davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
Successful Sabbath-SchOOl Work.

From the Church Work We take the fol-
lowing; Successful Sabbath-schoo teach
ing, like everything else, is secured by great
painstaking. Here is teacher that has
taken class 18th great reluctance, produced
not by timidity or fear, but by unwilling
ness to bear the toll and confinement. Did
you know there are some in our churches
who seem to feel no responsibility whatever?
The words of Jesus, For have given you
an example, that We should do as have
done are as unmeaning to them as His life
and death. This teacher, of whom | have
spoken, wonders why the class is not inter
ested. Interest Jegets interest If your heart
is with your class through the week as well
as Sunday, their hearts will be with you.
Prompt, punctual, efficient service in the
Sunday-school will bring its reward, The
successful teacher who has learned how
precious it is to give life to the work Of
polishing aud beautifying youthful charac-
ter, will find that the greatest sacrifices
made in helping and instructing your class
VIII yleld the flcheSt returns. some one
has given the following excellent hints which
will be of service to those faithfully seeking
to perfect themselves in this important
branch of church ,cork. First, love your
work second, be always in your place
third, be always in time; fourth, win the
love of your scholars fifth, keep order in
your class sixth, prepare the lesson
seventh, study the art of teachings eighth,
study simplicity of style ninth, fill up every
moments tenth, visit your scholars eleventh
pray for and with each scholar; twelfth
aim at immediate conversion thirteenth
be thoroughly in earnest; fourteenth, be
blameless and harmless : fifteenth, be filled
with the Spirit. "
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
Two Sorts Of Christians.

There are many who are very Jealous, very
regular, very orthodox, amazingly dilligent
in upholding the church, shocked at false
doctrine or irregular practice; but they are
bitter intolerant, unloving, and even ma
lignant. In vain you listen for the soft an
swer that turneth away wrath in vain you
look for the sympathetic spirit that consid-
ers the case OF others, or the charity that suf-
fers long and is kind, Hard to their ser
wants, exacting TO all their dependents, nurs-
ing hatred, and cherishing the memory of
wrongs, they are as bad as the disciples who
would have called down fire from heaven to
consume the Samaritan village. Well for
them if they hear the Masters rebuke in
this life they run such risk of hearing
in awful tones on a future day-"l never
knew you depart from me, ye that work
iniquity." On the other hand we some
times find both men and women deficient
in many ways but rich in spirit of minis
tering. We find them, perhaps, in churches
Of which we do not think well, or in connec-
tion with creed we abhor. Let us not for
such reasons think little of their spirit, but
rather magnify the grace of Him who makes
the flower to bloom in the desert and the
birch and pine tree TO spring from cleft OF
the naked rock And for ourselves, surely,
the rich lesson must bell The desert or the
rock can show such ir0itiul plants, how
much richer fruit should be found on those
in reference to whom God asks, "What could
have been done 10 my vineyard, that ! haye
not done in it,"-Sermons By Rer. !. Serpire,
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
An Idle Word.

