davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10

AsSsssAsAVeAs oA t~SA NotAoAAOsSs
Exercise is of service, especially if
taken early in the day. Sleep-that
is, rest of brain--is essential. Livery
nervous patient should have at least
seven hours-eight is preferable
number. During repose repair of
the nervous system is in excess of the
waste; hence its value. With regard
to the therapeutic treatment of nerv.
BUSINESS. the subject is so essentially
scientific that no patient whose all
ment is anyway advanced should do
we'll to attempt self-cure. In trifing
or incipient cases, all that is required
is an abandonment of the producing
conditions, and, even when the dis
order has made some progress. gen.
eral attention to dietetics-that is,
proper food, drink, exercise, sleep and
bathing-will generally result in the
re-establishment of health.
Abuse OF the Muscles of Baby Eyes.
The two muscles-a set for each
eye-act in perfect correlation, and
enable the organ in an instant of time
to cover an infinite range of vision.
No fine adjustment of the telescope,
no system of lenses and prisms can ac
complish this feat in an instant of
time.
The utmost caution is therefore i'm
peratively demanded of every person
to whom is consigned the care of the
young child from infancy to perhaps
the third year of life. 1t is during
this time that damage to the muscular
apparatus of the eye may be done.
The mother or nurse is eager to have
baby see everything from nursery
window, or from carriage or car.
How many tired heads, languid eyes,
and disordered tempers result from
this mistake! How often is loss of
accommodative power, or enlarged
pupil, or cross eye the consequence
Worms, onward tits," sour stomach,
flea bites, and bad temper are some of
the morbid and moral posers which
the mother and the family doctor pom
der over.
An indication of the delicate and
undeveloped muscular apparatus of
the eyeball within the first two months
of life is found in the ease with which
some infants look cross eyed. 1t is
well known that in sleep the eyes are
turned upward under the brows, and
inward, and that true crossed con-
dition of the optical axes occurs dur
ing this state.
An occasional temporary crossing of
the eyes of an infant above two
months of age should be carefully in
vestigated. The child should be
handled lightly; it should not be played
with too much; it ought to lie or roll
on its back in preference to sitting on
the lap or in a chair. Any unequal
size of the pupils should be carefully
noted. 1t may be either the sign OF
some internal trouble or a simple
local affection of the muscular tissue
controlling the pupil.-Babyhood.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10

A woman's colony is to be establish
ed in Colorado, to afford poor women
an opportunity to support themselves,
They will engage in bee and silk cul-
ture, small farming, the manufacture
of preserves and jellies. and other
similar industries. A number of East
ern ladies are at the head of the pro
ject.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10

Cattle have increased more than
threefold in the United States during
the past ten years. Ours is the great
est cattle producing region on the
globe. On farms there are now about
52,000,000; on ranch and range prop
crty west of the Mississippi about TO-
100000 cattle Craze.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10

The territory of the United States
Shere hops are successfully grown is
very limited. For a radius Of about
forty miles, with Cooperstown, Otsego
county, n. y, as its center, forms
more than half of such territory east
of the Rockies. the only other places
being three of the northwestern ooun-
ties Of New York, small portions of
Vermont and Michigan, and parts of
Wisconsin. On the Pacific coast the
production of hops has increased from
$4,000 bales in 1880 to 10000 in 1884,
there being about 17S pounds to a
bale.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10

The new craze is the fir pillow. con-
dsting of an unbleached cotton case
filled with twigs of the fir tree dried
in the sunlight. The pillow case is Of
linen, canvas, satin, or plush, accord
ing to the taste and the pocket of the
maker, and upon the surface is en-
broidered likeness of the fir itself, or
some emblematic motto, such as "Give
me of thy balm, o fir tree!" The pill
lows are said to have soothing effect
on the nervous sleeper, giving sweet
and dreamless slumbers as if by magic.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10

