davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07

why, when we come to this law, we find
it beginning, "Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy"
We must kno,O thing before we can
remember it. If you go to new school,
the teacher first tells you what the rules
of the school are, and then expects you
to remember them. He would be a very
foolish teacher if he expected you to re-
member them before you knew them
You can't keep thing in your hand till
you get it there. And it just so with
the mind. To know thing is to get it
in the mind. To remember it, is to keep
it there after you have got it. Now this
law or commandment about the Sabbath
was given to Adam and Eve in Paradise.
1t is the oldest law in the world. Itwas
the first law God ever made for people in
this world to mind; and this is the reason
why the commandment begins with the
word remember"
Much more, my children, must this
apply to you, who have been taught the
word of God from your youth upward,
g Remem6er the Sabbath day, to keep it
holy. Childs Paper.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
The Bible Under the Doorsteps.

One of our Agents sends us the inter
esting incident which We print below,
which, as he truly says, is worth many
toilsome and anxious hours.
In an adjoining county lived man, if
not formally skeptical, yet utterly god
less. A colporteur passing through the
neighborhood, called at the house of this
man, and on conversing with his wife,
found she was well, and disposed to give
respectful consideration to the subject of
religion. But she dared not receive a
book for fear of her husbands displeas-
ure. A few days afterward he met the
husband, who rated him severely for
coming to his house; and warned him
that if he should come again he would
be taught to repent it. The zeal of the
colporteur was aroused by this circum
stance. He applied to one of our de-
positories, obtained Bible, and taking
it to the house, placed it under the door
step, and informed the lady of the house
that if she should ever feel like reading
it, she would find it there.
Some time passed, and at length the
woman ventured to obtain and read the
forbidden book. 1t proved fire and
hammer to her, as day after day she
searched the pages. Whilst she was in
this state of mind, her husband one day
coming in Unexpectedly, found her in
tears. To his inquiries her answer was,
that she was a great sinner. "You have
been reading some of these religious
books?' eyes, have been reading the
Bible" "Where did you get it?' 81
got it under the steps; and it is there
now" At this statement the fear of
God seemed to fall upon him. He asked
his wife to get the book, and read it to
him. Soon they were both rejoicing in
Christ, and the incense of the family
altar now daily ascends from that once
goddess house Bible Society Record.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
aSoras.
Don't Pilfer.

That means, children, don't steal little
things from any one.
Sometimes children think it isn't so
wicked to take they don't call it
stealing something that belongs to moth
er without permission, as it would be If
some one else owned it, But that is a
mistake; and if not corrected, viii ruin
the child For that child, if it has cOur-
age, will grow holder and holder in thiev
ing, till perhaps it is found out and i'm
prisOned, or, at least, disgraeed for life.
But if no one in the world should de-
tect him, our great Father above, who
knows everything we do, after he has
tried every way to make the naughty,
thievish person good, will then have to
shut him up where he can't trouble good
people any more.
Pilferers are sometimes found out in
curious ways. l will tell you about a
little girl-thief, who used to steal her
mother sugar preserves and other things
When she had chance she would sly
off into the pantry, and, standing on her
tip-toes, (for she was little girl, put
her hand into the preserve dish. and then
into her mouth. One day when her
mother had gone from home, she thought
she had fine chance to get what she
wanted, and so went to where the sweet
meats were generally put. She saw a
cup sitting there, and was about to help
herself, when she heard some one com
ing. She didn't want to lose the treat,
and so put as much as her little hands
could hold right into her mouth.
But o, to her grief and shame, she
found that the cup did not hold preserves,
but nasty soft soap; and though she tried
hard to spit it out as soon as possible,
some of it ran down her throat aud took
off the skin, as well as from nearly all
the inside of her mouth.
1t was a long time before she got over
it, and she hasn't forgotten yet, and
never will, her wicked habit of pilfering
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
The Old Shoemaker.

