davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
A Wonderful Remedy,

Any young folks who are suffering
from the same complaint as the little
prince in the accompanying aDec!o.e
are recommended to try the same med
icine. 1t costs very little, and is sur;
to effect cure.
Once on time there was king
who had Il little boy whom he love-
very much. So he took a great Geal 0;
pains to make him happy.
He gave him beautiful rooms tOliY1
in, and pictures and toys and books
without number. He gave him q
graceful, gentle pony, that he migAt
ride when he pleased, and row-boat on
a lovely lake, and servants to wait
upon him wherever he went. lie also
provided teachers who were to give
him the knowledge of things that
would make him good and great.
But for all this the young prince wa
not happy. lie Wore Il frown wher
ever he went, and was always wishing
for something that lie did not have.
At length one day magician cam!
to the court. lie saw the scowl on the
boys face, and he said to the king
81 can make your son happy, and
turn his fIowns into smiles. But you
must pay me great price for telling
him the secret
"All right" said the king, "what'
ever you ask l will give"
SO the price was agreed upon ant
paid, and then the magician took the
boy into Il private room. He wrote
something with white substance
upon piece of white paper. Next he
gave the boy a candle and told him t.
light it and hold it under the paper,
and then see what he could read. Then
he went away.
The boy did as he hal been told, and
the white letters on the paper turned
into a beautiful blue.
They formed these wOrds:-
"Do kindness to some one every
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04

The southern portion of the present
domain of China, comprising nearly
one-third of the whole, is Il cOmpara-
lively recent addition to the empire,
having come under the jurisdiction OF
the "Son of Heaven" only 20OO years
ago. The original inhabitants of this
broad territory were easily subjucated,
Portions. of them were attached t.
their conqueTers rs yassalS or slaves
and gradually, by intermarriage and
the adoption Of the customs of the
Chinese, lost tAcir identity, and were
absorbed by the more powerful race
Traces of this original element ar
still to be found in many localities, es
pecially among the mountains, an
may be seen in peculiarities Of speech,
customs and physiogomy. The boat
people, everywhere regarded as an in.
ferior race, and numbering in the city
of Canton alone 100000 souls, are sup.
posed to be the descendants of this in
digenous race. In the mountain
range which forms the northern boz.
der of the three southern provinces.
and is a continuation of one section
of the great lIimalaya1 range, are
over 100 tribes of these aboriginal peO.
pie, who have constantly maintained
their independence against Chimes
aggressions. Comparatively little is
known of them, but from the infor-
nation derived from travellers, they
seem, with but few exceptions, to be
all of one race, and to be nearly alliel
to the Shans and Careens of Burmah,
the Laos tribes, and those of the inte-
rior regions of Camboda and Cochin
China. The sublime self-conceit of
the Chinese, and their Indifference to
everything outside of themselves, is
strikingly seen in the fact that in all
the centuries during which they have
lived in constant contact with these
various tribes they have learned bur
little that is reliable concerning their
customs, habits of life traditions, Ian.
guage or government. a few indlvil-
uals have become interested, AMI have
left brief accounts AMI some rude
sketches, which are all the sources o
information from the Chinese side tina.
are available. - lVaShiHgton RepuJii-
can
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
A Birds Nest Lined with Gold.

A writer in the Philadelphia Times
tells the following story ola pugnaciouS
and tricky English sparrow that had
driven pair Of robins from their nestin
a box close to the United States mint
This misery fellow-anu the spar.
rows are all an avaricious set-afteI
driving the robins out, has occupied
the box for two seasons without even
50 much as a male. As might be sup,
posed, one who is able to do that i.
foremost in looking out for himself in
other ways. Among the girls, and
even among the girls in the mint
nearly all of whom bring their dinners
with them, this particular sparrow has
been long Il taYorito because of hls
boldnesS; and So freely does he fly in
the windows and fit in the back dool
Of the smelting-roOm to pick W
crumbs, that they jocularly say he is
the only one who has the free run OF
the mint" \ short time ago boy in
the building went where Mr.. Sparrow
made his nest, and, peeking into the
box to see if there re any of the
young folks at home, us the boys love
to do, lie was surprised upon drawing
his fingers out to see them sparkling in
the bright sunshine. No miner who
strikes an unexpected vein was more
excited than that boy As he seized the
box aul carried the whole thing down
stairs, where it was found that the
inside was not only llecked with gold
dust, but that accumlations of the
precious metal had formed sort of a
carpet of sparkling, soft yellow gold
the Whole provinga veritGble bonanza,
The sparrow had regularly been carry,
ing off quantities Of gold dust in its
feathers, which it shook out when it
made its toilet in the morning.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
KIIVNO o. WOODSTOCK VT. WEDNESDAY, FEBRU AIRY H. 1885,

