davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
Our Graduation Exercises.

The members of the eighth grade
of the P. M. S. school held their grad
uation exercises Thursday evening,
June the 18th.
In the afternoon each member went
over to the hall where the graduation
exercises were held, and trimmed it
with black and orange crepe paper,
for black and orange were our class
colors.
Then we went to some of the neigh
bors, asking them for flowers In a
few minutes each one of US came run
ming into the hall with our arms full
the stage with these, which made it
look very pretty and attractive.
After that we went home to get
ready for the graduation exercises.
They started about 8 o'clock in the
evening. Each pupil marched up on
the stage, carrying a bouquet of white
rose buds. There were IA pupils in
all, seven from our school and seven
from different schools around. Sing
ing, reading of compositions and es-
says, and piano solos helped make the
evening very enjoyable.
The most enjoyable thing was the
play given by the pupils of the seventh
and eighth grades, The Man Without
Country" and each pupil, taking off
their part to perfection.
After the valedictory was read the
diplomas were presented by the prin-
cipa1; and the Comstock prizes award
ed to the pupils making the most i'm
provement during the year.
The exercises closed with the song,
Annie Laurie, sung by the school,
KATHERINE HICKEY, Age Il
MTOOtIyiIJa
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
Rosa Bonheur.

Rosa Bonheur was a French painter.
She was born in bordeaux, France, in
1922, and died in 1899.
She was the eldest OF four children.
When she was years old her mother
died. Her father, d poor drawing mas
ter, went To live in Paris, where he
took care of his family He was a hard
working man. Rosa ran wild. She
gathered MOWERS in the woods and
played in the fields. Her face was
tanned, her hair was tangled and her
clothing was strange and odd.
Her rather sent his mothcrless girl
to school to learn writing and arlth-
metic. The other well dressed children
teased and laughed at her. Rosa did
not care. But she drew pictures, and
these pictures were found out and she
was sent home.
When Rose came home from school
she became her fathers housekeeper
She took care of her brothers and sis
tiers and kept the little home in order;
but she liked best to use her pencil
She would gather the little ones about
her and teach them how to draw
sketches.
Once she found some clay in a ditch
and with it she modelled figures.
The children made friends with the
dogs and sheep in the fields near theiI
home. They owned a goat which sup
piled them with milk
Rosa BOnheur became a famous
painter. Some of her paintings are
Lions at Home, The Horse Fair anG
| Highland Cattle.
GRACE NIAHONEY. Age II.
Colchester.
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
The Faithful Mare.

Among the horses in the stables of
Farmer Brown none was so well
treated and so well fed as the old
gray mare.
The farmer had cause for this for
the horse had served him faithfully
when the mare was young. Then it
had been his only driving horse, and
not once had the horse failed him.
When Farmer Brown died. he left
his property to his son. The sons
policy was to set the most work out
of the horses. and soon the horses be
gan to show signs of being overwOrll-
ed.
The old farmers son forgot the
faithful services of the mare and its
age and worked him as hard as the
others.
One day, as was his usual custom,
he went into the woods, bringing the
old mare with him to haul logs. A
piece of wood fell on his leg, injuring
it so that he was helpless. An idea
occurred to him.
Calling the old mare to him, he
grasped the bride and the old mare
faithfully dragged him home. The
mare was no longer worked by the
grateful son and died of a ripe old
age in peace.
SARAH LYMAN, Age y.
Norwich
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
The First Day on the Beach.

Everything was new to my sister
and l when we arrived at the sea-
shore. With shovels and pals we ran
to the water. We made a house in
the sand, dug wells, gathered shells
and pebbles, and talked over the large
waves.
While my sister Catherine was deep
in argument, Mary was full of mis-
chief which she could not overcome.
When all was quiet she drew an i'm
mense piece of seaweed and flung it
around me.
Mary started and I followed, hitting
her at every step until she cried, but
she was very mad, and while Mary
waited for Catherine she slipped off
her shoes and stockings and jumped
into the water and Mary followed, and
what a race they had. Through the
water and over the sand.
At last they both stopped on rock
to rest. They were ali out of breath
and their hair was all over their
faces; their feet and heads were bare
and wet and covered with bits of sea-
weed, all the result of this race.
MILDRED E WHITE, Are Is
Stafford Springs.
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
POETRY.
My Paw Said sog

