davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
The Mllkman's Donkey.

Some forty years ago my husband spent
some months in Spain, and what he wit
messed and heard there quite revolution
lied his opinion of donkeys-
habitually overloaded, beaten and half
starved, they undoubtedly become vicious,
obstinate and stupid; just as human beings
do under similar treatment. But with
the peasantry of. Spain the jackass is
petted favorite, almost an inmate of the
household. The women and children of
the family feed him from their hands, and
talk caressingly to him. He knows them
all, and loves them all. He will follow
his master, and come and go at his bid
ding, like a faithful dog. He delights to
have the baby placed on his back, and to
walk round with him gently on the green
sward. His intellect expands in the sun.
shine of affection, and he that is quoted as
the stupidest of animals becomes sagacious.
They told Mr.. Child o. a peasant in the
neighborhood, who had for many years
carried milk into the market of Madrid to
supply a set of customers. Every morn
ing he and his donkey, with panniers well
loaded, trudged their accustomed round.
One morning, when he was attacked by
sudden illness, and had no one to send with
his milk, his wife advised him to trust the
faithful animal to go by himself, since he
always knew Just where to stop. The,
panniers were accordingly filled with can
listers of milk, and the priest ofthe village
wrote request to customers to measure
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
The Little Slate.

"THERE, did mean to sew these but
tons on Fred.'s jacket before night. l
have thought of it just in time, for he
must have it early in the morning. do
forget so many things | have to do,' said
Lucia Warren to good Aunt Patience,
who was visiting her for a day or two.
"You can wait a few minutes for me,
can't you, aunty? will not be long,"
and Lucia went to get her work, taking
off her gloves, and throwing back her
veil 1t was troublesome to stop Just as
she was going out, but the work must be
done. Indeed, it was nothing so very
unusual, as Lucia seemed always forget
ting things, as she said.
az will tell you an excellent plan have
followed for years. said Aunt Patience.
at is that of keeping little slate with q
pencil attached, hung up in some con-
venient place, and noting down on it all
the things / wish to do. If you like,
we will buy such slate while we are out,
and win get you started in the same
system"
Lucia entered into the scheme with
great enthusiasm, and that night saw one
side of her little slate well covered with
items she wished to remember. She did
not attempt to classify them, but noted
them down in Just the order she happened
to think of them. Aunt Patience
did not wish her to undertake
too much at once. The classifica-
ton would come afterwards. The other
side of the slate had been reserved for to-
morrow's duties. A regular plan was not
laid down FOR the whole day, with the
hours set to them; for aunty knew that
no house-mother could bring all the rest of
her household to time in such matters,
even if she could herself By undertak-
ing too much, young housekeepers are
often discouraged, and give up all efforts
at systematizing. 1t was the grOund-plan
only of her work which was laid down,
but it helped her wonderfully all through
the day. 1t was such satisfaction to
draw a line through anything which had
been completed and then, by glancing
her eye down the list, she was sure not to
forget just the thing she ought most to re-
member. i r-u ..s
In time, the little slate came to be re-
garded as one of the most useful articles of
furniture about the house. IL saved hours
of time and dollars of waste, besides add
ing fully a third to the family comfort and
convenience. If you are sceptical, hang
up one in your own home, and consult IL
as Lucia did, and do not doubt but you
will arrive at similar conclusion. D,
If the youthful reader viii begin early
the practice of making memorandum OF
the duties to be performed each day, and
discharge those duties in their proper
season, habit will be formed which will
prove of incalculable benefit in after years.
Exchange.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
VOL. XV.-NO. s.

