davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
A Father who Figured.

About year ago, if we remember
rightly, story went the rounds which
credited that ingenious person, the
Western man, with having successfully
carried out one of the most original of
plans for getting his daughters com.
fortably settled in life, without any
cost whatever to himself. He had a
large and expensive family. Three out
of four of the daughters were marriage
able. They were very pretty girls, and
had many admirers. The father per-
mitted them to receive attentions from
the most eligible young men, and to
all outward appearances seemed per-
fectly content to part with his treasures
until asked to do 80. Each demand
for consent was the signal for an out
burst OF feeling that ended in the sud-
den exit Of. the applicant. The lovers,
however. were not to be prevented from
attaining happiness by what they be-
lieved to be the whim of a selfish father.
They eloped, were married and for
given. The real state of the case was,
the father could not afford to buy three
suitable outfits, and pay the expense
of three feasts. Not seeing any pros
pect in the immediate future of being
better able to do so, after ransacking
his brain to find way out of the diff
Guilty, he at last concluded to frown on
the young people. and take the chances
for what might follow. The elopements
didn't cost him a cent the expenses of
outfits and weddings was saved; his
reputation for liberality did not suffer
in the least, and his neighbors con-
tinued in ignorance of the actual con-
dition of his exchequer.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
A Guilty Conscience.

One day as a menagerie was entering
a New England town, and the majestic
elephant marching at its head was
nearing a particularly muddy creek,
one of the local deacons was seen to
burst wildly from the throng of specta-
tors, and to fly with streaming locks
and floating coat-tail, uttering wild
apostrophes to "good gosh," Of New
England worship, and evidently anxious
to escape anywhere out of the world.
He was pursued by committee of Sc.
lectmen, who finally stopped after a
chase of three miles. Then, with tears
of repentance, he unfolded his terrible
story. It seems that, when boy, he
had met that identical elephant at a
circus, and given him tobacco instead
of peanuts, which the trusting beast
expected. It is a well-known belief of
the small boys that an elephant once
deceived in this way will lay for his de-
ceiver the rest of his natural life, and
whenever he meets him he will deluge
him with muddy water. Conscience
and this common superstition had
made the deacon a coward, and he had
fed from the doom of dirty water
which he fancied had finally overtaken
him.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
The Alabama Award.

The nresent condition Of the Alabamu
award business is this. There are three
bills pending in Conoress neither of
which has been even considered in com.
mittee although the nr;vate claims on
the fund omonnt to s1a nm mn Sem
ator Edmunds's bill creates special
commission of five ;ndoes and bars all
claims Of insurance companies unless
thew can nrove that dnr;no The Rebel.
lion. the sum Of their losses on war.
Ao W."
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
The Humbug Of Advertising.

Concerning advertising there is q
great deal of humbug. We say "hum.
bug" because the word "fraud' does
not fully cover the case. Advertising
is unquestionably one great secret OF
success. But it must be judicious ad-
vertising. Some men want to buy ad-
vertising as the vulgar buy pictures,
looking to the quantity, not the quality.
OF course, what is called slate advertis-
ing" pays, but only, however, when
done with good judgment. For in
stance, it is not good Judgment, except
in very rare cases, to advertise, at any
price. in cheap issues, or charitable
publications. They are seldom read.
Next in point of worthlessness as a
vehicle comes the ordinary almanac.
These are manufactured to q most sur
prising extent, and the investment is
immensely profitable to apothecaries
and paper dealers. The man of paper,
cooperating with the man of pills,
makes the whole almanac business one
of mutual profit. One collector, on the
Hudson, to our positive knowledge, has
bought, during the last few weeks, no
less than ten tons of almanacs which
we're sent out to country apothecaries
for distribution. There is also whole
sale druggist in New York City, who
sells these things regularly by the ton,
instead of sending them out to custom
ers. This is only one of the ways in
which injudicious advertisers waste
their money. Advertisers should re-
that circulation even in vii
lage newspaper is worth vastly more
than hundred Thousand through the
medium of questionable agent.
Printing is not advertising.-Er Exchange.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
A WOrkingman's Advice.

