davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12
.Tne other day q Detroiter tool

-Tne other day a Detroiter took
home q book containing several an
ecdotes showing the power of imagln,
alton, and after reading them to his
wife he very tenderly said:
"Now, Angeline, you may some
time imagine that you hear me kiss
ing the servant girl in the other room,
and you see how base it would be to
accuse me of such thing"
"John Henry" she replied in a
smooth voice, sit | should imagine
such thing, you'll need doctor with
in fifteen minutes, no matter what the
book has to say about it.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

The wife of the late Professor
Agassiz arose one morning and pro-
ceeded, according to custom, to put
on her stockings and shoes At 4
certain stage Of this process little
scream attracted Mr.. Agassiz's atten-
ton, and, not having yet risen, he
leaned forward anxiously upon his
elbow, iuquiring what was the matter
"Why, a little snake has jast crawl
ed out of my boot J. cried she. -
"Only one, my dear?" interrogated
the professor, calmly lying down
again ''thee should have been
three He had put them there to
keep them warm.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12
CHALK Marks.

The most wretched poverty ! can
think of is to want what we are Toe
stingy to buy.
Money is oitener Il master than {
servant. .
Everybody seems dissatisfied with
their lot, but if they should swop pla
ces with the first man that they met
they would all be willing to give some
thing to boot to trade back tomorrow
Take the lazineSs all out Of this
world and you would take most OF
the sin with it.
It amt the man who can live well
on the least, but the man who car
live well on the most, who is the Wis
est and happiest.
All temporal things are common
property, and what is mine to-day
may be another's Tomorrow
1t amt the fast nor the slow that
oftenest win the race, but the middle
gated.
The man whose aim is only to make
others laugh is one whom it won't dc
to trust he is as uncertain as a mon
key.
Idleness weakcns mans soul as
much as it does his body until the
devil and disease divide the premises
between them.
How few there are who can tell
even the name Of their great-great-
grandfather, or know who owned the
farm hundred years ago that they
own to-day.
notice one thing, that those per-
sons who bavc an utter disregard for
money have a disregard for most
everything else
Without curiosity man would be
but one peg higher than the
bugs and fishes.
It requires much wisdom to dlstln-
guish between truth and falsehood,
and some honesty to adopt the truth
after we have found it.
You can make money with one
hand, but it takes both to hang on TO
it.
Young man, don't work for moth
ing you can't make money nor even
any reputation by it,
Fortune loves to be assaulted she
never gave q whining cuss much of
anything yet.
Truth can wait, but a lie is always
In Il great hurry.
1t is very difficult to find man that
is above his condition in life.
~ man amt entitled to any more
credit for having a great pedigree
than he is for having caught the
measles-he cant tell why.
fla man really deserves fame he
needn't hunt for it it will hunt for
him.
1t amt so much the lack Of ability
as it is the lack of grip that ails man
kind.
Adversely may ruin man, but it
oives hlm chance to die game.
There are some people who are the
lords and masters OF their money, but
most people are the servants OF it,
Young man, don't ask any iayors Of
anybody; it is better to have the
world owe you ten dollars. than to
owe them one Josh Billings, in n.
Y Weekly,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

We had always supposed that be-
mind the screens one sees strung
across the back end of u dressmaking
establishment, was where they keep
the wood box and coal scuttle, and
innocently enough we started to go
behind one the other day, to spit. No,
it wasn't ghost, tor ghosts don't yell
so, or jump over cord of boxes, and
try to hide behind spool of thread,
but there was enough of something
behind them to keep us in the front
part of the shop after this.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12
n I 6. IL Il

