davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
Laugh More

Mothers do not laugh enough. The
house keeping is so onerous, the chill
dren, 70 often, trying to nerve and
temper, the servants most exaspera-
ting, and ever John, kind, good hus-
band that he is, cannot understand all
our vexations and discouragemeu ts,
and so wearied do we often feel, that
it is too much for the household to
depend on us, in addition to all our
cares, for social sunshine as well.
Yet the household does, and it Unjust.
Father may be bright and CHEEKY, his
laugh ring out, but if the mothers
laugh fails, even the fathers cheer
fulness seems to lose much of its infec-
ton. In the sad but forcible lines Of
one of Joanna Baillie's dramas
Her little child had caught the trick of GRIEF,
And sighed amid its playthings-
we may catch a glimpse of the stern
repressed life at Boutwell, Manse,
where " the repression o. fall emotions,
even the gentlest, seems to have been
the constant lesson" 1 remember
well, hearing a lady say: when a
child, l used to wish so often that my
mother would look cheerful"
Then laugh, mother, even If you do
feel almost too weary to exert the ia
cial muscles, and you have to make a
pitiful effort, which comes nigh
bringing tears instead of a laugh.
You will feel better for the effort, and
so will the children. The little ones,
unconsciously to you and themselves,
are catching the very phases of
tenance, which will go far to brighten
or cloud some future home.
Then laugh, mother parlor, nursery
and kitchen all feel the effect of your
smile or frown. The CHEEKY laugh of
a mother goes down through genera
tions, as well as her frown. And
when the mothers eyes are closed,
and lips and hands forever still, there
is no sweeter epitaph, which children
and friends a give, than: She vas
always bright and cheerful"
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14

Some years ago, there were a num-
Der of army officers stopping at a
hotel in Washington. Among tLem
were a Capt. Emerson and a Capt.
Jones. Emerson and Jones used to
have a good deal of fun together, at
the dinner-table and elsewhere.
One day, at the dinner-table, when
the dining-hall vas well filed, Capt.
Jones finished his dinner first, got up,
and walked almost to the dining-han
door, when Emerson called to him, in
a loud voice:
Halo, captain! see here. L want
to speak to you a minute" The cap
tain turned, walked back to the table,
and bent over him; when Emerson
whispered II wanted to ask you
how far you would have gone if i had
not spoken to you"
The captain never changed a mus
Gle, but Strengthened up, put his fingers
into his vest pocket, and said capt.
Emerson, / don't know of a man in
the world I'd rather lend SIS than you,
but the fact is, l haven't a cent with
me to-day :" and he turned on his
heel and walked away.
Emerson was the color of q dozen
rainbows, but he had TO stand 1t.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
The Universal Language,

A literary Journal of New York, re-
Gently had this paragraph
The English language is nc " spoken
by over 100, 1000, 600 people, while
neither the French nor German can
claim so, 900, 900. MI. Walter, edito
of the London Times, comedies that
the United States will have a popula-
ton of 200, 0O0, 900 in the year 1000 A.
d., and this estimate is in accordance
with those of other statisticians. Eng
fish certainly has a good prospect of
reaching the prominence once occu-
pied by the Latin or Greek, as an uni
versal language.
From the standpoint of the English
speaking race, all this appears we'll
founded. But it is vehemently dis
puted by the French and German
by the former, on the score of COLO
quail excellence of their language,
which has constituted it the medium
of diplomatic communication all over
the world, and by the latter, on the
ground that the language of LUTHER,
GOETHE, and HUMBOLDT, is the cos
mopolitan vehicle of all philosophical
and literary expression.
To this it may be replied. that the
English language is emphatically the
language of commerce. 1t has been
asserted, without contradiction, that a
man may transact business in the
English tongue in every t~rade-centre
in the world. All large business
houses in on-English countries have
an English.speaking clerk or cores
| pondent, as q necessity. Ass matter
| of fact, it is further affirmed, that no
one speaking only English, can ''stop
| att any hotel in the civilized world, OF
any consequence, without finding
| some one who can understand and
| interpret his orders for service. Phil
adelphio Daily Day.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
A Test of Innocence.

