davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1882-08-04
Grape on the Door,


Some one has gone from this strange world OF ours
20 more 70 gather is thorns with its hovers,
40 no more TO linRer where mnbeAms must fade,
"nere on al beauty death finger. ara laid!
There's Grape on the door |"
A mother going by with her darling
imvoluntarily tightens her grasp OF the
little hand, as she sees the banner of
death furled SO near, and the boy feels
the pressure and saws:
What is 1t, mamma?"
Some one IL dead, Willie"
What does dead mean?"
The mother looks about her for m an
swer to the childs question.
1t means-it nleans-why, Willie,
You remember when your little sister
died and was cold, and we buried her
under the grass"
And then?' qucried the child.
Then she went 20 heaven"
Where is heaveu?"
" 1t is where God is, my dear"
Mamma, who made God ?"
Poor child! his thouGhtless questions
get no more satisfactory answers than
our researches into an older theology
over which We 80 valnly agonize, and he
must remain contented with his limited
knowledge that some enc is dead and it
Is the custom tO put Grape on the door
III custom beautiful in itself, infinitely
Leautllul If We looi upon the insignia az
one ot hope and glad ucluiescence in
summons to rest
some ono is rest NJ from 50 row and sin,
HaJp, wlIe ruIth'. Conflicts enter not in:
ille tlt Iirlul 10 IA, "A a = griyhk .hnra
Rag TIT bsl s"i.!, IheGes Grape the door.
We du not cup our hands and cry
lpyousIy, ut In the bnuer Of immor-
.anty." No We start and walk with
Sow step aud bated reIth, as the heavy
wave OF Grape meets our eyes, and VIZ
Shudder nstinntively Ill the bright sun
shine. The green leaves are coming,
he flowers will blop the birds will
ing, aud the heart throU with the full
ltss ut life
Lqves nave their time to fall,
\ "A hu"trs to vi her at the north winds breath,
Aid StRrs u rrt hut al
Ii u hat, al &c soils, for thine own, o Death!
Custom has decreed that We shall
tnu> INFORM the p,tsser-by that death is
present, and the solemn badge Of the
shdowy ambassador guards the portal
from all Idle Intrusion. No social visits
re paid to the house that shows that
ns'gn; no cali of ceremony is made
while that guest is present ; nor do peo-
pie linger idly i'll the vicinity of the
house that Is thus set apart from its
nelghburs.
The somher fall Of black Grape on the
door assures US that ole If nature years
has passed over" but fora young per-
sou or IL little enid, whIte--the emblem
Of purity-is used, but 1t tells the same
sat story:
Wary wi h ninging Les hitter and sweet
'ary w.ih pa."Lh AID LeNtrt n'eet,
so ne nne has gone til, Ur,ght golden shore,
Hing the bell -Oft!, there Grape on the dor.
IN. qua.
, 1882-08-04
low Raisins Are Made In California.

Tie grapes aru allowed to remain on
he vie un;il Uf II golden color and
,ruuslucenL lhen they are picked and
put ulI WuUlGn trays two by three feet
N siz placed between the rows, sloping
20 the suu. When half dried. they are
surlIed 'y putting II tray Oh top, aud, by
,nNertins tlIcnI both, are transferred to
;he new truy. When the grapes lose
SIeir ashy appearance, and alter remov-
m.g the green ones, the rest are put into
large sweut-boxes, placing sheets Of pa
per between every twenty five pounds OF
raisins. They me lett there for two
weeks, when tue stems are tough and
the raisius soft. The packing follows,
in which iron Or steel packing frames
are used, the raisins Icing assorted,
weighed, inspected and mHAe pre-
sentablr.
, 1882-08-04
Substitutes for Wood.

