davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

The world wants men-large- hearted, manly men; /;
Men who shall join its chorus, and prolOng
The psalm of labor and the psalm of love.
The times want scholars-scholars who shall shape
The doubtful destnies OF dubious years,
And land the ark, that bears our country's good,
Safe on some peaceful Ararat at last
The age wants heroes-heroes who shall dare
To struggle in the solid ranks Of truths;
To clutch the monster error by the throat;
To bear opinion to a loftier seat;
To blot the era of oppression out,
And lead universal freedom in.
And heaven wants souIs-fresh and capacious souls
To taste its raptures, and expand like flowers,
Beneath the glory of its central sun.
1t wants fresh souls-not lean and shrivelled ones
1t wants fresh souls, my brother, give it thine.
If thou indeed wilt be what scholars should;
II thou wilt be hero, and wilt strive
To help thy fellow and exalt thyself,
Thy feet, at last shall stand on jasper noors;
Thy heart, at last, shall seem thousand hearts
Each single heart with myriad raptures filed
While thou shalt sit with princes and with kings,
Rich in the jewel Of a ransomed soul.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24
The NeedIe-Gun.

A writer in the Chicago Tribune gives
this description of the needle-gun, which
will probably play an important part in the
coming battles in Europe:
al. The range of the needle-gunis is from
one thousand two hundred to one thousand
four hundred yards.
2. The movements of loading are execut-
ed with the right hand as follows An
upward stroke with the palm of the right
hand against the chamber knob opens the
breech, the cartridge is inserted into the
cavity of the barrel, push forward and
downward stroke of the chamber knob with
the right hand close the breech, and anoth-
er push on the needle chamber with its
spiral spring. completes the loading, and
the rife is ready for fire. During the
whole movement the gun is held with the
left hand, at ready
g. The gun is never loaded or reloaded
while at aim, simply because it is so i'm
possible to do so.
f. The powder is not ignited at the real
end of the cartridge, but next to the ball,
where the igniting matter is placed in a
kind of paper mache; and this is what
gives more power to the ball, the powder
burning from the front to the rear.
5. The cartridge is made up-ball in
front, ball socket with igniting matter,
powder. The shape of the ball resembles
the shape of cucumber, and is called long
lead (lazg blei.)
6. The recoil of the gun is only when it
becomes very much heated and the air
chamber filled with the refuse of powder.
When clean no recoil is felt at all.
I. In case the needle should break or
bend or otherwise become useless, a new
one can be inserted in less than five Sec
onds; each soldier carries an extra supply
of about six needles.
1t is not so much the superiority of the
needle. gun over 9th er breech-loaders which
has secured, and, in all probability will, in
the present struggle, secure success to the
Prussian army, as it is the thorough educa-
ton of each individual soldier and his per-
feet familiarity with his weapon.
The needle-gun was first used in Prussia
in 1S4S and 1s49, in Baden and Schles-
wig, and not having been deemed effective
without an entire change of tactics, and
especially on skirmish instruction, was al
most condemned.
! The Prussian army has but one calibre
for all small arms, SO that infantry or sharp
shooters can be supplied with cartridges
from any cavalry, pistol, or carbine car
fridge wagon"
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24
Mr.. Webster as a Literary Man.

