davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
The Verb " To Break"

"I begin to understand your language
better" said my French friend MIR. Ar
court to me, "but your verbs trouble me
still: Won mix them 80 with your prepo-
sitions." al am sorry you find them
troublesome, was all all j could say.
"I saw your friend Mrs James just
now" continued he. She says she
intends to break down house keeping.
Am right there ?" Break up house
keepino she must have said" "Oh,
ves. remember; break up house keep
ing" "Why does she do that ?" /
asked. because her health is broken
into" "Broken down you should
saw" Broken down. Oh, yes. And
indeed, since the small pox has broken
up in your city "Broken out. "
@She thinks she will leave it for few
weeks" "Indeedl And will she close
her house ?" "No; she is afraid it will
be broken,-broken---how do you say
that ?" "Brol en-" Certainly, il is
what meant say" "Is her SON 10
be married soon?" No; that engage
ment is broken-broken-" "Broken
Off" "Ahl i had not heard that.
She very sorry about it. Her son only
broke the news down TO her last week.
Am right? / am so anxious to speak
the English we'll" "He merely broke
the news; no proposition this time.
1t is hard to understand. That young
man, her son, is fine fellow; a breaker
/ think" GA broker, and very hne
fellow. Good-day. So much, thought
/ I" for the verb to break.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17

| In time of famine q rich man allow
ed twenty of the poorest children in the
town to come to his house, and said TO
them "In this basket there is loaf
of bread for each of you. Take IL, and
come again at the same hour every day
till God sends better times.
The children pounced upon the bask-
ct, struggled and fought over the bread,
because each wished to have the largest
and best loaf; and then they went away
without word of thanks to their kind
friend.
But Francesca, a little girl, meanly
though neatly dressed, stood at n dis
tance, and gratefully took the loaf that
was left in the basket, which was the
smallest, then kissed the good mans
hand, and went quickly home.
The next day the children were Just
as naughty and ill-behaved, and this
time there was left poor Francesca n
loaf that was half as large as the others.
But when she reached home, and her
mother cut the bread, there fell out a
number of new pieces of silver. The
mother was frightened, and said: ''Take
back the money this moment, for it is
certainly in the bread by mistake"
Francesca took it back.
But the kind man said: cts no mis-
take, my good child: / had the money
baked in a small loaf in order to reward
you. Be always rs contented and yield
ing as you are now. He who il content
ed with the smallest loaf, rather than
quarrel for the largest, will receive abun-
liant BLESSINGS
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
The Liability of Postmasters.

A very important decision has recent.
ly been made mt the Postoftice Depart
ment. The Postmaster General has de-
cided that all postmasters are liable To
the Government for the value of all reg
istered letters lost in their Offices. This
principle, which has been long maintain
ed with respect to miner offices, has new
er been applied TO offices where any con-
siderable number of letters has been
registered. 1t is now claimed that the
bond of postmasters covers such cases
of loss. 1t is insisted by those who OPP
pose this ruling, that the bond does not
cover such cases; that inasmuch as the
Government disclaims all liability for
loss of such letters, even that of AN or
binary common carrier, the postmaster
is by no means liable To the Government
for loss which the Government does
not sustain. There is eminent legal au-
thority against the liability of postmast-
ers for such loss The definite estab-
lishment of such principle will render
the responsibility under Postmastcrs
bonds much greater than has been sup
Dosed
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
The Resources of Alaska.

