davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
THE WIDE AWAKE CIRCLE
BOYS AND GIRLS DEPARTMENT

They do not build palaces, but wise,
learned and beautiful sentences out of
words.
Let US take the busy MIR. VERB to
begin with. He is always ACTING or
DOING or STATING. Indeed. no SEN
tence could be built without him.
This is why you sometimes make
mistakes. You forget to engage his
service, for which he only asks
thoughtfulness and painstaking care.
In fact. MR.. VERB is the busiest
member of this busy family. And there
is Mrs. NOUN. What a. very oblig-
ing woman she is, and how consider
ate. She is always introducing peo-
pie or things-she tells the name
Miss ADJECTIVE is a busy little
body. She is, in fact. quite given to
gossiping, is always hustling about
describing persons or things.
Miss PRONOUN is a very thought
full and considerable little miss. She
sometimes takes her place while Mrs.
NOUN rests.
LITTLE PROPOSITION is always
POINTING his fingers at somebody or
just doing his work, which is to
POINT OUT THE RELATION to Mrs.
NOUN and some other worker.
Then there is Mr.. CONJUNCTION.
| who, by the way, has not very much
to do. But he Is a useful member of
this interesting family just the same.
His work is to join together and in
| this he is very much like a minister.
Master ADVERB cares moro for
the company of Mr.. Verb than for Mrs.
NOUN. He shows a. marked prefer
ence for the company Of the former
and is always associating with him.
He sometimes condescends to asso.
ciate with his little sister, Miss AID
1ECTIVE and occasionally with Miss
ADVERB, a fayorite sister of his. He
is very fond of being interviewed and
If you quiz him any time he will an
swer to the questions: How? Where
etc.
Miss INTERSECTION is rather
emotional. In fact, she is very much
| like a Frenchman with his Obs and
either, for she never really and truly
helps build a sentence"
There now, you have been intro
duced to the whole family and if you
| are always careful to keep them In
their right relations to one another
you will be able to write clear and i'm
pressive sentences.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
STORIES WRITTEN BY WIDE
AWAKES.
Went HuekIeberryina.

One Saturday last August my sis
ters and I did not have anything to
do, so we thought Of picking buckle
berries. 1t was almost dinner time,
but Alice said she thought it would
be nice to take our luncheon with lis
to eat under the trees and have a lit
tie picnic.
The plan seemed to me a good one,
so got the big basket and all helped
to put the things into 1t.
Bertha filled a bottle with ice water
and then we started UP the big hill
back of our house. where the berries
grew. We each took a big glass to
pick in. We liked to pick the glasses
full and then empty them.
Alice put the basket in a hollow oak
and said we must pick about three
quarts of berries before we ate lunch
The berries were thick and we were
getting hungry, so it did not take long
to pick them.
After that we sat down under the
shady trees to eat. Everything tasted
good and we ate it all, after which we
rested awhile.
We picked berries the rest of the
afternoon and when it began to get
dark we got the big basket and put
all the berries we had picked into 1t.
The basket held twelve quarts and
1t was full.
We were tired that night and glad
when 1t was bedtime
MARY A. BURRTLL, Age Ii.
Stafford Springs.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
An Obedient Child.

One day a poor woman as she was
going to market said to her little
daughter:
Il am going out for two hours. When
1 go, shut the door and bolt it, and do
not open it until return"
"A1l right answered the little girl,
whose name was Mary.
About one hour after her mother had
gone, Mary saw some people coming
up the path. She had bolted the door
as her mother had told her to. These
people knocked and knocked on the
door. There were two women and one
man. They knew Mary was alone, for
they had seen her mother go out.
Let US in," they cried, for they had
seen Mary through the window. 1--WE
are only your aunts and uncle"
But Mary would not unbolt the door
Soon, tired of pounding and pleading
the aunts and uncle went away. Halt
an hour later Mary's mother came
home. Mary unbolted the door and
told her about her visitors
Her mother said she had done right
for they were not relatives, as she had
no relations.
The next day she read in the paper
women, had been around the nelghbor-
hood, stealing and kidnapping little
children.
You see what Mary escaped by obey
ing her mother.
ADELAIDE HoLBRooK, Age Is.
Norwich.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
The MAKING of Buttons.

