davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
SpeckIe.

Dear Uncle Jed: Speckle is a pet hen of mine. I like her very much. She is so tame that she will eat from my hands. Every day I hunt for her egg because she never lays in one place.
 One day I hunted for her egg almost everywhere about the yard and I could not find it. told mother about it and she helped me lool> for it. but she, too, could not find it. Every day for two weeks I missed Speckles eggs. But one day when my mother fed the chickens, I noticed Speclle running very fast to the place where the other chickens were feeding on oats. After eating as much as she wanted to, she ran off
 Slowly and quietly went after her Soon Speckle came to an old shed and I continued to follow, As there wasn't any door to it, she flew right in and seated herself in a box Isknew I couldn't reach the box, so I ran for q ladder. I was back very soon, and placing it toward the direction of the
 box, I managed to climb up lifted the hen up and counted eleven eggs Then I stepped off the ladder and
 ran home very happy. wouldn't tel
 nay secret to any one.
 One day it rained very hard Mother worried Apbout Speekle and she asked
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
POETRY.

The Kitten and the Falling Leaves. See the kitten on the wall, Sporting with the leaves that fall. eWithered eieatssLonet- two and
 three From the lofty elder treei Through the calm and frosty air Of the morning bright and fair, Eddying round and round they sink Softly, slowly, one might think From the motions that are made Every little leaf conveyed Sylph or Fairy hither tending, To this lower world descending. Each invisible and mute. In his wavering parachute. But the kitten. how she starts. Crouches, stretches, paws and darts! First at one and then its fellow. Just as light and just as yellow; There are many now--now one Now they stop and there are none; What intenseness of desire In her upward eye of ,firel With a tiger leap halfway Now she meets the coming prey, Lets it go as fast. and then Has it in her power again; Now she works. with three or four. Like an Indian conjuror; Quick as he in feats of art, Far beyond ih joy of heart Were her antics played in the eye or a thousa nd islanders by, Clipping hs 1is. with shouts and stare What would little Tabby care For the piaudlts of the crowd? over happy to be proud, over wealthy in the treasure Of her own exceeding pleasure.
 William Wordsworth
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
Two Little Runaways.
Two little runaways,

Two little runaways,
 Faces round as moons, Up to their waists in
 Red clover blooms! Two little Spitz doggies.
 Noses in the air, Looking for the two rogues, . Here and everywhere; Wagging their little tails,
 Searching in vain, Through the big farmhouse,
 Down the long lane. Two little tired boys,
 Losing their way, Fall fast asleep upon
 Sweet clover hay. Two anxious mammas,
 Hunting the house, Look in every corner
 That can hide mouse. One shaggy big dog, On the right track, Brings the stray little ones .
 Home on his back. Two little bathtubs- Soap not amiss- Make both the runaways Clean enough to kiss. l One pretty cot-bed, Smooth as your hand, l Carries both the darlings Off to sleep-Iand. CECILIA SHAW, Age 10.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
LETTERS TO UNCLE JED.
A Cold Night in Winter.


 Dear Uncle Jed: It was cold night in winter. The farmers children were sitting around a cheerful fire. They were joking and chatting when a tap ping was heard outside. Opening the door, the farmer saw an aged man, clothed in rags, who begged to be ad- mitted. The farmer let him in and made him sit in front of the fire where he could get warm. The farmers wffe then went to prepare a warm meal. Soon the delicious things that the everready Samaritan was cooking began to smell savory. After he was warmed the farmer brought him into the dining room and there he sat down and had a joyous feast.
 After he had eaten all he wanted he came out into the kitchen again and seated himself near the fire. The chill dren begged him to tell a story and | this is what he toid::
 In my younger days. when I was away from home, was very fond oi sea voyages. Oftentimes I would play hockey from school just to go for 8 sail on the calm, blue water. At the age of twelve I took my first voyage across the Atlantic. This vessel was going to the East after spices We started at sunrise one Sunday morn ing. It was quite gloomy when ws started but 1t turned out to be a lovely day. Calm and peaceful was the wa ter the vessel glided over. But the next day, Monday, a change came UT and a fearful storm arose. The water became very rough and the boat hegaT to toss hither and thitheF, and the sea weed, which we used to eail night rack" at home came rolling over ths waves, ragged and hsewn. The yes, Isel unable -te stand the storm any
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
Be Kind to the Birds.