A comparative table of the strength
If the merchant navies of the world,
which has just been published in
France, shows that Great Britain pos
sesses 22500 trading vessels, with an
aggregate tonnage of 100000 tons.
Of these vessels 4649 are steamers,
with tonnage of 5,9l9,00O tons, or
rather more than half the grand total
of burden. The United States makes
a very bad second, with 5000 sail and
100000 tons. Norway has 4200
vessels, with 100000 tons; and Ger
many, which comes Immediately after
her, has 5000 sail, with total of L.
100000 tons; France, Italy and Rus
sia bring up in the rear, each with less
than 5000 vessels. The proportion of
steamers is, however, of greater i'm
portance than the total number of
ships engaged in trade, and in this re-
gard France stands second, although
she has but 45S steamers, of 1000
tons in all, to Great Britain's 4649;
Germany presses her closely with 42O
steamers and 475,000 tons.
A New York engineer. c. Good
ridge, Jr.,-suggests plan for moder-
ating the climate of our North At
lantic coast. He assumes that the
reason We do not get the benefit
of the Gulf Stream now is that
we have between us and it a
Polar current. coming down along
the coast of Labrador through the
Straits of Belle Isle, and forming tt e
cold western wall of he Gulf Stream.
The existence of this current is well
established. What Mr. Goodridge
proposes is, that it should be stopped
in the Straits of Belle Isle by dam
at point where it is about 10 miles
wide and 15o feet deep The dam, he
says, could be built with the adjacent
rocks. and the cost would not exceed
S40,000,009. The effect of this would
be, he calculates, to change the tenn
perature of the coast from Cape Hat
tens to Newfoundland. Nova Scotia
would have climate as mild as Cape
May, and Block Island and Cape Cod
would become winter watering places.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10

Horses an. Carriages at all hours. Persons
carried to all surrounding points upon arrival
Of trains. Special accommoda ions TO ex.ur.
sion parties. Good teams and attentive IL
sers. LIZ
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-10
Che Londonderry Sitter.

~" Entercl at the Fest Office at Soutl
Londonderry, rs ccond-c nss matter.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
Origin of the Poll Tax.

The troubles which followed in Eng
land after the death of the Black Prince
caused a speedy mode of raising a rev.
cnue to be desired, and the poll tax of
l377-"a tax hitherto unheard of"-was
agreed to-. This first poll tax was levied
and paid apparently without murmuring.
Perhaps the pressing danger Of invasion
threatened by the French rendered the
people more pliaSle. But as troubles
continued, ano her tax of the same de-
script:on was agreed %to-equally a poll
tax--but graduated SO as to be less open
to objection on the ground of inequality.
Rank was the basis tnkcn. The two
dukes of Lancaster and Bretagnc were
charged each 10 marks, or &c 13s. Id.
Earls and countesscs, being widows, 6
marks, or ca; barons and bannercts, 3
marks; knights bachelors and substan-
tial esquires, II marks; esquires of less
estate and substantial merchants, half
a mark. The knights hospitallers were
charged separately. The chief prior,
the same as q baron. Every commander
of the order, the same as a knight bache-
lor. Every other brother, being a knight
of the order, 1Ss. 4d. The judges and
the chief baron of the cxchclucr were
charged e5. scrgcants and grand zap
prcnticcs of the law" e2; every other
'']appren:ice to the profession of the
law" 81; all other apprentices and at
torneys, Gs. Sd. The mayor of London
was charged on the footing of an earl;
the aldermen of London and the mayors
of the great town On the scale Of barons;
franklins, farmers, and cattle dealers,
half a mark or a quarter of q mark. For
the clergy a special scale was fixed.
The archbishop Of Canterbury, 81 13s.
4d. bishops, mitrcd abbots, and other
spiritual persons, being peers, "a. other
bencticcd clergy from SO down to S.,
according to the value of their office;
monks and nuns, according to the value
of the house to which they belonged,
from IS. i'd. down to 4d. This last was
also the charge on the poorest class
which paid the tax at all.-Londm
Quarterly Rerlew.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
WORDS OF WISDOM,

For age and want save while you may.
No morning sun lasts a whole day.
He who wants to do a great deal of
good at once will never do anything.
Pleasant roads make pleasant drives.
Pleasant thoughts make pleasant lives.
Humor is the smiling pathos of the
heart as wit is the laughing deviltry OF
it.
Life becomes useless and insipid
when we have no longer friends or enc.
mics.
Put down as soon as possible every
sum which you receive or pay; and trust
not to your memory.
The knowledge drawn from experience
is of quite another kind from that which
flows from speculation or discourse.
Chivalry is not confined to the rela-
ton of the sexes. It is q sentiment
which should rightly inspire all who are
highly favored in any respect toward
those who are less fortunate.
A mans best help is himself, his own
heart, his resolute purpose-it cannot be
done by proxy. A mans mind may be
aroused by another, but he must mold
his own character. What if a man fails
in one thing2 Let him try again-he
must quarry his own nature. Let him
try hard, and try again, for he does not
know what he can do till he tries.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
Kisses by Mail.

