davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

CARELEsSNEsS AS A SOURCE OF POWER
TY.-lt is amazing to consider the extent
to which losses are incurred on the one
hand, and sales and occupation afforded
on the other hand. by the inexcusabe
carelessness of people who know better
and ought to do better. The fastening of
II well bucket is deranged, or hoop is
loose, but the thoughtless man or woman
never notices the trouble until the bucket
is dropped in the well or the bottom is out.
Then time is lost, the family is inconven-
fenced, and perhaps II neighbor gets job
of work and the pay. The gate latch is
out of order; no attention is paid to it;
the hogs or cows get in; the yard is rooted
up; the shrubbery is destroyed; the gar
dener is employed and the nurseryman
has an order.
A tire is loose on the wheel; the wood
is swiftly wearing away, little care
would set the matter right; no pains are
taken; away on the road wheel is crush
ed, and the wheel-wright has some en-
ployment. A shingle is out of place on
he roof; one nail would mend the trou-
BILE; that nail ism t driven; the rain steals
in, and soon the plasterer is paid to use
trowel and brush. A bride rein is weak ;
bit is worn; nobody thinks of eXamin-
ing either; II horse is drawn to one side,
or a horse runs away; vehicle is broken !;
carriage maker or blacksmith is profited,
and perhaps IL surgeon has q profitable
professional engagement.
The water of we'll is impure; those
who use it complain, still no proper steps
are taken; the family have serious sick
ness the druggist sells his medicines, and
the doctor gets his fees. In the same way
the cellar is foul; the mephitic gases es-
cape through the floors; the blood is
poisoned; the fever RACES; some suffer,
some die; the physician has harvest and
even the undertaken and sexton find en-
ployment. A stove chimney is in danger
GUS condition; people have eyes to see
but don't use them; the fire soon does its
dreadful work, and carpenters and mer-
chants have u good time So of many
very many things.
Are you innocent of such neglect
There are far better and cheaper ways to
give work and profit to others. By taking
care of what you have you may become
able to add other and more valuable things
which you desire. There is true economy
in proper attention to small as well rs
great things.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

AT A HOLY WELL IN IRELAND.-For
several miles our road was bounded on
one side by bog and rocks on the
other. There were no evidences of human
habitation, yet here and there we passed q
peasant-some crippled, all plunged in
profound misery. | inquired the errand
of these poor creatures, and was informed
that it was st. Somebody's Day, and they
were going to her well near by to be
healed.
IT s there beyond" said trembling
old woman, pointing her skinny finger to
a clump of trees and a stone wall few
hundred yards distant. | alighted, and
walked down the valley to small inclos-
ure which surrounded well and with
cred tree. Near by was rude stone altar,
upon which were numerous offerings of
toys, bits of broken ware, and shreds of
many-colored rags tied 10 sticks, and
kneeling beside it was group of cripples
some moved slowly round the circle on
their knees, muttering prayers, some were
telling their beads, others partook Of the
water, while a priest stood by the tree
reading. This, then, was one of the holy
wells so numerous in Ireland, to which
visits are still very frequently made, in
most of the cases as works of penance,
either voluntary or enjoined, but generally
for obtaining health, under the auspices ol
the saint, by drinking the waters of the
well. OF course the day of the patron
saint of each we'll is the one chosen for
these visits and some years ago, and
even now in many parts of the country,
crowds were attracted. not only for relig-
ious motives, but for love of gossip and
meeting with distant friends. These wells
have kept their reputation for centuries
the fame of some being coeval with
Christianity, while that of others probably
preceded it, the early Christian teachers
having merely changed the object o.
worship. leaving the altars of idolatry
undisturbed.-MiSS j. L. Cloud, tn Har
per's magazine for October.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

THE END OF SUMMER.-The summer
season, though fully entered upon its de-
cline, has not yet ceased, having still a
few days of life left. To be sure the sum-
mer vacations have ended and people have
generally settled down to what they term
their fall work, while people who find it
always convenient to begin their seasons
with the beginning of a month call the
present days the days of autumn. This
year the astronomical close of summer
occurs early in the morning of Monday,
Sept. %, the course of the sun crossing the
equator at nine minutes past five o'clock
The nights. which are now somewhat shor-
ter than the days, will then equal the days
in length, and will grow adily longer
until Dec. 81, when the sbor 81 days and
longest nights of the year vail usher in
the winter. The last four months in the
twelve are not inaptly called The dying
embers Of the year." and with equal APP
propriateness the September days now
nassing might be called the embers of
summer.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