evening to ruminate over the events
of the day and form plans for future
action, when tap at the door an
nounced the arrival Of a messenger
from one Of the boOtmakers, who de-
sired to see me. fastening to the
shop, l confronted the tradesman who
apologized for troubling me. "But"
said he, "I think l have seen your
'man'-look at these boots" and he
handed me the identical pair which had
so attracted me. He explained that a
man of gentlemanly appearance had
called on him and bought a pair of
boots, leaving his old ones TO be repair
cd, and kept until he should call for
them. Said he, 81 got into converse
tioA with the man and found that he
was going to the theater tonight |
feared to send you message whilst he
was here in case he should be suspi-
cious. So, having obtained this infor-
nation | waited until he had left, when
l Immediately sent for YOU"
This was indeed good news. l hasten
off to the police station, and, accom-
panied by two officers in plain clothes,
proceeded to the theater. We had
not been there long before my atten-
ii on was attracted to a figure in the
pit which seemed familiar to me, for
although dressed differently from what
he had been on the previous occasion
Of our meeting, felt sure from GER
tain peculiarities in his movements,
which would, perhaps be very difficult
to describe, that this man was none
other than Mr.. Bushranger No. /, with
whose revolver | had that morning
been so intimate. Presently / Observ-
ed that he was making signs to some
one in another part of the house.
Scarcely had l made up my mind to
secure the first named man than he
made tracks to leave the theater. This
circumstance confirmed me, and with
the aid OF the officers l secured my
man and conveyed him to the police
station.
Next morning the police were ac-
lively engaged in searching for num-
Der two, and one of the body very
cleverly detected him riding at the
head Of a "mob' Of cattle, notwith-
standing that he had shaved his chin
and completely altered his dress.
1t were a long story, to tell Of the
hearing before the magistrate, the
committal and the trial; suffice it tC
say that both men were found guilty.
The man | had arrested was sentence.
to ten years in irons on the roads, til !.
other had to undergo Il further triG
for murder, for which he had long bee.
wanted, price having been set upon
his head. lie was executed. This
man was none other than the motor.
ious Bushranger Morgan. - Detroit
Free Press.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
WHOLE NO. 1905.
A Curiosity of Child.Naminy in Japan.

Old-fashioned people in many dis
tricts of Japan, to whose families
death has made frequent visits, still
resort in their anxiety to prolong the
lives of their children, to the custom
of bestowing upon their offspring
names ordinarily given to infants of
the opposite sex. Probably the super
stition is more widely prevalent than
foreigners would suppose, but it is
only when some incident or story in
connection with its observance is re-
ported in the vernacular papers that
the majority become aware of the eXis-
tence of the old custom. A Toxic
paper tells story in point. Some
time ago. a man named Kano, living
at Kameicho, Nihonbashi, Toxic, re-
ceived an intimation from the author
tiles that his eldest son, Bunnosuke-
Il name always applied TO males
having attained military age, steps
should at once be taken with a view to
the young man undergoing medical
examination prior to actual enlistment.
KanO lost no time in going to the ward
office and explaining to the officials
that Bunnosuke was his daughter,
though registered as male since 1872,
in which year the census system was
altered, The authorities, however, in
whose mind frequent and more or less
ingenious schemes to evade cOnscrip-
ton had given rise to a condition Of
pure scepticism on this point, did not
scruple to order an examination to be
conducted at Kano's house. The re.
suit, of course, proved the statement
made by the father, who, on being
questioned, said that, having lost two
daughters both about one year old, he
had been driven to this eXpedient TO
keep the third alive 1t may be pre-
sumed that its success, as evidenced in
his daughters attainment of military
age" will tend, at any rate among his
neighbors, to the revival of q custom
which, whatever its Inconvenience, is
not without suggestive interest.
Greater men than Kano have laid
schemes, far deeper than his simple
artitice, to ciTcumvent the grim visi-
.or, and for the most part they have
failed.-Jap0H WaU
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
Live for Something.

