davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

A PERSIAN TALE OR, LITTLE THINGS
MAY BE UsEFUL.-There was once prince
who, having been much displeased with
one of his mobiles, determined to punish
him. The prince commanded that he
should be shut up in high tower. Into
this tower there was only one entrance,
which was walled up Immediately after the
nobleman had been placed there. Thus
all hope of escape seemed to be cut of,
and the unhappy man was left to perish.
Inside the tower there was long winding
staircase, by which the prisoner reached
the top. While looking down from there
he observed his wife, who had come, indulg-
ing a f. int hope that she might be able by
some means or other to aid her husband
in escaping from his place of confinement
On inauiring if she could be OF any ser
vice to him, he replied, o, yes; 60 and
procure black beetle, little grease,
skein of silk, skeiu of twine, and long
rope.' The poor wife fastened to obtain
what her husband asked for, wondering
no doubt, at the strangeness ofhls request.
She soon returned furnished with the things.
Her husband then directed her TO put the
grease on the beedle's head, to fasten the
Silk TO its hind leg, the twine to the silk,
and the rope to the twine, and then to
nlaee the beetle on the wall of the tower.
On being set at liberty on the wall, the
beetle, smelling the grease on its head and
not being able to discover where 1t was
crept up the tower in search of it until II
arrived at the top. The nobleman caught
it. and taking the silk from its hind leg
carefully drew it up. When he came tc
the end of the silk he found the twine
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

Florida is proud of the possession of a
youth who can handle snakes, scorpions
and centipedes with perfect impunity- He
makes pets and play-fellows of the larger
kind of rattlesnakes. twisting them around
him, and dallying with their forked tongues
or twelve rattles. Tie actually has car
ried scorpions in his bosom, and wasps and
hornets in his sleeves and pockets, without
receiving bite or sting. In the loneliness
of the grove or forest, or in any secluded
place infested with snakes, he can, by
few talismanic words, call around him any
number of snakes, whom he can charm into
perfect obedience to all his mandates He
can pick them up and down at any given
place. and at his bidding they will remain
there until his return after an absence
sometimes of hours. He can take rat
or n mouse and SO manipulate it-so-put
that inexplicable tyrant spell upon it
that it at once becomes mute suppliant
for favor. is quiescent, and may be tum-
bled about at pleasure. The young ma
giciau AYERS that this miraculous power is
given him by spirits, whether good or evil
be knows not.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

The ATMosPHERE.-The air is describ-
ed in general way as composed of two
gases, nitrogen and oxygen, four parts of
the former to one of the latter There is
not a proper chemical division between
them, and air is not compound in this
sense. And this renders the constancy of
the proportional quantities four to one,
so much the more singular among the mys-
teries of nature which make it possible for
air-breathing animals TO live. We can
understand that two substances in chemical
combination, as in water, should be found
in definite proportions when the mixture
is only mechanical of these gases. The
nearest analogy is in the watery solution.
Water will take up certain amount of
salt and no more-which is called a satu-
rated solution. Oxygen has a peculiar
function in promoting the activity of life.
1t is a stimulaut as effective as ether or
alcohol. If taken undiluted it will destroy
life by over stimulus of the vital action.
Nitrogen is inert and serves for dilutiou
perhaps it is analogous to water and holds,
in sort of saturated solution, just the
right quantity of oxygen TO promote
health. Yet this does not fully answer all
the difficulties of the problem. or explain
the wonderful fitness. nicety and persist
ence of an adaptation without which the
life of animals would be impossible.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

STORIES The Portland Transcript is
incredulous of story told by the Honolu-
IN Adcertiser, of the fertility of the Pa
cifc islands:
An enthusiastic planter who has lived
in FIJI, that land of cannibals, AYERS that
be has with his own hands planted kidney
seed cotton at seven o'clock one morning
and at seven o'clock the following morning
the plant was up, with two full blown
leaves This, he tells US, happens every
day in Fiji The best story. however. is a
whaling skipper's account of his adven-
lures in trying to obtain potatoes at Kaw-
aihae: He says he went there, innocently
hoping to 6nd all be should require in the
store houSA. TO ship off when ordered. In
stead es lis. hoEeyer. the market was
bare, ahd vessels had been waiting for two
or three weeks. his turn to come after
theirs. So he set to work. planted his
patch, and everybody knows how things
grow there on the beach at Kawaihae.
For twenty-three days be hoed and tended
his vines, aud then gathered his crop. get
ting eff several days ahead of some other
ships, who anchored in the bay before him.
He warrants his crop the genuine Irish ar
tiele.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

