davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30
The Secret Of a Wife's Power.

NOTHING is more beautiful than the be-
lief of the faithful wife that her husband
has all the talents, and could, if he would,
be distinguished in any walk of life; and
nothing would be more beautiful
unless this is a very dry time for signs
than the husbands belief that his
wife is capable of taking charge of any of
the affairs of this confused planet. There
is no woman but thinks that Their husband,
the green grocer, could write poetry if he
had given his mind TO it, or else she
thinks small beer or poetry in compari-
son with an occupation or accomplish
mert purely vegetable. 1t is touching to
see the look of pride with which the wife
turns To her husband from any more
brilliant personal presence or display of
wit than his, i'm the perfect confidence
that if the world knew what she knows
there would be one more popular idol.
How she magnifies his small wit and
doats upon the selfsatisfied look in his
face, as if IL were a sign of wisdom.
What a counselor that man would make,
What warrior he would be! There are
great many corpOrais in their retired
homes who did more for the safety and
success of our armies in criti-
cal moments i'm the late war
than any OF the "high-cOck-a-lOrum" com
manders. Mrs. Corporal does not. envy
the reputation of General Sheridan; she
knows very well who really won Five
Forks, for she has heard the story a hun
dred times, and will hear it hundred
more with apparently undated interest.
What a general her husband would have
made and how his talking talent could
shine in Congress.
There isn't a wife in the world who
has not taken the exact measure of her
husband, weighed him and settled him in
her own mind, and knows him as well as
if she had ordered him after designs and
specifications of her own. That knowl-
edge, however, she ordinary keeps TO her
self and she enters into league with
her husband, which he was never adj
mitted 10 the secret Of, to impose upon
the world. I'm nine out of ten cases he
more than half believes that he is what
his wife tells him he is. At any rate she
manages him as easily as the keeper does
the elephant, with only bamboo wand,
and a sharp spike in the end. Usually
she flatters him, but she has the means OF
pricking clear through his side on occa-
sion. Ii is the greatest secret of her pow
er 10 have him think that she thoroughly
believes in him.-Er.
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30

the oil would certainly drive away any
thing that had life and little sense. Not
so, however On the neck and that greas-
ed shoulder was where they bit the worst.
1t seemed to give them an appetite. In
despair the two of us made fOrlorn-h hope
attack with thumb and finger. But the
enemy came in countless numbers and
closed in upon us in front, flank, and rear.
just as the printer was coming down
handsomely on boss flea, he received
bite on the great toe, which caused him to
turn double somersault and light square
upon the lamp which had been placed on
the bed. Fortunately the lamp was ex-
tinguished; but the bed "slats" gave way,
and the next instant two printers, about
5000 tleas, and quart of kerosene oil
were rolling promiscuously on the floor.
When birthstone was again brought to
bear upon that lamp wick there was re-
vealed a scene for an artist On the floor
sat the printer, his form doubled up in
the shape of letter g." the corners of
his mouth drawn in opposite directions,
making it resemble the sound-hole of
violin, while his hands and arms were
wildly describing circles in the air like
the selfrake gear of Woods improved
reaper. We can't remember just exactly
how we spent the remainder of that event
full night. There comes at times a vision
of a man with no superfluous clothing
about him, driving a regiment of fieas
from a pair of white linen pants, where
they were patiently waiting for their
breakfast, and ensconcing himself for an
hour or more upon table in an adjoining
room, with nought but quilt about him.
Next morning we saw the sun rise. So
did the printer That day when friends
asked the cause of our constant gaping,
we expressed a fear of an immediate at
tack of fever and ague; but up to the
present time we have been unable to find
anything that will neutralze the scent of
kerosene oil. We don't furnish our own
bed any more, just to save expense
Marshall Mimi Schooner.
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30
How the Cable Talks.