Thousands of men breathe, move
and live-pass off the stage Of life and
are heard of no more. Why? They
did not particle of good in the world;
and none were blessed by them, mons
could point to them rs the instrumen. :
OF tn ir redemption; not line thev
wrote, not word they spoke could b.
recalled, and s. they perished, their
light went out in darkness. and they
were not remembered more than tn.
insects of yesterday. viii you thu.
live and die, o nun immor al ?-Live
for something. Do good and leave be-
hind you Il monument of virtue tha-
the storm of time can never destroy.
Write your name by kindness, love
and mercy, on the hearts Of the thou,
sands you come in contact with year
by year, and you will never be forgot
ten. No, your name, your deeds, will
be as !egi5le ON the hearts you leave
behind, as the stars on the brow OF
evening. Good deeds will shine a
brightly on the earth as the stars OF
heaven, Chalmers,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
A Dream of Home.


The suns rays slant tho path along,
The air is bamy as in June;
The robin sings his evening song,
And through the sky thenew, gray moon
Moves calmly on, untrammeled free,
But something whispers unto me
"Notyctw
The brook sings MS it gently flows,
The frog croaks by the waters RIM
There in content the lily grows,
And there tho fishes, darling, swim;
hear and see the old brown mill,
But, ah! those sad words haunt me still
"Net yet"
In clover meadows broad and fur,
III drowsy mood the COWS await
The larm-boys call upon the air,
While, with hispail, beside the gato
Which opens down the grassy lane,
My brother breathes these words of pain
"Not yeti"
The stcepled- church, the schoolhouse near,
The wood where have roamed at viii,
The quaint, old f,rnhouse, to me dear,
My youthful homo-my mNnhoods still
see these as in days gone by,
But something whispers (as sigh)-
"Not yeti"
OHears, in whom thero is no May!
Who yearn to hear my footballs whero
The path, SO beaten, winds its way
Under old trees so grand and nir!-
Dear Hearts, who long for me to come,
can bu say l can go homo
"Not get"
For longer, still, your breasts must know
A sadness free from all disguise,
Ere can leave these scenes and go
And look into bright, loving eyes,
Andclasp the hands so warm, and kiss
The lips I've pressed so oft in bliss.
"Not yet"
IOIsotteH, Dut iS sweet anu slIOllS
AS when one drcamiul Autumn day
said "Good-by" and passed along
Down the old walk, and went away,
Not thinking there would come day
When | should havc-as now-to say
"Not yet"
Alas, not yet! Far, far from this!
Still must | wnit! All cln do
Is just TO wait long, long kiss
Bcdewed with love, O Hearts! to You,
And murmur these sad words once more,
Unthought Of in tho days of yoro-
"Not yet"
--GeO. .Newe1i LopGoy in the Curert
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04

The huts are oblong, and rounded at
the corners. Some are divided in tive
by partition. More generally the
whole family crowd together in the
single apartment. The wall is formed
by putting sticks upright in the ground
and filling the interstices with mud, or
else with a mixture that is afterward
smoothed and white washed. The
roofs are slantins and thatched, the
thatch being allowed to fall within two
or three feet of the ground, to keep off
wind and rain. The surface of the
earth serves as floor ng, since the in
mates can seldom afford to have it
cemented. The furniture consists OF
a few hammocks hung across the room
they serve as seats by day and beds
by night-some low chairs, called
butaca (similar in shape to some of the
seats used by the AsSyrlans and
Egyptians of old J, a wooden bench on
which are the grinding-stones, and an
image of saint in some corner of the
room. The fireplace-three stones
placed in triangle on the lloor-is there
too. Chickens, dogs, pigs, and babies
III frolic together in these poor homes,
and appear to be tolerably happy, if not
very well fed.
While every corner of the hut is
crammed with rubbish. its mistress
sometimes sits in the hammock swing
ing, as untidy as her house, making
artificial flowers to adorn some wooden
image of the Virgin.-Harper'S Maya.
zi3lg
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04