A writer in the Alaska Herald saws
Ii Alaska has no other source of rev.
enue but her fisheries, and they were
fully developed, this Territory would
be one of the richest possessions of the
United States but even with the par
tial development of this interest we
have much to be proud of. The salmon
fisheries at Sitka alone yield several
thousand barrels yearly. South of here,
along Prince Edward Island and other
localities adjacent thereto, there are
splendid openings for establishing
salmon fisheries. The Indians catch
great numbers, and to a large extent
live from this source. Fish is the real
staff of life to the coast tribes. Furs
purchase them many articles of use and
luxury, but the fnny product is their
main reliance for food
There is a mint of money in the Shu-
magin fisheries. At present perhaps
the pioneers of the trade are not reap
ing large profits, but from all I can
Learn they have every encouragement to
extend their operations. Pioneers in
any department of life usually have
hard fight. My own experience, however,
and that of several others here, has
been both pleasant and profitable, and
L hope the energetic men who are lay
ing the foundations for building up a
vast trade in the Shumagin speciality
will in time find all their expectations
realized. AS the Pacific coast becomes
populated, everything that Alaska can.
produce will very naturally find an in
creased market; and no other branch
would receive so great an Impulse as the
Goldfish trade. The article is equal and
in some respects superior to the New
foundland species; and also to the fish
taken in the Ochotsk Sea. When this
fact becomes generally known, our cod
fish, will of course command a better
price than any other.
Our fur trade is another feature of
We take from 5000 to 0,000
mink every year, and from 5000 to g.
600 marten. The number of muskrats
killed is set down at from 5000 to G, 900.
Of foxes (blue, white, red, gray, etc. J.,
there are taken from 5000 to 1000. The
supply of sea and land otter is abundant.
all things considered. The sea otter is
so valuable that in its quest the bounds |
Of prudence are net regarded as they
should be, lookig|o the future. 1 am
unable to say how many ermine and |
sable are killed yearly; but with these
and other fur-bearing animals it will be
seen at glance that Alaska is in this re-
spect very wealthy.
From persons who have recently Wis
ted Kadiak 1 learned that matters there
ire very quiet. Several vessels called
1t the island during the summer and
brought merchandise from San Fran
,lscO. The natives are always Overioyed
when vessel anchors off their shores,
or they know there is an abundance of
he luxuries of civilization on board.
have observed that as the Aleuts gain
of the customs and habits of
White people, they are eager to adopt
hem.
Important scientific discoveries have
'een made along the end of the Alaska
Travellers from Europe and
he Eastern States of the Tnion find a
reat deal to interest them in the
Geological, botanical and glacial features
f Alaska
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Christian Nurture.

Teach children from their infancy
that they are carnally minded, at enmi-
ty with God, and that they need recon-
ciliation with him, and, doubtless, after
a while, your teachings will be literally
true. But why should not children be
brought up from the beginning on good
terms with their Maker? They are not
naturally hostile to him. So far as [
have seen children they are naturally
reverent, dutifully and even affection
ately disposed toward God. They do
not need reconciliation to him, for they
have never quarreled with him. They
need constant enlightenment, constant
guidance, constant repression, it may
be and encouragement; for they are
weak and wild. But surely their duti-
ful and affectionate disposition toward
vated. It should be assumed at the
outset that they are his children, conse-
Grated to him by the word, the deed,
the very nature of their parents, bound
to him by their own natural love and
liking. They have not to be converted
to him, any more than they have to
their parents He is their most loving
parent, whom they love as fast as they
AISf Will OlbCIl Dill GelII'p oiINAA
father and mother. But from the little
outbursts of childish rebellion, impa-
tience or fatigue, we do not infer state
of continuous hatred to the mother.
Why should we infer state of hatred
to God The anger and petulance,
even the disobedience, are not the rule,
but the deviations from the rule. They
are not because the child hates his pa
- Ia nd SJIG
temptation overbears his sense of duty.
All the way along, right through the
thick of his worst actions, his love
maintains its strong and steady current,
strengthening with his strength, grow
ing clear and calm and pure as he in
creases in wisdom and stature, and never
losing itself even when 1t mngles with
waters of the river of life. So let the
little child be taught to love God-not
against, but in unison with his nature.
Let him be taught to consider himself
Christian from the beginning-a little
Christian, to be sure, but little Chris
tian, not pagan, not little worldllng.
His lapses into sin-that IS, INTO cross
ness and lies and disobedience and I'M
tidiness and carelessness-are beneath
his standard, against his principles,
contrary to his designs. He shall be
helped by prayer and praise, and pun
ishment, if need be, to overcome his
faults; but he shall not be drummed
out of the ranks on account of them.
We, his elders, are cross and careless
Wetell lies. and we are selfish and impa-
tient and inconsiderate; but we account
ourselves Christians for all that. Shall
we be harder on the little men and
women who stand in their places and do
deeds of heroism in the way of self-cul
ture and repression of bad habits, who
make little martyrs of themselves and
become little saints over their dolls and
hoops and carts Take heed that We
depise not one of these little ones; for
I say unto you that in heaven their an
gels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven. Ham
iLtOn.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Worth Remembering.