Dear Uncle Jed: One morning when 1 got up early 1 went out midst the fresh air. All of a sudden I heard some kind of a bird chirping so sadly, as if he were in trouble. It soundJl like the song of canary, so I ran to see what was the matter. In a moment I was up where the bird was. It was bftlutiful canary, hopping along the stone wall, and stone had fallen on it's foot As soon as I could, I took the stone off, and set the bird free But before it flew away it chirped for a while as if he was thanking me for rescuing him.
 Another time when our cows were lost I went to look after them. While going I heard robbins flying from one tree to another and chirping their saddest melodies It was because their three little ones had fallen out of the nest, and as they couldn't fly yet. they had no safe way of getting up into the tree. When I saw the birds I picked them up. climbed the tree and placed then safely in their nest. As soon as the parent birds saw that I put theil young ones in the nest they flew right | toward them.
 was feeding the fowl just before started after the cows ad as some grain fell into my pocket. had some 1 thing to give to the three little birds rescued. They could fly soon; bu it happelNed more than once that helped birds in different ways. 1 I got the cows that day and wher I got home told my mother all abou the birds and she told me that I ha( done kind act.
 STELLA GAsKA, Age 10.
 Jewett City.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
LEBANON

Miss Nettie RI. Williams left Mon day for Springfield. Mass, where she is taking a course Of nursing at Springfield hospital
 MT and Mrs. S. w. Throop are at the beach in Rhode Island for while
 MT and Mrs. Vernon Boothby of Woodmont were recent visitors at Alonzo Boothbys.
 Mrs. Clara A. T. Gorton of Mont clair, N. J., is visiting relatives in town
 MT. and Mrs. Lewis o. Potter of Norwich were recent guests of the latter's sister, Mrs. Alonzo Boothby.
 Mrs. Ellen Livermore, while in Hart ford last Friday, slipped on the side walk, breaking every bone in her wrist.
 Mr. and Mrs Frederick F. Manning with their son from Willinantic spent few days recently with the latter's parents, MT. and Mrs E. A. Hoxie.
 MT. and Mrs. c. G. Cobb, Mrs Maria Smith and Mrs. William Herrick of Norwich were callers in town Monday evening.
 Mrs. Richard s. Bishop and sonsare visiting Hartford relatives.
 George Briggs is teaching In the Waterman district.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
How Maple Sugar is Made.

Dear Uncle Jed: I am visiting in 1 Norwich but I live in Vermont, so I
 thought the Wide-Awakes would like to hear about the maple sugar camps which I have often visited. The carrGs are little log cabins. call ed sugar houses. On the top is a little cupola, open at the sides to let out the steam from the boiling sap~ Inside there are great open boilers with fire underneath. The boilkrs tare divided into partitions, and as the sap goes through the different stages of boiling it is let from one partition
 last partition, it is done. At one end of the sugar house you see great pile of wood, used for boil ing the sap All around the room are tanks, pipes and sap buckets. The floor is the ground, and blanks are laid down in muddy weather. You would now like 10 see how the sap is gathered. You go outside and yeu see first the manle trees sur rounding the sugar house A grove of l these trees is called sugar bush. Each tree has been tapped, meaning bored into with an auger, and in each hole is set a spout The buckets are hung hy hole in the side uron a nan driven close below the spout unless it is kind of spout that has hook on l it. If you tasted the sap you would
 find it has a swedish taste, not un- plea sant
 You then see a large hogshead on a rude sled and q man is hitehing oxer
 to 1t. He drives throu-E the Sugar bush once 6 day and gathers the sap Then he drives back to the sugar | house where he empties the sap into
 the tank from which it runs into the boiler.
 | A man now "hoils down" some syruI
 for you over the camp fire. He fill! somo pans with snow packing it dow1 hard, and pours little ribbons anC spots of sugar all over the snow. Th' sugar is chilled and becomes like sof wcX. It is perfectly delicious. If yo; allow if to stay on the snow longer i
 becomes harder and if is then callet i''stick chop" It certainly does sticl your chops You cannot open you
 mouth until it has dissolved.
 It is fun to give the dog some. fo he will eagerly bite on it and then q through the most remarkable antics
 and do everything imaginable excep bark.
 The sugar is. sn delicious that vol
 e1t until yOu feel as if you could no
 bear the sight of the stuff any more
 hut the next day you are just as fon,
 of it as before.
 Tho whitest maple sugar and syru, are the finest grade, though some peo
 pie think 1t is not pure unless it 1 dark.
 RUTH TRACY, Ago 1S.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
Maraarot's summer Vacation.