A young postmaster of a village post
Office was hard at work when a gentle
tap was heard upon the door and in
stepped a bashful maiden of sixteen
with a money order, which she desired
cashcd. She handed it to the official
with a bashful smile, who after closely
examining it.. handed her the money it
called for. At the same time he asked
her if she had read what was written
on tho margin of the order.
"No, I have not" she replied, "for
cannot make it out. Will you please
read it for mei"
The young postmaster read as follows:
'I send you So and a dozen KISSES"
CHANGING at the bashful girl, he said:
CHOW, l have paid you the money and I
suppose you want the kissesl"
EYES," she said, ''if he has sent me
any kisses I want them, too,"
1t is hardly necessary to say that the
rest of the order was promptly paid and
in a scientific manner at that, and emf
nently satisfactory to the country
maiden.
After she arrived home, she said
to her mother: "Eh. mother, but
this p~ostoficc system of ours
is a great thing, developing
more and moro every year, and each new
feature added seems to be the best.
Jimmy sent me a dozen kisses along with
the money order, and. the postmaster
gave me twenty. It beats the special
delivery system all hollow"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
Sand Pillars.

The innumcrable sandy mounds found
on the plains of Central Asia were not
easily accounted for; but a recent trav.
e!er witnessed a phenomenon that he
thinks fully explains their origin. Once
in crossing one of these desert regions,
he saw about twenty pillars of sand sud.
denly rise, and whir] along in the dis
lance. AS they passed along, a cloud OF
dust was raised on the ground, appar.
emily eight or ten yards in diameter.
This gradually assumed the form Of a
column, that continued to increase in
height and diameter as it moved over
the plain, appearing like 4 mighty SER
pent rearing his head aloft, and twist
ing his huge body into contortions in his
efforts to ascend.
The pillars were of various sizes, some
twenty and thirty feet high, others fifty,
sixty and a hundred feet, and some as
ccnded to near two hundred feet. AS
the w%hirlwinds began gathering up the
dust, one might have fancied that ante
diluvian monsters were rising into life
and activity. The smaller ones seemed
to trip lightly over the plain, bending
their bodies in graceful curves as they
passed each other; while those of larger
dimensions revolvcd with gravity, SWELL
ing out their trunks as they moved on
ward, till the sandy fabric suddenly dis
solved, forming a great mound, and
creating a cloud OF dust that was swept
over the desert.
The same writer, in referring toa phe-
III of a totally different character,
saws: Many of my readers know nothing
practically of the mirage, and thus they
can neither appreciate the beauty OF this
deception, nor estimate the disappoint'
ment it creates. I fear my pen cannot
give an adequate idea of its tantalizing
bower on the thirsty traveller. 1t has,
however, often fallen to my lot to wit
ness it, when an apparent lake stretched
out before me, tempting both man and
beast to rush on, and sla1e their burning
thirst. Even after years of experience |
have been deceived by this phenomenon,
so real has it appeared, and so many of
its peculiar and magical elects have
been preserved.
Sometimes vast cities seemed rising on
the plains, in which a multitude of
towers, spires, domes and columns were
grouped together with a picturesque eff:
fect that neither poet nor painter could
dcnicr. And these were reflected IN the
dcccptive fluid with all the distinct
ness Of a mirror; at times a slight breeze
seemed to rulllc the placid surface, de.
stroying the forms for q few minutes, and
thea they reappeared.
Sometimes 1 have been almost In
duccd to belicve the vast tropical forests
were before me, where palms Of gigantic
size, with their graceful foliage, over,
topped every other tree, and that beyond
were mountain crests, giving a reality to
the scene that caused me for q moment
to doubt its being a phantom. At last
I have passed over the spot where tho
lake, the mighty city, and the vast
forest had appeared, and found nothing
but small bushes and tufts Of grass
growing on the steppe.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
Turkeys OutWitting Owls.

