davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11

The Camargue is by far the richest
district in France for rare wild fowl and
other birds, yielding many that are no.
where else found in Europe but these
appear chiefly in winter, except, indeed.
the avoeet and the famingo, which are
seen at other seasons. In summer the
heat is sem. tropical, and adapted to the
habits of many African species. In the
winter the large tracts of marsh land
and swamp are attractive for a different
reason. But in autumn found other
indications of animal life, smaller it Is
true, but far more prominent. The
sandy hills and plains abound at all
times with insects, which would yield 4
rich treat to the entomoIOgist, but I,
unfortunately, reversed the conditions,
and proved a rich treat to the
insects. At the time Of my visit
the autumn rains had commenced, but
the weather was still hot, and the
ground had been well moistened.
Up rose from this hot-bed, steaming
with moist air, myriads Of gnats. No
word can express the multitude and the
fury Of this great army, whose whole
energies seemed devoted TO the annihila-
ton Of the victims who had unwarily
come amongst them. They covered
everything. The color of ones horse,
or of ones friends coat or hat, was alike
undistinguishable The whole exposed
surface of skin was soon bleeding from
their attacks. They entered the nOstrils
and the throat their stings penetrated
gloves and stockings. They were, We
were told, unusually abundant, owing to
the long drought and the heat of the
summer, and residents said that they had
never known them so troublesome. They
literally darkened the air in their fight,
and nothing could resist them. After
crossing some miles Of water exposed to
their attacks, | and my companion ter
minated our excursion by taking advan-
tage Of one Of the river steamers plying
between Aries and the Tour st. Louis,
and, once on board, we in a great meas
ure escaped. As we assembled the river,
some spOrtsmen came on board from one
of the stations, and we learnt that they
had been fairly beaten by another divi-
sion of our enemies These gentlemen
had gone into the Camargue to kill birds,
but the insects had checked the
slaughter, at least for a time. l have
often suffered from gnats and mosquitoes
in Spain and the West Indies have
even been exposed to the flies that rem
der the plains of the Danube almost un-
inhabitable, but certainly never before
met so numerous, so well disciplined and
so uneonquerable host as this.-Cas-
sells " Illustrated TrGrels'
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
Fear Of Judgment.

Jerome used to say that it seemed to
him as if the trumpet of the last day was
always sounding in his ear, saying,
- Arise We dead, and come to Judgment
The generality, however, think but little
of this awful and important period. A
Christian King of Hungary being very
sad and pensive, his brother, who was a
gay courtier, was desirous of knowing
the cause of his sadness. Oh, brother, -
said the King, & l have been a great
sinner against God, .and know not how
to die, or how to appear before him in
judgment. y His brother, making Jest
Of it, said, These are but melancholy
thoughts. The King made no reply
but it was the custom of the country,
that If the exeeutioner was to sound a
trumpet before any mans door, he was
presently led to execution. The King,
in the dead hour of the night, sent the
executiOner to sound the trumpet before
his brothers door, who, hearing it and
seeing the messenger of death, sprang
into the Kings presence, besesching to
know in what he had offended Alas
brother" said the King, "you have
never offended me. And is the sight Of
my executioner so dreadful, and shall
not /, who have greatly offended, fear to
be brought before the judgment seat Of
Christ p-Biblicql Treasury. ~
/
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
Gallant and G4nerons.

