davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
without Argument.

lie was young lawyer, and was de-
livering his maiden speech, Like
most young lawyers, he was llolid
rhetorical, scattering and weary. For
four weary hours he talked at the
Court and the jury, until everybody
felt like lynching him. When he got
through, his opponent, grizzled old
professional, arose, looked sweetly at
the Judge, and said
"Your Honor, | will follow the ex'
ample of my young friend who has
lust tinished and submit the case
without argument.
Then he sat down, and the silence
was large ana oppressive.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11

1t seems absurd that fourteen or
fifteen yards arcnGodcd to makea gown
for Il woman, while about five are
sufficient to make u grcat-coat for a
man, says writer in IHe L0ndOn
Siaa9a0. 1t is fortunate, in view of
this fact, that trained dresses are worn
only to dinner, and in the form of tea
gowns. TIE ld"d weight and incon-
ycnienco Of a train, which must he
held in the hand, would render IL walk
Il pUnannc install of Il pleasure. 1t
may be hoped that fashion viii never
reintroducc the long skirt for outdoor
work, 1t has nothing to recommend
1t, even from the point of view Of the
dreSsmaker, who has found possible
tOcrowd al hcArablc trimmings on The
limited surface Of the short dress
When trains first went out, leaving the
feet plainly visible, coquctry brought
them more prominently into evidence
by the intro luction of the high-hecled
boot.
This, in It's turn, has now almost en-
tircly disappeared from the walking
gear of the fashionably dressed; and
there is even u CLEAN Of hope that the
high heels may vanish from the lall-
room before long, and with them their
peculiar influences on the dances of the
day. The ierhy va'se, now in so much
vogue, would soon be consigned to OBJ
livion, together with the little "tap-
tap Of narrow, elongated heels of the
fashionable shoe and those who r2a-
lie that even ballroom dancing might
be softly poetic and drcamily grace
full would cease to he irritatCl hy the
sudden swing ald violent onslaught
Of couples engaged in the arduou3
trois temps. LIT su:h as these hope
for the abolition Of the high-heeled
dancing shoe, even though it be fol
lowed by the molrnful clcgies Of
those deficient in stature, though no.
in the ambition of prefcrring a tall
partner.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
English Customs in the Middle Ages,

Ii was possible for a woman to pur-
chase a royal license to marry "whom
she would" always granted with the
proviso that it was not to be one of the
kings enemies. Widows very often
had recourse to this measure; maidens
more rarely. With the former it
might denote either an attachment to
some particular person Or a mere desire
not to be forced into remarriage; but a
spinster who was not a nun was never
heard OF in the middle ages. There
were a very few old bachelors-r
phenomena, but an old maid was never
seen outside the closter. The nearest
approach to it was in the case of few
ladies' difficult to please, who delayed
marriage until middle age was reached
1t was rarely that this could be the
case, since they were seldom allowed
to please themselves. The color which
was pretty certain not to be worn at a
wedding was white, for white was the
deepest possible mourning, and was
worn by widows Immediately after be
reavement. Medieval education was
a very different thing to that of the
present day. Among the higher
classes both sons and daughters were
sent into the service of a gentleman or
lady and educated in the necessary
duties of gentle people. Why they
were not taught a home is not quite
clear; probably a better discipline was
secured under stranger guardianship.
y girl was thoroughly trained in house
wifery, medicine and some slight sur
gerry il fortunately placed, needlework,
etc, sometimes to read and to write
also. The boys were trained in war
like arts, to ride, to shoot, and so forth:
most frequently the reading and writ
ing were omitted in their case. Royal
pnrsOnag's were obliged to study both
reading and writing, and the royal
signatures are interesting and often
characteristic. Henry Wills hand is
very characteristic; doubtless, as
Isaac Disracli has said of him, che
split many good pen" Mary wrote
a pretty Italian hand, but rather
sprawling and irregular. "Never
could any lady write more beautiful
hand than the early Italian one of
Elizabcth; and / hope no lady ever
wrote any uglier than the horrible
scrawl of her queenly years" The
food, cookery and medicine of the
middle ages were alike in respect that
they were most elaborate and aStOund-
ing connections, often repulsive to the
last degree. Only iron constitutions, is
would seem, could sustain such fearful
admiXtures of indigestble and unlike
ly food, yet our forefathers and mother
throve and grew hearty upon them
"Ye Olden Time."
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
Playthings OF Children in Africa.