How HIGGINs GENTLY Broke THE News.
=" Yes, l remember that anecdote," the
Sunday School superintendent said, with
the old pathos in his voice and the old sad
look in his eyes. " 1t was about a simple
creature named Higgins, that used to haul
rock for old Maltby. When the lamented
Judge Bagley tripped and fell down the
courthouse stairs and broke his neck, it
was a great question how to break the
news to Mrs Bagley. But finally the
body was put into Higgins wagon and he
was instructed TO take it to Mrs. B., but
to be very guarded and discreet in his Ian
guage, and not break the news to her at
once, but do it gradually and gently
When Higgins got there with his sad freight
he shouted till Mrs. Bagley came to the
door Then he said
Does the widder Bagley live here?"
The widow Bagley? No, sir"
an bet she does. But have it your
own way. Well, does Judge Bagley live
here ?"
Yes, Judge Bagley lives here"
III bet be don't. But never mind-lt
amt for me to contradict Is the Judge
in ?"
No, not at present"
Just expected as much. Because
you know-take hold of suthin, mum, fol
I'm a-going to make little communica
tiou. aud reckon maybe it'll jar you some
There's been an accident, mum. I've go
the old Judge curled up out here in th'
wagon-and when you see him, you'll &C
knowledge, yourself, that an inquest i
about the only thing that could be com
fort to him !"-GaLary.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

A circus troupe went by the Wallingford
Community house the other day. There
were twelve camels among the animals
The elephants came along an hour after
ward. There was one said to be the
largest in the country. another the smallest
1t happened says the Circular. that
they had to turn out of the road just here
to let the carriages pass. SO we had an
opportunity of looking at them as leng as
We liked. We were very much amused
and astonished at their sagacity and the
fexibility of their trunks. We fed them
with crackers aud potatoes. The small
elephant would take crackers out of Mr.. SIS
pocket. The oil one would draw back
from the basket of potatoes when the
small one attempted to eat from it, and
spend the time in taking up dust from the
road and sprinkling it all over his back, but
when the driver began TO make motion to
go. the large one. making hollow in the
middle of his trunk. took all the potatoes
that were left in the basket into it, and
soon transferred them to his mouth.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

A REMARKABLE NEGRo GENu.-At the
last meeting of Lexington (Ky.) Presby-
terry, a negro applied for a license to
preach, and it was accorded to him, but
not until after most searching examina-
ton, during which he showed textbooks
required to be studied By Presbyterian
theological students. The Lexington Ga
zette says the negro is singular compound
OF physical deformity and mental activity,
painful to look upon. and with a very large
head. out of all proportion to the rest Of
his person. He is reputed son of the
great lawyer and orator. S. S. Prentiss,
and at one time member of Congress from
Mississippi, where he was looked upon as
a perfect prodigy of eloquence and mental
attainment. This son of his seems to pos
sess his peculiarities in an exaggerated
degree, and may yet prove as marvellous in
mind as distorted in body. His appear
ance so prejudiced the members of the
Presbytery against him that they would
have refused him license If be had shown
any deficiency. He was required to deliv-
er sermon Of his own composition, and
the matter of it was not only good. but
the manner of delivery was composed and
admirable.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

