to make others so.
This is the Christmas greeting L
send to my reader friends each year
across the wireless of our printed
friendship.
And 1 am sending out of my heart
this Christmas a wish that the two
greatest gifts in the world may be
yours today-the gift CT peace and the
gift of love.
For today, at least, may the IN
rest and the discoDtent and all the
mean and unworthy thoughts that
somehow creep into our hearts and
lives be driven out by the spirit of
Christmas and may a sense of peace
and serenity abide in their place.
For today, at least, may you love
your fellow-men as you never have
before. May the gift of love be your
greatest Christmas gift. And. oh, my
sense of the word to be able to love
humanity. as great a gift as to be able
to sing or paint, for it gives as much
happiness to the world and more to
its possessor. 1t took Scrooge a life
time and a vision to find out that
after all love is the only real happi-
ness. May the sense of that great
fact come to you today and may you
he filled not only with the love of
those near to you, not only with the
love of friends, but with that love of
all humanity. with that great tender
ness for folks" everywhere, with that
passionate wish for the greater hap
piness of all. and especially of all who
sin and suffer, that is the flower of
the civilization which celebrates
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
Clio e Sights
BY THE ATCHIsON GLOBE.

Santa Claus will also send a num-
Der of bills to Father.
Probably the horseradish is so
named because no horse will eat it.
So much of the Christmas cheer
won't last until Father gets it paid
for.
Usually the shortest day in the
year father works the same number
of hours as usual.
We hate to discourage a Live Wire.
but the fact is a lot of postage is
wasted on follow up letters.
Speaking again about the conser-
vatory of Ed Hoch's soul. what does
his soul think of ankle bouquets?
The mere fact that a man can whip
his wife won't keep him from being
a loidy.
Fishing is a great pastime, say we
and old Ike Walton, but he who fishes
through the ice is too dadblamed en-
thusiastic about it.
With the possible exception of a
wet elm club, or such like implement
of force, there is no such thing as a
convincing argument
The Red Badge of Courage should
also be worn by the patriot who goes
no further in Christmas expenditures
than his income seems to warrant
Compared with claims made for
prospectus of a mining stock pro-
moter seems violet by a messy
stone.
Il certainly think a boy or man who
ties tin can to dogs tail should be
hanged" Snorted Short jerks this
morning. But at noon today Short
was arrested for beating his wife
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
Joyh dwker Jots

According to the Pittsburg Head
light, some men spend a lot of time
looking for traps to walk into
AS the Barber County Index sug-
geSts: 1t is almost time to begin the
new year right by paying last years
| bills
A veterinary says hogs may have
| rheumatism, notes the Conway
Springs Star, and it wonders: Is that
what makes them grunt?
This is the season of the year when
the Valley Falls Farmers Vindicator
pitieS the poor woman who takes in
washing in order to pay her husbands
booze bill.
San Francisco leads all American
cities in the number of suicides, notes
the Galena Republican, and it adds:
Which indicates that it takes some
thing more than climate to make peo-
pie happy.
William Peycke is visiting in Alma
this week, reports the Council Grove
Guard, and it remarks: Some folks
put on airs by wearing ultra STYLES and
some folks by having a surplus of let
ters in their names. Bill should
either make his name to read Quar-
ter-of-a-busheP' or else just Bill Peck.
We are done with President Will
son, writes Editor Watkins in his May
eta Herald. We feel very much like
spelling his name with lower case
w. He has hurt our dignity-hum-
he thinks he can put anything raw
over US and get away with it he has
not got our measure. Don't mind
telling why We are all ruffled up-we
never got no bid
Nor would this have worked on a
sick automobile. The Little Bear
Creek correspondent of the Stanton
County Journal reports: J. H. Mauk
and Mrs. r. L. Thompson made a bus
ness trip to Syracuse Monday. on
their return trip one of the horses
took very sick with collie but fortu-
nately Mr.. Mauk had a sack of salt
IN the wagon and he gave the horse
a few small Jumps and soon the ami
mai was able to travel again.
Entries in Editor Markham's Ledg- |
er: You may have a fertile brain and |
then not grow anything worth while. |
It's always easy to get along with !
people when they can get along with |
you. When you talk about getting |
even with a fellow you really mean |
that you want to get ahead of him. |
You may be able to hit the nail |
on the head and yet not be able to
place it where it will do any good. |
Oriental splendor always seems far
away but it is never hard to get some |
to tell you about Oriental |
poverty.
Young America has a fine sense of
humor which occasionally comes I'M
sxpectedly to the surface, observe the
Liberal News, and it goes on: Here is
a living illustration that was given in
one of the grades of the Liberal
schools Friday. When the teacher an
nounced: Now, children, you may
bring presents for those you like, if
you choose, but to show the real.
Christmas spirit, you should remem-
Der those that you don't like, so next
Friday, if there is some one in the
room that you don't like, bring them a
present. You will enjoy it" The
teacher was swamped with presents
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
THE ETERNAL PROBLEM.