Year by year other materials are be-
ing substituted for wood in the erection
Of dwellings, and buildings OF all kinds,
in the construction Of bridges, fences
and sidewalks, in the manufacture OF
carriages, agricultural implements and
furniture, for producing heat for cooking
and warming dwellings, and for general
ing steam. In many parts Of the coun-
try it is quite as cheap TO erect buildings
of brick or stone as OF wood, though the
time required is somewhat longer.
Within the past five years boards have
given place to wire in building farm
fences, and in ten years more wooden
fence posts will give place to those Of
stone, cement or iron. Wood is rapidly
going out CT use as material for hoops
for barrels and other forms of cooper's
ware, and, indeed, barrels and casks of
any kind are giving way to other kinds
of packages for holding other substances
than liquids. Wooden pavements are
now generally condemned in all large
cities, and wooden sidewalks will soon
share their fate. Recently baskets made
of strip-uon for picking cotton, gather
ing potatoes and harvesting fruit have
been introduced. They are light, clean,
very vlceableand comparatively cheap.
Furniture made Of metal or stone il fast
dlsplacing that manufacturedfr from wood.
Wood supports are still used for rail-
way tracks, hut it is likely that substi-
tute for them in some torn of metal or
stone will be- found before trees can be
grown of sufficient size to convert into
Ties. Not only sea-gOing steamers and
vessels nre made of iron. but many
smaller boats are constructed of the same
material. With the exception of steam
uoats navigating rivers and lakes whose
banks and shores are lined with forests,
or locomotives running through sections
ot the country that are heavily wooded,
there is no longer demand for wood for
generating steam. No one will question
the excellence Of a wood fire, whether it
burns Ill stove or open CRATE, but it il
no longer economical i'll most places,
even if the material to support it can be
obtained ut comparatively low price.
Wood ID bulky, while coal is compact.
The former requires considerable prepa-
ration before 1t can be used, while the
latter needs none. Much moro abor is
required to keep up fire of wood than
one of any kind of coal. Wood needs
better protection than coal, and depre-
ciates in value much faster when kept iD
any situation. on.-Chicago Times.
, 1882-08-04
Metals I'm ihn RAiY.

The human body. which seems made
up of flesh and blood, really contains
several metals and gases, and other sub
stances, which perform important offices
in the world Of science. Nitrogen and
carbon and hydrogen are its chief constit-
uents, but it holds, beside, about two
pounds of phosphorus, which is essen.
tnl to the health OF the bones and vigor
Of the brain. This phosphorus, il ex-
tracted and put to use, would make up
about 4, 200 packages of friction matches.
Beside phosphorus it contains a feN
ounces OF sodium and half an ounce OF
potassium, which school boys know as q
curious metal that burns brilliantly Oh
the surface Of the water or when touched
by an iciclr. The quantity of such in
the body would be sufficient for many
experiments in lurge schools. In al
dition to sodium and potassium there
are few grains of magnesium, enough
to make the "silver rain" for family's
stock of rockets ON Fourth Of July
evening or tO create q brilliant light
twenty miles away. Who knows but
Some reckless chemist may undertake to
drive a prof table business by extrac"'
ing these m aterials from dead bodies p
Scientific Press.
, 1882-08-04
Cough.

After all his lifelong work upon the
platform, aud with the high fees his
fame and abilities justly command, John
B. Cough il not a rich man. His private
.harltlrsarr ny largcnndnumerOns as they
ire unostentlltious. for this great-hearted
man does not let his left hand know what
his right hard does. He has met with
frequent AMI heavy losses on account OF
the teudrr-hcartrd willingness with
which he puts his valuable autograph on
the back of friend album for ninety
DAYS, and the almost infallible certainty
with which he is compelled to- get it hack
again for himself when the three short
months have flown. MIR. Cough ought to
I've worth SiOO, 600, Int like most men
whose hearts are wrapped up in, and
whose lives are cUnserruted, to some great
work of re- M, hr is not good busi-
ness man, aud impecunious friends and
suffering humanity have got most Of the
money the great apostle Of temperance
has earned 10y hard platform work.
, 1882-08-04
Anomalies In Spelling.