According to Audubon, who IS an un-
doubted authority, the turkey, in lts
endeavor to escape from the owl, has
recourse to an expedient which, by way
of contrast to its usual dizziness, is Z
ceedingly bright. The snowy owl is tia
particular bird mentioned in Audubon's
account, but it is said that the same de-
vice is resorted to by the turkey to
thwart the great horned owl, which is
the greatest poultry thief in this coua>
try.
The snowy owl is one of the largest as
we'll as one of the most beautiful OF
owls. 1t is not as swift in flight as the
great horned owl, but it is a good hun
ter. and seldom fails of a meal wherA
there are hares or grouse. Its success 4
due largely to a quality possessed ID
common with all owls-noisc!css flight.
Tie sight of one of these white prowleTs
it hunts by daylight-is always the
signal for a violent commotlon among
the turkeys. a continuous rolling COB;
bic breaks out, and each individual
shifts his position, and follows with un-
easy eyes the silent, sailing motion of
the enemy.
Suddenly the owl has singled out a
victim, and with a swoop is bearing
swiftly down toward the quarry With
eager claws outstretchcd. At once every
turkey makes q lurch forward, and
spreading out the tail feathers, prcsenta
. broad, slippery, unstable shield, against
which the disappointed owl dashes with
futile ferceness. -Harper's Bazaar.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
Low Water in the Wabash.

A rural schoolmastcr in Indiana asked
a pupil named William Scott the other
day, which was the longest river in the
world, and William persisted in crediting
that honor to the Wabash. AS a result,
be went home with q tanned jacket. AS
another result, a stranger appeared and
knocked on the door.
us this the skule tcacher?" he
pleasantly inquired.
"Hc ar"
"Arc YOU the critter as licked Bill
Scott fur sticking up fur the Wabash!"
1.-The same, SIR"
"WalI, Bill happens to be my son, and
I've come fur to gin you the aulullcst
whalin' ever writ down in geography"
Can you wait until I I'M through
with the class in spelling?" asked the
teacher.
"Oh!I s'posc so, hut under the cir
cumstanccs / hope yell cut it as short as
possible. Haven't got my corn husked,
yc know"
"Certainly. Inevcr kecpa gentleman
waiting when l can help it. Sit down
on the wood-pilc, Mr.. Scott. I'll come
out and pulvcrize you in just nine min
utcs."
At the end Of the appointed time the
teacher reappearcd and at once rushed
upon the waiting Mr. Scott and BACKED
his eyes, broke his jaw and tlattened his
nose. BY and by Mr.. Scott said he had
all he wanted, and added:
(which is the longest river in the
world?'
1.-THE Amazon, sir"
"Am-a-zon. Please write it down for
me. You've licked it into me in fust-
class style, and when l git home and git
my paws onto nv son Bill, hell come to
believe there hain't huff water in the
Wabash to wash his feet with! Am a.
ION! Good-by, crittcr!"- New York
Star.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16

on airy sens.

Fairy frigate on airy seas,
Sport Of the sunshine, toy of the breeze,
Cared by a myriad feathered sprays,
Moored by q myriad silver rays,
What is thy freight, oh, Thistledown!
Waited, winged, on a viewless tide,
Launched on a breezy ocean wide,
Hither and thither thy pinnace glides,
Thither, and hither thy fair bark rides,
What is thy freight, oh, Thistledown?
Loose the moorings and drop the seed!
Delicate cable and gossamer thread,
Silvery sail and feathery oar
Needoth the Thlstledown now no more.
What is thy freight, oh, Thistleiown.
A tiny seed in cradle fair,
Borue on the waves OF the summer air,
The germ Of a life, though yelled, we see,
A beautiful possibility
This is thy seel, oh, Thistledown.
Wondrous care for q Thistle seedl
Parallels writ on wings of a weed
Reverent eyes may wondering see,
And precious truth in this argo5y.
This is thy freight, oh, Thistledown.
Of the cords of love and restraining bands!
The waiting wings and the silken strands!
Grading the life of the hidden seed,
Germ of the life That is life indeed,
Safe as thy seed, oh, This tledownl
The Quiver.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
What's q "L0rl!"

