davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
Audubon.

A little incident related in the "Life
of Audubon" the celebrated naturalist,
forcibly illustrates the patient, persist
ent, painstaking manner in which men
of science, as well as men of letters,
prosecute their investigations. 1t was
while Audubon was hunting in the for
ests of Louisiana that he discovered a
tiny little wood-bird hitherto unknown
to the ornithologist. 1t was not so big
as a wren, and was clad in a coat Of
such plain, sober gray, that mono but
practiced eyes would detect it fitting
in and out among the similar colored
branches of the peculiar species of trees
it inhabited. But, however humble
the bird might be, to Audubon it was
one of the charming and curious race
of beings that interested him above all
other living things, and to ascertain its
history and habits was a matter of as
much Importance as though it were
chief OF the tribe. He, therefore, bent
every energy of his intense and eager
nature to the study of it. One night
he came home with the exciting news
that he had found a pair which were
eviden ly preparing to build a nest.
Next morning he was up and off to
the woods by daybreak, taking along
with him a telescope microscope.
Erecting this under the tree that shell
tered the almost invisible little crea-
lures he was anxious to observe, he
made himself a pillow of moss, and
then laid quietly down on the ground,
with his eye to the instrument, and re-
nained throughout the live-long hours
until nightfall, watching the move
ments of the secret and unsuspecting
architects. This course he repeated
day after day, for three weeks, without
respite or intermission, and then he was
able to tell, with minute and accurate
details, just what material these builders
in the heart of the wild wood choose
for their dwellings, just how they put
it together, and the number of days re-
quired to complete the process Of incu-
baton. In short, by this noiseless,
solitary, tireless vigilance, he had gath
cred up all the various chapters in the
history of this nameless forest-inhabi-
tant, and bound them together in a
and unique volume. 1t was
thus that Audubon made himself ac-
quainted with the peculiar and charac-
teristic traits of the birds OF America,
and came to know them as he knew the !
faces of his wife and children, and |
could draw each one of them in the !
most natural and life-like attitude, with |
every spot of color and adjustment of |
feather exactly as it should be, and |
always with the accompaniment of some |
spray of plant or branch of tree, that, |
growing near its favorite haunts, was |
identified with it.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
Suicide in European Armies.

From body of statistics showing the
comparative prevalence of suicide in the
different European armies, it appears
that the crime is three times more com
mon among the military of England
than among civilians. In the Belgian
army, the ratio of suicides is one fourth
greater than in the British army; in the
Prussian army it is almost twice greater;
in the French army, one-third larger /;
and in the Austro-Hungarian army it
is more than twice greater. The excess
of suicide in the Prussian army is as
cribed to the extremely large number of
conscripts in proportion to the popula-
tiop, and to the severity of the duties
imposed; while that of the Austro-
Hungarian army is explained partly by
chronological causes. Slaves, having the
oriental indifference to life, with the
western impatience of grievances, are
more disposed to suicide than Indo
European races.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
Boarding the Shah.

A writer on Persian life and man.
ners says "Fat-h Ally himself was a
poet, and his laureate was an old chief
named Faith Ally Khan, whose ances-
tors had been for several generations
the governors OF Kashan. II is related
that one day the shah gave him some of
his verses to read, aud asked his opini n
of them. May my soul he your Ha-
crifce,' said the laureate, they are
bosh.' The insulted sovereign ex-
claimed, He is an ass take him to the
stables;' and the order was literally
obeyed. After a short time his majesty
sent for him again, and read some more
of his verses. The poet walked of
without word, where are you goinp?'
cried the shah. just back again 20
the stables, answered his undaunted
laureate. Faith Ally, delighted with his
boldness, called him back, and ordered
his mouth to be stuffed with sugar-can-
dy, high mark Of favor"
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
Not Walking.