| OF all the public men of America, Mr..
Webster was perhaps the most striking IL
lustration of purely literary power dis
played on the theater of politics. 1t has
been said of him, by so judicious and
knowing critic as Horatio Seymour of
New York, that he would have achieved
a great name in literature had he not
chosen the career of politician. His
strength, and that by which he distanced
such competitors as Calhoun, was peculiar
ly one of literary effects and it was dis
played in the most striking and triumphant
manner, in those memorable debates on
the tariff and notification, which consti-
tuted, perhaps, the most brilliant passage
in our political literature, as well as an
era in our public national history. The
question has often been vexed between the
partisans of Calhoun and Webster Who
had the better of the argument in these
debates. But the real question of the
matter goes deeper than its dialectics
and, whatever may have been the logical
accuracy and power of Mr.. Calhoun, on
the legal and constitutional issue, il is
certain that the great Massachusetts, ora
tor completely overthrow him by the supe-
rior and more finished literature of his
discourse. The comparison of the two
debates on this high and famous occasion
furnishes very precise and happy illus
tration of the power contributed from
PureAy Aas~---.J -~~~->-~-, - A. -lsaasaaaiaa
of even the abstrusest political question.
The issne hatwenn Iinian and diz1r.i@>s- -
not decided by arguments; and, indeed,
it may be doubted whether any public
question is ever so entirely determined.
Sentimentalism, as our statesmen are con-
stantly discovering, will do more to govern
the opinion of the people than any amount
of logic; and all that Mr.. Calhoun could
make of syllogisms and lawyers pleas
could, and in point of fact did, have no
weight by Webster's grand appeal to the
passions of the multitude, and his splendid
perorations to the glorious Union Those
perorations are remembered by the masses,
are recited by the school-boys, and have
been the stock in trade of all lesser politi-
clans on every occasion of arousing the
patriotic emotions of the people, long after
the barren arguments of the South Caro-
Iinian have been forgotten, or survive only
in a record consulted and annotated by
lawyers and polemists.-Old and Ne1v, for
august.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

calico dresses, as obliges every humane boy
to run to the relief of his sweetheart all on
fire
No doubt many an old gentleman will read
this article with face growing more and
more full of smiles, and take off his spec
tacles at the end. and looking kindly over at
his aged dame, will say, I" Do you remember.
.. Well. well. father. YOU are too old to be
talking about such youthful follies. !" Never
theless she smiles and looks kindly over at
the old rogue, who kissed her that night,
proposed on the way home, and was married
before Christmas YOrk Ledger.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

FREDERICK KAPP, the German patriot,
writing from the Rhine to the New York
Nation, makes glowing and effective ap-
peal for intelligent American sympathy for
Prussia in the war. He says:
Well, we will stand and repel the new
attack 1t will be a war between the Teu-
tonic and Latin races, which Napoleon
tried to bring about in 1864, when he
broke into Mexico, and which was only
put off by the defeat of the slave-barons
in Richmond. We Germans by fighting
out this war will prove to the world that
the civilization of the present century is
stronger than the medieval traditions and
robbing propensities of reckless gamblers
that the genius of civil liberty is more
firmly established in Europe than the
despotism of the French autocrat; that
the labor of generations performed in the
interests of peace and humanity is better
keystone of social order than the bloody
work of even the most efficient agents O.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

An INDIAN ANEcDorE.-The correspond
ent of the New York Express is respon-
sible for the story that on the arrival of
the Indians in Washington, all denomina-
tions set to work to convert them; and
Red Cloud was taken with his inte rpreter
to see a most remarkable picture of the
cruci6xion, and the whole subject was
thoroughly explained to him, and evidently
impressed him in a certain way. for sitting
at Wizards short time after, very
strongly marked Jew entered. Red Cloud
made dive at him, and almost choked the
unconscious Israelite before they were sep
arated. Explanations were given. Red
Cloud accused him of taking wart in the
crucifxion. He assured him he had moth
ing to do with it, as it happened two
thousand years ago. Red Cloud replied
that he had heard of it only ten minutes
before.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

There is an island on the coast of Vir-
ginia where the people in times past have
not been righteous overmuch." During
the past year missionary has labored
among them with considerable success.
Not long ago, as this good man was busy
working in his shirt sleeves on new
church that was in theproeess of eonstruc-
ton, stout sea captain hailed him:
Are you the minister here ="
" Yes sir"
well. I've got ten dollars for you"
" For the church : -
"No; for yourself. like your way
of doing things here. I've come to this
island for CLANS good many years, and
have always found them thousand or
fifteen hundred short when 1 got home 1t
will pay me to have you keep ON preach
ing doctrines which will make the people
count their clans honestly.-Ez.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