This summer 1 went to the sea- shore (Pine Grove, Nianttc) for one week. and then I went to visi: my cousin and aunt mp in Mlddletown, New York state, with my mother. We were there for three weeks and had, oh, such a good time!
 My cousin has a car. and we cer- tainly made use of it. New York state has wonderful scenery massive mountains and forests, and lakes and everything"
 One day we went on a long drive through the Catsldlls, and another day we went on picnic to Great Bear Mountain-way over by the Hudson. The Inn and picnic grounds are right near the river, only six miles from West Point, and the drive there is great! Perfect state roads all the way. and lakes dotted here and there with Boy Scout camps around the edges. and some Camp Fire Girls tents were there, too.
 Bear Mountain Park is a govern ment reservation for the Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls, so that is why region. And it's an ideal place to camp It doesn't look like a park at all, because it's so wild locking and mountainous. but it really is. Then another trip We took was to the Tri-State Rock. That was on a point of land at the place where the Delaware and Neversink rivers meet; i; and when you stool on the rock you were in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey all at once. It was quite sensation.
 The railroad was not very far from my aunt's house and we used to hear the troop trains going through every ! day, sometimes two or three of them with the soldiers yelling and cheering and making the worst noises I ever heard: and sometimes they would stop over for few hours, and then there was ''tumult in the city" Tha soldiers would march through The streets and sing; and the canteer there would be just packed. Their es- ! pecial joy was to initiate dogs and cats. etc, until they sounded like a regular menagerie.
 | There was a big government hospi tai for gassed soldiers from the from not very far from Midlletown. ant we went up to visit it one day. There are more than 1000 soldiers up there It was intensely interesting to see thu big corridors, and rooms filled witl men in different degrees of conyales. cence, and the bake shop, and the kit chen and everything. In. the kitcher they were cooking corn in big rounC vats, enormous tins fun of macaroni and chocolate pudding by the Gish pan full. I hardly ever saw so man, provisions together in my life.
 When we came through New Yorl harbor we saw the big transports an, ships all oufiaged-they're tn
 queerest booking things. wish I could write more, but
 simply must study now.
 Awake Circle.
 Il MARGARET NoSwoRTHY.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
My Mothers Bible,

This book is all that's left me now, Tears will unbidden start, With faltering lip and throbbing brow l press it to my heart For many generations past
 Here is our family tree. My mothers hands this Bible clasped- She, dying. gave it me, Oh! we'll do I remember those Whose names these records bear, Who round the hearthstone used to
 close
 After the evening prayer; And speak of what these pages said In tones my G1eart would thrill Though they are with the silent dead, Here are they living still! My father read this holy book To brothers, sisters, dear; How calm was my poor mothers look Who loved Gods word to hear! Her angel face. I see it yeti
 What thronging memories come! Again that little group is met
 Within the walls of homel Thou truest friend man ever knew, Thy constancy I've tried When all were false, I found thee true My counselor and guide. The mines of earth no treasure give That could this volume buy; In teaching me the way to live.
 It taught me how to die!
 LEONA BERGERON. TaftviIIe
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
UNCLE JED's TALK TO WIDE
 AWAKEs.


 Uncle Jed has a war garden and of a recent day while picking beans he noticed attached to the leaf stalk of a bean a queer looking object with six Silver spots on it's back
 He knew it had been a caterpillar and was awaiting the change to a butterfly. How the caterpillar takes It's skin of and ornaments itself so prcttily with silver. giving man a les son in art no one can tell. He placed the ehrysalis in bottle and after ten days the butterfly appeared. ard it was an old familiar friend-the seni-oolon butterfly.
 It is a member Of the Punctuation family with orange wings spotted and bordered with brown and delicately edged with lavender. Beneath each hind wing is neatly made silver seni-colon on a brown surface.
 There are three members of this family named for the silver comma, semi- colon and question mark upon their wings. and fourth has a silver They arc known as the Grapta family, and survive the winter.
 Uncle Jed took SemlColon to the door and set him free and he foated gracefully away into the flower gar den and if he escapes hungry birds, and hunting flies. and trapping spiders he will live through the winter and be among the first butterflies to ap- pear on the wing in the spring of rsla
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
THE wIDE-AWAKE CIRCLE
BOys' snde GHls' Department

