davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
Attacks ON the Bible.


A library made up of all the books which
have been written solely in defence of the
Bible would be an imposing spectacle
About century and half ago the great
Fabrcius gave Catalogue RdisOnne of all
the books that had been directly or indi-
rectly evoked by Christianity down to his
time. Though not exhaustive-some pages
also being occupied with other subjects-it
forms quarto of more than seuen hundred
pages. | apprehend that by this time, a
similar work would extend to at least three
times the bulk. Equally striking in some
respects, would be the spectacle of all those
works which have been written more or less
against the book-in general confutation of
its claims, or against some of its principal
facts and evidences. The volumes thus
written for the purpose of correcting mems
eccentric love and veneration for it--eccen-
trio on the hypothesis of its merely human
origin--showing either that it is substan-
italy incredible, or, like other books, mix
ture of wisdom and folly, would form IL
brary of no inconsiderabe bulk. If all these
books were placed in one library, and this
single one set on a table in the middle of it,
and stranger were told that this book-af-
frmed to be, for the most part, the work of
numbero unlearned and obscure men belong
lns 'oa .,s i"son s ea'leu eae
drawn upon i.seii' i'' IL? eAp1su'e, 'oaiuta IVA
eio'l anu uesIiu uos'oii, aii' niui.i:uu1 VI soi
uines lnaslne ne MoIiu it,, p1 % ,nJi'aeu 70 sa
hen, presume 'n's i'.ie oooh was a''''i.,'
laIeu iong ago s tnousn u1" !. .ouiu oe heeu. sor
y" W wri'e .nouoanu.. ~ pa'' % 'hu." ,o'
any such purpose ! oaino' ootipienenu' ror
'he 11oA o1 ""av s.J?s leu, auI,'osS Sag su,eS
!. snouiu n1' Ss 's,y t'noui. 1 70 Snom ~ "
oe 80 am - 81, wna. "Unu1Iiul y, lI inaunes1 a9
W ",i'e al .ne'1 eoiu',ee i tio" 81 P'Ieeu
woulu ne ',ei oe 70 'ea'n Una. .hey weIe
lei. hoo 70 pe enouy"' 'na' si'iiiiar mo'ho
were being nai',piieu eveiy uay, anu never
more actVeiy .hai d. 'he p,esehV 'iihe anu
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
q" "SOmpbOdy EIsp.c

lady was walking quietly along the city
street not long ago when the door of house
flew open, and "A boy shot out with whoop
like wild Indian. Once on the pavement
he danced sort of double-shuflle all around
a curb-stone, and then raced down the street
in great haste, for it was evident, by the
books under his arm, he was going to school.
The lady was thinking what thoughtless,
noisy creatures healthy boys always are,
when just few yards before her she saw
something yellow lying on the stones. Com
ing nearer she fancied it was pineshaving,
and looked after the boy again. She saw
him suddenly stop short in crowd of peo-
pie at a crossing, and come back as fast as
he had gone, so that just before she reached
the shaving he did-and picked up, not
shaving at all, but long, Shiny banana-skin.
Flinging it into a refuse barrel, he only
waited long enough to say, Somebody
might have slipped on it, and was off again.
1t was little thing to do; but that one
glance of the boys clear, gray eyes, and this
simple, earnest sentence, made the lady's
heart very warm toward the NOISY fellow.
He had not slipped himself he was far past
the danger, aud when one is in hurry it is
great bother to go twice over the same
ground, but the somebody else " might
slip, and so for the sake of this unknown
somebody the hurrying boy came back, and
it may be, saved the life or limbs of feeble
old man, or tender little child. He might
have said, 81 can't wait to go back-it is
none of my doing, and so it is none of my
business :" but he made it his business and
in this showed trait of character which
promised well for the future. There is moth
ing nobler on earth than this taking care
that somebody else" shall not suffer need
lessly. The child who grows up with such
spirit will never know what it is to be un-
loved or friendless.-.Seiecied.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27

