davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11
A Burned French Village.

| have seen many places, writes a
correspondent, which were destroyed by
war; and desolate enough they looked,
but anything like that of Bazeilles as it
now is never before imagined.
Here was place of three thousand in
habitants, which was built entirely of
stone, with literally not a single house
left standing within its limits.
The inhabitants, some eighty persons,
of all ages and both sexes, perished in the
flames The fire had been kindled by
the exasperated Bavarian soldiers, who
were fired upon by the people-some OF
whom had yet fingered in the ruins of
their dwellings and were at the window
holes armed-as they passed These
poor people huddled together, and with
scarcely a shelter by even few half
burned boards. l questioned some of
them. They declared the destruction
of the place was entirely an unprovoked
act on the part of the Germans Be that
as it may the destruction was complete
complete even as to the village church.
The Chateau Turenne, where the
great marshal of that name was born and
raised, shared the same fate. The town
proper was a heap of ruins. They were
charred ruins. Men, women, and
children wandered in the ruins and
through the streets begging aims or food
of the visitors. and the hardest hearts
could not resist their piteous appeal.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

Il think" says DIR. John Brown, of
Edinburgh. who of all prose writer's has
written with the most hearty and delight
ful appreciation Of dogs, 81 think every
family should have "A dog. 1t is like
having a perpetual baby it is the play
thing and croney of the whole house I;
it keeps them all young and then, he
tells no tales, betrays no secrets, never
sulks-asks no troublesome questions.
never gets into debt, never comes down
late to breakfast, is always ready for a
bit of fun, lies in wait for it, and you
may, if choleric, to your relief, kick him
instead of some one else, who would not
take it so meekly, and, moreover, would
certainly not, as he does, ask your par
don for being kicked.
Next to merry child. we do not know
50 good and healthful companion for a
melancholic man as dog. He does not
call over the roll of your ails, with dolor-
ous intOnation, nursing and petting them
by recital, nor does he anger you by com
batting your splenetic fancies. He just
ignores them so innocently that you
ignore them too. If, after a convivial
ey yening, YOU awake with pound of lead
in the epigastric regions, spiders in your
eyes, and mephitic vapors coilng through
your brain if the day looks cold, and
dark, and dreary. and you feel half in
clined to try the ''bare bodkin remedy,
rather than grunt and sweat under a
weary life, Just draw on your clothes,
and open the door to your dog. See
what delirious good-morning he has
for you. How he leaps upon you, and
sprinkles you all over with cool, fragrant
dew, which he has brushed from lilacs
and violet-borders How his eyes flash,
and his tail wags like an excited pen
dulum, as he winds up his welcome with
aseries of acrobatic somersaults Put
nt,m's Mdqasine.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

The GERMAN ARMY.-The entire
strength of the German armies now in
France, including all the reinforcements
sent forward up to the 18th of October,
amounts on paper, according to des-
patch, to six hundred and fifty thousand
men. OF these there were actually fit for
duty Mt that date five hundred and twenty
thousand men. These are divided into
thirteen Prussian army corps, including
the so-called Silesian corps, one Saxon
army corps, two Bavarian army corps,
one Wurtemburg division and one Baden
division united under one corps com
mander, and seven Landwehr divisions.
There remain in the whole OF Germany
actually under arms and available to re-
place the losses of the armies in France,
to do coast-guard duty, and to maintain
order throughout the country, two hun
dredand fifty thousand men. The French
force actually in the field to resist in
vasion, consists of four hundred and
seventy-ive thousand men with the enci-
ente of Paris Of ninety thousand men,
for the most part regular troops, with
Marshal Bazaine Mt Metz and Thionville;
and of one hundred and seventy thou
sand regular troops outside of Paris and
Metz Besides these, the government
has distributed arms 10 eight hundred and
fifty-two thousand men throughout I
Provinces
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11
The Twilight Hour.

