davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
sCIssORRD sCINrILLATIONs.

A fish that can't see the point is apt to
get caught
Frequently above par-His hat-[Cin-
cinnati Commercial.
Mumps are plural, yet they often look
singular.-[Waterloo Observer
The saddest words of tongue or pen: 81
intend to pay; l can't say when."
Brass passes for gold in Africa, and, by
the way, it does here, too.-(Bufalo Ex-
press.
A pen may be driven, but the pencil
does best when it is Lead Boston Tran
script.
Colorado is young State: but she is
unrivaled for her big bugs Philadelphia
Bulletin.
A goat always begins sentence with
But" And sometimes stops one with it.
Il Norristown Herald.
Necessity may be the mother of inven-
ton, but laziness is certainly the father of
it, Waterloo Observer.
OF course women can keep secret,
but it takes good many of them to do
it. Hartford Sunday Journal.
"Stage struck" remarked the toad when
the wheels of loaded omnibus ran over
his head [Steubenville Herald.
Paper is worth six cents pound in Pc
ru until it is made into money. Then it
depreciates about fifty per cent Boston
Post.
An Arkansas negro who was hanged
asked his audience to try to meet him in
heaven, although he was quite doubtful
about their ever getting there.
A citizen of Fleming, KY, fired at a
rat struck a keg of powder, blew his
house to pieces, and had to jump in the
river to keep from burning up. The rat
remains unhurt.
II press my suit" the young man cried,
In tones too soft to tell;
And she pressed his suit with her curly head
As she laid it on his coat lapel
I-Steubenville Herald
Said Miss Dotonart at the Art Museum
"Yes, | am so delighted Chawles, and
what beautiful burst is that opposite!
Money couldn't force her into saying
"bust. VI Boston Transcript.
"A virginia eullOT, ldlcly HldIllSu, uas
become preacher, while Massachusetts
minister has become horse jockey. One
was a take miss and the other mistake
Il Chicago Commercial Advertiser.
A lady friend asks why man uses pro
fame language when he hurts himself
That's easy enough. When he cuts his
finger, for instance, he naturally tries te
dam the flow of blood Boston Tran
script.
There was case not a very long tint
since, where it became necessary to draw
cork, and the only one present of a larg'
party having pocket cork screw was
clergyman. He remarked that he used
to open ink bottles Boston Transcript
Swinburn sings, 81 hid my head in
nest of roses" Did you, Algernon, di
your That was wise in you to hide
among the roses. Now, if you had GOV
cred it up in nest Of cabbages, whe
you came to pick it out again you coul
not have told, for the life of you, whic
head was yours. Stick to the roses, oil
boy, every time Hawkeye.
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
ScOwling.

Don't scowl, it spoils faces. Before you
know it your forehead will resemble a
small railroad map. There is a grand
trunk line now from your cowlick to the
bridge of your nose, intersected by paral-
lei lines running east and west, with
curves arching your eyebrows; and oh,
how much older you look for it Scowl
ing is habit that steals upon us unawares.
We frown when the light is too strong,
and when it is too weak. We tie our
brows into knot when we are thinking,
and knit them even more tightly when
we cannot think.
There is no denying there are plenty of
things to scowl about. The baby in the
cradle frowns when something fails to
suit "Consttution scowls," we say. The
little toddler who likes sugar on his bread
and butter tells his trouble in the same
way when you leave the sugar off. "Cross"
we say about the children, and "worried
to death" about the grown folks, and as
for ourselves, we can't help it. But we
must Its reflex influence makes others
unhappy; for face answereth unto face in
lile as we'll as in water 1t bellies our re-
ligion. We should possess our souls in
such peace that it will reflect itself in
placid countenances. If your forehead is
rigid with wrinkles before forty, what
will it be at seventy?
There is one consolng thought about
these marks of time and trouble-the
death angel always erases them. Even
the extremely aged, in death, often wear a
smooth and peaceful brow, thus leaving
our last memories of them calm and tran
quill, But our business is with life. Scowl
ing is kind of silent scolding. 1t shows
that our souls need sweetening. Fol
PHYS sake let us take sad iron, or glac
iron, or smoothing tool of some sort
and straighten these creases out of ouI
faces before they become indelibly en-
craven upon our visage.
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
LFraser's Magazine. |