Mile Gabrielle dc la Perrine, the
uewsgirl Of the Kiosque in front Of the
Grand Hotel in Paris, about whom the
Paris papers have recently written so
many silly articles, was the observed Of
all observers at the late opera balls st
the last of these balls, just as she was
leaving the ballroom with some merry
male and female companions in order to
90 to the MaisOn Doree, where they in
tended to take supper, a poor woman,
who, shiyering and holding a babe in
her arms, stood on the corner Of the
street, implored her to give her some
thing. Mile de Ia Perrine, who was
dressed in the costume of a soldier, gaily
took off her cap and collected money for
thes beggsr woman among her COM
panions. The proceeds of her collection
she tied up in her handkerchief and gave
it to the beggar-w0man. The latter was
about to thank Vile de la Perrine, when
one Of the young gentlemen snatehed
the handkerchief from her hands. She
thought he intended to take the money
from her, and begged him TO give it back
to her But the young man deliberately
opened the handkerchief, took the
money from it, folded up the handker-
chief and put it in his pocket. he then
wrapped up the money it had contained
in a hundred-franc bill, and handed the
valuable little package back to the de-
lighted beggar woman. The gay party
then went on their way to the Maison
Doree.
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
A Rare Doorstep Acquaintance.

There Is , little old GenOese lady
comes to sell US pins, needles, thread,
tape, and the like roJa, whom l regard
as leading quite an ideal life in some re-
spects. Her traffic is limited to a Ger
tain number of families who speak more
OF less Italian, and her days, so far as
they are concerned, must be passed in
an atmosphere of sympathy and kindli-
ness. The truth is, we Northern and
and New world folk cannot help but cast
a little romance about whoever comes to
US from Italy, whether we have actually
known the beauty and charm of that
land or not. Then this old lady is in
herself a very lovable kind of person,
with a tender mother face, which is also
the face of child. A smile plays al
ways upon her wrinkled visage, aud her
quick and restless eyes are full of friend
liness. There is never much stuff in her
basket, however, and it is something of
"a mystery how she manages to live from
it. None but an Italian could, | am
sure, and her experience must test the
full virtue Of the national genius for
cheap salads and mueh-extenuated soup
meat. / do not know whether it is ma
tive in her, or whether it is a grace ac-
quired from long dealing with those
kindly hearted customers Of hers in
Charlesbridge, but she is Of a most muni-
icent spirit, and returns every smallest
benefit with some present from her
basket. She makes me ashamed of the
mean things | have written about the
sordidness of her race, but | shall vainly
seek to atone for them By open-handed-
ness to her. She will give favor for
favor; she will not even count the
money she receives our bargaining is a
contest of the cOurtliest civilities ending
in many an Adieul" To meet
again 7" Remain well and Fl
nally not surpassed if rivalled in any
Italian street. In her Intellectual way
she brings US news of her different Gus
toners breaking up their stout Saxon
names into tinkling Polysyllables which
suggest them only to the praetised sense,
and is perfectly patient and eOntented if
We mistake one for another. She loves
them all, but she pities them as living
in a terrible climate and doubtless In
her heart she purposes one day to 60
back to Italy, there to die. In the
meantime sne is very cheerful she, too,
has had her trOubles-what troubles l
do not remember, but those that come
by sickness and by death, and that really.
seem no sorrows until they come to US
yet she never complains. 1t is hard to
make living, and the house-rent alone
is six dollars a month; but still one
lives and does not fare so i'll either. As
it does not seem to be in her to dislike
any one, it must be out of harmless
guile, felt to be comforting to servant
ridden householders, that she always
speaks of those Irish, :" her neighbors,
with a bated breath, a shaken head, a
hand lifted to the cheek, and an averted
eountenance.-T Atlantic.
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
The Earthquake Coming this
WAY.

Prof. ThrOpe, of Nebraska College,
claims to have predicted the earth
auakes in South America and on our
Pacific coast. When the telegram ap-
peared, several months ago, stating that
Vesuvius had broken into eruption,
Prof. Thrope said, to a company Of gen
tlemen at Hudson City, n. J. to whom
he refers for CONFEDERATION, that vast
mass of the erusts of the earth under
the West Indies having, by some means,
become detached, had fallen into the
burning mass below, and had given rise
to the disturbances in. st. Thomas and
vicinity that the shock had sent roll
inc eastward an irresistible although
sluggish ocean of lava seeking a vent
that the eruption Of Vesuvius was the
next effort of that wave Of molten FIRE,
and that the various outlets Of the globe,
especially on the line of this wave,
would necessarily give similar tokens OF
its arrival. He especially predicted that
Calcutta, Australia and the Sandwich
Islands would feel it, one after another,
and that San Francisco would feel 1t
next in order. His predictions having
been fully verified, Mr. ThrOpe now as
serts that the earthquake producing
wave is still moving eastward, and Will
vet be felt on the Atlantic coast
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
LamaFtine.