The giIls in Africa, as elsewhere,
are fond of dolls; but they like them
best alive, so they take puppies for the
purpose, and carry them about tied to
their backs, as their mothers carry
babies. Some of them "Ilay baby
with little pigs. The boys play shoot
with gun made to initiate the "white
mans gun" Two pieces of cane tied
together make the barrels, the stock is
made of clay, and the smoke is Il tult
of loose cotton.
In one African tribe the boys have
spears made of reeds, shields, bows, and
arrows, with which they initiate their
fathers doings; and they make ami
mails out of clay, while their sisters
Jump the rope" Besides, the African
children, like children all over the
world, enjoy themselves making be-
lieve." They initiate the life around
them, not playing keep house." go
visiting" or give a party" because
they see none of these things in their
homes; but they pretend building a hut
making clay jars, and crushing corn to
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11

On the farm of John Reese, near
Kimberton, Chester County, Penn, is
a plot of ground which, it is thought,
will petrify things buried in it. A
quantity of petriied chips was recent
ly picked up there which still bear the
marks of the AK. In that spot the
earth is of an entirely different charac-
ter from that found in other parts of
the farm. The soil is of rathera gum,
my nature, and it differs in color from
the surrounding dirt. In order to
test whether the soil will petrily
foreign substances, pieces of wood and
the carcass of small animal arc to be
buried there and examined after a
lapse of four years. Near Spring City,
Chester County, body recently ex-
humed in a cemetery, was found to be
entirely petrifed, having been taken
from a piece of ground resembling
that at Kimbert0n.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
Obtaining Bodies for Dissection.

'lnrce dollars aplcceI'
The above was in answer to q question
asked an attendant at one of the New
York city colleges recently by reporter
for the Mail and Express, concerning the
price paid for dead bodies used for sci.
entilic purposes.
"Whcrc do you get most of themm
"From the Charity Hospital, Bellevue
in fact all the hospitals and the morgue.
The bodies that go into the medical
schools represent the paupcr dead only,
and the good their bodies do for science
Is oftentimes the first and only good use
that they have been put to since their
birth"
GLOW many bodies do you suppose are
used by the medical schools in this city
every year,"
Easily thousand. Of course most
OF them are used by the students for dis,
section, but the professors also utilize
the cadaver for anatomical dcmonstra
ton. Didactic teaching IS coming to
be more and more regarded
as the best method. Then
again. many cadavers are used in the
practical study of operative surgery. The
students practice on the dead body.
They ampuatc fingers, hands, arms and
legs, make rescctions of bone, and 90
through the modus opcrandi of hundreds
OF everyday operations in minor surgery,
They learn to appreciate the surgical
landmarks and familiarize themselves
with normal and abnormal conditions of
the BODY
"But the cadaver is prepared in some
way before it is given to the student, is
it not!"
"Oh, my, yes. They are thoroughly
prepared. Sometimes they are picked
In solution Of saltpetre and water and
sometimes they arcinjectcd with n prepa.
ration of chloride of zinc or arsenic.
Students prefer an injected Or fresh sub,
ject TO picked one generally For my
part, had rather have picked one.
Working on zinc or arsenite cadaver
makes ones fingers sore"
'Thc students, of course, buy the
bodies from you at an advance on the
original price,"
mot at ALL No charge is made for
material for dissection. The college fur.
niShes it free. But some return is had
from the bones. The scraps and bones
are gathered in u large pile and kept for
man in Philadelphia, who prepares and
mounts skeletons for schools, lodges and
private individuals. lie cones to New
York at regular intervals and buys up all
the human bones and sends them to
Philadelphia in barrels"
Does he get anything much for
skeleton"
ooh, skeleton brings more than the
cadaver tcnfold. They range in price
from $50 to $500. A complete disarticu-
lated skeleton, that is, one where all the
200 bones can be separated, if it has the
thirty-two teeth intact, will bring 5000
easily. An ordinary one however, with
all the bones separated except those OF
the head, eau be had for the former
urice.n
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
I'll MalldI.