A good woman never grows old. Years
may pass over her head, but if benevo-
lence and virtue dwell in her heart she
is as cheerful as when the spring of life
first opened to her view. When we
look upon a good woman We never think
of her age, she looks as happy as when
the rose first bloomed upon her cheek.
That rose has not faded yet; it will new
er fade. I'm her neiRhborhood she is n
friend and benefactor; in the church
the devout worshipper and exemplary
Christian. Who does not love and re-
spect the woman who has passed her
days in acts of kindness and mercy: who
has been the friend of man and God,
her life has been scence of kindness
and love, devotion TO truth and religion?
We repeat, such n woman cannot grow
old. She will always be fresh and buoy
ant in her spirits and active in her hum
BILE deeds of mercy and benevolence.
If the young lady desires 10 retain the
bloom and beaury of youth, let her not
yield to the way Of fashion and folly;
let her love truth and virtue, and 10 the
close of life she will retain those feel
ings which now make life appear gar
den of sweets ever fresh and green.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Singular RetributiVe Punishment.

No class of persons have been more
unfortunate than those who have in
geniously plotted the more exquisite
| torments for their fellow creatures. 1t
would seem as if the hand of Provi-
dence was upon them. Thus Perillus,
the Athenian, cast the brazen bull of
Phalaris, the tyant of Stella, and with
such exquisite cunning, that the offend
ers within it, when beginning to feel
the heat of the fire below, seemed not
to cry in the human ways but to roar
like bull. When Perillus demanded
the recompense for his pains, he was
himself, by order of the tyrant, put into
it, to show by proof the perfection of
his own work and Phalaris himself
was punished by the people of Agrig-
entum for his cruelty, by being put to
death in his own bull. The Bishop of
Verdun was the inventor of the iron
cages of Louis TX of France /; he him
self become the first tenant, and was
shut up in his own invention for seven
years. The first inhabitant of the Bas-
tile was Hugh Aubriot, of prevot of Paris
and Minister of Finance of Charles V,
who was the very man who made the
design and laid the foundation stone of
that fortress. 1t wasn't an equally ex-
traordinary thing although denied by
some yet believe it to be fact-that
DR.. Gr1illatine should be executed by
an instrument of his own invention, in
1894. It is said he died with great re-
luctance, declaring that when he pro-
duced his machine to the world it was
from motives of humanity alone. So
it seems singularly fortunate, on the
score of humanity, that the inventors
of Internal engines, and places for the
torture of their fellow creatures, should
experience the miseries attended upon
their own sublime discoveries.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
THE ISLE OF YOUTH.

The isle of youth is beautiful isle
And over it brightly the sunbeams smile
And over it gently the west wind blows,
Over violet beds, and bowers of rose;
Over forests of verdure and hills of green,
And rivers of beauty that roll between
And the rarest birds sing on that sunlight isle,
In the morns red glow, the twilight's smile;
And the clouds that float DER that fairy land
Seem the barges bright of angel band
'Tis the fairest spot in the sea of time;
Around it the surges break sublime;
And the fondest hopes of the swift-winged years
There blossom and brighten and Danish tears
There joys unsullied the spirit thrill,
And life flows on like flowing rill,
The sweetest homes of the earth are there,
And faces the brightest of smiles that wear
o, the fairest scenes that the heart may know
On the isle of youth with beauty glow!
From the isle of youth we must sail away,
And storms rise darkly, and shroud the day;
But, we sometimes sail DER peaceful seas
And glide in the path of the fresh, glad breeze;
And snatehes of song, and the breath of flowers,
The murmur of waters through breezy bowers,
With remembered voices of friend and home,
From that magical isle DER the calm come
o brightly above it the sunbeams smile
The isle of our youth is a beautiful islel
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Give a Little.

