davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
The Distance ofa Star from the Earth.

For many ages this question puzzled
astronomers How far off are the stars?
liz was known that their distance was
great, very great. Ii was known that
they were immeasurably farther off
than the sun, the moon, or any of the
planets; but it is only in the present
century that the question has been even
partially answered.
OF the countless thousands of stars
which stud the universe, the distance
of perhaps about twenty has been de-
termined. Others which have been
tried have detied the powers of the most
skillful astronomers. Ii is impossible to
explain here the manner in which il is
conducted; we must endeavOr, rather,
to realize the result which has rewarded
these successful labors. There is a
beautiful star i'm the southern hemi-
sphere, the brightest in the coustella-
tion Centaur, one of the most brilliant
stars in the heavens. This was dill
gently observed by the skillful astronO-
mer who managed the observatory at
the Cape of Good Hope in the years 1882
and 1888. He found, AS the result of
his labors, that the distance of this star
Alpha Centauri, as it is called-is
twenty billions OF miles.
1t requires little consideration to
estimate what the words twenty billions
OF miles really mean. A billion contains
one million millions, and we shall en-
deavor to convey an idea Of this amount
by few simple illustrations. Supp0s-
ing that our great forefather, Adam,
had commenced to count as quickly as
he could, and that when his life was
ended, his son commenced to count,
taking up from the number at which
Adam left OFF, and spent his whole life
day and night, counting MS fast as he
could, and supposing that at his death
he enjoined on his heirs. an eternity of
counting, and that they had continued
doing so up to the present moment,
their united efforts would not yet have
reached the amount of quarter of
billion; and yet the distance of the star
is twenty billions of miles.
Another illustrauon may be given to
convey an idea of this vast distance. Ii
we were TO take sum equal to five
times our national debt, and were to
expend this in postage stamps, we should
get one billion of them; and if we were
todraw a line around London, including
every house in the suburbs, and then
take an area equal in size TO this, cleared
and arranged for the purpose; if we
then commenced 10 stick them side by
side over the entire area of London. we
should not be able TO get them all in.
After we had covered every inch of
surface completely, there would be
countless thousands sill remaining.
Such, then, is the distance of the
nearest fixed star. We cannot grasp il
in our imagination, nor are we more
successful II we rrv to make q map.
Suppose we pro, ee by first laying
down the sun, ant then placing the
earth one inch distant from 1t. II we
inquire at what distance the nearest
star should be placed, using the same
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
What is An Epic :

An epic seems difficult thing to de-
fine. We gather the views of several
writers on this point.
Blair regards an epic as ''The Illus
trating Of some great aud general idea in
verse, its aim being to arouse admira-
ton and astOnishment." Z. a., The
great idea of tie Had Is Var.
Fuseli says: ''HOmer, wishing to
impress one fOrcible idea of war, its
progress, and its and, set to work in
Vulnerable engines of various magni-
tudes, yet none but that uniformly
tends to force this and only this idea
upon the mind"
). w. Clark's grammar says: epic
poetry is historical representation
real or fictitiOus-of great events. i"
''Lady of the Lake." Course of keh-
ama," etc., are cited.
Chambers Cyclopadia divides Poetry
into two general classes-Epic and
Lyric. The former has outward objec.s
for its subject-real or fictitious. Lyric
sets forth subjective occurrences. Epics
are heroic-as the Iliad, the Eneid,
Jerusalem delivered, Orlando FuriOso
and sacred-as the works of Milton and
Dante. The writer adds: AT empts
at Epic poetry are now rare Instead
Of epic poems we have nocels, which SO
far as subject is concerned, may be con-
sidered as the epics of modern civil and
domestic life."
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
UNDER THE SNOW.