A CHEAP GREENHoUsE.-The German
town Telegraph says: "The cheapest plan
of erecting greenhouse that we have any
knowledge of-and we used one success
fully for many years-is to dig out pit
in side hill, where the upper end will be
just above ground and the lower end will
be two or three steps down for an entrance.
Wall up, roof the wall, and cover the
whole with sash, as in hot beds, the sash
having more fall, say three feet in width
of two, the house being fifteen by ten.
Erect in this the stand of shelves, and
when it is time to take up the summer
flowers, bulbs, etc., store them here. The
glass should be covered with thick straw
mats, which can be removed even when
the weather is coolest, in clear weather,
for an hour or two at midday, to get the
warmth and influence of the sun. At such
times ventilation also should be attended
to, by slightly opening a sash or two. No
fire is needed. Nearly all towering plants
will bloom, and there will scarcely be
week during the winter that a bouquet
may not be gathered, If the house is prop
erly managed" The summer is the time
to make it and have it ready for fall.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

A SAD PERIoD.-It is vain to cling to
the youth which is past, be our unbelief of
the fact ever so stubborn. Rather should
it be gracefully resigned for the cheerful
acceptance of the duties which mature life
is sure 10 bring. Why, for example, should
a single woman of forty cling to the dress
and manners of girl, instead of owning
to herself and others that she has fully
reached middle age? Countless advertise
ments show but too plainly how many
have horror of growing old, and snatch
credulously at every device for hiding the
means walking deception, and where
there is falsehood on the surface. there is
not much hope of truth beneath; failure
means an absurd anomoly-bright hair
does not harmonic with faded cheek, or
rouge with furrowed brow Besides,
lovely as in the bloom Of YOUTH it is bard
ly missed when the beauty of expression
beams forth in its stead. In mourning over
and magnfying, what is past, there is
always danger Of neglecling, if not losing,
the treasures which remain. Yet, in mid
die age often only the bright aspects Of
youth are recalled. My good days are
tlone,' we can imagine one musing in
melancholy womanhood; " how different
it was at twenty; sheltered by the tender
est love, free from care and anxiety. and
happy in what had, and, what was more,
u Languid, restful feeling, which gave as
surance of having enjoyed myself to the
utmost. Around me were intimate friends.
with whom | could exchange thoughts and
feelings, unchecked by doubt or reserve;
health of body made it a joy to live and
breathe, while an elastic spirit sprang
freshly from every trouble; and then the
enchantress Hope, how sweetly she whisp-
cred! But now, many sorrows have chast-
ened bo!y and mind. Reaction has come
to be thing of dread-most usurous pay
ment for every excitement The dear old
home is broken up. Of early friends, some
are dead, others are distant or occupied,s SO
that we rarely communicate and fewer
still remain unchanged Many times have
l been deceived and disappointed in others,
and, bitterer still, have been deceived and
disappointed in myself. have to bear my
burden alone, and hide my griefs, lest
tease some careless ear, or hinder some
busy hand"
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

TRAITS OF THE SHARK.-When all the
blubber and fat has been removed from
the carcass of the whale by the Trinidad
fishermen, it is usually towed out, and al
lowed to drift with the current as bait
for sharks, while large canoes, filled some-
what in the style of whaleboats, follow it
to harpoon any of these fish that may
come withing range. Shaking is rather
good sport in itself, and is at the same
time very remunerative, on account of the
quality of oil that may be obtained from
the liver. The shark is killed much in the
same way as the whale, being first har-
pooned and then lanced till it is exhaust
ed, after which its liver is cut out and
placed in the boat.
The liver is four or five feet long, and
large one will give as much as fifteen or
sixteen gallons of oil. Though sharks in
these parts are numerous, yet accidents
while bathing, or even when boats are
swamped at sea, are rare; and they will
not touch human being, even when in
the water alongside whale that is cut up.
Several instances are well authenticated
where persons have thus fallen among
them and escaped injury, the shark pre-
ferring the blubber and flesh of the whale
to human flesh. No doubt if the person
immersed was wounded, so as to cause
b'oed to flow, sharks would eat him as
readily as the whale. When in great
numbers, they will eat one of their own
kind that has been severely wounded, and
on such occasions rush at the body SC
fiercely rs to force it above the Surface.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24
Scientific Miscellany.