Night is the time for rest j.;
How sweet when labors close,
To gather round our aching breast
The curtain of repose
Stretch the tired limbs and lay the head
Upon our own delightful bed
Night is the time for dreams
The gay romance of life,
When truth that is and truth that seems,
Blend in fantastic strife;
All ! visions less beguling far
Than waking dreams by daylight are.
Night is the time for toll
To plough the classic field,
Intent to find the buried spoil
Its wealthy furrows yield
Till all is ours that sages taught,
That poets sang, Or heroes wrought.
Night is the time to weep
To wet with unseen tears
Those graves of memory, where sleep
The joys of other years
Hopes that were angels in their birth,
But perished young like things Of earth.
Night is the time to watch
On oceans dark expanse,
To hail the Pleiades, or catch
The full moons earliest glance,
That brings into the home sick mind
All we loved and left behind.
Night is the time for care
Brooding on hours miSspent,
To see the Spectre of Despair
Come to our lonely tent
Like Brutus midst his slumbering host
Startled by Caesars stalwart ghost.
Night is the time to muse
Then from the eye the soul
1aKes hight, ana with expanding views
Beyond the starry pole,
Describes athwart the abyss Of night
The dawn of uncreated light.
Night is the time to pray
Our Saviour oft withdrew
To desert mountains far away,
So will his followers do;
Steal from the throng to haunts untrod,
And hold communion there with God.
Night is the time for death
When all around is peace,
Calmly to yield the weary breath,
From sin and suffering cease:
Think of Heavens bliss, and give the sigr
To parting friends such death be mine
flames Montgomery.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

HEARTS Ease. What contentment
can do in It's own way, so also can dill
gence aud the unwearied performance
of duty. Few things help more to
wards true hearts ease. than keeping
the mind employed, and all our duties
on the right side of the great day
book of life
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

PAUsE.-You are in haste to be
wise' But pause again. Your brain
will only bear so much, and if you
overcrowd it your Only chance is
gone. Haste makes waste-the wrong
kind of haste, mean; the haste that
makes you rush on needless of health
or of anything save to be first at the
goal But make haste slowly, and the
battle is won.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

Yesterday, the blush Of health
was upon her cheek, and the light of a
happy spirit in her eye to-day, as
she sits apart, looking as yellow as
saffron, and feeling as sullen as mud
turtle, he asks her tenderly what ails
her, and she answers sharply, ''NIlnce
pie, yod idiot.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

The New York Obseyrer curtly
remarks upon this paragraph of the
Adcance. "The pastor says it ought
not to be the custom to read the Bi
ble in the public schools. No, not
if all are OF one mind who send their
children there. But if the population
is mixed, and q portion Of them are
conscientiously werseto the reading OF
the Protestant Bible as the Protestants
are against the reading Of the Douai
Catholic version, then we are of opin-
ion that the State has no right to tax
men to pay for teaching their children
religious tenets which they do not be.
lieve in. Church and State is no bet
ter in the public schools than in the
commonwealth at large. A majority
has no right to choose my religion
for me, nor for my children and no
right to doom my children to ignor-
ance unless | listen to their doctrines
and dogmas. What we need above
all things is to have public school III
New York wholly in the hands of Ro
man Catholic zealots, to which our
most clamorous Protestant zealots
should be obliged to send their chill
dren for year or two. There would
then be two sides to this question of
forcing the Bible by the authority of
the State on those who do not want
If
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

u Don take too much interest in
the affairs of your neighbors Six
per cent. will do.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

Kind words will keep old friends,
and make new ones
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

How to get long in the world
Never get short.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-01-12

a heart t.wound for you. Jennie, what
the matter, dear ? 1t isnta nice story
for Christmas-eye."
ooh, it is the best story lever heart
the very best y she cried, rising
and stretching out her arms to
charming apparation IN the doorway
-or could it be Melissa Vaughn
wrapped in ermine and crowned with
smiles ?
81 heard every word of it, said the
phantom of Melissa $50 much fol
eavesdropping but then, to be sure
it was an old story. / had heard ii
before. DR.. Rightabout is my god
father, you know. Godfathers al
ways bring gifts in the fairy-books
So this morning at breakfast we hap
pened to be talking of insanity and
By-the-way, Melissa, said he, there's
a rival of yours at the Guinness Hos
pital. There's an Emile st. Raymond
in love with your DR.. Johnson-sends
him kilograms by the armtul Of the
lovingest sort. It's lucky you aren't
Jealous but bless me, shes as mad
as ILamlet-been SO this twenty years
perfectly harmless, though. Dc
you know, Ledyard," she pursued
coming toward him and putting out
her hands, Il couldn't speak word.
The tears just filled my eyes, thinking
how had sentenced you without a
hearing. Don't they look terribly
red ?"
sThey look terribly beautiful he
said, kissing the bent brow. 1t seem
ed to him that he was beginning to
see through the fog.
"And mamma continued Melissa,
"who is hard upon evildoers, but
kind-hearteG withal, said must run
right down this Christmas-eye and
make it straight through Jennie for
we thought You we've at Babylon
street still-and she is waiting i'll the
hall hoping you will forgive us.
Il will go and help her to take off
her wraps" said Jennie, leaving the
lovers alone.
And so the curtain falls ? Nay,
rises, revealing happy Christmas eve
in store for DR.. johnson and Miss
VAUGHN.
, 1876-01-02

