davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
1DNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1880.

good times " that you daren't take your
wife to, my son. that you would lie about
rather than have your sister know about
them, the " goodness Of them never comes
back TO refresh you and gladden. your heart
as does the memory of that sixty-five cent
picnic, when you chartered nonsense with
the girl you loved and laughed just as the
leaves rustled, because you couldn't help it.
The "good time" that wakes in the morn
ing and wonders when it was and who saw
1t and where all its money is gone; the
good time that tails itself off with head.
ache, there's precious little fun in that.
And it only takes a very little bitterness of
that kind to poison and cloud the memories
of your past. 1t doesn't take many such
" good times" my boy, to mingle tears with
your bread and gall with your drink. The
sting is the smallest part Of the bee, but
when you pick him up by it, though the
rest of the bee were as large as an omnibus
horse, yet would the sting outweigh all the
good, sweet, harmless, honey-laden portion
of the bee, and you would think about it Of
tener and longer.-Burlington Hapkeye.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04

In variety of topic and style, in robustness
of thought and delicacy of feeling, in lofti-
ness of conception and beauty of imagery,
the Bible confessedly stands forth unap-
preached aud unapproachable. | have
thought the Bible as a whole might be COM
pared to divine oratorio; in its overture
we hear the voice of Moses as in the morn
ing of history he sings OF fair creation ma
jestically emerging at the Dirt of Omnip-
otence; then comes sweeping, as on the wings
of the storm-blast, the requiem over a world
sepuchred in the tombs of the deluge; next
is heard the sigh and groan Of the Hebrew
bondman at his toll, to be speedily lost in
the peans of the exodus suddenly crash
upon us the thunders of Jehovah's voice as
they peal and reduplicate around quaking
Sinai now we are soothed by the gentle
melodies of David's harp, and anon we
are thrilled by the bursts of martial music
from his shrill cornet and resounding tim.
brel then advances the stately procession
of the prophets, who, gathering their strains
into one great chorus, pour it forth in a re-
sistless tide of song down through the gal
ery of the ages; suddenly swells the chant
of the heavenly host as, snatching the sub
limest anthem of the sky they exultingly
repeat it on the hillside of Bethlehem anon
our hearts are melted within us as from Cal
vary's cross floats down to us that cadence
of tenderest pathos breathed forth from the
lips of the dying Redeemer; then swell the
sonorous arguments and resounding appeals
of the chiefest of apostles; and last Of all,
we hear the voice of the rapt exile of Pat
mos, as his magnificent chant swells onward
and upward till it is echoed back in raptur-
Gus refrain by the jasper walls of New Jeru-
salem. The muse Of the blind troubadour
of Greece in her most adventurous flights
never essayed to soar above the snowy
heights of Olympus, but the muse of Israel's
minstrel was wont to warble amid the ever.
green boughs Of the tree of life aud the ge-
MUS of Demosthenes in his contest for an
earthly chaplet is eclipsed by that of Paul
in his contest with mightier foes, and for a
nobler, more enduring crown.-Reu. DR..
George Dana Boardman.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
The Natural Way.

Superintendent +. W. Parker of Quincy,
Massachusetts,, before a teachers institute,
recently, gave the following sensible advice
to teachers Teach a child to read as he is
taught to talk, teach him from objects as
sociate name with an object, repeating it
many times, but keeping his eye on the OBJ
ject. This quickens the intellect, aud the
mind absorbs the name at the same time
that it is being pleased with the object.
Don't try at first to force new words into
child's mind, but place objects before the
eye; repeat and repeat the name, doing it
incidentally, without making it appear that
it is the word you are trying to get into the
mind. Write the name of the object on the
blackboard, and if you have facility of
drawing, picture story on the blackboard.
There is no danger of overriding object
teaching; a sympathetic teacher will soon
find out when an object fails to attract the
children. Learning TO read is learning a
vocabulary; it is learning name when you
see the object for which it is a name. The
value of word depends entirely upon the
object which it recalls; it is good for moth
ing else. A great deal of useless work in
the school.room is the study of useless
words. Let the teacher arrange vocabulary
of words suited for his or her school, and
teach them. Don't use words in the same
sentence that are not related to each other
Write simple sentence, and then by sub
stituting letter you can make new SEN
tence. For instance, see the rat substi-
tute for to the last word, and you have
| see the cat Well, says teacher, the
child knows what cat is, but how does he
know what see means Well, hold up one
at a time, half dozen objects, and ask him
il he sees. He says | see ball, Il see
stick | see a pencil Write a sentence,
Il see cat, and you soon by repetition i'm
press on the mind the word see,' and the
meaning is retained. Have every new word
taught written on the blackboard or slate.
Teach the script first; they will learn print
without difficulty. 1t is much harder to 90
from print To script than script to print.
BY all means keep the little heads and
hands busy from morning until night, and
order will take care of itself"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Robinson and Cornell.