E'o4as ezn talk if you know how to
MytRaw,aasd so.
g1TV1B- Gssvs Big eyes that sparkle an
g1isten.
My Paw said so.
Bears can turn aip-hops an climb
eIlun trees,
My Paw said so.
An steal all the honey away from the
bees,
an they don't mind the winter, coz
they nevSr &reeze.
My raw said SO.
Girls Is asI1ared of a snake, but boys
amt,
Ny Paw said so.
They holler an run; an sometimes
they faint,
My Paw said so.
But boys 'ud be 'shamed to be fright
ened that way,
When all that the snake wants to dc
is to play.
You've got TO believe every word that
My Paw said so.
Wolves. ain't so bad If you treat 'em all
Ny Paw said so.
They're as fond of a game as they are
of a fight,
Ny Paw said so.
An all Of the animals found in q
wood
Amt always farocious. Most times
they are good.
The trouble is mostly they're misun-
derstood
My Paw said so.
You can think what you like but ]
stick to it when
An III keep right on sayin again an
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
Surnrises of Vacation.

Say, girls, let's go to the woods
and have a little picnic! You know
we can sit under the nice pine trees,
they are 500 cool, and that pretty
little brook which runs along the
mountain will be so refreshing to us
on this hot day.
This was the speech Grace Ashley
gave to her companions on Wednes-
out, and all the merry girls and boys
had put their books away once more
for the good old summer vacation.
Just the thing" cried five other
girls. I'VE will all go this afternoon
at l o'clock.
lunch basket and bring some nice
cookies, and cheese crackers, and some
olives and that nice big box of straw
berries that the groceryman brought
to our house this morning" said tiny
Edna May.
That's just it, little girIie!" cried
all the girls, I'VE mustn't forget that
basket"
So after dinner five young girls
were busily preparing for their little
outing to the woods, and at last every
thing being ready, the merry group
started on their way.
My! Isn't this just grand" ex-
claimed the girls. Grace, you are a
peach for thinking of such a thing"
Now Mildred, You bring the water
the spread for the goodies
Edna, You may pick some of the
pretty flowers along the brook, but do
be careful and not fall in, while Grace
and I will look around and see what
we can find" This time it was Pau
line Ashe who spoke, for she was the
oldest of the group and had had ex-
perience with the arrangements of
picnic outings before.
But it wasn't long before Mildred
Pauline, Edna has fallen into the lit
tie stream, what shall we do?'
Eagerly the girls ran back to where
Edna May was, and were more than
surprised to see her standing on the
little bank of the sparkling brook with
brushing her pretty pink dress, all the
while saying to herself, Now, what
will mama and the girls say when
they see me all wet? And Pauline
told me not to fall in, but I just
couldn't help it. My feet slipped and
I couldn't stop them from falling"
The girls took her by the hand and
brought her back with them to the
place where Loretta had laid the dain-
ty spread.
Nov, girls, please sit. down and eat
before we have any more mishaps,"
said the dainty maid. So when every
one was seated, Edna began to tell
how she happened to fall into the
stream, being sure to mention 1t
wasn't her fault, for her feet just gave
away and in she tumbled.
How the girls did laugh, and how
they enjoyed the lunch, no one knew
but themselves.
At o'clock they. started home and
what do you suppose happened? Well,
of course, Edna fell asleep and each
girl had to take turns in carrying her,
but another great surprise they re-
ceived when they arrived home was
that their aunt from New York had
arrived, for you know these little girls
were cousins, Edna and Mildred be-
ing sisters.
Now girls" said the kind lady,
your mother has decided to let you
come and spend two weeks in the city
with me; and of course, I know you
won't object.
'sHoorayI" cried the. merry girls,
all our pleasures are coming at once
What a nice auntie, what a good
- ~ A---Aa1 --A-&-E---1n
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
LITTLE TOMMY'S PRAYER
By JOHN F. NICHOLS.

