davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
The Little Sweep.

Several years ago an effort was made to
collect all the chimney sweepers in the
city of Dublin for the purpose of educa-
ton. Among the others came little
fellow, who was asked it he knew his let
ters.
20, yes, sir" was the reply.
"Do you spell9" -. .
80, yes, sir" was again the answer.
DO you read2"
30, yes, sir"
"And what book did you learn from9"
90, I never had book in my life, sir"
land who was your schoolmastera"
10, I never was at school9"
Here was a singular case; boy could
read or spell without book or master.
But what was the facta Why, another
little sweep, little older than himself,
had taught him to read by showing him
the letters over the shop door, which they
passed as athey went through the city.
His teacher, then, wasanother little sweep
like himself, and hisbook the sign-boards
on the houses. What may not be don,
by trying9- Child's World.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
A Boys First Effort.

A lady gave her young hopeful" the
task of wiring composition. He went
to work with great enthusiasm, ana the
outcome is thus related.
He re-appsared, after the lapse of an
hour or 50, inky from head 70 foot. bear
ing a foolscap sheet, on which was in
scribed in hieroglyphics somewhat re-
sembling the Runic characters used by
our Teutonic ancestors the following
efusion:
THE SENTENNEAL.
The S.ntennael Is the birthday of our
Country. Our Country was born in 1912.
1t was discovered by G. Columbus. l pity
Columbus because he was Forcnor. But
then he could not be born hear cause he
had to discover it first. Our country is
the largest. biggest, strongest Country IN
the whole world. Hurrah for the Q. S.
Of America.
Yours truly, WILLIE:
P.S.--It can lick any other country.
AS he handed this to me, quite flushed
and tired out with his arduous labors, he
said, with a soothing sympathy for me,
ming led with a profouSd contempt for all
literary work:
II don't wonder it makes your head
ache! Poor little mamma! Just you
wait till I'm a man! Then Pm going to
hire servant on purpose to write ou1
books for US"
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
Disadvantages IN Lite.
Cultivstine q beard.

Cultivating beard.
Sitting at the foot of a clearinghouse
table.
Wearing tight boots with big wad of
cctton-darning in the heel.
Walking through a crowded terry-boat
with year old baby in your arms.
Passing the club or billiard room with
out dropping in to see who's there"
Having a bad cold in the head and no
handkerchief within hailing distance.
Being asked what time it is when your
uncle is keeping your watch to suit his
time.
Endeavoring to persuade tailor that
the longer your bill goes over, the sooner
will the sun of resumption rise like for
ty-cent sky-rocket.
Carrying scuttle of coal up stairs
while the partner Of your joys stands in
the hall and yells, "Oh, Henry, what a
dirt you're making on my new csrpetw
For the first time in ones life asking a
girl if she wouldn't like to 90 out some
evening next week." and have her coldlv
say, mo you mustn't keep late hours!'
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
Gsing to the Circus.

For half an hour before the circus
opened an misunderstanding, mlddle-age
man was observed walking around nerv-
ously, as if he had free ticket and was
afraid the show was on the point of bust
ing up. When the ticke1-wagon was
opened he made rush for it and bought
a pasteiooard; but while on his way to the
tent, ticket in hand, a woman lodged in
to the procession, seized his collar, and
for halt minute the air see med full o
heels.
''G5ing to the circus, chi" exclaimed
the woman, as she slammed him around
''Sneakeo out of the back way and made
Decline for here, did you?'
"Let up on me-stop-for heaven S
sake! stop this disgraceful conduct!'
''Gentlemen," she said to the crowd, as
she held up one foot and then the other,
''see them shoes? I've worn 'em better
nor year, and there amt nothing left
but the heels and shoe strings. All the
children are just as bad off, and we don't
have half enough to eat. That explains
why Pm bouncing him-why I'll make
his good .for-nothlng heels break his
goodfor-nothing neckr'
They fell over a rope as she grasped
him, and in the confusion Re broke away,
leaving the ticket ON the ground. A boy
handed it to her, and, wiping the mud of
her nose with her apron. she said:
II hai1't seen no girafes, BOT clowns,
nor snakes, nor hyenas for twenty-five
years, and being this ere tickets bought,
I'll walk in and view the gorgeousness
and the children shall come tonight, if
have to pawn the wash-tub to raise the
money!
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
Dream, My Baby.
BY HBRN e. RRXFORD.