dition-that he was, in fact, in H the spirit
land
If a man can be defunct without knowing
it, 1 suppose a cause can be, and though ours
at the time of the breaking up Of the two
New York Conventions seemed doubly alive,
perhaps it were presumptuous in me to hold
out against clerical obituaries and epitaphs
and editorial a. crowner's quests, any long
er. / really have no quarrel with the emf
nently respectable ladies who set on foot the
anti suffrage movement here. They did what
they thought their duty to themselves, to
society, and the Republic. | will throw no
doubts on the perfect independence and spon-
taneity of their action. | will not say of
any one of them as the Welsh parson said of
the old woman of Brentford, - spy great
peard under her mufier" [ will only say
that such of the leaders of this reacnonary
movement as | have the pleasure of knowing,
are women of unexceptiOnally happy fortune
that luxurious homes and loving protection,
honor, ease, and troops of friends have left
shem little to desire-no cause for discomfort
do not deny their right to speak for them
telves, for their class, publicly, and even from
the platform shsnld like to hear them.
They have taken brave step toward what
the Yankee conservative called "gOin' out
of wimmin's spear to lectur," by holding
hrawing-rOom caucuses, and issuing newspa-
per maniestOes-but | must say that great
anti-suffrage movement, initiated and carried
on wholly by orkln9loomen-women who
work with their hands. and their heads. and
their hearts, for their own honorable support,
and for the daily bread of those they love-
by unfriended strugglers with hardship and
poverty, by lonely tOilers for iatherless chill
dren, by underpaid teachers, clerks and
seamstresses, would impress me far more
profoundly. Yet even then, in this age of
political miracles and Overturnings. L should
hesitate to believe the woman cause dead
without hope of resurrection.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

THE Crow OF THE PERIoD.-Tn Ohio an
innocent unsuspecting crow lately fell a
martyr to science, in way described in
this statement of the Cincinnati CONNER
ciaL:
To prevent depredations on the corn
field by the crow, various devices are re-
sorted to. On account of the many fatal
accidents resulting of late from the careless
handling of firearms, this wise bird man.
ages not to be fooling around in the vicin-
ity of the muzzle of the guns when they
goof. The hanging to pole planted in the
corn6eId, of a dead crow. is said TO act
frequently as a good warning to living
thieves of that race. The principal objec-
tion to the plan is the difficulty of getting
a specimen to hang up. a seedy gentle
man of straw, arrayed in decayed garments,
is often stationed on guard over the grow
ing crops, aud does well enough for short
time, but the crows are not long in forming
his acquaintance and becoming on intimate
terms with him. Once, however, saw
crow badly fooled on the thing. One day,
as Professor Hobbs--who is generally
adorned with rather mature raiment-was
crossing a corn6eld, he was suddenly at
tackled with one of those paralytic strokes
of learning on the brain, and as he stood.
hat in hand, in the hot sun, hour after
hour, pursuing train of thought on some
scientific subject, crow, which had been
watching him all the while, finally came to
!. the conclusion that he was a genuine scare
crow md RckiaG gg dsad @2qse EhiSs I,sa
majestic circles in the air and alighted on
tie Professors head to eat it (the mouse. }
just then the Professor came to, and clap
ping his hat on with jerk, started for
home. OF course, there was something of
futter in the region of the learned mans
ideas, and the crow becoming entangled in
his wig, was soon on his dissectins table,
contributing to science.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22
TERMS FOR ADVERTISING.

Forone Square of I2 lines OF less of NcnPareh
type one insertion OIL .00 for each suoseqneni! IN IN
sssrion S5 cents Unless the number of 'ertlons
are marked on the advertisement IL VIII De cohtIu
ed till ordered out. Liberal discount maze To iei
chants and others advertising by the year
Probate and Commissioners Notices s2-oO oOeach
For notices of Liherations, Estrays, the r",ma
tion and Dissolution of CopaTtnershIps, &C.; Sio
each for three insertions If sent by MAI lhe
money mu st accompany theletter
Notices in news columns, 10 cents per " , eacn
insertion but charge made of less than D" ci''s
Notices Of Deaths and Marriages inserted zTats,
hnt extended Obituary Notices Poetry VII De
CHARGED by the rate of ave cents per line.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

The artless generosity of youth is illus
trated in an incident, told by the Albany
Argus, of little boy. his face besmeared
with molasses and his rags fiutteriug in the
breeze. running mp from the river, flourish
ing dirty shingle and screaming at the
top of his voice to comrade: oh. Bill
Bill. get as many boys and shingles as you
can; for there's big hogsit of 'lasses
busted on the payement-busted all to
smash
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

and next he came to the rope. Fastening
this to a crook be let himslef down. and
thus made his escape.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