if the walk would bea decided benefit, so
he struck into the path across the pasture,
which, at the rye field, came into the path
Charity trayersed the night before, and
walked briskly on. Ls III
Mindful of the well being of her new
CATERS, Charity picked her way carefully
along the road, wetting them in the dewy
grass when she tried to avoid the dust,
and covering them with dirt when she
tried to avoid the dew by taking the mid
die of the road. Once in the shadow of
the pines, she paused to look at them in
disgust, when q brilliant thought struck
her. Why not doff shoes and go bare
foot? 1t was so warm and pleasant, and
the path smooth and soft There was no
danger of meeting any one, and she could
slip in unobserved by the back door at
home, 80 that even her watchful mother
need not know it.. plan was to execute
with this active young lady, and seating
herself on fallen tree trunk by the path,
sine quickly barred her feet, rolled the
snowy stockings into snug ball which
she put into her pocket, light knotted to-
gether the strings to her CATERS so she
might hang them over her arm, then
rose and went bravely onward, congratu-
lating herself on her brilliant idea Alas
for the frailty of human calculationsi Out
of the pine wood, along by the edge of
the thrifty rye, and there was DR.. Norton,
himself, Just coming around the corner,
within ten yards of meeting her, palpably
and undisguisedly barefoot as she was,
with her skirts caught up to avoid the
dew, and her new CATERS carefully strung
across her arm -ee .r
1t was trying moment for Charity Alb
bott, and all sorts of wild thoughts ca
reered through her mind at once, though
she still kept ON her way, since it was
too late for concealment. Yesterdays
bushes, when he caught her showing her
new CATERS, were as white as roses to
peonies compared with the burning red
which suffused her cheeks and forehead,
and even crimsoned her shell-like ears.
That he should think her so careful and
penurious as to save her new CATERS at
the expense of her feet-her confusion
overwhelmed her. What thoughts passed
through his mind we viii not pretend to
say, but it is certain he then and there dis
covered that he was fully in love with the
girl before him, whom hitherto he had
thought he only half loved. So careful,
and so modest girl as her bushes be-
tokened her to be, could but make her a
prudent, faithful wife The Impulse of
the moment came over him, and he yield
ed to it, so that when at last they met, and
he took her hand to say "good morning."
he looked frankly into her clear eyes and
said instead, in quiet way, Charity Alb
bott, will you be my wife,"
Charity's answer is not on record, but
we are told that not many months after
she bought for herself pair of snowy
satin slippers, and that her feet were shod
with them as she stood dressed in pure
white by Dr. Norton's side in her fathers
large parlor, while the gray haired minis
ter said TO them some very solemn words
from all of which we infer that her an
swer at that embarrassing moment wa
not eSpeciaIlv discourapiuor o Tfl--r tr..9
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
A Boy on His Travels to the Land of
Big Pears.

On Wednesday, bright looking lad of
ten years of age called at our Office and
asked the privilege of looking over the ex-
changes. We gave him permission, when
he drew chair up to the table, put his
feet on it, took out badly charred briar-
root pipe, f1mbled down into the bottom
of his pocket for smoking tobacco, bor-
rowed from us match, and went to work
scanning the papers with the zeal, motions
and grace of veteran editor, smoking
fiercely all the while. Laying down the
papers, he inquired at what time the next
train left for the West, remarking that he
would be much obliged by the information.
We answered his question, and then asked
him one In reply he said he was bound
for San Francisco. That he was from
Scranton, Pa, where he had last year
driven trade as a newsboy and boot black,
and conceived the idea of going farther
west. He started last June, travelling on
foot and dead-heading by rail until he
reached Northern Illinois, about harvest
time, where he remained for nearly month
with farmer, helping to get off his crop
by driving machine. He was flush again,
and started on his tramp, striking across
Iowa, partly by rail, but mostly on foot,
until he reached this place. The little fel-
low does not belong to the impertinent
young America, though he has some of its
characteristics. There is no insolence in
his behavior at all, though he sometimes
puts on the airs Of older persons in ex-
hibiting some of their most prominent
vices. He has slept in all manner of places,
sometimes in a cow-shed, on depot plat
forms, in lanes, in farm houses, and
wherever he could get shelter. He speaks
very highly of the hospitality of Iowa
farmers and Iowa landlords, but says that
he occasionly meets with curmudgeon
who denies him shelter, but he has nothing
to complain of, for it is his business to get
the place to sleep, and anothers to give it
to him. He says that he has, once or
twice, been kicked out of railroad offices,
and several times been put off trains, but
they were only temporary inconvenience
He hopes by hook or crook to reach Cali
fornia before winter sets in. He is as live
ly as cricket. Neither drinks nor swears,
and at the end of his journey will be. a
hero.-Councl Bluffs Nonpdrea. ~
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
Safety In Thunder.Storms.