The shoemaker was jolly old man.
His Kit was tied up in his leather apron,
and hung upon stick across his shout
ders. la our family, he made his longest
stay. The old shoemaker's bench" was
brought down out of that capacious gar
ret. On it his tools were arrayed in or
der, and there he would sit all day, sew
ing, pounding, singing, telling stories,
waxing his thread, an unfailing source of
amusement and instruction to all the chill
dreu who crowded round. He was al
ways merry. He was the only man in
my earliest childhood who did not seem
to think it beneath his dignity to talk
much with children. | believe such men
are scarce yet. | wonder why. Chill
dren are immortal beings. Children
have souls. They are of as much i'm
portance in Gods sight as adults, The
associations under which they develope,
affect them more than they affect adults,
1t seems TO me that it would be 'worth
while" for men and women deliberately
to converse with children as they do with
grown people" As matter of fact,
they are turned over to servants, or to
some tradesman like the jolly shoemaker,
or to some half-crazy man, willing to :" be
bothered" with them! And yet these
same Christian men and women, who will
not even talk except by cOnstraint for a
few brief moments with children, even
their own children, will spend weeks, and
months, and years of time, and hundreds
and thousands of money in their efforts
to reclaim = them few years afterward,
from the vices into which they probably
would never have been led, were it not
for this very neglect of which am speak
ing -
i The shoemaker did his work satisfac-
tOrily, l believe, but he was never too
busy" to make "a jumping:jack" with
the breastbone of duck and a leather
string; or too tired to tell us a story;
or too cross to answer the thousand
inquiries we put, in our pursuit after
knowledge.-GOOd NeaOs.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
To Save Sheep from Dogs.

Like other beasts of prey and assassins in
general, dogs do their depredations under COW
er of the night, and rather shun the day, lest
they be identified and have to pay the penalty
of their crime. Now, have found remedy
for this pest also, and it is simple and sure.
1t is to pen yonr sheep with one, two or as
many co,os as you like. Coaos having young
calves are preferable. Cows as everybody
knows, abominate dogs, and will not suffer
dog to tarry with them minute in the same
pen; and hence, they are a certain defence
against this enemy. l pen them also for their
manure, and, in bad weather, put them with
my COWS under a common shelter. Whoever
may try this remedy, will never repent it, and,
if he values his mutton and wool as [ do, will
never drop it, where there are dogs to fear
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
MemOrize the Scriptures.

My young friends, if you do not give
special attention to the study of the
Scriptures while you are young, so that
you can repeat much of the beautiful
language of the Bible, you will make a
mistake, and one you will not likely be
able to remedy when you grow older
Your school days are the days for treas
uring up in your memory the words of
God. If you neglect this opportunity,
you will often be ashamed of your def
cheney, and feel the want of the most i'm
portant knowledge connected with your
pleasures and duties in future life. No
other language will answer as a substi-
tute for the knowledge of Gods word.
1t is Gods mind concerning you and
your interests for this life and the life to
come. The Bible contains the purest
language, the most sublime truths, the
most ehaste style, the greatest variety,
the richest poetry, the best prose, the
truest history, and is a model for the
world in religion and civil government.
Then why should you neglect it? It's an
honor TO any young man or young lady to
be able to repeat much of the Scriptures,
and you will find it a great comfort to do
so as you advance in life and mingle in
society It is the best evidence of good
training and respectable parentage, to
know and reverence the Bible in youth
and old age. No other learning will en-
able you to appear to so great an advan
tage, in society or the world, as the pro-
per knowledge of the Scriptures. John
Quincy Adams in his diary, and often in
private conversation, referred to the fact
that the knowledge he obtained from his
mother, of the Bible, when a boy, gave
him more comfort than any other knowl
edge. He was one of the most learned
men in America, and the only President
of the United States who could converse
and correspond with ministers from for
eign courts, during his administration, in
their own language. Many other men
in this and other countries testify to the
same benefits they have derived from the
study of the Bible in their early days
When you form a taste for the study of
the Bible, you viii like it very much
If you have not already begun and do
not love to commit the Scriptures to
memory, allow me to insist that you be-
gin Immediately, and hereafter, daily,
commit to memory at least five verses
Begin with such passages as these, viz;
Matt. V. and vii; Cor xii; Psalm viii,
xiii, and ciii.-S. School Missionary.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
Father Gavazzi.