In personal appearance Lamartine
bore some resemblance to Wordsworth,
though his face was less rugged and
weather-beaten, In look and manner he
might have been mistaken for an Eng
lishman, especially he spoke the ian
guage with correctness and fueney. His
genius and temperament were essential
and entirely French and, like most
French writer's, but more than most, his
statements cannot be relied on even
when he describes what he saw. Many
things in history of the revolution Of
1848 are positively eontradicted by
Louis Blanc, who Is both a praetieed
historian and man of honor. But it
was in matters relating to himself that
Lamartine was most thoroughly in
capable of Distinguishing between truth
and falsehood. His vanity was marvel
Gus in its candor. In the account of
his travels in the east he relates how
Lady Hester Stanhope dedueed from the
beauty of his arched instep, which to
uninspired observers. seemed prOsaieally
fat, the prophecy that he would be the
first man in France.
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
The Burlai OF Sir John Moore.

In the April number of Putnam, Mr..
Theodore johnson puts forth theory of
plagiarism which he supposed would be
a little startling as well as incredible.
" The burial Of Sir John Moore was,
be asserts, not original with Wolfe, but
simply translation of German poem
of the seventeenth century, written in
honor of a Swede, Gen. Torstensen,
killed at the siege of Dantzic. Mr..
johnson also quotes a French poem of
intermediate date, which is substantially
the same in language and spirit with the
German and English versions, and must
have been translated from the former,
and may have been the immediate origi-
nal of the latter. 1t is, of course, in
credible that three poems, so closely
identical as these, should have been pro-
duced independently, and it is very natu-
raj to infer that the one to which the
oldest date is attributed is the original,
and the later poems translated from it.
Mr.. johnson is, however, mistaken
and Yietimized, as can be proved by re-
ferring to the essays of the late 4" Father
Prout, brilliant Irish essayist and
writer for the English magazines. This
learned and witty writer, having had his
attention called to some frivolous charges
of plagiarism made against certain con
temporary authors, was moved to write
for one of the magazines an account Of
his discovery Of poem in the French
language in com1h5moration of hero
of that nation, who was slain many years
before the war in the Peninsula, where
Sir John Moore fought and fell, and
from which the poem Of Rev. Charles
Wolfe on the burial of the latter must
have been translated. +" Father Prout's 2
French poem proved to be so entirely
the same in manner and language that it
was apparent that one must have been a
close translation from the other. This
first paper, which imposed upon some
persons, was speedily followed by an
other in which the writer announced his
discovery Of the original Of both the
French and English poems in a still
older German ode on a similar subject.
But no one was deceived by the ingenious
author, particularly literary people, who
knew well the purpose of the erratic and
accomplished author.
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11

Nevada has seven lakes Of considerable
size. Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra Nevada
mountains, is 6000 feet above the level
of the sea. 1t lies about equally in Ne
vada and California, is remarkably clear
and cool, and is celebrated for the
abundance and excellence Of its fish,
trout weighing twenty to thirty pounds
being often caught in it. The scenery
is beautiful, and it is a great summer
resort The lake is twenty miles long
by ten or twelve in width. Washoe
lake, in Washoe valley, is but six or
eight miles in length and three or four
in width. The waters are alkaline.
Pyramid lake is thirty miles in length
and ten to twelve wide, and 1000 feet
above the sea. 1t is in Humboldt county.
A rock rises 600 feet above the surface
in the form of pyramid, and gives
name to the lake. 1t abounds in fine
trout. Walker lake, in Esmeralda
county, is an irregular sheet of water
twenty FIVE miles long and from six to
ten vide. 1t has an elevation of 1900
feet, and is well stocked with fish. Car
son lake, in Churchill county, is oval
shaped and about ten miles in diameter.
The water is very salt. Humboldt lake,
in Humboldt county, is twenty five miles
long by ten wide. The water is very
impure, with alkali and salt. The sink
of the Carson and Humboldt rivers is a
long, shallow sheet of very braekish
water, extending greatly in every direc-
ton during the rainy season, and con-
tracing very much in the summer
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
PATHS Last Movements.