An amusing incident in the career of
Mr.. A. l.. IIolley is related by a New
York paper. While working as an en-
gineer on one of the railways he made II
wager with some of his fellows that he
could run locomotive mile without fire,
water or steam-the locomotive to be TAX
en- empty and cold from the shop and
lowed by another engine to a point at
some distance on the road where a level
stretch of track favored the experiment
Young Holley rode in state on his cold
locomotive TO the scene of trial, aud, un-
suspected by his escort, so arranged mat
tiers that during the trip the motion of the
drivers and pistons stored the boilers with
compressed air. This gave him, by the
time the destined point was reached, an
accumulation OF power by means of which
he run his mile and won his wager.
There is clock in the Guildhall muse
nm, London, of which the motive power
is hydrogen gas, generated by the action
of diluted sui lphuric acid on ball OF zinc.
The clock itself resembles large colored
glass cylinder without cover, and is
about half full of sulphuric acid. Floating
on the top of this acid is a glass bell, and
the gas generated forces upward this con-
cave receiver until it nearly reaches the
top of the cylinder, when by the action Of
Il delicate lever, two valves become stimuli
taneously opened. One of these allows
the gas to escape, thereby causing the re-
ceiver to descend, and the other permits &
fresh ball of zinc to fall into the acid. The
same operation is repeated as long as the
materials for making the gas are supplied
and this is effected without winding OF
manipulation of any kind. The dial plate
is fixed to the front of the cylinder, ant
communicates by wheels, etc., with ;
small glass perpendicular shaft, whlcl
rises with the receiver and sets the wheel
in motion.
DR.. Book, of Leipsic, writes as follow
on the moral effect of different articles O
food and drink: The nervousness ant
peeyishness of our times are chiefly attrib
u,able to tea and coffee; the digestive or
gans of confirmed coffee drinkers are in
state ofchronic arrangement, which react
on the brain, producing fretful and lachry
NOSE moods. Fine ladies addicted to stron.
coffee have characteristic temper, whicl
| might describe as mania for acting tn
persecuted saint. Chocolate is neutral il
Tvs psS ClllC eHeCtS, anu 10 IVaiiy bhO iio'
harmless of our fashionable drinks. Th
snappish, petulant humor of the Chimes
can certainly be ascribed to their immod
crate fondness for tea. Beer is brutaliz
ing, wine impassions, whiskey infuriates
but eventually unmans. Alcoholic drin ks
combined with flesh and fat diet, total
subiugate the moral man, unless their in
fluence be counteracted by violent exercise
But with sedentary habits they produc
those unhappy flesh sponges which ma
be studied in metropolitan bachelor hall'
hut betl er yet in wealthy converts. Tn
soul that may still linger in fat Austria
abbot is functional to his body only as sa
is to pork-in preventing imminent putrt
faction.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

WHAT MAKES A SAINT.-Ah, this is II
sad lile said La Povera; | often think
am like the Sorelaccia (bad sister,, and
bope to be happier up there, pointing
heavenwards. Who was the Sorellacciap
| asked. Have you never heard? 1t is
one of our Pistojese legends, and | am of
ten comforted TO think of it. There was
once two sisters and brother. The broth
er became q frate, one sister also took to
tie religious life, and became nun; but
the other one married, became the mother
of large family, and had Il hard life
like me, sighs the Povera, kissing the tiny
baby on her lap. The others used to call
her the Sorellacca, because she made no
religious profe ssion. Once the brother
came TO see her on Sunday, and found
her in her old gown doing housework.
What! he cries, are you not going TO
church? To church! she says; who's to
cook mp husbands dinner and feed the
baby, and mind all the children if | go
away? But, asked the frate, quite horri
fed, do you never 60 to massP The last
time [ went was before the baby was
born, about month since. Well, said
tine fratc, 90 to-day, and will stay here
and mind the house and children.
Away went the Sorelacca to mass, and
the frate was driven out of his mind with
the crying children and the troubles of
cooking, till, l,when she came home, he said,
thank Heaven you are back again before
90 mad There, sister,if you have patience
10 put up with this every day, you certain
ly 90 q long way toward earning your rest
in Heaven. Soon after this the frate died
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