One word in the English language
can be spelled phonetlcaIly without
using single letter belonging to it,
VIZ. Cotfee-kaughphy" The mono
syllable pronouns ana you have alsn
their symphonic words" "Ay," "aye,
"eye" and "ewe." Are there any
other words embraced in the same cate
CORY? ..
The terminal Ugh /" has peculiar prop
critics. 1t is silent MS Ill "pIollSil, OK
pronounced like 4" 1" as i'll "tongh.
It also seems to hav . the power OF CIV
ing au arbitrary pronunciation to the
compound "ou" preceding IT, which Is
pronounced differently i'll the several
words "plough," "louSh," cough
and slough"
There are p number OF words-seyen,
I thlnk-in which nj! the yOwelS follow
each other in their regular order. l can
recall but one" abatruuohSly. Gan
any Of your readers give the o hers?
1t seemed strange 10 ne N looking up
the new word zen ilagr, not yet Ill the
dictionaries, to lind tnat previous 10 us
invention there was no word III tue En-
Vlish or French language beginning with
what appeared To be so natural com
biuation of letters rs ",uel. In Latin
there is only Ensis "a sword) and it'
deriyntions. - BOStoa Irdw"rpL
, 1882-08-04
EDUCATION.
Comparative Statistics NJ 60
montary Education ThrouRhc
Civilized World.


montary Education Thr0uRhc
Civilized World.
In paper prepared by the
States Bureau of Education is included
some interesting and valuable statistics,
compiled from the latest official reports,
showing certain facts relating to the
condition of elementary education
throughout the civilized world. Among
the facts exhibited regarding each coun-
try are the total population, the school
age as established by law, the total
school population, the number OF schools,
the number of pupils enrolled, and the
most interesting !acts thus to be pre-
sented are given i'll the table printed
herewith.
1t will be observed, upon reference to
the following table, that in some of the
countries the number of pupils en-
rolled in schools exceeds the entire school
population. For example, the school
population of England and Wales was
reported at $500, 900 in 1879, while the
number of pupils enrolled in schools in
the same year was 3.7l0,SS3. This APP
parent discrepancy is explained by the
fact that the official school age i'll those
countries comprises only children from
to 10 years old, including those in in
FAINT schools. The 1900. 00J school popu.
latlon Is an estimate, and included only
those children who We're letween the
ages of Z and 13 years. OF the 3,7l0,.
S83 pupils enrolled, l,20S,0l6 We're be-
tween the ages of 5 and 7 years, 1885,
973 were between the ages of and l3
years, and 16S, ,S94 were over 13 years
old. IN nearly all the Continental coun-
tries of Europe the school age covers Il
period of only seven or eight years, usu-
ally from 6 to l3 or 6 to IA; AMI cOnse.
quently many children younger than
years or older than II years are enrolled
as pupils in the schools, although they do
not form ! art OF the school population.
In the United States the school age
vlries greatly in the different States.
The longest period is seventeen years,
from to 81 Gin Florida, Maine and
New Hampshire), and the lowest six
years, from 8 to IA Gn Texas). School
age in the United States covers an aver.
age period exceeding fourt en years,
while III European countries the average
period is lit 10 more than one-half as
long 1t would not be fair to conclude
tha, because Saxony reported more
than 100 per cent. of her school popula-
ton enrolled i'll public sch, OILS in 1873,
she wai therefore, in an educl ii )nnl
sense, ahead of the United States, which
reported only "a per cent of the sch,
populatione rolled in the public schools
IN the same year. In Saxony the school
age covers period of only eight years,
while, as has been shown, in the United
States the period exceeds fourteen years.
In this table the school population OF
Russia is estimated mt l5,0OO, 900 IN
round numbers. This. and the reported
school population of England and Wales
already mentioned, are the only esti.
mates i'll the table. OF the 60, 527
teachers reported i'll England and Wales,
90. 7i6 ar certified teachers SIN ara a.
slsJanI Ueacners, ana Oh, 100 are pupil
teachers. Following is the table above
mentioned:
, 1882-08-04
Ears.

