davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Chinese Writing.

In China printing and writing are al
ways respected, and the autographs of
high dignitaries are revered. Upon cere-
monious occasions great man is attended
by his servant, who hands him IA small
piece of paper very time he wishes to blow
his nose To use "a pocket handkerchief
would be a western innovation, and n
shocking derogation from the dignity of a
mandarin. Printed or written paper Is
however never used for this purpose, be-
ing considered too sacred.
The use of red ink is forbidden to all
but the emperor, who signs official docu-
ments in this flaming color. An autograph
of Kang III, the contemporary of Louis
XIV, has been sold in Picking for more
than $40. The Chinese seemed to have an
ticipated the fashions and foibles ms well as
the arts and sciences of our own day.
Their golden youth with long pigtails and
almond eyes, sat at competitive examin
ations when the oonquering Norman was
riding roughshod over our Saxon forefa-
theirs. Verify, there is nothing new under
the sum- Chambers journal.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Newspaper English.

"No statesman who is worth his salt
will DO hampered by tradition" said Lord
Rosebery in recent speech. And the say
ing is good one in itself Traditions are
useful only when they help They are a
good deal worse than worthless when they
hamper.
But Lord Rosebory's saying Is chiefly
remarkable rs an illustration of the fact
that he Is not hampered by the traditions
of stilted English oratory Worth his
salt, is n breezy colloquinlism which ex-
presses In three words what could not
have been so well expressed in three SEN
fences OF the finest oratorical English
The fine oratorical English in which our
grandfathers delighted seems insufferably
stited to us of this generation. We de-
mand plain English and the man who
wishes to reach the largest number Of peo-
pie will use the plainest of plain English.
The newspapers, which have u hand in
nearly everything, have done this. They
have shown the advantage of speaking in
Ineligible language. They are con-
demned by college professors for using col
loquialisms, vulgarisms if you please, such
as this with which Lord Rosebcry enforces
his meaning But what the newspaper
tries to do Is to make itself intclligiblo to
the largest number of people in the short
est time and smallest space. Very often
fine English is effective, but oftener still a
colloquialism will ring the bell where the
English of Addison would not strike the
outer rim of the target
The orators are finding this out and con-
forming to it. Something is lost perhaps
but mora is gained, for it means another
step away from the oxclusiveness of an in
tellcctual arstucracy. Another conces-
sion to the intellectual needs OF the masses,
the despised Toms, Dicks and Harrys, over
whose heads the orators of our classical
| period fired the resonant salvos of their
heavy artillery.-Ne,o York World.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
The Middle Aged Woman.

Fashion of late years has done much to-
middle aged woman. 1t was not so many
years ago that the mother of IA young lady
daughter was always attircd in sombcr
colors For her to be smartly gowncd
was not considered correct form. Black.
gray and the dull shades of heliotrope
were permissible, but the brighter colors
were entirely out of the question for the
middle aged woman's gown.
Now n decided change has taken place,
and 1t is not strange to sec both mother
and daughter appear in costumes off the
same piece. House gowns of white crepon,
trimmed with violet ribbons, are charm
ing when worn by n woman with silvery
hair. The new grenadines make appro-
pirate afternoon toilets. The Louis Quinze
jackets are well adapted to the elderly
woman of today, and they possess a state
ly style to which none of her garments 90
years ago ever owned
And she Is not compelled to wear o
morning cap either. Her hair may be fash
ionably arranged and her bonnet as chic
as her granddaughter OF course the
colored gowns, but n touch of color is
quite allowable. Pelerines of black lace
are made over a colorcd foundation, and
vest of some soft tint only has tendency
to make the gown more becoming.
Age demands more attention than youth,
and the elderly woman of today realizes
this and dresses accordingly The Fashion
Journal,
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Puff Balls as Food.

1t will surprise many to know that the
plebeian puff ball of our pastures is good
for something besides old fashioned styptic,
smoke and the kick of the small boy.
There are "a number of species Of the
puff ball, varying in shape and size from
the small white globular variety of an
inch in diameter, and the pear shaped, to
the giant pasture species which may attain
the dimensions of football, All are edi
BILE if gathered at the white stage, those
of yellow or darker fracture being OK
cluded.
OF the esculent qualities Of the larger
species, Lycoperdon gigantelun, we may
judge from the statement of connois
seur. Sliced and seasoned in butter and
salt and fried in the pan, no French omelet
is half as good in richness and delicacy of
flavor. NJ. G. Cooke, the British author
ity says Of it, I'm its young and pulpy
condition it is excellent eating and indeed
has but few competitors for the place of
honor at the Louisville Post.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Artist Heaiy's Diplomacy,