There is a marked contrast between the
attitude assumed by Ex-Governor Robinson
in his treatment of the educational inter
ests of New York, and the firm stand taken
by Governor Cornell, whose message con-
tains these words: Wisely enacted laws
provide for the support of common or pri-
mary schools everywhere within reach of the
humblest child, and permit local communi-
ties to establish such advanced grades of
academic education as they may desire for
more ambitious students. The best inter
ests of the state will be promoted by placing
the highest educational advantages within
the reach of all who seek them. The policy
of making women eligible as school officers
has been adopted in several states with be.
neficial results, and the question is exciting
much discussion in this state. Women are
equally competent with men for this duty,
and it cannot be doubted that their admis-
sion to representation would largely increase
the efficiency of our school management
The faithful attention of the legislature is
earnestly directed to this subject"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Comforts.

1t is good idea to furnish sitting-rooms
with chairs of different patterns. No two
people like them just alike, perhaps, and so
SLEEPY hollows and rockers, camp and re-
ception chairs, willow and rattan ware,
woolen stuff and leather covers, all have
their admirers. The tastes of the family
should be studied in this matter. A boy or
girl has as much right to be particular in
the matter OF chair in which they are ex-
pected to be comfortable for twenty -four
hours out of week as the father or mother
has. The aggravating iete-a-tetes," the alb.
surd sofas, and the break-neck lounges are
all foes of comfort. Better wide, long,
low divan, thoroughly cushioned, and desti-
tute OF either grace or ornament, than any
OF the average "pieces of furniture" Use,
ease and comfort are what one wants of
these things in sitting-room or library.
Let the triumphs of the carver's and up.
holsterer's art be confined to the parlor-or
better yet, to the shop show-:ooms. " Taking
comfort" is an art that it pays TO study-first
securing the contented mind and the cheer
full spirit, without which accessories are vain
-SeIecfed
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Inquiries.


S. S. SAYS please give description of
the workings of the United States signal
service.
PHIN wants to know ~ Why members
Of certain societies are called "Orangemen,"
and what the trouble is between them and
the rest of the world. (2) What "commu-
nism is ; what the commune tried to do or
did accomplish. (O Who thespresident Of
France is. (D What the difference is, if
any exists, between an Ambassador and
a " consul"
A TEACHER writes Will you please an
swer through the columns of the WATcHMAN
the following Q Which are the legal
holidaysY (2) Has teacher right to
them ? (O In a twelve weeks term, in
which some holidays occur, to draw full pay,
must teacher teach extra days to make up
the full number sixty? az Which is the
better method for explaining the greatest
common divisor and least common multiple
to class of beginners ?"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
How Nutmegs Grow.


Nutmegs grow on little trees which look
like small pear trees, and are generally over
twenty feet high. They are pale and very
fragrant. The nutmeg is the seed of the
fruit, and mace is the thin covering over
this seed. The fruit is about as large as a
peach. When ripe it breaks open and
shows the little nut inside. The tree grows
on the islands Of Asia aud tropical America.
They bear fruit for seventy or eighty years,
having ripe fruit upon them at all seasons.
A fine tree in Jamaica has over four thou
sand nutmega on it yearly. The Dutch used
to have all this nutmeg trade, as they owned
the Banda Islands and conquered all the
other traders aud trees. To keep the price
up they once burned three piles of nutmegs,
each of which was as large as a church.
Nature did not sympathize with their mean
ness. The nutmeg pigeon, found in all the
Indian Islands, did for the world what the
Dutch determined should not be done-car-
ried the nuts, which are food, into all the
surrounding countries, and trees grew up
again and the world has had the benefit.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Did 1t Pay2