Through the kindness Of the Superin-
tendent, Mr.. Weldon, was permitted To
witness the mode of transmitting and re-
ceiving messages through the cable, and
initiated into the secret An Oper-
ator sits at table in room very
slightly darkened by curtains. On
his left hand stands little instru-
ment named the "refecting galvano-
meter" the invention of Sir William
Thompson, without which Atlantic tele-
graphy would be a slow process, not ex.
ceeding three words per minute, instead
Of eighteen or twenty, the present rate.
This delicate instrument consists ola tiny
magnet and small mirror swinging On a
silk thread, the two together weighing but
q few grains. The electric current, pass
ing along the cable from Valencia, de-
fleets the magnet to and fro. The mirror
reflects spot Of light on TO scale in q
box placed on the operators right hand,
where, by its oscillations. the spot of light
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
BY KATE PUTNAM OsGoOD.

BY KATE PUTNAM OSGOOD.
JACK HEAToN-I dare say it might sound
more respectful 10 say Mr. John Heaton,
but nobody else ever did so within my ex.
perience, and / don't know why need
Jack Heaton, / repeat, was thirty eight
years old, well off, good-natured, good
looking, and unmarried. Why he was
unmarried | really can't tell you; never
heard of his having had disappoint-
ment, and know his mother would have
liked nothing better than to see him set
tied with wife of the right sort. How
ever, that has nothing to do with the pres
ent matter: my story is mainly Minnie's
story, and Jacks only so far as he had TO
do with her.
Who was Minnie? What, you don'tknow
that! Well, then, Minnie was the orphan
child of one of Jacks college classmates,
his best and oldest friend. Something
like six years before the time i am going
to describe, Jack came home to dinner
one day in brown-s,udy, and when re-
minded by his mother that salt was nicer
than sugar in soup, answered, abruptly:
Mother, poor Walter Gorhams little
girl, it seems, is left with no particular
home or means"
"And my generous, extravagant boy has
made up his mind to provide both, / can
see," put in Mrs. Heaton, smiling at him.
Jack was over thirty then, but, as l have
often noticed, a man is always boy to
his mother, even if he were a very Methu.
saleh in years.
'The generosity, if there Is any, would
be pretty much on your side, am afraid,
MOTHER" rejoined Jack, "for the care
would come on you; still, can't bear to
think of poor old Walters child wanting
anything we could give her; SO, if you
weren't afraid of finding her too great a
trouble
mot bit of trouble" said Mrs. HeatoH,
without moments pause for reflection
If Jacks generosity was extravagant, ii
was easy to see where he got it! Haven't
wanted girl of my own all my life? ?"
"Yes, know was disappointment
to you, mother" put in Jack, with whom
this was an old joke.
"As if / would change my boy for all
the girls in the world! Still suppose
that doesn't prevent my liking to try my
hand on one"
So that is the way it was settled, and
Minnie Gorham, a shy, pale little damsel
OF twelve, came to live in the Heaton's
house-the old house, mind you, for that
was UClOlC Il was 81 muCu do tuOukut
hard as find that to understand now.
There she grew up to girl Of seventeen
neither shy nor pale then, but with about
the brightest eyes and clearest laugh to be
found in the whole heighborhood, as more
than one individual had discovered al
ready.
1t was somewhere about this time that
Jack Heaton, coming home one spring
day, was impressed, as he closed the door
behind him, by the unwonted quiet of the
house. No head peeped into the hall to
welcome him; there was nobody in the
parlor, nobody in the sitting no
body in the diningroo Jack penetrated
as far as the kitchen, and there, finally, he
came upon Minnie, half extinguished in a
blue cotton apron several sizes too large
for her, with her sleeves tucked up from
her round white arms, and her curly hair
all thrust away at the back of her head in
great rough knot from which stray ten
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30
A COUNTRY WALK.
ny NARY b. DODGE.