How inadvertently spoken, and yet how
frequently with serious and painful results.
How many hearts has an idle word severed
how many broken For true is it that
thoughtless expression will make break
between those that fate in its visitations
could not divide; hearts that would have
struggled together through the storms of
life, that would have clung TO each other for
strength when its buffetings had almost over
whelmed them-that would have braved all
the changes OF fiuctuating fortunes, aud still
see IN their own unchanging love gleam of
brightness through the blackest cloud And
YET an idle eword-one-has separated hearts
like these. The breach once made others
step in to make it wider and wider: false
pride. mistaken feelings the sudden bitter
ness the heart can feel even toward those IT
loves, all aid the work of cruelty; the dis
tance increases day by day, until finding it
impossible to return, like the wrecked
mariner, they give up in despair, and sit
down to mourn over their fate, careless, it
seems, whether they live or die. And this
is not the romance of youthful affection,
though there is perhaps more suffering from
the early disappointments Of the heart than
the more serious one after life produces.
No, it is witnessed in the experience of
every one; in the friendships of life, in the
family circle in business what misunder-
standings, what ruptures, what chickering's,
strifes and irreconclable differences have
arisen from one idle word it may have
been spoken in jest, in spirit of levity, in
an attempt to be witty, or it may have been
said innocently or inadvertently, with no
motive and no intent, and still, for some
cause of which you were totally ignorant, a
certain party applied the remark, and in a
moment firebrand was kindled Jokes are
dangerous articles to play with; they are a
sort of mouth grenades that are apt to ex-
plode before you are aware of it. A joker
should understand the nature of his COM
pany well, before he introduces his Jokes. He
may suppose they will recommend him to
favors, but he is frequently mistaken. The
man who labors to be witty loses his breath
and is considered to have rather weak
mind. Never was there truer sentence
written, and one which, view it in every
way, must result in the same conclusion,
that "a silent tongue showeth wise head"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
How TO Preach.

Make no apologies. If you have the
Lords message, deliver it; if not, hold your
peace Have short prefaces aud introduce
tions. Say your best things first, and stop
before you get prosy Do not spoil the ap-
petite for dinner by too much thin soup
Leave self out of the pulpit and take Jesus
in. Defend the gospel and let the Lord
defend you and your character If you are
lied about, thank the devil for putting you
on your guard and take care that the story
shall never come true. Let your beard
grow. Throw away your cravat. If you
do not swami to break " make your shirt
collar an inch larger, and give your blood d
chance to flow back to the heart. Do not
get excited too soon. Do not run away from
your hearers. Engine driving-wheels fly fast
with no load, but when they draw anything
they go slower. 1t takes cold hammer to
bend a hot iron. Heat up the people, but
keep the hammer cool. Do not bawl and
scream. Too much water stops mill wheels,
and too much noise browns sense. Empty
vessels ring the loudest. Powder isn't shot.
Thunder isn't lightning Lightning kills.
If you have lightning you can afford to
thunder But do not try to thunder out of
an empty cloud. Do not scold the people.
Do not abuse the faithful souls who come to
who do not come. Preach the best to small
est assemblies Jesus preached to one woman
at the well, and she got all Samaria out to
hear Him next time. Ventilate your meet
ing-room. Sleeping in church is due to bad
air oftener than to bad manners Do not
repeat sentences, saying, " as said before"
If you said it before say something else after.
Leave out words you cannot define. Stop
your defamation and talk to folks. Come
down from your stilted ways and sacred
tones, and "become as little child" Change
the subject if it goes hard. DO not tire
yourself and every one else out. DO not
preach till the middle of your sermon buries
the beginning and is buried by the end.
Beware of long prayers, except in the closet.
Where WEAKNESS begins devotion ends. Look
people in the face and live so that you are
not afraid of them. Take long breaths.
Fill your lungs and keep them full. Stop
to breathe before the air is exhausted. Then
you will not finish off each sentence-ah, with
a terrible gasp-ah, as if you were dying for
ar-ah, as some good people do-ah, and so
strain their lungs-ah, and never find it out-ah,
because their friends dare not tell them-ah,
and so leave them to make sport for the
Philistines-ah Iuhate your lungs 1t is
easier to run a saw-mill with full pond
than it is with an empty one. BE moderate
at first. Hoist the gate a little way when
you are half through raise little more;
when nearly done put on full head of water.
Aim at the mark. Hit it Stop and see
where the shot struck and then fire another
broadside. Pack your sermons. Make your
words like bullets A board hurts a man
worse if it strikes him edgewise.-!Seiected.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
Irritating Days.