There never were two leaves, two pebbles,
or two skies just alike, and we believe there
should never be two days in succession in
the school-room in which there is not
special effort on the part of the teacher to
awaken new interest and new enthusiasm by
some interesting experiment. story or con-
versation, which, for few minutes, shall
attract the attention of all and in which all
can engage. There is nothing, in our opin
ion, that will sooner make school life irk-
some and school dreary place than same
ness Of exercise, routine, or machinery; ac
cordingly, the effort to make school the op-
posite of this-in fact, to convert it into
veritable little home in which joyous
group have gathered to pass few pleasant
hours-should be first, last and always up
permost in the teachers mind The follow
ways in which these brief intervals can be
proftably spent. We have often tried it,
always with good results but never better
than that of few days ago. Books were
laid aside and a newspaper or magazine put
into the hands of each scholar in the room.
For the first few minutes pages were rapidly
turned, but soon nearly every one had Sc
lected subject, which was carefully read !;
then the papers were gathered and the
writing begun. How the pencils and min
utes flew The hour seemed scarcely ten
minutes long, but the result showed that it
had been well spent, and that each one had
been busy. Among the neatly-written ar
ticles handed in, besides several on educa-
tional subjects, were the following on gen.
eral topics The Tay Bridge Disaster, Uses
of Paper, Charles Sumner, Venomous Ser
pents, The Audiphone, Silk Worms, Exten-
sive and Intensive Farming, Edison's New
Light, How Boys are Led into Crime, The
Maine Unpleasantness, The Telephone Ex-
change, and Silos and Ensilage. Nearly all
these had previously been made the subject
of ten minutes talk, which came about in.
cidentally, and will hereafter serve pur-
pose by being copied upon the blackboard,
where they will form the basis of the gram
mar lesson for that day, and where the
errors OF every kind will be talked over.
Many readers will maintain that the schol.
ars' time might have been much more prof
itably spent. To such we say, in all SIN
cerity, if you will suggest the means by
which an hour could have been more pleas
antly or pro6tably spent, We promise it
willing trial.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
HumOrsOme Waits.

"DIppED into a weak solution of accom-
plishments,' is the term now applied TO
many of our girls protesting to be highly
educated.
A PIoUs French priest recently gave out
an announcement as follows II it rains
in the morning the procession will take place
in the afternoon aud if it rains in the aft
ernoon the procession will take place in the
morning"
"There is nothing like settling down."
said retired merchant, contdentially, TO
his neighbor. When | gave up business
settled down, and found | had quite a CON-
Portable fortune. II l had settled up |
shouldn't have had cent"
LADY, a regular shopper, who had made
an unfortunate clerk tumble over all the
stockings in the store, objected that none of
them were long enough. 81 want" she
said, "the longest hose that are made"
"Then, madam" was the reply, "you had
better apply at the next engine house."
AMONG the replies to an advertisement OF
a music committee for a candidate as Or
ganist, music teacher" etc., was the follow
ing Gentlemen, noticed your advertise
ment for an organist and music teacher,
either lady or gentleman. Having been both
for several years, offer you my services"
OH LADY (on Donkey Boy, isn't this
very dangerous ?" Boy "Wery dangerous,
indeed, marin. There was a lady ridin'
up here last year, and the donkey fell, and
the lady was chucked over the cliff aud
killed" Old Lady "Good gracious Was
the donkey killed, too :" Boy "No, marm.
That's the very donkey"
PETE of Memphis was great exhorter in
camp.meeting, and always concluded his ex-
hortation by saying that whenever the Lord
called for him he was ready TO go. So
Darkey Sam, to prove Pete's sincerity, called
one night and knocked at Pete's. door.
" Who dat 2" shouted Pete. Mastervane
for Pete" answered Sam. co." Nd
Pete, "dat darkey moved from :
nigh on tree years ago"
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Power OF a Sweet Voice,