About the middle OF the ninth century,
q boy of four years old became Imam ii
Bagdad. Six years afterward he disap,
pearcd, and his mother and servants as.
serted that he had gone down into
fountain in the garden declaring that he
would return when he had learned the
will of the Lord. Since then the Shias,
n certain sect of the Mohammedans, have
taught that he was still living and would
rcappear with the Prophet Elijah, and es-
tablish lslamism as universal religion.
1t has always been expected and pre-
dicted that the "Mahdi," or "Guide,"
would appear in Arabia But the man
whose followers assert him to be this LOST
Imam, and the Mahdi is an Egyptian
named Ahmed Suciman. He was for.
merly acknowledgement of the soudan
lie was also a dcalcrin slaves, ivory, gum
arabic and other goods, and headed the
slave traders in their rebellion against the
khedive, when an attempt was made to
check their traffic.
Dr. Tenny, who is probably the only
American who has seen the Mahdi, de-
scribcs him as a spare, tall man with
dark olive complexion and brilliant eyes,
and clad in white robe and turban. He
possesses in a high degree that peculiar
magnetism which controls large bodies
of men. lie protests that he is not the
lost Imam, but is the "Voice of Allah"
sent to "lcad Islam until it covers the
face of the earth" His followers, how.
ever, insist that he is the boy who disap-
pcared in the fountain thousand years
ago,
Almost every nation possesses the tra
dition Of lost hero who still lives and
will return to lead it to victory In Asia
it is Gautama, or Buddha in England
King Arthur was believed to have entered
into ship and sailed away, into the fog
and mist. There are songs and traditions
yet eXtant which show how long and
how faithfully the Britons clung to the
hope that he would some day return and
drive out both Saxon and Norman in.
vaicr. In SPAN, the great Saracenic
chief, Boabdil, was believed for ccntu-
ries, by the lower classes of the people, to
be lying in an enchanted sleep, in cave
with his knights, some day to awake and
sally forth. Even in this new country,
we have the old navigator Hendrix
Hudson, who according to Dutch ira
diton, only sleeps in the Kaatskills, and
Jidcs his time to come out and see how
the world has grown since he has left it.
-HOutA'S COm6aaiJR.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
What VIII Burst n Gun.

In bravado young man placed the
muzzle of his fowling piece under the
water, and fired the fharge. The re-
suit was the bursting Of the barrel
near the breech and The mutilation of
his hand. Another placed and held
'he muzzle of his piece square against
apiece of plate window glass, and fired
the charge powder and bullet. The
glass was shattered, SO was the gun
barrel. Another instance was that of
an experimental who had heard that a
candle could be fired from the barrel
Of gun through an inch board lie
drove candle into the muzzle OF the
gun, fired, and the explosion split the
barrel almost its entire length, and did
not even drive the candle from the
muzzle. Still another burst of gun
barrel was caused by the use of wet
grass for a wad, well rammed down
over a charge of shot But perhaps
one Of the most singular exhibitions in
this line was Colts navy revolver,
which some years ago was sent to the
factory in Hartford, Conn. This was
before the adaptation of these pistols
to the metallic cartridges, and it is
probable that in loading with open
powder and ball only small amount
of powder got into the chamber, and
the bullet was not propelled with sufi-
cient force to drive it from the mu2zle:
at leaSvthe bullet did not go out, but
edged. AS the shooter did not know
whether the bullet escaped or not, he
kept on firing till the barrel burst or
bulged, and when it was sawed in two
longitudinally there were fGund four
teen bullets wedged one into the other,
and so much upset by the hammer
ing of The successive explosions of the.
powder charges that some of them
were not less than one inch in diane
ter, being tlattened disks instead of
conical bullets. Scientific Ame1ic0n
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
MAKING ARTIFICIAL IVORY.