Mothers baby, rock and rest,
Little birds are fast asleep.
Close beneath her mother-breast,
Safe the bird her brood will keep.
Oh! my nesting, mother sings, =.
Close within the mother. arms, @. "%5
Fold thy little. unledged wings, sa
Safe from any rude alarms. -.,
Sweet, my baby, on my breast $3.50
Dream your happy dreams and rest.
Rest, oh! rest.
All! my baby, from the nest .-.
Little birds will some day fly ..
To the east and to the west,
Wild their pretty wings to try,
But, fly they fast, my bird, or far,
Never can they find the spot,
Under sun or any star, ~ ..,
Where the mother-love is not.
Sweet, my baby, on my breast
Dream your happy dreams and rest
Rest. oh! rest.
Oh! my baby, mother prays,
AS she clasps you closer still,
All sweet things for coming days,
And not any earthly ill.
Always, child, remember this:
Mothers hearth warm aud true,
And she tells you with kiss,
There'll be always room for you.
Sweet, my baby, on my breast
Dream your happy dreams and rest
Rest, oh! rest.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
over her shoulder, she was presently
gladdencd by a glimpse OF something yet

over her shoulder, she was presently
gladdencd by a glimpse OF something yet
long way off.
Rowing for dear life, she soon made
out her brothers arm occasionally appear
ing on rising wave. He was floating
almost under water, and very nearly ex
hausted.
Katie had to give him the oars to rest
on, and to help support him us best she
could for some time before he was able
to scramble into the skiff.
The girl had done her best, but with
all her speed he had been an hour
in the water when she reached him. The
loss of a fow moments might have lost
him his life.
With Ned lying in the bottom of the
skiff limp and faint, Katie pulled away
for home with glad heart, and if she
cried little, it was for joy as much as
anything.
They found Hendrickson waiting for
Katie's return, thinking she might pos
sibly have the dispatch, though he little
expected to see Ned with her.
The Hessiars had watched their es.
Gaping prisoner until almost out of sight
and then they saw him throw up his
hands and disappear When Katie came
along in her boat, they supposed her
search would be useless, and had turned
into lane leading inland.
On reaching their rendezvous at Sandy
Hook, they reported that the boy had
been drowned and his body carried out
to sea. f. #A .a.aes
Sanborne fastened to spread the same
report through the neighborhood, and
his friends thought they had lost Master
Ned, and great was the rejoicing when
he reappeared the next day sound and
we'll, and everybody said: Isn't that
just like Kate Observation-Disclosures
C0nDd7li0n
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
A Good Liquid Manure,

A Baltimore florist sends the Boston
Journal of Chemistry the following form
ula for liquid manure for flowers. The
materials may be had at any blacksmith
shop:
Put one bushel of the clippings from
horses hoofs into barrel and fill it up
with water. Let it stand for week,
when it is ready for use. Apply it with
watering pot. All bedding plants can
be watered with this liquid every other
day. If they are not pot bound; repotted
plants should be wattered ouce a week
until they have plenty of working roots
to take up the manure. It will also be
found excellent for hard wocded plants
if used once or twice a week. Two or
three weeks after the plants have been
watered with the manure. the foliage gen
orally changes from green to a golden
yellow, moving from the stem down to a
point of the leaf which however, lasts
only for few weeks, when it changes tc
a dark glossy green. Plants under this
watering grow very strong; the flowers
are very large and bright in color
Plants thus treated can be kept in
very small pots for long time with
out being transplanted. This is es
pecially advantageous to the market gard
ener, who can sell his plants in three or
four inch pots, while he would have tc
shift them into five and six inch if he
used rich soil alone. Flowers watered
with this liquid manure will bring TWEEN
ty-five per cent more than otherwise; be-
sides using in small pots, they are lighter
can be packed closer, and are easier to be
handled. The fertilizer is not stimu-
liant, but plant food, and plants that art
watered with it, if planted out, will con
tinue growing and keep in good growth
which cannot be said Of guano. 1t is a
powerful as guano, as quick in action
and more lasting.
It will not do the slightest harm to thu
foliage; most other liquid manures spoi
the foliage when they come in contac
with it. 1t forms nc crust on the pots o.
soil. 1t is cheaper than any other goot
fertilizer which is used in liquid form
The chips need be renewed or replaced
only twice year, while the water can b
withdrawn every day. When liquid gu
ano is used too strong it will cause tn
plant to drop all their leaves. This Ii
quii will not, even if used once or twic
day for short time.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
Winter AmusementS.