There are times when everything seems to
go wrong. From seven o'clock in the morn
ing till ten o'clock in the evening affairs are
in twist. You rise in the morning and
the room is cold, and button is off and the
beefsteak is tough and the stoves smoke and
the pipes burst, and you start down the street
nettled from head to foot All day long
things are adverse. lnsinuations, petty
losses, meanness on the part of customers.
The ink bottle upsets and spoils the carpet.
Some one gives wrong turn to the damper
and the gas escapes. An agent comes in de-
termined to insure your life, when it is
already insured for more than it is WORTH
and you are afraid some one will knock you
on the head to get the price of your policy
but he sticks to you, showing you pictures
of old Time and the hour-glass and deaths
scythe and a skeleton, making it quite GER
tain that you will die before your time I'M
less you take papers in his company. Be
sides this you have cold in your head and
a grain of dirt in your eye, and you are
walking uneasiness. The day is out of
joint, and no surgeon can set it. The prob
ability is that if you would look at the
weather vane you would find that the wind
is northeast, and you might remember that
you have lost much sleep lately 1t might
happen to be that you are out of joint in
stead of the day. Be careful and not write
many letters while you are in that irritable
mood. You will pen some things that you
will be sorry for afterward. Let us remem.
ber that these spiked nettles of life are part
of our discipline. Life would get nause-
ating if it were all honey. The table would
be poorly set that had on it nothing but
treacle. We need a little vinegar, mustard
pepper and horse-radish that brings the tears
even when we do not feel pathetic. If this
world were all smoothness we would never
be ready for emigration to higher and bet
ter. clustering March and weeping April
prepare us for shining May. This world
is hitching-post. Instead of tying fast on
the cold mountains we had better whip up
and hasten on toward the warm inn, where
our good friends are looking out of the win
dow, watching to see us come up.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24

LIVING IN THE EIGuTn CHAPTER.-I was
once expounding the seventh and eighth of
Romans TO class of colored Bible-wo-
men, deeply experienced as to their hearts,
but very Ignorant as | supposed in their
heads. After had been talking quite elo-
quently for little while, an old colored wo-
mau interrupted Inc with; "Why, honey
pears like you don't understand them chap
ters." "Why not, aunty ?" asked. "Whai
is the matter with my explanation ?" Why
honey" she said, "you talk as ii we were to
live in that miserable seventh chapter, and
only pay little visits to the blessed eighth.
"Well," | answered, Z" that is Just what dc
think. Don't you ?" Laws, honey" sh,
exclaimed with a look OF intense pity for my
Ignorance, "why, live in ths eighth.
| Erchnnne.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
For the Last Time.

There is touch of pathos about doing
even the simplest thing " for the last time"
1t is not alone kissing the dead that gives
you this strange pain. You feel it when
you have looked your last time upon some
scene you have loved-when you stand in
some quiet street where you know that you
will never stand again. The actor playing
his part for the last time, the singer whose
voice is cracked hopeessly, and who after
this once will never stand before the sea of
upturned faces disputing the plaudits with
fresher voices and fairer forms, the minister
who has preached his last sermon-these all
know the hidden bitterness of the two words
"never again. How they come to us on
our birthdays as we grow older Never
again young; always nearer and nearer to
the very last-the end which is universal
." the last thing which shall follow all last
things, and turn them, let us hope, from
pains to joys" We put away our boy
ish toys with an old heartache, We were
too old to walk any longer on our stills
too tall to play marbles on the side
walk. Yet there was a pang when we
thought we had played with our merry
thoughts for the last time, and ife's serious,
grown-up work was waiting for US. Now
we do not want the lost toys back. Life has
other and larger paythngs for us. May it
not be that these too shall seem in the light
of some far-otf day as the boyish games
seem to our manhood, and we shall learn
that death is but the opening of the gate
into the new land of promise
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
Shall We Have a Revival!