Edward E. Quimby writes, in Hearth and
Home: 1.-The safest place in thunder
storm is the interior of an iron building,
or house well provided with lightning
rods. As to what meets the latter condi-
tion, it is sufficient to say that the applica-
tion of lightning rods is a matter demand
ing the exercise of expert knowledge and
judgment, and intelligent apprehension of
the law of electricity. Experience has
shown that il is not safe to trust to an ig-
nOrant person the decision as to the guam
tity and location or arrangement of light
ming rods for any building whatever.
"Under ordinary circumstances, in a
house without any rods, or with rods i'm
properly adjusted, the safest position is a
horizontal one, in the middle of room,
upon feather bed, elevated above the
floor
"An iron bedstead, however, furnishes
a perfectly safe position, and wooden
bedstead may be safe place of refuge by
attaching metallic wires to the corner
posts, and running from one to the other
around the bed. In these circumstances
discharge of lightning is provided with
an easy path in any direction, either ver-
tical or horizontal, and no injury can
ensue to a person lying upon such bed
stead
Number nine annealed iron wire, or
smaller copper or brass wire, may be
conveniently and effectually used in this
way, or strips Of sheet-metal may be tack
ed on.
"Nails, bell-wire, stove tunnels and
other metals in buildings present an in
terrupted path for lightning. 1t is espe-
cially dangerous, therefore, to assume a
position between two detached lines or
masses of conducting matter. For ex-
m pie, person has been killed by light
ming while seated in chair with his head
leaning against a bell-knob; in another
instance, man was KILLED by discharge
of lightning, which passed from So
called lightning-rod on the outside of the
wall to the quicksilver on the back of
mirror, in front of which he was stand
ing thence through him to the floor, and
to a stOve-pipe in the next lower story.
Positions near windows, doors and fire
places are to be avoided as particularly
dangerous.
"Out of doors, the safest position is fat
upon the ground, away from any tree or
other elevated object. Thoroughly wet
clothing is partial conductor, and gives
increased security to the wearer.
AN umbrella with an iron or steal
shaft, having attached to the handle a
metallic chain or flexible wire cord long
enough to trail upon the ground, would
protect the person carrying it.
"Farmers might easily arm their wagons
with wires in a manner similar to that
already suggested for bed-stead, or they
can fasten wire on long-handled pitch
fork or rake, then hold it vertically, with
one end in the ground, and secure protec-
ton.
"The interior of barn containing new
hay or grain is very dangerous place in
a thunderstorm, and such buildings need
lightning rods of the most complete and
perfect description"
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08

SOME months ago, business led me 10 an
out-ofthe-way place, where, near BY fall
of water, there lived two boys, one eight
and the other ten. They were bright
eyed, inquisitive little chaps, but generally
without either hat or shoes, and often with
pants and jacket sadly rent.
Busted as was in the repairs of an old
mill, these boys were handy to send on
errands, bring tools, look after my horse
turned out to bait in the road, and do
numberless little things to save the steps
of those who were older.
One day, on reaching the mill, saw the
Oldest boy standing upon a rock, partly
hidden by the foliage of the surrounding
trees, fishing, and as often as he felt
nibble he would jerk his line as spitefully
out of the water as though he bore the
little fish some terrible grudge, and wanted
to pay it by twitching their heads of. l
asked him why he did so, and explained
as well as was able the best modes Of
taking such fish as made the little brook
their home.
After hearing me patiently and respect
fully, he said Mister, you fish with
hook that has got a beard on it, and when
you hook one he stays My hook han't
got any beard. It's an odd broken one
that Liger Green gave me. ha'n't got
any money to buy new one. Mother
wants the pennies you gave me- Ike to
fish, like to catch 'eln for mother, and
have to twitch 'em when they bite, or they
will wiggle off, and shall lose EN-"
/ liked the talk of that boy. He did not
grumble about his old hook, but did the
best he could with what he had to do with;
and day after day, as | saw him doing it,
and taking to his mother the reward or
his toll which bad cost him so much care
and thought and skill, i knew that he was
laying with that alder rod in his hands the
foundations of grand character.
That is the way Horace Greeley began.
He fished awhile with a beardless hook.
His father was very poor, and he had
scarcely any books, and what he had he
was obliged to read by the dim light OF
pine-knots which his own forethought had
gathered; but he is now one of the ablest
writers, as well as one of the most intiu-
ential men in America.
And so with John Jacob Astor. He had
no money, or comparatively none, when
he came to this country, but he wanted to
trade, and so he carried his little bundle of
goods around under his arm or in his
hands. He fished with beardless hook.
Afterward he bought furs, and carried
them on his back hundreds of miles to
market and when he died he had grown
from absolute poverty to be the richest
man in the country.
There is scarcely great man or good
man on this side of the Atlantic that did
not have tough time in his bOyhUods did
not fish awhile with beardless hook; and
of all the boys now in the country, those
only will arrive at eminence who do the
best they can with what they have to do
with; never complain, but push cheerful
ly and resolutely ON in the path that leads
upward to noble and good and grand
manhood-Hearth and Home.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08