The Paris correspondent of the Lon
don NelCs, writes as follows: Adelina
Patti has been i'll, but not in danger. A
telegram dated st. Petersburg, the 18th
March, half-past eight at night, runs
thus /" am better. | start tomorrow,
the 18th, for Brussels and Paris" The
Marquis de Houssaye, has taken house
near that of Avenue Friedland. The
Gaulois of this evening gives us letter
from st. Petersburg, which states that
the clubs Of that capital had presented
lG diUa with necklace of gold, the cen
tral ornament being diamond valued
at 915OO, set round with rubies; ear
rings accompanied this gift which cost
5000 guineas. 1t was handed to her in
the name of these clubs BY the chef dor
chesfre at the conclusion of the third act
VI "Don Pasquale" On the following
morning Madame Patti received letter
from Count d'Adelberg, Minister of the
Emperors household, in which, in his
Majesty's name, he begged her accep-
tance Of the souvenir offered to her by
Alexander ii. This consisted of su.
perb brooch and earrings of diamonds of
such magnitude and purity that it would
be almost impossible to calculate their
value. L have omitted to mention that
on the preceding evening la Patti had
considerable difficulty in reaching the
fOotlights in order to acknowledge the
enthusiasm she had excited, the heap Of
bouquets which lay piled on the stage
literally impeding her movement,
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
WILLIAM PENN.
7rom The Philadelphia Pres

From the Philadelphia Prets.l
One of our city contemporaries copies
an imputation on the character of Will
liam Penn, with the comment that " it
seems that even the bestRad of US
know only the fair side of our history,
aud have been kept by historians and
school teachers carefully in ignorance
of the foul" We may be excused for
not knowing what is in the latest work
of fiction of Victor Hugo, for it is from
it that the alleged historical incident is
taken, as follows:
In England, under Jefreys, after the
tragieal adventure. of Monmouth, many
a lord and gentleman was decapitated
and quartered. These victims left wives
and daughters-widOWs and orphans,
whom james Ii. presented to the Queen,
his wife. The Queen sold these ladies
to William Penn. 1t is probable that
this King had discount allowed him, and
so much per cent What is surprising
is not that James II. should have sold
these women, but that Penn should
have bought them.
The bargain by Penn is excused or
explained herein, that Penn, having a
desert to SOW with men, had need of
women. The women were part of his
implements.
These ladies were a good thing for
her gracious majesty, the Queen. The
young ones brought high price. One
has the uncomfortable sense of com
plicated scandal, in rejecting that Penn
probably got the old duchesses very
cheap.
Now, it is obvious to US that this is
nothing new, but something quite old,
and long since exploded. 1t is Macau-
ley's old story of The Maids of Taun-
ton, translated, or rather transmogri-
fed, into French. After the failure of
the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, in
the reign of james the Second, prosecu-
tions were carried on, or threatened,
against everybody who had in any way
given aid or comfort" to the " lost
cause" Among others, number OF
girls, at Taunton, who had joined in
presenting a banner to Monmouth, were
in danger of the rigor of the law. Par
dons from the King were, however, sold
by people about the court, just as freely
as they are now sold by the pardon
ring" that dispenses Congressional par
dons In dealing for the pardon of the
maids of Taunton, a Mr.. Penne took
part Macauley was the first to allege
that this was William Penn, the founder
of Pennsylvania. If so, his character
furnishes us with a sure clue to his
motive humane desire to screen the
unhappy children from severe punish
ment for their venial offense. They
we're pardoned on reasonable terms but
neither they nor any others, in like cir
cumstanees, were ever sent to this State
by its founders. Subsequent inquiry
has, however, satisfied all familiar with
the subject, that che Mr.. Penne engaged
in this transaction was Mr.. George
Penne, who is shown to have been active
at the time, in such matters. The
charge of being concerned in it, in an
invidious sense, brought against the
great christian philanthropist, William
Penn, was merely the trick af sensa-
tioual writer. As Victor Hugo processes
to write fiction, he has& better excuse
for vamping up the old story, after his
own fashion, than Maculey had, who pro-
fessed to write history.
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
OVER rHE ulLLs AND FAR AWAY.