All me nv garden lies under the snow,
The shrouding drifting snow:
Each flower that / reared has bowed its head
Its sweet bloom withsred. its fragrance fed
1 so loved them. living. and mourn them dead
Dead under this Winter snow.
LYING beneath il still and low.
Dead! and l loved them So
But the sun by and by viii melt the snow.
The glittering shroud of snow,
And the beautiful bud and the stately tree
Will shed their fragrance again for me-
And my heart shall be glad when my eyes shall
Ny treasures from under the snow
That my yesrning love hath cherished so,
Rse fair in the Summer glow.
Gods garden lies under the shrouding snow,
The beautiful sheitering SNOW;
And the buds thst He took from your hand
and mIne,
Are but waiting the time when His voice divine
Shall bid His sun on the garden shine
And warm to life in its glow
The precious germs lying under the snow,
That He took when He loved them SOL
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

In order 10 keep the system healthy,
food should be judiciously consumed.
The harder a man works the more nu-
triinent he requires. While working
man would need daily five pounds Of
solid mixed food, two and half would
be enough for persons who lounge and
sleep much. Life can be sustained two
or three weeks on two ounces day. A
change OF diet should follow change
of seasons-in winter, fat and sweets;
in summer, fruits, fish, and lighter
meats. Milk AMI eggs, blood food
steak, flesh food; potatoes and wheat,
which being heated material, are fuel; ;
ard coffee a sIimulant. 1t is important
that the workman should eat mixed
food, which, partaken of at regular sea-
sons, stimulates the system, aud keeps
it In working order.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

The finds in the rag-bag and the
rubbish-heap are sometimes not little
curious. A mistress allows Betty, the
maid to keep a rag-bag; and occasion-
ally Betty yields TO the temptation of
putting into that bag articles which are
certainly not rags. But apart from any
suspicion of dishonesty, valuables find
themselves I'm very odd places, through
inadvertency or forgetsulness. We need
not say much about such small creatures
Us insects, spiders, or lizards, that are
found by the paper-makers i'm bundles
OF esparto; they are unwelcome intru-
siOns rather than finds. A patent lock
was .l-ce found among the contents of
q family rag-bag; aud as It was worth
five shillings, the buyer was well con-
tent. An old Latin pray er- book, bought
as waste-paper, had bundle Of nails,
curiously linked together, packed in
side II. HsIf-sovereigns aud other coins
are found In casr-Off pockets, In the
heels OF old stockings. AMI inside the
Innings Of dresses. An old coat, pur-
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
Th,,gs net Generally K.ewn.

Glass windows were used for light in
11sO.
Telescopes invented by Ports and JON
son, 1880.
Tea first brought from China to Eu-
rope in 1901.
Circulation of blood discovered by
Harvey, in 1910.
Cotton planted in the United States
in 1883.
Stereotyping invented in Scotland, in
1855.
Chimneys first put upon houses In
1896.
'rallow candles for lights in 1920.
Speetacles Invented By an Italian, in
l249.
Paper made from linen In 1902.
wOolen cloth male in England, 1871.
Art of printing from movable type,
l44O. -. -
Watches first made In Germany, I4l7.
New spapers Erst established IN l6lJ
Pendulum clocks first invented IN
1880.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
n.rr,.x. among IN. s.A...y...
Marriage Is a most complicated Ger