When sinks the golden orb of day,
And evening shadows DER me steal;
When fades the last expiring ray,
Ere vet the stars their light reveal;
When zephyrs whisper through gloom
And wait The perfume Of the flo" ers,
To crowd ike memories from tomb,
The stiffness Of the evening hours
When nightingales alone are heard
Through dusty windings of the vale:
While darkness listens 10 the bird
That sings so well its plaintive tale
Then when the evening vapors climb,
Like mountains towering DER pass
Then is the hour-yes, then the time
The citing time to light the gas
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

Nor long ago, the Independent contain
ed sensible article on Getting Mar
ricd" The substance of it is too true
that while young men say they cannot
marry because the girls of this generation
are too extravagant, the fault by no means
is altogether with the girls. In the first
place, young men as II general thing,
admire the elegant costumes in which
many ladies appear, and do not hesitate to
express their admiration to those who are
more plainly dressed And what is the
naturi, effect of this In the second
place, many young men are too proud
themselves to commence their married
life in u quiet, economical way. They
nrc not willing 10 marry until they have
money enough 10 continue all their own
private luxurics. and also support wife
IN style. The difficulty is not alto
gethcr ON either side but il both men
and women would be true to the best
feelings of their hearts, and careless about
what the world would say. pure and
happy and noble homes would bc more
abundant.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

RICHES. The man with good firm
health is rich. So IL the man with n
clear conscience. So il the parent Of
vigorous. happy children. So is the
clergyman whose coat the little children
Of his parish pluck, ~ he passes them ut
their play. SO is that wife who has
the whole heart of u good husband. 80
il the maiden whose horizon Is not
bounded by the coming man. but who
has purpose in life, whether she ever
met him or not. So is the young man
who, laying his hand on his heart, can
say. al have treated every woman !
saw IN | shoild wish my sister treated
by other men," so Ia the little child
Who goes TO sleep with kiss on It's lips,
and for whose waking kind blessing
waits.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11
The Return.

The bright sea washed across her feet
As it had done OF yore;
The well remembered odors sweet
Came through her opened door.
Again the grass his ripened head
Bowed where her raimeDt swept:
Again the fog bell told OF dread,
And all the landscape wept.
Again beside the woodland bars
She found the wilding rose,
With petals FIVE and heart of stars
The flower our childhood knows.
And there, before that blossom small.
BY its young face begiiled,
The woman saw her burden tall,
And stood little child.
She knew no more, the WEIGHT of love,
No more the weight Of grief:
She could the simple wild rose move,
And bring her heart relief
She asked not where her love WIS gone.
Nor where her grief was fled
Bnt stood, as at the great white Throne,
Undmindful Of things dead.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

ABOUT LETTER WRITING. On the 1st
inst. new measure was introduced into
the postal system Of Great Britain and
ireland. II consists OF what is called
post card, piece Of cardboard A bv 81
inches. Upon the face of this card are
engraved the rovnl arms, n half-pennv
stamp in tho right hand upper corner,
and the words "Thc address only 10 be
written on this side" The back Of the
card is reserved for the contents Of the
letter 10 he written there. Where the
local mails are so enormously bulky and
weightv as they nre in England. the snv-
ing in the cost Of transportation alone
will he n verv important economy and
the uniformity of size and shape Of this
new post card must considerably dimin-
sh the cost Of labor Of distribution. The
reduction Of fifty per cent. in the charge
Of inland postnoc-for these nrc trans
missiblc all over the United Kingdom
is bold one but Rowland Hill. the
great apostle of cheap postage, was de-
ridod IN his early days ns an imprncti.
cable visionary. The only possible argn-
men' that could he advanced against the
new post card would bc that II can be
rend hv persons other than those 10 whom
IL is addressed But kilograms are liable
10 the same objection. and the labor Of
both deliveries aud sortcrs of letters is
sufficient guarantee against the indul-
gencc of nm idle curiosity Several of
our cotcmpomrcs call the attention Of
Congress ,o this new f. turc Of the Brit
ish postal system Ought IL not 20 he
introduced in this country
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