In dark and dismal alley, where the
the sunshine never came,
Dwell a little lad named Tommy, sick
", delicate and lame;
He had never yet been healthy but had
lain since he was born,
Dragging out his weak existence we'll
nigh hopeless and forlOrn.
he was six, was little Tommy. twas
just five years ago
Since his drunken mother dropped him,
and the babe was crippled so.
He had never known the comfort of a
mothers tender care,
But her cruel blows and curses made
his pain still worse to bear.
There he lay within the cellar, from
the morning till the night,
Starved, neglected, cursed, l-treated,
7Uught to mako his dull life
Not a single friend to love him, not a
living thing to love
Tor he IL-eW not Of a Saviour or a
heaven Ep above.
Tommy lay within the cellar, which
had grown SO Clark and cold,
Thinking all about the children in the
streets Of shining gold;
And he needed not the darkness of that
damp and chilly room,
For the joy in Tommys bosom could
disperse the deepest gloom.
"Oh, if I could. only see it, thought
the cripple, as he lay.
Jessie said that Jesus listens and ]
thing PIl try and pray"
So he put his hands together and he
closed his little eyes,
And in accents weak, yet earnest, sent
this message to the skies:
Gentle Jesus, please forgive me, as
didn't know afOre
That yer cared for little cripples who is
weak and very poor,
And I never heard of heaven till that
Jessie came today
And told nae all about it, sol wants to
try and pray.
Yer can see me, can't yer, Jesus?
Jessie told me that yer could,
And I somehow must believe 1t, for II
seems so prime and good;
And she told me if loved yer, should
see yer when I die,
IN the bright and happy heaven that is
up beyond the sky.
Lord, I'm only just a cripple, and I'm
no use here below,
For I heard my mother whisper she'd
be glnd IL could go;
And I'm cold and hungry sometimes;
= = - --<v----Sas-----y ~ r&asS i~f-A--<
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
The Menauerie

My mother was always wishing for
a canary bird but she thought her
wish never would come true.
At last the Stafford fair came and
on the last day there was a man on
the outside of the gate selling canary
birds. He wanted one dollar and q
half for them but no matter how
much they cost, my mother purchased
one.
We brought it home and the next
day my father went down street and
got a lovely bird cage.
We put him in his new cage and
gave him some food and he began to
sing lovely.
The following Thursday my father
took a trip to New York and when
he came home, to our surprise he
brought a little guinea pig home and
baby doll for me.
We also have a chameleon and a
trained kitty. We ask him to beg for
a piece of meat and he will crawl up
our shoulders. The guinea pig has
got a comfortable little bed, in back of
the warm fire and the chameleon
sleeps on the plants.
MILDRED E. WHITE, Age IA.
Stafford Springs
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
A Canadian Fisherman.

Seated on a pile on dock in Mon
treal sat on old fisherman he had on
a suit of rusty brown clothes, and up
on his head was perched an old bat
tered soft hat with a large rent in the
port side as he described it. His face
was tanned a bronze hue by forty
years of sun but what attracted at
tention was the broad and genial smile
that covered his whole eXpanse of
face.
He was known by the men, women
and children as Smiley because of the
continuous smile that seemed to be a
part of him and seemed to stay on
forever, in bad weather or good wea-
Their, good luck or bad luck. When he
spoke there was a curious accent that
told of a French and Canadian ances-
try.
He frequently took the children out
with him and did many favors for
them and made himself a general ia
vorite, it was often said that the chill
dren with him were as safe as with
their mothers.
ESTHER LYMAN, Age r.
Norwich
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
The rhrea Rro+hars:

Once upon a time there lived three
poor little dWarfs in tumble down
house by a roadside, and each dwarf
owned a china mug.
One little dwarf was stingy. He
did his mug up in tissue paper and
cotton batting and kept it locked up
in his third bureau drawer.
Il will keep it safe" said the first
brother, where nobody can use it Is
my mug and my mug shall never get
broken, and when 1 want drink I
can use my brothers mug" he said
The second little dwarf was selfish.
He carried his mug in his pocket. Il
am going to keep it for myself he
said
The third little dwarf was generous.
Il am glad I own pretty mug! Ev
eryone can use it. It is the very thing
to offer it to a thirsty traveller who
stops at our tumbled down house.
Even my brothers can use it, too he
said.
Now one day there came a traveller
on the dusty high road. He was
thirsty and tired. He saw the well,
and he went up to the door of the
umbled down house, and knocked, rat
tat-tat!
The stingy dwarf was pretending
sweeping and was only sweeping
crumbs under the mat.
The selfish dwarf pretended sleep
ing.
Inc generous dwarf was in the kit
chen scrubbing the hearth with a
mop. His sleeves were rolled up. He
went to the door. The traveller ask
ed for a drink. He went to get his
mug, but the handle was broken and
the rim was niched, by his brothers.
He asked his brothers for theirs, but
they would not give it to him. So
he took his mug and said, IT am sor-
ry I haven't got a better mug to offer
you"
The stranger asked if he had big
pail.
Yes" said Generous. and he ran to
get it.
The stranger dipped water in the
! pail He put the mug in the pail of
water At the first dip, the handle
| became new; at the second dip the
mug turned new, and the house to a
| beautiful house! The third dip the
| brothers came running out, gentle and
| kind as ever.
His brothers never again were sell
/ fish or stingy. The three brothers
were given by the old man a pot Of
gold. They lived happy ever after
wards.
BERTHA TAFFEIl, Age u.
| Norwich.
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06