BY NARY B. DODGE.
TWAS earliest autumn; up the road
To where the shade-trees blended,
And where the gathering sunbeams glowed,
NV willing steps wended.
Around the barn the trodden way
Curved carelessly, and drifted
Whittier in ricks the rOwen lay,
By swarthy hands uplifted.
And further on, little space,
1t passed a neighbOrs dwelling,
Where thrift bare sign of rustic grace,
A humble peace foretelling.
Up, speeding DER the stony path
To gain the summit shaded,
NV foot, Pm sure. not often hath
Been swectlier persuaded.
For tits not stone or hill that makes
Our wax in life seem weary.
But grief, which silently o'ertakes
The heart-aforetime CHEEKY.
Which chills The glow OF eastern sun
And dims its western fringes,
And with an allpervading dun
The bluest heaven tinges:
And LAYS the listless foot upon
The cobble's toughest edges.
And bids the thistle seem the one
Lone blossom Of the hedges.
But had hidden Grief good-by,
Had bound her with tether),
And only Happiness was nigh,
And we two strolled together.
We laughed at boulders and at broom
That hemmed the downy thistles,
As. bent to cast their purple bloom,
We spurned the horny bristles.
We plucked the hawk weed that the bees
In earnest haste were slipping,
Into each azure cup with ease,
Their bills demurely dipping.
We found wild carrot even a joy
So fair its fne-ep pun feather, d.
And beauty everywhere, though CO
Amid the tawny heather
The mint, the golden-rod, the fern,
The pink OF sweetest clover.
The cardinal flower whose petals
With crimson bushes over;
The grasses that o'erreaching rim
Through all the tangle, threading
The brown with silver; and the sun
About Rs softly spreading,
Were just 80 many witcheries
To hold us by the splendor
OF generous sunlight from the trees
That made the hill-tops tender.
Yet on we went, and stepped athwart
The butterfy's gay showing,
Whose lightsomeness might well assOrt
With our still gladstone going.
The techy hornet scarcely held
terror in his Winging,
While all around us soothing swelled
The calm cicada's singing.
And so we reached the bower Of shade
Through which the sun was cleaning,
And in its dappled ambuscade
Yielded to pleasant dreaming.
And dreamed this dream--that he who will,
Find peace in iowliest places,
And il he scales the stOniest hill
Alert, but for its graces.
His eye, grown quick to nearest things,
Shall read the wilder pages
or distant vision. AZ though wings
Were his to span the ages.
Not idle then my morning walk,
That led.me. by the sweetness
OF little wild flowers simple talk,
To learn of life's completeness;
To see that in the homeliest ways,
Which tend to higher glories,
Gods love is there, and cheers the days
With myriad charming stories.
--Christidn Union.
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30

FROM the time the colt is born he
should be taught TO regard man, whom he
is afterwards 10 serve, as his protector and
friend. A human hand should first lift
him gently to his feet, and direct his little
mouth to the source of maternal nourish-
ment. With the human touch he should
thus early be made To associate caresses
and a Supply for all his wants. Instead
of yells and oaths and kicks and rude
blows, he should hear only gentle, loving
tones from the attendants mouth, and pet
tings from his kindly palm. He should
be taught to expect and watch for mans
entrance to the stall or paddock where he
is kept, AS dog waits for the coming Of
the master, as the season of joy and hap
piness. His little deer-like limbs should
be handled, and he be taught TO yield
them promptly, and without fear, TO the
masters touch. In short, everything that
loving ingenuity can devise should be
done 10 impress upon his mind thus early
in life that man is his natural protector
and friend, between whom and him an in
innate companionship has been ordained
by beneficent Nature, which insures that
he shall be protected and cherished while
he serves. The horse has a he0rt-claim
upon us. The young colt is, in some
sense, a member Of the family-One of the
owners household, second in rank and
dignity only TO the children. So the
Arab regards him. The beautiful young
thing, with its shining coat and gazelle
eyes and sprightly antics, so full Of bound
ing but dOcile life, is literally his chill
dren's playmate. He shares their food,
and often their sleeping-mat; and blow
dealt him is as promptly resented as if it
had been dealt the only son, for whose
service in peace, and safety in the hour of
battle, the young thing is being raised
From Mr.. Nurrays Book on "IAe Perfect
Horse"
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30

Considerable use is being made OF
gas in England as means OF lighting
mines. A steam jet is used to draw gas
into and force 1t down q pipe TO the bot
tom of mine. The jet can be applied to
almost any depth. 1t Is now in use 500
yards below the surface of the ground.
Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-30

The largest piece of iron casting
made west Of the Alleghanies is now in
course of construction at st. Louis. 1t is
an immense iron bed plate, 10 feet long, 8
feet wide and TX inches thick weighing
about 5000 pounds 1t is made for the
Platten Creek Plate Glass Company, and
it will be used as the bed upon which the
molten glass will be rolled out into
smooth plates.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-14
Whales" EJECT.

