davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

MIscmEF or THE CRAsruNG SYSTEM The
psychological mischief done by excessive
examining both in some schools and at home
course pursued in many instances ought 10 be
loudly protested against. As We write. four
eases come TO our knowledge Of girls serious
ly injured by this folly and nintentional
wickedness. In one the brain is utterly un-
able to bear the burden put upon it, and the
pupil is removed from school in a highly ex-
citoble state; in another, epileptc fits have
followed the host of subjects pressed upon
the scholar; in the third, the symptoms of
brain fog have become so obvious that the
amount of schooling has been greatly reduced; /;
and in q fourth fits have been induced and com
plete prostrOtion of brain has followed. These
cases are merely illustrations of class, COM
ing to hand in one day, familiar to most ply
sicians. The enormous number of subjects
which are forced into the curriculum of some
schools and are required by SONG professional
examinations, confuse and distract the mind.
and by lowering its healthy tone often unfit il
for the world. While insanity may not di-
rectiy result from this stufiing and very like
ly viii not, exciting causes of mental disorder
occurring in later life may upset n brain
which, had it been subjected to more moder-
ate pressure, would have escaped unscathed.
Training in its highest sense is forgotten in
the multiplicity of subjects, originality is
stunted. and individual thirst of knowledge
oyerlaid by crowd of novel theories based
upon yet improved statements. Mdcm8Ida'S
Hdgdsiaf.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

The HUMAN FAcE.-The countenauca of
every nation defines the Characteristic Of its
people. Every human face indicates the NOR
al training as well as the temperament and the
ruling traits of its owner, just as every human
form indicates the quality and amount of its
physical exercise. This is proven by the va
rioty of human faces everywhere visible.
Those whose lives have been given TO physi-
cal labor unbrightened by an education of
IDEAS have always a stolid, stupid expression,
even while their limbs and muscles are splen-
didly developed. The more savage the peo-
pie, the uglier they are in facial development
The very features of their faces are disfgured
by violent and ungoverned passions. People
whose employments are intellectual, have in
variably large, clear gaze, bright, outray-
ing expression, rs if from an inward light
shining through a vase. When fine organ
ization and deep sensibility accompany the
practice of intellectual pursuits, often the fea-
lures take on transparent, luminous look
Persons endowed with powerful sensibility,
however plain their features always have mo-
ments of absolute beauty.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

The SAFETY or RAILROAD TRAVELLING
From the official tables i appears that more
than four hundred and sXty-siX millions of
passengers have been carried by the AIassa-
chusetts railroads in nineteen years. and that
of this vast number only two hundred and
seventy-six have been killed. and only forty
one of these were killed without fault of their
own. Twenty nine deaths of passengers were
caused by the accident in 1871 at Revere.
What was the average length of railroad
journey. does not appear from the above fig
Ures. but. if il were no more than five miles,
the whole number of miles travelled by pas
sengers would be more than twenty-three
hundred millions. or two hundred and eighty
million miles to every death of passenger
from causos wholly beyond hiscontrol That
is TO say if person should spend all his life
in railroad car in constant motion. the prob
ability is that he would travel two hundred
aud eighty million miles before be would
meet with a fatal accident At the rate of six
hundred miles a day about one hundred and
thirty years would be occupied in travelling
that distance. Therefore n person who should
adopt that mode of life and make himself
living illustration Of perpetual motion, would
die of old age long before he would have
chance to die by accident.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15
CURRENT NEWS PAnAGRAPHs,