In Abyssinia there is plenty of wa,
ter, aud the soap grows on trees, but
an Abyssinian will tell you without
blush that he is necessarily washe |
at birth, washes himself on his mar.
ciage morn and hopes to be washed
after death. When he feels hard and
uncomfortable he will aunoint himself
with mutton fat till his head and body
glisten in the sun,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
BALL UP, THERE"
AN AUSTRALIAN STORY OF TIE BUSH.

"In 1S-- was Deputy Governor Of
Melbourne Gaol, and, upon one occa-
sion, having important business which
called me to Geelong, booked my place
on the mail car, which was the only
public conveyance available, and took
my seat on the box on one of those de-
liciousy balmly mornings so common
in that country, but little experienced
here.
There were but three passengers, the
car driver and guard, and we ratified
along at brisk pace, conversing freely
upon various topics. Among Others,
the vexed question of Free Trade
versus Protection" supplied us with
ample materials for animated discus
sion. Being a staunch Radical in poll
tics, l was eloquent in favor Of the
former, and dilatel freely upon the
numerous advantages enjoyed by the
"old country in consequence thereof,
winding up my peoration by standing
up, waving my pocket handkerchief
and shouting at the top of my voice
"free trade forever" when bang-ping
ping. What could be the matter?
We were not long kept in suspense,
for two men suddenly emerged from
the bush with the cry which has sent a
thrill of horror to the heart of many a
traveller in these regions, Ball up,
there" which is equivalent to the old
highwayman's challenge, "Your money
or your life" The car driver mccain
cally pulled up his horses, evidently
fearing repetition of the revolver
practice, which might not prove so
harmless as the first, but l, perhaps
more from long acquaintance with the
class Of men by whom we were assail-
ed than from Indifference to danger,
seized the reins and whip from the
paralyze driver and lashed the horse;
into furious gallop! ping ping"
went the bullets most unpleasanly
close to our ears however, we were
getting well beyond their reach, and
every bound of the infurated animals
carried us further from danger, when
to our dismay, one of the wheelers
stumbled badly and was by reason of
the great speed at which we were 60
ing, unable to regain his footing, and
after a short but desperate struggle,
fell heavily. We fastened to dismount
in hopes of getting the poor animal
upon his legs and starting again before
the robbers could come up with us, but
we were disappointed, for we were
soon overtaken by them. The first,
powerful man, seized me roughly by
the throat and presenting his revolver
to my head, coolly Informed me that
upon my making the slightest resist
ance, he would blow out my brains,
and suddenly releasing me from his
iron grasp, he, still keeping the revo-
yer to my head, drew another with his
disengaged hand and covered my
companions generally with it, with the
remark that his friend would now pro
ceed to business" at the same time
loosely intimating that probably my
political opinions hal undergone a
sudden change, and that ! might want
little protection" which pleasantly,
being so much to the point, notwth-
standing the serious aspect of affairs,
caused a general laugh at my expense.
"Business' was quickly proceeded with
by bushranger No. 2, binding the car
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-02-04
Rutland Business Cards.
BERWICK HOTEL,

CT RICHARDSON, Propr,
RUTLAND VERNON
Heated Throughout by Steam,
Good Sample Rooms, Billiard Room auI
Livery Stable connected with the Hotel
The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-10-10
goRAx.
Where This Commodity is Produced-An
IneXhaustible Supply.