SOME COMMON MEDICAL TERMs.-Med.
icine, like every science, has its peculiar
terms which seem barbarous to tho public.
They secure brevity and exactness. Some
of them, however. have become more or
less familiar to the people at large, and it
may be well from time to time to explain
a few of them.
An epidemic is q disease due to some
widespread cause, and prevailing through
large extent Of territory. Thus the in
huenza-a kind of fever of short run has
repeatedly swept through whole nations,
sometimes from one end of the earth to
the other, always from east TO west.
An endemic disease is due to local
causes, and is generally restricted to the
localities in which they originate. Fever
and aguc is an endemic disease. Some
times an endemic disease becomes epi.
demic. Cholera, endemic in India. oc-
casionally sweeps through the world; and
yellow fever, endemic in the West Indies,
is conveyed to our Southern States, where
it becomes desolating epidemic. Some
times an imported epidemic may leave
beeind it germs from which the disease
may in time under favoring circumstances
burst out anew.
A disease is said to be sporadic when
cases Of it occur here and there without
any connection between them.
An epizootc-pronounced epi-zo-ot-ic
not epizoo tic-is an epidemic among
domestic animals. The ne which spread
among our horses few years ago, max
ing our cities through the week stllei
than IN ordinary Sabbath, was of the ma
ture of an influenza, though it largely
affected the spinal cord,-Youth'S Com.
paniOn.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24
LETTERS ON NATURAL HISTORY.
No. 15.
WATER ANIMALCULES.
BY On. HIRAM A. CUTTING.


Perhaps no class of objects that are WIS.,
ible to us only through the microscope en-
gage our attention SO often, and amaze us
20 much, as the various forms and pecu-
liar habits of the water animalcules.
For the first time it is an amazing spec
tacle to view an assemblage of dissimilar
forms in drop of stagnant water. They
are from one thousandth to one ten thou
slndih of an inch in diameter, and l once
saw them so crowded that the spaces be-
tween them were not much larger. Sew
eral hundred forms have been studied and
described, but shall only mention three
or four of the more common species.
Remember while pond or river water will
contain now and then specimens, that it
is stagnant water alone that is crowded,
and the pure spring water of Vermont
never contains any animal life.
The motions of these creatures are
varied, l might say almost endless in
variety, but amid their diversified gambols
all have the power of avoiding obstacles
in their course, and their neighbors, which
are in such close proximity to them. Some
species are far more common than others,
but the more uncommon varieties may
frequently be found in midsummer, by
exposing decoction of any dried leaves
to the sun for three or four days; such
exposure must be in the open air. A few
species l will describe.
The Rotifer, or wheel bearing animal
cules, are so termed from the appearance
of certain wheels, often seen rapidly rota-
ting in various situations on the anterior
part of the body near the mouth. We say
wheels because they were so considered
by early microscopic observers who could
not account for the motion in any other
way; but an improvement in instruments
has shown that it is an incessant muscular
action, giving an apparent rotation; but
that wheels could revolve in any part of
an animate body would be quite incons s
tent with the laws of animal organization.
These wheel-shaped muscles are used to
aid in the motion of the animalcule and
in supplying its food. They are entirely
subservient to the power of will, as they
can stop the motion instantly or increase
it as they choose.
Their body, though so small, in one
species, is shielded by a shell into which
this rotating apparatus can be drawn at
will. 1t is by the whirlpool, formed by
the before described rotation, that its food
is drawn into its mouth as a vortex, where
1t is masticated by three tiny teeth, and
swallowed into a prepared receptacle
where it is ground by muscles working
vigorously on each other. Minute and
curious rs these organs are, the animalcue
is so small that like all microscopic Great
ures they are transparent, and with n
moderately high magnifying power this
can as well be seen as the workings of a
steam engine made of glass.
This species enjoy sunshine, and on
dark cloudy days arc only found in the
bottom Of the pond CT ditch at which they
reside.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24
VOL. XXXVI.