Along Branch correspondent of the
Troy Times writes: "The other even
ing, while promenading on the spacious
piazzas of the Ocean Hotel, accident
ally overheard the following converse
tion between a gentleman and one of
our young lady Felles: My dear
Miss Jones, you see I'm punctual to
claim the performance of your promise
of walk on the bluffs this evening.
The belle replied, I'm so sorry, Mr..
Brown, to disappoint you. but am not
walking tonight. I had just enough
curiosity to know why she did not walk
to search the matter up, and found
the reason to be because she could not
walk. She was so especially dressed
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

are busy all the time. The harp is an
expensive instrument, ranging in price
from $3.50 to 81, 200; those that sell at
$3.50 are single action instruments, that
is, they can only be played in one key.
The double action harps are of course
the more desirable, also the most ex-
pensive the average price, however, is
about $500. There is an air of romance
about the harp which we miss in other
instruments unless it is the violin, it is
so graceful and picturesque.-Er.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

"A gentleman of Lake George, after
waving his handkerchief for half an
hour or more at an unknown lady,
whom he discovered at distant point
on the shore, was encouraged by a
warm response to his signals to ap-
proach his charmer. Imagine his feel
irgs, when on drawing nearer he saw
that it was his own dear wife whom he
had left at the hotel but q short time
before. "Why, how remarkable we
should have recognized each other at
such distance?" exclaimed both in the
same breath and then they changed
the subject.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
THAMES VALLEY soNNETs.
By DANTE g. RossETFI.
WINTER

DANTE g. RessETFI.
WINTER
How large that thrush looks on the bare -treel
A swarm of such, three little months ago,
Had hidden in the leaves and let none know
Save by tAe outburst of their minstrelsy
white fake here and there-a snow-lily
OF last nights frOst-our naked hower-beds hold !;
And for rose-aOwer on the darkening mould
The hungry readbreast CLEANS. No bloom, no bee.
The current shuddeTs to its ice-bound sedge;
Nipped in their bath, the stark reeds one by one
Flash each its cliDRing diamond in the sun,
Meath winds which for this winters sovereign
pledge
Shall curb great king-masts to the oceans edge
And leave memorial forest-kings O'erthroWn.
SPRING.
Soft-littered is the new-year's larnbing-fOld,
And in the followed baystack at its side
The shepherd lies O'night now, wakefUl-eyed
At the ewes Travelling call through the dark cold.
The young rocks Cheep mid the thick cav o. the
old;
And near unpeople1 stream-sides, on the ground,
BY her spring-cry the moor-hen's nest Is found,
Where the drained fOod-lands daunt their mari
gold.
Chill are the gusts to which the pastures cover,
And chill the current where the young reeds stand
As green and close as the young wheat on land
Yet here the cuckoo and the cuckOo-fOwer
Plight to the heart springs perfect imminent hour,
Whose breath shall sooth you like your dear ones
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
Harps.

He who thinks that harps have gone
out of fashion is very much mistaken.
To be sure it is long time since the
harp through Tara's halls the soul of
music she'd" but that delightful old
instrument still lives. There is a place
on Houston street, in New York city,
where harps are manufactured, and it
is, believe, the only place of the kind
in this country. I am told that before
the war there was an excellent sale for
harps throughout the south that the
trade has fallen off there, owing to the
scarcity of money, but that it has ex-
tended largely over the middle and
western states. The southern ladies
still cling to their old harps, but they
buy very few new ones. One reason
that harps are not more generally played
upon is that there are so very few teach
ers; scarcely any to be found outside
the converts /; there are not more than
half dozen teachers in New York.
There is always a harp in every we'll
regulated orchestra, for that instrument
plays an important part in number of
operas, such as Fidelio," Lucia"
and others. Nine. Maretzek, who is a
remarkable fine harpist, always accom-
panies her husbands orchestra in that
capacity. Iwonder that more ladies do
not learn to play the harp. In the first
place it makes rich accompaniment to
the voice, and in the second it displays
a beautiful hand and arm to such ad-
vantage. There is an excellent harpist
with Thomas orchestra. Mr.. Browne,
the head partner of the manufacturing
firm in this city, is also fiue performer,
and has played in orchestras both in
this country and Europe. Mr.. Browne
tells me that be has just as many orders
for harps as he can fill, and that they
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

and so particularly arranged in the
many feminine fixings that shewas actu
ally suffering with a severe pain in the
back from the effects of her style. A
single promenade before the guests to
be for a moment 'the observed of all
o1servers,' and then vanish to her erroom,
was the sole height of her ambition. "
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
PREPAID POSTAGE,
The Papers that Burden the Mails to be
Stamped in Bulk.