There is no power of love so hard TO get
and keep as kind voice. A kind hand is
deaf and dumb. IL may be rough in flesh
and blood, yet do the work Of soft heart,
and do il with soft touch. But there is
no one thing that love so much needs as a
sweet voice to tell syhat IL means and feels
and it is hard to get it and keep it in the
right tone. One must start in youth, and
be on the watch night and day, at work aud
play, to get and keep voice that shall speak
at all times the thoughts of kind heart.
But this is the time when sharp voice is
most apt to be got You often hear boys
and girls say words at play with quick,
sharp tone, as if it were the snap of whip.
When one of them gets vexed, you will hear
a voice that sounds as il it were made up
of snarl, whine, and bark. Such
voice often speaks worse than the heart
feels. 1t shows more ill.will in the tone
than in the words. 1t is often in mirth that
one gets voice or a tone that is sharp, and
sticks to him through life and stirs up i'll
will and grief, and falls like drop of gall
on the sweet joys at home. Such as these
get sharp home-voice for use, and keep
their best voice for those they meet else
where, just as they would save their best
cakes aud pies for guests and all their sour
food for their own board. ] would say to
all boys aud girls, !" Use your guest-voice at
home" Watch it by day, as pearl of great
price, for it will be worth more to you in
the days to come than the best pearl hid
in the sea. A kind voice is lark's song to
a hearth aud home. 1t is to the heart what
light is to the eye. 1t is light that sings
as well as shines. Train it to sweet tones
now and it will keep in tune through life
Youths Companion.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Ghf yome Girrle.
THE SILENT LIFE.

We lead two lives. the outward seeming fair
And full of smiles that on the surface le
The other spent In many silent prayer,
with thoughts and feelings hidden from the eye
The weary, weary hours OF mental pain,
unspoken yearnings for the dear ones gone.
The wishes half defined, yet crushed again,
Make up the silent life we lead alone.
And happy visions we may never show,
Gld all this silent life with sweet romance;
That they will fade like sunsets clouds we know,
Yet life seems brighter for each stolen glance
This silent life-we little reck lts power
To strengthen us either good or III,
Whether we train our thoughts like birds to soar,
Or let them wander wheresoeer they will.
This silent life not those we love may share,
Though day by day we strive to draw them close;
Our secret chamber-none my enter there
Save that one eye that never seeks repose.
And n beneath that eye we do not quail
Though all the world may turn from us aside.
We own n secret power that shall prevail
When every motive OF our life Ia tried.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Educational nrpari,nrnL
:
Conducted by w. w. AINswoRTB, Calais, v
THE OLD sCHOOLMAsTER.

lie sat by his desk at the close Of the day,
For he felt the weight Of his many years;
His form was bent and his hair was gray.
And his eyes were dim with the falling tears.
The school was out, and the task was done,
And the house seemed now 40 strangely still.
As the last red beam OF the setting sun
stole silently over the window-si
stole silently into the twilight gloom,
And the deepening shadows fell athwar
The vacant seats and the vacant room,
And the vacant place in the old mans heart;
For his school had been all in all to him,
Who had wife, nor children nor land, nor gold,
But his frame was weak and his eye was dim,
And the dat was Issued at last" Too old"
lie bowed his head on his trembling hands
moment as one mlsht bend to pray;
"'Too old = they say, and the school demands
wiser and younger head to-day.
TOO old Too oldr these men forget
I, was who guided their tender years.
Their hearts were hard. and they pited not
My trembling lips and my falling tears.
"Too old Too old 1t was all they said.
looked in their faces one by one,
But they turned away, and my heart was lead
Dear Lord. 1t Is hard, but thy will be done"
The night stole on, and a blacker gloom
Was the vacant benches cast
The master sat In the silent room,
But his mind was back In the days long past.
And the shadows took, to his tear-dimmed sight.
Dear, well-known forms, and his heart was thrilled
with the blessed sense OF ts old delight,
For the vacant benches all were filled:
And he slowly at his desk and took
His well-worn Bible, that lay within,
And he said, as he lightly tapped the book;
I" 1t is the hour--let school begin"
And he Smiled as his kindly glances fell
on the well-beloved faces there
John, Rob and viii, and laughing Nell,
And blue-eyed Bess, with the golden hair,
And Tom, and Charley, and Ben, and Paul.
Who stood at the head OF the spelling class
All In their places-and yet they all
Were lying under the graveyard grass
He read the Book, and he knet to pray,
And he called the classes to recite,
For the darkness all had rolled away
From soul that saw by an inward light.
with words OF praise for work of care,
with kind reproof for a broken rule
The old man tottered, now here now there,
Through the spectral ranks OF his shadow school.
Thus all night long till the morning came,
And darkness folded her robe Of gloom,
And the sun looked in, with his eye Of flame,
On the vacant seats Of the silent room.
The wind stole the window-sill.
And swept through the asles In merry rout
But the face Of the master white and still;
His work was finished and school ont.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
VOL. 75.-3S25. NO. II.