and I feel so lonely, too,
Can yer take me, gentle Jesus, up to
heaven along o. you?
oh! ID be so good and patient and
Ia never cry or fret,
And your kindness to me, Jesus,
would surely not forget;
L would love you all I know of, and
would never make a, noise
cant you find me just a corner, where
III watch the other boys?
"Oh! L think yerIl do it, Jesus, some
thing seems to tell me so,
For feel 50 glad and happy, and 1 do
so want to go,
How L long to see yer, Jesus, and the
children all so bright
Come and fetch me, won't yer, Jesus ?
Come and fetch me home to-
night"
Tommy ceased his supplcation, he had
told his souls desire,
AND he waited for the answer till mis-
head began to tire;
Then he turned towards his corner and
lay huddled in heap,
closed his little eyes so gently. and
was quickly fast asleep.
Oh, wish that every scoffer could have
seen his little face
~ @AS 10y tI4SIS III the corner, IN that
damp and nOisome place;
Dor his cOuntenance was shining like
an angels, fair and bright,
And it seemed to fill the cellar with a
holy, heavenly light.
He had only heard of Jesus from a
ragged singing girl,
he might well have wondered, ponder
ed, till his brain began to whirl ;
But he took it as she told ii, and be-
Heved it then and there,
SIMPLY trusting in the Saviour, and his
kind and tender care.
In the morning, when the mother
came to wake her crippled boy,
she discovered that his features wore a
look of sweetest joy,
sAnd she shook him somewhat roughly,
but the cripples face was cold
He had gone to join the children in the
streets Of Shining gold.
Tomrny's prayer had soon been an
swered land the Angel Death had
come,
To remove him from his cellar, to mis-
bright and heavenly home,
Where sweet comfort, joy and gladness
never can decrease or end,
AAnd where Jesus reigns eternal, his
Sovereign and his Friend,
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
STORIES WRITTEN BY WIDE
AWAkES.
The NswsgirI Finds Her Patience Re.
Warded.

JUIia was very 1f++1o ofr,1 who was
not old enonpb to r9aIzn 2oo1,o1, a,,d
besides that She was Lame TIi1ia sold
paners tn ba1p ba,. for1iiIr utbinI, T,-ae,
very moor ETar r3otr,e1, va ,,n+ s+,.o,1ee
enough to work and She had no fatb2
er. He had died when she was about
two years old. JUIia did not make
very much money an dit vas Z-erv fir
ing standing so long in one Mace and
sometimes If rained and in snita of
the great shawl +hat her TnotbeT. zy-ra n
ned ar0rnd baT, II v-as,,,+ 71o1,7- ,1oae-
ant.
J1Tis wasn't at oil n,o++17 che ,,,..
too thin She vas niI7o I,n1rs 0fJ
Int en- small +La+ s1,o ioo1,o6 I7or 1iT,
seven ~, eie-b+ ST. ia ,rr,,,o+,,.ri
~ Ia1,o &C. "a a.
go 80 ,,. ~ 'iI1Ii iILIIe re- sILe
" ~. -, ~ 80 .l ne oIIe feature
Jao,-+if,,1 - -. .IaC vas LE3Iiy
r'1C,,+1l 80 Ilt III4
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
The Deserted House.