He was born of well-connected, we'll
established family, perhaps with no
floating grandeur Of a pedigree, but with
generations of cultivated lives behind
him; and thus had the advantage, not
shared by all his rivals, Of thorough
acquaintance with the inner life of those
classes who are the favorites of itera-
ture, and among whom the finer prob
lens of civilized life can best be studied.
Dickens never possessed this advantage.
However elevated the society might be
in which he lived, in fiction he was
never at home among gentlemen, and
had no freedom in handling them. But
though thus standing on higher level
than his great competitor, Thackeray
had not his immediate success-he
had not even the success which at
tended Levers easy and dashing
sketches; but toiled upward for long
time before his hand touched at hazard
the hidden spring, and the door flew open
before him. Up to this time he had lived
struggling life; spending and losing in
the first place the little fortune to which
he was born, and then for number OF
years struggling along with varying de-
grees of unprosperity, neither happy in
his circumstances nor fortunate in his ef-
forts, but always cheerful, always honor
able and self-sustained; man flung by
stress of weather into many out-of-the-
way vessels and voyages, but never stain
ing his good name or leaving shame be-
hind him.
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
Fishing at Etretat.

oOSiCis.l
The small fishing craft are what is
called "clinker-built," and are managed
with great dexterity. They seem to come
and 20 like birds. The fishing trade of
Etretat is very different from what it was
90 or more years ago. The kind of fish
taken varies of course, with the season.
The mackerel, the only fish which is now
certain in the waters of Etretat, is plenti-
full during the summer months. The
herring is taken toward the end OF au-
tumn.
This fishing is not confined to the i'm
mediate vicinity, but extends to the
waters of Dieppe, and is generally so re-
munerative as to support the tishermen's
families during the winter. In earlier
times the variety of fish was much greater.
Then the roadstead of Etretat supplied
shoals of whiting, soles, dabfsh, etc.
Mullet, barble, greyling were to be found
at the two extremities of the bay, while
eels swarmed in the half-fresh fountain
and streams. Oysters and crabs paved,
so to speak, the bottom of the harbor, and
HOLSTERS filled the holes and corners of
the crooks. Eheu fugaces! We do not
find them now.
The thick and sluggish conger is still
brought to shore at every tide, and be,
sides these indigenous fishes, the accounts
of ancient mariners tell of the presence
of almost every marine living creature
that could be clad in silver and COLDER
scales. But the absence of the herring il
the subject of Etretat's deepest and sad
dest regret. This wandering fish, which
comes down each year from the north tt
enrich the coasts of Normandy, no longel
makes its appearance, as in times of old
in immense shoals, but is eaten, as ex
perts say, by the dogfsh, which follow
like vultures in the rear of great army
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
A Diamond Eye.
Baltimore Sun.)

Tom Hoods clever tale of "Miss Xii,
mansegge and Her Golden Leg" is
doubtless pure fiction, but story, which
is almostthe exact counterpart of it,comes
to us from Brussels by way of Australia
and the Melbourne Argus, apropos of a
lady with diamond eye, which, having
lost her natural eye, she wore instead Of
glass one. The truly brilliant Orb
sparkled SO brightly and was SO sugges
tive of riches that a Partisan adventurey
married the lady on sight, took her to the
gay city with him, and there, having
squandered all her property, he one nigh
decainped, carrying off her diamond eye
which she used to keep in a glass OF wa
ter by the bedside. The deserted wife il
now suing the pawnbroker who advanced
money on it to her husband for the re
covery of the jewel.
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
Wonders of the American Continent,
Goal Trade Journal.)

