davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09

It is reported as fact that an expert
diamond dealer purchased a remark.
ably fine diamond for $1,000, and after.
ward discovered that it was made OF
two diamonds artfully joined with
Canada halsam, and the fraud was
only discovered by testing the diamond
with a ray of sunlight sent through
the camera While the beam of light
would pass straight and clear through
other diamonds that were perfect
single stones, it was stopped by the
foreign material joining the compound
stone
"Wl.ile that test would undoubtedl,
beconcluslve scientific demonstration 0t
such a fraud" a diamond expert said
to New York reporter, "it would not
be required by any one who had TIE
right to claim expert knowledge Of
precious stones, The joining of dia-
mondS by means Of Canada balsam is
not new thing. You have a fine rose
diamond of good color, but shallow.
We'll, you back it with another to give
it depth, and if the job is neatly done
it will be difficult for most persons to
see that it is not single stone. But
any expert would detect it almost at
glance. All that is necessary is to look
right down into the heart of the da-
mond. Then, if you wish to give
scientific demonstration to another per.
son, the camera may be brought in
play, but it is not necessary, Any one
protesting to be IN expert who could
be swindled out Of $500 on q 'doublet'
deserves to lose money.
"Doublets are more frequent among
colorel stones than in diamonds Here
are some sapphires and rubies that it
takes keen eye to recognize as built
up. They are in part genuine stones
and in part crystal, joined, as diamonds
often are, with Canada balsam. Some.
times they are put together by another
process that will stand heat, which the
balsam cementing will not. I had a
specimen Of that kind lying about here
that was sent to me as a sample. All,
here it is. 1t is not only doublet, but
is altogether bogus. The lower part is
made of ruhy-tinted glass and the
other of crystal; cheap, almost value.
less, yet really good imitation, capa.
ble Of deceiving people who are not
really Judges. You see when | break
it with a hammer it breaks as one
stone would, not even showing its join.
ing, and it would have withstood
temperature that would make infntes-
imal bliSters, quite apparent to the
eye, in a balSam cementing But look
into it at that angle and you'll see the
Joint.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09
The Definite Article "The."

A writer to the London Times, says:
I find the little article the occurs two
hundred times in the first column of
the Times-for sake of average, say
1000 times on every page, making 49,
600 for the entire copy, equal to $4,000
letters. Now, il we reckon that every
line in q column numbers forty letters,
taking leading-article type as IN ex-
ample and that q column is made up
of $50 lines, then we learn how 5000
letters are consumed; AMI so we come
to ascertain that an ordinary copy of
the Times devotes eight columns of
letter-press to the article the. Surely
this little verbal parasite might with
advantage be stamped out.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09
Tho Valentine.
Eth! give you lifH Why, surely, jump In,
sir, along o ne.

Eth! give you lif,2 Why, surely, jump In,
sir, along o ne.
tWhoal Dobbin, you critterD Wal, yes, sir,
the walkin' is rough, SEQ.
You're stranger in these parts, take It,
Coin to stop spell?
S'pose you'll put up TO the tavern, Oh, yes,
they will feed you WELL
What's the news of the villagei Wal,
stranger, I'll own 70 hev mo thar.
amt no hand fur gossipi don't hear any
news dcc'ar.
An my old woman, she tells me man amt
only half wise
Ef he don't keep his ears wide open, and larn
how to use his eyes.
Wal, yes, when was a youngster, used to be
peart nm spry,
An there amt contenteder coupl, nov than
my wifc nn'I;
But wo had sorror that come to us moro n
ten year ago,
An it sorter shadowed our lives, like hurt
long healin', you know.
Five years would been long enough, sir, to
leave putty deep soar,
But to double that time seems Almost like
pushin troll bio too far;
An he was our only child, sir, the boy that
ran of 10 sea-
An, though he had been wild un, we loved
hiui, his mother an nc.
He was Just lud-but eighteen, sir, tho
month that ho ran away,
An it's hard to say, but III, res como not
line from him since that day.
Whether he's drownied or killed, only God
an the angels may know,
But his mother an me alc a-wailn' some mes
sage to toll us So
It's lonely enough Tor US both, but I've done
my best, sir TO cheer
An comfort my dear Old woman thro' each
long wain' year;
An to-day, w,i'o down to the village,
thought mo inter my head,
(For to-morer is Valentino. Day, sir,) an
so to myself I said
arm plny thnt Betsoy an me was way back to
our clurtin' time,
An I'll buy her Valentine-somethin' nice,
with picter an rhymep
An SO Pve got it all safe, sir-the purtiest one
could find
An my old woman'll know that have her
alters IN mind
Go home with me, di you say, sir, Wal,
don't know as mind,
Tho wife won't be dressed for comp'ny, an
our food amt the hotel kind
But if You'll jest take pot-luck, sir, why wife
an nell be g.ad
For the sake OF yonr two blue eyes, like them
that our own boy had.
What's that you say' Will let you give
Bctsey Valentine, too?
Why, surely, won't guinsay it, but Betsey
amt nolhin' to you.
An its kind Of you, stranser-but see, SIR, here
is my gate--(hold on!
Why, whar is the TELLER goin'2 This beats
Gre 'tion, swnn!)
Say. wife, Old woman, come ont horc? (Why,
surely that's Be.sey's :oram)
Whoa! Dobbin, yon pesky critter!-law, !
mus; be hevin' dream,
Else why is my woman klssin' the 1ace O that
stranger so,
An'--oh praise Col for His goodness, pve
brought her our son, hnow
--.Hary D. Brine.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09
Employment Essential TO Happiness.