A little bird few my window by,
'Twixt the level street and the1eYel sky
TIE level rows of houses tall,
The long low sun on the level wall,
And all That the little bird did say,
Was, over the hills and far away"
A little bird sang behind my chair.
From the level line of cornftelds fair,
The smooth green nedge-row ; lEyel bound
Not furlong Of-the horz1n's bound,
And level lawn where the sun all day
Burns" over tn hills and FAR away"
A little bird sings above my bed,
And I know II l could but LIT my head,
would see the sun set, round and grand,
Upon Level sea and levei sand,
While beyond he misty distance gray
Is over the hills aud far aWaA
think that little biri will sing
Over a grassy mound, next spripg,
Where som ethicg that once was me ye1i leave
IN the Level sun shine, naCTn and eve;
But shall be gOse, past II hit, past day,
+" over the hills ana fan away"
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
TeIegraPhtc.

The telegraph stations in England and
Wales are 1921 in number, Of which
9O4 stations are used by railways and
the public, and az stations are used
only by railways, the total length of
wire under the control of the companies
being II, ,635 miles. In Scotland there
are 27O telegraph stations, with 1890
miles of wire open to the public and the
railways and Ireland has 63 stations
of which 21 are for the railways exelu-
sively. There are also 215 stations be-
longing to the several telegraph eomPa-
nies. This gives a total OF 3lOY sta
tions in Great Britain. The companies
and railways own nearly 100000 miles
of wire, and 1858 Of under sea telegraph
cable.
Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-11
london.

The metropolis of London is COM
posed of numerous detached and differ
eut parts, like a dissecting map. Two
cities, four counties, several boroughs,
and over thirty parishes, townships and
villages are comprised within its boun-
daries. There is not one Of these places
to which you can take stranger and
say, This is London" The metropolis
is a country in itself, and there is just
as much difference between the various
parts Of it, their architecture, inhabi-
tants, government and customs, as there
is between Liverpool, Manchester, Can
terbury, aud Brighton. Many Amer
leans suppose that the streets of Lon
don are dull and gloomy Set down
one Of these Americans in Belgravia,
and, after a glance at the tall, splendid
Mansard- d-roofed houses, wide streets and
frequent squares, he would declare,
aThis is not London; it is Paris.
Transport him to st. Johns Wood, and
show him circuitous miles Of beautiful
villas, all emboWered in trees and flow
ers, and. he would exclaim, q This is not
London it is some lovely country town,
ike an English New Haven" Dive
with him into the tangled lanes, courts
and alleys of the city, and he viii OBJ
serve, "This is not London; it is the
old quarter of Vienna" Ride with him
through Tyburnia, and, mistaking the
stucco for brown stone, he viii remark,
Ali" New York above Madison
square" Only when you bring him to
a narrow, long street, edged with low
houses of dark bsick, and ending with a
curtain of fog, viii the London of his
Imagination be reached at last--Eaglish
Photographs By aN AmericaH.