1t seems that the intelligence of man
cannot solve the problem of woman.
which is a bad sign in a superior in
relligence. writes w. L. George, in the
December Atlantic. The trouble lies
in this: man assumes far too readily
that woman essentially differs from
man Hardly a man has lived who
did not so exaggerate- Nietzsche.
Schopenhauer. agreed to despise wo-
men; Napoleon seemed to view them
as engines of pleasure; for Shakes
peare .hey may well have embodied
n romantic ideal, qualified by sport
I've wantonness. In Walter Scott
women appear as romance in a cheap
edition: Byron in their regard is a
beast of prey. Doctor Johnson a
pompous brute and puritanical
y >-s--aiist Cervantes mixed in his
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
QUAKER NEGOTIATIONS.

IFrom the Philadelphia Record
Many a man who is blind to his own
interests is looking for trouble
The man with pull seems to think
he doesn't have to have any push.
It's all right to borrow from Peter
to pay Paul, provided Peter Will STAND
for it.
War contracts may prove that many
a profit is without honor even IN us
own country.
The world is almost as full of peo-
pie who wear themselves out as it is
of people who rust
Don't strike a man when he is
down. You can't borrow money from
a fellow who is broke.
The easiest thing in the world is to
make a mistake. 1t only becomes hard
after you have made IT.
Because no one agrees with you,
don't jump to the conclusion that
everybody else in the world is wrong.
Wies-"I suppose it is a diplomatic
thing for fellow to remember a girls
birthday" Wagg-Not after she is
80, my boy.
MAN is made of dust" quoted the
wise Guv "And when he falls off the
~ = name is mud added
the Simple Mug.
at's the matter with
Won and Polly Peaches2 You used to
saw she was the sunshine of your life"
Buzgins-"Oh, some other fellow
came along and threw me in the
shade"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
Journal Entries

People set into all kinds of hot
water by saying yes just to be agree
able.
j. - -
Any number of folk accept a whole
lot of things as facts without under
standing them.
I. = =
Dame Fashion seems to be OBJ
sessed with the idea that queer clothes
are stylish ones
I. = 4!
Even the most careful of people
are likely to misplace their conf
dence occasionally.
d Il
No woman objects to being fair at
forty but not so many of them care
also to be fat.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
SS[}edJInle 1aleqn
- 1cbahGranIs5.s4, s,c Sss
CANDLE LIGHTS.

Several boxes of candles lay on A
shelf in a store. And as they stayed
there, day after day, they naturally
began talking together = who
wouldn't?
at wish I could do something worth
while in the world" said a tiny red
candle wistfully. Il would so much
like to be of use"
so would l." sighed a tiny green
candle near by. But what can we.
tiny candles that we are, do that is
worth while?''
True enough" said a great big,
white candle, who, covered up tight
in his great big Dox, lay on the shelf
above. There's very little a tiny
candle can do. But don't complain
Maybe some day your chance will
come. Keep yourselves cheerful and
ready for shining"
The tiny little candles. in their tiny
little boxes, thought that was very
good advice and they followed it care
fully.
The little red candles kept warm
and cheerful; the blue cnes stayed
true and firm. while the green and
the yellow stayed as fresh and bright
as when they first came from the
factory.
FINALLY, after days and weeks of
waiting. their chance came
A little boy ard a little girl came
into the store. please. I'd like TO buy
some candles" said the little girl.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
POINTER PARAGRAPHS.
From the Chicago News.l

IFrom thes Chicago News-l
Chopping is probably the hardest
kind OF woodwork.
Love levels all things-with the pos
sible exception of the head.
Why is it that little girls always
smile and little boys always grin?
The iron grip of poverty is apt to
make ones clothes look rusty.
Women remind US of angels because
they are always flying around.
Straws in the hands of small boys
point the way to the cider barrel
A literary hack sometimes carries
the publisher over the road to wealth
There wouldn't be any fun in it if
everybody could do just as he pleases.
Some people can travel almost as
far on their nerve as others can on an
excursion ticket.
The belle in the choir may bring
more young men to church than the
bell in the steeple.
The average man is miserable be-
cause he spends a lot of his time in
making himself think he is.
listers and roll top desks cover
lot of oversights that are none of the
business ANYWAY
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
Household Hints
The Table.