1t may be laid down as an incontro-
vertible principle that no family can
be happy without employment-regu-
lar, diversified, continually recurring
employment. There may be the pos
session of wealth, there may be an
ample and beautiful domain, there
may be everything externally to enjoy,
but unless there be an. appropriate and
varied employment to oceupythe body,
engross the mind, and awaken the en-
ergies, there can not be happiness. 1t
is the active, industrious, perseverins
family that is the truly happy family;
not the idle, the slothful, the useless
not the family that has no definite
plan, no fixed and important object, no
personal and collective energy.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09

While seated at their midday
meal, they have before their eyes
moving world Of nature, such rs may
be found only in her widest solitudes.
All around the kelp-bed, porpoises are
blowing the water, now and then
bounding up ont of it; while seals and
sea-otters show their human-liAe heads,
swimming among the weeds. Birds
hover above, in such numbers as to
darken the air; at intervals, individ-
ual birds dart down and 60 under
with a plunge that sends the spray
aloft in showers, white IS a snow.
drift Others do their fishing seated
on the water; but there are many
different kinds of waterfowl here
represented:-gulls, shags, cormorants,
gannets, noddies, and petrels, with
several species of anativ@, smong them
the beautiful black-necked swan.
Nor are they all sea-birds; or -exclu.
sively inhabitants Of the water Some
Of those wheeling in the air above are
eagles, hawks, and .yultures-the last.
the Chilian jota, Even the gigantic
condor often extends its flight to the
land of fire, whose mountains IRE but
a continuation of the great Andean
chain.--St. Nicholas.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09

One of the most extraordinary Of
the many disturbances of the earth's
crust which have occurred, is the sink
ing of the mountain Naibe, in Algiers.
This mountain, which was about twice
rs high as the Crows Nest on the Hud-
son, is said to he gradually descending
into the bosom Of the earth, q deep eX-
cavation being formed all around as it
settles. There are several instances on
record of volcanic mountains having
arisen out Of the earth or the sea, and
a few mountains which have sunk into
the earth. The japanese have legend
that the great volcanic peak of Fusi-
yama rose suddenly out of the earth,
and it is known that in 1850 the vol
cano of Jorullo, in Mexico rose in one
night out Of cultivated plain. In
1881 there was a similar occurrence in
San Salvador, a volcanic hill rising
suddenly ont of the middle of the lake
of Ilopango. But in these cases
phenomena of the rising mountains
were accompanied by earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions SO the recent dis
appearance of volcanic islands and the
thrusting up through the bottom OF
the sea of sixteen new volcanoes near
Java were accompaninents of a great
convulsion of the earth's crest. But
the sinking of the Algerian mountain it
appears is not attended by earthquakes.
or volcanic eruptions.. The subter-
ranean props of the mountain seem to
be giving away under its weight, and
it is sinking into the ground by de-
grees.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09
The Gloves of 0mor Pasha.