Large ears can hear things in general,
aud denote broad, comprehensive views
.nd modes of thought, while small ears
lear things i'll particular, showing dis
position 10 individuillize, often accom-
Jlnled by 1--we of the minute. Large
ars are usually satisfied with learning
the facts OF case, with the general
principles involved-too strict an atten-
ION to the enumeration of details, es.
peclally all repetition of the more unim-
portuut, is wearisOme to them. People
with such ears like generally, and are
lSutlly we'll utted, to conduct large en-
rrprIses, to receive and pay out large
ums; Ill buy ing or selling would prefer
, leave "a margin rather tuan reduce the
iuuntIty Of ANY sort to the exact dimen-
lions Uf the measure specified, and in
giving would prefer to give with free
Iand and without too strict calculation
" to the exact amount. Small ears, ON
5he contrary, Il sire to know the particu-
tars uf IL stur, us we'll us the main facts
axe delIgnt u.ten III examining, hand
rnS or constructing tiny .pecimens OF
Sorknrt 'sli p; are disposed 70 be exact
yIth resp Z. to inches and ounces in
)uying "a SrIliu2-to the extent, at
,e,isI. ri kIoWiuS tue exact number over
n under the stated measure given or re-
celycd. People with sucn ears would,
II most ci.s:>, pr"t'r II 4 tail 10 a whole
,aIe ULslntsS. -5hrrHOt0yicat Journal.
, 1882-08-04

Before this house (the one occupied
by Mr.. Seward when he WAS attacked
by Payne), for several years afterward,
sentry paced night and day, even
when Mr.. Seward had moved away and
gone out of Office. The same building
was once used as n clubhouse, and
from it Key had just issued when he
was shot by Sickles This lonely sentry,
still at his post long after he had been
forgotten at the War Department, and
allowed to remain, l suppose, because
no one thought it was his duty to re-
lieve him, reminds me OF several similar
incidents that are relatedin Washington.
The great falls of the Potomac Gre
about sixteen miles above Washington,
and during the war there was station
for the collection Of provisions for the
army on the bank of the canal near
these grand cataracts. The road be-
tween Washington and Great Falls was
several times rnidedby the Confederates,
and block.hOuse was erected by the
Federals at n point three or four miles
above Georgetown to prevent parties OF
rebels from passing up and down the
road. At the close of the war the de-
fenses about the capital were one after
another deserted, but nobody seems to
have remembered the corporals guard
stationed out there on the Aqu-duct
road, and they remained on duty for
year or two. After they were relieved
the block-house was set on fire hy
tramps or boys, and only few black.
ened posts now mark its site. A still
more remarkable case was that discov.
cred by Gen. B. +. Butler about ten
years ago. He was nosing around
among the appropriations one day. when
he discovered an officer in the Capitol
whose duty he did not understand. He
was watching crypt An investigation
showed that many years agoit WAS pro.
posed to deposit the bones of G II.
George Washington beneath the Capitol,
and crypt WAS prepared for that pur-
pose. When it WAS completed, PM
lie officer was appointed whose duty it
was to watch this crypt and prevent its
desecration, and there he Id been ever
since, growing gray in the service, and,
while Congress had appropriated money
to pay his salary year utter year, nobody
had thought it worth while to inquire
how he earned it, Washington Cor
SS.'ri...l-n"e Prrss,
, 1882-08-04
Celebrated pOiSOnerS,