Workmen, labor according to your
strength; if you are weak, work slow
and take more time, but keep at it. Be
prompt, olSo yvu will blame your aer-
want for not doing what your tardiness
prevented. Men start ten minutes late
and miss the train, then scold their
horses because they didn't go faster.
Improve spare moments, or you will
lose what you worked days to gain.
Little leaks at the bottom let out what
is put in at the top. Do little jobs
twixt heavy work. While waiting now
and then, as you have to daily, if but a
few minutes, improve them. You can
drive nail, or pull weed, or read a
page, put a hinge on the gate, put in a
light of glass, bring your plow from the
field, put your machine under shelter,
post few accounts, arrange goods on
the shelf.
Housewife, sew on that button, mend
that rent, omit the half hours gossip
and glance over the paper, see how the
world moves, learn that money is
scarce and see why your husband must
economize. More is wasted than is
tasted, if we don't use the minutes for
the little odds and ends. A widely cir
culated book, it is said. was written by
the author while waiting for his wife to
tie her bonnet strings. Don't loaf two
hours after you have done your market
ing. While you are lounging at the
store, doubtless your wife is home chop
ping wood or peeling the bark from the
fence posts to cook your dinner. Time
is money; and money saved
is money gained. Workman, if you
would be rich or learned, improve the
time.
Your shoe is pegged; put it on
Advance.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
Occupation.

What glorious thing occupation is
for the human heart !! Those who work
hard seldom yield to fancied or real
sorrow. When grief sits down, folds its
hands, and mournfully feeds upon its
own tears, weaving the dim shadows
that little exertion might sweep away
into funeral pail, the strong spirit is
shorn OF its might. and sorrow becomes
our master. When troubles flow upon
you dark and heavy, toll not with the
torrent; rather seek by occupation to
divert the dark waters that threaten to
overwhelm you, with thousand chan
nels which the duties Of life alwa rs pre-
sent. Before you dream of it, those
waters will fertilize the present, and
give birth to fresh flowers, that will be-
come pure and holy in the sunshine
which penetrates to the path of duty IN
spite of every obstacle. Grief, after all
is but selfish feeling, and most selfish
is the man who yields himself to the
indulgence of any passion which brings
no Joy to his fellow men.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
The Agriculture Of the Future.

There is o curious and very radical
article in the December number Of
Fraser's Magazine upon farming. The
writer's belief Is that in the time to
come, q farm will be an immense food
factory carried on by q company. The
companies will be joint stock concerns,
issuing shares Of from fifty to two
hundred and fifty dollars each, and
working from three to ten thousand
acres. The buildings OF the farm (such
is the scheme) must be placed upon the
highest point Of land, SO that the water
and manure may be conveyed over the
surface by gravitation. Machinery is,
among other services, to shear the
sheep. "A whole staff OF butchers will
be employed to kill and cut up bullocks
and transmit the meat in pieces suit
able for the London market straight to
the salesman, without the Intervention
Of a dealer. The salesman will be in
the company's employ and will only
sell their meat. The company will
make an effort to get more than one
crop in q year. But the most sur
prising Of the results which await the
future Of farming will be the ripening
VI crops by means of an electric cur
rent passed through the plants, or by
some other kind of artificial heat.
One point of which the writer makes
much, is the impossibility of profit in
England from the cultivation OF wheat.
Wheat is almost the only agricultural
product which has not risen since ITO.
The only sort of corn which is much
learer now than then ia barley. the
reason being that barley is used in dis
and brewing. In the last fifty
years meat and dairy produce have
greatly risen in price. Yet wheat re.
mains the same, Notwithstanding the
Use in the price of labor and the in
,rease in rents. No increase of demand
las any important effect upon the price
# corn. A rise in wheat will at once
,ring any quantity of it to England.
The importation of wheat by England
n 1859 was five millions Of quarters, or
orty million bushels. In 1871 the i'm
was nearly ten million quar-
ers. Yet the price of wheat in 1871
vas lower than in 1860. It is very
,lain, says the writer in Fraser, that
Vheat cultivation can no longer be pro-
table, and it would be better to use
he land thus occupied to raise produce,
which must be imported to England at
loss. One of the difficulties which
be farmer must meet is to find some
reen produce which will take the
lace of wheat in the rotation of crops.
his obstacle the author of the article
links very serious one.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23