There is nothing harder for a man
with strong will and a stronger
"wOn't" in his composition, than to
make up his mind not always to have
his own way-to submit to a thousand
little wrongs and impOsitiOns rather
than quarrel with his neighbors. A man
who had been clergyman, physician
and lawyer, was asked which profession
was the most profitable. He replied in
substance that "where a man would
be willing to pay twenty-five cents to
secure his salvation, and fifty cents to
be made well when he is sick, he would
willingly give five dollars to have his
own way"
Now this wilfulness is, of ali kinds of
business, the most tunproftable One well
saws that man needs long purse who
determines, come what will, to have his
own way We must learn to turn sharp
corners quietly, or we shall be constant
ly hurting ourselves. Two men with
mills on the same stream quarreled over
the water power. There was probably
not five dollars difference between them
at the start, but neither would yield an
inch. The case was thrown into the
hands of smart lawyers, who aggravated
UIl6 uIllCulty lOI JutII OWh CnuoJ duu
worried the case along year after year,
till one lawyer took the upper mill for
his dues, and the other the lower. They
probably were contented not to quarrel
over the trifes that proved so disastrous
to their clients.
Before you go into a lawsuit, care
fully calculate your cost if you should
gain it, and see if you had not better
put your money into sheep, a new
carriage for your family, COW for your
son or daughter, or a thousand other
things that might give you much more
profit and happiness. The malicious
delight you feel in gloating over neigh
boris discontinue is not happiness, but
onlyits miserable counterfeit 1t is dis
position near akin to that which lost
spirits feel. Root this out of your
heart, if you would not be for ever mis-
cradle.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Josh Billings on " Picking a Wife"

Find girl that IL 10 year old last
May, about the right hight, with blue
eye, and dark-brOwn hair and white
teeth.
Let the girl be good to look at, not
too phond of musk, a firm disbeleaver
in ghosts, and one ov six children in the
family.
Look well tew the karakter Ov her
father, see that he is not the member
ov emmy club, don't bet on elekshuns,
and gets shaved at least three times a
week.
Find out all about her mother, see if
she haz got heap ov good common
sense, study well her likes and dislikes,
eat sum of her hum-made bread and
apple dumplins, notiss whether she
abuses all of her nabors, ask her SER
wants how long they have lived there,
and don't fail to observe whether her
dresses are last years one fxt over.
Ii you are satisfied that her mother
would make the right kind of a mother
in-law, yu kan safely konklude that the
dauter would make the right kind ov
a wife.
After these prelimenarys are all set
tied, and you have done a reasonable
dulOuhO Wv oEt1ih hIIISs doh OAAC 70
lady for her heart and hand, and if she
refuses, yu kan konsider yourself eu-
chered.
If, on the contrary, she should say
yes, git married at once, without any
fuss and feathers, and proceed to take
the chances.
I say take the chances, for thare amt
DO resipe for a perfect wife, emmy more
than there liz perfekt husband.
Thare IL just as many good wifes az
thare is good husbands, and never
knew two people, married or single, who
were determined tew make themselves
agreeable to each other, but what they
suckceeded.
Name yure oldest boy sum good stout
name, not after sum hero, but should
the first boy be girl, ask it az favor
to me that yu kaul her Rebeker.
/ do want sum ov them good old
fashioned, tuff girl names revived and
extended.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Choosing a Life Calling.