A NOVEL THEORY OF DIPurHEIIA.-
DR.. Emil Querner, of Philadelphia, sends
us the following note on this subiect,which
will interest our professional readers,
even II they are not prepared 10 accept the
authors theory:
After laborious and scrutinizing in
vestigation into the cause of a large num-
Der OF cases of diphtheria that have come
under my care during several years past,
| have almost arrived at the conclusion
that the primary infection of an individual
comes from the fungi which are found as
spots OF different colors on the exterior of
fruits, particularly apples. As far as the
power of my microscope has shown, these
fungi seem identical with the fungi from
diphtheretic ulcer and last autumn
traced number of cases, at one time five
together in one family, back to the eating
OF apples picked from the gronnd in
orchards without previously cleaning the
iru't by rubbing or washing. The preva-
lence of this dreadful disease in the last
three decades may well be accounted for
by the fact that the appearance and
llourlshin9 of lower vegetable and animal
organism is periodical; of which we have
examples in the potato disease, the disease
OF the grape vine, and cholera, which
latter has been ascribed to fungus grow
ing on tie ears of rice in East India, and
carried in the human body as contagion
over all parts of the globe, e,-and in many
other cases. OF course, any person in
fected with the disease from the primary
cause may be the centre of the infection
for others. Why many persons eat fruit
with fungi on them with impunity is ex
plainable simply on the ground that the
susceptibility for disease differs greatly in
individuals; and that, for instance, for the
propagation of fungi upon the mucous
membrane of the pharynx there may
exist previous catarrhalc affection, with
u spongy condition of the same.
1t is my opinion that in times of epi.
demic diseases almost every one takes the
contagion into his system, but that for the
developement of the disease a certain
predisposition, or some additional cause,
is necessary. Thus cholera breaks out in
an individual only after the cooling off of
the abdomen; and small pox attacks timid
persons often after being frightened by
the sight of the pitted face of a GONZALES
cent patient from distance. Thus, also,
the immunity of physicians who treat
such diseases with Jealous and investi-
eating mind, and with fearless interest
in every case may be accounted for; their
nervous energy resisting the tendency of
their vital power to succomb to the conta-
gion.
By this communication, l wish only to
give a hint for further investigation in this
matter, for certainly it is time that the
medical profession should discover more
of the hidden causes of zymotic diseases,
which bring SO much havoc among the
human race. ."-BoSton Journal Of Chenais-
try.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24

A HINT.-We met not long since II
sprightly old lady who was on her way to
New York to take II fual lesson in decor
ating porcelain She was above sixty
years of age, n faithful wife and mother.
and numbered with many and peculiar
cares; but she was as enthusiastic over
her new accomplishment as q girl of
fifteen could be. She said that when IL
mere chill she was So distressed at seeing
girls much older than herself dwadling
away their time in weary idleness because
they had never learned to do any pleasant
work, that she resolved to learn to do
that should at least afford
agreeable occupation for her spare mo-
ments, and this had been to her IN inde-
scribable happiness through her life. We
are sure that the old lady was right, and
that it is u good thing to have an accom-
plishment of some sort, to occupy the
leisure hours that are apt to weigh 50
heavily on unaccomplished young women.
The notion is quite common that time so
spent is time was ted The girl who
q" dngs the piano while her poor, hard
working mother is washing the Dishes"
is frequent subject Of indignant satire,
and we own that in those circumstances
the damsel's behavior is by no means to
be commended. But with the intended
moral of satire we cannot agree-namely,
that young women who have househould
work to do should not learn to play the
piano. A knowledge of music, even if it
be limited knowledge, is source of
pleasure, not only to the performer, but to
friends. If she can but execute simple
melody with reasonable precision and gen.
uine feeling, the gift is worthy of culllva-
ton for the sake of those idle moments
when dish-washing and sweeping and
other domestic tolls are ended, and the
mind Graves something restful and inspr-
ing.
We say, then, it is good thing for
girl or boy to do something outside of the
routine of life-something to take up what
might be dangerous pauses in necessary
labor.