davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

FIHE-CRACKERS.- are
made in China, where, on account of
the cheapness of labor, the priceis only
two cents bunch. AS there are eighty
in pack, Chinanan makes forty fire
crackers for less than cent of our
money. Most of them are made by
poor people in their spare time. Mer-
chants in Hong-Kong buy them, and
place them in boxes holding forty packs
each. They are so cheap that shippers
could not afford to pay much for hav-
ing them carried, so they are used as
ballast in ships that bring silks and
teas. The Chinese letters printed on
the wrappers of fre-cracker packs are
the advertisements of the dealers.
"Fire-bangs," as they are sometimes
called. are used almost all over the
world. In the United States, their use
in the North is on the Fourth Of July;
but in the South, Christmasis the great
time for them. In England, they are
most popular on the 9th of November,
Guy Fawkes's Day; and in South Amer
lea. on days of Church festivals. In
China, everybody fires them on New
Years Day; and in some of the Chinese
cities they can be heard at almost all
hours of every day, because the people
think the noise Of their explosion will
frighten away evil spirits. Jht 1fe
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

NM
BY j. W. RILEY.

put by the haIf-written poem,
While the pen, idly trailed in my hand.
Writes nn-"Had words TO compIete IT.
Who'd read IT. or who'd understands
But tile little btre feet on the stairway.
Aud the faint, smotherud llugh In the hall.
And the eerie-0w lisp on the silence,
CIy up to me over II all.
So gather 1t up--where was broken
The tear-taded thread OF my theme
Telling how, as one night sat writing,
A fairy broke In on my dream,
A little, inquisitive fairy
My own little girl, with the gold
Oh the sun In her hair, and the dewy,
Blue eyes OF the fairies Of old.
Twas the dear little girl that scolded-
"For was II moment like this"
said-"When she knew was busy,
To come r0mping In for q kiss!
Come rowdying up from her mother,
And clamoring there at my knee
For One little kiss for dolly,
And one little uzzer sor mel T" .--..
God pity the heart that repelled her
And the cold hand thai turned her away!
And take from the lips thas denied her r.1
This answerless prayer Of to day!
Take, Lord, from mem'ry forever
That pitiful sob OF despair,
And the patter and "trip Of the little bare feet,
And the one piercing cry on the stair!
Iput by the half-written poem,
While the pen, idy trai ed In Ry hand,
Writes on-"Had words To complete II,
Who'd read II, or who'd anderstand?"
But the little bare feet on the stairway,
And the ia Mt, smothered laugh in the hall,
And the eerio-l0w lisp on the silence, E
Cry upto me over itali;
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12
youthful. HerOism.

A year ago, in the summer of 1880,a
deed of her0ism was performed by a
young lad at Allessandria,i in Piedmont.
for which he has just been rewarded in
a Enthusiastically Sub-Alpine and
Latin manner. Some children were
playing upon the bank of river Tanaro,
when one of them, boy four years
old, tOppled over into the stream, and,
as it CHANGED, alta most dangerous spot,
where practiced swimmers had already
lost their lives. Eduardo Pozzi, a lad
OF twelve, who saw the accident, de-
termined to venture upon the task of
rescue. He knelt down, made the sign
OF the cross, and jumped boldly into
the raging waters. He was seized by
the torrent, but not until he had tight
ly grasped the little boy. The two
were sucked under by the waters, but
rose again to the surface, and the
young hero, with great resolution and
daring, forced his way into still water,
from whence policeman drew him to
the shore. He fell down exhausted
and unconscious, but kept firm grip
upon the little fellow whom he had
saved. rt $50 ata ifnqu
The king of Italy heard of the deed,
and directed that the silver medal of
the Order of Merit, with his Kings
thanks, should be sent to the little
hero. The actual bestowal of the gift,
however, was reserved to the present
year, when the anniversary was made
the occasion of public ceremonial.
The court yard Of the College Nazion-
ale was adorned with flowers and ban
ners; the municipal authorities con-
vOked; the whole population was invit-
ed to take part in the function; and
Senator Zopp fastened the medal upon
the boys breast, while the Mayor Of
Alessandria gave him kiss upon his
forehead in the name of the whole
town. When Pozzi was questioned
about his deed he said with touching
modesty, 81 knew that if I were
drowned, he and would have gone in
to Paradise together" His father, who
is a railway servant, was invited to
dinner by, the Prefect, and the sons of
that functionary solemnly divided
bread and salt with the hero Of the
day, as token of perpetual alliance.
The father refused to receive sum of
money which had been collected.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