Mr.. Hayes is reported as speaking about
his daily lie as President " There is SO
much variety in the life of this building
that get wonder, instruction and amuse-
ment from it. All kinds Of people, on every
conceivable errand, think that if they can
only see the President, their troubles are
ended. don't mind those who merely want
to shake hands. This is pleasure and a
relief They often help me out of a di-
lemma. For example | may have some
persistent, obdurate oflice-seeker or office
manager. lie will press his point, perhaps,
until he has put his knees against mine aud
demands yes or no. 1t may be that
feel rising temper at his aggressiyeness'
Then think OF the people outside They
are always let in on presentation of card,
respects only see some of them at the
instant, desirous TO shake hands. So | turn
from the unpleasant caller, and while talk
minute TO the people, have chance to
calm my mind and prepare to answer the
question"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
The Rule Of Hospitality.

There should never be guest in the
house whose presence requires any consider
able change in the domestic economy. How
ever much the circumstances of business or
mutual interests may demand in entertain
ing a stranger, he should never be taken into
the family circle unless he is known to be
wholly worthy of a place in the Sdnctum
sdnci0rum of social life; but when mau is
admitted to the home fireside he should be
treated as if the place had been his always.
The fact of an invitation gives neither host
nor guest the right to be master of the others
time, and does not require even temporary
sacrifice of ones entire individuality or pur-
suits. A man should never be so much
himself as when he entertains friend. To
stay at a friends house beyond the time for
which one is invited is to perpetrate a social
robbery. To abide uninvited in friend )
home is as much a misdemeanor as borrow
ing his coat without his permission. 1t is
debasing the coin of friendship TO mere
dross when a man attempts to make it pay
his hotel bills. The fact of two men having
the same occupation and interests in life
gives to neither a social right to the others
bed and board. A travelling minister has
no more right to go uninvited to fellow
preachers house than travelling shopkeeper
or shoemaker has TO go uninvted to the
house of his fellow-craftsman. Men are or
dained to the ministry as preachers, teachers
and pastors, and not as private hote[keepers
They who go into the country in summer as
uninvited guests of their farmer friend,
should be rated as social brigands and
treated accordingly These few social max
inns are by no means to be taken as a com
plete code OF laws. Others quite as impor
tant will spring up out OF the personal ex
perience of every reader of this article, anC
the justice and equity of all may be testeC
by that infallible standard of society-th'
golden rule. There can be no true hospi
tality that in practice is a violation of thi
rule; and you may safely rest assured tina
you have given the fullest and most perfec
measure OF entertainment to your neighbo
if you have done exactly as you would b
done by.-Sunday afternoon.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
Dancing.

The paper read by the Rev. DIR. Addison,
at the recent Church Congress, on Chris
tianity and Popular Amusements," contaius
the following, as reported in the Church
Journal; 81 have spoken of the deposit in
the soul OF divine life through Christ. |
have to speak of what | may call another
sacred deposit. IL is not mental, nor spir-
itual, nor purely corporeal. 1t is perhaps
the holest thing that has survived the fall
II colors our earthly existence. 1t is full of
all tenderness and sweetness. The heart,
the imagination, all the powers of our being,
are in its service Ii is the insprer and en-
chanter of human life. 1t transfgures the
hard world. 1t is the magical mistress oi
energy, poetry, and heroism. Shall | call
it love-the sacred affection that glorifes
the relationship OF man and wife 1t is a
great mystery; so the Holy Ghost designates
it. God created and blessed it in Eden. lie
has thrown around it the shield of law.
Christ forbids violence to it even by a
glance. All Scripture says, Keep it sacred
let not even the breath of an impure thought
touch it, 1t is yelled in the inmost re-
cesses OF our being. 1t is a sort of holy of
holies. At the entrance Gods voice, all the
enginery OF providential punishment, all the
wrath OF coming judgments, are arrayed
forbidding the intrusion OF impurity as the
very 'abomination of desolation.' | bring
this charge against dancing-that it is til,
desecrator OF this holy mystery. This is d
serious charge; and ii it be true, fatal TO il,
innocence, constituting it a sin, monstroui
sin. Let me define the dancing OF the day
A woman, improperly dressed, presseC
against the person OF her partner, whirliul
around a room. This is only definition O
the visibility, the outward aspect. II viii
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
Meddling.