Dear Uncle Jed: One pleasant Sun
day morning in June I went out for a
walk with three Of my school friends.
It was a typical summer day. The
sun was shining bright, the birds
were singing their morning songs, and
every nod and then we could hear the
trickling of small brook
One object attracted my attention
more than any thing else, and that
was an old deserted farm house. This
farm house stood by a lonely country
road about three miles from the near
est village It was a low, two
stored house, originally white, but
now gray and weather beaten and
slowly crumbling to ruin. Only a few
Of the windows had panes of glass in
them, the broken blinds swung back
and forth with the gentlest breeze, and
the roof full of holes. Behind the
house stretched away the meadows
(which are filled with bright eyed
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06

you very much for the prize book en-
titled The Automobile Girls in the
Berkshires. I have read it through
and think it is very interesting.
Thelma Boynton of North Franklin;
I thank you for the prize book you sent
me. have read it and find it very
interesting.
Ivy Fisk of Norwich: Thank you very
much for the prize book you gave me.
Its name Is Madge Morton's Victory.
1 have read it through.
Agnes Kaminski of Norwich: thank
you very much for my prize book,
The Camp Fire Girls in After Years.
have read it and found it very inter
esting.
Nancy Tetrault of Versailles: I re-
ceived the prize book you sent me. I
read it through and found it very in
teresting. I thank you very, very much
for it.
Doris Easterbrooke of wiIlinantic: !
received the prize book all right
read it through in four hours. Many
thanks.
Cecilia sterry of Brooklyn, N. Y: !
received my prize book, which I have
read through. 1 have let several friends
read it and they say Madge Morton s
Trust is a very interesting book.
AImira Kramer of Colchester: ]
book, Bunny Brown and Sister Sue al
Camp Rest-a- While.
Jessie L. Brehaut of Jersey City, N
j.: My prize book entitled The Auto
mobile Girls at Newport came to me
| by mail this morning. 1 thank yOU
kindly for 1t, It is a very nice book
| and know I shall enjoy reading it.
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
Cooking School.

Every Tuesday morning at half past
ten, the Seventh. grade at Broad Street
school go down to cooking school at
Broadway. Miss Rogers is our teach
err, and she s'Wery nice. {.
During the year we made many use
full things that tasted good.
The girls have each a draw full Of
cooking utensils and little gas range.
Tuesday June 90 1916, was the last
time this term, because school closed
for our summer vacation.
The boys have a separate, apart
naent right beside US. They learn to
do carpenters work. They have many
tools like the carpenters use.
The boys 5and girls have learned a
great deal.
Next year will be my last year and
I hope to make more things and learn
AGNES KADfr0sKI, Age 18.
NToy-xVfrH
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
A Birthday Gift

A workbasket was given me by my
mother on my birthday. 1t arrived
by mail in the afternoon.
It was made of wood and had dain-
ty Innings. There was a drawer and
some trays. 1t had hinges There
was tape in the workbasket and my
initials were on the basket. There
was also thread, scissors. thimble and
an emery. The cover w@s yellow and
embossed. I shall use it when I sey
clothes for my doll or myself
I have used it to make an apron
and a dress for my doll. I think I
shall make a cap for myself next
ALFREDA WALKER, Age II.
GurleyYille
Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-06
A Rainy Day.

One beautiful sunshiny day during
vacation, I and five or six of my
friends decided to go on a picnic in
some woods about three miles from my
house. We started early in the morn
ing, about half past eight o'clock, aft
er having put up a good dinner.
We hitched up the old horse and
started off, merry crowd.
As I think of it now, I am sure we
would not have been so happy, If we
could have looked ahead a few hours;
but we could not, so we started out
prepared to enjoy ourselves thorough
ly.
We reached the woods; after liz
tie while. for our horse went at g
snairs pace, a favorite habit of hers
In fact, I never knew her to run but
once, and that was when mis-
chievous boy set off a frecracker be-
hind her one Fourth of July.
When we got there we spread out
our dinner awhile, for it was not moor
then Then we finally started to eat
Suddenly we noticed a bank of great
grey clouds in the northwest.
We finished our dinner hastily, piled
the things into the wagon, and start CT
off pellmeIl For a wonder our horse
was frightened at the thunder which
was now booming, for she went at {
good pace for her.
But the thunder suddenly stopped
and great, cool drops of rain began t.
fall, and as suddenly the horse stop.
ped. for there was nothing to bt
| frightened at then.
She walked along calmly and none
of our efforts could hurry her.
We We're sitting huddled together il
the wagon alternately shouting at thu
horse to see if we could not get in {
little out of the rain.
In this way we reached home a d.
ferent looking crowd, indeed, from
when we started But since thel
when we go on picnics we always talk,
raiEcoats and umbrellas for we neYe
know what will happen.
ALNIIRA KRAMER, Age Ia.
Colchester.