| Stamped in Bulk.
During the last days of the last ses
sion of congress was passed law au-
thorizing the prepayment of postage on
newspapers and other publications,
particularly periodicals, upon some
simple system to be devised by the
! post-office department. In order to ex-
pedite matters, the postmaster general
was speedily directed to prepare some
plan. The work was placed in the
hands of Third Assistant Postmaster
General Barbour, with full authority,
subject only to the revision of the post
master-general. Gen. Barbour at once
set to work and puzzled himself for
some time before he devised a plan,
which he has now partially arranged.
While the system is completed, all the
details are not yet finished. New
stamps have yet to be devised. The
system he has devised is simple. It
provides for the preparation of receipt
books by the department for each pub
Usher of newspaper or periodical.
The form of receipt at the postoffice
will be something as follows:
Name of newspaper.) No.
Date. NEW York.
No. Received-dollars and
Amount cts. postage on--lbs
........ newspaper publica-
: STAMPS: tions at cents per h.
Postmaster.
The receipt-book Will be retained at
the postofice, where the papers will be
weighed. The stubs of the receipt
book will serve as memoranda to the
postoffice of the sums paid, from which
60 ~, ~
be made. The stamping of papers in
bulk will not require more than four
stamps of different denominations to
make up the amount of postage paid
by the publishers on any package,
whatever that amount may be. Even
ON a ton of newspaper matter, on which
the postage will be $40, only the four
stamps will be required to make up the |
amount of postage paid. This stamp |
system has been devised, as the act of |
congress requires the use Of adhesive !
stamps. The stamps will be affixed to |
the stub of the receipts by the post |
Office clerk and then cancelled. Thus |
the publishers will be saved the trouble |
of buying and afixing stamps. After
the law goes into effect he will simply
take his receipts and hold them as
evidence that the postage was paid,
Gen. Barbour expects to save by this
system of payment thousands of dollars
to the treasury department every year,
besides saving the department and pub
fishers much labor. He has exhibited
the plan to Postmaster General Jewell,
who approves it in every respect. When
5he details are completed a circular
will be issued by the department ex-
planning the system, copies of which
will be forwarded to the newspaper and
houses and to the 4,000post-
masters throughout the states, and on
he 1st of Janury next the change will
De made-NelU York World.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
" You Pays Your Money and Takes
Your Choice

A Paris correspondent writes GA
good story among the many that might
be told in connection with the rage for
undergoing the action of mineral water
panaceas, is that of the renowned actor,
Perlet, whose leanness was something
phenomenal, and who was tormented by
the most determined longing to get
some flesh on his bones A well known
physician of this city advised him to go
to one of the bathing places in the
Pyrenees. Perlet accordingly asked for
leave of absence from his theatre, and
went off Ito the prescribed locality,
where he drank and bathed with the
utmost zeal and perseverance. But
neither drinking nor bathing seemed to
have any effect upon him, and he re-
manned just as much skeleton as be-
fore. Patience 7 urged the local doc
tor, in reply to his expressions of disap-
pointment, there is nothing like the
water of our springs for making people
fat 7 One day, when Perlet was patient
ly soaking himself in bath, in the
hope of an increase of weight which
seemed in no haste to declare itself, he
overheard a colloquy in the bathing
cabinet next his own, between the local
Esculapius and a lady of enormous
obesity. Doctor, remarked the lady.
1 am really losing heart and patience.
why so {? inquired the doctor. Be.
cause, though 1 have been taking these
waters regularly for two months, I am
not one inch the smaller, nor one ounce
the lighter Patience, madame !
cried the doctor, in his most persuasive
tones, there is nothing like the water
of our springs for making people thin. "
A Resort for Pilgrims.
A correspondent of the Cleveland
Herald writes "Kerbella is a great
resort for pilgrims from Persia and In
dia. These Mahometans are all of the
Sheeak sect, who revere the memory of
Ali almost as much as the prophet him
self. In this place are two very sacred
shrines of Abbas and of Haessein,
nephews or grandsons of Mahomet, who
are buried here and worshiped as
saints, Thousands of the devout come
here to die as the Hindoos resort to
Benares, their sacred city, to drown
themselves in the Ganges. The two
mosques containing the ashes of these
saints are very beautiful. l could only
see the ouside, as no dog of an unbe
lever is ever permitted to enter the
sacred precincts. The mosque of Abbas
has an immense dome, and one of its
minarets entirely covered with plates of
FURNISHED gold. The dome and nina
rets of the other mosque are beautifully
ornamented with glazed tiles of various
colors, arranged in arabesque designs,
and passages from the Koran. No
mosque in Cairo, Damascus, or Con-
stantinople will compare with these in
richness of exterior decoration, From |
the number of devotees buried at Ker-
bella the soil is full of human bones.
Pilgrims carry away as relics small
pieces of the scIay of the saints, upon
which they rest their foreheads in say
ing their prayers"
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