Wherever there is the hand of true
man there is the wing of an angel
SPavgeon..
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

tempt. Her I" last words y has been Weil
interpreted by one who well knows;
"What false a truth is,
False to thee!
Where the serpent's tooth is,
Shun the tree.
"Where the apple reddens
Never pry,
Lest we lose our Edens,
Eve and IP
Doubtless Rose Fanshawe's father ex-
pected such a submission from her.
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-08-06

This is consecuttce service, and gives an
imperfect idea of the whole amount of con-
gressional experience packed into the pres
ent House. Thus General Schenck, the
man who made the undisputed discovery
that the income tax was Hthe most popular
tax in the country" had eight years. SER
vice prior to the rebellion. Fernando
Wood, credited in the above table with only
four years. service, and s. s. Cox with only
two, had, both of them, eight years. pre-
yious experience in the House, with what
benefit to the public it is not for US to say.
1t will be seen, therefore, recurring to our
table, that less than one-half of the pres
ent Representatives have served during one
congressional term only. These correspond
to the Freshmen of our colleges, of whom
the greater part always mysteriously drop
by the wayside, Their constituents should
faithfully consider whether they have. in
them the making of good members, and
should deal with them accordingly, As to
the remainder, comprising some of the
best public Eervants that ever stood on the
floor of Congress, they should be subjected
to the same honest, unsparing scrutiny
Their increased skill is unquestioned but
is it, in all cases, a skill to carry through
the enactments demanded by the peopfe,
or merely knack Of calling the yeas and
nays, proficiency in not letting the right
hand Of duty know what the left hand Of
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-08-06
The Sea Illuminated.

A Correspondent of the Cologne Gazette,
writing from the Gulf of Siam. gives the
following account of remarkable illumi-
natien Of the sea, of which he was wit
ness: The air was quite still, as the wind
had two hours before veered round from
the south to northeast, in consequence of a
storm which passed by OH the horizon. 1t
still lightened very wildly on the western
horizon; the heaven was covered with
white clouds, through which the moon
shone with some brilliancy. We made the
sail fast, as the engine was to be set in mo-
ton Immediately. l then noticed large
bright flashes in the water, which l at first
took to be the reflection Of the MOON
These appeared to be about a fathom in
diameter, Of uncertain shape, like an object
seen in great depth of water The sur
face of the sea was gently heaving up and
down, while the white patches swan not
far from the ship, without perceptibly
frightening that part Of the marine mirror
which lay in the light Of the moon. We
then steamed forward at the rate of six or
seven knots an hour, and wonderful spec
tacle now presented itself. Athwart the
vessel long white waves of light were seen
rushing towards it, ever brighter, and in
swiltcr motion, till they seemed to flow to-
gether, and at length nothing could be
seen on the water but whirling white
light. Looking steadfastly att, the water,
the air, and the horizon seemed blended in
one; thick streamers of mist seemed to
float by both sides of the ship with frantic
speed. The appearances of color resem-
bled those which arise when one turns a
black and white striped ball so quickly that
the white stripes seem to run together
The spectacle lasted about five minutes,
and was repeated once again for two min
utes. No doubt it was caused by shoals of
minute animalculp in the water, and these
waves originated in the white flakes first
described. The usual luminous appearance
of the sea which shows itself when the
water ripples in the wake of ship, or the
wavesbreak against the rudder, is not to be
compared with this. The light is then
brilliant, bright green, or blue like phos-
phorus, often most beautiful in deep, clear
mixed with reddish white foam-we saw a
very pretty specimen of this sort one night
in perfectly smooth water in little lonely
bay. 1t was pitch dark, and quite still,
when there fell heavy shower of rain, con-
sisting of large drops not falling very close
together. Every drop that fell into the
water lighted up, flaming drops sprang into
the air, and a small luminous circle was
formed where the rain drop met the sea-
The whole bay seemed covered with fiery
stars, but rising current of air soon des-
troyed the picture.
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-08-06
A Simple Weather Glass.