SCIENCE. The United States are rapid
ly advancing towards a principal position
among the nations, so far rs scientific
invention and research are concerned,
as also in respect to liberal governmental
aid bestowed upon scientific expeditions
and institutions. At recent meeting of
the New York Lyceum of Natural His
tory, Professor Morton exhibited photo
graphic pictures of new spectroscope
invented by Professor Young. of Dart
mouth College, and by means of which
solar spots have been photographed. In
connection herewith he exhibited pho
tographic negatives of the spots on the
sun thus taken, which are the first pic
lures ever yet obtained through the
spectroscope. The British Government
has held back from furnishing aid to the
expeditions to examine the coming
eclipse, while our government has fur
nished our scientists literally. As re-
CARDS institutions of learning, there is
now constructing at bridgeport,
Mass, a magnificent refracting tele1 e1ope,
with an obiect-glass of twenty-five inches
diameter, which, when completed, is to
be placed in the National Observatory at
Washington. Fifty thousand dollars
were voted last session by Congress for
this instrument which will he one of
the largest in the world 1t will take
about four years to finish it completely.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

THREE generations Of a family in Wal.
lingford, w.. have represented that town
in the Legislature thirty years, William
Fox having been elected 70 times, ~ Of
them in succession John Fox. his son,
three times, and William G. Fox. his
grandson. twice.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. A Long
Branch correspondent writes "The
sullcrings inflicted on little children by
ambitious mothers, in their efforts to
show them off, call loudly for the forma-
ton of Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children. On the OCCASION
of grand juvenile ball at the Continen-
tai, n mite of n thing, three years old.
appeared rs Madame Pompadour. The
poor little head was laden with false hair
and powder and the arms and neck with
jewels. At II o'clock, bathed in tears
and protesting, I don't want 10 90 I
won't go ! she was bribcd and threaten
cd into grand eptree. The costume
worn by this petite young lady is said TO
have cost four hundred dollars.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

A NOVEL SUIT-A German i'll New
York sued an Express Company for
damages. 1t appears that at the COM
mencement of the present political cam
pmgn, the German was importuned to
register IN order that he might cast his
vote. He declined however, on the
ground that he did not belong to any
political party. Thus the matter ended
Tor the time, but certain young men
determined to pay him off for the apathy
he had shown IN political matters. A
few days afterwards, therefore, rs is
alleged, a very mangy-looking goat,
worth abotft fifty cents, was procured,
boxed up, marked From California
this side up with care, and delivered to
Rode's Express Company, who trans
mitted it at once to Mr.. Strauss On
receiving the animal, and noticing that
the box was marked as coming from
California, Mr.. Strauss remarked. 4
have brother residing in the fertile
valley of Sonoma, and doubtless he has
sent me this animal as a keepsake He
is, no doubt, of great beauty. Let us
look at him" Visions of goats with
silky hair of priceless value hoated before
the eyes of Mr.. Strauss. The animal was
unlocked with great care, and then Mr..
Strauss learned the truth The goat for
which he had paid 81 80 express charges
was not worth the odd fifty cents What
was done with the animal was not stated,
but Mr. Strauss had the express man
brought before "A Marshal. who, o course,
had to dismiss the case, as the Express
Company We're evidently innocent of all
attempt of fraud in the matter
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

ToADs. An uncommon degree of
odium has been attached to tonds. They
have been sometimes supposed poison.
ons. This is vulgar error. They are
very useful In destroying insects and are
capable Of the knowledge Of our ntton.
tion and humanity. II is wanton cruel
~ to destroy them. In my country
abode attempted TO make them place
Of retirement. and called II the toadcry.
II is no disgrace to the Christian charnc-
ter 10 plead the cause of the harmless
toad. - hopLnd HW
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

A GEORGIA paper truthfully says 1t
is n very easy matter 10 criticise n news
paper, but to print one to please every
body and the rest of mankind. il no
small undertaking. Those who find
fault with every little item which does
not suit their ideas of right and wrong.
should buy type and publish MI organ
of their own. Let them try IL for u
while, and If they don't get some new
ideas on this subject then we are no
Judges Of human nnturc-that's all.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

TuE iron ship Hcctiba. Captain Wal
kcr. which left Calcutta on the lat Of
July last for Now York with general
cargo and cs0. 900 sterling. foundcrcd on
n sunkcn rock.in S,ruy's Bnv on the 18th
of September. No further particulars
have been received
Tnr French women of San Francisco
have raised the large amount of fifty
Thousand dollars to be applied to sani.
iary purposes in the present war, and
have just remittcd the entire sum b.
Frnncc.
Tur poor asylum of Woodstock. Conn.
was burned on Saturday morning. A
pauper named Hubbard bartholomew,
wns burned 10 death while In bed. Loss,
s2. COO insured for 81, 600.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11
To DETECT THE AGE OF HAxDwRrrING