The so~called "secret history Of the War
is in no danger OF being kept secret much
longer. Richmond aud Washington are de-
pots for the manufacture OF War stories,
which are furnished in such profusion TINT
the supply outstrips the demand The last
one ont is that Count MERCER, the French
Minister at Washington during 1852, went to
Richmond in that year as the accredited en-
issary Of Secretary SEwABD, and that he pro-
posed "that, if the South would stop the
War, return to the Union would be permit
tsd without any conditions, slavery should be
continued, and any guaranty made for the
future that tho South would dictate" There
is no knowing what Mr.. SEWARD may have
secretly done in fit Of disappointment
over the fai1urc of one of his ninety-day pre-
dictions, but it is absurd to suppose that the
North would ever have ratiied this disgrnce-
full bargain The Story is moderately well
authenticated for the Hon. JAMES Lyons,
who tells it, says Count MEEc1EB made the
offer to him.
, 1876-01-02


The petty extortioas practicea on shippers
at the port of New York hive always been 8
theme Of great complaint We regret to see
signs OF such system here. The railroads
charge s. for simply switching car to q
warehouse to bo loaded. There is no reason
in this. No fee Whatever should
be asked Then the warehousemen charge
81 per car for trimming" A trim
mer" is maa who stands inside the car and
levels the grain as it pours in. twenty-five
cents would be ample pay for this There
are plenty Of men who would be glad to get
the work at such rates Again tho storage
Of a bushel Of grain for 80 days costs cents.
From l to II cents won,a be ample. As
there arc $50 bushels of wheat in 3 carload,
these different petty fees amount to nearly
cents per bushel, when they sl,o;,!d be less
thaa .. perhaps not more than y. When
the railroads ore discriminating against Chi
cago as eh''ning point, our warehousemen
would i I'll their own interests By light
en;ng the ~.ri=ns Of shippers ns far rs pos
s;ble. At present, they and the railroads
seem both busy in the perilous task OF piling
stravs on the camel's back
, 1876-01-02

In the course Of interviews with distil1ers,
rectfers, and other parties connected with
the whisky ini4,,ity. distiller has made
confession relative to the manner in which
The crooked whisky fraud has been carried on
By one distillery-the Blackhawk. According
to his statements, the Blackhnwk began deal-
ing in crooked whisky in 1S7o, it's products
being taken by two rectifying houses, Mason
& CnosDY, AMI GHoLsES i EASTMAN, up to
May of last year. By collusion of the Store
Keeper and Garger, the whisky was sent to
the recti6er, who took of tbs stamps and sent
them bac1l, the Storekeeper and Gauger
putting them on q new lot again. In this
manner they did duty three or four times, the
l4st lot being reported as straight. Thusabont
one-thirl would be straight and the remainder
would pay no ta1 at all This whisky the
1ecti6er would take at 80 much per barrel,
md generally dispose Of 1t in New York, the
steJings in the case OF this one .distillery be-
ing about 10 cents gallon, or 12o barrels OF
42 gallons each per week, amounting to
6, 52s Another mode practiced by another
dis .illsr was to gauge lis barrels 42 gallons
y uen they would hold 10 GALLONS. Thsss
, 1876-01-02