The Chronjquc InduStrieUe gives
the following description of new pro-
cess for making artificial ivory from
the bones Of sheep and goats and the
waste of white skins, such as kid, deer,
etc: The bones are macerated for ter
or fifteen hours in a solution of chic
ride of lime, and afterwards washed in
clean water and allowed to dry. Then
they are put with all the scraps of
hide, etc, into specially constructed
boiler, dissolved by steam 90 as to form
fluid mass, to which is added - per
cent of alum.
The foam is skinned off as it rises,
until the mass is clear and trans
parent. Any convenient coloring
material is then added, and while the
mass is still warm it is strained through
cloth of appropriate coarseness and
received in a cooler, and allowed to
cool until it has acquireda certain con-
sistency, 50 that it can be spread out on
the canvas without passing through it.
1t is dried on frames in the air, and
forms sheets of convenient thickness,
1t is then necessary to harden it, which
is accomplished by keeping it for eight
or ten hours in an alum bath that has
been used before.
The quantity of alum necessary for
this operation amounts to so per cent
by weight of the gelatine sheets.
When they have acquired sufficient
hardness, they are washed in cold
water and let dry on frames, as at first
This material works more easily and
takes as fine a polish us real ivory.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
A SparrOW's Golden Nest.

We have all heard of the goose that
laid the golden egg, but the Philadel-
phia Times tells the story of sparrow
that made its nest a golden one. 1t
was a very aristocratic bird, but it has
been compelled to make an assignment
The sparrow made its home in a bird
box close to the United States mint,
AMI by its boldness had become a great
favorite with the girls in the mint,
who allowed it to play in and out OF
the windows at pleasure. A short
time ago a boy in tho building went
where Mr.. Sparrow has made his nest
and peeping into the box to see if
there were any young folks at home, as
boys love to do, he was surprised upon
drawing his fingers out to see them
sparkling in the bright sunshine. Nc
miner who strikes an unexpected vein
was more excited than the boy as he
seized the box and carried the Who'll,
thing down stairs, where it WAS founl
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
LADIES' DEPARTMENT,
a Novel Way TO Pop III. Question.

.
lyEoiean mallens are by old custom
spared the Necessity Of giving tongue
10 their aye or mo ltappears that
'Ae lllst lime ayoun5 man pays q visl'
, as anavowed sutton he brings a bottle
OF wine, Of which he pours out u glass
and offers it to the object of his arfec-
lions, In any case she will not refuse
II point blank that would be too gross
an insult; but, should the wooer not be
agreeable TO her, or his declaration
come little too prematurcly, she de-
clines tho prolfcrel wine, pleading that
1t looks sour, or that wine disagrces
with her. or any other excuse the fem
mine ingenuity may suggest. If she
likes the lad and is equal to owning
1t, she empt!es the glass, taking care
not to spill any of the wine, for if she
does 50, or the glass or bottle is broken,
1t is an unhappy omen. "They have
split the wine between them" say the
peasants when the marriage turns out
badly,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
SOlaiprs on A.ka'ps

Perhaps the most curious battalion in
any army is the Norwegian corps of
skaters. These corps are composed of
picked armed men with rifles, which they
use with great precision. The skates
used are admirably adapted for travelling
over rough and broken ice and frozen
snow, being six inches broad and be-
tween nine and ten inches long. The
soldiers can be manTuvred upon the ice
or over the snowtclds of the mountains
with rapdity equal 10 that of the best
trained cavalry. AS an instance of the
speed they can go, it is stated that (;
messenger attached to the corps has &C
complshcd 1870 miles in eighteen hour.
and half, over mountainous country.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11
Emperor William and the C0rnIloWer

The Emperor William is a great
friend of the cornnower (the bach
elor's button). One day, it was at
konigsbcrg and the gloolniest day Of
PrusSia's history-thc Queen Louise
sat in the garden of the house on the
llafen, which the royal family then
occupied, when young girl ap-
preached and, without knowing whom
she had before her, offered bouquet
of fresh flowers for sale. The Queen,
full of sympathy, spoke kindly to the
thinly-clad child and learned she had
sick mother at home who could earn
nothing. She thereupon, with tears in
her eyes, took the flowers from her,
rewarded her generously and then
called her children, who were playing
near BY She showed the Princess
Charlotte, afterward consort Of the
Gar Nicholas of Russia, and the
Prince William how a wreath could be
made of the flowers without shears
called the attention Of the children to
their simple beauty, and then drew
the moral that in nature, as in human
character, plainness and simplicity CO.
existed with beauty. This lesson,
taught by the royal mother in such a
graceful form, together with the
pretty wreath, which she finally placed
on the head Of Princess Charlotte,
made the blue cyane the favorite flower
of the future Empress of Russia and
her brother, the present German En-
peror; and when, a few years later,
the Queen died, the corn flower be-
came for both memento of their
sanctilied MOTHER Dr.. Busch.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11