One day L went to visit my father
factory, to see now buttons were made
Pearl buttons are made from pearl
shells. The shells are found in salt
water. The divers dive for them and
bring them out.
When my father gets them a work.
man sorts them over and sometimes
finds a pearl Some are so large that
they are worth hundreds of dollars.
Then the workmen go down into the
basement and take them up in pals.
Now I will tell you how they are
made: First, they are bored out by a
machine called a borer. When bored
out they are called blanks. These
blanks are about one-half TO an inch
thick. Then they go to a splitting
machine and are split into two or three
.anlzs.
Another set of workmen get these
and they go on a smoothing machine
I his is where they smooth them.
Then another set of workmen get
these and they go on a facing ma
chine, which finishes them. Then they
are given to boys who drill holes in
them.
They are now ready to be polished
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
Versailles
Pleasure First.

John has the care Of a flock of sheep
which belong to Mr.. Bruce, a neigh
boring farmer. He is a kind master
and pays good wages to all who work
faithfully.
John knows this perfectly well, and
he means to please Mr.. Bruce, but he
has one bad habit-he often forgets
that work should come before play.
He can't see why his father, moth
er, Mr.. Bruce and everybody should be
continually telling him this. He pre-
erred pleasure first, and he can't see
any harm in sitting on the fence and
making whistles if Prince is on the
lookout for stray sheep
the most faithful of the two. His
sharp eyes are not turned from the
sheep long at a time.
One day after John had been in Mr..
Bruce's employ for some time he sat on
the fenco trying a famous whistle
John really had quite a knack at such
things.
John knew the sheep were wander
ing further and further from their
accustomed haunts; but he knew also
that Prince was watching, SO he sat
eontentedly until the sheep were near
ly out of sight
Prince was more uneasy than his
master. He tried several times to
call Johns attention to the flock, by a
low bark. At last he could not en-
due it any longer. He haw a com
motion among the sheep in the dis
lance and with one quick, sharp bark
of warning to John, he bounded away
to attend to the flock which was now
running wildly in every direction.
A strange dog had attacked the flock
and Mr.. Bruce would have lost one or
more valuable sheep If Prince had
been no more faithful than John.
Mr.. Bruce had seen Johns carless-
ness from a distance, and as 1T was
not the first time, the next day he dis
missed John. He was unwilling to
trust his sheep in Johns care
FRANK PARDY, Age IA.
Norwich.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
NV Pony Tommy.

I thought I would tell you about my
Shetland pony Tommy.
He has a silver name and tail and
his real name Is Silver Tom. His name
IS double and flows each side Of his
neck.
I have a riding bride and saddle. I
rode him quite q little last summer
with my cousin and papa.
I have a little four wheeled wagon
and also g. little two wheeled one such
as they used to use in England long
time ago.
1 have lots Of fun driving him and
taking my friends out
Papa made some thills for my sled
and drove him all around and some
times I would hitch another sled to
mine and take my friends to ride.
When I'm driving and turn towards
home he Is so anxious to get home that
he goes SO fast I enjoy driving him
,hen.
When he Is running in the field he
looks just like a little lion.
FRANCES DAVIS, Age II.
Baskerville
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
Some Queer Coils.

Grace was crying bitterly for heI
beautiful wax doll had been torn In
pieces by a mischief loving dog
Bring me a basket full OF smooth
clean potatoes, Grace said her moth
er. 'and we win see if we can make
up for the loss Of your doll"
Grace took a basket and soon came
back with it filed with potatoes.
She wondered what her mother was
going to do with raw potatoes.
This one has a fatherly expression
and will make good father said heI
mother, taking a large potato from
the basket.
Grace looked at it.
'rsee what well-forned eyes and
eyebrows and a very good nose and
mouth" said her mother.
Sure enough what she had said was
true. Upon examining all the pota-
toes in the basket Grace found each
looked very life-like, and WIS provided
with eyes, a nose and a mouth.
Her mother stuck two sticks into
the potato for the body. This was the
foundation for the clothes.
In this way a father. a. mother and
ten children were made and dressed
All Of the dolls wore a drapery around
their shoulders to conceal the fact that
they had no arms.
Grace played with them all the rest
of the day and said they were the
best dolls that ever grew
1 think if some other little girl tries
this plan she will be equally delighted
ALICE NJ. GORMAN. Age IL.
Versailles.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
The POOL