: The FRIGHrFUL CHINESE FAMINE. -Four
provinces in Northern China, containing
population Of more than seventy millions, are
now devastated by the most terrible famine
ever known in the world. These provinces
are Chihli, Shansi, Hunnn and Shensi. They
lie contiguous to the Yellow River, or Hoang-
Ho. Portions Of each Of these are exempt
from the destitution which generally prevails
The most afflicted province is Shansi, in which,
at last accounts, three or four millions Of peo-
pie were wholly dependent upon the Imperial
Government for their daily food Accounts
from this and other Of the stricken provinces
are simply appalling. People die by hundreds
Of thousands Everything edible has disap-
peared from the face Of the earth even the
green twigs, grass, wild herbs. and the bark
of trees have been eaten. Insects. yermin
and wild animals have been devoured. As a
last resort, the miserable people have taken
to eating earth, this being the only material
capable Of being swallowed which is left them
There is no business, no work, and no traffic
TO keep money in circulation, and the popu-
lation prey upon each other. Men sell their
wives, parents and children into slavery in
order to get little money to take them out of
the famine-stricken region. Thousands die
The cause of this extraordinary famine is a
continual failure of the crops. The general
characteristic of that portion Of China Is that
of a high table-land Dense forests never
covered the plateau or the mountains, though
the southern provinces were tolerably well
wooded. But, until OF late years. there was
enough wood growing on the hill-sides to de-
tain the passing rain-clouds which were pre-
cipitated upon the plains below Gradually
this vegetation has been cut down, and the
whole surface Of the country is absolutely de-
nudcd of trees and shrubbery. The inevita-
bic result of this stripping of the earth's sur
face has been a total cessation of rainfall.
This is now the third season of drought The
crops are usually gathered in May and June
Three times it has come to pass that there
have been no crops to gather. II does not
seem possible that even moderate harvests
will ever return to these provinces until the
earth, as modified by human action. shall
again be clothed with forests and thicl1ets.
The Chinese Government is doing more than
could be expected from such sluggish and
unwieldly organization for the relief of these
starving millions; and private subscriptions
have been made by relief committees in vari-
Gus parts of the Empire. But no human
agency can reach them ALL and, though it may
seem a great way to go to find objects for our
pity, the fact remains that while these lines
are being read, thousands of wretched people
die of staryation-a lingering and horrible
death.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

They say, If our beloved dead
Should seeS the old. familiar place,
Some stranger would be there instead.
And they would hnd no welcoming face.
| caunot tell how 1t might be
In other homes; but this know,
Could my lost darling come to me,
That she would never ind 1t so.
Twelve times the flowers have come and gone,
Twelve times the winter winds have blown,
The while her peaceful rest want on;
And l have learned to live alone.
Have slowly harmed, from day to day,
In all life's tasks to bear my part;
But whether grave or whether gay,
hide her memory in my heart.
And II my darling comes TO share
My pleasant hreside warm and bright,
She still will find her empty chair
Where It has waited day and night
Fond, faithful love has hlest my way,
Aud friends are round me, true and tried.
They have their places; hers to-day
Is empty as the day she died.
How would ring with bated breath,
And joy too deep for word or sign,
To take my darling home from death,
And cnce again TO call her mine.
dare not dream the bhssful dream,
II nils my heart with wild unrest;
Where yonder cold, white marbles CLEAN,
She still must slumber; God knows best
But this know, that those who say
Our best beloved would find no place,
Have never hungerej, every day,
Through years and years, for one dear face.
4. i. s., IN Idrdlrs.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

FALL OF A MOUNTAIN. Nearly every resi-
dent of Montana, says the Helena Indepen-
dent, has either seen or heard of the famous
Bear Tooth Mountain, the most prominent
landmark in Northern Montana II is visible
from different points at distances ranging
from 40 to 60 miles, and is in full view from
Helena and the surrounding country. The
mountain is distant about 80 miles from
Helena, and stands like grim and mighty
sentinel Mt the end of the canyon known as
the Gate of the Mountains, through which
flows the Missouri River The Bear Tooth
was fully described as a wonderful landmark
of the early explorers, Lewis and Clark. In
all photographs of the northern country the
two tusks, rising black and grim hundreds of
feet above the mountain, are the prominent
objects The main tusk remains, looking
lonely and isolated in its grandeur. Last
Monday party of hunters, who were chasing
game several miles north of the Bear Tooth,
observed a rumbling sound and quAking of
the earth, and supposing it was an earthquake,
and not noticing a repetition of it, they soon
forgot the occurrence, and continued their
chase until they reached the Bears Tooth.
Here they were astonished by the appearance
of the eastern tusk. This was a perpendicular
mass of rock and earth, fully 800 feet high,
800 feet in circumference at its base, and
about $50 feet Mt the top. This immense
mass had become dislodged and, coming
down with the speed of an avalanche, had
swept through forest of large timber for a
quarter of a mile, entirely levelling it. The
country around is now covered with a great
mass of broken trees and tons upon tons of
rocks, many of them as large as an ordinary
house.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