their own milk and send back the empty
vessels The donkey was instructed, and
set off with his load. The door-bells in
Spain have a rope hanging outside the
house to which is appended a wooden
handle, or the iloof of some animal. The
donkey stopped before the house of every
customer, and, after waiting what he
deemed sufficient time, he pulled the
rope with his mouth. When he had gone
the entire round, he trotted home with the
empty canisters He continued to do this
for several days, and never missed GUS
tomer.-Lydia Maria Child.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08

AT Jamaica, L. l., few day ago, Lewis
Carter, a colored man, descended into
well to take out the tube of an iron pump.
At halfpast 3 the earth and stones fell
upon him, and he remained thirty seven
feet below the surface until extIicated the
following night at half past IL. He was
inferred thirty-two hours. Heavy stones
lodged on his shoulders and pressed against
his sides, and he was unable to move He
was entirely without light, but air reached
him through crannies between the stones.
He experienced no bodily pain, and his
mental sensations were not distressing, in
asmuch as the sounds above gave him as
surance of rescue. After working the
whole of the first night, the laborers were
gratified at daybreak to hear the mans
voice. His head was uncovered in the
afternoon, and brandy was administered to
him, but it required six hours more to re-
lease his body. When drawn up he was
weak from bruises, but perfectly able to
walk to his home, leaning on the arm of
a friend. Beyond being stiff and sore
from the contusions received, he was in no
way injured. 5I ii'
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
Base Ball.

All classes of community get up base
ball clubs; the little boys engage in the
game with ardor and enthusiasm, and
even the babies, it seems to us, never
gave such specimens of base bawling as
now. T.f
Old men have caught the infection.
We head of party of old gents in this
i. vicinity, not long ago, who got up club
of picked nine several of them picked
out of the asylum for paralytics. The
"pitcher" was too infrm to pitch (cxcept
to pitch on his nose) SO he shot the ball
out of gun, touching the gun off with a
slow match. 1t was the slowest "match {"
ever played. The batter" hadn't raised
a club in a long time, unless it was club
he raised for the Weekly 7inses. He gave
some very good specimens of cotton bat
ting, however, being nearly encased i'm
that material for acute rheumatism. The
ball had about as much show for being
struck by lightning as by him.
The catcher didn't catch the ball once
he only caught cold. The runs were
mostly made in carriages, though some of
the more vigorous were able to get around
on pair of crutches and two canes
One old man said he would like to make
one base before he died--hadn't made
anything in forty years They didn't get
home" any of them until they were car
ried home on stretchers They call them
selves "Olympics," every man OF them
having limp. Their common title, how
ever, is Bdse Ball Heads."
A blind Mems Base Ball Club" has
been running for some time in the interior
of the State. They don't confine them
selves TO the rules, "going it blind" for
the most part. The pitcher sends his ball
by the Hand Express. The batter can
only touch the ball, going by the sense of
touch altogether 1t is altogether very
touching.
The catcher catched the ball in his hat
having acquired great dexterity in the use
OF the article by catching pennies in it on
the street corners They are led around
TO the bases by little dog ana a string
Although blind, they never bark their
shins, the little dog doing all the barking.
If foul" is called, they all sing out with
one accord, Cant see it," The fielders
can only feed their way, and the umpire
gives fhsi decision by letter-raised letter
Tie club is familiarity known as the "Eve
Openers" from fond hope they enter
tain that the exercise will restore their
sight .gf 1900
The deaf and Dumb Mems Base Ball
Club" came to o speedy end The author
tiles intcrfered and broke up their game,
was cruelty to dumb animals.
We have wondered they didn't get up
"Policemen's Base Ball Club," they are so
handy with their clubs. The trouble would
be, though, they would never be on the
ground when wanted. The way to induce
one of them to make rapid "home run"
would be to have disturbance break out
in some other locality. They would draw,
though-salaries, regularly; and not inter-
fere with the game if they were Gin with
the game. ."-CiRcinndti Times.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
Humboldt.