The greatest cataract in the world Is
he falls of Niagara, where the water
from the great upper lakes forms river
three -tourths of mile in width and then
being suddenly contracted, plunges over
he rocks in two volumes to the depth Of
rs feet.
The greatest cave in the world is the
Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, where any
one can take voyage on a subterranean
river and catch fish without eyes. The
greatest river in the world is the Missis-
sippi, 1000 miles long. The largest valley
Of the world is the valley of the Missis.
sippi 1t contains 100000 square miles,
and is one of the most fertile regions oe
the globe.
The greatest city park in the world is in
Philadelphia. 1t contains 2,7oo acres.
The greatest grain port of the world is
Chicago. The largest lake in the world
is Lake Superior, which is truly an inland
sea, being 43o miles long and 1000 feet
deep. The longest railroad at present is
the Pacific railroad, over 1900 miles in
length. The greatest mass of solid iron
in the world is the Pilot Knob of Mis-
souri,. tits $50 feet high and two miles
in circuit.
The best specimen of Grecan architect
| ure in the world is the Girard College for
orphans, Philadelphia. The largest aque.
duct in the world is the Croton aqueduct,
New York. Its lengthis forty and half
miles. and its cost $I2, 100000. The lar
gest deposits Of anthracite coal in the
world are in Pennsylvania, the mines Of
which supply the market with millions Of
tons annually and appear to be inexhaust.
| ible. -
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
TINS DEAD-LETTER OFFICE,
Some of the Foolish Things People Do
Unthougliediy.

Mr.. Carleton Hughes lectured in
Washington, recently, on the "My ysteries
of the Dead letter Office" Mr.. Hughc
was some time clerk in the Dead letter
Office and relates some interesting expert
ences connected with the delivery of dead
letters. About 10000 are opened daily
and the money contained in these amounts
to about $S4, 900 month.
An interesting case was where gen.
tleman travelling or business sent a let
ter containing $500 to his wife at home.
BY some unaccountabe neglect he seal
ed the envelope and deposited 1t in the
mail without any address whatever AZ
ter the letter was opened in the Dead-let
ter Office we found that he had written
but few lines, announcing his determ-
nation to 60 further South, not mention,
ing any probable destination, and signing
the name George" There was no clue
TO trace the wife and but slight one to
find the writer. After a long search
George" was discovered on the hotel reg
ster the only person out Of thirty-two OF
the same name who had merely signed
his name without saying where he was
rom, or whether going.
An other case, somewhat similar, was
the following: A letter was written, dated
Astor House, New York, signed "Chaun-
cey," inclosing $4,000 TO lady as a re-
nuneraton for the care with which she
had treated his parents. The letter stated
he was going to Europe. The letter was
nisdirected, and was opened at the Dead
letter Office, the post master of New
York was instructed to make inquiries u,
he Astor House for Chauncey, who, after
some trouble, was found and the money
| 'eturned to him the very afternoon he let
ior Europe.
The following are some of the singular
superscriptions on dead letters: "Pleast
hand to my mother and oblige, Mary
| sal, if you want to hear from your DO
| YOU had better come and get this letter ;
'In this letter there is $2o for Bob, and
sent it this way SO that the Post maste
won't steal it," "Postmasters, please deliv
er this to the young lady living in the frs
house beyond the wallet factory, tina
wears black dress and sack, white stray
hat and brown lace trimmings. Nov
DOM make mistake"
Several letters are received addresse
to the devil, Santa Claus and other lik
personages. Often these letters, wit
their foolish superscriptions contai
| money.
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
1876.

The large iron safe, known as "the Cen
tennial safe" which was on exhibition at
the Philadelphia exhibition, contributed
by Mrs. c. F. Diehm, was closed recently
in the Statuary Hall of the Capitol in
Washington.
One of the two inscriptions of the inner
side of the doors is as follows: an mem
ory of those whose names appear upon
the pages Of the albums deposited within
and who rendered distinguished services
to the country" and the other Isl at is
the wish of Mrs. Dichm that this safe may
remain closed until 1916, to be opened BY
the Chief Magistrate Of the United
States" In addition to the volume con.
tanning the autographs of prominent pub
lie men is an album of photographs OF a
large number of them with recorded sou
venirs of the Centennial. The photo
graphs of women are few in number, anc
include those Of Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Haye,
and Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson.-[N. Y
Post. ~T
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
Reading for Children.