The effect produced by the public ad-
dresses of Father Gavazzi on the popu-
lar mind of Italy, is indicated by two
facts, either of which may be regarded
as a mark of progress. He was request
ed by the citizens of Lucca to favor them
with some of his sermons, and he did so,
making so profound an impression that
the priests thought it necessary to con-
tradict his statements with the simple
assertion that they were founded upon
lies. Thereupon Gavazzi challenged
them to a public discussion, which was
to take place in the church on certain
day. The priest of Lucca, however, did
not feel strong enough to cope with him
and sent for the clergy of the neighbor-
ing towns, who came on the day appoint
ed with a crowd of assistants, armed
not with logic and facts, but with revolv-
ers and pitchforks. The result was that
the authorities feared bloody collision
between the two parties, and prohibited
the meeting. The time was, and not
long ago, when a Protestant preacher
would have had no influence on the mass
es in Italy; when the clergy would not
have taken the trouble to oppose his
doctrines by argument; and when there
would have been none to defend him, had
mob threatened to put an end to his
career.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
A Crucifed Style.

Philip Henry's counsel was, "Preach
a cruci6ed Saviour in a crucified style. "
Just how much he meant by that advice
we may not be able to say but if We take
his example as an illustration, We have
an ineligible and impressively signif-
cant lesson. Christ crucifed" was the
matter of his preaching to an eminent
degree; Sin crucifed style" was his
manner seldom equalled. He followed
more closely than most others in the foot
prints of the great model preacher of the
first century who feared no contradiction
when he wrote to the Corinthians: "And
|, brethren, when | came to you, came
not with exeellency of speech or of wis
dom, declaring unto you the testimony
of God; for | determined not to know
anything among you save Jesus Christ
and Him cruciied" The cross was as
apparent in his manner as in his subject,
AS he set forth "a crucl6ed Saviour" he
did it in "a crucifed style" that is by a
cruci6xion of everything in style that
partook of human ambition or artifce-
by sacrifice of excellency of speech"
which would be merely admired-of all
: words of mans WISDOM whether logi-
cal or rhetorical, which would persuade
to belief not the product of the Holy
Spirits agency. He could say, Il am
cruci6ed with Christ, and that crucifx-
ion includes his own ends, methods, and
motives; it killed off self in every depart
ment of thought, feeling, and action. In
preaching he submitted to the humilia-
ton of using just that style which exclud-
ed all self-exhibition, all self-glori6cat ton.
Let modern preacher go through that
process with one of his sermons, putting
the nails and spear into every thought
and every word born of self, making an
outcast, a complete reputation, of all
"excellency of speech, all contrivance of
''man' wisdom, so as to make it answer
the idea of "a crucifed style," how
much or how little would the sermon be
modified? Strike out everything of which
the author is proud, or which he thinks
will exalt him in the estimation of others,
and what will remain? Can crucifed
Saviour be preached in a way to do real
good in any other than "a crucifed
style?" Is not the spirit of cruci6xion
essential to all effective preaching of the
Gospel? We propose these inquiries
rather suggestively than positively, and
invite consideration Watchman and
Reflector.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
Poisonous Candies.