s'omata not only in our leaves but
dIong all our woody stems, we can
tell Farmer Browns boy that we, too,
eel cooked food and that all our sap
mas to come to some store or lentieel
before 1t can feed our bodies. This is
why there is SO much dispute about
Which way the sap flows in the sugar
making days.
Our roots (Which do not grow IKE
many varieties of food
The boys blood Is just like our sap,
n medium in which to float food to the
st-yes: but the blood vessels are,
h-.wever, very unlike the sap vessels in
1Glm. Blood vessels, l understand, are
nearly all alike in being smooth, round
tubes, while our sap vessels have a
great variety Of forms. Some are Sc
r1es of rings. some are full of tiny pits,
some are long spira1s. while others are
Iin1on of two or more forms.
We plants have no strong heart to
4orce our sap, first to a stove, then to
parts Of the body. The boys tubes can
be round tubes for the flow to be con-
tA-uous, but our sap sent up by the
fsmose pressure of the roots and the
natural law that makes the oil ascend
in the wick of lamps must be continu-
ously pushed along, so our sap vessels
art built like tiny engines and are the
LtoSt numerous in the youngest parts
Our sap passing from cell to cell by
pushing power, capillary attraction
and gravity.
Our roots are greedy and their con-
slant taking in causes a pushing up.
Our bodies being mass of cells-na,-
tural life points-Whose liquid contents
are constantly varying In density acts
as tiny motors to aid the circulation.
Indeed, these cells of ours are the
most neighborly neighbors known
each is trying to give his neighbor a
part of his own food OF drink.
This work to equalize the density of
| my numerous cells sends the sap to
| the top bud Of the most lofty tree, it
really being natural effort that over
comes the law Of gravity. But gravity
brings back the cooked food.
When my leaves are at work. they
cause many vacuums that natures
| laws say should be filled.
| Evaporation, too. is constantly go
! ing on through every part of my skin
| (barD the same as it is through the
pores of the boys skin. This evap-
| filled and the filling aids the circula-
| ton.
| Sunshine, wind, and other outside
| forces cause me to be one-sided, lib
| eral in sap-fiow today and misery
| tomorrow.
When my baby leaves commence
throwing off their winter blankets and
the babies toes and fingers are peek
ing out, then my return sap is being
loaded with carbon and the sugar
maker says at is beady."
Mother Nature does not allow the
two forces. root-pull and root-push to
| get into a quarrel. Each has it's own
right of way. The upper movement
Of the sap being mainly through the
ducts Of the woody portion, while the
cooked sap returns even to the root
| hairs through the soft part Of the cor
| teal layers.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08

rial Day and Its significance. She
then sent Us after flowers to decorate
the soldiers graves with the next day.
Just at three o'clock we started FOR
the fields about a mile away. When
we reached the railroad bridge the
party came to a standstin, as there
was freight train coming along. Con-
siderable time was spent In watching
the train pass.
Upon continuing our journey we
soon reached the field of daisies.
Everyone gathered as many as he
could carry. Then the girls began
telling fortunes, while the boys ran
races.
short way home. Six Of US decided
to go that way. On entering the woods
we came upon the spot where there
was to be picnic the next day. Here
we loitered.
1t was warm day and every one
hummed, and the butterflies flew in
every direction
There was a man fixing the picnic
ground, and he allowed us to use the
swings. The time passed SO quickly
that no one realized how late it was,
until some one said:
1T is growing dark"
We started through the woods. When
we had gone a long distance We stop
ped for we had lost our way.
We called to our companions, put
we heard nothing but the echoes of
our own voices.
Then we tried to retrace our steps.
It was useless for the rain was fall
ing:
Finally we came to an old COW path,
and, after following it for a mile we
came to an old farm house. Here we
stayed until the storm was over.
The farmers wife gave US some bread
and milk to eat. She told us how we
could follow the railroad track back
to town.
We reached home about seven o'clock
JAMES 0. KELLY, Age IA.
Versailles.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08

