davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
The RELIGION of PROGRESS

Our hope Is in God, our safety in prayer,
in conservation and work, in a higher,
larger type of practical christianity, in a
grander style of godiiness and virtue
There are those among Us who would strip
from our Redeemer's bleeding brow not
only his diadem of glory as Sovereign of
the soul and of the world, but his crown of
thorns as Saviour of the lost. There are
those, too, and some of Thorn among the
most gifted in the land, who would reduce
christianity to a myth, and so strike the
sun from our moral heavens, leaving moth
ing but a pagan philosophy, with all its
uncertainties, to guide Us as wesweep dark
ling to eternity. Nay there are those who
would dethrone the Eternal God and leave
! only this poor shell of the material universe
upon which We stand, meager and hollow,
our heart the meanwhile goddess and hope
less, becoming colder and colder, doomed
/ to the death which will entomb Us all
! There are others again, in great numbers,
who would destroy our Sabbaths, tear
down our churches, burn up our bibles,
and wrench from the heart the last hope OF
the dying; while the great, foolish, giddy
multitude postpone the day of their conse-
Grafton and sport upon the brink of eternal
fate.
But blessed be God, today, and let thanks
giving resound through the year and thro
all the years for the infinite goodness OF
him who yet gives us bible, church, a
home, country, and who by-and-by, will
give us better country and better home
in heaven. In the meanwhile, let tit be in
deiibly fixed in our minds that there can
be no true progress in this or in any Other
land, except under the great controlling
forces of religion, Of order and freedom
All things must concur-industry, science
art, government, religiOn-all material anC
spiritual agencies blending and working
together for common end. For the pro
gress of man, as of natural around him
can only be secured by free, symmetrical
development of all his powers, body, sou
and spirit. Not matter alone, nor externa
institutions alone, but soul, genius, inspi
: ration, religion, the higher and grande
powers which make man, whether as al
individual or as a society, something NOR,
than an animal living for a day, namely
the child of God and the heir of immortal
ity. Speak, then, y this is our text, 'Speal
unto the children of Israel, that they g,
forward" Not back to Egypt, TO the beg
r carly elements of the world, to bondage, t,
infdelity and irreligion, but forward thro
the Red Seaof conservation and self denial
to the goodly Canaan of righteousness, o
freedom and eternal joy.-Rer. DR.. Turn
r bill.
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
Humility.

True humility Is the mark of great soul,
because it is especially the characteristic of
the soul which has been expanded into
greatness by the love which reveals Christ
as the life within. 1t is the ripe fruit not
| so much of mental culture and discipline,
or of remarkable natural gifts, as of the
mind that is sitting in child like trust at
the feet Of the Master. Even as the world
shuts out the divine love, unable to inter
pref it better than the rabble at Jerusalem
who cried Cruelty Him." so is it unable
| to appreciate those spiritual qualities which
| denote greatness Of soul. The world makes
greatness to consist in intellectual sharp
ness, ripe culture and personal power
Christ accepts none Of these things as proofs
of soul greatness, although all that is high
and good in intellect and culture may be
found in the true ideal of christian man
hood. Love, which makes the spirit of
Christ to pulsate through our being, is the
divine test.
When we see this love filling heart
which nourishes a brain strong in thought,
and wonderful in its resources, and making
it to reveal child like humility, there we
say is a great soul Not alone on such
does Christ like humility put the stamp OF
greatness. We may mingle with those who
toll and delve to subdue the earth and rem
der useful its crude riches and weshall find
that Christs love, working in hearts that
lack great mental compass, has produced
true humility, aud under the divine test
they belong tothe number ofthose of whom
the world is not worthy although it evel
needs their presence. Such lives are strong
for we must bear in mind that the humility
of Christ is not an undertaking of our pow
ers, or an abnegation in any way of ou
manhood, it is that true view of life, that
free from weakness or sentimentalism. see!
self fraiity and casts out pride and boast
ing. Such lives are blessed, they exhal,
fragrance of a loving spirit which reache
all about them. knowledge of self weak
ness prepares them to sympathize will
Others while they gladly help to bear thei
burdens. They seek to find rejoicing il
+ proving their own work alone and not b
, comparing their own fancied virtues viii
q the faults of Others They have entere
, into that life which hid in Christ produce
true humility. In losing life they hav
found it, of them the Divine Redeemer ha
said, "They shall inherit the earth y
E. B. $, in Adraace.
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
Forgiveness.

