davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
The Descendant of an Emperor,

The correspondent of China newspaper
gives the following details of sudden
change of fortune in that country: Upon
the accession of the present Manchu dy-
nasty, the heir of the last Ming Emperor
who committed suicide on coal hill in
Pekin, was made a marquis and known as
the Ming Marquis. During the reign of
the last Emperor but one, the then holder
of the title died without sons and no direct
heir to succeed to the marquisate and es-
tates. Reference to the family records
showed that the right heir was an obscure
parsonage, who had been completely lost
sight of, and search was made for him
everywhere by the officials of the banner
under which the Marquis was enrolled.
For long time no trace could be found of
the missing nobleman, but he was at
length discovered standing with barrow
outside one of the gates of Pekin selling a
species of large pumpkin. He proved to
be a man of the most rustic appearance
and utterly uneducated. Ignorant of his
high birth, he was gaining precarious
livelihood as costermonger. He was with
difficulty made to realize the sudden freak
by which fortune had raised him to be one
of the great mobiles of the land. Hurried
off to the office of his banner, he was
washed, shaved, and combed, and his rags
exchanged for costly garments suited to
his new station in life. For some days he
was polished up generally, and taught the
etiquette and Manchu phrases necessary
for his presentation to the Emperor His
succession was allowed, and he went to
his palace and took possession. Report
speaks of him as an honest and kind
hearted man who has done his hest TO
educate himself and fulfill the duties of
high position. He is now about fifty, four
years of age, and still retains his rustic
appearance. The birth of sons has secured
the succession, so that the family is now
in as strong a position as ever. 1t is his
duty now to offer sacrifice each autumn at
the Ming tombs. His palace is near one
of the gates of the imperial city. He is
popularity known as the Pumpkin Marquis.
London Times.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Own a Home.

1t is the duty of every man who has a
family to procure for them a permanent
home. We often hear the remark that cit
is cheaper to rent than to buy" This may
be true in some resp ects where money
value alone is counted, but do not compare
the luxury of living in ones own house
with that of money. 1t pays to have a
spot which one can absolutely call his own
Men who live upon their income and
make no provision whatever for home
have tendency to wander about. There
is no tie that binds them to any one place,
making them citizen interested in the
affairs of local government They are
ready on short notice to leave for greener
pastures instead of earnestly endeavoring
to make pastures green where they are.
To him who lives this life, with no place
to call his home, there is no incentive to
greater action in the progress and upbuild-
ing of the country.
Every man owes this much to his
family He becomes better citizen,
contented man and his family feel that
they have something to live for in this
life.
The wife would enjoy the garden, would
occupy her time in a healthful way, look
ing after the chickens, and would find
great comfort and pleasure from the
planting and raising of fruits and flowers.
There is nothing SO Independent in this
life as to be the owner of home in the
country where one can get his own living
off the land he cultivates.
1t is the backbone, the strength and the
prosperity of any section of country. We
are glad to see this broad and beautiful
land of Southwest Louisiana settling up in
small farms.-The Americn0.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Remedy for Insects.

The time is soon coming when the spray
ing of fruit trees must be done. A CORE
spondent asks when he shall spray to kill
the codling moth. Prof. Cook advises
spraying when the blossoms have fallen
and not till then. Then, if sprayed, the
poison would be ready before the eggs
would hatch, and the smallest particles Of
the poison would cause death. The poison
should be kept thoroughly mixed and
stirred up. By using only one pound of
London purple to 300 gallons of water the
poison will be so diluted that it may be
thrown with force without injuring the
leaves. Would spray On four sides of
tree, and put it On with such a dash that
it will part the leaves and reach all the
fruit. For curculio use Paris green or
London purple. Remember that they eat
both leaves and fruit. If the rain washes
off the poison after the spraying, repeat.
Prof. Cook gives another remedy: A
pint of carbolic acid and fifty pounds of
plaster, mixed and sown on the tree while
you are standing on step ladder, For the
aphis use kerosene emulsion. Wash the
trees with carbolic acid and soap for apple
borers. If they get into The tree cut them
out. Plant cabbage nea: the onion ana
the onion maggot will attack the cabbage.
Then destroy the cabbage e. Western Rura5
and american StockneGn.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
To Make Altar of Roses at Home.