JAPANESE GAME OF BALL.-There
is Japanese ball game which is very
popular in its native land, and which
might well receive some attention in
this country. 1t is known as "Temari." J."
The "Temari" is a ball about two inches
in diameter, and made generally of cot
ton wound round with thread, so that
it keeps its roundness and is elastic. Its
outside is often Ornamented with fig
ures made of threads of different colors.
A number of girls stand in circle,
and one of them-say, for example, our
friend ,Jessie-takes the ball and throws
it perpendicularly on the ground, and
when it rebounds, she strikes it back
toward the ground with her open hand.
If it.rebounds again toward her, she
continues doing just as before. But if
it flies away, the one toward whom the
ball flies, or who is nearest to the direc-
tion of the flying ball, strikes it toward
the ground, as Jessie has done, and the
game continues until one Of the play
ers misses her stroke or fails to make
the ball rebound She then steps out
of the circle, and the others play again
in the same way as before until another
girl fails and is obliged to step out.
The same process continues until there
is only one girl left. to whom belongs
the honor of victory.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12
The Story OF Evangeline.

The history of famous poems and
nOvels-hOw they were suggested, and
under what circumstances they were
written-wOuld make a most interest
ing book. Some one has learned direct
from Longfellow, certain facts about
one of his best known poems, which are
thus reported in the Boston Herald
At first the conversation took a wide
range. The poet was inclined to ask
questions about men and current
events, and it was quite a time before
the drift of chat turned upon what he
was doing, had done and expected to
accomplish.
I am not doing much these days,
said he; simply keeping from getting
rusty" and he cast his eye around the
room at the many evidences of work
lying about, as much as to say' You
can see for yourself how much that is.
Expressing preference Tor his
.Evangeline," / ventured to say: 81
see you located the final scene OF that
beautiful story in PHILADELPHIA
Yes, sir. The poem is one of my
favorites also; as much, perhaps, on
account of the manner in which got
the groundwork for it is as anything
else.'
What is the story, please|
Il will tell you. Hawthorne came to
dine with me one day and brought "a
friend with him from Salem. While at
the dinner Mr.. Hawthorne's friend said
to me: 81 have been trying to get
Hawthorne to write a story about the
Punishment of the Acadians from Aca-
dia, founded on the life OF a young
Acadian girl who was then separated
from her lover, spent the balance of ber
life searching for him, and when both
were old found him dying in a hospi-
tai.
Yes said Hawthorne, but there is
nothing in that for story p
81 caught the thought at once that
it would make striking picture if put
in verse, and said, Hawthorne, give it
to me for poem, and promise me that
you will not write about it until / have
written the poem' q
Hawthorne readily assented to my
request, and it was agreed that Ishould
use his friends story for verse when
ever l had the time and inclination
to write it. In 1926 l started for
Europe, and when I'm New York con-
cluded would visit Philadelphia, and
so went over.
at was in the spring about this
time, and the country was as beautiful
as it is today. spent week in the
Quaker City, stopping at the Old Man
sion House, on Third street, near Wal
nut. 1t was one Of the best hotels l
ever stopped at, and at that time per-
haps the best in the country. 1t had
been the private residence of the
Binghams and was kept by a man
named Head. The table was excellent,
and the bed chambers were splendidly
furnished, and were great, large, airy
rooms-as large as this" turning round
and surveying the ample library room
i'm which we were seated. at has
given away to the demands of business
/ believe, for when was last there
could hardly recognize the place where
it stood. During this visit L spent
much time looking about, and Philadel
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