had, although he resumed business. II YOU
hear today, will you be kind enough TO
send us word ?"
"Certainly," Myra managed to gasp. in a
choked voice; and Mr.. Agnew left.
Ill fever Sick at hotel, and she not
near. Ernest, her Ernest
All the love in the little woinan's heart
rose in protest. She astonished Aunt Cor
della by dashing into that ady's room, cry.
ing, "Take care of the house. I'm going TO
Cumberland " and dashed out again as
abruptly. The trunk was packed. Myra
never knew what went into it. She hugged
her hoard of money. Carefully she put it
into the bosom of her dress She cried, and
laughed, and looked generally like lunatic.
The afternoon found her seated in an ex.
press train, rushing TO Ernest as fast as
steam could carry her.
In wide, pleasant room Ernest Mather
lay upon his bed dangerously i'll. He had
been for months trying to quiet bis sick,
restless heart by overworking his body
keeping such business hours, such stress and
labor in his work that the firm at home
never ceased congratulating themselves upon
their choice of traveller.
He made money fast, supplying Myra
with generous hand, and yet saving CON
that when he was a rich man he would 90
home again and try TO make Myra con.
tented. He tried to fancy he had ceased to
love her, but the unceasing cravings Of his
heart for the sight Of her face and the
sound OF her voice contradicted this.
Work, work, work That was the medi-
cine for his mental pain, till the over
wrought brain gave way, the overtasked
body succumbed, aud he lay ill with fever for
two weeks. Up again before his strength
was half restored, aud now the relapse has
prostrated him, and he lay suffering and ap-
parently dying, too i'll TO send for Myra, too
i'll to give directions too ill to do anything
more than lie helpless at the mercy Of
strangers.
The long night was passing, and a cold,
gray dawn announced another wintry day,
when vehicle drove up to the door of the
hotel, and in dim, confused way Ernest
heard the hustle Of the newly arrived trav-
elers. He was vaguely wondering if any
friend had come TO him, when the door OF
his room opened very softly, and he heard
the waiter say "Mr. Mather is here"
A soft little rustic followed and then two
cool hands fell upon his hot forehead, tears
90, Ernest, darling thank God have
found you. o, dear, forgive mel"
He was too sick to talk much, but he
made his wife fully understand his business,
and then sank off to sleep in sweet conscious
ness that love had come to him, nurse and
comforter.
1t was long, tedious illness, but in the
years that followed ii, Ernest and Myra
looked back upon it as the beginning Of
their true happiness. Doubts and repining
were swept away in the danger of a separa-
tion in the grave, and all Myra's penitence
went into such entire, self-sacrifcing devo-
ton, as to snatch her husband from tue very
jaws of death to be her own again.-Selected.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Mural and Reliaions.
"IF ANY MAN OPEN"

Last night dreamed. as on my bed lay,
That dismal fear took hold upon my mind;
swayed wildly by the moaning wlntry wind,
The trees were waving In the rain-splashed lane
And yet upon the curtained window pane
There was brightness as OF summer day.
Then. hnshed az Ia the land-bree on the sea,
gentle whisper, Jesus, came from thee;
80 arose. and flung the easement wide,
To see whence swept the sweet faint sounds the light
The Lord walked on the road, and loud cried,
As he did pass my door into the night,
"Master. where dost thou go2 Where wander still 2''
And Jesus spake and said, Against thy will
I cannot ope the bar Is on thy side"