Much evil has been produced in this
world by the pride of parents, guardi-
ans and families. 1t has been far toe
much the case that one boy is selected
to be a lawyer, another a doctor, an
other a merchant, and still another a
preacher, if there be SO MANY in the
same family. The law and medicine
are the most popular, and large num-
Der of families cOnsign at least one son
to one of these professions.
! Ninety-nine out of every hundred
merchants who have embarked in bust
ness in New York have failed, and the
same startling figures might be applied
trllthfully to the other classes. The
Philosophers stone has never been dis
covered, and perhaps never will be,
but it would be as easy to do it as to
make a great success out of a young
man who embarks in any one of these
callings without being fitted by taste
and capacity for it.
He must love it, He must have the
very capacity necessary to a great sue
cess. He must have an energy, which
flags at no obstacles, a perseverance
which pursues victory as his end and
aim, without a turn from his purpose.
He must not be satisfied to have a
hcence, diploma, or store, and then
conclude that his work was done. His
toll has but Just commenced, and on
ward he must move with slow and meas
ured steps until the goal is reached,
expecting to find very many rebuffs and
discouragements by the way. He must
not suppose that he can cease to study
his profession because he has COM
menced it's practice, but he must read
and re-read all of his life to attain to a
great success.
A mere case lawyer, doctor or preach
er is not fit for his position. A mere
routine merchant never succeeds great
ly. It is because the violation of these
requisites coupled with incompetency,
that the world is full of quacks, and
that so few attain to great celebrity.
Parents and families would do far more
for the world and the boys if they
would regard these teachings It would
be better for them to be mechanics or
farmers, than to choose callings for
which they are untitled by taste and
capacity. Look at the legal profession
and see how few take rank in it. The |
medical is just as bad, and the pulpit |
is no better served, while the mercan-
tile class gives its failures every day in
the year. It is high time that the
people should wake up upon this i'm
portant matter. If your son shows a
taste for any calling, let him follow it =;
for taste and capacity as a general rule,
are joined i'll the same person, and he
will likely, with proper energy, become
the distinguished.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
TIE BOYS.


There come the boys oh dear the noise,
The whole house feels the racket;
Behold the knee of Harry's pants,
And weep DER Berties jacket.
But never mind, if eyes keep bright,
And limbs grow straight and Timber;
We'd rather lose the trees whole bark
Than find unsound the timber.
Now hear the tops and marbles roll,
The fioors-Oh, woe betide them
And must watch the banisters,
For / know boys who ride themi
Look well as you descend the stairs,
l often find them haunted
BY ghostly toys that made no noise
just when their noise is wanted.
The very chairs are tied in pairs,
What swords whitfield out of sticksIe
What brave hats made of paperI
The dinner-ben peals loud and well,
10 tell the milkman's coming;
And when the rush of "steam-car trains"
Sets all our ears a-huming.
How oft 1 say, "whan shall do
To keep those children quiet %
If could find good receipt
l certainly should try it.
But what to do with these wild boys
And all their din and clatter,
is really quite grave affair
No laughing, trifing matter.
Boys will be boys"-but not for long;
All, could we bear about us
rms thought-how very soon our bows
viii learn to do without u.s.
How soon but tail and deeped-voiced men
Will gravely call us "Mother:"
or we be stretching empty hands
From this world to the other.
More gently we should chide the noise,
And when night quells the racket,
Stitch in cur loving thoughts and PRAYERS
While mending pants and jacket.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
A New GaIyanic Battery.

Gaiffe's new galvanic battery consists
of vessel in which are contained n
plate of lead and plate of zinc. The
lead reaches to the bottom, while the
zinc is but half as long. The bottom
of the vessel is covered with layer Of
red oxide of lead, and the exciting fluid
is water containing ten per cent of sal
ammoniac. The electro-motive power
of this battery is estimated at one-third
of that of Bunsen cell. It's internal
resistance is very slight, and it is said
to be very constant. 1t has the merit
of cheaDnesa
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Courage in Art.

Balzac says: "That which should be
be glorified in art, and all creations of
the mind are comprehended in the world
is, above all, courage. To muse, to
dream, to invent beautiful works, is a
delicious occupation-it is to smoke en-
chanted cigars. But unless the artist
throws himself headlong into his work,
like Curtius into the gulf, without stop
ping to think; if he contemplatesy am
culties instead of conquering them, one
bv one, like the lovers in the fairy tales,
who to win their princesses have to
combat ever-renewed enohantments,) the
work will remain unfinished, 1t VIII per-
ish in a corner of the studio, where pro-
duction will become impossible, and the
artist will assist at the suicide OF his
own talent"
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-17
Which Spider Won, and MhY.

A young Briton lately won bet ON
spiders, in the following ingenious man
ner: He wagered that spider which
he would produce would cross "A plate
quicker than a spider to be produced by
friend. Each spider was 10 have it's
own plate. His opponents spider, how
ever, on being started, would not stir,
whilst his rival ran with immense speed.
The bet was consequently lost; and the
loser soon found out the reason why; his
friend had hot plate.