davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
A Trial OF Infldelity.

There was once an evil hour when
slipped the anchor of my faith | cut the
cable of my belief | no longer moored my
self hard by the coasts of revelation. | al
lowed my vessel to drift before the wind.
| said to reason, " BE thou my captain;"
said to my own brain, Be thou my rud-
der Z" and | started on my mad voyage
Thank God it is all over now but will
tell you its brief history. | was hurriedly
sailing over the tempestuous ocean of free
thought. | went on, and as | went the
skies began TO darken, but to make up Tor
that deficiency the waters were brilliant
with coruscations of briliancy.
! saw sparks flying upwards that pleased
me, and thought, " If this be free thought
it is a happy thing" My thoughts seemed
gems, and | scattered stars with both my
hands. But anon, instead of these corusca-
tions of glory saw grim fiends, fierce and
horrible, start up from the waters, and as
dashed on they gnashed their teeth and
grinned upon me; they seized the PROV of
my ship and dragged me on, while |, in part,
gloried at the rapidity of the notion but
yet shuddered at the terrific rate with which
passed the old landmarks of nv faith.
As | hurried forward with an awful speed
! began to doubt my very existence.
doubted if there were world. | went TO
the very verge of the dreary realms of un-
belief. went to the very bottom of the
sea of iufdelity. | doubted everything,
But here the devil foiled himself for the
very extrayagance of the doubt proved its
absurdity. Just when | saw the bottom of
the sea there came voice which said, " And
can this doubt be true 2" At this very
thought ! awoke. started from that death.
dream, which would have ruined my soul if
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
The First DisObedience.

In opening up the story of the fall the
Bible says, The serpent was more subtle
than any beast of the field that the Lord
God had made" and the way in which he
addressed our mother is to me one of the
most striking proofs of his devilish subtlety.
Many of her daughters fall through vanity.
the love OF dress, the pride of beauty, the
pleasures OF flattery. The devil knew bet
ter Had he approached our mother in any
such way she would have bid him give
back these pearls to the sea, bid him give
back that gold to the earth 1t was not
thus he was to spoil the bird of paradise of
plumage, and bind one with an ETHEREAL
mind like hers. Had satan come to Eve
with common bribe she would have put
her scornful foot upon it, and with her own
heel have done what it is reserved for her
sons to do-she would have crushed Won
serpent's head. lie knew better than that
lie set before her one object. He dazzled
her eye with an everlasting prize. He
tempted her with a subtlety that was all his
own. What was the sin our first mother
committedP 1t was the sin of unbelief. 1t
was seeking to persuade herself that God
would not do as he had said. She fell to
the tempter's subtlest temptation. She fell
III doing that which the Universalists be-
lieve, that "God is indeed man that he
should lie, and Son of Man that he should
repent" Satan led her up to the tree, and
as they stood together on the very verge of
the precipice, and she drew back and hesi-
tated to take the fatal step, saying, We
may eat of the fruit of the trees of the
garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is
in the midst of the garden, God hath said,
fe shall not eat of it, neither shall We die -
She hesitated, you observe. Then said the
devil, Ye shall not surely die; God doth
know that in the day We eat thereof, then
your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be
as gods "-New York Observer.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
No Temptation In Heaven.

There will be no temptation in heaven.
Here we are surrounded by it every day we
live. The adversary whispers in our ears,
peace, peace, when there is no peace. He
will say, Lo, there, take this path or that
to honor, glory or success. Suppose YOU
listen to his dictates, do not they always
tail they lead into by-ways How often
we hear it said, Did you hear of that defal.
cation Oh, yes. Sad thing. Oh, yes, he
was an officer in the church of God; he did
not intend that; he meant no evil; there
was no fraud in his heart he was tempted.
We shall see that till we bid goodbye to the
world, i'll some form or some shape My
idea of heaven is, there is no temptation
there. The adversary of all good never will
leave his trial on the other side of the golden
Threshold. God in his wise providence
does allow the character of man to be tried
in this world while preparing for a better,
that we may work out our own salvation
with fear and trembling, that we may so
ripen, so develop our characters that be shall
not be ashamed to call us his children. But
in heaven--the battle fought, the victory
won, there will be no temptation.-Rer /. C.
IHacher
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Something for Plain Girls.