At one time. poisoning was largely
prrtctiSrd in Italy. The most celebrated
IT the Italian prisoners were two women
named LII Spaza and Tophania, who
we're both executed. The latter con-
fessed that she lad been instrumental in
poisoning 600 people, during life OF 20
years. Her poison WIS colorless and
tasteless, and could not he detected. 1t
was put mp in vials aud labeled by her
Mamma Of st. Nicholas" though it was
usually known 10y her own name as
Agna Toplanin So common thing
did poisoning bc"ome, that fashionable
ladies' kept hot III this fatal water
upon their dressing tables, as they would
lavender water. BY regulating the dose
victims could he dispatched in week, a
fortnight. month, or longer period,
as suited the plans of the poison
ers. In England seventeen persons were
poisoned by Rou.c, the Bishop OF Roch-
cster's cook Madame de Brinyilliers,
a young Frcnchwoman Of most engaging
manners, ran most distinguished ca
reer as a slow poisoncr. BY the advice
If her husband, she leagucd with a poi
sOner by the name Of Saint Croix, to
dispatch, her father and brothers, that
She might inherit their property. The
elowship OF crime inspired her with q
guilty passion for her accomplice, and
she afterward sought to poison her hus-
band that she might marry Saint Croix.
But he latter had no fancy to form a
closer connection with this wicked
woman, and, by the secret administra-
ton of antidotes, prevented the hus-
bands death. She vas at length de-
tected in her practices, and perished on
the scaffold.
, 1882-08-04
Tho Catalina Tree.

1t is believed that the rnilrond tie Of
The future will I've cut from the beautiful
catalina tree. The Fort Scott, Texas
and Gulf railroad have planted 800 acres
~ Young trees. and the Iron NJ ntain
[all' Dad have planted 100 acres, near
charleston, Mo. On the track-bed OF
the latter company ties of this wood
nave laid in tue muddy silt of the Mis-
""slppi Tor twelve years, and are still IN
e0ou state Of preservation. They have
ouiIasted two sets OF white oak tics, aEd
0Ia tair to survive the third.
, 1882-08-04
GOSSIP FOR THE LADIES.
Wants Him hack.


Itwas q proud young lumberman
who aIed my heart and hand
"If you love me a. love yeS
Our marriage shall he pianned."
] dotted on his stalwsrt form,
And. like asilly COOS,
Thought ne'er vas Eeen a smarter lad,
Nor one who looked sosprucc,
IIis eyes vgre hazel in thsir hue,
HIS Tar Was chesuut tnt-
His meath ueer uttered locust words,
HIS breath heer smrlt u mint,
He hal grasp Tor every paln,
A tender grip for mini;
lie was 50 poplar with the girls,
They all for h.m did pine.
He said |: "Dnk careful be, my dear,
Beech chaste and always gnOd-
It's little know OF the world,
I'm booked up, buttUnwood."
He left me for the leafy glsdes,
And went by Maine trunk line
To Androeooggin's logging camp,
Oh chops TO daily dine.
willow any one debt
OF Rrstitude II they
Bring tidings OF my absent" mash"
Now three long years away.
, 1882-08-04

A GENTLEMAN who, in public meet
ing, was telling that he was 81 years old
and had not been an abstainer from
liquors, was interrupted by the remark.
" You would have been 100 by this time
il you had !"
, 1882-08-04

WELL, you'll own she's got a pref
ty foot, won't you ?" Yes, I'll grant
you that, but then it never made half as
much Of an impression on me as the old
mans
, 1882-08-04

The evaporating process so extensive
ly employed in the drying Of apples and
peaches has been applied also to Goldfish,
which can be reduced to fine dry meal,
one pound of which is equal to ten
pounds of fresh cod in nutritive proper
ties
, 1882-08-04

IT was an Ohio woman who invented
the porous plaster. She covered q cloth
with glue and wax and clapped it on the
old mans back to drive out the rheuma-
tiz.
, 1882-08-04
How Beds Are Made Beautiful.

A great deal of decorative color is now
fashionable for bed-coverings. Silk cov-
erings of embroidery or of rich damasks
are used over the entire bed. II white
spread is preferred, it is frightened by
a scarf drapery of rich dark brocade,
that is thrown carelessly across the foot
of the bed. The japanese embroidered
quilts, and those done with gilt threads
in tapestry designs, are especially hand
some. Antique laces combined with
white muslin are used over colored silk
Innings for bed-spreads, with pillow
spreads to match. A border of red
plush, upon which the lace edge falls, is
a pretty finish when not lined, these
lace spreads are used over down COM
fortables that are covered with rose,
blue or red silk. boston Advertiser.
, 1882-08-04