There has hardly been more import
ant topic introduced for the consideration
of the assembled Librarians this week
than the character of the books that chill
from various standpoints with much
ability, and many practical suggestions
have been offered that will doubtless bear
good fruit. There is no single influence
known to us that bears more directly upon
the development Of human character
than early reading. Of course strength
of mind and purpose and natural good
taste will correct in the mature person
faults and unhealthy impressions imbibed
by the child; but there are SO many who
have not the power to arrest their mo-
mentum and change their direction that
a proper STARTS the only safe course for
those who have accepted Or had thrust
upon them the responsibility of shaping
the characters of children. Weak books
give false ideas of fife and make weak
and frivolous men and women.
Vicious books make immoral and dan
bgerous men and women. Books that are
Of healthy tone and display vigor of style
and a purpose in the writer will stimulate
the mind of their readers, whether old or
Young, in the right way. Parents and
guardians would grow pale with appre-
hension should they discover their chill
dren playing with uncorked iaudanum
but in too many instances they will see
them devour vile and poisonous literature
without prohibition or word of warn
ing. They might better give them the
laudanum.
OF course there are good books which
are of little value for children. The liter
ature supplied to the uniformed and ex-
panding mind ought to possess intrinsic
interest and a correct purpose. Even If a
! book does no more than furnish entertain
ment provided it does that naturally and
correctly it is an excuse for being; for
healthful entertainment is an encourage
ment to the formation of habit of read
ing which in course of time will seek the
most profitable books. The problem of
the best reading for children is not yet
solved, but light is breaking and consider
able progress has been made. The rising
generation has advantages in this respect
that were undreamed OF by their fathers
and mothers 1t has been question
whether a special literature should be
written for children, and there are certain
| ly two sides to it. A child that is ole
enough to encourage in the habit of read
ing ought to be old enough to compre
hend Scott Dickens, Thackeray, Char
Iotte Bronte, Longfellow, Whittier, an'
others of their classes and character. Blu
i writer who understands children cal
render them special service by address
ing himself directly to their literary needs
st. Nicholas is at the head Of class oi
magazines that is of great benefit to chill
dren, but it has this peculiarity that
interests grown people also. That is on
test of literature for children and youth
Ii it disgusts the average adult by its sill
ness Or unnatural quality it is not fit io
absorption BY any reader.
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
LONGFRLLoW AT WORK.
How the American Bard Wrote Some o.
HIS Famous Poems.
(National Journal of EducationJ

(National Journal of Educationj
Longfellow's poems are as familiar to
all instructors as the language Of the
school-room. Every school boy reads
and declaims them; every teacher, like
every preacher, quotes them. We once
passed an eveing with Professor Longiel-
low, during which he gave us an account
OF the origin of his most popular poems.
We will give the history Of those which
are common to the "Readers" and
Speakers"
The psalm Of Life" is probably the
best known of these school poems. 1t
was written on summer morning in
1898. He was young man then, full of
aspiration and hope, and the poem was
only an expression of his own feelings.
Ie regarded it as personal matter-like
an entry in ones Journal-and for long
time refrained from publishing it. Mr..
Longfellow related that, on returning
from his visit to the queen, an English la
borer stepped up to the carriage and asked
to shake hands with the writer of the
psalm of Life" at was one of the best
compliments l ever received" said the
democratic poet.
Longfellow's study is repository OF
the beautiful things of the past; souven-
irs, busts of noble friends, mementoes Of
departed poets-Tom Moore's waste paper
basket, Coleridge's inkstand, piece of
Dante's coffin. In this study stood an old
clock, with the colorings of age, rising
from floor to ceiling. 1t numbered the
hours In which his best poems were
written. 1t was the old clock on tho
stairs.
The "Wreck of the Hesperus" was wrft-
ten in 1889, at midnight. A violent storm
had occurred the night before the distress
and disaster at sea had been great, espe-
cially along the capes of the New England
coast. The papers of the day were full Of
the news of disaster. The poet was sit
ting alone in his study late that night,
when the vision of the wrecked Hesperus
came drifting upon the disturbed tides Of
thought into his mind. He went to bed,
but could not Sleep He arose and wrote
the poem, which came into his mind by
whole stanzas, finishing them just as tha
clock--the old clock on the stairs-wp
striking three.
Sir Walter Scott says that he was led t.
write the romance of "Kenlworth" be-
cause the first stanza of Mickle's famous
ballad Of "Cumnor Hall" haunted him.
"The dews of summer night did fall,
The moon, sweet regent of the sky,
| Silvered the towers of Cumnor Hall,
And many an oak that grew thereby"
Longfellow says that he was, as he
thinks, led to write the "Wreck Of tho
IIesperus" because the words "Norman
Woe" which were associated with the dis
asters at sea, seemed to him SO indescriba,
bly, sad.
Excelsior" was written after receiving
a letter from Charles Sumner full Of
lofty sentiments
"Hiawatha" "owes much of its story and
the establishment of musical Indian
names to the researches of Schoolcraft.
Abraham LIE Fort, an Onondaga chief
who was supposed graduate of Geneva
college, furnishes Schoolcraft with the
Indian tradition of Hiawatha. You may
find it in "Schoolcraft," part III, page 3I4
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03