There are in this city some 100 or mort
factories for the manufacture of ladies'
and chidren's clothing, in each of which
are employed from twenty to 800 women
ard young girls. These female workers
are in their places from in the morning
until G at night, with half hour at noon
for lunch The doors are locked at half
past s. and during working hours no one
is allowed to enter or leave the shop.
Could any one force his way into one of
these places, he would be confronted
with the curious spectacle of gangs of
haggard women and wan, spiritiess girls
of ten years and upward, lowering over
hundreds of SIMPLIFYING machines, silent
ly passing the garments from hand to
hand under the watchful eye of an over
seer. He would see scores of narrow
chcsted women bent in silence over the
pressing board, iron in hand, in heated,
unvcntilatcd rooms. He would find rag.
gcd young girls silently folding dainty
garments and boxing them for the mar
kCt.
These women ana girls work in silence
because that oversecr has the power tC
fine them the cost of loaf of bread fol
every sentence spoken, and, in case Of
many of those children, that means the
net results Of a days work.
These women and children get their
wages once in two weeks The average
net earnings do not exceed 81. so or S. 0C
week. The employees are held respon-
siblc for all damages to tools and fur
nishings and even for the breakagc OF
the machine needles, so that after all de-
auctions have been made it is not an I'M
common thing for woman to find her
wages for two weeks reduced to the sum
of So, and checks as low as eighty cents
for the two weeks are often made out for
the young girls. Here and there, in rare
instances, you may find an extraordinary
woman so swift handed and skill(ul that
she can do enough in the two weeks of
IA hours to make out bill of $24 for
the fortnight but from this are deducted
$3.50 or S. for the thread used. This
thread is supplied to the operators by the
firms at rate somewhat below the regu-
larretail prices, but a considerable add
vance on the wholesale prices.
At lunch, which is necessarily taken in
the shops, tea or coffee is furnished, but
must be paid for in advance, settlements
being made once in two weeks.
Now, taking into account that the most
mcager board, in the poorest and cheap
est quarters of the city, is ut least So per
week, how many of these women and
children die of starvation in the course
of year2-John SCiHtoaS IVNhy.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11

Don't suilr any longer with the pains and
nchcs Of Rhuumn iam which mukc lie II bur-
don to you, Relief, speedy and permanent can
be procured ut the nearest drug store, in the
form OF Eidncy-Wort. EIbridge MALCOLM Of
West Bath, Maine, says 81 was completely
Frustrated with Rheumatism and Kidney
troubles I'd wns MT eSpeetcdto recover. The
first dose Of kr!ney-Wort helped mo. Six
Co IS put me on my feet, it has now entirely
cured me and have had no trouble lnce'"
school Teachers.
Mr.. Fl. J.. SopEG, principal of The High
I School at PoquonoCk, Conn, says in relation
to matter which has given him much anxiety
and pam: "My wife and | have b,th used
Hunts Remedy, aud find it really a superior
article. Ayear or so ago my kidneys b came
weak and sluggish owing TO u severe strain,
and finding relief in Hunts Remedy | con-
timed its use until had used four bottles,
when became well. Since my cure | have
suggested its use to great number Of people.
who know have been oIcfited by using it.n
And 10 subs, antiae this state ent, Mr.. IL.
S. CLARK, assistant superintendent OF the
High School, says: 81 can GETTY to the
value of Hunts Remedy, having received
g eat benefit from is use, My troubles com
mcnced twe,ve years ago, wien my kidneys
became afflicted with inflammation OF tie
passages, bot the timely use of 50 valuable
med cine arrested the disease. ! can now
cheerfullv recommend it to all suffering as l
was" May 81, 1888.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-06-11

that the inside was not only necls,I
with gold dust, but that the accuma
latlons of the precious metal had
formed a sort of carpet of sparkling.
SOFT yellow gold, the whole proving q
yerltable "bonanza," The sparrow
had regularly been carrying off guam
Titles OF gold dust in its feathers, which
1t shook out when it made its toilet in
the morning. The nest is being as
saved.