har Grandmother Readings for the holidays. anda acf course. to have a good time. There would be no time for knitting there.
 Ethel was very patriotic, but she hated to give up that week of good times. But then she sthought of the soldiers who might be freezing to death in the trenches just because a little girl had gone away to have a good time instead of knitting. The soldiers had to sacrifice their com fortable homes, their sbsaoved relatives and friends. and. also thair good times, in order to pheiplour Uncle Sam.
 Ethel brapely gave up that week and set to work knitting a sweater. She finished several useful articles.
 And when Grandma. Reading heard what a brave little. girl she was, she gave Ethel some money which Ethel used in buying Thrift stamps.
 After all I think Ethel was a very happy girl. for shesknews that she had done something toward winning the war, even if shesdid miss that week
 HANNAH BOSSART, Age A..
 Stcrrs.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
An After-While.

Went an went a-swimmin'.'
 70 almost froze |. death u red ln rec i- pfetty near Snai ha1 away my breath. Then ] lost my pocket knife, Some'erss [ dun no: An th' blame or willer whistle it won't even blow. Got my shoes ali muddy
 Nc-ss "a ever seen; Bet [ have C work a week Fore I git 'sn clean. An I tore my secunt best Eritches-afi Y fsmack; An th' tescher's doggone sister kltched me comin' back. Wisht I wasn't skeered t Hop m Cannon Ball" Wisht ! never had L eat,
 R 60 home a'taN. Pl3yin hockey by y'self
 Amt much fun-but gee! It's lot mere than what my father
 S gonna do ( mel Charles C. Jones. in the Kansas Cit
 Times.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
The Game of Numbers.

Each guest draws from basket on the table a slip of paper bearing a number, and half minute is allowed to give some old proverb. A large fact or rhyme containing the mum ber
 If the player fails to respond with in the time a forfeit is required and afterward redeemed in some manner to entertain the company
 To make the game more clear, sup poss the number drawn is ten, then quickly follows
 Ten cents makes one dime"
 If number nine: "Of the muses of old, there were nine we are told"
 If number two: TWO is company there is none"
 If number one: "One, two, buckle my shoe" It seems easy, but one must think quickly to give the required proverh fact or whatever it may be in the time allowed.
 LAWRENCE GAUTHIER, Age. 13. Brooklyn
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
THE WINNERS OF PRIZES.

i-HEnnah 5ossart of Storrs-A Thrift stamp.
 2-har5arst Noteworthy of Hampton A Thrift stamp.
 5-Helen E. Frink of Norwich-A Thrift stamp.
 i-stslls easka of jewctt City-Tom Fairfield at Sea.
 5-Sophis Gaska of Jewett City Ethel Morton at SweethrieT Lodge.
 @Ruta Tracy of Eorwtch-The Boy Scouts in the Blue Ridge.
 7-Edna Frank of Norwich-Camp Fire Girls in the Outside World.
 S-Mary Peleehatz of wil!imant.c- Navy Boys at the Siege of Havana. The winners of prizes living in Nor Wich may call at The Bulletin business ofice for theIn'st any ho;ir after 10 a. D. ThursdzI.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
LETTERS OF AcKNowlEDeMENr.

Mary Palsehatz of Willimantic-I thank you very much for the prize book. Miss -Moppat. It is the best book 2 hasc rcad in long time.
 .Eleanor sFrost of Cushman, Mas Lreceived the 'prize book which you so nndly sent me. and was very much plSGsed wih it have read 1t nEo1gh' and found it more than inter Bstiny.
 Roae 'ERgnn osAWillimantic-I thank Dutfa-l the .lUveRy prize book you sent 1e. I have re9f it and find 1t very nforcEttng.
 Clarence Hati1easay of. Goshen Mass. - thank yuulyery. very much for the pEtSo book you ,Sent3me. | have read e a1 tsru1Eh. nnd fnund that 1t was Ury interesting.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
Norwich
Joan of Arc.