In one thing Fall River is unique: it
employs only home talent. In Lowell,
where there are corporations similar to
those of Fall River, except that they are
ably and honestly managed on real capi-
tai, mill has at least three different Off
GERS who are Independent of each other
the Treasurer, the buying agent, and the
selling agent. In Fall River all is done
by Treasurer, and the chief requisite in
him is that he must be Fall River man.
The Rhode Island system again is
radically different; our corporations are
usually made up of one rich man, who
calls in two or three associates. These
gentlemen operate with their rown money
and many of them have no paper in the
open market. When they borrow, they
do 50 Oh some commodity actually OIL
hand, and a note is virtually first
second or third mortgage. Fall Rive
built its mills largely on borrowed
moHey, and then put whole establish
ment in charge Of some one man, wht
could do as he pleased, and did it. Fal
River has tried to do the impossible, ant
has been successful.
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
Some aOdAd0n Charities

Numbers of people had fancy for the
preservation of tombs and a few Of them
had sufficient foresight to divine a pros
pective increase in the value of their
bequests.
Some of the endowments or trusts have
grown TO fabulous proportions compared
with the limited demands made upon
them for carrying out the founders
wishes. One extraordinary case
is that of Michael Dawson,
who in the autumn of life cheered
the sadness of his soul, and smoothed
his hopes by providing the means OF
decent sepulture and the perpetual main
tenance of his tomb in a proper state OF
repair. This devise in the year 1876
took this simple and almost unique
shape: II give unto the Pensioners OF
the parish of st. Benet-Sherehog my tene-
ment at Holloway, in the Parish OF st.
Mary Islington, upon the consideration
following: That they shall forever, from
time to time, keep in repair and uphold
my tomb in the church-yard OF said
parish"
The rent yielded by the house must
have been small, for half century ago II
amounted to only about fS year. Now
the estate yields f197 per annum, and
the preservation of single, simple, and
unpretentious tomb is all that can be ex
acted of the Trustees until Parliament
shall assume the duty of placing a broad
er Interpretation upon the intentions anc
desires of man, whose limited judgmen
could not perceive how events had hap
by method of casting their shadows be
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
A Family Tragedy.


A few miles from Wittsburg, St. Fran
els County, Ark, lived widow named
Hammett The woman was engaged in
farming, and though she had two grown
sons, was compelled to employ young
man to superintend farm labors. Mrs
Hammett was about forty years of age.
The laborer was mere boy, but an
Attachment soon sprang up between the
widow and the youth, which ended in a
matrimonial proposal. The wedding
day was fixed. The two sons, hearing
of the matrimonial arrangements that
had been made between their mother
and the STRIPPING, called upon her and
tried to dissuade her from marriage.
The widow refused to accept her sons
counsel.
The sons made threats, but the widow
affirmed that she loved the young man,
and would marry him at all hazards.
The sons went away, and at the ap-
pointed time the young man appeared at
tired for the wedding. The minister came,
and friends assembled. "Thou art man
and wife" had hardly been pronounced
when a flash at the window, followed by
loud report, terrified the women and as
tonished the men. Another flash, an
other report and the newly made hus-
band sank to the floor. The woman''
youngest son was the murderer. He fled
but was captured. Next day the young
husband died, and shortly afterward the
widows younger son, in attempting tt
escape, was shot and killed; and report
says that shortly afterward the eldel
brother went to his mothers house anc
| haat har hrains ont with a cluh
The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
A Child's View of the Thing.

Some children take naturally to prac-
teal view of things. A little girl in
Brooklin was saying her prayers the
other evening, closing up with: "God
bless papa and mamma, little sister, and
everybody, and keep us from harm this
night. Amen" The "little sister," a
bright-eyed puss OF five years, quietly re-
marked: "If you'd said everybody to
begin with, YOU needn't have made such
long prayer