One day, while Nicodemus was in
swimming Tom McElroy "tied" his
clothes. Nicodemus made a bonfire of
Toms by way of retaliation.
A third joke was played on Nicode-
mus day or two later-he walked up
the middle aisle of the village church,
Sunday night, with staring hand-bill
pinned between his shoulders. The
joker spent the remainder of the night,
after church, in the cellar of deserted
house, and Nicodemus sat on the cellar
door till toward breakfast time to make
sure that the prisoner remembered that
If noise was made, some rough treat
ment would be the consequence. The
cellar had two feet of stagnant water
in it, and was bottomed with six inches
of mud.
ButI wander from the point. 1t
was the subject Of skeletons that
brought this boy back to my
recollection. Before very long
time had elapsed, the village
smarties began to feel an uncomforta-
ble consciousness of not having made
very shining success out of their at
tempts on the simpleton from "old
Shelby" Experiments grew scarce and
chary. Now the young doctor came
to the rescue. There was delight and
applause when he proposed to scare
NicOdemus to death, and explained
how he was going to do it. He had a
noble new skeleton-the skeleton of
the late and only local celebrity, Jimmy
Finn, the village drunkard-a grisly
piece of property which he had bought
of Jimmy Finn himself, at auction for
fifty dollars, under great competition.
when he laid very sick in the lanyard
a fortnight before his death. The fifty
dollars had gone promptly for whiskey
and had hurried up the change of own
ership in the skeleton. The doctor
would put Jimmy Finn's skeleton in
bed. al H
This was done-about half-past ten
in the evening About Nicodemus'
usual bed midnight village
jokers came creeping stealthily through
the jimpsOn weeds and sunfowers to-
ward the lonely frame den. There sat
the long-legged pauper, on his bed, in a
very short shirt, and nothing more ; he
was dangling his legs contentedly back
and forth, and wheeling the music of
"Camptown Races" out of a paper
over-laid comb which he was pressing
against his mouth ; by him lay a new
jewsharp, a new top, a solid india-rub-
Der ball, a handful Of painted marbles,
five pounds of "stOre" candy, a well
gnawed slab of gingerbread as big as a
volume of sheet music. He had sold
the skeleton to travelling quack for
three dollars and was enjoying the re-
suit From Mark Twain's Tramp
Abroad ~ 81
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

ELECTRICITY.-The "zigzag" appear
ance, frequently seen in lightning,
is the fOre-shOrtening (by' perspec-
tive) of many miles of straight flash.
very slightly diverted from its direct
course by intervening negative clouds.
"Summer lightning" is the light from
the flashes of a thunderstorm too re-
mote for sound to, reach our ear. 10
d When clouds (non-electricaD are pro-
PEELED by the wind through the atmos-
phere above us, there is a powerful re-
sistence from the particles of air; but
as the wind is the most powerful, they
must move, and as friction is in all
cases the cause of electricity, and the
clouds are at first negative, they create
and collect it very rapidly. When they
are full to overfowing, or positive"
technically speaking, they are compelled
to unload or discharge into any imper-
fectly supplied body within speaking
distance" so to say. If full cloud
discharges into an empty one and does
not overload it, the flash ends there;
but if the receiving cloud is already
partly full it discharges into the next
empty one, and so on till an equilibrium
is established, upon which the storm is
over or spent. A thunderstorm is but
Natures mode of recovering from an
attack of unusual activity, say an ele-
mental spree.
Some part Of the vast atmosphere in
its travels to and fro over the earth,
gets little too hot, it at once rises
creating partial vacuum, air from
every quarter rushes in to produce an
equilibrium, but at such a furious speed
as to drag all the clouds with it; these
get excited in turn, join together on
the road, electrically forms, and Nature
does not get down to her bearings
again till somebody or something gets
hurt. Then according to the power.
strength and size of the primary NOV
ing cause, wehave all the varities of the
weather from the gentle zephyr to the
one ndred-mile-an-hour hurricane.
But electricity is created in proportion,
and we mortals always feel its exhilar-
ating and health-giving properties, un-
less we get an overdose, when we have
only another proof that "too much of
good thing is good for nothing
3. X. Masou IN Gernantoon Telegraph
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

THE New CONGREGATIONAL CREED.
Professor Henry Cowles, of Oberlin
University, discusses in the current is
sue of The Co'agregatio,aalist some of
the questions suggested by the new
creed and catechism which are to be
prepared by the committee of twenty
five for the use of the Congregational
Church. The revision should be under
taken, he thinks, "with views both
definite and just as to the objects to be
sought, the place which the symbol is
to fill and the ends it should be con-
structed to conserve" and "with views
both just and well defined as to the un-
DERIVING principles that shall obtain in
its construction" In regard to contrO-
verted questions Professor Cowles says
"This revision should put its maturest
wisdom and its best strength into its
statements OF those doctrines which
Sre undergoing sharpest discussion, and
which portend moro or less radical
change. There will, l Judge, be no
question that these remarks apply to-
day to the doctrines of Inspiration, the
AtOnement and Future Punishment.
Upon these, therefore, let the proposed
revision weigh well both its thought
and it's words. If a revision is to be
good for anything it should be good
for the purpose of well defining and
strongly stating the doctrine of the
Congregational brotherhood on these
cardinal points," Professor Cowles re-
CARDS as Of special Importance the
question as to whether or not the creed
should be framed so as to facilitate the
union of all Evangelical Christians in
the same church communion. He
hopes that all of these points will be
discussed fully and freely in the Con-
gregational press. In regard to the
manner in which the work of the COM
mittee is to be passed upon he says that
if it is to be used by the local and the
State associations as their basis of
Christian fellowship, 1t must come be-
fore them severally for their free con-
sideration and action. The local church
es will have the same option.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