A poor, pale seamstress was ar
raigned for theft, in Paris. She APP;
peared at the bar, with her baby of
eleven months on her arm. She went
to get some work one day, and stole
three gold coins, of ten francs each.
The money was missed soon after she
left her employer, and a servant was
sent to her room to claim it. The SER
want found her about to quit the room,
with the three gold pieces in her
hand. She said to the servant L
am going to carry them rack to you"
Nevertheless she was carried to the
Commits Toner of Police, and he or
dered her to be sent to the Police
Court for trial.
She was too poor to engage a law
yer, and when asked, by the Judge,
what she had to say for herself, she
replied: 1.-THE day / went to my en-.
ployer's, / carried my child with nae.
1t was in my arms, a it is now. l
was not paying attention to it. There
were several gold coins on the mantel-
piece, and, unknown to me, it
stretched out its little hand and seized
three pieces, which / did not observe
until l got home. 1 at once put on
my bonnet, and was going back TO
my employer, to return them. when l
was arrested. This is the solemn
truth, as l hope for Heavens mercy.
The Court could not believe this
story. They u~pbraided the mother
for her impudence, in endeavoring to
palm off such a manifest lie for the
truth. They besought her, for her
own sake, to retract so absurd a tale,
for it could have no effect, bat to
oblige the Court to sentence her to a
much severer punishment than they
were disposed to %infict, upon one so
young and evidently so deep in
poverty.
These appeals had no effect, except
to strengthen the poor mothers per
tinacious adherence to her original
story. AS this firmness was sustained
by that look of innocence which the
most guilty criminal can never coun-
t~erfeit, the Court was at some loss to
discover what decision justice de-
manded.
To relieve their embarrassment, one
of the judges proposed to renew the
scene described by the mother. Three
gold coins were placed on the Clerks
table. The mother requested to as
sumo the position in which she stood
at her employers house. There was
a breathlsss pause in Court. The
baby soon discovered the bright coins
eyed them for moment, smiled, and
then stretched forth its tiny hand and
| clutched them in its fingers with 8
miser's eagerness. The mother was
at once acquitted.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
PENIS GROVE, SALEM COUNTY, N. j. SATURDAY. JANUARY IA, 1882.

time her eyes wide with fright. The
enthusiasm with which she had :
tertained her purpose, had made her
utterly forgetful of herself. Now
some n was coming. The door
swung slowly ON its furnished silver
hinges. A quaint, bent little figure,
leaning on a cane, came into the room,
and paused beside a handsome, carved
armchair which stood before a table.
Lifting the cane, the bent old woman
knocked smartly, thrice, ON the seat
of this chair, filling the room with a
hollow sound, then resuming her fee
BILE walk, she passed out Of the apart
ment by another door.
Trembling, Rae approached the
armchair. The blows of the cane
seemed to have broken the seat, for it
was awry, plainly revealing a cavity
beneath. Turning the chair to the
light, Rae looked within, and saw
distinctly a folded paper. 1t was a
large sheet, yellow, and thick as vel
lum. Her hands trembled, as she I'M
folded it and read my last will and
testament" and 1T dropped to the
floor. Snatching it up. she ran swiftly
out of the house, and flew to Fannie's
door.
81 have found it l have found It'll"
she cried as she threw her arms
around the amazed, white robed figure
that admitted her to Fannie's cham
Der.
"Found what? Are you sick ?
Are you crazy ?" asked Fannie.
1.-THE other within an old arm
chair, in the house in the hollow. A
ghost showed it to me !" said Rae,
holding the paper up.
There was a knock at the door.
"Sister, what is the matter? What
disturbs the house?"
1t was Philips voice.
al have found the wilt Come in
and see il !" cried Rae.
She lighted a lamp, and gave him
the paper. He was forced to read.
Struggling for calmness as he pro-
ceeded, he read to the end. Yes, late,
but rot too late, the precious docu-
menJ was found, the second will of
Paul Branscomb, b%equeathing all he
had TO his grandchildrer.
In the exciting talk that followed,
no n heard a slender cane go rat,
tat, tat, past the door, but when morn
ing dawned, and Fannie bestirred
herself to get breakfast, she went,
first, to her mothers room.
Philip" she said, coming back,
mother has had one of her bad
nights again. She has been up and
away. l must have slept more
soundly than usual she never eluded
me before. She is very much K
haustei."
Philip vert, instantly, to attend his
mother. When, the next day, she
seemed restored to her 'wonted condi-
ton, and Rae had infinitely told her
story, they questioned the invalid,
and tried to discover if she had any
knowledge of the hiding place of
the will. But nothing could be
gained from her disordered mind.
How dared you go on such an ex-
petition, to that lonely place, at such
an hour, Rae ?" asked Philip, the
next day, when, embraced by his
arm, she had talked owe with him
the prospect of their immediate
union.
81 vas inspired" she answered,
laughing but a look of awe came
into her beautiful eyes. Then, as she
remembered that strange night, she
gently embraced him, adding:
"All for love, Philip. 1t was done
all for love-"
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
The Secret of Longevity.