 Joan of Arc was a French girl who always helped her mother spin while her sisters played out of doors. The place where she lived was called Domremy, on the border of Lorraine
 France and England were at war and the whole country was in trouble. When the soldiers went by her home she would give her bed to them and take care of the sick.
 Joan read a prophecy that ono of tine maids from Domremy would save France. When she read this she dreamt she saw visions, She heard St, Michaels voice say to her,
 "Go to the king and you will save France"
 She told her father this and he said: q would rather drown you"
 So she went to the priest and he told her to go.
 She said if she had to wear her limbs to the knees she would go.
 She went to the king and he told her to go, so she started. She reach ed Orleans and told them to open the gates for her to so through to the forts,
 Joan was dressed in a white arnor, and drove a horse. Ten thousand men followed her. They stopped swearing ana became good. when she was So- ing by the city people gave her beads | books and other things to bless Bu; l she told them they could bless them as well.as she.
 When she reached Orleans she was wounded. Her men wanted to give up, but she told them to eat and drink, but not give up. When she was able to walk she went to church and thoughts c:t1ne tf her head and she nearly tainted, but after she got courage and became bold. When it was time tor Ter tt go home she asked King George VII. but he wouldn't let her go. i Just as she was leaving the gate rht English captured her. They treated her very cruelty They heaped a lo of rubbish and wood and bound hel | to stake and burnt her. Rut jus. a! the flames reached her a cruel soldiel made cross and gave it to her Sh, looked at it. then eiasped it to hel bosom. She had time to say Jesus when her head dropped on her ches and she died.
 Just then all the English soldiert turned around and said:
 we are lost, we have killed saint"
 ANNA GAYEsKI, Age IL Colchester
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
Think Before You Act.

Dear Uncle Jed: A motto I shall never forget is; Think Before You Act"
 A large examination for promotion was given us, and we. were told to Ehink Before You Act"
 We were given certain amount of examples in fractions to do in cer- tain amount of time. AS I was in a hurry to get through and set to work without thinking.
 When we received our examination papers back with the marks I was horror or-stricken. Every example was marked wrong. When I looked. them oyer to see what was wrong about them I heard the teacher call out my name. I trembled when I stood up and she spoke and said: Do you know what is wrong about your examples
 I replied by a nod of the head. She then called me forward and told me to look over my paper. did as I was told. Looking 1t over l saw that had written the deminuend and for got to write the. subtrahend. This was | the case in all ot them. My teacher then spoke and said You forgot to, Think Before You | Acted"
 EDNA FRANK, Age 1D. R. F. D. No, '.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26

me if had found out a-sything about
 her. I called her into room that no
 one was in and after shutting the door
 (so no one could come in), told hcr all about my dear pet.
 After the rain we both went out to see if the chicks were matched. To our surprise we found eight little fspeckled chicks. They grew up very fast and now seven of them lay eggs !. .because they are hens, and the other one is a rooster.
 Now I have eight eggs to look for every day as the seven young ones lay and the old Mother Speckle, as l call her since she had those chicks which are so dear to me But I do like tc hunt for eggs, especially in the hay. SOPHIE GASKA, Age F. i Jewett City.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
A Busy and Happy Day.

Dear Uncle Jed: I will tell you of a very pleasant aud profitable day we spent this past summer.
 We made up our minds to go for berries that day, The day dawaed clear and bright It was an ideal day for picking berries, because it was rather cool.
 A troop of us started off early. in the morning about 9 a. m. We picked berries until noon when We ate a lunch "in the shade of an old apple tree'' Then about I o'clock we started picking again and picked until about 4 o'clock.
 We started home very .nerrily witk heaping pails of berries.
 We had picked seventeen quarts that day. and all felt surerthat while we had been having a good time we were doing our "btts to help can the
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26

ed for the pond. We had to walk about mile, It was rather a cold day and we were not able to stay in the water long.
 It was the first time I had ever gone in the water with the intention Of swimming.
 It is perhaps needless to say that I was in water scarcely deep enough to come up to my knees.
 Before I had been in the water many times, however, I realized if I was going to swim l would have to get in deeper water.
 l am not an expert swimmer as yet, put l am quite proud of the success have had so far.
 ARLENE PEARL, Age II.
 Augusta, Me.
Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
Natures Riches.

It is neglected garden. The sun rising higher and higher above the horizon causes faint rose bloom to envelope the turquoise sky with bits of fieecy white dotted here and there. A gnarled old apple tree is a huge bouquet of rose and snow. The li-
 laos are arrayed in their most becom- ing raiment, their purple and white minEiing together. From the birds quivering threats peals forth a med ley of ffute-lfke notes. Bees buzz in dustriously as they gather the nectar from the world of flowers that bloom here year after year. Velvety moss urtRes between crevices in the fence and near the apple tree. The gentle