The TARHFvILLE, CT, DISASTER. The
four members of the Tarifyille jury of in
quest who refused to sign the verdict recently
+, ndered by the majority, have submitted an
opinion III which they say the bridge was safe
for train with one or two engines at the
time of the disaster; that the bridge was CON
structed on scientific principles, of good ma
terial, and its strength had not become deteri-
GRATED by reason of its exposure to the ele-
ments that the accident was caused by the
derailment of some portion of the train caus-
ing n shock sufficient to cause its fall below
The president, superintendent and directors
are in no way responsible for the accident,
they say, but used all possible care to protect
life. This verdict is in direct contradiction
of the report rendered by the majority, who
gave as their opinion that the accident was
the result of a weakness of the material in the
bridge caused by exposure to the weather.
and that there was no derailment of any part
of the train
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

AiEs. T. p. BELL OF SAN FRANCIsCo, wife of
one of the directors of the Bank of California
and a man largely interested in silver mines
with Flood, OBrien & Co., which give him
an income of $50, 600 a week. is now in New
York, on her way to Europe, and takes every
possible occasion TO display that wardrobe
tine fame of which has preceded her 1t is
said to be the finest ever owned in America.
was made by Worth. and cost fabulous sum
of money. She also lngs around $3.50, 900
worth of diamonds and other Jewels. includ-
ing chateaine that contains 1878 stones, n
necklace that cost $4,000, two solitaire ear
drops weighing eleven and half carats each,
which cost 100000 and other pieces too nu-
merous to mention. The New York Sun re-
porter had private view of these jewels on
Thursday, and the sight of them made him
open not only his eyes but his mouth so wide
that there is danger he will never get it shut
again. Mrs. Bell was originally Boston Ia
dy, is about 2S years old, and it is understood
that she will endeavor to make life endurable
abroad by the aid Of such accessories as u
500, 600 letter of credit, maids. nurses, and
so on. But, poor woman, we are profoundly
sorry for her Her possessions must be n
great trouble and anxiety. and demand so
much of her time and attention that probably
she will not get so much real enjoyment out
of her European trip as many IA poor school
ma'am who deyotes Il vacation and years
wages to making one of Cooks ''self-conduct-
ed tours, and returns home without dollar
in her pocket to take up the work of life
again Springfield Union.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

A BABYs REMARKABLE EscAPE.-The sud
den death of Henry p. Bayley recalls strange
and tragic incident in his history. G.. W. X.
Baylcy, the civil engineer, having visited
New Orleans and having determined 20 To-
cate here. sent to New York for his wife and
two children. Mrs Bayley embarked on
sailing ship, which, in a terrible storm, was
wrecked on one of the sand keys of the Ba-
hamas. She, with her two children, were
with other passengers carried ashore to the
nearest point of land. The storm increased
in violence, and the low strip of land upon
which the passengers We're stationed was
about to be overAowed by the rising tide, and
TO secure safety, it became necessary to cross
during the night broad slough to higher
point of land. Mrs. Bayley took up her two
children in her arms and attempted to wade
across the slough, but when about midway a
huge wave swept her and her children down
the current of the slough, and her despairing
shrieks and the cries of the infants rang out
in the stormy midnight but were soon hush
ed by the bowling winds and roaring waves.
Mrs Bayley and her oldest child We're lost,
but many hours after the storm had gone
down and succor had come to the surviving
passengers and crew, search was made down
the coast for bodies and. perchance, some
survivors. While making this search the low
wall of an infant was heard among the scrub
by bushes and close search showed an infant,
seven months old, lodged against shrub,
with its body nearly buried in the sand fee
bly, fighting with its little hands the encroach-
ing waves and sands. That child was Henry
p. Bayley.-Neir Orleans Times.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