Marriage Is most complicated cere-
pony among the DahOmeyans. Sim
plified, the rationale is as follows: If a
young man takes q fancy to q young
woman he dispatches some of his friends
as ambassadors to the lady's father,
laden with presents of rum and cow
ries. A council If the relatives Is con-
vened. If the suitor has offended any
of them the offer is rejected. II inqui-
ries are, on the contrary, satisfactory,
Afa, the god of wisdom, is consulted ;
and it is generally noted that If the
present has been sufficient, a favorable
answer is given. Ii, on the contrary,
the presents are returned the negOtia-
tions are at an end. The next stage is
to pay for her, and the bridegroom and
all his relatives TO boot, strain every
effort to get together the requisite. Be-
sides doing the betrothal, the BRIDE
groom has TO meet all the fetish charges
to which the bride may be subject.
These are not a few; for if the fetish
priests discover that they have bleed
able subject, they are not backward in
fhe discovery that some important sac
rifice or ceremony essential to the hap
piness of the young couple had been
neglected. The bride is then escorted
by her friends and relatives to the
future home. A great entertainment is
given in the courtyard of the house;
though during the entertainment the
bridegroom is not allowed to see any
thing of his wife. The fcasting con-
tinues to midnight, or even to cock
crow. after which the company retire,
and the fetish priest leads the bride to
her husband, accompanying the cere-
mony with many good adyices to her
and TO him. 1--WE have brought your
wife," they say; ''take her, fog her If
she is bad, and cherish her if she is
good" The health of the ''happy
couple" is then drunk, and they finally
take their departure. After week the
bride returns to her fathers house, and
sends a present of cooked food to her
husband, who returns the compliment
by gift of rum, cOwries, and cloth.
Next morning she returns to her hus-
bands house, goes to market purchases
and prepares a feast, to
which her husbands friends are alone
invited. The honeymoon is now over,
and the little wife subsidies down into
the prosaie life ofa Dahomeyan matron.
-I"The Races Of -hdnkind," DIR. Robert
BrOt-a'
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

The eagle, raven, swan and parrot,
are each centenarians. An eagle kept
in Vienna died after confinement of a
hundred and fourteen years. and on an
ancient oak in Shelborne, still known
a. the ''raven tree" the same pair of
ravens are believed To have fixed their
residence for series of more han
ninety years. swans upon the river
Thames. about whose age there can be
no mistake since they are annually
nicked by the Vintner's Company un
der whose keeping they have been for
five cen uries-liave bean known to sur
vive one hundred and fifty years and
more. The melody Of the dying swan
is mythologica. Upon approach of
,learh the bird quits the water sirs ,iowD
Upon The banks, lays Its had upon the
ground, expands IT. wings trifie and
expires, uttering no sound
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
The Passion. that Undue. Disease.

The passions which act most severely
on the physical life are anger. fear.
hatred and grief. The other passions
are cofpparaiiyely innocuous. What is
called the passion of love is not iniuri-
Gus until il lapses into grief and anx-
ietv: on the contrary, it sustains the
physical powers, What is called ambi-
tion rs of itself harmless: for ambition,
when it exists purely. is a nobility lift
ing its owner from himself into the ex-
allied service of mankind. II iniures
when in is debased by its meaper ally.
pride. or when. stimulating a man 10 too
strenuous efforts after some great OBJ
ject. il leads him TO the performance of
excessive mental or physical Labor. and
10 the cousraue .ces that follow such
effort. The passion called ayarice. ac-
cordiny to nv experience. tends rather
IN the nre.eryation of rho holy than to
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
The Triumph Of C0rn.eob Over Nicer
schaum.

How unsatisfactory is the possession
of meerschaum pipe! SuppOsing you
to have secured a fine piece-the best
piece i'm the universe, say-you would
not be more happy than miserable. The
whole universe seems leagued 20 destroy
it. You fear to put it away, lest harm
should come to it i'm your absence ;
equally do you dread taking it up, for
there is the risk Of dropping, scratch
ing, breaking. While smoking it you
cautiously keep on the morocco case ;
handling would soil the bowl, and you
have heard that the colOring oil evapO-
rates if the pipe be exposed to the air.
The longer and more completely your
precautions are successful, the greate-
your anxiety and nervous apprehen-
sion; and if. after all lit generally ends
sO.) the cherished, the inimitable, the
invaluable meerschaum is broken all to
pieces, your agonizing sense of loss pays
dearly for your season of uneasy ecstacy.
This ever present excitement and un-
rest is destructive to the peace and COM
fort which should attend thoughts of
pipe smoking. Our pipe should be our
refuge and sOlace rather than our care
and torment. You will seldom find a
smoker of age and experience induIging
his habit through costly and fragile
medium; possibly. if he be rich, he will
have you to his cabinet and parade be-
fore you choice specimen of ''real Vien-
na,' but you will notice that the lay
is still virgin; and having carefully
locked it back I'm the cabinet, your ex-
perienced friend picks up some battered,
disreputable looking old corn cob or
other, which he loads and fires with a
sigh of relief and satisfaction ; and when
he is through smoking he throws the
corn cob carelessly on the table, nor
careth he should it fall thence 10 the
floor; bless you the corn cob can stand
it. Be not deceived by this seeming
neglect, however; trust me, your wise
friend loves corn-cOb. from his heart,
and would feel its loss there, while the
''chOice Vienna's" evanishment would
chiefly harrow his-pocket.-7he Ga
(drJ.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