the Latin race, the African Bedouins.
Spanish and Turcos. You, in your glori-
Gus struggle against slavery, relied on the
sympathies of the whole civilized world.
You were not disappointed as far as Ger
many was concerned. Even our moneyed
men believed in your ultimate success +;
our press, with few insignificant exceptions,
was in your favor, and the Prussian min
lister at Washington was the first of all
foreign diplomatists to wish you, in the
name of his sovereign, good-speed and
victory. And the French They tried
to stab you from behind By invading Mex
leo. Our cause, too, is the cause
of humanity. and it does not matter wheth-
er foreign or q domestic enemy seeks
the ruin of civilized nation. Every
farmer who tills his little patch of land,
every mechanic who with the sweat of his
brow earns decent livelihood, every teach
er of the people-be he schoolmaster in
the remotest Western settlement or editor
of the widest circulating paper-who with
his brains works to educate his felIow-citi-
zens, every politician and statesman who
believes in self-government and national
independence, every man who respects the
ten commandments, in short, every think
ing being. must and will be on our side in
this tremendous struggle.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

One of the most remarkable transfo rma-
tions of modern times has taken place in
the FIJI Islands, South Pacific Ocean. In
the year 1885 two English missionaries
landed on the islands, and with heroic
courage sat about reclaiming the inhabi-
tants from their superstitious beliefs and
barbarous practices. They met with such
success that other missionaries followed to
aid them in their benevolent labors, and
catholic missionaries, the islands have
nearly all been brought into q state of nom-
inal Christianity, and the heather practices
and cruelties which formerly prevailed
have been almost entirely eradicated. THIS
group is regarded as almost paradise by
its English settlers, and they give glowing
accounts of its tropical beauty and natu-
raj advantages. There are nearly two
hundred islands comprised in this group,
but only about eighty of them are inhab-
tied. The native population is estimated
at one hundred thousand They live in
towns of four or FIVE hundred souls, each
village governed by a chief. who is subject
to king,-each island being kingdom.
Viii Levu, the largest island is three hun
dred and fifty miles in circumfrence, and
has a navigable river one hundred miles in
length. There are now nearly two thou
sand whites in FIJI, and their numbers are
increasing monthly. The cotton plant grows
in great profusion, having one great advan-
tage, not an annual, as in the Unit, d States
but continues to yield for several years,
with no other attention than being kept
free from weedy creepers, and pruning
periodically.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

Is PRUSSIA Liberal ?-It may be as
well. in the present state of popular inter-
est in the Franco-Prussian war, to inquire
how much truth there is In the assertion,
echoed through large proportion of the
press, that Prussia is a liberty power.
Whatever may be the prejudices against
France, history shows that in the true
sense of the word Prussia has never been
liberal, and is not now liberal. Was it
not Prussia that deluged Europe in war to
wrest Silesia from Austria, in order to
make the Silesians nation of slaves =?
Was it not Prussia that was the chief vii
lain in the tragedy of Poland partitioned :?
Was not Prussia first to let loose her dogs
of war upon that great uprising for liberty,
the French Revolution, and the last to call
them off? Prussia has never once fought
for freedom; she has never once cham
pioned the cause of an oppressed people !;
she has to this day persistently kept down
the rising spirit of independence within
her own territory. But she has hundred
times fought for conquest, for greed, to
secure her royal race, to make despotism
permanent.
united Germany. Prussia has absorbed
Germany, not Germany Prussia. William
|. Is the modern impersonation of the d.
vine right of kings, and hates republican
ism with all the stubborn hatred of his
naughty nature; and Bismarck, so far
from being the conciliator of the people,
is the promptest and most dogged foe of
the popular will extant. When men tell
US that Prussia is the liberal apostle of
continental nations, we cannot forget that
she is still a relentless tyrant over un-
happy Poland that she still insists on
coercing Schleswig- Holstein to obey her
will that she has throttled Hanover, and
has greedily grasped Frankfort, Hamburg
and Nassau; that she still assumes to
govern with arbitrary power and the power
OF her arms, not only her OVID people but
whose liberties she mas uICnTu wTr-1-rre
rhyme or reason Commercial Bulletin
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24
A Prayer for Rain.