About fifteen or twenty years since
young man presented himself at Wild
din and asked for Hussein Pasha, the
commandant of that place. This
young man was as handsome as a
woman, and as imposing as demigod.
His complexion was white and clear.
eyes soft and penetrating. and his form
slender and vigorous. The Turks, who
are superstitious about countenances,
received him with cordiality and point
ed out to him the pasha's dwelling.
Hussein had encamped before Wild
din in superb tent. The young un-
known presented himself for an audi
ence Just as Hussein awoke in a very
bad humor.
"What do you wantp" asked he,
roughly, of the importunate solicitor.
ITO enter the service OF your excel
'ency."
81 have too many servants already.
Col"
In Turkey. men Of the most humble
condition may offer presents to great
nobleman wi hout infringing upon
customs. Theyoung man drew from his
pocket small package, carefully en-
veloped, which he handed to the pasha,
entreating him to accept 1t.
"What are these?" said the pasha,
when he had opened the package.
"Gloves, your excellency."
"And of what use are they?'
"When you march in the sun its rays
will not burn your hands, (those of
Hussein were very white), and when
you hold the bride of your horse your
fingers will not be wounded by the
hardness of the leather"
And how are these gloves put on o.
The young man put glove on the
pasha's hand.
Now the other"
The young man complied. Hussein
clapped his hands three times, and held
them over his head, while the officers
of his suite entered and looked won.
deringly at the gloves.
Thanks to these, which were a long
time the admiration Of the pasha
and his staff, the unknown was admit
ted to the service of Hussein and be-
came his confidential aid-de-camp.
Now this unknown youth was Mi
chael Hattas, originally from Croatia,
formerly sub-inspector of bridges and
oauseways in Austria at present
Omer Pasha, general-in-chief of the
Ottoman army. How came this young
man without country, this fugitive
without resources, this German turned
Turk, to risk his future destiny on n
pair of glovesT This history is not
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09
Great, But Absent.Minded.

Among the funniest stories of a5-
sent-nindedness is that told by Sir
Isaac Newton. DR.. stukely once vis-
tied him. lie was shown into a room,
and the servant went to announce him.
An hour passed, and Newton did not
appear Then servant brought in
roasted fowl for his masters dinner.
and Stukely, being hungry, sat down
and ate it. In another hour the great.
astronomer entered, looked surprised
to see the DOCTOR and more so at tho
bones on the table.
"You must really excuse me, doctor"
said he; "but | had quite forgotten
you. ! am so absent-minded, you see.
Why I really imagined had not yet
dined."
Another good one is that of DR.. Ad-
am smith, the great economist Smith
was commissioner Of the board Of
Customs. That board had in their SER
vice, as porter, a stately person, who,
dressed in a scarlet cloak, covered with
frogs of worsted lace, and holding in
his hand a staff about seven feet high
as an emblem Of his Office used to
mount guard before the Custom House
when u board was to be held 1t was
the etiquette that, as each commission
cr entered, the porter should go through
a sort Of salute with his staff Of o.lice.
and then marshal the dignitary to the
hall Of meeting. This ceremony had
been performed before Adam perhaps
five hundred times. Nevertheless, one
day, as he was about 10 enter the Gus
tom House, the motions Of this lanitor
seem to have attracted his eye, without
their character or purpose reaching his
apprehension: and, on a sudden, he
began to initiate his gestures as a re-
cruit does those of his drill-sergeant.
The porter having drawn up before
the door, presented his staff; the COM
missioner, raising his cane, and holding
it with both hands by the middle, re-
turned the salute with the utmost gray.
ity. The inferior officer, much amazed.
recovered his weapon, wheeled to the
right stepping pace back to give the
commissioner room to pass, lowering
his stat at tie same time in token OF
obesance. J}r. smith, instead Of pass
ing on, drew up on the opposite side.
and lowered his cane at the same an
gle. The tlnctionary more and more
bewildcyed, next moved up stairs, with
his staff advanced, while the author Of
the Wealth Of Nations" followed, with
his bamboo in precisely the same pos
ture, and his whole soul apparently
wrapped up in the purpose of placing
Ais foot exactly on the same spot Of
each step which had been occupied by
the man who preceded him. 1t the
door Of the hall the porter again drew
up, saluted with his staff, and bowed
reverentiaIIy; the philosopher again
initiated his motions, and returned his
BOW with the most profound gravity.
When the doctor entered the apart
ment, the spell under which he seemed
to have been acting was entirely broken.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09