opSN
eracy, relates the New Orleans Republican,
tells a good story of q sergeant in his
own regiment, the til Texas Cavalry,
which occurred during the late war.
Sergeant Wiley was a lank, gawky, but
impulsive son of the Lone Star State;
worthless as a soldier, and still worse as
a non.commissioned officer, he neverthet
less was enabled to maintain his grade,
owing to a peculiar tact which he pos
sessed of procuring forage when all
others would fail. One wet morning he
appeared with a long face before his
colonel's tent and grumbled something
against the sergeant-major of his regi-
ment, which the colonel finally under
stood to be a complaint that Wiley had
been put on picket duty out of his turn.
The story seemed so plausible when it
was clearly placed before the colonel
that the sergeant-major was summoned
to the tent, and in a few minutes it was
agreed that an unintentional injustice
had been done to Wiley, and the party
separated.
"Never mind, Wiley" said the SER
geant.major, as they walked off to-
gether, "when your turn comes
again you shall be excused from
duty"
"That's we'll enough" grumbled
Wiley, 'sbut it mayn't be q wet
night.
HThat does not matter, Wiley" again
said the sergeant-major. "When the war
is over this little trial will lie counted
another laurel for you"
Wiley left his superior, muttering
something unintclligible, and made
straight for the c~oloncl's tent, where,
without preliminary, he a~postrophized
him in a twangy voice:
sKernel, he said, "what's a lorl?"
"a what?" asked Colonel w.
"a a lorl?" again asked Wiley IN a
louder tone,
ga what?"
"What's lorl?" this time fairly shrieked
Wiley.
Colonel ". was now nearly out of
patience, being as little informed as be-
fore on the lori subject.
"Willey," said the colonel, eff you
will only tell me who uttered that word
in your presence, and under what cir
cumstances it was uttered-if you tell me
something that occurred, I may be able
to enlighten YOU"
Wiley then explained how it was that
the sergeant-major had spoken of the
laurels.
"Oh," said Colonel W. 'I understand;
we'll, you see, Wiley, when the ancient
Romans returned trium Iant from the
wars, their brows were crowned with
leaves of ~laurels, which are synonyms of
glory"
Wiley slowly crept away, apparently
understanding the situation less than
ever. In due course Of time, one dark,
cold, rainy night, while Wiley was
snoring vigorously, he was awakened
from his sleep and ordered to 60 on
picket duty with a squad of men. In a
few minutes he had hitched up mis-
clothes, and rushing out of his tent,
yelled out frantically to his mon.
"Come on, we are going after some of
the blame lorls!"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
An Insect Used for Illumination.

At a recent meeting of the Academy
of Sciences, at Paris, a plate half filled
with water, in which were half a dozen
insects about an inch in length, which
shoue like diamonds, although the room
was filed with sunshine, was passed
around among the members. These in
sects had been brought from Mexico,
where they are to be found in the forests.
Their scientific name is the pyrophore;
and, rs none had ever been seen before
in EWrope, they created quite a sensation.
The light resembles that of a glow worm
or a fire fly, although as much more bril-
liant and intense as an electric lamp sur
passes a wax taper in its power
of illumination. When the light be-
gins to fade, it can be made as bril-
liant as before by shaking the insect, or
dipping it in water. 1t is said the In
dams OF Mexico use them for a light at
night, as a few will suffice to illuminate
an entire room. When they are walking
at night, they put one on each foot, so
that they can be sure of their way, and
also that they do not step upon any ven
omous snake or reptile with which the
tropical forests abound. The Mexican
ladies buy them of the Indians, and in
close them in a transparent bag, which
! they wear in their hair or at the neck.
The effect is very beautiful, especially
when several are worn; and, as the IN
dams sell them for a few cents a dozen,
they are within the reach of every fair
one. They arc fed on sugar cane, and,
if we'll taken care of, will live a long
time. One placed upon a page will en-
able it to be read with ease in the dark
est night.-Scientife american.