In a letter to the Lancet, DIR. A. Pag-
gi records the following observation:
He states that in Paris he saw q case
in which, under the inhalation of
cloroform, the heart ceased to beat, and
artificial respiration for ten minutes
failed to restore circulation, when DIR.
Liable dipped large cloth in boiling
water and applied it to the region of
the Heart, with the result of immediate
ly restoring the action of that or
gan. 'a 4fns rtf
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

A closet for keeping tubs of butter
may be made with double walls filled
in with sawdust and double door. A
zinc shelf at the top may hold the ice,
and a lead pipe bent in one place to
make trap to keep the air from COM
ing in from the outside may be used to
carry off the water. If the closet is
kept tightly closed the ice will keep
longer. If the air in the closet is damp
keep a peck of fresh lime in it which
will absorb the moisture.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12
Pleuro- Pneumonia Cattle Commls.
sion.

Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
French said the Pleuro-P Pneumonia
Cattle Commission would assemble in
Washington to take measures to carry
out their allotted task as soon after
the goth of August as he could get
them there. Judge French referred to
their proposed plan of action in gener-
al terms, saying that 1t was expected
that they would be able to make such
arrangements as would convince the
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

phia Is one of the places which made a
lasting impression upon me, and left
it's mark upon my later work. Even
the streets of Philadelphia make
| Market Arch, Race and Vine,
Chestnut, Walnut, Spruce and Pine.
got the climax of 'Evangeline' from
Philadelphia, you know, and it was
singular how l happened to dor SO.
was passing down Spruce street one
day toward my hotel, after walk,
when my attention was attracted to a
large building with beautiful trees
about it, inside of high inclosure. 1
walked along until i came to the great
gate, and then stepped inside and look
ed carefully over, the place. The
charming picture of lawn, flower beds
and shade which it presented, made an
impression which has never left me,
and twenty-four years after, when
came to write 'Evangeline,' l located
the final scene, the meeting between
Evangeline and Gabriel and the death
at this poor-house, and the burial i'm an
old Catholic graveyard not far away,
which found by chance in another of
my walks.
1T is purely fancy sketch, and the
'Evangeline' coined to complete the
story. The incident Mr.. Hawthorne's
friend gave me, and my visit to the
poor-house in Philadelphia gave me the
groundwork of the pOem."
"The claim is that the Quaker aims
house on Walnut street, near Third, is
the one referred to in 'Evangeline.'
mo; that is not so. / remember
that place distinctly. 1t is the old
poOr-house referred to, which stood
on the square between Spruce and
Pine and Tenth and Eleventh Streets"
Mr.. Longfellow took from an adjoin-
ing room picture of the old Quaker
alms-house, and explained that the
spot which attracted his attention and
marked Philadelphia for the final act of
"Evangeline," was not this old insti-
tuition, as had been so often claimed.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12
Religious Miscellany.