scale, we find 1t to be eleven miles
Slch q map is, therefore, sim ply an
impossibility.
Knowing, however, the distance OF
the nearest star. what can we say of the
distance of the farthest Of those that are
visible? Here precise lno Wedge fails.
We can, indeed, grope arUer the truth,
and make guesses OF a greater or less
probability. We believe that 1t Is, at
all events, some hundreds Of times As
great as the astounding magnitude OF
which we have endeayored to convey an
impression; but the human mind be-
comes bewildered in attempting to
realize the immepsity.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

London, from one OF the papers issued
by the London City Mission:
liz covers within the fifteen miles
radius of Charing Cross nearly zoo
square miles.
IL numbers within these boundaries
4, ,000, 900 Inhabitants.
IL comprises 100000 foreigners from
every quarter of the globe.
1t contains more Roman Catholics
than Rome itself, more Jews than the
whole of Palestine, more Irish than
Dublin, more Scotchmen than Edin-
burgh, more Welshmen than Cardiff,
and more country-boru persons than
the counties of Devon, Warwickshire,
and Durham combined.
1t has birth i'm it every five minutes.
a death in it every eight minutes, aud
seven accidents every day in its 1000
miles of streets.
IL has on an average twenty-eight
miles of new streets opened and 1900
new houses built in it every year.
It has 900 ships and 1900 sailors i'm
its port every day.
Ii has III 900 habitual criminals on
its police register, increasing at an
average of 81, 900 per annum.
Ii has as many beer-shOps and GIN
palaces as would, if placed side by side,
stretch from Charing Cross to Ports
mouth, a distance of seventy-three
miles.
Ii has as many paupers as would more
than occupy every house in Brighton.
1t has an influence with all parts of
the world, represented by the yearly
delivery in its postal districts Of 23S,-
900. 900 letters,
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

A little child was once asked how she
came to be Christian, and answered !:
why. just saw the door open. and |
went IN"
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

Illustrating Prorerbs.-One day, the
little schoolma'am asked the children
to select prOverb among themselves
for illustration. They didn't quite un-
derstand this, but, nevertheless. they
settled upon one and handed it in:
Handsome is II .ndsoms Does"
Good !" said she. Now ! should
like To have YOU each bring ou FRIDAY
a comp"sii ion or a quotation, or an Oh
ject of some kind, or whatever you
please, iilast rating this proverb
Well, they did 20. Some, | am told,
brought little srO les: others brnu hit
compositions; One little yirl bronght a
warm hut fad Il shawl; and one home
ly, clever little chap audaci0usly
brought his own photograph 0ae and
all came of with hOuors. but the
crowuing illustration of all was Tom
McClintock's; he simply brought "a
picture "f camel's head, looking as if
it had just been saying "prun-s" and
'pri~m." and knew quite well of its
own excellent qu ,lities. Not word
did Tom M,.ClIntOck write, beyond the
prOverb. He knew his camel could
speak for itself.-St. Nicholas for Fe-
brudTy.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

Little Beethoren.-0ne of the great
est of Germ IN musical composers was
Ludwig Won Beethoven, who was born
at Bonn, on the Rhine, the 18th of De-
cember, ITO.
While quite a child, he would leave
his plays and his picture books when
ever his father sat down tO the piano
to practise. and would stand by his
side, and listen to the music with de-
light.
When his father would take him on
his lap, and show him how to strike the
keys with his fingers, Ludwig would
pay the closest attention and, when
his father rose to leave the instrument.
the little fellow would cry, "ShOw me
more, dear papa: please show me
mOre.n
Ludwig began to take regular les
sons i'm music when he was only i've
years old. At the age of thirteen, he
published several compositions. which
showed that he had been a diligent
scholar. He soon proved himself TO be
musician of the highest order, and
took rank with Haydn and M,zart
There is fine bronze statue of Beet
hOven in the Boston Music Hall. He
lived till the year 1926. The study of
his music in this country, within the
last few years, has greatly extended.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23
YOUrRS COLUMN.