l took it into my head short time ago
that my roses might be put to some good
use. / had tin can made The lid is air
tight, and has in the top a long tin tube
of about an eight of inch in diameter,
which is so bent as to al'ov CT placing the
end in glass jar, at some distance from
the can. The can is then filled with fresh
roses, picked early in the morning when
the dew is on them, and the water is
poured in. The can is then placed on
stove and the water made to boil for about
an hour, the end Of the tin tube being in
jar of water on the table near by; cold
water passing through the jar continually,
to prevent the steam from overheatipg the
water and causing evaporation. The result
is the raising to the top of the water in
the jar the pure altar of roses, which we
purchase at SO much cost This is simple
contrivance and can be operated without
expense, where there is family of child
rem to pick the roses and keep up a rea-
sonable fire, too much heat not being de-
sirable on account of overheating the water
in the iar. Horticultural Times.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Friendly Birds.

| The birds are much better friends to the
! fruit grower than many a man gives them
credit for. Some birds feed on the wing,
and therefore, live entirely upon insects.
Of such is the king bird. the pewee. One
writer says that ''the bald fact that these
birds make their food of insects, ard of
insects exclusively, is well nigh beyond
/ question. But, on the other hand, it is
not pretended that they discriminate be-
tween the beneficial and Injurious species
The swallow or king bird, chasing even
an Injurious insect in the air, may be
really only pursuing a creature already
marked for death by friendly little para
site, whose whole progeny are sacrifice d
by the action of bird presumably 'bene-
fetal to agriculture Still, as these birds
do no direct mischief, and as they do I'M
doubtedly eat great many noxious in
sects, they may be ungrudgingy left to
the enjoyment of protection.
Then the following are classified as
those which take their food partly on the
wing and partly at rest The yellow warb
Ter, chiefly taking it's food on trees, eat
ing few insects on the wing, the Larvae
of moths and the eggs of insects The
redstart, Of habits very similar to those of
the yellow warbler. The red eyed ard
warbling vireos, also busy hunters for in
sects. The cuckoos, one of which, shot
by the gentleman who makes this CLASH
ication, had stomach full of caterpillars
The blue bird is largsly insectivorous. Of
the woo dpecker writer gives him differ
ent from the somewhat usual reputation. He
says: The hairy and downy woodoeckers
are called sap-suckers, though there is
very little satisfactory foundation for the
idea that they injure trees by sucking the
sap. The nuthatch and yellow bellied
woopecker are generally included in the
same category. The last named is, per.
haps, injurious in that respect. The
writer says 81 have never seen an injury
done to trees from the punctures made by
the e birds, and the trees upon which they
have been operating generally appear to be
perfectly healthy. From the number of
holes which they make in tie tree,
should say that if their purpo.e were to
obtain sap the trees would die. | think
that these classes Of birds, with perhaps
the exception of the red headed wood
pecker, are, on the whole, beneficial"
Another writer says The woodpeck-
ers are lnsectivorous, with a few eXcep-
tons. Woodpeckers are furious to cher
ries and sweet apples, when these fruits
are ripe" He says further: "Wood-
peckers, as well as other insectivorous
birds, feed on the pupa of insects. have
found in number of cases the cocoon of
the Cecropia killed by woodpeckers. In
the fall of 1867 collected over hundred
Cecropia cocOons, and there were only
three living among them. The others were
all punctured by woodpeckers. The pupe
of arctians are preyed upon by the yellow
winged woodpecker." Bat while giving
them credit for these good services, he is
obliged to add: "The Hairy woodpecker,
the downy woodpecker, and the red headed
wocdpeeker are all objectionable, because
they destroy fruit. - Western Rural and
Americun Stockman.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Our Echo.

You remember the story of the boy who
went out into the woods and cried out,
"Hello!" and echo said "Hello!" The
boy got mad, thought he was being made
fun of, and he said, g hate you!" Echo
said, 81 hate you'll" His anger increased,
and he cried out, "Ill hit you'll" Again
Echo says, "Ill hit you !" The little fell
low, indignant, went into the house and
told his mother that boy out in the
woods was going to hit him, and that he
hated him, and SO on. The mother saw
the secret, and said to him, "Now, my
son, if you will go out into the woods and
cry out, / love you, you will find that the
boy says he loves you." So out he went,
and said, II love you'll" and Echo imme-
diately replied, Il love youl" When we
go out into church, into the world, with
this life of love in us, producing harmony
of all our faculties, we can project into
our environments or circumstances this
life of love, and by it make men love US,
and beget in the lives of men this life Of
love Selected.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Napolean Bonaparte and the Little Red