Little Johnnie is dead, but before
his spirit was waited to the angels he
requested that a watermelon vine might
be allow ed to wander at will over his
green grave, that it might be a warning
to future generations.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

The Georgia grange claims that its
direct trade union will have shipped
100, 900 bales of cotton from Savannah
to Liverpool by October.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

Rev. DIR. CUyler writes: Say what
we may of the rapid growth of our
American towns, the monster strides of
the British metropolis always over
whelm me. LOndo1 now contains 81
600, 600 people 1t almost equals Paris,
New York and Brooklyn combined into
one. You can drive fifteen miles on
one of its diameters. When, in my col
lege-boy days, 7 once went out to pay
my respects to Joanna Baillie, the emf
nent authoress, who lived near Hamp-
stead Hill, L walked clear out of town
and over open fields. I am now stay
ing at the hospitable house of our
friend, the Rev. Newman Hall, who
resides on the same Hampstead Hill,
In the midst Of compaciIv-huilt streets.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

The wicked flea. 1T amt so mrch
the biting, if only the plaguey thing
wouldn't keep getting up and sitting
down all the time" Exactly.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

NEW York,
Observation-Disclosures and
cts. postage On--lbs
newspaper publica-
tions at 2 cents per Id.
The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-10-17

made no payment. The Major has no es-
cuse for thus deliberately .defraud.pg a.
poor colorcd church, ns he ha'l.no business
iwilhf the money TO keen "rispsnd. If lie
ever designed 8or wished to pay it, he has
had ample means us well rs an ample opporT
tunity. After the last State election Goger-s
nor Moses paid him at one time the sum OF
one thousand dollars for the noise he made
to secure the Governors election! In I'd
dition to this, the MAYOR has had position
in the Custom House, on good salary, by
which long before this he could have re-
turned to this church the scanty savings
they had gathered to build house in which
to worship God.
The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-10-17
Meeting I'm Lexington.

meeting was called by The sia.e cxccu-
tive committee at Lexington C. II. yestcr-
day, at which The Hon. J. J. Patterson,
United States senator, Colonel Parmelc, C.
W. Buuz, ESQ.,, J. Nc. Stewart, ESQ, and
Hon. F. l.. Cardoro were present and spoke
There were about $50 persons present, COM
posed of the leading men Fl om the various
precincts Mcssrs. W. J. McKinly, J. n.
Freeman, Jr., and ]. a. Davis, supporters
OF Judge Green and Majo Delaney, were
also present. They were invitel 20 partici-
pate i'll the meeting. and lively and iutcr-
esting joint discussion was held, in which
tho Green men were completely ann hilated.
There were not n half dozen surporte.s OF
Green and Dclany in the meeting. The
following resolutions are an cpitome Of thu
meeting:
Resolved, That although the supporters of
Judge Green have treated the Hon. D. H.
Chamberlain and his friends with Injustice
and unfairness in the counties of Charles
ton, san'ter and Georgetown, we invite
them to participate in this meeting, and
will divide the time with them equally.
RcSolred, That after hearing the argu-
The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-10-17

We arc requested to'inyite all persons
who have suffered wrong from any official
misSondret ON the part of any County
officer, Bto give Information of the same to
the orangeburg Township Tax Union
Orangebury Times.
The devil you say "And away over
yonder" SC.
The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-10-17

I'VE call attention to an article in to-day's
NE&s,s5 taken from our contemporary, the
Free Citiren. Mr.. Martin r. Delaney is
there shown to be of the same class of re-
formers as Cain, lIaync, Bowlcy and others.
A man who would pocket the collections
taken up for building church in wllich
the ipoorlhumble colored man could worship
Goa, . would not, in our judgment, be the
proper person TO assist in the kind of re-
feTFlmae. form needed in South Carolina. Refusing
to,steal from the pulic treasury, and pocket
inG elurch collections instead, is not the kind
of reform which the people desire naugu-
ratcdiust yet The best thing for Delaney
and the rest of these ardent seekers for re-
form, to, de is, to go to work and reform
tlemselyes before they preach reformation
to others. El
The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-10-17
A Mixture.