The following description of the ap-
pearance of Alexander Yon Humboldt is
from the pen of Bayard Taylor, who saw
him in November, 1856, three years before
his death. 1t was at this interview, it is
said, that Humboldt remarked that Mr..
Taylor had travelled farther and seen less
than any man he ever met:
AS looked at the majestic old man,
the line of Tennyson, describing Yelling
ton, came into my mind: Oh, good gray
head, which all men knew The first i'm
preston made by Humboldt's face was
that of broad and genial humanity. His
massive brow, heavy with the gathered
wisdom of nearly a century, bent forward
and overhung his breast like ripe ear of
corn; but when you looked below it pair
of clear eyes, almost as bright and steady
as child's, met your own. In these eyes
you read that trust in man, that immortal
youth Of the heart, which made the SHOWS
of eighty-seven winters lie so lightly upon
his head. You trusted him utterly at the
first glance, and you felt that he would
trust you, if you were worthy of it. l
had approached him with a natural feel
ing of reverence, but in five minutes l
found that l loved him, and could talk
with him as freely as with friend of my
own age. His nose, mouth and chin had
the heavy Teutonic character, whose gen.
uine type always expresses an honest SIM
plicity and directness. His wrinkles were
few and small, and his skin had smooth
ness and delicacy rarely seen in old men.
His hair, although snow-white, was still
abundant, his step slow but firm, and his
manner active almost to restlessness.
could not perceive that his memory, the
first mental faculty to snow decay, was at
all impaired. He talked rapidly, and with
the greatest apparent ease, never hesitating
for word, whether in English or Ger
man, and, in fact, appeared to be uncon-
sciOus which language he was using, as he
changed five or six times in the course of
the conversation.
"tYou have travelled much and seen
many ruins said Humboldt, as he gave
me his hand; now you have seen one
more Not ruin,' could not help re-
plying, but a pyramid For 1 pressed
the hand which had touched those of
Frederick the Great, of Foster, the cham
pion of Captain Cook, of Klopstock and
Schiller, of Pitt, Napoleon, Josephine,
the Marshals of the Empire, of jefferson,
Hamilton, Wieland, Herder, Evettie, Gu
vier, La Place, Guy Lussac, Beethoven,
Walter Scott-in short of every great man
whom Europe has produced in three-quar-
ters of century"
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08

THERE is straightforward, broad
.shouldered, honest drayman standing
every day with his team at the corner Of
Third avenue and Twenty-third street,
who once lived where Mr.. Field now re-
sides in Grammercy Park, and whose
father owned all of what is now Union
Square, and much of the neigboring land.
He bears his downward turn of fortune
quite bravely-Neao York Mad.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08
now 70 MAKE MONEY

rThe following Characteristic whimssy OF the late
nublisbed for The 6rst timcl: cl:-HsarM and Home.
win tell You plan for gaining wealth.
Retter thsp banking trading, or leases:
Take bark- note and fold ii up,
And then you will fnd your wealth hcredses.
This wonderful plan without danger or loss
Keeps your cssh in your hands and with nothing
TO trouble 1t,
And every time that you fold ii across,
'Tfs plain the light OF the dsy that yoa double
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-10-08

In one of his plays, Addison makes an
undertaken thus upbraid a mute who had
laughed alta funeral: "You rascal, you,
L have been raising your wages for the
last two years, on condition that you ap-
you receive the happier you look"