AS an incident, said to be historical, but
certainly highly suggestive, we recall the
following legend attributed to ''the man
| knowledged by all his biographers, that
eminent and occasional interference of
su pernal agencies in mortal affairs. In
other words, and according to the popular
superstitious" One of the tales reported
concerning him was, that on every great
occasion-whether in public or private, in
visited by an unknown, and, as may be
deemed, spectral parsonage, of very
diminutive size, and all clothed-even to
the mask on his face-in vermillion red
Whether the celebrated ''little red man
was a messenger from the higher or lower
world we do not pretend to say. The
| Emperor himself, and his most trusted
coofdents, all admitted that, at least, he
was not being of this world. 1t was on
certain occasion then, when Napoleon had
been reviewing, with pride of heart, and
almost superhuman feelings of triumph
his magnificent army, stretched out in gilt,
tering lines, ranks, squares and battalions,
that, refining up his horse and gazing with
sparkling eyes over the vast and wonderful
scene of pomp and power, he gasped forth
his JOY, triumph, and pride in the oft-re-
peated word, "magnifque magni6quer'
(magnifcent). As he spoke, a voice at his
ear in clear and distinct tones, said And
yet ere another year shall pass away, all
these gliLtering lines shall be strewn in the
dust all these vast battalions shall vanish,
and not trace shall be left of the mighty
army who now bend before you in human
idolatry." Turning to gaze upon the auds-
cious speaker, the Emperor beheld, with
shudder, the little red man standing at his
bride. Prophet of evil" he replied,
what can touch me? What affect or even
disturb my power? and what force, under
heaven, can conquer, much less destroy,
this superb army?' ''Look up and behold
their Destroyer!' answered the specter
then and therein a twinkling of an eye
he beheld hundreds, then thousands and,
at last millions of little tiny yellow birds,
the outstretched regiments at first they
their multitude increased to such dens<
masses that the air was filled with them,
and every line, every casque, helmet, wav-
ing plume, and glittering bayonet was hid
den - not a forn remained visible, the
little yellow birds had quenched 5he s,Aht
from the eyes of the amazed behold
''Fiend or what other agent of the En-
One thou may'st be" cried the Emperor.
tell me the name of those yellow birds
what they are?" "Public OPINION" re-
piled the spectre, and vanished.-7He Tho
W0rlds
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
PricRly Comfrey.

We question the usefulness or merits of
prickly comfrey as forage, though stock
should eat 1t, not so much from it's compo-
sition chemically as from what has been
told US regarding its use by English grow
ers. But as its cultivation involves no
risk, provided it is grown on limited scale
to begin with, stock breeders might do
worse than give it trial 1t can be
planted at any time during the year, in
summer or winter Sets sufficient to plant
a small plot can be purchased for few
shillings, and the area planted can be
afterwards enlarged to any extent by cut
ting off sets from the plants already grown.
It will give three crops every year after
the first year it is planted, and the first of
these crops will come in early in May.
Comfrey is largely preserved for winter
use by the system of ensilage in Ireland,
and cattle are thus fed upon it all the year
round. -Mark Lane Eppress.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Farm and Garden.

| HOW TO MAKE A LAWN THAT WILL Ell
| HANCE THE BEAUTY OF THE HOME.
The essential qualities of a perfect lawn
are openness, breadth, seclusion and re-
pose, together with subtle combination
| of contrasts. In creating lawn consider
| able variation from the natural type IS
permissible, provided its essential quail
| ties are preserved. For instance, ex =
plains Garden and Forest, the element OF
contrast with the wooded borders is height
ened if the lawn is covered with an I'M
broken sweep OF finely clipped turf, even
though the lawn loses something OF its
charm of naturalness thereby.
Likewise, it is not essential that the IN
closing wood should be composed solely OF
| large, tall trees, showing their trunks and
with dark shadows under and behind them,
nor that it should present simple mass
of foliage faced out or bottomed out with
smaller trees and bushes, so that the in
terror of the wood is invisible. Both OF
these conditions are common in nature.
Other minor features of woodland scenery
may partially border lawn, such as herb
aceous plants, rocks, steep banks, or even
water, but all such features should appear
natural and subordinate. A lawn should
have moderately undulating surface, be-
cause a dead flat would be suggestive of
artificialty. If lawn is to be smoother
than is natural, the turf must be kept
short, preferably by the most natural
means, as by the grazing of sheep. The
difficulty of adjusting the planting of the
borders of q lawn so that it will not be in
jured by the browsing of sheep or cattle
has, however, led to the general use of the
scythe and the lawn mower, but the more
natural way should be kept in mind and
reverted to when practicable.
A lawn is often used, in connection with
house. as the foreground of a more ex-
tended, park like opening or distant view.
That part of the lawn Immediately about
the house should be clipped, leaving the
portions farther away to be grazed. Such
an arrangement is, in fact, common abroad,
the pastured ground being cleverly sep
arated from the clipped ground by sunken
wall, or by ditch with turfed slopes, deep
enough to conceal fence placed in the
bottom, or by a river or elongated pool
Stimulating river.
However intricate or irregular in shape
a lawn may be, it should, as general rule,
have a predominating, central, unbroken
area, in order to give it its characteristic
qualities of breadth and repose.
1t IS with lawn as with picture. Ine
subject of picture should be at or near
the center, the composition should be such
as to direct attention toward the subject
other objects shown should be subordinate
to the subject, and there should be Dor
der or frame to assist in combining the eye
to the picture itself. So in lawn, the
eye should rest at or near the center in
stinctively and easily, and since the turf is
the characteristic and valuable thing, no
other object should be allowed so near the
center or be so conspicuous as to distract
the mind from receiving the impression
which the lawn is calculated to produce.
En-.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Bismarck's Oratcry.