70 DETECT THE AGE OF HANDWRITING. -
,ttempts have been made to invent n
IA method for approximately determining
the age OF any writing Iron inks suffer
change III process of time and become
yellow, the organic constituents disap-
pear, and the iron becomes more promi-
nent. BY moistening the writing with
weak hydrochloric acid / acid, II water,
ii the ink is old only faint copy can bo
obtained. and the newer the writing the
palmer will be the copy. In experiments
made 10y Carre, handwriting thirty years
old gave scarcely any impression an
authentic document from the year 1877
yielding mere traces. Soaking the
paper in weak hydrochloric acid gives
opposite results, rs handwriting a few
months or few years old is at once re-
moved 10y this acid. while old ink has
suffered such chemical change that the
acid no longer acts upon 1t After the
experiment 1t is well to ncutralize the
acid 10y suspending the paper over cap
sule containing sal ammoniac. The test
appears to be only applicable to writing
several years old. and is confined to iron
inks.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

Coal on JoHNSY. Everybody has
heard of johnny Steele, commonly called
Coal Oil Johnny, who is said to have
been immensely wealthy, travelling
through the country, throwing his
money away recklcssly. until it came TO
an end, &c The Titusville Herdht, in
referring to this character, says John.
ny Steele is now considered one of the
steadicst men Mt the creek He can do
IL job of tcaming for less money, i'll less
time. and do it better, than any man in
the business. and says he wishes the pn.
pcrs wouldn't kill him 50 often, nor state
that he has 500, 600 lying loose in New
York bank. " John also states that the
stories of his marvellous expenditures
have been greatly exaggerated that he
never had much money Mt ono time.
thanks to rascnlly agents and importun-
ing friends. He is now happy and cor
rcspondingly yirtuous.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

"SPARE MY DAUGHTERS The Cross
Gazefe of Berlin gives the following anec-
dote
The village of Chezy, near Chateau
Thierry, was almost depopulated, but
one of the remaining inhabitants appear
ed so extremely polite, while protesting
that his house contained nothing to eat
or drink, that IA search was ordered. On
a newly erected wall frightful shrieks
were heard, and the proprietor, tremb
ling with fear, begged the officer for
mercy, not for himself, but for his 'p0u-
res .fHeS. He had walled up his two
pretty daughters, together with plenti-
full stores of wine, hams, sausages, and
preserved fruit The soldiers burst into
hearty laugh, while the officer bowed,
and begged permission to lead the young
ladies out of their cell into the daylight,
Take everything" stammered the old
man, "only spare my daughters. The
lieutenant, with some difficulty, assuaged
the fathers fears and the daughters ap-
prehensions The requisition of meat
and drink was carried out in more res
pectful manner than it might otherwise
have been, of which the father was SC
sensible that he voluntarily brought
twelve bottles of champagne from a hid.
ing place.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11
Russian Marriages.

In large estates-before the proscrip-
tons of the law to the contrary-the mar
riages of the serfs We're always made with
the interference of the master or the
overseer, but on such estates the choice
of the serfs is generally regarded. As
the wife follows the husband, a maiden
is seldom taken from a neighboring es-
tate, except where the bridegroom is
rich enough to buy his bride. In smal-
Ter estates, where the choice is more lin
tied, generally after the field laDors are
over, in the fall season, the master calls
the families together and inquiries about
their mutual inclinations, pays attention
to them. and cndeavors to arrange things
by mutual agreement ; but when all is
of no avail, then he decides Arbitrarily
points out the pairs, and then the cere-
mony is fulfilled hv the parish priest.
Previously to the reign of Peter the
Great, II was customary for the Russians
of all ranks TO marry their children very
early, even before the age of puberty.
Though restrained by Peter and Cath
crime H., this custom of early marriage
still prevails, and is said to be fraught
with many pernicious consequences. A
ukase, issued in 1901, prohibits priests
from solemnizing marriages, unless the
man be eighteen and the woman sixteen
years old
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

OSr of the most popular supcrstitions
Of the day" That man is rascal
know it. for he cant look you in the
fnce." Dickens had no faith in IL. "Dis-
honesty" he said will stare you out Of
countcnance any day in the week. IL
there is anything 10 be got by IT," II
any one has doubts on the subject let
him drop in ut Peter Funk auction
shop, or permit himselfto be interviewed
by professional confidence operator.
Tnr young lady who was up with the
lark, il now down with the rheumatism.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11
A Rhenish Legend.