Let us believe what we can and hope
for the rest.-De Finod. .i".
Fortitude is the guard and support
of the other virtues.-Locke.
The smallest children are nearest to
God, as the smallest planets are nearest
the SUM- Richter. . '1
The Universalist faith is said to be
be declared in the Talmud, and is as
cribed to Origen, 23O. 80 ',l -'-'-''.. ''
The Japanese colony of Paris is
about to build a pagOda. or a temple
where the Japanese gods may be wor-
SHIPPED in peace and quietness.
In Adrian the German Lutheran
church bell rings every evening at 8
o'clock as signal for all families of
that society to see that their children
are withinthei homes. laqr- .-,.arrz-a
At Philadelphia a young woman
named Mary Agnes Dunn asserts that
she has been visited in her sick room
by an appearance of the Virgin Mary.
Much sensation has been caused among
Roman Catholics in the neighbOrhood.
Four generations were represented
at baptism in Trinity Church, Albany,
the child being attended by it's mother,
grandmother and great-grandmother all
ofwhom were presented to the bishop fo
confirmation and were received to their
first communion by the present rector.
A new church society known as the
Living Church of God" has been Or
ganized in Sunfield township. The
members are composed of dissenters
from all other denominations. Some
striking peculiarities are found in their
doctrines, one of which is the MONACO
ceptance of the revised Bible.
The Presbytery of Clarion, Penn.
has reaffirmed its decision made recently
against 'prOmiscuous dancing" by its
members, because lit steals away our
precious time, dissipates religious inn
pressions and hardens the heart" "Pro-
miscuous dancing" is defined as the
'dancing together of males and females
whether at the social party or in the
ballroom"
The Organ-blower i'm a London
church recently fell asleep during the
service, of which fact the audience
soon became conscious by the vigorous
blowing of his own organ. Rev. Ar
thur Hall, the preacher, after bearing
it for awhile, stopped and remarked:
81 do not object to quiet nap on hot
day, and am fattered at being able to
contribute to anybody's repose; but,
while proud at being able to give the
beloved sleep, / wish it distinctly un-
derstood that draw the line at snOres.
There is a man snoring in the congre-
CATION, and l shall be obliged if some
body will waken him." The offender
was quickly reused. t4 Gt &
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12
FOR THE CHILDREN.
Mammals TROUBLES.

My Annie's head Is broken off;
And Nellie's had some fits;
And POlly's got the whOoping cough,
And Sally's lost her wits.
What lots Of fuses babes make!
What troubles mammas have to take!
Pm sure Pm sorry Mrs. Buzz,
But mine are just as bad;
There's Rose, and Maud, and Fizz and Fuz7
Why, every thing they've had.
Yes, lots OF fuses babies make!
And lots Of trouble mammas take! RF
i--ChOtter60r.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

81 declare, MOTHER" said little girl,
"tis too bad! You always send me
to bed when am not sleepy; and you
always make me get up when I am
sleepy!
Tommy, did you hear your mother
call you?" "COrse l did" "Then why
don't you 60 to her at once ?" swell, yer
see she's nervous, and it'd shock her
awful fl should 60 too suddent. >
Yonkers Gazette.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

OATMEAL GEMs.-Mix a cup and a
half of oatmeal, half a cup of corn
meal and cup OF flo ur with two cups
of sour milk; add tablespoonful of
shortening, two of sugar, a teaspoon
full of salt and teaspoonful of soda
dissolved in a tablespoonful of boiling
water. Heat the muffin tins and bake
in hot oven. '".l. g.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

PICKLINe CUCUMBERs.-W. ID. p.
writes to the New-England Farmer
with reference to various points in
making cucumber pickles.:
1t may be useful to some of your
readers to know how strong to make
the brine; If made too strong it will
sometimes cause the pickles to wilt or
wither, in which condition they are
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

Talent is the capacity of doing
anything that depends on application
and Industry, and it is avoluntary pow
er, while genius is involuntary.
In every parting there is an image
of death.-George Eliot.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12
THE HOUSEHOLD.

If a little vinegar is mixed with
stove polish it will not take much rub
bing to make the stove bright, and
the backing is not likely to fly off in a
fine dust. ....
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

AN Indiana sheep breeder recon-:
mends all who have the care of sheep
this summer to be sure and dip them
into tobacco water, or diluted carbolic
acid, sulphur, etc., as the ticks are un-
usually numerous and irritating. The
same breeder tells the Indiana Farmer
that he had difficulty in keeping new
flock he had bought with the old
one until he took off the bell from the
leador of the strange flock and put IT
on that of the other, when both flocks
united and have kept together ever
since.
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

SEVERAL methods of dealing with
the army worm, when it appears in
countless numbers, are employed with
more or less success. One of the earli-
est, and, at the same time, one of the
most affective, is to intercept their ad-
vance to or through field by deep
furrow or ditch, making the side next
to the untouched grain as steep as may
be, or shelving if that is practicable.
Holes may be dug at intervals in the
furrow, or ditch, and the worms de-
stroyed by pouring kerosene on them,
or filling the furrow with straw and
applying torch. rs
The Owosso times., 1881-08-12

CoCoANUT CAKEs-Take half cup
of butter, cup of sugar, two eggs,
half a cup Of milk, half teaspoonful
of soda, one of cream of tartar, two
scanty cups of flour. Bake in three
jelly cake tins. Ice the cakes, and
while the icing is still soft, cover thick
ly with grated cOcoanut.