There are some persons who seem pos
sessed with an Unsuitable desire to meddle
with things that do not concern them. They
pry into other peoples affairs, they are busy
bodies in other mems matters. Nothing
within their reach escapes their meddlesome
inspection. On one of our railways, as all
immense train, divided into two or three
sections, was moving rapidly along, suddenly
the bell-rope was pulled the engineer at
once stopped the train; the conductor went
through to see what was the matter, but no
one knew anything about it; the bell-rope
had been slyly pulled by some meddlesome
passenger The train started again as quickly
as possible, but before it was well under
way, the section which followed it had over
taken it, crushing into the rear car, killing
and wounding passengers, and clouding
homes with lifelong misery and sorrow, Just
because some one meddled with that which
did not concern him. The passenger prob
ably thought that he had done a cunning
thing; it was sport to him, it was death to
the victims of his folly. Continual troubles
arise from this meddlesome disposition.
Things are broken, damaged, destroyed, by
medders who have no earthly reason for
their conduct, but who simply meddle with
that which does not concern them. One of
the great commandments, which deserves a
place in both law and gospel, is the com
mand to mind our own business. The spirit
Of this commandment is found in more than
one place in the Holy Scriptures. 1t will be
well for us if we give heed to such instruc.
tions, and study to be quiet and do our own
business, leaving alone things which do not
concern us. We may thus avoid incalcu
liable mischief, and spare ourselves the re
morse which meddling brings Christian.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
The PrOper Training for Girls.

The Rev. DIR. How ard Crosby gives, in
Sunday Afternoon, advice to mothers about
the training OF their daughters. lie says
that the idea of uselessness as fashionable
necessity for young woman is wrong.
"rhe boys, after leaving school or college,
naturally grayitate TO commerce, law, med-
cine, science or divinity; but the girls at a
like period begin to play the fine lady, spend
ing their day i'll pretty idleness. The only
question that seems to be asked is, How
can best amuse myself =" DIR. Crosby's
remedy for his evil is regular daily tasks
for girls, either of household OF charitable
work, or of self-improyement. He thinks
that young women trained in that way are
more likely to get good husbands than are
those who devote themselves to folly. lie
adds "Perhaps you have a notion that ii
your daughter is out of society she might
as well be in Sahara or Kamtchatka, and
you have brought yourself to believe that
the only society on earth is that which is
distinguished by white kid gloves.and Ger,
mans Did you ever soberly think of the
possibility of life outside of the charmed
circle ? 1t is humbly believed by some that
men and women, both old and young, who
have had brains and hearts, have managed
to enjoy life without initiation into the mys
teries of fashion. Some have even dared tc
think that true refinement is best cultivated
in a less artificial atmosphere"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
Ghe Uome GirfIf.
LOST TREASURES.

II some kind power. when our youth ia ended.
And life's first freshness lost In langud noon
Should stay awhile the doom by Fate Intended
And grant US generously precious boon
Saying, " with thwartings, bitterness and trial,
Your tollsone days thus far have been oppressed
Choose now blessing. fearing no denial,
To light, and charm. and beautify the rest"
What should we ask the prize Of young ambition
Fame, power, wealth. and gifts of prlcesss costP
All. no-our souls would utter the petition;
"Give us-oh only give us back our lostl"
No visioned bliss, pleasure new and splendid
No lofty JOY by longing crossed,
No new light undreamed Of, heayen-descended,
Only our own-ihe treasures we have LOST
For wearied out with strife and glare. and clanor,
Grown wiser with our years. and cearer-eyed.
No more beguiled by dreams, charmed by glamour
We dread the new, and prize the known, the tried.
All, what a crowd Of Joys would gather round us,
Could we but have vanished back again!
The heart strength and hope which crowned
The bouneous life, the ignorance Of pain
The innocence the ready faith in others.
The sweet spontaneous earnestness and truth.
The trust Of friends, the tender eyes Of mothers.
And all the rich Inheritance Of youth
The plans for noble lives. that earth thereafter
Might be more pure the touch OF loves warm lip
And saving hand the sound Of childish laughter,
The peace Of home, the Joy of comradeship
We had them all, and now that they have left us.
We count them carefully and see their worth,
And feel that time and fortune have bereft MS
OF all the best and dearest things earth.
All, yes when on our hearts the years are pressing,
And all our flower plants are touched with frost,
We ask-no untasted blessing
But only sigh Oh, give US back our LOST"
-BaIdtriU's Monthly.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
Iempfranre.