In no class of articles intended for
consumption is the use of poisons so free
as in candies and confections. Arseniate
of copper, copperas, white lead, and
litharge, for red lead, and the aniline
colors, red, green, or blue, and other poi
sons, mineral and vegetable, are frequent
ly employed in the manufacture of candies.
There are confectioners who do not use
such dangerous drugs, or who use them
so sparingly that they work no immediate
appreciate harm to the consumers; but
others are neither so scrupulous nor so
well informed about the real nature of
the poisons which impart the desired vivid
ness of color or fineness of flavor to their
products. Bright, highly colored, hand
some candies always sell better than dull,
plain varieties. The beauti III tints can
be had most cheaply and satisfactorily by
the use of the virulent mineral poisons-
chiefly arseniates and preparations of
copper and lead. Ice creams may be
colored as freely as any other CONNECTIONS.
The brilliant red tint of strawberry cream
may be attained by litharge or rosanline;
the splendid green tint of pistachio cream
$50 called may be derived from arseniate
of copper more economically than from
the pistachio nut. 1t does not follow
that the confectioners who makes these
colored creams know that they are using
poisonous ingredients for producing tints
or favors. They may obtain the articles
from other persons who manufacture and
sell them.-Journal Of Commerce.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
To Separate Garlic from Wheat.

A writer in the Southern CultiUdtor gives a
statement on this point which is worthy of at
tention Might not the plan be applied to
separating garlic from clover seed also? 1t is
through clover seed polluted with this pest
that it is commonly spread over the country.
But here is the plan:
"A portion of my farm, which has six
shifts, is badly infested with wild onion
and more so the schooner it is cultivated.
Year before last, portion of my wheat
field was so beset with this pest that, in
reaping, 1 ordered it to be gathered and
kept to itself. The land being well ma
nured, the grain was good, and the
quantity too considerable to be thrown
away or given up without an effort to
redeem it. Wherefore, after threshing
and cleaning the body of the crop, | then
threshed the infested portion, and tried
to clean it with the fan, but soon found
it was labor to little avail. Despairing of
this means, it occurred to me that the
onion would probably float on water,
while knew that sound wheat would
sink to the bottom. / determined instantly
to test the idea, and, on doing so in a
tumbler of water, 1 was much pleased to
find the experiment admirably successful.
Without any difficulty, except the labor
of toating the water, pouring in the
wheat and skimming off the floating on
ions, | soon washed and cleared my wheat,
and, when dried, had it ground into fine
and pure family flour. deem this a
very valuable discovery, especially to sea-
board farmers, if they have found no bet
ter mode of separating the onion. For
large crops this means may not be availa-
BILE without appropriate fixtures, but for
seeding and for family -four, it may be
used without difficulty and with much
dispatch. The quantity of onions thus
separated would, suppose, amount to
three bushels. But l am grieved to add,
that this triumphant success should cost
me no less than twenty-five to thirty dear
little Muscovies, which, as soon as they
espied the bright shining globules poured
out to the ground, gathered themselves
with more than usual alacrity and de
light to the tempting treat; but, alas!
not one of them escaped-in an hour or
so, they all paid the sad penalty of their
then delightsome debauch by giving up
the ghost in violent commissions, and for
them my old house keeper mourned one
week at least"
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
Size OF the Stars.

How large are the stars, and are they
alike, or do they differ in size? 1t used
to be conjectured that they are of some
what similar magnitude, presumably
about as great as our sun, and that the
differences of apPSrent size are due to
differences Of dis hce utwben astron-
omers came to discover that some of the
smaller stars are the nearest to our sys-
TEN, this idea fell to the ground. A Ger
man computer has now, however, calcu-
lated the actual dimensions of one par
ticular star, and finds that its mass is
rather more than three times that of the
sun. The star in question is less than
the fourth magnitude comparatively
small one What, then, must be the size
of the Sirius and Aldabaran class? The
reason of its selection for this determi.
nation was, that it is one of the compo
nents of what is called binary system
two stars revolving about each other
like the sun and planet-and the motions
of the members of such system afford
data for the computation. The stars
distance from us is million and quar-
ter times that of the earth from the sun,
so that light takes twenty years to travel
hither from it.-Once a Week.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
INSTITUTION AND OFFICERS
oFTHE
Presb yterian Church in the United States.
CLERKS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