Mr.. Scoresby, very high authority
on this subject, declares that the COM
mon whale seldom exceeds seventy feet
in length, and il much more frequent
ly ns,der sixty. Ont Of three hundred
and twenty-five whales which ne assist
ed in capturing, not one exceeded fifty
feet, and the largest Of which he knew
the reported measurement 70 be authen-
tic came up to sixty-seven feet. Two
specimens Of the rorqual or razor-back
whale have been observed to be one
hundred and five feet in length. One
of these was found floating lifeless IN
Davis Straits, and the skeleton Of the
other was seen in the Columbia River,
and must, tail and all, when alive,
measured one hundred and twelve feet.
Other specimens have measured one
hundred, and many others from eighty
20 ninety. One cast on the shore at
North Berwick, Scotland, and preserved
by DIR. Knox, was eighty-three feet long.
These instances seem to establish the
average and extreme length Of these
huge animals. But with considerable
credulity in earlier accounts, Cuvier,
the eminent naturalist says stoutly.
"There is no doubt that whales have
been seen at certain epochs and in GER
tain seas upward of three hundred feet
long, or one hundred yards in length"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-14
Coming Home.

In our school days we used to come
home fer our holidays; in ripper years
we come home when they are over. Yet
it is, after all, a question whether We do
not enjoy the return 10 the domestic
roof as much in the latter case as we did
in the former. A great part of the
pleasure of going away undoubtedly
lies in the anticipation of getting back
again to our old haunts and habits. We
take our holidays as kind of annual
sherry and bitters, to give US appetites
for our ordinary modes of life; and per-
haps there is no morning during our alb
sence SO thoroughly welcome to us as
that of the day OH W hich we set out for
town once more. Everything at home
has acquired some fresh charm during
our Absence The servants, though they
do not belong to particularly grateful
race, are glad to see us back again. The
old rooms that we were SO heartily tired
of before we left have now charming
freshness about them, and the little sane
tum, with its books, papers, and pipes,
seems paradise after hotel collee-rooms
and seasides libraries
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-14
Norel snit for Breach o. PromIse.


A suit for breach Of promise Of mar
riage, which was decided in Montreal
last week, had several novel features.
Il was brought by youth Of ffty-eight
years against a young lady Of forty-sev-
en-, (the age was admitted by herr and
the amount Of damages asked for the
laceration Of his feelings was $400. The
plaintiff alleged that he had, after be-
comiug engaged to the defendant, pur-
chased a property in VareHnes, with a
view of making it their home, and that
now he had no need Of IL; alao that be
had furnished various sums Of money
TO the defendant that he had bought
clothing for her, and had deposited
money with her aud that he purchased
a suit Of clothes for himself to be worn
at their wedding, the defendant having
come to Montreal and bought the cloth
for it, and finally that he had presented
her with gold ring in token Of their
engagement Altogether plaintiffs
claims amounted to over $3.50. The
promise of marriage was not proved;
and az to the money deposited with her,
and the clothing and the gold ring, the
defendant pleaded that she was ready TO
return them when called on TO do 20,
but that che had never been asked for
them by the plaintiff. The action was
dismissed with costs
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-14
NUMBER 81.
Dissipation. not Study.