A Ner Way to sleep.-Many of you.
children, have your maids who go with
you when nature tells you that you
need q nap, while your little brother
and sister have their nurses, or per-
haps the kind mother sometimes, to
"hush- a. bye" them to sleep. How do
you suppose the little ones are put to
sleep in the mountainous districts of
Indiaf Years ago l saw it and it is a
most curious custom. Wherever there
is a flowing stream of water convent
ent, a shed is built and under it troughs
of stone filed from the stream. From
these trOughs there are little hollow
reeds which spout ont the water with a
gentle and light fall. and under these
sprays of water the children are placed
just so that the water plays on their
foreheads. II puts them to sleep in
stantly and they sleep soundly and
well, too, and don't wake mp every few
minutes with a little whimper. like
sOme children do whom have heard
of. These little Indians never catch
cold in their heads aud they grow up
strong and healthy men. Whether the
water-sle-p does much to make them
healthy do not know, nut have seen
dozens of children sleeping this way
and they all seem to like it. I never
saw one who didn't. Tell your old
family doctor about it, and SEE if he
as much of the process as Grip
does.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

Cdiabdsh- tree.-One of my birds has
just beeu telling NE about a tree that.
he said, grew dishes"
In his native islands-Of the West
lndles-he has seen tree, in height
and size resembling an apple-tree,
called q calabash-tree. Ii has wedge
shaped leaves, large whitish. fleshy
blossoms, that grow-where do you
think mot like those of most other
fruits. on the smaller and Outermost
branches. but on the trunk and big
branches. The fruit that succeeds the
flower is much like a common gourd,
only a good deal stronger, and it often
measures twelve inches in diameter.
The hard shell of this fruit is cut into
various shapes by the natives, and is
sometimes handsomely carved. 1t is
made into drinking cups. dishes, pals,
and even pots. Yes, they say that
these calabashes actually can be used
over the fire for boiling water, just as
you would use pot. But the ealabash
pot gives out after few such trials,
and is unfit for further service.-Sf.
Nicholas for February.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

Fio,rers in Rew Colors.-Well. well
What will your Jack hear nexti The
birds tell him that Professor GObba
has succeeded in changing the cOlors
of cut flowers to suit his own fancy.
Rather an unnecessary piece of work,
one would say. as flowers generally
choose their own colors pretty wisely.
Still you may like to hear about it:
The Professor simply pOurs a small
quantity of common aqua ammonia in
To a dish. Over this he places funnel
(big end DOWN, in the tube of which
are inserted the flowers he wishes to
to change.
What happens theni
All. my chicks, that's just what your
Jack wishes to know! Wonderful
changes take place, am told. The
first time YOU have a finw-r to spare,
just buy ten cents worth of aqua am
monia ut the nearest druggists, try
Professor GObba's experiment, and re-
port to Jack 81. Nicholas.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-23

A Fire hundred dollar Cdt.-"Yes,
sirs,-a ve-hundred-dOllar cat," said
Deacon Green yesterday to three little
chaps who were walking with him.
Lately, at the Sydenham Palace.
near London. was held Cat Show,
where over four hundred were exhib-
tied. The prize cat won premium of
f5-twenty five dollars. He's spleu-
did fellow. named Tommy Dodd'-
nine years old. and considered worth
f100. or five hundred dollars. The
heaviest specimen in the show weighed
a few ounces over eighteen pounds.
There's cat for you, young gentle
men lr-St. Nicholas for Februarv.