This is question which several churches
in Boston and vicinity are asking with refer
ence to the coming of Mr. Moody to hold a
series of meetings. | venture to answer
that question by saying, Yes, you will, if
you really want one" 1t is the Holy Spirit
which infiames the Christian heart, arrests
the careless, convicts and converts the sin
ner; aud my Bible says, If We then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more shall your lIeav-
enly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask Him" God never changes He
says, ASK, and it shall be given you"
What sort of a spirit it is in any particular
church that turns aside the blessing, | do not
know; but there is a spirit which our Lord
tells us "goeth not out, but by prayer and
fasting" For the encouragement of those
who earnestly desire a revival, will relate
a TACT in regard to a remarkable work of
grace in the city of New York in the winter
of lS39-i0. The Tabernacle Baptist church.
then worshipping in Mulberry street. and
composed mainly of people in humble life,
poor in this worlds goods but rich in faith
decided to call Elder Knapp to the assistance
of their pastor. The church expected a
great blessing, and by prayer aud fasting
| they made ready for it, weeks before the
time set for Mr., Knapp to begin his work
The result was, the revival commenced be
fore the arrival of Mr.. Knapp, and there
were about a dozen candidates ready fol
baptism the first Sunday he preached God
seemed to teach them that Elder Knapp was
not necessary; but the church had only tc
be in condition to receive the blessing and
| lie would pour it out so there would not be
room TO receive it, On one occasion, think
it was March, 1910, when the last of the
| fruit of that revival was gathered in, there
was hardly room in the aisles of that large
house of worship for the converts to stand
w. w. Everts gave the hand of fellowship
to more than two hundred persons, and among
them was the writer of this brief article
| Wdtchmdn.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24

VISIT Your PARENTs.-Never allow
weather or want of time or consideration of
expense or convenience to prevent it, visit
them often if in the same town, or if at a
distance make it point now and then to
go back to the old home, and talk about old
times ard tell them how you are doing.
They are old now, and are very much alone,
There are no young people about the house
own age have passed away they need some
visit of child is pure happiness, and when
the message comes, "They are dead your
first regret will be that you had not done
more to make them happy, and to smooth
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
MisffAnv.
LIGHT AND SHADOW.

In golden pomp at morn and eve
The purple mountains rise,
with banners bright Of waving green
Gay Haunting to the skies;
Put upward toiling. painting, slow.
Patient the leetest step must 20.
A winding pathway through the vale
Entlces weary feet;
The shining waters sing OF peace.
The morning breeze Is sweet;
But nook or covert there is none
To shelter from the MONDAY sun.
The fainting traveller turns aside
To seek the woodland shade
Beyond the thlcket stretching cool,
Invites the messy glade
But thorRy il the tangled way,
And devious paths his steps betray
The ieecie-t cloud that graceful floats
In summer skies Of light,
Within F. veil Of tender mist
Conceals the tempest's might;
And winds that stir with softest breath
Are frcighted with the seeds Of death.
The loyeliest blossom that unfolds
Its beauty TO the day
Must yield iis treasured fragrance up,
Then droop and fade away;
And greenwood birds that sweetest sing
Are soonest gone on fitting wing
The undertone Of earth's delights
In sorrows pensive sigh
Is mingled with the echoinE breeze
Ere Ioy'sRlad accents die
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
Ghe Dumf Girrlp.
THE GIFT OF EMPTY HANDS.


They were two Princes doomed TO death;
Each loved his beauty and his breath;
" Leave us our life and we will bring
Fair gifts unto our lord the King"
They went together In the dew
A charmed bird before them few.
Through sun and thorn one followed IL;
Upon the others arm 1t lit.
rose. whose falntest blush was worth
All buds that ever blew on earth
One climbed the rocks TO reach; ah, well,
Into the others breast II fell
Weird Jewels, such as fairies wear
When moons 20 out, TO light their hair.
One tried to touch on ghostly ground;
Gems Of quick fire the other found.
One with the dragon fought to gain
The enchanted fruit. and fought in vain;
The other breathed the gardens air
And gathered precious apples there.
backward 10 the imperial gate
One took his fortune. one his fate;
One showed sweet gifts from sweetest lands,
The other torn and empty hands.
AT bird. and rose, and gem. and fruit,
The King was sad, the King was mute;
AT last he slowly said any son.
True treasure is not lightly won
" Your brothers hands, wherein you see
Only these scars, show more TO me
Than If a kingdoms price found
In place of each forgotten wound"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24