1t is a commonly received notion that
hard study is the unhealthy element Of
college life But from tables Of the NOR
tality of Harvard University, collected
by Professor Pierce from The last trien-
nial catalogue, it Is clearly demonstra-
ted that the excess of deaths for the
first ten years after graduation is found
in that portion of the class of inferior
scholarship. Every one who has seen
the curriculum knows that where
Eschylus and political economy lnjure
one, late hours and-rum punches use up
a dozen, and the two little finger are
heavier than the lions of Euclid. Dis
sipation is sure destroyer, and every
young man who follows it is, as the ear
ly flower, exposed to an untimely frost.
Those who have been inveigled into the
path of vice are named legion. \ few
hours sleep each night, high living, and
plenty of "smashes" make war upon
every function Of the body. The brains,
the heart, the nerves, the lungs, the
liver, the spine, the limbs, the bones,
the flesh, and every part aud faculty are
overtasked and weakened by the terri
bic energy OF passion loosencd from re-
straint, until, like a diiapidated man
sion, the earthly houec Of this taber-
nacle" falls into ruinous decay.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-14
The Life Of Man.
WASHINGTON.

How graphically the varied aspects of
the leaf picture the various seasons of
mans life! The tenderness of its bud
ding and blooming in spring, when that
rich goiden-green glints on it that comes
once year, represents the bright beauty
and innocence of youth, when every sun
rise brings its fresh, glad hopes, and
every night its holy, trustful calm
The dark greenness and fresh vigor of
the summer leaf portray the strength
and self-reliance of manhnod; while its
fading hues on the tree, and its rustling
heaps on the ground, typify the decay
and feebleness of old age, and that
strange mysterious passing away which
is the doom of every mortal. The au-
tumn leaf is gorgeous in color, but it
lacks the balmy scent and dewy fresh
ness of hopeful spring; life is rich and
bright in its meridian splendor; deep are
the hues of maturity, and noble is tho
beauty of success but who would not
give it all for the tender sweetness and
promise of life's morning hour? Happy
they who keep the child's heart warm
and soft over the sad experience of old
age whose life declines as these last Sep
tember days go out with the rich tints of
autumn and the blue skies of June.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-14
Suicide Of Nine Chinese Girls.

a recent China newspaper publishes
the following account of an incident
which is reported to have taken place at
Whampoa: "Nine young girls, living
with different families in the village,
seem to have entertained an aversion to
married life. Seeing the misery and
toll TO which the members of the famil-
les with whom they lived we're subject
ed, and above all the slave-like obedi-
ence Of wives to the wills Of their hus-
bands, the damsels in question came to
the resolution Of putting an end to their
earthly careers, which is here carried
into effect by different nrodus operandi
to that Of opium poisoning in vogue in
Hong Kong. The nine dansels met by
appointment on the bank of the river,
at the entrance of one of the creeks in
the vicinity Of Browns Folly, attired in
heavy pwinter garments, which they had
sewn all together in order to prevent a
separation. While thus united in body,
heart, and mind, the damsels plunged
into the deep. As this happened close
to the time Of the festival of the even
female genii, who descended from heaven
and are called the seven sisters all
sorts of superstitious conclusions are
drawn from it,
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-14
Water.

Water is the great mechanical power
in nature. 1t is the leveler; it moves
mountains and fills valleys. All our
stratifed rocks, sandstones, states, and
limestones were formed by the action of
water. To the solvent power of water
and its chemical action we owe our use
full minerals, our metallic deposits, our
iron, copper zinc, gold and silver ores,
and even coal. To its physical proper
ties-its relations to heat-we owe all
the phenomena of clouds, dew, rain, fog,
snow, and frost. It supports the plants,
brings them their mineral food from the
soil, and protects them from excessive
heat. Animals are equally dependent
upon it. Yet after all, it is only the
agent of the sun; it is the sun power that
makes plants grow; it is. the sun power
that moves everything in the world, and
water is merely the suns agent. The
loss of water would produce the same
condition of things on earth that we no.
tice now in the moon. Although we
have such a vast quantity of water, yet
it is only 1,240,000th part Of the earth
or 000042 per cent. The crystalline
rocks at the earth's surface now contain
a larger quantity of water than this,
and the moment our earth cools enough
to absorb four thousandths of one per
cent. of moisture, the ocean Will disap-
pear. If we should lose our atmosphere
also, the openings or pores in the rocks
will receive it by gravitation.-Boston
Journal of Chemistry.