a rousing Chamberlain meeting here 10
day.
Sumter, Green's home, composed of
Green's friends, showed its fear of free
speech last Saturday.
a great many people are boiling mad, in
Anderson, bccnuse Hon. j. 2. Reed, va
liant Confederate soldier, advocates the
"hop'' has occurred with prominent Green
Vile Democrat
The Georgetown Times says: "Too bad
100 bad! The Times dubbed tho clitor Of
the Comet Gs red head and now he Char
lesion. Ncws and Courier insists hat lie is n
colored man, and heads IN extract from the
Comet a col lored editors views!'"
This is hard on n white brother.
The Columbia Union asks: GLOW does it hap
pen that the .News and Courier takes so kind
ly TO Mayor Cunningham all at once. Last
Fall Cunningham was regarded by that pa
per ~ one of the worst men in Charleston.
lie it was who was looked upon by the
democrats as the chief conspirator against
the liberties Of the people, in the stufing Of
ballot boxes and rapid counting of votes.
What has given him the garb of saint so
soon? a man who would pack n jury would
stuff n ballot box, in our judgment" Will
the Ne~s and Courier please rise to explain
The Aiken Hotel was sold at auction last
week, under mortgage, 10 Mr. Bailey, the
present proprietor.
James S. Moblcy, Cf Union, has been re-
nominated for tho House of Representa-
tives
B. G. Yocom has been appointed trcasu-
rcr of Chester county.
The Rev. Felix Terrence has written
letter, saying his name was used without
authority in connection with the Green
and that he will support ,ac
regular ticket.
The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-10-17
The late Con 7cntiOn.

j
Eoa,e 1cl soHa7 Il q
Tho County Convention of the Republican
party for this County assembled in the
Court house last Thursday week, and after
considerable fllibuscring succeeded in
placing. in nomination the following Ticket
6s ffie Regular Ticket for this County.
For sheriff, f.. /. Cain.
For Judge of Probate, T. X. Sasportas.
For, House of Representative, S. l.. Dun
can, w. III Reddish, C. w. Caldwell, Shad-
rick Morgan and Aaron Simmons.
For County Commissioners, ]. p Mays,
F.aBs johnson and Ohm Phillips. l
;sForniS Commissioner, F. r. Mckin-
a;:,ss,A.., . III . 1a. s-.
4 For Coroner, j. u. Fordham.,
We don't think wc'cvcr saw II like number
Of mcn ip-ouesbody:. hoin ,ihoir own esti-
nation were 60 competent to fill Office. With
one or two exceptions, they were all am
bilious to, take upon themselves the weshty
Responsibilities that necessarily attachc. to
public office. There are many so:c heals
The result, could not be otherwise, in the
confusion and warning one against the
other If n judicious, honest and intelligent.
selection had been made. thcre might not
have been SO much latitude for these sore
heads Eut we are compelled to admit that
there yis classification for thc feeling e.
prtssed ungainst iapart:of the Ticket We
pgomised the CountyTT-we promised the
whole Republican party to nominate tn c
best men we had for office-andj We owed it
to Them and to OURSELVES to have done 50.
We could have done better. A good many
say we have Edone WORSE than ever before,
afsds Tie Consequence Hisy we hnye'two
tickets il 'iie field Athe regular ticket and
an 4ndepeRdents tiolke;g tioke; t is nov now left to
ihegood judgement of the people to say for
whom they twill cast their votes. 1t appears
t6oi t6i Is that ojudicious selection can be made
from the WHOLE. and il iy the duty Of the
pcople7ctor make ethat selection for them
osixes. a'9oy 8 rGiirnl7 ~ lH. ,a
We know that our local disagrcements will
not prevent the unanimous vote of the Re-
publican party of this County from being
cssf for Chamberlain, Gleaves and Buttz
::,It. is our honest honest conviction that the
Independent Ticket is better Ticket than
the Regular one. AgsI i