can producers of iron and steel have been
able to sell their goods on foreign soil in sue
cessful competition with other nations
In the list Of the metal manufactures
which are prospering in this city there is not
one which is in the least encouraged or fos-
tered by protection, aud not one which
would not be greatly aided by the removal of
the onerous protective tax, which by reduc-
ing the purchasing means Of the people re-
1i1ces consumption, and by increasing the
cost Of living increases the cost of produc-
lines Of manufacture would incrense their
production, give employment to more per-
sons, add to- personal and general wealth,
and thus remove the great evil Of willing
hands unable to obtain work
This condition OF manufactures in Chicago
is equally true of manufactures elsewhere.
Those which are unprotected flourish and
prosper, while those for which the law im-
poses heavy taxation languish and perish un-
der the protective armor they have to sup-
port The emancipation of manufactures
from the crushing weight OF protective taxa
ton would not only revive industry in all
parts of the land, but would utilize the In
exhnusible supplies of raw matcrial, give
work aud wages to unemployed labor, and
make the United States the great workshop,
as it is the granary, for other lands. During
the year just closed, the unprotected manu-
factures Of this city hare increased the NUM-
Der Of establishments to 1919, against 1,c29
in 1871 the number Of hands to 5G,355,
against 2,o07; the aggregate wages to $685.
452, $50, against S26, 10000; the capital en-
ployed to $G3, 4Go, 900, from SGT, ,223. .000; and
the value of the product to S175,62C, $50,
notwithstanding the decline in prices, against
S1G3, ,634 200 in 1874. These results have
been achieved Notwithstanding the strong
and oppressive obstacles placed in their way
by the protective tariff.
, 1876-01-02

Thu welcome of the Pr1nco OF Wales in Bonn
bay uas brilliant aud enthusiastic. Tho London
Times correspondent. cannot believe that any
other city will surpasa it. During his stay in
the city, the Prince attained hie Stth birthday,
aud in public speech. returning thanks for tbs
generous reception that had been accorded him,
ho graciously said that he MAS glad TO have 80
important au event take place in Bombay. I'm
ag1uc tho wild delirlum OF Bombay! Not only
to have live Prince, but to have live Princes
birthday within her municipal boundaries
Could any modern city desire higher houor
than this? Another grave matter ia recorded in
the same letter. 1t has always been ve1ed
question whether the Prince or the Viceroy waa
entitled to precedence IN India. This WIS Erace-
fully decided by Lord NoRTunnoox himself,
who without hceltaiion went down the ships
side before His Royal Hishuess, thus
conceding the superior rank Of the latter. On
every subsequent occasion losl HoRrHDRooK
delighted in emphasizing his o~n soci.l inferi-
GRITTY. 1t. must have been touching aight.
Lord Noa7nnnonx showed him4elf to be A good
dplomaltst, though poor-nprltsd Vlcs.s1. la
, 1876-01-02

to help in the solution OF peculiarly AueA4'
can problems.
The infrac:ion of the MONROE doctrine Is
not the only objection to u cooperation with
European Powers in Cuban intervention. 1t
is as much commercial as political matter,
and in this aspect Of the case the United
States has peculiar grievances, in the righting
of which the European nations have no par
ticnlar interest The Spanish Government,
in it's greed to enforce its entire support from
the Cubans, has found it desirable to dis
criminate especially against the United States,
because Our people are the largest, buyers OF
Cuban products, and would naturally be the
lareest sellers to Cuba Of breadstufs md
manufactures. As our products would. other
things being equal, be offered to cuba cheaper
than she could buy elsewhere, the Spanish
Government has levied discriminating duties
upon direct imports from the United States,
as well as upon the exports from Cuba. The
result of this policy is best illustrated by the
following statement Of exports and imports:
, 1876-01-02

From these comparative statements it
will be seen that we constantly purchase
more than four times as much from Cuba as
we sell to Cuba, whereas without the Spanish
discrimination against us we would probably
sell to Cuba fully rs much as we buy.
There is only one pretext on which the
United States could reasonably ask the Co.
operation of other nations in IN Intervention
in Cuban affairs, and that is on the ground Of
COMMON humanity,-for the express purpose
OF assuring the emancipation Of the slaves,
and to bring to an end the cruelties of war
which otherwise seems to forecast eternal
strife or determination But even on this
ground any action that comes from the
United States had better be independent, so
that there may be not even the appearance OF
abandoning the MONROE doctrine, though we
might join with other Powers when theprop-
osition comes from them If there is to he
any intervention, howsver, it should be on
the broadest International and commercial
grounds, in which independent action on our
part will lead to complete assertion Of oil
our future rights.
, 1876-01-02