was dark and AFeless. Where were tn,
servants whp}> Vas tie child's nurse
He rung the IN dnpstuously; it wa,
answered by y sto66 good.humored
in, at night, reused by Willie's stifled
sobbings, to soothe him to sleep.
Lights, here. quick p calculated
her master. "What does this mean
How long has my boy slept in this
hole ?"
Bridget sought in her apron poke,
for matches.
"Sure, sir, it's goin' on two weeks
now-the madame's father and mother
have his room-and q burnin' shame il
is, bless his dear little heart He's
been treated worse nor a dog, sir, since
you've been gone it's been cross
word here and hard push there, from
the madame, and Lisette is no better.
Here's match, sir-sure it's meself is
glad you've come back to take his
part T.
With hands that trembled nervously,
he scarce knew why, Mr.. Cheswick
lighted the gas-jet, and turned to the
chill, lonely bedside.
"Willie my little Willie p
But Bridget's shrek rent the silence,
like the cleaving of u knife, as she bent
over the couch.
"He's dead he's dead the pretty
boy The saint in heaven have mercy
on our souls he's dead!
Hush, womanw shouted the
father, irantically, as he bent his head
close to the pillow. "Willie! my boy |!
my son !"
But no voice Of earthly sound should
ever reach those dulled ears again. The
blue eyes were half open, with CLASSY
glare; the golden curls were all tangled;
even the tears were frozen, like dia-
monds, on the waxen.white cheek, while
the little hands, clasped tightly to.
gether, told of the mortal struggle by
which life had departed from the tiny
frame. Tho casket was there, but the
jewel was sparkling otherwhere. Little
Willie had gone home!
Silently, and with compressed lips,
Richmond Cheswick took the child into
his arms silently he descended the
stairs, and, walking into the midst of
the affrighted guests, held the tiny
corpse to Cecile.
Woman, behold your work |" he
gasped in accents strangely deep and
stern. Murderess look upon your
victim !! Aye-look we'll, for you will
never behold either him or me again"
With cry that rose up to the illu-
mined ceilings, Cecile Cheswick fell
on the floor.
Richmond kept his word he never
looked on the fair, deceitful face of his
wife again.
Supported by a barely sufficient al
[owance, Mrs. Cheswick haunts the
fashionable watering phases. mere
wreck of her former self, while her hus-
oand lives solitary lite ana D,voas
lpon the past. While Willie, perhaps
;he happiest of them all, sleeps under a
luiet slope in the perfumed shadows of
Greenwood, beneath marble shaft on
which are cut the simple words
WILLIE.
AGED Four YEARS AND SIX MONTHS.
II shall go to him; but he shall not
return to me-"
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
A Wedding Of BurlesQuers.

In an account OF the recent marriage
OF Willie Edouin and Alice Athertop, OF
the Lydia Thompson troupe, at st.
Louis, the Globe OF that city says:
The marriage ceremony was simply
and beautifully said. There. was de-
lightful absence OF all f9rmality. The
happy couple stood with downcast eyes
in front OF the clergyman, Mr.. Col
vile, Miss Lydia and the rest standing
without regard to order behind them.
The big diamonds OF Miss Lydia shone
in the light OF o chandelier like the
great carbuncle OF Hawthorne's tale.
She stood wrapt in thought, with one
eye in the fire -metaphorically, OF
oourse-and the other regarding the
clergyman and her wards, who were ma
king this new experiment OF life. There
was little break in the proceedings when
the ceremony was about half COM
pleted. A hurried confab showed that
paper quite essential to the ceremony,
to wit, the return required by the city,
had not been signed and was not ready.
While they delayed the half-made
bride and groom sat solemnly down,
and it was thought each wiped away a
tear. When Mr.. Edouin said, Il take
thee, Alice his voice was tremulous
and when Miss Atherton said, Il take
thee, William, her voice was inaudible.
The ceremony was over ut last, and it
was most effectually done. Mr.. Coan
shook hands with the bride and groom;
then Mr.. Colville kissed the bride, and
Miss Lydia, with tears in her eyes that
We'd with her diamonds, flung both
arms around the neck of her favorite
comedian, and kissed him in an elder
sisterly way calculated to exotic envy
in the breast Of the solitary spectator.
Then all the ladies' kissed the young
husband, and all the other gentleman
kissed the bride, and all the ladies
kissed each other"
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
Frightened at Niglt.