The means known, so far, of pro-
noting longevity, have been usually
concentrated in short, pithy sayings,
as, Keep your head cool, and your
feet warm" Work much, and eat
little" etc. /; just as if the whole
science of human life could be
summed up and brought out in a few
words, while IFS greatest principles
were kept out of sight.
One of the best of these sayings Is
given by an Italian, in his one hum
bred and sixteenth year, who, being
asked the means of his living 80 long,
replied with that improvisation for
which his country is remarkable:
When hungry, OF the best l eat,
And dry and warm l keep my feet;
Iscreen my head from sun and rain,
And let few cares perplex my brain.
The following is about the best
theory of the matter. Every man is
born with a certain stock of vitality,
which stock cannot be increased, but
may be husbanded. With this stock
he may live fast or slow; may live
extensively OF intenslvely may
draw mis- little amount of life over a
large space, or narrow it into a CON-
centrated one; but when his stock is
exhausted he has no more.
He who lives extensively, who
drinks pure water, avoids all infiam-
matory diseases, exercises sufficiently,
but not too laboriously, INDUCES no
exnausting passions, feeds on no excit-
ing material, pursues no facilitating
pleasures, avoids all laborious and
protracted study, preserves an easy
mind, and thus husbands his guam
tum of vitality, viii live considerably
longer than he otherwise would do,
because he lives slow while he, on
the other hand, who lives intensively,
who beverages himself on liquors and
wines, exposes himself TO iniamma-
tory diseases or causes that produce
them, labors beyond his strength,
visits exciting scenes, and INDUCES
exhaasting passions, lives On stimulat-
ing and highly seasoned food, rs
always debilitated by his pleasures.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
Scent of Dogs.

Dogs not only smell odors in an
occasional way, but they likewise
seem to extract a recognizable odor
from almost everything, as Professor
Groom Robertson also suggests:
Anacharist knows me when l am
dressed in clothes he never saw before,
by his nose alone. Let me get myself
up in q theatrical costume, and cover
my face with q mask, yet he will rec
ognize me at once by some, TO us,
undiscoverable perfume. Moreover,
he will recognize the same odor, as
clinging to my clothes after they have
been taken off.
If / shy a pebble on the beach, he
can pick out the identical pebble
amongst a thousand. Even the very
ground on which l have trodden, re-
mains to him a faint memento of my
presence for hours afterward.
The bloodhound can track a human
scent a week old, which argues a
delicacy of nose almost incredible to
human nostrils.
Similarly, too, if you watch Anach-
artist at this moment, you will see that
he runs up and down the path, sniff
ing away at every stick, stone and
plant, as though he got a separate and
distinguishable scent out of every one
of them.
And so he must, nc doubt for If
| even the earth keeps a perfume of the
| person who has walked over it hours
before, surely every object about u
must have some faint smell or other.
either of itself or of objects which
have touched it.
When we remember that a single
grain of musk will scent hundreds o1
handkerchiefs, 80 as to be recognizable
even by our defective organs of smell
there is nothing extravagant in the
idea that passing creatures may leav'
traces, d~iscoverable by keener senses
ON all the pebbles and straws which
lie across the road.
Thus the smells which make III
half of the dogs picture of the uni
verse are probably just a continuoui
and distinct as the sights which maxi
up the whole picture in u own case
and which doubtless coalesce with tn
other half in the canine mind.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
A Remarkable Star.