School was over, and the scholars had
gone. | sat at my desk, thinking over the
events of the day. Suddenly stopping my
meditations, ! saw a boy standing in the
door He started toward me, and then
turned backward. Again, with rapid
step he advanced, and threw himself into a
low Seat by my side.
"What is it, Willy" | asked, as | look
ed upon his tear stained face.
Fast falling tears were his only answer.
irving to comfort him in his secret sorrow,
placed my hand tenderly on his bowed
head and asked again
"Willy, will you not tell me what
troubles you ~
He sobbed aloud and laying his head
upon my lap, he said, in broken accents
ooh, teacher, | don't feel fit to look at
you, or to speak to you, because l disobey-
ed you today. Will you forgive me?"
Il forgive you freely, my child" | said !;
81 will remember it no more"
But you cannot love me as you used to, :"
was the sad reply.
willy" | said with difficulty keeping
back my own tears, never loved you as
| now do. Your repentance has endeared
you to me more than | can express"
Willy went home happy, and | thought,
as | heard him singing far down the road,
this is a lesson for me-" How often have
| disobeyed my Saviour, and felt ashamed
to go to Him with my confession. How
often, when bowed in His presence, have
said, Il am not fit to speak to Him, or even
to approach Him. Surely He cannot love
me again, | have erred so often and so sad
ly."
Now | thought, do forgive Willy SC
freely and love him even better than before
his sin, and shall | doubt that my Saviour
will forgive me, if | humbly ask him? Can
|, an erring child, be more humble, more
forgiving than my heavenly Father?
Thus, through my own affection, Goo
taught me lesson of His love- |, too
went home with a happy heart, singing a.
/ went
Like as father pitieth his children, Sc
the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. -
ChiLds Magazine
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
A Picture

We commend the following beautiful al
legory by Addison. 1t was first published
in the year I'LL, and it truthfully repre-
sents the actual facts of a table of MORTAL
ty:
The bridge thou seest, " said he, lis hui
man life; consider it atteutively" Upon
a more leisurely survey of it, found that
it consisted of three score and ten arches
with several broken arches, which, added
to those that were entire, made up the mum
Der about one hundred. As was counting
the arches, the genius told me that this
bridge consisted at first of thousand arch
es, but that great food swept away the
rest, and left the bridge in the ruinous con.
dition | now beheld it.
''But tell me further" said he, "wha
thou discOverest on it 90 81 see multitude,
of people passing over it" said |, land {
black cloud hanging on each end of it."
As | looked more attentively, saw sew
eral of the passengers dropping through
the bridge into the great tide that fioweC
underneath it; and, upon further examin
alton, trap doors that lay concealed in tn,
bridge, which the passengers no sooner trot
upon but they fell through them into tn
tide, and Immediately disappeared.
These hideous pitfalls were set very thicl
at the entrance ofthe bridge, so that throng
of people no sooner break through tn
cloud, but many of them fall into them
They grew thinner toward the middle, bu
multiplied and laid closer together towar'
the end of the arches that were entire
There were indeed some persons, but thei
number was small, that continued kin,
of hobbling march on the broken arches
but fell through, one after another, bein
quite tired and spent with so long walk
What beautiful picture of human life a
it exists and dies out in the present age!
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
Never Plough Wet Soil.

We have often urged the attention Of the
farmers to this subject as one Of great i'm
pOrtance. Any traveller among our farm
ing districts can see large tracts of land
that have been ploughed when wet and
unfit to be worked by observing large,
heavy clods of earth, which, in the hot
season, become like heated brick burning
all the roots Of grain or other product near
to it. Besides this evil, no seed can vege-
tate and grow well upon soil thus cultivat-
ed, nor can that soil give back as much
nutrition as if ploughed when inright con-
dition and upon warm and sunny day
when light and warmth can penetrate into
the soil, and thus greatly benefit it..
We are confident that farmers lose from
ten to forty per cent. of their crop by mat
tention to this matter. By a little care al
the proper time to plough, by examining
the soil and selecting good sunny days, the
soil will send up its voice in halo of dew
drop clouds that will wreathe the plough
man with its approval of his good sense
As with farms, so with orchards, vine.
yards, and gardens. No soil should be
worked when wet and soggy. If the soil
continues wet long, drain it well, and soor
it will be in working order, but never at
tempt to plough, spade, or work it unless
in good condition California Farmer.
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
Home Made Superphosphate