SENSITIVE CHmDREN.-E Extreme sensitive
ness in children may be either misfortune
or an advantage according to the influences
which are brought to bear upon them. A has
ty temper is the prevailing fault of sensitive
children; it is their quick involuntary protest
against whatever oifends them, and it should
derly as a deformed foot or a curvature of the
spine. Little by little self-control can be
taught, and infltration of such ideas and mo-
tives and sentiments made in the childs mind
as viii enable him to outgrow and overcome
his inhrmity. Time cures great many things;
children outgrow infrmities and faults, and if
right principles of action and feeling are in
stilled gently, constantly, wisely, the results
will ultimately appear. 1t is mere cruelty to
make the weak points of child source of
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

teasing and ridicule, as is too often done in
schools and families. If he is born with d.
formed foot, with defective sight or hearing,
how careful are we to try and make up to him
what nature has denied defect in ones
mental or moral organization should certainly
be as tenderly and iudiciously treated as "A
bodily deformity. A quick temper, an irrita-
bic or timorous or teasing disposition requires
far more tact and iudicious management than
any mere physical infnnity. When grown TO
maturity, our sensitive children become the
poets, musicians, artists, writers, leaders of
their time Mem T0tk T'HbUHe.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15
The Three Callers.

Morn calleth to a fair boy straying
Mid golden meadows, rich with clover dew:
She cals-but still he thinks of naught playing
And so she smiles and waves him an adieu!
while he, still merry with his Aowery store,
Deems not that Morn, sweet Morn returns no more.
Noon comeih; but the hoy to manhood growing
Heeds not the time he sees but one sweet form,
One young, fair face, from bower Of Jessamine glow
ing
And ali his loving heart with bliss is warm.
So Noon unuotcod, seeks the western Shore
And man forgets that Noon returns no more.
Night tappeth gently at a easement cleaning
With the thin Are place fickerng faint and low,
by which gray-hared man is sadly dreaming
Ger pleasures gone-as all fe's pleasures go;
Night calls him TO her and he leaves his door,
Silent and dark and he returns more!
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

The PoPEs WnL.-The late pope left two
wills. In the first, drawn up in his quality of
pontif, he leaves an annual sum of 3, 800, 900
francs to his successor for the expenses of the
Holy See, and an annual allowance for the
employees of the former pontifcal administra-
ton. In the second will the testator, speak
ing as a private person makes his nephews
his heirs, and leaves 800, 600 francs to be dis
tributed among the poor of Rome. At the
death of his successor in the papacy the tes-
tator orders that his own remains shall be en-
tombed in the Basilica of st. Lawrence out
side the walls. He has also left very SIM
pie inscription for his monument, the cost of
which is not to exceed 2000 francs
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15
Miscellany.
Tired.

Tired.
Tired Of folly, tired Of sin,
Tired Of this aching heart within;
Longing forever for one ray Of light
To pierce the dull gloom Of this desolate night
The night Of the soul that ia born in sin,
With crosses to bear, but no crown to win.
Tired OF sorrow, tired Of strife,
Tired OF living this aimless life:
Tired Of friendship-how hollow the name -
Tired Of trying living to gain.
Tired Of friends, tired Of foes
Tired Of earth and all its woes;
Tired Of having the cross to bear,
without the hope Of a crown to wear.
Tired Of living bowed down by the rod,
Tired Of living away from my God,
Longing forever to break from this care,
Longing to 60 To my Saviour in prayer;
Longing to hear that voice from heaven
go sin o more-thy slus are forgiyeul'
How gladly, how freely I'd lay this life down,
For then l know l should wear the crown!
Mrs. HaJer.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

The New York WoRKING-WoMEN's HOTEL,
which the late A. Il. Stewart projected and
began, and which his widow has carried along
steadily since his death, is now very nearly
completed and will be ready for occupancy
by the middle of March. The published ac-
counts of the building, and of the system up
ON which the hotel is TO be managed, make
the enterprise rather less a matter of benev-
olenee and more matter of business than has
been commonly supposed. Indeed the class
commonly known as working g-wOmen-shOp-
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