This little instrument, says the Journal
Of Applied Chemistry, is prepared in the
following way:
Take a glass about ten inches in length,
and one inch in diameter, and fill it up with
the following liquid Two parts camphor,
one part nitrate of potash, and one part
sal ammonia, and dissolve in spirits of
wine, and add until you have partially pre-
cipitated the camphor. The extremity of
the tube can be left open or Theoretically
closed. The glass tube then prepared is
then fixed in horizontal position against
the wall or board.
The changes in the weather are thus in
dictated:
l. If the weather is to be fine the COM
position of the substance will remain EN-
tirely at the bottom of the tube, and the
above liquid will be perfectly clear and
transparent.
2. Before the weather changes to become
rainy the precipitate will rise by degrees,
and small crystalizations, similar in shape
to stars, will be seen to move about the
liquid.
3. When q storm is imminent the precip-
itate will rise to the top of the tube, as
suming the shape of leaf, or an assem-
blage Of crystals the liquid will appear to
be in state of effervesc ,nce. This change
very often takes place twenty-four hours
before the change in the weather.
8. The side from which the wind will
blow in squall will be also indicated by
the particles of the substance floating in
the liquid, and assuming the shape of long
hairy needles.
B. In the summer time, the weather being
warm and dry the crystilization will have
a tendency to remain lower in the tube and
the liquid will also be more transparent.
The amount of crystalized particles that
will be seen floating in the liquid will be
sure sign or indication of fine or bad wealth
er, and will depend entirely upon the sud
denness Of the change in the weather which
is to take place, acting in the most ener-
getic way on the composition above de-
scribed,
The value of this simple instrument to
forewarn of an impending storm and also
to indicate the continuance of fine weather,
will he readily appreciated by those whose
occupations are affected in the change of
the weather.
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-08-06
A Chinaman's View of Washington.

Seu-Kiyu, Chinese official of consider
able intelligence, was, in 1S49, the author
of work entitled GA General Survey of
Maratime Countries" in which was given
an account of the colonization of America
and the war of Independence. The char
acter of Washington seemed to impress
him very deeply, and after giving a succinct
history of his campaigns, he wrote the fol-
lowing excellent tribute to his character:
"When Washington had established the
Government on a firm foundation, he dis
banded the army and desired to return to
the pursuits of husbandry, but the people
would not consent to it, and pressed upon
him the Office of Chief Magistrate. In an
address to Congress, Washington said -
ITO obtain a kingdom for ones self, to
transmit it to posterity, were criminal
ambition. Integrity should distinguish
those who are to be elevated to this posi-
tion in the nation Surely Washington
was an extraordinary man. His successes
as soldier were more rapid than those of
Shing and Kwang, and in personal courage
he was superior to Tsan-pi and Liu-pang.
With the two-edged sword (of Justice) he
established tranquility of the country over
an area of several thousand miles. He re-
fused to receive pecuniary recompense.-
He labored to rear an elective system of
government. Patriotism like this is to be
commended under the whole heavens
Truly it reminds us of our three great an
Gent dynasties In administering the gov
eminent, he fostered virtue, he avoided
war, and he succeeded in making his
country superior to all other nations.
have seen his portrait. His countenance
exhibits great mental power. Who must
not concede to him the character of an ex-
traordinary man."
For the offence against the Chinese Gov
eminent, of praising a person of the West,
whose peoples were thought to be the foun-
tain Of all evil, Seu-Kiu was degraded
and deprived of his office. With the sue
cession of the present emperor to the
throne, however, he was restored to an i'm
portant position in the national council,
and, in 1867, by an imperial decree, was
placed at the head of the Constitution for
Giving Instruction in the Arts and Sciences
of the West" established at Peking.
Soon after this appointment, President
Johnson sent the old man-for he was sew
enty years of age-a picture of Washing
ton. In his written reply to Mr.. Burlin-
game upon receipt Of the picture, Seu-Kiu
said "Among all the great men of your
land, think that Washington stands first
for his surprising capacity. He founded
and planned it's enduring institutions as u
pattern for all ages, and his merit makes
him perfect link to connect the great men
of antiquity with those who will come in
all time SO that his name will surely be
honored by mankind through all ages