Yes, there are many secrets shut up
In my rough coat. All Of you plants
have them, too! One of those secrets
"a tie circulation Of our life f,uid-the
zap.
Man thinks he is doing all the air
will allow when he raises water about
~ feet. We trees raise it several
times that distance. How We dc it
what puzzles.
While there are many things we
rees could teach animals, it is hest
sIill not to be too forward in the mat
-er. especially among ourselves, or
when there are those present who do
hot like us. We should never tell val
liable secrets in a mixed crowd.
OF course, we cannot hide our age
when cut down. Our manner of growth
as in rings, and these rings are easily
counted at our fall. That is, a layer
Of woody fiber is made to surround the
cutter part Of our bodies each year. In
the center Is what man calls the
neartwood, generally of a darker color
Ian the rest. In this center our cell
formations are pressed very close to-
l.ther. Outside of the heartwood we
have q less dense formation termed
Lapwood. This grows less dense as it
approaches the surface in its success
ave rings, tho youngest fiber being the
/. ghtest AMI the more expanded cells.
Zach year age, pressure and hardening
Of the arteries turns layers Of sapwood
into heartwood.
There is no secret now about how
we grow from a layer Of young cells
between the sapwood and the bark. AS
these young cells of ours are covered
from the sight of outsiders by our lay
ers of clothing 1t may be well for us
to notice those clothes and why the
.Eereoat becomes cracked and rough.
The underclotaing near our bodies of
eapwood are called cambium layers. 1t
is abundantly supplied with sap and Is
where we bleed the most freely when
intured--especiaily III the spring.
Farmers boys like to pound our
small limbs AMI slip off the bark at
these times to make whistles. Our
cambrium layers are stuffed too full of
zap to stick, so a little pounding makes
them slip off without cracking.
But commenced to tell Of all the
coats. Why, we are like Farmer
blovn,s boy-outgrow our clothes. As
we cannot, like him, Cd like a snake,
II many worms, throw off the old, we
crack it and cause mass of rents
which grow into hardened ridges or
roug.lened bark, and thus build hiding
places for many OF our foes.
Our new inner clothing becomes a
\ Tart of ourselves, and there Is strong
outward presume against the over
clothes, causing them TO crack and ex-
Zand new sapwood being formed and
.re circulation Of any life liquid in the
deepest heartwood cut off, Thus life
movements in most plants are near
the surface.
have neighbors that are hollow and
you do not suspect It. There Is an
other fact that many boys do not sus-
pect. We plants, like them, are
growing off a part of our outer skin
every day 1t is constantly dying, as
their outer scales are, and sloughins
uf1. They wash in dishes; we wash
Il transforms.
Again, after the leaf babies wake UP
and We can get to work with our
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
LETTERS OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Michael J. Burns, Of Fitchville-I
received the prize book you sent me
entitled Miss Molcolms Ten and like
1t very much. I thank you very much
for 1t.
Gladys Stark, of lebanon re-
ceiVed the prize book you sent me. ]
thank you very much for it. It is
the first book I have won and was
pleased with it.
Lucy A. Carter, of Hampton
thank you many times for the book I
received entitled Madge Morton, Cap
tain Of the Merry Maids. I have
read quite little of it and find it
very Interesting,
Frank Pardy, Of Norwich thank
you very much for the prize book you
gave me. I have read part Of it and
found it very interesting.
Laura M. Greene, Of Willimantic-
I received the prize book you sent me,
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
The Horse.

The horse is a useful animal. He is
gentle and willing to work. He IS not
made to hunt his prey like the wolf
Il the lion, but to be of use to man.
The horse loves his master, and soon
learns to know him.
A story is told of a soldier who had
favorite horse that never seemed SO
happy as when his master was on his
back. At last in a fierce battle the
soldier was killed and fell from his
morse. When his body was found a
few days afterwards, the faithful horse
was standing beside it.
During that long time the horse had
not left the body Of his master. With
out food or water, he had stood over it,
dl living away the birds of prey. Was
he not a noble animal?
ESTHER LYMAN, Age II.
Norwich
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
POETRY.
A Pleasant Evening.