There sat two glasses, filled to the brim.
On the rich mans table rim TO hin,
One was ruddy and red as blood,
And one clear aa the crystal flood.
Said the glass of wine TO the paler brother:
" Let MS tell the tales Of the past to each other,
can tell Of banquet and ievel and mirth.
And the proudest and grandest souls on earth
Fell under my touch "a though struck by blight,
Where was king. for ruled in might.
From the heads Of kings have torn tlecrown,
From the nights Of fame have hurled men down.
have blasted many honored name;
have taken virtue and given shame;
have tempted the youth with sip. taste
That has made his future barren waste.
Far greater than king ami,
Or than any army beneath thesky.
have made the OF the driver fail,
And sent the train from the iron rail;
have made good ships 60 down at sea.
And the shreks OF the lost were sweet to mel
For they said, Behold how great you he
Fame, strength, wealth. genius before you fall
For your might and power are over ALL.
fIo no pale brother" laughed the wIne
Can you boast of deeds great mIne?"
Said the water glass: " I cannot boast
OF a king dethroned or a murdered host
But can tell Of a heart sad
By my crystal drops made light and glad;
or thrsts I've quenched, of brows I've laved
ofhands have cooled and souls have sayedi
have eapcd through the valley dashed down the mountain
Flowed In the river and played in the fountain,
Slept In the sunshine and dropped from the sky,
And everywhere gladdened the landscape and eye;
have eased the hot forehead of fever and pain,
have made the parched meadows grow fertile with grain
can tell of the powerful wheel Of the mill.
That ground out the -four and turned at my will.
can tell Of manhood. debased by you.
That lifted and crowned anew.
cheer, help strengthen and add
gladden. the heart Of man and maidi
set the chained wine-captive free,
And all the better for knowing me-"
Thee are the tales they told each other,
The glass Of wine and its paler brother.
As they sat together filled TO the brim,
on The rich mans table. rim to rim. Selected
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
The Hard-hearted Dealer.

go mother what dry breakfast |"
sighed poor Kate, as she sat down to her
meal OF corn-cake and water.
"If we only had bit of meat with our
bread how nice it would bel" said Robert.
Wouldn't you like nice slice of ham,
sissy, such as we used to have, or even
piece of crisp, brown pork ? don't believe
my toes would feel the frost half so bad
if we had
"Well, cheer up, children" said the poor
mother, +" we shall kill the pig next week,
aud then you shall have meat q plenty
He'll have his acorns all eaten up by that
time, and ! don't mean to buy any more
meal for him. You have both been good
children all summer, gathering weeds and
things for him now you shall see of what
use it will be to us all, indeed" And a
heavy shadow passed over her face. |
don't see how we could ever live through
the winter if it were not for that pig"
So the children's hearts We're comforted,
and they were through with their poor
breakfast before their father came staggering
out of the bedroom. One glance at him
gave the key to all their wretchedness. He
swore some about the breakfast, dashed his
plate on the floor, kicked over chair,
and then, TO the great relief of all, picked
up his torn hat, and walked off to the town,
a mile away.
Well, i'll about a week that pig was killed
and nicely dressed by kind neighbor who
promised also TO come in aud cut it up as
soon as his own pork was packed. But that
very evening man who kept a store in the
village drove over in a light wagon and
claimed the pig as his property. John
Cutiir had promised it to him for the whis-
key he had scored against him.
The poor mother wrung her hands in
helpless distress, and the half-famished chill.
dren cried aloud and begged the man not to
carry off all their food for the winter. But
| think his heart was turned into stone, foI
he would not listen to them.
at was his" he remarked, and he would
have it,"
He called on a man near by to help him
load it but the man refused with words aud
looks OF scorn that ought TO have withered
him. Not man in the neighborhood could
be found who would help him, so he wa,
forced to drive all the way back to town anc
get help there. often see that man, and
can not but think what fearful account be
will have TO render for robbing the wors,
than widow aud fatherless.
Oh in that last great day.. | think al
dram-Selers will pray for the mountains anc
rocks to fall on them, TO hide them from thu
awful array of misery that will wind on be
fore them as the fruit of their traffic
Selected.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
The Education Of After.llfe.