Several correspondents have lately
inquired about a temperance of the
so-called star of Bethlehem. Some have
mistaken the planet Jupiter for this
phenomenon. 1t seems to be thought
that a temperance Of this star must
be n of the wonders of the year
We once told the story of a star that
astronomers sometimes call Tycho
Brahe's star, and which has been
ancifully dubbed the Star of Bethle-
hem.
In the year 1872, Tycho Brahe, the
most famous astronomer of his time,
on going out to walk, one evening,
was astonished to see a splendid star
blazing in the constellation C~assiopeia,
where he knew no such star had been
before. 1t vas first seen by some
wagoners driving their teams along
the country road at night. For three
weeks it outshone all the other stars
in the sky, and exhibited, by turns, a
variety of brilliant colors. Then it
began to fade, and in sixteen months
disappeared. 1t has never been seen
SINCE, although a small star was dis
covered, about fifteen years ago, near
the same spot.
In looking v the records of astro-
nomical observations, ii was found
that a new star had suddenly APP
peared, near the same place, in the
year 1854. The theory was then
formed that this might be a variable
star, with a period of over 800 years
between its maxima. Further re-
search brought to light records of the
appearance of a similar star Ia that
part of the sky in the year 945.
There is a discrepancy of eleven
years between the two periods, but
this did not prevent somebody from
calculating the supposed series of
appearances back, and ~thereupon, an
nouncing that the star must have APP
peared at the time of the birth of
Christ. Jerome Cardan, the astrolo-
ger, was of the first who sought to
identify this phenomenon with the
star that served the wise men of the
East as a guide, to the mapger in
which the Saviour lay. 1t was called
the Pilgrim.
The constellation Cassiopeia, at this
season, is nearly In the zenith early in
the evening. 1t occupied the same
position when Tyeho Brahe first
caught sight of the wonderful star.
The constellation may be recognized
by its five principal stars. They form
a figure resembling the letter w.
The new star appeared opposite the
right-hand opening of the letter. The
observer should not be mislead by
some small stars, in that ne.ghbor
hood, which are easily seen with the
naked eye.
The star that is said to occupy nearly
the place of the phenomenon Of 1872,
is only visible in telescopes. If this
is a variable star, with a period vary
ing between S0S and $40 years. it may
be expected to blaze out again, at any
time between now and 1891.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14

shaded plaza, has a dome of cOlored
mosaic tiles, which shine in the sun /;
a style we shall see plenty of farther
on.
The principle shops have a we'll
furnished air, especially in the
branches of groceries and heavy hard
ware, and the custom-house square is
stuffed to repletion with cotton bales,
railroad iron, and miscellaneous goods
waiting transportation. The princi-
pal street is called de la Independenci1,
and leads to a short concrete prone
made, bordered with stone benches
and palm-tTees.
1t is early discovered that the
Mexican is very patriotic. He names
his streets after his battles, as particu-
larly the Cnco de Mayo, fought at
Puebla against the French, and even
has a way of joining the names of his
heroes to those of cities. Thus Puebla
is Pueblo de Zdradoza, c~ommandant
in the same great battle of the fifth of
May, and Oardca is Oaxaca of (Presi-
dent) Juarez.
Grass grows in the joints of the
stones in the minor streets, and open
cutters run in the centre. The zopi-
totes, of which travellers have written,
sit on long, straight waterspouts pro-
jecting from the houses. They are
large, raven black, dignified, and aloft
there against the deep blue sky, have
an appearance of carved architectural
ornaments. There are STRENGTHENING
departments elsewhere which are far
less ornamental at any rate.
Notices of a bull fight for the COM
ing Sunday are posted on tue dead
walls. A tram-car of a peculiar pattern
runs out in the open fields, where
there is a dancing place and ball
ground. There is a view, In passing,
of the cemetery, which should be a
leading institution indeed at Vera
Cruz; and yet when one is on the
ground, as is apt to be the case, there
are mitigatiops to be found, even of
the terrors of yellow fever.
Pall-bearers In gloomy weeds are
naturally expected to form a consider
able part of the population, just as
murderers and ~kidnappers of all sorts
are expected to abound elsewhere.
But an American resident assured me
that In four years he had known but
n of our countrymen to die of the
Uonaito, as it is called, and very few to
have it. Its chief havoc is among the
poor and badly nourished.
The American Consul, himself a
physician, and a resident of twelve
years standing, is strenuous in his
views as to the harm done to the COM
mercial interests of both countries by
Ignorance and Misrepresentation on
the subject. 1t is certain that the
local authorities do not regard the
disease as contagious, putting those
afflicted side by side with surgical
patients in the hospital; from which
it seems that if the case were really
looked into, there may be as little
need of the annoying quarantine
against yellow fever, at least of this
variety, as if it were simple ague.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
Vera Cruz.
A City Where Grass Grows in the Streets.