The play called W no Wears the Ring?"
is an elegant application of the principles
involved in discovering number fixed
upon, and is splendid way in which to
pass an evening. The number of persons
participating in the game should not ex-
coed nine. One of them puts a ring on
one of his fingers, and it is your object
to discover, first, the wearer of the ring {;
second, the hand; third, the finger; fourth
the joint.
The company being seated in order,
The persons must be numbered 1, 2, 3,
etc.; the thumb must be termed the first
finger, the fore finger being the second;
the joint nearest the extremity must be
called the first joint; the right hand is
one, and the left hand two.
These preliminares having been ar.
ranged, leave the room in order that the
ring may be placed unobserved by you.
We will suppose that the third person
has the ring on the right hand, third fin
ger, and free joint; your object is to dis
cover the figures 1881.
Desire one Of the company to perform
secretly the following arithmetical ope'
ration:
1. Double the number of the per
sons who has the ring; in the
case supposed, this will produce
| 2. Add 5 II
3. Multiply by five *
| 4. Add 10 6!
5. Add the number denoting the
| hand q
6. Multiply by 10 66I
| Z. Add the number of the finger C.
s. Multiply by 10 6,6S
9. Add the number of the joint 6,63
| 10. Add IS 6,66
He must apprise you Of the figures nov
produced, 6,666; you will then in all case
substract from it 1885; IN the present in
stance there will remain 3,l31, denotine
the person No. 8, the hand No. 1, the fin
ger No. 3, and the joint No. 1.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
Health Hints for Earmers

Danger comes from sudden straining of
one muscle, or set of muscles, 20 as to
iDjure their tissue and cause lameness.
Few escape this. Then add to this the
injury of overwork. Ove1working is
simply working after the strength has
been reduced so low that it is painful or
wearing to move. It is working after the
nourishment in the blood has been mostly
used up. 1t is like keeping mill go
ing when the steam is low, or when the
water in the dam is nearly out. In such
caseses not only the muscles stuff r, but
all the organs Of the body. Overwork at
last, no matter what kind it is, produces
bankruptcy of the body, which is worse
than any kind of bankruptcy. bad as they
all are. In the care Of the muscles
avoid colds and rheumatism. They
make people stiff andglame. They take
away the natural elasticity which gives
so much pleasure, and substitute worn
out, tired, exhausted feeling, which bord-
ers on pain, and is often more difficult to
bear. How very careful the owner Of a
fine horse IS that he shall not take cold
He knows if he does it will founder, and
after this it will never be a good stopper
Our whole country is full of foundered
men and women, who are stiff, lame,
rheumatic, old in feeling, inelastic. Most
of them might have preserved their elias
ITCHY to old age if they mad taken proper
care of themselves.
As a rule, farmers do not battle as much
as they should. The daily bath to them
is quite as important as to any class. L
requires but few moments to take it
and when followed py friction it fortifes
the skin agaist colds.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
Humorous Items.