The thirsty land is lying scorch'd and dreary,
Der hill and valley and outstretched plain;
The hearts of men growing faint and weary
God send Thy raini
From humble homesteads, where the fierce heat
burneth
The poor mans crops, and withers all his grain,
In answer to Thy wrath, the cry returneth-
God send Thy rainI
From rich mems houses, and where wealth has
power
To purchase comfort and to lessen pain,
Voices from sick beds crave the healing shower
God send Thy rainl
Death, the destroyer, is abroad and reaping
His summer haryest-many are the slain
Lover Of all men hear the mourners weeping
God send Thy raini
All Nature prays Thee-trees and plants and flowers
The cattle, searching for their food in vain,
Mutely appeal within these scorching hours
God send Thy raini
II. in thus asking, forgotten Is Thy teaching,
That all is order'd only for mans gain;
Father, we bow even in our strong beseeching-
God send Thy rain
But still the thirsty land lies scorched and dreary
Ger hill and valley, and outstretched plain;
The hearts OF men are waxing faint and weary
God send Thy rainl
N. Y. Evening Post.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

CoMPRoxIsISG MArTERs.-The age of COM
promising is not entirely passed. a rather
bashful young man, not q thousand miles
from this town, after long and arduous
eourtship, found himself one bright evening
the betrOthed of pretty girl, the very pink
of modesty, He was about to take his de-
parture, and after lingering about the door
for some time be declared and protested to
Miss SIlie that he couldn't and wouldn't 90
until she had kissed him OF course Miss
Sallie blushed beautifully red, and vowed in
turn that she could not and would not do
Ehat-she never had done such thing and
never would until she was married. The al
tercation became exciting until the gentleman
got huffed and declared if he couldn't kiss her
he wouldn't have her, and was marching of.
She watched him TO the door, and seeing he
was in earnest, and that she would lose him
unless something was done, she said coax
ingly, &" Come back, then I'll split the diff
ference with you, You may squeeze my
hand. - Gloucester Advertiser,
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

AN ECCENTRIC PoET.-One calm and
clear moonlight winter night. when the
snow lay deep upon the city streets and
roofs, Mr.-was making preparations
to retire to bed, when the front door-bell
was rung. He aroused his negro servant
boy, who was nodding on his stool by the
chimney corner, and sent him to open the
door to the late visitor. he said that no.
body was at the door, but that gentle
man was standing in the street, talking to
himself and tossing his arms about.
Mr-now went to the front door
himself When he opened it he found
one, evidently gentleman-he could see
that by the Notwithstanding on the
pavement facing him.
Was it you who rang my bell 7 he
asked
Yes, sir was the reply. I owe you
an apology for disturbing you at an hour
50 unreasonable. But the fact is, some
thoughts have come into my head which /
wish to commit to paFr; and seeing q
light in your back window, (the house
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

prove TO him that he was not his own mas
ter The shame of his bondage he felt
keenly, powerless as he was to break the
chains. The week after left home his
wife left also for visit to her fathers.
She took the children, one a young babe
three months old, with her. Mr.. p. was
to follow her in fortnight. She never
saw him again. One night he went to his
solitary home. Possibly he had been
drinking; no one ever knew-opened his
photograph album, covered his own photo
graph with piece of an old envelope, that
it might no longer look upon the picture of
his wife on the opposite page, and wrote
her, on scrap ofpaper torn from letter,
this line of farewell:
al have fought the battle as long as / can. 1t is
no use. will not suffer my wife and children to
suffer with me a drunkard's shame. Goodbye. Sod
have mercy on you and me-"
The next morning, long after the streets
had resumed their accustomed activity,
and other houses threw wide open their
shutters to admit the fragrance of flowers,
and the song of birds. and the glad SUM-
shine, and all the joy of life, that house
was shut and still. When the Office clerk,
missing him. came to seek him, the door
was fast. Neighbors were called in. A
window was forced open. Lying upon the
bed, where he had fallen the night before.
lay poor Charlie p. A few drops of blood
stained the white coverlet. 1t oozed from
a bullet wound in the back of his head
The hand in death still grasped the pistol
that fired the shot.
L never see young man dallying with
the wine while it is red within the cup,
that l do not think of Charlie P, and
his bitter but fruitless battle. Church
Union.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