Spend If possible, one hour each day in
reading some good and great book. The
number of such books is not too many TO
overwhelm you. Every one who reflects on
the former years OF his education can lay
his finger ON half dozen, perhaps even
fewer, which have made a lasting impress
upon his mind. Treasure up these. 1t is
not only The benefits which you yourself de-
rive from them--it is the impression which
they leave upon you OF the lasting power OF
that which is spiritual and immaterial. How
many in all classes of life may say of their
own experience that which was said in speak
ing OF his library, by one who was my own
earliest literary delight, Robert Southey
"My days among the dead are past;
Around me behold,
Where these casual eyes are cast,
The mighty minds Of old;
My neyer-failing friends are they
With whom | converse day by day.
My thoughts are with the dead with them
live In long-past years,
Their virtues love, their faults condemn.
Partake their hopes and fears
And from their lessons seek and find
Instruction with an humble mind"
But it is not only by books, whether OF
literature or science, that the self-education
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
The Christian Requirement.

The problem has always been the upward
education and training of the world. This
can only take effect on the material existing
in any period. Men never could be hoisted,
by any sort of moral derrick, upon higher
level than they had attained. Our Maker
has worked the race upward by the most
available means at his disposal, rough as
they may sometimes have been, through
successive eras this or nothing was the al
tentative. But while slowly, and often al
most, TO mortal view, despairingly doing
this through all the tedious, dilatory pro-
cess there has ever run the golden cord of
perfect requirement; there has ever cleaned
the vision of the towers of the New .Ierusa-
lem, the perpetual type of world of men
and women worthy, in their individual and
associated excellence, of him from whom
they sprang. Put this key into the wards
of the intricate lock in hand, and its wards
will answer to it every time. Not word
that Jesus spoke ever had a lower purpose
than that now indicated. The thought of
all his teachings and his apostles after him
is the same the clothing of that thought
must, in the nature OF things, be shaped and
fashioned variously as time moves onward
Here is both mental and moral discipline
for us, to translate the unchanging essence
of the Christian precept into other forms,
without losing or wasting its spirit, as social
and national life puts on new conditions
,Sunddy A nernOOn
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
Life With and Without God.

If there be no God, no heavens unseen, if
there be no atonement for intolerable wrongs;
if praying nations lift up their hands in
vain; if hollow echoes are all the answer
which follows Christ's words upon the cross,
then life is make-beieve which nothing
can save from intolerable weariness. But
let one sound from Gods voice thrill through
the deafened ears let but one ray flash
upon the blinded eyes, one hand hold to us
one green and healing leaf from the tree of
life, and how all is changed How can we
then thank God for our creation, preserva-
tion, and all the blessings of this life ~
How can we then say, with bursts of exulta-
ton, Thou, o God, art our Father, our
Saviour, our great and merciful God (; and
we that are thy people, and the sheep of thy
pasture, shall give thee thanks forever
r. w. FayTar
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-27
VOL. 73.-3724. NO. 20.

The northwest corner lot was at length
iull. Over sixty neat little graves were
there In rows as regular as the ohildren's
graves in Greenwood The Seek-no.farther
spread friendly shade over the spot, and
the blackberries ripened beside them and
many visitor was taken slyly down the
garden walk to see Gertie's graveyard. But
the very best part of the whole was for every
little mound in that quiet spot there stood
man or woman redeemed from an evil
habit, living monument above it, and all
alike bearing testimony to the faithfulness
and perseverance, of that queer little girl,
the hater of tobacco, the lover of purity and
health.-Levjs'on tUe.) Journal.