In many instances, tillers of the soil have
purchased large quantities of commercial
manure, at an exorbitant price, when a la
borer, during some lowery day, could have
collected ton or more of fine manure in
the hennery, goosery, dovery, and beneath
the floor Of the piggery and horse stable,
which would have been more valuable,
pound for pound, than the street dirt and
sand that are mingled with the small guam
tity Of valuable fertilizing material that
would supply plant food. The excellence
of commercial fertilizers depends largely on
the amount of phOsphoric acid contained
in the coarser portions. Phosphoric acid
constitutes the real value of the material
/ that is sold so extensively as superphos
phate. Phosphoric acid is stored up in
large quantities in bones of domestic ami
, mails. Chemists assure Us, that if We dis
solve bones in sulphuric acid, oil of vitri-
OIL by the union of the acid with two thirds
Of the lime in the bones, the phosphoric
acid will be expelled and be taken up by
the other third of the lime. This one third
of lime, together with the triple portion Of
/ phosphoric acid, constitutes superphOs-
I phate. BY this union, the large quantity
. Of phosphoric acid viii be rendered at once
soluble and available to the hungry roots
/ of growing plants This fact shows why
/ genuine superphosphate is so efficient in
/ promoting the growth Of your plants.
As farmers and gardeners have 50 often
been disappointed in the effects of the
stuff purchased for superphosphate, it
/ will be found an excellent practice for one
who can collect 4 quantity of bones, to
make his own superphosphate. Sulphuric
acid, for such purposes as making CONNER
cial manure, can now be obtained at the
mandatory on Staten Island, for two and
4 half cents, or less, per pound in carboys.
! One hundred pounds Of acid, properly d.
luted, j. said to be sufficient to dissolve
/ several hundred pounds of bones. Ifbones
can be crushed fine and deposited where
the roots OF growing plants can reach them
the tertiiizing material VIII be taken up
/ eventually, if the fragments have never
been treated with acid. What the roots dc
not take up in one season, will be available
the next season.
But before purchasing commercial ma.
/ nure, every tiller of the soil should save
with care all manure material on his own
premises and apply it to the soil, before
the valuable phosphoric acid contained il
it has been washed away by frequent show
/ ers or has been evaporated by driving winds
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
The Advantage of Drudqery.

If man is living for this life only, if he
thinks only of bread and clothes. and hou-
ses and farms, and money and merchandise,
and influence over men, why, then his life
will certainly be failure. If he succeeds
in getting the things he strives after, still
he himself is no better, and no better off,
than he would be without them. But if a
man lives with high aims before him, if he
is trying to live a right life and to get his
soul into harmony with God, if he lives by
faith, If he endures as seeing the invisible,
why, then all the monotonous drudgery of
daily life is the steady, persistent discipline
OF God fitting him for the kingdom of heav-
en-. A hard days work is a means of grace,
if the work is wrought in faith and love,
and the most mental serviceis full of heav-
emily gain, TO those who see the will of the
Lord in it, and bear it for his sake. This
is the way Of it. If man cares only for
money he will get nothing but money for
his work, and, however much money he
gets, his soul is still poor. But if he lives
with Gods law for his rule, he gets good
out of life; whether he becomes rich or not
is a slight matter. If he does he can do
good with his wealth. If he loses his prop
erty, he has still a heavenly indefeasible
inheritance.
five live truly and bravely we lift our
work out of the low grooves of worldliness
and necessity up to heights of nobility
and heroism. The meanest work is in
vested with dignity when wrought with
courage, and faith and charity. The hard
service of getting daily bread which has 10
special honor in itself and no sufficient rec
concentrations for its pains, is changed into
the noble method and history of growing
life. Faith in God and love to man glori-
fly the plow and the needle.
Go on then, bearing your burden stoutly,
christianity. 1t may be heavy at times,
but by and by it will be all transmitted in
to precious treasury. 1t will be with you
as with st. Christopher, who, With desper-
ate struggle, carried an unknown pilgrim
across the swollen stream, and found on
the farther shore that his burden was no
other than Christ the Lord.
Keep at your work, christian, in faith
and love. While you are following the
pillow you are walking heavenward. Peg
away at your leather, shoemaker, you are
hammering out treasures for yourself more
precious than beaten gold. Christian build
err, you are laying stone or driving a nail
for beautiful temple in the city OF God.
And you, O wife and mother. is not your
ceaseless toll of washing and securing the
process Of your own publication. You are
washing your robes and making them white
for your heavenly array of beauty and
glory.-ReU. Wn. w. Rose in Adraace
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
Commercial Fertilizers.

The secretary of the Connecticut Board
of Agriculture procured, last winter, sam
piles of sixteen articles known in commerce
as fertilizers" and submitted them to
Prot, S. w. Johnson, of Yale College, the
well known agricultural chemist, for anal
ysis. They were received, and without
name or labels, with the exception OF num-
bers by which to identify them, were sub
mitted to Prof. Johnson, by Mr.. Gold, sec
rotary of the board. Upon receiving the
results of this analysis, the secretary added
to each its name and price, and published
the whole for the benefit of farmers.
The report shows, also, how much it
would cost to buy in other forms the mate
rials which give these fertilizers their val
ne. Thus the farmer has before him all
the information needed to choose the cheap
est material for his purposes, whether it be
patented Or proprietary compound, or a
mixture of his own manufacture.
The analysis proved that in every in
stance most of the substance consisted of
water or sand, or carbonate or sui phate Of
lime, or some other material of little value.
These materials were mixed with phos-
pilates and heterogeneous matters in very
different proportions; but the really yalu-
able component parts are but a small pro-
portion of the whole. Prof. johnson re-
ported that there was good reason to sup
pose that some of the articles sold as fer.
tilizers, and for which high prices were
paid, were the products of deliberate fraud
their value to the former being in strange
contrast with the price at which they are
offered and advertised. The sample which
proved the best of all is sold for $50 pei
ton; and contains actual fertilizing ingre-
dients which it would cost the farmer S47 81
in gold, or more than $50 in currency, t.
buy separately in any common FORM
Next to this comes one, the useful parts o
a ton of which are reckoned to be worth
5000 in gold, and which is sold at $50 il
currency. On the other hand, a popula
article, sold at S28 per ton, is estimated t
be really worth as a fertilizer not NOR
than 1913 per ton in gold, or but one-nintl
of its price; and many other favorite arti
cles of this class seem to deserve their rep
utation but little better, if samples obtain
ed by Mr.. Gold and tested by Prof John
son were fair specimens.- Utica Herald.
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
Excuses.