A professor, who got very angry at the
interruption Of workingm IN while hc
was explaining the operations of a mac D.
lie in a factory, strolled away in = h'il
uud asked another workman: "WEO Is
t'rat follow who pretendS to know more
than | do about that instrument tluu ]
, 1882-08-04

AT game Of football in England five
players had to be carried of the grounds
for medical treatment. A mule couldn't
have done better.
, 1882-08-04

"EUaESIA, Eugenia, will you still in.
slst on wearing the hair of another wom
an upon your head2" "Alrhonso, Al
phonso, do you still insist upon wearing
the skin of another calf upon your fcet2'
, 1882-08-04

$1,000 per year can lJc ensIlv made nj home
s,orNihS for b. q. RiIlcout 4 Co. ~ lhrklry
nmn rrt :, New York. send for their catalogue
, 1882-08-04

do" "Oh, he is the man that inverted
it," was tIcnnsvpr.
, 1882-08-04

Mrs. JULIA WARD HOWE learned
Greek after she WAS 80 years old.
, 1882-08-04

OSE swan will eat q gallon Of rsh
lawn i'll day.
, 1882-08-04

The only way to enjoy even a SEM
blance Of happiness in this world seems
70 he to do MS near right as possible and
leave the resnlt IN I"l
, 1882-08-04

WIEN some politicians are weighed
they are founl wanting every office IN
She country.
, 1882-08-04
ParI.Ian Hall Co.tume..

n vi 10
expended in devising original costumes
for Parisian fancy balls. A lovely
Countess, who is noted equally in Paris
for wit and beauty, gave one recently in
which her guests represented a fruit
garden. The ladies appeared as vines,
cherry trees, currant bushes, strawberry
plants, etc, and the gentlemen as apple
and pear trees. One lovely young lady,
il is said, won murmurs Of admiration as
n strawberry. At another ball a kitchen
garden was represented. The ladies
wore white and red turnips, caulihowers
and radishes (the sweet-smellinR onion
and the suggestive carrot we're neglect
eD, and the gentlemen appeared as
cabbages, beet root and celery. Some
amusement was created at another fancy
ball given by Nine. Guichard by the
appearance of a newly-married couple as
cock and hen, the cock being arrayed
in golden brown feathers, with comb
and spurs complete, and the hen in
white satin and swansdown, with little
white feather tail and small basket OF
golden eS5=.
Humorous Writing.
Almost every one privately indulges in
the idea that he could become "a cele-
brated humorist writer if he were only
to try.
He takes up n magazine or newspa-
per and reads humorous article, and
says TO himself "If / only had time,
| could do vastly better than that"
Now, friend, suppose you take the
time and try
II you can produce first-class hu-
morous sketch, your fortune is made.
You need not plod on in counting
or vegetate behind the counters of dry
goods stores selling calico at Il profit of
2 cents on a yard. You can just go OH
with your iirst.class humor, and fix your
own valuation upon it, never fearing but
it will be paid.
But the fact of it is, you are little
mistaken. This humorist business is
much easier in theory than i'll practice.
Anybody can critici,e and find fault
with our funny writers, but the question
is can that same anybody" do any bet
ter? If 30, let him do 1t.
You think it very easy and simple
thing TO SIT down with pen In your Nh
gers and sheet Of paper before you
and indite thoughts winch shall con
vulse the world with laughter, and say
ings which shall be repeated for scores
OF years To come?
Well, we are all willing you should
try, and when you achieve success we
Will laugh ut your witty things, and sun
ourselves in the flash Of your diamonds,
and not feel any envy. We
are apt to look upon humorous writing
as pastime, as requiring less thought
and intellectual power than the heavier
essays which crowd our reviews; but i'll
this we are mistaken. Your true hu
morist must have wonderful imagina-
tion, observation, keen sense of the
ridiculous, thorough understanding of
men, generous power Of language,
delicacy, sensibility, tenderness and
strong love Of humankind The Thorn
Papers.