There's one melancholy fact about
calendar; there's no time when its days
are not numbered. ...%r
We should think that weak man with
heavy voice would sometimes be unable
to lift it up. ...a.
When you visit the menagerie and be-
gin lion about the animals, don't give
jackal the bad names. -
Anthony Comstock heard somebody
speak of ''new departure" "A nude
departure2 III have it arrested at once!''
he exclaimed.-Butazo Sunday Ne,os.
One of the seventy-fve points of differ
is that the latter ''kept his body under"
and the former didn't.-Phila. Bulletin
The father OF a St. Louis bride presented
his SON law with $4,000 head of cattle.
"Papa, DEAR exclaimed his daughter,
when she heard of it, that was so kind
OF you; Charley's awfully fond of ox-tail
SOUP"
"Why are you looking at me so intent
| ~, Alice?" said Theodore. "Iwas gazing
at vacancy" replied Alice, dreamily; and
yet there is a twinkle about her mouth
that shows her appraisement of the young
man. 49,.
| I suppose the same man would live to
be eighty years old on brown bread, roots,
and green CRIBS, who would reach seventy
eight years on plum puddin and milk
punch. Which of the two ways do you
consider the whichest2-Josh Billings.
"You're drunk. sir" said the captain
| n o., unrestricted hl,,A iooL - froch frov,o
an unlimited absence without leave. II
know I'm drunk" returned the tar, "but
! shall get over that. AS for you,'' he
went 90, looking at his commanding Of
ficer pityingly, ''you're fool, and you'll
never get over that"
An exhorter in campmeeting in Geor.
gia was telling his congregation OF the
wickedness of the world, and how many
people cheated and lied and backbited,
and all that sort Of thing, when an old
storekeeper jumped up and said, III know
who you are hintin' at. faint no such
thingw
A bright little shoreham boy, who had
been engaged in combat with another
boy, was reproved by his aunt, who tolc
him he ought always to wait until thu
other boy "pitched upon" him. "Well,
: explained the young belligerent, "but j
I wait for the other boy to begin, I'm
. afraid there won't be any fight"
! A scientific lecturer put out flaming
!, handbills headed "Know Thyself." 4
!, wag soon called on the lecturer and tolt
him he was inducing great many peo
pie to form acquaintance of very lov
y order. The lecturer looked at the wag 8
moment, and said, "My friend, you ar
y right, but it never occurred to me until
q saw you" EtEl a
+ "Madam," said doctor one day to tn
mother Of sweet, healthy babe, II wis
f to enquire what you do to have such
r. lovely, happy, uniformly good childi
# The mother unused for moment over tn
n strangeness of the question, and then re
piled, simply and beautifully, "Wh,
r God has given me healthy child, and
~ let it alone"
e A minister of West Anstruther appeale
to Sir Robert Anstruther, who was an ez
|, tensive landowner in that parish, I
l. assist in placing stove in the churcl
e which he said the congregation foun
IN very cold. "Cauld, sir !! cauld ~ Sir Rebe
d exclaimed warm them with vol
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12

Potatoes were first introduced at Mos
COW by Mr.. Rowland, eighty or ninety
years ago. At first the people would
neither plant nor touch them, saying they
we're the DEVILS fruit, given to HIM on his
complaining to God that he had no
fruit, when he was told to search in the
earth for some, which he did, and found
potatoes. A curious Berwickshire legend,
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
An Essay in Quantity

10! the day, dawning with rosy brightness,
Leaps to each mountain over all the valleys,
While the gray twilight, vanishing before It,
Clings to the lowlands;
Where the hoarse tumult of an angry torrent,
Tonelv in silence as of old eternal.
Roars a rough nocturne, even in the darkness
laundering onward
Like q forlorn soul that a gloomy passion
Urges, and dark mists gather all around him.
But the high mountains, if he gazed upon
them
GLOW with the sunlight,
The Spectator
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
Something New In Fences.

From the Rural World
A correspondent says: "A post and
rail fence, better than anything I have
ever seen, patented or unpatented, is
made as follows Set the posts nine feet
apart, or two feet less than the rails used.
Bo'e one and quarter inch hole
through the posts one foot from the
ground, and at right angles with the di-
rection of the fence. Bore three holes
above this, nine inches apart, one above
the other, and drive in wooden pins in
all four holes to project four inches on
each side of the post. Lay your rails on
these pins, close to the post on each side
Bore three-eight inch hole above the
top rail, and another one one and half
inches below the bottom pin. Take a
piece of wire ten or eleven feet long, and
pass half its length through the top hole
and cross it I'm Ter the top rail; cross il
again under the second rail from the top
cross it again under the third rail, and
finally cross it under the bottom rail by
slipping the ends Of the wire through the
small hole, and bring them around in
front of the post and twist them together
This makes a cheap strong fence, thai
will turn horses and cattle; but, if sheer
are kept, II board should be placed at thu
bottom, or fifth rail added.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12