How many excuses does Satan suggest
to retain his captives, and how readily do
they adopt and use them when urged to
shake OFF his yoke, aud submit themselves
to Jesus as their Lord:
Some say, when thus appealed to, II see
SO many faults in those who profess to be
christians" Others Il am not good enough
to begin to follow Christ" Others, 81 am
not satisfied that | need anything more
than good resolutions and moral conduct
to fit me for heaven" Others, 81 must
wait the Lords time when he sees fit, he
will call me into his kingdom" Others,
81 am not sure that, with my temptations
and position in the world, can become
pious at ALL" And still Others will reply,
IL an not ready yet; there is a time for all
things, and after have enjoyed the world
little more, may be brought TO relig-
ious life"
Sometimes some such excuse becomes
so plausible, that he who employs it thinks
it to be sufficient reason why he should
remain impenitent. And often those who
have become in some degree pentent thu.
obtain what seem satisfactory argument;
for absenting themselves from the helpful
ordinances to which real believers are in.
yited
Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
The Prisoner of GIatz,

In the cleft Of a mountain range in Up
per Silesla, through which the wild and
raging river Neisse forces its passage down
to the Oder, stands the Prussian fortress of
Glatz, natural fastness, besrt by noun
tain peaks like walls, and fortified yet more
by human skill. The valley itself is shut
out from the rest of the world, and enclosed
by the massive walls and gratings of the
castle. Woe to the man imprisoned in
Tlatz! Everything calls out to him, "No
hope remains for thee! no hope"
Here, in the early part of this century,
lay the Count NJ, hopelessly shut in
behind bolts aud bars, By treason against
the realm, and especially by personal vio-
lence offered TO Frederick William Ill, of
Prussia, he had drawn the anger of that
monarch on his head, and was condemned
to solitary confinement for life. For a
whole year he lay in his frighttul, lonely
cell, without one ray Of hope, either as to
this world or the next, for be was skeptic.
They had left him only one book-a bible !;
and this for a long time he would not read :;
or, if forced to take it up to relieve his
WEAKNESS, it was only read with a feeling
of hatred towards the God it reveals.
But sore atiliction, that has brought back
to the Good Shepherd many a wandering
sheep had q good effect upon the Count OF
N. The more he read his bible, the
more be felt its influence on his forlorn
and hopeless heart.
On rough and stormy November night,
when the mountain gales howled round the
fortress, the rain fell in torrents, and the
swollen and foaming Ncisse rushed roaring
down the valley, the Count lay sleepless on
his cot The tempest in his breast was as
fearful d, that without. His whole past
life rose before him; he was convicted of
/ his manifold short comings and sins; he
felt that the source Of all his misery lay in
/ his for>aking God For the first time in
his life his hear. was soft, and his eyes wept
with tears of genuine rcpentance. He rose
from hi, cot, opened his bible, and his eye
! fell on Psalm /, Is; II will deliver thee
and thou shalt glorify me- This word OF
God reached the depths of his soul; he fell
on his knees FOR the first time since he wa.
child, and cried to God for mercy; and
that gracious and compassionate God, who
turns not away from the first movement OF
faith towards Him. heard the cry of this
sufferer in the dungeon and gave him a
twofold deIiverancc.
! The same night, in his castle at Berlin,
King Frederick William III lay sleepless
in bed. Severe bodily pains tormented him
and in his utter exhaustion he begged o.
God to grant him a single hour of refresh
ing sleep The favor was granted; and
when he awoke again, he said to his wife
the good hearted Louise, d" God has looked
upon me very graciously, and I may vel
be thankful to Him Who in my kingdom
has wronged NE most? will forgive him. >
"The Count Of NJ" replied Louise
"who is imprisoned in Glatz."
"You are right" said the sick King, "le
him be pardoned."
Day had not dawned over Berlin ere
courier was dispatched to Silesia, bearin!
to the prisoner in Glatz pardou and release