G. p. A. Healy, the artist, often had to
draw upon all his resources with sitters.
A young woman once came to his studio
with her face so covered with paint and
powder that every characteristic line was
obliterated He was, of course, in a di-
lemma When the sketch was lined, he
rose from his seat, sat down beside his
subject and kindly asked her if she was
feeling as well as usual Surprised, of
course, she replied that she was.
But, Miss Jones' you walked from
your hotel did you noty" Yes. And
you came hurriedly up stairs without stop
ping to restf' why, yes, of course"
"Ah, yes, Miss Jones' but, you see, though
you may not be feversh, you have exerted
yourself SO severely that there is SO much
color In your face that | fear it would
mislead me. Now, tomorrow, If you will
be so good please battle your cheeks in
cool water the last thing, come in close
carriage and stop and rest yourself upon
the sofa you will find on each landing. If
you do that. / am sure we shall have no
more trouble. kate Filed's Washington.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
After a Night in India.

l feel new flavor in the air and in
stinctively turn to the east. With a joy rs
great as that of the most ardent fire wor-
shipper, see Il pale gray light there Thank
heaven, this dreadful night is over. In
stantly tho teeming jungle life responds
to the suns message. The tiger, with
blood still dropping from his jaws, is now
skulking home, The jackal and hyena are
already wrangling over the remains of his
victim. From the ruined well the dove
sends forth her endless grooming lament,
an impudent hoopoe runs across the camp
in search of the earliest and most impru-
dent worm, mynas resume their gossip,
and overhead in the pepal tree the parrots
are bestirring themselves and. croaking
gently To their wives that it is time to sec
to the breakfast The shrill scream of the
peafowl comes clearly from the opposite
bank A monkey with IA baby firmly
clutching her drops almost at my feet, and
seizing IA forgotten banana Is up again in
the topmost branch before ono can eXclaim
at her audacty BY now II long finger of
light has pierced the heavens, and almost
Immediately the great red rim hoaves up,
and | stand tlcing that alternate curse
and blessing the sun of India.-S. c. Logan,
in Nineteenth Century.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
A Library Chip Basket.

In the nome of IA certain charming wom-
an there always stands upon the library
table II dainty receptacle called the chip
basket. The chips are bits of pasteboard,
cut from II large sheet into many shapes
. .uarcs trianelcs, oblongs, any shape
that will ecoDcmize the entire sheet. It
5 a family where much reading aloud Is
done, and on these little cards are written
The wis, witty or curious truths and say
ings that please the mind nightly as they
are read One of the members of the fam
lily, who is clever with his pen, illustrates
many of the sayings in black and white
while listening to the reading. In spare
moments while waiting, the contents Of
the basket are often picked up and fastcn-
ed in the memory, A the end Of the year
If the chips were all Of size and unsoiled
they could be tied with ribbon, put inside
a pretty cover of suede leather or water
color paper, painted in some pretty design,
and passed on to some familiar friend who
had kindred tastes.-Ne,o York Post.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Movable Bedrooms.

In one Of the old castles of northern
England visitors are shown two rooms
which are connected with each other by q
singular mechanism. Each room is ad-
Joined by an alcovc, used rs n sleeping
room apartment, and the floors of the ad
joining alcovcs turn on pivot in the cen
ter of the partition wall. This ingcnio ,
device was the invention of one of the
ancestors of the present proprietor, w ,
was somewhat of a wag, and found great
pleasure in frightening and mystifying
his guests. When one had gone to bed a
the green room and the other in the blu
the floors were turned on their pivots, an
on awakenii the visitor found himself
In strange curriers', with clothes that were
not his own. 1t is said that this fun 10 =
ing lord lost rich inheritance by thu
disturbing IT, restful moments of
wealthy aunt who never forgave the tric'l
her nephew played upon her
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
The End of the Bride.