CLERKS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Rev. Joseph R. Wilson, D. D., Stated CIer".
Augusta, Georgia.
Rev. VIM. Brown, d. D., Permanent Clerk,
Richmond, Virginia.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF sUsTENTArIoS.
Rev. j. Leighton Wilson, d. D., Secretary
Columbia, South Carolina,
Rev. Prof. James Woodrow, Treasurer, Co.
lumbia, South Carolina.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN MISSIONS.
Rev. J. Leighton Wilson, d. D., Secretary,
Columbia, South Carolina.
Rev. Prof. James Woodrow, Treasurer, Co
lumbia, South Carolina.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION.
Rev. E. Thompson Baird, D. D., Secretary,
Richmond, Virginia.
c. Gennet, Esq, Treasurer, Richmond, Va.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF EDUCATION.
Rev. E. Thompson Baird, d. D., Secretary,
Richmond, Virginia.
C. Gennet, Esq, Treasurer, Richmond. Va.
TRUSTEES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Thomas C. Perrin, President.
Joseph q. Wilson, Vice President.
Jesse Lindsay, Secretary and Treasurer.
FOR ONE YEAR.
Hon. Thomas G. Perrin, Abbeville, S. c.
Joseph H. Wilson, Charlotte, n. G.
Jesse II. Lindsay, Greensboro N. G.
James Hemphill, Chester, S. G.
Rev. George Howe, D. D., Columbia, s. c.
FOR TWO YEARS.
Robert Adger, Charleston, s. C.
Hon. j. A. Inglis, Cheraw, S. c.
j. A. Ansley, Augusta, Ga.
Jshn Whiting, Montgomery, ABB
Rev. b. Nj. Palmer, ID. d., New Orleans, La.
FOR THREE YEARS
J. Hartman Brown, Baltimore, Md.
T. j. Kirkpatrick, Lynchburg, Va.
D. w. Kennedy, GAINESVILLE, Tenn.
John Handy, Canton, Miss.
Rev Samuel Mckinney, D. D., Austin, Texas.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07

CLoCKs-HOw TO Fix THEM-When the
clock stops, don't take it to the repair shop
till you have tried as follows Take off the
pointers and the face; take off the pendulum
and its wire. Remove the ratchet from the
tick wheel and the clock will run down with
great velocity. Let it go. The increased
speed wears away the gum and dust from the
pinions-the clock cleans itself. If you have
any pure sperm oil, put the least bit on tho
axles Put the machine together, and nine
times in ten it will run just well as if it had
been taken to the shop. In fact this is the
way most shopmen clean clocks. If instead
of pendulum the clock has watch escape
ment, this latter can be taken out in an in
slant without taking the work apart, and the
result is the same Country Gentleman.
The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
A Compliment to Scottish Missionaries.

The editor of the London Spectator,
an English Broad Churchman, who was
for long time resident in India, dis
cusses the question. "Why do Scotch
men get on in the world?" He denies
their superior education and their mar
rowness; asserting that in neither do
Englishmen yield to them, and ascribes
their success to their power of adapting
themselves to everybody. He says:
They change in India much less than
the English do-the Ang lo- Indian is less
like an Englishman in ideas than an Aus
tralian or an American-but they fit
themselves in, and are often exceedingly
popular. The Scotch missionaries in
Bengal, for example, have, among all
missionaries, perhaps the greatest in
Auence over the people-an influence
the more remarkable as they, of all
missionaries, take the least trouble to
acquire the native tongue. Our Scotch
friends we imagine, would smile to hear
DIR. Duff called an adaptable man; but
watch group of Bengallee students talk
ing to him, and to any Englishmen what
ever, and note the difference in the con-
fdence given to each. The Scotchman
is far the harder master; bnt in an ex-
perience of years, we never heard a
Scotchman interrupt native, and never
heard a naTfvs 49, long statement to
an Englishman wishout an interruption.
Now, an Asiatic prefers little oppression
to having his words cut short.