Inc Table.
Golden Stars-Make an ordinary
sponge cake batter; bake in star
shaped tins One box marshmallows,
one cup pecan nuts, one-quarter cup
| powdered sugar. Immediately on
| taking from oven break apart stars
| and lay one rnarshmallow. which has
| been covered with nuts, inside. Put
| on tire other half of the star (this
| must be done quickly before the cake
cools, so the marshmallow will melt).
| Sprinkle the top with powdered
sugar a-
! Odd Meat Loaf-One green tomato.
one ripe tomato, two pounds round
steak ground, one green pepper, table
spoonful celery, teaspoonful onion.
cup cracker crumbs, one egg, One-half
cup milk, three thick slices bacon;
mix ingredients together except bacon.
Bake thirty minutes in moderate oven,
having laid the strips of bacon across
the loaf.
Fried Cream-Milk, one pint; sugar.
one-half cup; butter the size of
hickory nut: yolks of eggs, three;
cornstarch, four tablespoons; flour.
one tablespoon; vanilla, one-half tea
spoon. Let milk come to a boil. add
sugar and flour wet with a little extra
milk; stir over fire for fully two min
utes. Stir in beaten yolks and let
cook long enough to set. Take from
fire and add butter and vanilla, pour
on buttered platter to the depth of
one-half inch. When cold and stiff
cut into squares, roll in beaten egg and
cracker crumbs, fry a delicate brown
in deep fat place in oven a few min
utes and sprinkle with sugar.
Stuffed Egg Plant-Bon until soft
one egg plant. make a dressing of one
egg. two cups crumbs. one-half cup
celery, one-half cup nuts, one-half
cup cream, two tableSpoOnfuls of but
ter; cut egg plant in half and scrape
out center; separate seeds from pulp;
add pulp to dressing and place all in
the halves of the egg plant again.
Bake for thirty minutes in buttered
dish. Basic with milk.
Dreaded Pork Chops-Have chops
cut THICKER than usual; cut flank and
tenderloin from bone and skewer to |
remaining chop, pressing into good
shape; sprinkle with salt and pepper; |
put in frying pan and sprinkle top of /
each with bread crumbs ldried); pour |
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
Clara lr&ramAsdscn

"Somc tiny little candles of red and
blue and green and yellow"
And when you are through with
her,' said the boy, politely nodding to-
ward his sister, Il want to buy sorne
great, big, white candles"
You can just imagine how happy
the candles were when they hea I'd
those ordersl Now we have our
chance" said the red candles, land
how we will shine!"
Il mean to make more light than
ever candle has before" said the
great, big one.
Wen shine and shine and shine"
resolved the little ones, land make
just as much light as little candles
canl"
So the candles were wrapped IN
and carried away and where do v,,,,
suppose they were put? It's not hard
to guess, is it? The tiny little cam
dies were placed on a beautiful
Christmas tree and the great. bie
white candles were put in four great
wide front windows.
When twilight came, on Christmas
Eve, all the candles. big and Iittie
We're Hshted-and how they aid
shinei N'0
The littie, gaily-colored ones twin
kIed and said. as plain as could he
Merry Christmas. everybody I.etis
all be happy this nieht!"
And the big ones burned with a
clear, steady flame, so that their T1as-
sage shono far and ncar-'sPeace on
earthi Good will to meni''-(Conv-
rlSht-Ciara Ingram Judson1
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25

romantic outlook a sort of suspicious
hatred, while Alexandra Dumas
thought them born only to lay laurel
Wreaths and organge blossoms Ito
gether with coronets)) upon the heads
OF musketeers. All, all-from Thack-
cray, who never laid his hand upon a
woman save in the way of patronage.
to Goethe, to Dante. to Montague to
Wellington-all harbored this curious
idea: in one way or another woman
differs from man. And today,
whether we read Mr.. Bernard Shaw,
Mr.. George Moore. NJ. Paul Bourget,
or Mr.. Hall Game, we find that there
still persists belief in Byron's lines:
What strange thing is mani And
what a stranger is womani
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS.

And Joseph also went up from Cali
lee, out OF the city of Nazareth. into
Judea, unto the city of David, which
| is called Bethlehem; (because he was
of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused
wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that while they were
there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her first
born son. and wrapped him in swad-
ding clothes, and laid him in a man
ger; because there was no room for
them in the inn.
And there were in the same coun-
try shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock at
night.
And, 10, the angel of the Lord
came upon them. and the glory of
the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear
not: for. behold, 1 bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be
to all people.
For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes. lying in a manager.
And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly
hosts praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
BELGIANs NEED CLOTHING.