I remember we'll that nervous sensi-
tiveness and morbid imaginativeness
had set in with me very early. During
my Grasmere visit used to feel fright
ened at night on account of darkness.
I then was stranger to the whole host
of night agitators, ghosts, goblins,
demons, burglars, elves, and witches.
Horrid ghastly tales and ballads, of
which crowds afterwards came in my
way, had not yet cast their shadows
over my mind. And yet was terrified
in the dark, and used to think of lions,
the only form of terror which my dark
engendered agitation would take. Ny
next bugbear was the Ghost in Ham
let" Then the picture of "Death at
He'll Gate in an old edition of Para
disc Lost, the delight of my girlhood.
Last and worst came my uncle Southey's
ballad horrors, above all the "Old
Woman of Berkely." Oh, the agonies
I have endured between nine and
twelve at night, before mamma joined
me in bed, in presence of that hideous
assemblage of horrors, the horse with
eyes of flame! dare not, even now,
rehearse these particulars, for fear of
calling up some of the old feeling,
which, indeed, have never in my life
been quite free from. What made the
matter worse was that, like other ner-
vous sufferings, it could not be under
stood by the inexperienced, and conse-
quently subjected the sufferer to ridi-
cule and censure. Ny uncle Southey
heartily at my agonies. I
mean at the cause. He did not enter
into the agonies. Even mamma scolded
me for creeping out of bed after an
hours torture, and stealing down to
her in the parlor, saying I could bear
the loneliness and night fears no
longer. But my father understood the
case better. He insisted that a lighted
candle should be left in my room, in
the interval between my retiring to bed
and mammals joining me. From that
time forth my sufferings ceased. be-
lieve they would have destroyed my
health had they continued. - Sarah
CoZeridOe
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
A Tenants Obligation to Repair.

Leases not seldom contain covenant
that the tenant shall keep the premises
in good order and repair. As to just
what this covenant may mean, however,
there is considerable difference of opin-
ion, and sometimes the intervention of
Judge and jury are necessary to settle
the question. A case of this kind has
been on trial in the Superior Court of
Baltimore, in which the Judge, in
charging the jury, described the legal
aspect of the matter. The work "keep,"
he said, implied an obligation to put
the promises in repair if they were out
of repair when received, and to keep
them so, for it would be idle to stipu.
late to keep in repair what is not in re-
pair and the covenant was, therefore,
equivalent to "put and keep and de-
liver up" in good order and repair.
The real difficulty, however, was in the
words "good order and repair" These
rvenan, he said. meant such reason.
able condition of fitness as belongs to
houses OF the age, class and cond tion,
us good repair for one might not be for
another. 1t was not necessary that an
outgoing tenant should repaint and re.
paper, but only to keep the paint and
paper in such condition as is consistent
with use not allow the house to be de-
faced; use it with proper and reasonable
care and deliver it up as it may be left
after such care. The judge remarked
that there was no custom or rule of law
by which an outgoing tenant was com.
PEELED to repaint and repaper, unless
under distinct and well-defned agree
ment to that effect. On the other hand
there is no implication that the tenant
shall keep the premises as received.
The obligation to keep in good order
and repair does not mean to keep the
house in the condition in which it is
but in condition that is
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
" BE Good to YOURSELF"