A novel vacation voyage to Europe
BY seven artists, who decorated the
captains cabin, is described in the GEN.
!luN by c. c. Buel. under the tide,
Log of an Ocean Studio" Story-tell-
ING in the smoking-roon was an un-
failing amusement, to which the ma
rine artist contributed the following
narrative: you must fancy I'm Mr..
Jones' he said, "a whaler's mate,
spinning yarn for messmates. He shifts
his Quld and begins;
Eve WIZ all feeln' sort o grumpy
for thar hadn't been no kind O. luck,
when the lookout cries, 'Theer she
Olows!"-so l goes up to Cap'n SIM
mons, an SEE l, 'Cap'n Simmons. she's
blower; shell lower?"
"sez he; Mr.. Jones, she mag be a
blower, but l don't see ftten fur tn
lower
Then | goes forrud. and the men
aloIt sings out agin, 'Tneer she blows
and she's spermer . SO I goes agin
to Cap'n Simmons an seq l, 'Cap'n
Simmons, she's a spermer an blower;
shell lUwer?'
"Se2 he; Mr.. Jones, she may be
,permer an she may be blower, but I
don't see htten fur TIL lower but if
so be you see titten fur tn lower, wy
lower away an be tarnaliy dashed tu
yer
80 To- cred away, an when We
come to about fifty yards O the critter
sez |, Hold on, boys. fur I'm death
with the long harpoon.' An l struck
her fair, an we towed her alongside
the ship, an when l cone aboard
Capn Simmons stood in the gangway,
an sez he, Mr. Jones, you air an officer
an a gentleman an there rum and
terIackeer in the locker an that Of
the very best Quolity-at yer sarvice
sir, durin' this voyage
"Then, Sez l, 'Ca!'n Simmons, I'm
man that knows his dooty and does it,
an AL ! axes of yon is scryility-an'
that of the commonest, dog-goncd
kind ~
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09
less curious than that Of his audience
with Hussein Pasha.

The fourth son OF Peter Hattas, a
poor and noble Austrian lieutenant,
Michael was in his childhood so deli
cate that he lived only by prodigy of
maternal love. AT 18 he was appoint
ed superintendent of the bridges and
canseways of Carlstadt. AT 20 he was
nominated sub.inspector at Dalmatia.
Compromised in political affair, he
exiled himself, and gained the Turkish
frontier, with a few sequins in his
pocket.
The first Ottoman village which he
traversed being Omer-Unas, he took
the name Of Omer with the turban.
and advanced at random into the prov
ince Of Bosnia Some wagoners met
him, attacked him, robbed him. took
away even his clothes, and left him
almost naked on the public road. A
peasant furnished him with garment
and little money. He arrived thus
at Boujalouka, where he entered the
shop merchant as clerk.
Here a consolation awaited him,
which had nearly turned him from the
arduous paths which lead to glory.
The merchant had a charming daugh-
ter Omer perceived it by the beatings
of his heart. The young girl, on her
part, could not see without emotion
this exile pursued by fate this brave
and skillful engineer reduced to the
condition of clerk, this white and
delicate but energetic and valiant hand,
which trembled at holding Il pen in
steal of sword. The two young peo-
pie understood each other. without
speaking, and the father comprehended
them in his turn, without needing their
confidence.
One fine morning he sent to Omer
two caskets-t the one contained a we'd
ding ring and the inventory of his
business, the other purse full Of gold
and Damascene saber. Omer OWNED
the choice which was offered to him
the fortune Of the merchant and the
hand of his daughter, or departure and
military life, with the expenses Of
the Journey to the nearest camp.
Omer kept the book and the ring and
restored to the merchant the saber and
purse. The next day the two young
people were af1anced amid a Joyous
family festival. But on the day after
the young girl, overcome with happi-
ness, fell ill to rise no more. The IA
ther and lover watched over her eight
days and nights, and tearfully received
her last sigh. Then the merchant, tax
ing the sabre and the purse, offered
them again to the young man, saying
to him
God has willed it 1t vas decreed,
May glory be more faithful toyou than
happiness
This time Omer accepted the arm,
and, kissing the icy hand of his dead
betrothed, took his way toward Wild
din, where he became the aid-de-camp
of Hussein, as we have seen.
After the death of the pasha Of Wild
din, Omer repaired to Constantinople
where he rose rapidly from rank to
rank and was appointed in 1852 and
1854, by his merit and success, to the
supreme command OF the Ottoman
forces against Russia.
See what pair of gloves may pro-
duce--in good hands. --.Chicago Ne,0S.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09

Courting a girl is paying her adj
Dire ses. Marriage ia paying for her
dresses and all the other ixings.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-09
HIS Disc IS.