which, however, is palpably anachronical.
attributes the introduction of potatoes
into Scotland to that famous wizard of
the North. Sir Michael Scott. The wizard
and the devil, being in partnership, took
lease Of the farm on the Martoun estate,
called Whitehouse. The wizard was to
manage the farm, the devil managed the
capital. The produce was to be divided
as follows: The first year Sir Michael was
to have all that grew ABOVE ground, and
his partner all that grew below: the
second year the shares were to be the
opposite way. His satanic majesty, as is
usual in such cases, was fairly over
reached in his bargain, for the wizard
cunningly sowed all the land in the fist
year with wheat, and planted it with
potatoes the second, so that the devil got
nothing for his share but wheat stubble
and potato tops. And this scourging ro-
tation Sir Michael continued until he had
not only beggared his partner, but ex-
hausted the soil. In spite of this legend,
however, we must continue to give credit
to Sir Walter Raleig Oh for having been the
introducer of potatoes into that country.
The first that tried them, We are told, fell
into the very natural mistake of eating
the apples and disregarding the roots.
Every farmer should save ali the fer
tillzing material that the farm affords, so
far as possible. One source of fertility
is found in the Stops from the chamber,
which in many cases are thrown careless
ly where 70 benefit will come, for the
reason th1t just little trouble is pcces-
sary for their saving. A very simple
method for saving chamber slop, is to
put quantity of dry earth, chip dirt,
charcoal dust, dry peat, or something Of
the kind in some sheltered place, either
in pile or in barrels, upon which the
slops are thrown until thoroughly satu-
rated. This makes an exceedingly rich
fertilizer, as experience has attested.
About half pint of saturated charcoal
dust was used in the hill for corn but.
not being properly covered with soil,
was too strong for the corn which was
killed by it, but being planted over, the
corn came up quickly and made vigor-
Gus growth which continued through the
season, caring heavily. In an ordinary
sized family, by saving the chamber
Stops in the manner indicated. several
barrels of material may be made that is
almost as reliable as guano.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12
FARM AND HOUSE.
Facts worth Reme,nber ine.

One thousand shingles, laid four inches
to the weather, will cover one hundred
square feet of surface, and five pounds of
Single nails will fasten them on.
One FIFTH more siding and flooring is
needed than the number of square feet OF
surface to be covered, because of the Jap
in the siding and matching of the floor.
One thousand laths will cover seventy
yards of surface, and eleven pounds Of
lath nails will nail them on.
Eight bushels of good lime, sixteen
bushels of sand. and one bushel of hair,
will make enough good mortar to plaster
one hundred square yards.
A cord of stone, three bushels of lime,
and cubic yard OF sand will lay one
hundred cubic feet of wall.
The law assists those who are vigilant,
and not those who sleep over their rights
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12

| rather than to risk the loss OF The dispatch,
he had plunged through the surf and was
swimming out into the ocean.
| Now" she reasoned with herself, che
doesn't expect to swim across the Allan.
tic, and he can't stay in the water all
day, hoping to he picked up by coaster.
What he thinks of is that may be I'll see
him, and try to pick him up with the
surf.skiff; and 80 I will"
Calling her younger brother, the brave
childs help dragged the surf-skiff across
| the beach.
A. Jersey surf-skiff is very light boat
of cedar, thin as she'll and easily han
died. To launch the little craft through
the breakers and jump into it without
upsetting, requires good deal Of skill
and good deal of pluck beside. Katie
was not novice in such things, and in
few minutes she was pulling a strong
steady stroke up the beach, heading q
point or two off shore.
She could not see her brother in the
water, but'after rowing, as it seemed tt
her, very long time, she saw the soldiers
on the sand, and judged that Ned mus
be somewhere in line with them.
Pulling on until she came abreast o
them, she stood up and looked about her
She found she was at least a mile Of
shore, and two miles up the beach from
home. e <2s
Ned was nowhere to be seen, and afte
scanning the sea in every direction, sh
sank back with slckening fear that h
, had gone down.
At that moment she heard faint call
t and rising again, could plainly distin
guish distant hail. She could not Sc
anything at first, but pulling rapidly i
u the direction of the sound, with her hea'