No woman likes to be ugly, and she who
is born a beauty is fortunate indeed But
let not the plain or even the ugly girl despair
of acquiring a sufficient amount of beauty
to render her attractive. Do not let a fool
isl fear, a silly shame, OIL worse still, su-
perstitious prejudice against what is called
vanity, prevent you from trying TO improve
your looks, if you are not naturally beauty,
or from trying to preserve and place at the
best advantage to charms which you already
possess.
When a woman loses a desire to please,
she loses half her charms. Nothing is more
conducive TO beauty than cheerfuiness and
good humor and no morose or unhappy
woman can be good-humored and cheerful.
Then there are vast numbers of ill-tempered
womed who are ill-tempered because they
are ugly. They do not know what is the
matter with themselves neither do their
friends know. But the incessant neglect
and indifference with which they are treated
finally does its work of embittering their
feelings until the effect upon their moral
character is most pernicious. Every woman
ought to understand that nothing short of
deformity can make a woman utterly unat.
tractive, provided she will study her points
aud points of attractiveness every woman has
n BldCtlul
can be required by any woman, and is
powerful charm. The best grace is periect
naturalness. Still, you must study your
self, and form your manners by the rule OF
that art which is but a carrying out of the
law of nature. But if it is your nature to
be forever assuming some unpicturesque,
ungraceful attitude, pray help nature with
little art. If you are stout, avoid the
smallest chair in the room; and be sure, if
you do sit on it, not to lean back Oh it with
your hands folded in front of you, lust be-
low the line of your waist, especially while
the present fashion lasts. If you are thin,
do not carry yourself with your chin pro-
truding and your spinal column curving
like the bowl of a spoon. DO not wear
ilimsy materials made up without rufe
or puff or founce, to fill up the hard out
lines of your bad figure so cruelty defined
by the tightly pulled-back draperies. Study
the art of dress.
We once knew very plain woman who
dressed so tastefully that it was an absolute
pleasure to look at her. If you have been
Inopng until you are sick with the thought
of your own hopeless ugliness, be up aud
doing. Forget your disappointment for
get the past and the sneers of your own
family over the mistake that you have made
There are still friends to be won. There is
work TO be done. Rouse yourself, aud cast
off the enervating distrust of self, and the
moral cowardice which forbids you to assert
Young Woman's Journal.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Growing Old.

Yes, we are all growing old, though un-
consciously, and the foot of Time falls as
softly as ever, and the current of life flows
on as smoothly as ever-indeed, the fuller
the current the more noiseless its flow And
months and years are, after ALL so very
much alike that they pass away without
special observation, aud we begin TO get old
before we think OF it. And when we sit
down to simple sum in arithmetic
the subtraction of the year of our birth
from the current year-we are astonished at
the answer, and are so doubtful of its cor
rectness that we go over it second time,
but always with the same result. Children
grow ur around us, but we get used to that,
and seldom stop to compute their ages and
realize the swift flight of the years. In
iact, our children never get old to us. The
wife who has stood lovingly and faithfully
at our side SO long never changes, and is al
ways the fair young bride of the old and
happy days. Though his hair may have
grown gray in some way which we DO not
exactly understand, aud his step may seem
a little less elastic and firm than it was, the
husband does not seem TO have changed
much, after all. He is, to us, the same
strong, manly one whom we loved so much
and to whom we confided so much Just a lit
tie while ago. To be sure, the few friends
OF our youth that remain are all gray
headed, but we do not think much of that,
Tor we all seem to be using the same fash
ionable hair-dye. There is nothing in that
to attract special attention. Some one-he
may have been philosopher-has said that
II we doubt whether we are really growing
old, we should look in the face of a friend
whom we have not seen for twenty years.
The preacher tried that few days ago.
lie did more he looked in the face of a
friend whom he had not seen for nearly
forty years. What his friend thought of
him he does not know. They were both
too polite to express their thoughts. He
knows that he kept wondering, and wonders
yet, what had happened to hi friend that
he should look so very old.-Selected.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Faraday's Lost Cup.