There is a legend in Florence that Grand
Duke once proclaimed that every beggar
who would appear in the grand plaza at a GER
tain time should be given a new suit of clothes.
The beggars of the city were on hand prompt
ly when all the avenues TO the plaza were
closed, and each beggar was compelled to
strip OF his old clothes before receiving the
new suit. In the old clothes thus collected
enough money was found secreted TO build a
beautiful bridge over the Ano, still called the
Beggars' bridge.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

THERE SEEMS to be but little community Of
interest between upper and lower Michigan,
and the 10000 people who live on the upper
peninsula, working the copper and iron mines
of the Lake Superior region, are eagerly
clamoring for @ divorce from their present
political connection. They pay into the state
treasury annually $4,000 not one penny of
which ever returns in the way of public i'm
provements, since in a Legislature of 1872
members they have but six representatives
and two senators, whose influence goes for
nothing. An idea of their isolation from the
rest of the state may be gained from the fact
that, i'll order to reach the capital, they have
to pass through three other states. This in
convenient and unpleasant state of affairs, it
is claimed, has greatly damaged the business
interests of the region, and the people have
borne with it patiently until patience is no
longer a virtue. They ask simply to be set
off into a territory by themselves, and the re-
quest looks reasonable, especially in view of
the fact that the peninsula was originally ten
dered to Michigan as a sort of olive branch in
settlement of the contest with Ohio for the
possession of the swamps about Toledo.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15
NO. H..

girls, sewing-women and the like-wil not de-
rive the slightest benefit from Mr.. Stewards
neutrality-suspicious. investment. The min
mum charge for accommodations is TO be SO
per week, and the prices are to range from
that to SO. Il is quite obvious that shop
girls, who earn from SO to 81 per week, and
sewing-women, who stitch pantaloons at So
80 per dozen, cannot avail themselves of the
advantages Of the new enterprise without
drawing heavily upon invisible bank accounts.
The benefciarics of the Stewart project, or
rather the patrons of the enterprise, will be
artists, writers. teachers, students, telegraph
operators, actresses and women engaged in
other Of the finer and more lucrative employ
ments The hotel fronts on Fourth Avenue,
and its sides are on Thirty-second and Thirty
third streets. IL is lofty structure with
countless wide windows with deep easements.
It's single entrance on the Avenue has q wide
portico and is more spacious than any hotel
entrance in the city with the exception of the
Windsor. The hotel contains SOP sleeping
rooms of various sizes, eight reception rooms,
extensive parlors and dining rooms aud n
spacious library, containing nearly 5000 vol
umes, aud furnished with desks and writing
conveniences The furniture, upholstery and
carpets are specially designed in accordance
with the most modern ideas, and the wallis are
tinted TO give the best artistic effect. The
house is heated by steam and has five oleva-
tors besides stairways. There is an artesian
well on the premises by means or which the
house will be supplied with water throughout
there being hot and cold water in every
room. The gas used in the hotel will be
manufactured on the premises. The build
ing surrounds large court furnished with
various colored pavements, and having in its
centre a fountain with many Jets. The cuisine
Of the hotel will be under the charge of the
cook who has for three years had the same
department in the Grand Union Hotel at Sara
toga, and it is intended that the bills of fare
shall be equal in quality, if not in extent, to
those of the best hotels. Some rooms will be
reserved for transient guests-that is, for Ia
dies who are shopping or journeying alone.
Such guests will be charged at about the or
dinary hotel prices. Applications have been
made by ladies now living in the city on pri-
vate incomes, but these have been refused
the design being to provide for those who in
some way are working for living. To the
women who are able to secure its advantages
it will insure greater enjoyment and comfort
than are possible in ordinary boarding house
life But to the vast majority of the women
who work, the new hotel brings neither relief
nor the promise of any. These must wait for
the coming of some philanthropist who, with
means equally ample, has an eye less fixed up
on the main chance than Mr.. Stewart
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15

Then he glanced at fine copy of Baphael's
Archangel Michael on the wall
The gold shoe-buckle lay on velvet cush-
ion in glass case. HdIp,1'S WceblH