"dood-byl" the driver said,
Al the coach went on In whrl.
And tho coachman bowed his handsome head-
BE good 10 yourse!f my girl |"
All many fond good-by have heard,
From many an aching heart
Aud many a friendly farewell word
Whom strangers come to part
And I've heard thousand merry quips,
And many senseess joke;
And many fervent prayer from lips
That all a-tremble spoke;
And many bit Of good advice,
In smooth, proverbial phrase;
And many a wish-Df little price,
For health and happy days;
But musing how the human soul,
Whateer the fates may will,
Still measures by its self-control,
Its greatest good Or ILL.,
OF benedictions, protest,
Mid many shining pearl,
I like tho merry coachman's best
Be good to yourself-my girl"
JOHN g. SAKE.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23

The DURABILITY OF CoNsUMPT1oN.-
This is the attractive title of very ex-
cellent article in the Deutsches Archiv
fur Klinische Medicin, June, 1878, by
DR.. Massini. He shows, first, that true
tubercular consumption is durable, as
post mortems of persons dying with
other diseases prove. That it is COM
municable he also attempts to prove,
and hence he disapproves of consump-
tives marrying. The means of preven-
tion are general and special. His emu.
meration of them includes nothing
novel; but with most of the later Ger
man authorities, b g is strongly in favor
of elevated health resorts-pure noun
tain air,
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23

STRETCH OF PR1v1LEaE,-Daughter Of
the house Ito priviledged old friend OF
the family: "Dear Mr.. Lupus, you
don't seem to be enjoying yourself. 1
should like to have you waltz this once
with me-" Privileged Old Friend.
" Ny dear child, don't dance but, IL
it suits you, I wouldn't mind sitting
here with my arm round your waist.
while the others are making themselves
dizzy" ....
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23

Experiments with single track ele-
vated railway have been made in Phila-
delphia and pronounced successful.
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
JOB PRINTING

prices. Our ofice 10 well furnlshcd with mate
Hal and stock for this department, and We now
have experienced aud competent workmen 10
use them. II you want any printing done you
need not 90 TO the city, or out Of the county,
for YOU can get ~ good work and - low prices
st this Office - any other
National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
aArrs a .uv.cp yvr,ov

On copy, one ysas In advance. s..........oi %
n not psid within three months. ........ 800
No variation from these dates.
No paper discontinued until all ssrsasaess
Ars paid, except at the option Of the publishsr.
The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-14

sufficient for the wants Of the city gov
eminent during the present year, and
this surplus might be added to the
paving fund.
II more money is needed, the council
has abundant authority. under an act
Of the legislature passed last winter, to
levy a direct tax not exceeding 2 per
cent. on the value OF taxable property
in the city, the proceeds of which may
be employed as the council may pre-
scribe.
We maxe lnese statements OF fact
sim ply for the purpose Of showing those
who will be called upon 10 vote to-
morrow on the question as to whether
bonds to the amount of 800, 900 shall
be issued 10 provide means for paving
the streets, that they need not vote
against the proposition because OF their
fear that 100000 will not be enough
and that no more money can be had Tor
the purpose nor should they vote for
it under the impression that the bonds
to be issued will provide all
the funds necessary to COM
pleie the work and that no increase
of taxation is likely to be required. Let
the vote be given with open eyes and
with full understanding OF the facts
In the case.
The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-14

TIE chief examiner connected with
the Civil Service Commission has made
a report 10 that body concerning the
working of the system and the prsct-
cal results OF last winters examinations.
The report, copy OF which we have
received, is very rose-colored one,
and in defence OF the system it advances
many strong arguments. The most
substantial one is that each man feels
that his promotion depends chiefly
upon his own efforts and not upon the
weight OF his political influence nor the
degree OF his own subserviency, and is
melted to extend his knowledge, es-
pecislly OF the duties of the office
on which bic advancement chiefly
depends" There is no doubt that
the principle of civil service re-
form is calculated to produce important
results in every department OF the
government il carried out in its true
spirit honestly and without favor. As
the report ststes, it brings into the
field many qualified persons who were
entirely excluded by the Old appointing
power. and practical knowledge OF
specific duties will take the place OF
mere party strength. The examina-
tons, the report says. have been entire
ly directed toward securing appolntees
for the various offices of the govern
ment who are practically conversant
with their special duties. If such are
indeed the results OF the system every
one will be inclined to wish it every
success.