1.-THE great Bow-wow, as Bismarck is
irreverentiy cal led in German parliament
airy circles, only shows himself in the
ReichStag when he has something to say.
| Then he enters the house Immediately be
fore his time for speaking comes round
and leaves it as soon as he has said what
he wishes to say. Though the chancellor
tries to keep his intention to speak close
secret, the fact leaks out, and the crow ded
assembly hall shows that neither the
Reichstag nor Berlin has been taken una
wares.
Those who attend know that the chan
celor is not far away when they see his
we'll known portfolio and great lead pencil
deposited upon the front ministerial bench
On entering the hall, Bismarck goes at
once to his place, opens the portfolio.
takes from it sheets of notes and bundle
+ If newspapers and cuttings, a1ranges them
with care, and then chats with his col
leagues.
The writer in Temple Bar, from whose
essay we have taken this description, says
that Bismarck is no orator, and despises
oratory. The gift of eloquence," he once
said, "has done much mischief in parlia-
mentary life. Oratory is a waste of time ::
let us restrict ourselves to statements of
facts"
His voice is not musical and at times is so
weak as to make it difficult for the report.
ers to follow him. He adopts semi con-
versationalist style, begins slowly and mo-
notonously, and with the exception of
casual breaks, proceeds and ends as he
begins. AS the chancellor's tongue cannot
keep pace with his thoughts, he now and
then breaks off in the middle of sentence
and takes up new thought, leaving his
hearers to make the best they can of his
half finished sentences.
The CHANCELLOR never declaims, never
fatters nor equivocates. His official posi-
ton causes the Reichstag to treasure up his
utterances, but he does not disdain to aid
them by apt quotations, forcible smiles and
witty illusions.
Though he once lectured the Prussian
Parliament on the uselessness of verbosity,
and has exceeded even two hours. He
speech and the newspaper quotations are
carefully noted on sheets of paper.
Bismarcks speeches are full of such
as these political aphorisms: Compromise
Is every Wu0T0 ZIG COuSGlbublOudl lil0 II
great state is not ruled according to party
views )" "He who has his hand on the
money-bag has the power - Freedom is
luxury which every man cannot allow
himself )" ''In year and half much evil
may be done, but not much good )" Zone
is willing enough to be protected, but not
to pay for projections" "a place never'ful
fills all wishes, and is never just to all
rights y ''Let us learn to respect fidelity
to convictions in opponents"
As soon as Bismarck has said all he
wants to say, he gathers up his papers,
exchanges courtesies with friends, and
leaves the House - Youths Companion.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Grandfather's Precious Legacy,

''When | was little boy" said gen.
tleman one day to friend with whom he
was talking, Il p.sid visit to my grand
father, He was an aged man, and wore q
black velvet cap, and knee breeches with
large silver buckles at the knees. When
| went to say good bye to him, he took me
between his knees, kissed ne kindly, then
laying his hand on my head, he said.
"'Dear boy, have only one thing to
say to you. Will you try to remember itS'
81 looked him in the face and said, 4
will, grandpa.
well, said he, it is this: Whatever
you have to do, a1aoays do the best you can.
''This was my grandfather's legacy to
me. 1t was worth more than thousands of
gold and silver. / never forgot his words,
and have always tried to act upon them. +"
My yorng reader. you can have this
legacy for yourself. Will you profit by
it?-LsttJe Christian.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
An Ample Excuse.

In an uptown church last Sunday even
ing when the pastor had got well into his
sermon, he noticed an unusual commotion
among the choir at is right. He tried to
ignore it, but the trouble became so lively
that he felt it to be his duty to rebuke the
singers in loud voice. The disturbance
finally quieted down and the services pro-
ceeded with due dignity. A member of
the choir managed to communicate to the
much put out pastor the cause of the I'M
easiness before the services were conclud
ed. 1t was a mouse, only little mouse.
But with the perversity of its kind, this
little mouse had managed to get under the
skirts of one of the ladies. The good
pastor forthwith explained to the congre-
cation that the trouble had been unavoid-
able-that no blame attached to the choir
-BWfato Courier.