City Where Grass Grows in the Streets.
w. H. Bishop, writing of the City
of Vera Cruz, says: The city itself,
compact and solid, with a line Of
domes and steeples blackened with
time, roofs of substantial red tiles,
plentiful balconies, and bits of wall
tinted blue, green and pink, is a little
like Venice. A large crane hangs out
from the end of an iron pier, and the
fancy hooks on to 1t at once, the ter
minus of the English railway which
is to baar us away up the extraordt
nary slopes, from the hot lands, the
;ierros calientes, to the mysterious
interior and the capital.
In an existence of going on four
hundred years, Vera Cruz has arrived
at a population of seventeen thousand.
The interior view of the place does
not belle the promise of the first
glimpse. The chdrches are of irregu-
lar, picturesque shapes, with nice
bells. The principal one, in q little
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
Superstitious

In many portions of England, the
old superstitions are still in vogue. A
friend, now travelling abroad, sends us
some instances.
One of his companions, a lady, who
was temporarily staying near PEN
zance, Cornwall, attended a funeral,
and noticed that, while the clergy man
was reading the burial service. a
woman forced her way through the
~pall-bearers, to the edge of the grave.
When he came to the passage, I" Earth
to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, "
she dropped u white cloth upon the
coffin, closed her eyes, and apparently
said a prayer.
On making inquiries as to the cause
of this proceeding, this lady found
that a superstition exists, among the
peasants in that part, if a person with
a sore be taken secretly to a corpse, the
dead hand passed oyer the sore place,
and the bandage afterward dropped
upon the coffin, daring the read
ing of the burial service, perfect cure
will be the result. This woman had a
sick child, who had a bad leg, and she
had followed this superstition, with q
firm belief in its efficacy. The peasants
also, to the present day, as we have
been informed, wear charms, believ-
ing they will protect them from sick
ness and other evils. The wife of the
clergyman of the parish referred to,
was very charitable in attending the
sick and dispensing medicine, and
one day a woman brought her child,
having sore eyes, to have them
g charmed having more faith in
that remedy than in medicines. She
was greatly surprised to find that med
icines only were given to her.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14
Rejoice.


From out my deep, wide-bosomed West.
Where unnamed heroes hew the way
For worlds to follow, with stern zest;
Where gnarled old naples make array,
Deep-scarred from red men gone to rest;
Where pipes the quail, where squirrels
play
Through tossing trees with nuts for toy,
A boy steps forth, clear-eyed and tall,
A bashful boy, a soulful boy,
Yet comedy as the SONS OF Saul
A boy, all f~riendless. poor, unknown.
Yet heir apparent to q throne.
Loi Freedoms bleeding sacrificed
SO like some tall oak tempest-blown,
Beside the storied stream he lies,
Now at the last, pale-browed and prone.
A nation knee1s with streaming eyes;
A nation supplicates the Throne;
A nation holds him by the hand;
A nation sobs aloud at this.
The only dry eyes in the land,
Now at the last, / think are his.
Why we should pray, God knoweth best,
That this grand, patient soul should rest.
The world is round. The wheel has run
Full circle. Now, behold a grave
Beneath the old, loved trees is done.
The druid oaks lift up and wave
A solemn welcome back. The brave
Old naples murmur, every one,
Receive him EARTH" In center land,
As in the center of each heart
AS in the hollow of Gods hand
The coffin sinks. And with 1t part
All party hates! Now, not in vain
He bore his peril and bard pain.
~.
Therefore, l say, rejoice! l say
The lesson of mis- life was much
boy that won, as ina day,
The worlds heart u~tterly-a touch
Of tenderness and tears the page
OF History grows rich from such;
His name the nations heritage.
But OF as some sweet angels voice,
Spake this brave death, that touched us all
Therefore, I say, ~rejoicel rejoice!
Run high the fiagsi Put by the pail!
Lol all is for the best for ALI
Joaquin Miller.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14

"A fashion magazine says: "Steel
trimmings are no longer the Style
That settles 1t. Lay aside your bowie
knives.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14

OUR lives should be like snow
fields, where our footsteps leave q
trace, but not a stain.
The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-14

"A pugilist should find no difficulty
in boxing the compass.