The BLACKBIRD.-When q blackbird
once learns a tune he never forgets it. nor
any part of it. | once knew bird that
could whistle Polly Hopkins with won
derful accuracy. His owner sold him, at
the same time making the purchaser ac-
quainted with the birds favorite tune. As
soon as the gentleman got him home, he
hung up the bird. and going to the piano,
struck up Polly Hopkins The birds
master, however, introduced parts into the
tune that he had never heard before so,
after listening awhile he began kissing,
futtering his wings, and otherwise signi-
flying his distaste for the whole perform
ance. Much surprised, the gentleman left
off playing. and then the bird opened his
throat, and favored his new master with
his version of Polly Hopkins nor would
he ever listen with. patience to any other
version. This same blackbird after stay
ing IN the service of the aforementioned
gentleman for two years, was adopted by
a serious family, where Polly Hopkiss
and all such profanity were seduleusly
avoided. Whenever poor j oe (the birds
name) attempted to strike up the old tune,
a cloth was thrown over the cage, and he
was sileneed The family consisted of an
old lady and her two daughters, and every
night, at Z o'clock, prayers were read and
the Evening Hymn sung, and Joe, who
was an obedient bird, and anxious to con-
form to the habits of the house. speedily
learned the tune and regularly whistled it
while the old lady and her daughters sang
it. This went on for six or seven years,
when the mother died and the daughters
separated, and Joe, now an aged black bird,
fell into new hands, but to his dying day
he never gave up the Evening Hymn
PunctuallY as the clock struck he tuned
or Il +-J-----L - --L *L~-~--s"-
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

A country poet. after looking about
over life, has come to the following rhym-
ing conclusion:
4" Oh, wouldn't live forever
/ wouldn't il ! could.
But I needn't fret about it.
For couldn't if L would.S
Here Is an epitaph from Burlington,
New Jersey.
Here lies the body of Mary Ann Lowder.
She burst while drinking a seidltz powder
Called from this world 10 her heavenly rest,
she should have waited i'll il efervesced.'
Frey tell me the difference between them,
For, bother my wig, if 1 Know
Quoth Joe e IT'S the easiest matter
at once TO distinguish The two,
At the one You go into the water,
At the other 1t goes into you.D
A Boston paper gives the lament of an
" attic poet &" for the want of air. and rain
in = long days." which closes thus pathet-
ically:
"And if l don't obtain them soon
funeral there will be;
The hacks VIII with nv friends be filed
But the corpse It VIII be me-"
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

A WEAK FOUNDATION TOR STArE HOUSE.
The Des Moines Register says: 'f The
Iowa Capitol Commissioners have recently
been on a tour of inspection to several of the
Eastern States. When they went to Albany,
N. T., the dignitaries there were disposed TO
treat them with the respect due to their
positions. To begin with, thsI -1s$ ed them
to one of the principal restaurants of the
city, and, entering the department where
orders were left for liquors, the Albany
8 spokesman turned to the Iowa gentleman
to ask what they would have. With great
deal of blushing, hesitating. hemming, and
having, one of the portly Westerners replied
that be didn't think any of bis party could
take anything stronger than lemonade. The
sstonisbment of the New Yorker at this RS.
sponse found expression in the following
characteristic words :: Well, gentlemen. II
you think you are going TO build State
House in Iowa on lemonade, you'll 9d-bIy.
mistaken
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

PoLITIcAL EcoNoMY.-Ssys a loving
wife to her husband Will you ever
learn the difference between real and ex-
changeable value7' The husband tired
of political economists in petticoats, re-
piled; "Ah, yes, my dear, l know your
great learning and many virtues. That's
your real value. But know also that
none of my married friends would ex-
change wives with me. That's your ex-
changeable value"
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

inent as lawyer-but best known as the
author of Nothing to Wear Miss Flo
ra McFlinsey gave him poetic fame at a
bound.-BHfato Express