Containing an Index of Dis
eases, which gives the Synp.
TOMS, Cause, and the Best
Treatment of each. A Table
giving all the principal drugs
used TOR the Horse, with the
ordinary dose, effects, and
nntihOte when ~ poison. A
Table with an Engraving OF
the Horses Teeth at diner-
ent ages with k.,,ics for tell
ing the age. A 1ulunble cOl.
lection of Receipts and
much other valuable Infor-
nation.
The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-07-12

Washington was the father of his
country's chiefest work. This city is
his real monument. In the vastness of
his plans here we read his boundless
faith in the country he had helped to
found. First, then, let us see what he
had to do with the location OF the capt.
toll. Congress had struggled in vain
with the problem. The session Of 1890
ended by passing an act which gave the
location of the federal city absolutely
and entirely to the president. Aims
worth Il. Spofford, the best authority
in the world, in an address delivered
years ago before the Baltimore historic
cal society, says: Congress gave to the
president of the United States sole
power to select any site on the river
Potomac between the mouth Of the An
acostia and the mouth of ConocOcheO-
que. 1t was in the power Of Washing
ton to have founded the national capt.
toI at Harper's Ferry.
Having established his capitol-with
what precision Of taste and judgment
time has Jestilied-the next thing was
to lay it out and build it. But there
was no money, and Washington went in
person to Richmond, appealed to Cover
nor Randolph, and finally procured
100000 from Virginia. To the legis'
lature of Virginia he wrote: "a state
where the most anxious sOlicitude is felt
for the prosperity of that city which is
to be the permanent seat Of govern
ment must be generous" etc. And SC
Maryland contributed altogether Sl70,
900, largely induced by the persistent
personal effort of General Washington
Oh the 18th of April, 1871, the commits
sloners laid the corner stone of the dis
trict, or territory, as it was then called
aud on the recommendation Of Wash
ington Major L'Enfant was chosen tt
gurvey, under his direction, the sit
selected.
The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-07-12


In New YORK, business Is seen IN all
kinds of unexpected aspects. A build
ing nearly covered by the sign boards of
a private detective agency stands among
the establishm snts of retail feminine
trade where rentals are so dear that no.
body would think Of locating his offices
there except for some definite and valu-
able purpose. What could be the mo-
tive In this case2 The answer Is re-
violation of social life In New York.
These detectives had taken premises in
block crowded every fair day by shop
pers, and made 50 striking display of
announcements because there is re-
munerative amount of spy work to be
done for the fashionable woman. Jea-
lousy is common in the gentler sex, and
the bare sight of the words, "Private
detective agency" is sufficient to arouse
1t. Here is offered the opportunity to
have husband or lover watched, and
on the sudden thought she embraced it.
subsequently learned that an expert
ment in this line had proved the likell-
hood of women doing what have de-
scrlbed. A small and obscure placard
on door-post alongside thronged dry
goods store brought in so many jobs
that the bigger concern was decided
upon. was assured by an insider that
the customers who entered through i'm
pulse on seeing the signs were in the
main wealthy wives who could afford tC
spend money in buying information as
to their husbands conduct; also that
III many cases, they had no definitd sus
picion to act on, but merely morbiC
desire to find out whatever could be dis
covered that would make them unhap
by. Not few commissions were givel
by girls who meant to get a trustworth!
idea of their sweethearts before TIN
time came when divorce would be re
quisite-for separation. A demure miss
who had by proxy logged her lover al
through n night and day, might receiv
him IN the evening with sweet air o
ignorance, and passively take a kis
from his lips while he held his breath t
hide the aroma back of Glove.
"Did you go straight home from her
last night9" she would ask.
"Without stopping for game of bi
lizards or a glass of beer" he would II
ply; "because l promised to keep earl
hours"
Then she would remember this entr
in the detectives report:
"WenL into Caffrey's, round the col
; ner; played pool till O'Clock in tn
morning; lost four games SO. IS; dram
5 whiskey stfaights every time himsel
! Got home wobbly at 3 O'Clock in Il
, morning."
9 Such are the match breaking tender
. cies of the private detective, and, if
I becomes fashionable to employ him, IL
ratio of old maids to wives will sure
5 be increased.