Mr.. Pentecost, the evangelist, replying to
the charge of folly made against those who
believe that God will raise the dead, gave
this beautiful illustration " There is a story
told of a workman of the great chemist
Faraday. One day he knocked into a jar
of acid little silver cup. 1t disappeared,
was eaten up by the acid, and couldn't be
found. The question came up whether it
could ever be found. One said he could find
it, another said it was held in solution and
there was no possibility of finding it. The
great chemist came in and put some chemical
into the jar, and in a moment every particle
of the silver was precipitated to the bottom.
lie lifted it out a shapeless mass, sent it TO
the silversmith, and the cup was restored.
If Faraday could precipitate that silver and
recover his cup, believe God can restore
my sleeping and scattered dust"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Err, W.T., WEDNESDAY,, MARCH 5, 1877

with broken tone, "all through the man.
sions above. o If IL were not so big place
this heaven we are waiting for And my
poor darling, who could not trust herself
out OF my sight for moment, how can she be
happy without her mother Twenty times
a day she came to the banisters, grasping
two OF them with her little hands, and her
sweet voice rang down the stairway to call
me- They tell me she is not dead, but liv-
ing. If knew she were all dead, my heart
might have one thought of rest, for would
Know she is not as miserable as her mother
ls' But she is alive, you say, and she
thinks and feels, and remembers and loves.
Then how can | bear the thought that
maybe she is lonely that she misses me,
that she finds eternity vast, cold infntude,
where she can find no corner to call home
Even amidst the glories of the throne she
must be lonely and long for me, for who is
there TO call her Sadie p"
The mothers question could be answered,
but not so easily the searchings of her soul
for her child. We told her of the Good
Shepherd who calleth his own sheep by
name and leadeth them out. We opened to
that transcendent fortieth chapter of Isaiah
and read the promise -" lie shall feed his
flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the
lambs with his arm and carry them in his
BOSOM" We told her that no sad heart had
ever been able to scale the walls of the
Jerusalem above, or to find its own among
the countless throng. But surely the little
ones are welcomed by name, and they bring
their own individuality and history, and
tender memories and the Good Shepherd
tntes them one by one into his all-embrac-
Ing love.
So it came to this, that God is our home
In his bosom is our rest. We dare not
trust ourselves, even in heaven itself, away
from the personality of God. lie has made
us. He has put into our being every chord
which thrills so sweetly with Joy and so
keenly with agony. lie knows and has
fully measured all the yearnings of broken
hearts. He is pledged to satisfy them ALL
He is committed to wipe away every tear, to
banish all sense of solitude, and to fill every
longing with safety and fulness of Joy.
The mother thoughts yielded slowly TO
the persuasive calm of truths like these.
She consented to return from her adventur-
GUS journey after the sweet young life which
God has hidden in his own bosom. She felt
how idle is the search after that which God
has taken from our sight, and how much
better it is to bring our wounded spirits to
the Divine Comforter. And so it is that
we come back to the same necessity of faith,
which is the goal of all our wanderings, and
the solace of all our woes. God is worthy of
the confidence he invites when he promises
that all who enter heaven shall be at home,
all shall be happy there.-Presbyterian.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Practice Meditation.