Where This Commodity Is Produced-An
Inexhaustible Supply.
The price of commercial borax has
greatly decreased during the past three
years. 1t can be bought now for half
what it cost in 1882. Then the market
rate was eleven cents a pound, and at
the present time it is five and half
cents pound. This falling off in
prices has continued Notwithstanding
the imposition of tariff which virtually
prohibits the importation of borax and
boracic acid. 1t has been due, there
fore, to the consumption not keeping
up with the supply. The production of
boraX on the Pacific coast, which is the
only part of this country where it is
found, has been steadily very large.
Last year four thousand five hundred
tons were extracted by the various
mining companies in this State and
Nevada. Its use has not grown more
limited, but it has not kept pace with
the production. 1t is employed in
welding, glazing, pottery and cleans
ing. The iron trade consumes the
largest quantity of borax, and with the
increase of that industry the business
of borax-mining will be benefited.
New uses are being found for this min
eral. At first it was thought fit only
for iron-workers and blaeksmiths. Its
defensive qualities were revealed after
ward. The manufacture of glazed
iron and earthenware was begun
after other virtues were discovered in
borax, and now it is employed in
packing meats in Chicago. Notwith-
standing the supply from Italy, large
quantities of boraX are exported to Eu-
rope from the Pacific coast. Last
week seven hundred and seventy-five
thousand pounds were shipped from
this port to Liverpool. Some of the
London illustrated papers contained
flaming advertisements, in true Ameri-
can style, lauding the virtues of soaps
made from California borax. Boracic
soaps and borax in the shape it comes
from the mines are admirable clean
sers. A piece of borax dropped into
water renders it pleasant to wash in.
The supply on this coast is practically
ineXhaustible, as when crude borax is
removed from the fields where it is
found renewal of it ensues. So inn
portant is this industry here that Sack
vile West, the English Minister; re-
Gently made it the subject of commu-
nication to Earl Granville. Most of
the mineral deposits of this region car
ry borax in crude form, and conse-
quently there are many borates from
which the pure borax is obtained. The
crude borax of this coast is of high
quality The largest supply comes
from Teel Marsh, in the Candelaria dis
trct, Nevada This field has been
worked the longest and has given the
greatest yield of any on the coast
There is big marsh, twelve miles long,
in San Bernardno, and several in
Mono, Lake and other counties. The
depression now existing in the borax
trade will, it is thought, gradually be
removed San Francisco Chronicle.
The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-10-10
ARM-CHAIRS.
Not in Use in England Until Queen Eliza
beth's Time.


beth's Time.
1t is much to be regretted that when
more luxurious notions began to pre-
vail, the fine oaken chairs of our
castles, halls and country houses were
banished to the servants hall or the
lumber room, or sold as worthless an
tiquities that few cared to preserve. IT
is possible that some of them were put
to even lower uses. When Sir Roger
de Coverley had seen the two corona
ton chairs in Westminster Abbey, Ad-
olson says che whispered in my ear
that if VIII Wimble were with us, and
saw those two chairs, it would go hard
but he would get a tobacco stopper
out of one or t'other of them"
When Sidney Smith entered upon his
newly built parsonage at Boston. near
York, he gave carpenter who came
to him for parish relief cart load of
deals and a barn to work in, with the
injunction, Jack, furnish my house. v.
One of the chairs Jack made stood for
some years in Sidney Smiths ''justice
room,n then found its way into the
kitchen, was given to Mrs. Kilvington,
and is now in possession of his new
biographer, Mrs. Stuart j. Reid. 1t is
a rustic chair of justice, and as such il
is worthy passing allusion.
The transition from the armchair to
the easy-chair was not made all at once.
When men and women wanted real re-
pose they formerly found it in divans,
touches, sofas, and whatin Shakespeare S
time were somewhat reproachfully
called ''day-beds. A loose cushion
was made for wooden chairs, and it
was sometimes placed upon, at other
times underneath. a richly embroidered
cloth or an animals skin. 1t is doubt
full whether for many hundred years
the easy-chairs of Western Europe were
anything more elaborate. The fixed
seat and padded back and arms did not
come into use in England until Queen
. Elizabeth's time. An armchair was in
fact, an article of costly luxury, and
sometimes of reproach. In WyclifIe' s
New Testament he makes the scribes
fond of the first chaierers in Sinago-
gis." Marston, an English dramatist,
describes "a fine fac'd wife in vain
scot earv'd seat as a worthy orna-
ment to a BRIDESMAIDS shop" but he is
flashing the practice with his whip. Ben
Jonson, satirizing the way in which
women spend their time, writes:
At twelve o'clock her dinner time she keeps,
And gets into her chalre, and there she
Perhaps till foure, or somewhat thereabout.
-CaSseES Family Magazine.