The plan looks pretty on paper. II carried
out it would provo effectual But its execu~
ton will be no easy matter. At present, as
we have said, there is simple chaos. An inn
mense amount Of order must be drawn
out of q vast confusion The red
tape of centuries must be united OF
cut Horses must be bought, wagons built,
and drivers hired b. the thousand Gunners
must be trimmed and raw recruits drilled
The medical, con,nissariat, and control de-
pertnents, which now have only d shadowy
existence, must be carfully reformed, per-
haps recreated. All this will make gigantic
task, aud will cost great sums Of money. The
London Times has promptly protested against
the number Of wagons, amount Of cquipage,
ETC., allowed to each corps, and there can be
no doubt that angry taxpayers will repeat
the protest. If it cost as much, proportion
atcly, to maintain an army in England as it
does here, the burden of supporting 3o0,0
men in time Of peace would bo intolerable.
, 1876-01-02

About 100 years ago, Mrs JOHN AnANs
wrote to her husband: "Our money is very
little better than blank paper" Yet the Con-
tinen:d currency YVES q legal tender, based
on the faith and resources of the nation,
bsttle-born, blooa-stained, ETC. Our intla-
tiopists wish to show their reverence for the
fathers of tie Republic By going back to the
sort Of shinplasters that made tho fathers
bankrupts. It was the collapse Of the cur
rency that threw ROBERT NoRR1s, the 6nan-
c;.r Of the Revolution, into 4 debtors prison
NJ PHILADELPHIA
, 1876-01-02

Mr. MOODY has been snapped up very sud
denly By the editor OF the Je'oish Messenger for
uttering libel against the Jews, having said in
one OF hia sermons: ~ Thousand Jews met
not long ago In Paris, when one Of the o=ators
said, We have tho honor Of killing the Chris
tians' Cod and this was greatly applauded-" !"
In reply, ths editor Of the Messenger says:
"What HI. MooDr's object may have been in
thus giving currency to go absurd fabrication
I do not know. But do assert that no euch
meeting was held at Paris, that euch meeting
Of 1000 Jews has not tsker place anywhere for
years. aud when jews do meet together they are
not likely to applaud the sentiment quoted" A
man occupying the place Mr. MooDy holds ought
to be very careful how be utte1s such An Alto
cious libel ssaiust another religious sect. Char
ity in one ut tho Christian grxces he would do
we'll to cultivate
, 1876-01-02
tA
THE CUn3N QUESTION.

It seems to be admitted that there is some
foundation for the recent Herald dispatch
from Vienna to the effect that the United
States Government has been in communica-
ton with European Governments relative to
8 combined Intervention between Spain and
the native Cubans now in revolt To the
extent that this report is correct, we think
that q serious diplomatic error has been
made. The Cuban question is one of those
matters which the traditions Of our Govern
ment, which were formulated in Mr.. Mon
aoE's message, and sincoknown as the " Mon
ROE doctrine" require should be settled by
the American Government for itself. Any
proposition to European Governments which
contemplates an infringement Of this policy
is an abandonment Of it on the part Of the Gov
ernmeut, and leaves the United States ut u dis
advantage in my future effort to enforce re-
spect for it.
The logic Of the proposed Cuban interven-
ton is clearly Is follows: 1t is question
that Affects the United States Government al
most exclusively, and certainly no other Gov
eraments than those which have now roc
ognized foothold on the American Continent,
Great Britain, Mexico, South America, and
Central American Republics. It is doubtful
even whether the first named can have any
claim to consideration in any disposition
which our own interests, aud the considera-
ton Of international justice, may lead us to
mako Of the question The United States
Government would never dream OF Interior
ing with Great Britain or Russia in any set
uement either should undertake to make Of
tho Turkey question and the same reasons
which would render ouch an interference
impertinent place European Interference
in the Cuban controversy out Of the
question. Ether 1t is proper and polite FOR
the United States Government to intervene
between Spain aud Cuba on account of tho
demonstrated incapacity Of the former to
mnntain in Cuba the sovereignty it asserts,
or such Intervention is not proper or polite.
But in either case the United States Govern
ment must decide for itself. If our rights
and interests suggest such en- Intervention,
the United States Government has ample
power to assert them without counsel OF help
from other nations if not, then the CO.
operation Of other nationo could not justify
US in adopting such course. But it would
be q confession Of weakness at tho very OPEN
ing of the Centennial year Of our national
a1iateuco to call upon foreign Governments