A Pleasant Evening.
By Louella C. Poole.
Jack Sprat outstretched upon my
knees,
And close beside me Jerry,
A right good book, blazing hearth
Why shouldn't be merry?
The steaming kettle close at hand,
With Jack Sprat's purr so CHEEKY.
In gentle lullaby combines
To soothe my spirits weary.
Now Jerry signs, and softly growls;
Well well, boy, what's the matter?
In dreamland are you hunting rats,
He gives a sudden start, the scamp,
Some foe he seems pursuing;
Oh. should some rash intruder come
just now, his sure undoing.
Would Jerry cause when in this mood;
'Tis well tits all illusion:
Sleep on, old boy, with you on guard
We're safe from all intrusion.
o green-eyed sphinx upon my knee,
Deep lost in contemplation,
9ou look so wise, do you recall
Some former incarnation?
Mysterious autocrat, perchance
e. You once had royal housing
fIAEdOH temple ny Zig ME,
And In his courts went housing!
You may have been some household
god
When Thebes was in its glory;
Ny homage you did e'er accept
AS though 'twere some old story.
Well, let the snow beat on the pane.
The north wind Shrek. quite merry
Am beside the blazing fire,
With old Jack Sprat and Jerry;
For Jerry's eyes are full Of love,
And Jack Sprat's rhythmic singing
Soothes like some gentle lullaby
Away dull care I'm hinging!
The tail clock in the corner near
Chimes out the hour-eleven!
And now, goodnight, dear trusty
friends,
TIN strikes this old clock seven!
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
NV Setting Hen.

I made up my mind to join the
Poultry club.
1 found one of our hens which was
laying in one Of the caves Of the barn
got an egg every day. But one day
came when l got none.
1 watched the hen for two or three
days after that, but got no egg, so
finally made up my mind that she was
trying to set
1 went to the different neighbors tc
see if 1 could get a setting Of eggs fol-
her, My father had told me that
could set her.
I finally succeeded In getting q
setting of nice Rhode Island Reds.
My father had asked me if the her
tried to pick me when 1 went for the
eggs.
replied, mo"
well" he said, 'I am not surprised
for the hen is a dead one"
ALICE BROWN, Age II.
Colchester
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
UNCLE JEp'S TALK TO WIDE.
AWAKES.

II the Wide-Awakes do not all study
grammar they all must before they
get far because it teaches students
how to speak and write correctly.
1t used to be a dry old study and
is always more or less puzzling to
everyone; but writer to The Ne
braska Journal several years ago indi-
vidualized the parts of speech so as
to the better introduce them to pupils,
and this is what he said about the nine
most important parts of speech:
The Grammar family is a most in
teresting one. We sometimes refer
to this family as the Parts OF Speech.
1t is a family of builders Of words.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
My Stay at My UncIe's.

The station where we came was
named Lyster. 1t is a village of about
five thousand people, but has its own
mayor, and is classed as a city. There
is a bank and several stores
My uncle was waiting for us with a
team, as the distance to his farm was
nine miles. The time it took US was
one hour or more to get there
When we arrived we went into the
house to have dinner. After dinner we
contains 110 acres and is one mile
long and one-fifth of mile wide.
A public road runs through the farm
and all the other farms in the same
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
New York City,

New York is the largest city in the
United States. The only city in the
world that is larger Is London in Eng
land
There are several reasons why SC
many people live in New York city
They live there because there is q
good harfbor, and the water is deep
There is not room for the people in the
houses. A family has only one or two
rooms.
Many men who do business in New
York have homes in the suburbs sew
eral miles from the city,
Many of the buildings are very high
in order to make room for keeping the
goods that are bought and sold.
LILLIAN KIECAK, Age 10.
West Wellington.
Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
The Frogs.

Once upon time some frogs IN a
pond asked Jove for a kind king.
Jove tossed log into the middle of
the pond.
The frogs dived at once into deep
hole for the splash was SO great that
they were all afraid. But when they
saw the log lay quite still they jump
ed up and sat upon 1t. This is not a
king, said they, and off they went.
The next time Jove gave them an
eel.
Then Jove was angry and sent them
q stork for a king and soon there
was not a frog left in the pond.-Un-
signed.