Kansans continue with their contri-
buttons for the relief of the Belgians.
but not, perhaps, as generously as they
should. This must not be construed as
a criticism of the size of any indivi-
| dual contribution that finds it's way
| occasionally into the hands of the
Kansas branch of the Commission for
| Relief in Belgium. The idea is that
not enough Kansans are keeping in
mind the distress of these war vic
Tins in Northern France and Bel
GUM. There are other sufferers of
the war a-plenty, and particularly in
Poland and Serbia, but because they
were the first war-victims, and it was
necessary for the people of this coun-
try to save them from starvation, the
Belgians became our especial wards,
as it were. And we would seem duty
bound to see them through their most
severe trial If the war had been a
short one of six months or so, these
people might have been well able 70
shift for themselves by this time. But
conditions with them. or with a full
three million of them. are almost as
bad as was the case year ago; and
in one respect worse. Their sorest
need now. and 1t is a dire one, is cloth
ing. Nor will old clothes do. The reg
ulations about admitting cast-off
clothing to Belgium and the necessity
of fumigating it or applying other san
itary measures, makes its distribution
so expensive that it is scarcely worth
while for the relief commission to
handle 1t. Neither are contributions
of ready-made clothing the most de-
sirable. Cloth and materials for cloth
ing are what is wanted, so that this
charity will also provide the boon of
finding something for the idle hands
of Belgian women to do. AS such
cloth and things can be purchased
more cheaply and advantageously in |
every way in bulk, those who wish to !
help mitigate the horrors that winter |
will have for these people if they are |
not sufficiently clad. can do so best |
with cash contributions to the Belgian |
relief commission. This need is
pressing. The response of Kansans
should be proportionate with their
means,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
santa Claus. operating throue

Santa Claus. operating through the
Interstate commerce commission,
didn't forget the railroads this year,
as he has had habit of doing for
80 long. The increased passenger
fares recently allowed them are fol-
lowed with g grant of increases in sew
eral classes of freight rates. But
these awards can scarcely be charac-
terized as presents The railroads have
long since been entitled to them And
II state railroad or utilities commits
sions were disposed tc be as broad
gagged and fair as the Interstate COM
merce commission is, some of the
more serious of the railroads trou-
bies would soon be behind them.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25
THE CHRISTMAS CoMRADE.


Behold Him by the cottage hearth
And in the palace hall,
When from the g1ittering Christmas tree
Its fruits enchanted fall
HIS glory shines in every light
Among the branches green,
And on each dainty holly wreath
In berries red is seen
He comes on Christmas Eve to bless
Each gift from priceless pearls
For beautys breast to painted toys
For little boys and girls,
Since He was born at Bethlehem
And in a manager lay,
his gentle Presence sanctifies.
The Joys of Christmas Day.
He stands beside the soldier, too,
Across the ocean foam,
In trenches deep with sodden snow
And brings him thoughts of home.
Though all the Christmas bells are mute
Where Wars fierce eagles flew,
He shares the sentry's lonely watch
A comrade ever true.
o bugles! stop your call to arms,
1e silent rolling drums,
For with n gift from Heaven above
The Christmas Comrade comes.
His voice in every carol bids
The cruel war to cease
For 10 He bears to all the world
The Christmas gift of Peace.
-Minna Irving in Leslfe's.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25

With England making definite plans
TO raise nine billion dollars to continue
the war during 1916, it is more appar-
ent than ever that the talk of peace
at this time is decidedly premature
unless the Teutonic allies should throw
up the sponge. and which, of course
there is little likelihood.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25

1t is fortunate for the ten members
of the German Humanity league who
signed the manifesto calling on the
German soldiers to quit the trenches
and depose the kaiser from the
throne ne has fouled'' that they are
safely located in Holland. Were they
in Germany the probabilities are that
they would spend their Christmas in
heaven
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25

Uncle Sans foreign trade for No
vember attained unprecedented to-
tails. Even imports broke all existing
records. but no tariff revenue records
on these imports were broken. which
is more evidence of the deficiencies of
the present tariff law as revenue
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-25

How maElike. In suddenly quitting
his peace pilgrimage and hiking for
home. Henry Ford transfers the bur-
der of his undertaking tic the shout
ders of women. But did anybody sus-
pect that Mr.. Ford would prove to be
such gutter. The finale of his
peace trip is even more ludicrous than
was its beginning.