FLATTER not thyself in thy faith to God,
if thou wautest charity for thy neighbor
and think not thou hast charity for thy
neighbor, if thou wantest faith to God
when they are not both together, they are
both wanting they are both dead if once
divided
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24
MnraI ard Reiisions.
From the Vermont Chronicle
"ONLY A VAIL."---Hebrewsv vi; 10.

ny o. g. RicR.
And is there but vail between
Our weary, fearful eyes
And that far land no eve hath seen,
That calm forever lies
Beneath the loving smiles Of Him,
Where eyes with tears are never dlm7
Only vail and yet no gleam
OF all its wondrous light2
No munnur from its crystal stream.
No glimpse Of garments whlie7
Oh, home so blessed and SO dear,
oh, land, far distant, yet so near
Sometime the vail for us will part,
when Jesus for us sends;
Some night may meet the waiting heart,
Some day that DER us bends
May part It's shade OF curtained blue
And let the ransomed spirit through.
Sometime, but oh, we know not when
That hour for us will come;
But when our rort is finished, then
We shall be welcomed home,
And we shall walk the golden street
And with our loved and ransomed meet.
oh, let us patient serve and walt
That world il very near;
The moving Of It's sapphire gate
We any time may hear;
And all our weakness, want and sin
We leave whene'er we enter in.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24

THE memory is store-house to be filed
for future use. We fill it in youth and draw
ON it in advanced age. win you fill with
the worthless and pershable, and draw out
sorrow and pain or with what is good and
substantial, and that which shall be a source
of satisfactory enjoyment? ? Fill up with
the best, while you may. Gods word stored
in the young mind grows more and more
valuable rs time advances.
The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-10-24
Pinchback's Petition.

Washington, Oct. 23.-Pinchback
has written to Mitchell, of the Senate
elections committee, recalling his at
tention to the fact that his second Gre
dentials, bearing date July 18th, 1875,
had never been acted on by the Senate,
and reviewing his claim to a seat in
the Senate. The latter says that these
credentials are at present as valid a
claim to seat in the Senate of the
United States as those presented by
either Mr.. Kellogg or Mr.. Eustis, and
he begs respectfully to submit that
they are entitled and should receive the
careful consideration of the committee
on privileges and elections. Mr..
Mitchell will lay this letter before the
committee tomorrow for its action.
Pinchback arrived here last night to
look after his claim, and to-day made
personal application to Mr.. Mitchell to
be heard. He asserts that his creden-
tials are regular in form and ante date
those held by Eustis. Pinchback is
not confident that he will be successful
in this, his second attempt to get into
the Senate, but believes that he win be
able to show that his claim is as valid
as that of Eustis.
The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-10-24

THE Mormon Ring have the penetra-
tion to see that the death of Brigham
Young is likely to have most impor-
tant effect ON the future of the Church
Of the Latter Day Saints, and that to
save it from dissolution in the future it
is necessary to introduce reforms which
he would have laughed at and make
concessions to its misguided members
Which he would have scorned to yield.
These tactics were pursued to some ex-
tent at the late conference, and it is
hardly to be wondered at that there is
something like a reawakening of the
last expiring faith in the superstitions
and muinmeries of Mormonism. The
Change is the strongest symptom of the
decline and fall of the whole fabric of
fraud and ignorance. Reform, perhaps,
delays the end, but it makes the end
certain.
The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-10-24

1t is difficult to form anything but
general idea of how many persons a
single Indian lodge contains. The
estimate is usually made on the num-
ber of fighting men each has, and that
figure is from two to five warriors, or
ssbucks," as they are more frequently
called. The writer has seen lodges
with eight or nine, and occasionally
sixteen to eighteen persons. The lodges
are large, and as commodious as tent,
circular in form, with low doorway,
and the chimney at the top.