Leap Year Dancing Meg Van Decker Scheme
Meg Van Decker plans a clever New Year prank to outshine a rival, borrowing Amy’s dress and hat to charm Al and the neighbors, while the Van Decker clan prepares for a Saturday night party and late homecoming. The tale blends social play with family dynamics among the forty-one young Van Deckers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Meg
Wleg van Decker
van Walker
Amy
Bess
Sarah
van Deckers
Shawe
Annie
Ndma
Amy van Decker
New York
Harry
al van Decker
Albert van Decker
The Old and the New New Year Poem Fragment
A curious literary fragment contrasts the Old Year and the New Year at a doorway. The Old Year pleads to rest beyond the misty land while the years past beckon the wanderer inside. The New Year, eager to work, seeks entry into the shining land and is welcomed as the future.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kathleen R. Wheeler
Lippincott’s
Christmas Bells Poem Inspires Living as Service
In a Home magazine piece Caroline A. Dugan praises Christmas bells as symbols of peace. The verse urges ongoing acts of goodwill and service, turning yearly celebrations into years of living in harmony with the holiday spirit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Caroline A. Dugan
New Year Call Expectation Questioned at Work
Willie Hicollar asks if Mamie Hollerton expects calls on New Year day. Mamie replies yes, she must work at the telephone exchange and cannot take the day off, calling it mean.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Willie Hicollar
Mamie Hollerton
Washington Star
Year’s Days Speak Of Joys And Gentle Deeds
Poem reflecting on what the old year might say about work, kindness, and home life. It envisions honesty in study, patience in grief, and cheerful acts by boys and girls, urging a year of jubilee filled with good deeds and gratitude. The verse closes with a note by Mrs. M. F. Butts in the Northwestern Christian Advocate.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
M. F. Butts
N. W. Christian
His Cunning Scheme
A Chicago Tribune excerpt depicts Mr Dreffleshort asking Mrs Dreffleshort to identify the exact date of a Missouri Pacific train robbery to locate unmailed bundles of costly Christmas gifts. James writes to relatives out west while planning to recover the stolen items.
Some New Year Advice from Atlanta Constitution
A compact moral note from the Atlanta Constitution urging action this year. It counsels not waiting for better times, not lamenting spilled milk, and not blaming the world while doing nothing to improve it. It uses farm imagery about cows and pasture to stress taking initiative.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Atlanta Constitution
Christmas Dinner Lights for the Poor
A snippet from Harper’s Bazar depicts old Skinflint proposing a charitable gesture during Christmas. He and his wife discuss hosting their Christmas dinner with the dining-room shades up so the poor can see their plum pudding.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Old Skinflint
Harper’s Bazar
Charlie’s sudden quit linked to truthfulness at Christmas
In a pithy Inter Ocean note, Charlie quits smoking suddenly because he fears it would blunt his honesty. He would have to admit satisfaction with gifts his wife would give him at Christmas, a motive tied to maintaining truthfulness.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Charlie
Inter Ocean
New Year Promises and Child Santa Requests
A playful Harper's Bazaar snippet shows Grace delaying a proposal until midnight while Willie jokes that Santa's letter already covers everything he wants. The scene blends romance, whimsy, and holiday cheer as family dialogue unfolds with light humor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Santa Claus
Willie
Mamma
Harper’s Bazar
Remembering the Widow Christmas Gift
Oldsport muses on honoring a widow at Christmas and goes downtown to buy a diamond bracelet, reflecting on the fatherless and the season’s meaning. A brief diaristic moment captures a civic mood in Detroit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Oldsport
Detroit Tribune
Enlightened Philanthropy and Primus-Jobson's Gift
Primus presides as a philanthropist while Secundus asks his purpose. Primus replies he spends the year telling poor children that Santa Claus is a myth to explain Christmas. The exchange frames charity as a provocative, if controversial, moral stance.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Primus—Jobson
Secundus
Primus
Santa Claus
Pack
A New Year's Wish for a Child
A short, affectionate verse from Youth's Companion wishing a child a joyful start to the new year. The poem expresses hope that the child’s life will be sweet and true, mirroring the warm blessings of the day.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Tistle
Amd
Doll
Ian
Florence W. Scoville
St. Louis Republic
Small Jacky
Mollie
Ohio
ha _Crismus Gil
Detroit Free Press
Harper's Bazar
Ferrie
Ferlie
Ferline
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!