AZurich correspondent of the ST. Louis
Republican, writing of the Town of
Shaffhausen, Switzerland, says
There is a fine old cathedral there,
dating from 1104 castle or fortress
commanding the town, which dates from
the 18th century. 1t was renewed dur
ing the famine of 1864 in order to afford
support to the INDECENT. Like all old
castles, it has its legends. One of the
most interesting connected with this
will relate.
The legend saith, that during the Cru
sades the lord of the castle went off to
the holy war, leaving behind a young
wife to whom he was recently we'd After
long time he returned He arrived one
very dark night precisely at 9 o'clock on
the bank of the Rhine, opposite his
castle. Impatient to behold the wife
from whom he had been so long absent,
he could not brook the delay of boat or
daylight, bu5 plunged into the rapid
waters, attempted to swim across, and
was lost The disconsolate wife had an
immense bell of silver made, hung III the
great tower, and set apart large sum of
money, the interest of which was to sup
port a person whose whole duty should
be to ring this bell every night at 9
o'clock, III commemoration of the sad
event which occurred precisely at that
hour, and as it happened only four OF
five or SIX hundred Years ago we know
the time to be exact. After this loud
expression of her grief she retired to a
convent for life, thereby setting widows
a very exemplary example.
In the course of time the French
stormed the castle, and very ungallantly
melted this bell for mercenary purposes.
1t was replaced by one of baser metal,
which is rung for fifteen minutes, begin
ming at 8 o'clock every night and will be
by the conscientious Shaghausites until
the end of time. The present bell-ringel
is an old man who told me he had per
formed this duty nineteen Years.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11
RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION.

One copy, one year in advance, ...-.....n %
IL not paid within three months, ,...7 . 90
No variation whatever from these rates.
No paper discontinued until all arresrsgss
are paid, except at the option Of the publisher.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-11

RESULT OF Mock MARRIAGE sin
gular case was tried before the Court of
Chanccry, ut Trenton, New Jersey, last
week. Miss Virginia McClurg asked
that n marriage that had been solemnized
between her and Benjamin +. Terry,
10y justice of the peace, might be
annulled. The circumstances were as
follows: At social gathering, the de-
fendant and plaintiff agreed. for the
amusement Of their friends. to be mar
ried for fun" by n justice of the peace
who happened to be present The mock
ceremony was performed, but when 1t
was concluded, the bridegroom and his
friends aveTed that the marriage was
binding, and insisted upon its legality.
The justice of the peace wns unable to
decide the delicate question, and the case
accordingly came into chnncery. The
court decided that marriage 10 be valid
must br solcmni1ed with the full consent
of both contracting parties, and hc
therefore decided the marriagc null and
void
DISASTERS At SEA. Captain Henry, of
the steamer Mississippi, reports having
/ DlANNtls tIpNtu WFtfhN OH lH' TlbTluh
coast, aud also thu he saw schOoners,
Jefferson Borden and Ida Fowler ashore
on the florida beach. which WIS strcwcd
for fifty miles with general merchandise
and dslris Of wrecks lie picked up n
4 lifc-jnckct marked Mariposa. He took
/ Captain Donne and three of the crew
| from the wreck of the bark William
Rathbonc, eleven miles north Of Hills.
boro Inlet. The Kathbone left New
York on September 10 with nm assorted
cargo for New Orleans, aud went ashore
on the 1lth Of October. Captain Doanc
reports that he picked up plank mark
ed Marposa leaking" II IN believed
the steamer Mnrposa, Captain Willet,
hence for New York 9th inst, with l.672
bales Of cotton. was lost There were
no passengers on either vessel They
were both owned III New York