Those who would be in health do not sit
still in their houses to breathe such air as
may come To them, but they walk abroad
and seek out rural and elevated spots that
they may inhale the invigorating breezes /;
and thus those godly souls who would be in
vigorous spiritual state do not merely
think upon such holy doctrines as may come
into their minds iu the ordinary course of
thought, but they give time TO meditation.
they walk abroad in the fields of truth, and
endeavor to climb the heights OF gospel prom.
ises. II is said that Enoch walted with
God here is not an idle but an active com.
munion. The road to bodily health is said
to be a footpath, and the way TO spiritual
health is TO exercise ones self in holy con.
temptation.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Is She Lonely There Z!

1t was cold aud windy Sabbath night.
The family sat looking into the fire. A
silence had inpeIceptibly come on, broken
now and then by the whistling of the wind
outdoors. 1t was moment when the family
circle seems most real, and its absent ones
come back and take their place, though still
invisible
The silence was broken by the question,
" Is she lonely there 7" These words came
from young mother who had within few
weeks parted with her only child. The
heavenly call had come very suddenly, and
only few hours had been given in which
to adjust herself TO SO vast a change. Dur
ing this brief silence the mother mad been
testing the awful solitude Of her own heart
She had been feeling that the great globe
with its wealth of gems, and art and beauty
was but a Sahara without her child. Aud
as she sat before the hearth-fre she had
ceased TO Join in the conversation. Indeed,
she had ceased TO hear what was said. Her
mind had been flying far away above the
stars in wondering search for the absent one.
In few silent moments she had travelled
millions of miles. Through vast stretches
OF space she had gone, beyond planets and
suns, and systems, seeking amidst unknown
intnitudes the face and form of her little
girl. Wearied in her search she had come
back to herself aud TO the family, and the
signal OF her return was in the question, Is
she lonely there p
Il have been looking for her." she said
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
The Family Relation.

Within the last few years feeling has
grown up TO the opposite of that natural
sentiment OF the olden time which regarded
children as gifts to be desired from God. BY
many the man is not now accounted happy
that hath his quiver full OF them." Rather
they are looked upon as evils 10 be endured,
burdens and cares which largely spoil life's
enjoyments. However some may think it,
family is not an evil God has not made ii
such. II is the most beautiful thing that he
has given ON the earth A well.ordered
Christian family is the most precious thing
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05

will only say that have heard as good preaching
In America a. ever heard In England, and will
only add in conclusion, the truth in which none
OF your readers need instruction, that whatever
talent God has given to any Of his servants, II
these, whether many or few, are diligently i'm
proved and faithfully employed in the service of
our common Lord and Master the possessor OF
them need not doubt that he shall at last be well
coined with the plaudit "Well done, good and
faithful servant enter thou into the joy Of thy
Lord. Yours truly,
JAMES BUCKHAM
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Nhe eHresidf.
For the Vermont watchman.
THE WINDS.


ny MAUD MEREDITH.
Mamma, what is tbe soft wind saving
Asit sings In the summer treea9
hear II whisper. wblsper
"'N VI '"' U" se"s
why, child, the ioy Of the snrlng,ime
sings ont in ,be snnnv mir,
For the year. like vourseif INV darling
~" yo"''' lies Wondrous iair''
The Spring and The breeze together
Went drifting, drifting away;
In Tho siov, a, n srn,,,,sr a..
Mamma the waves are talking,
As they wash DER the shining sand,
N,a pe''u'"e W. o, or'nee o'o--oms,
w ''V'" '"e 'o"'is'an hn"'
"Yes, darling. n tells of the frni,age
The promise of the sprtnq.
As your life will bud and blossom
WV 'V"'' ''''' Se'7onS orl"s'
by the easement wet with randrops,
so costly side by side.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
vEGGEET!!N!E vGE!!E
Behold Me a Well Woman.
CANCER.

MONTGOMERY, ALA, June 26, 1878
H. r. SfereHs, Boston Dear Sir:I have for years been
sufferer from dreadful cancer In my side which caused
me untold agony, and as am widow with u family de
pendent upon my exertons for support my pain body
was only eluaed by pain of mind seeing my children
want for bread. was presented by kind friend In Gin
cnnat with half dozen bottles OF YEGETINE. and al
Though one bottle Is still untouched, behold me well
woman, completely restored In body and mind and able
To perform my accustomed duties Long may you live!
and may the history of my wonderful cure lead other like
sufferers TO purchase your valuable medicine If 1t Is with
the last cent they possess. Yours gratefully.
MRS FULLER SUIT.
write this To certify that have known MIR Fuller sntt
from childhood and have the hours agony that her
patient wonanhood has been called upon endure She
has suffered untold agonies and beside me in per-
feet health with her child upon her knee. The prayers OF
this grateful woman will be yours my noble SIR and
we add our testimony 10 the thousands that favor great
est Of all modern discoveries, " YEGErlNE."
Yours respectfully, MRS. CHELLET SUMNER
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Has Not it's Equal.
LUNG DISEASE.

SELMA Ala.
H. r. Merens Boston - take great pleasure In recon-
mending your YEGEflNE. ! have been suffering forH
long une with Me Lung Diseasei trying every kind of
medicine that could get, but seemed to do me any
good, until tried your YEGEtlNE remedy. had
used 1t only shori time before could discover very great
Change In my health for the better doa't consider that
your medicine has It's equal for the diseases which you
propose To cure especially the diseases have been
afflicted with. JOHN THOMAS.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Suffered IS Years.
Piles, rheumatism.

GOODMAN, Miss, NAV g. ls7s.
H. n. Stepes, Boston -; have been suffering twenty
ye with the pies and found but little relief from any
medicine that have taken for many years past Last win
Ter suffered considerably than before also la
connection with Rheamdfism confined to my bed fo
several weeks. Having procured bottle of YEGETINE
took with good efect continued the usc and after
taking four i've bottles hnd myself comparatively cured
can cheerfully recommend for The benefits that have
received from II. Yours respectfully,
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
VOL. 74.-3777. NO. 21.


lie led us to a summer-house
In which we often played,
Aud on the floor In shining heaps
Were toys and poses laid.
Said he, "My children, choose Of these
The thing which you like best"
No need to tell how willingly
We followed his behest.
seized large and gilded toy
Whose splendor caught my eye.
She took n wreath Of roses,
And raised 1t with sigh
tossed my plaything in the air,
And broke IL in its fall
She smoothed her petals tenderly,
And kissed them one and all.
In childish petulance, l threw
The broken toy away.
Her flower she tended carefully.
And watered day by day.
Twas ever so. sought the glare
And noisy din Of life.
She studied nature patiently,
And rested from the strife.
And in the end there fell to us
No usual lot Of Joy
She won the garland Of renown,
And I, life's broken toy. -Hdrper's Bdfdr
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05

THERE Is In France a powerful society called
" The League of Instruction., formed in 1876
The League gives special attention to the propa-
gatlon oil Intelligence among the population Of the
rural regions 1t holds that mere schooling is not
education, but a means Of education; and hence
II seeks to establish all through France village
libraries, largely made up of books on agriculture
and the various industries, II also furnishes
special libraries for soldiers The League has be.
come centre of educational societies, the mum
Der OF which runs 10 over four hundred with
thirty-iive thousand members Thus far the
League has established two hundred and forty-six
libraries for Villagers and one hundred and sew
enty-one for soldiers, and II has also made con.
trbutions to two hundred aud twenty-six IL
brires that were previously in existence The
that each member has the right 10 Introduce any
motion or proposition, and by the publication OF
the proceedings at all the meetings.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05

WE smile at.the ignorance of the savage
who cuts down the tree in order to reach its
fruits but the fact is that blunder of this
description is made by every person who is
oy,er-eager and impatient in the pursuit of
pleasure Claiming.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-05
Vermont Conference Seminary
AND FEMALE COLLEGE,

AT M on tp elier. VT.
For both sexes. Boarding and day scholars Fits for
college, Tor business, or for home usefulness Eight
OF study. Thirteen professors and teachers The best
logue. j, n, SOITTH yoVTH