A little girl in India went to the mis-
sionary school. She was pretty clever
little thing and SO attracted the teacher
that she ventured to visit her In her home
She found the child overshadowed by the
horror of her approaching marriage. AS
a baby, she had been betrothed; but, ac-
cording to custom, she lived on in her ia
theirs house till she was 12. Then she was
to be taken from her own people and given
over to her husband, a hideous little man,
deformed, his face SCARED with disease, of
bad character and VIGOROUSLY given to
drink.
The child was terrified of him, and he
derived u ghoullike pleasure from her ter
ror used to jump at her in the dark,
make faces at her, and told her that once
really married to him and in his home
he and his old mother would make short
work of her beauty with redhot fork, SO
that it would soon be difficult to choose
between their two faces
At last the fatal day arrived. The mis-
sionary's heart ached for the little friend
she was unable to help, and as she went
about her work she prayed that God might
save his hapless creature.
At noon the childs mother burst into
the house "Nahomi is Dead" she cried,
and the two women hurried to her home.
There was Nahomi, lying stiff and cold on
the floor, looking very slim and childish
in her bridal dress and smooth, flower
crowned head
1t appeared she had spent the morning
in restless agony of anticipation, that, to
quiet her, her miserable mother had beaten
her, and that afterward she had fallen into
an apathy of despair.
She had washed her little person and
her hair, had braided it neatly, had put
ON her bridal gown, had decorated herself
with flowers and jewelry, and then had
gone quietly into the yard behind the
house, where datura tree hung It's great
white trumpets against the blue sky, dug
up and ate little of its poisonous root,
and then crept back into her home, where
she now lay, cold, stark-free.-Te Temple Bar
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
MISCELLANY.
The Loom Of Life.

All dav all night I can hear the Jar
OF the loom of life, and near and far
II thrills with its deep and mufiied sound
As the tireless wheels go always around.
Busily, ceasel essly goes the loom
In the light of day and the midnight's gloom;
The wheels are turning early and late.
And the wool Ia wound In the warp of fate.
Click, clack there's thread Of love wove I'M
Click clackl another of wrong and sin;
What a checkered thing will this life be
when we see 1t enrolled In eternity
Time with face like mystery,
And hands as busy as hands can be,
Sits at the loom with its warp outspread,
To catch in its meshes each glimmering thread,
When shall this wonderful web be done?
In a thousand years perhaps, or one;
Or tomorrow. Who knoweth2 Not you nor l.,
But the wheels turn on and the shuttles fly.
All, sad.eyed weaver, the years are slow
But each one is nearer the end, know.
And some day the last thread shall be woven in
God grant 1t be love instead of sin.
Are we spinners of wool for this life.web-say2
Do we furnish the weaver a thread each day.
1T were better then, oh, my friend, to spin
A beautiful thread than thread Of sin.
-Eben E. ReEford.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Bedroom Arrangement.

A pretty and inexpensive way of arrang-
Ing ones bedroom is to have all the white
things in 1t of one kind of material
White dimity or dotted swiss makes the
prettiest curtains in the world for sleep
Ing room. They are ever so much prettier
than Nottingham or other cheap laces.
Then make your bedspread of the same
material and line it with silesia of the
prevailing color in your room. Make your
bureau scarf and mantel and dresser dra-
peries of the same material. You can rufflc
them with some of the same, or get some
of the inexpensive laces to edge them with.
They are SO easy to launder, and look SO
much daintier than anything else that it
Is wonder that these materials are not
used instead of Tie silk and velvet that
catch dust and odors and hold them
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Toilet Waters.

Toilet waters can DO easily made at
home. For violet water put quarter of
Il pound of fresh picked sweet violets to-
gether with their weight of pure alcohol
Into a large bottle; cork and shake the
bottle every day for one week; then add
quarter of pound of water; filter and
bottle for use.
Lavender water is made by slowly steep
Ing for one hour in covered faripa boiler
pound of fresh lavender with pint of
water. On its removal from the fire add 2
quarts of alcohol; filter and bottle for use
One of the most delightful of homemade
toilet waters is cherry laurel water. Bruise
one ounce of bay leaves and add to them II
half pint of water. Steep slowly for an
hour in farina boiler; take it from the
fire and add quart of lavender water;
filter and bottle for use.-Ne,c York Aduer-
Iiser
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Children's Lunches.

The requisite fast between meals is for
grown folks and not for little folks TO
heed. Cai.!ren as n class are small eaters.
They play bard, and the very ruthlessness
of their merry lives insures digestion.
When they ask for something to eat, it
should be forthcoming and the best that
can be had If only nutritious food, suit
able to their delicate organization, We're
served, health would be commoner among
men and women. AS the child develops
his habits of life change. Instead of being
outdoors playing all day he is indoors study
ing. The lack of exercise will weaker
digestion and necesstates regular meals
and nothing to eat between them.--NeaD
York Teleqrdn.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
A Room for the Children.

Children are proverbially fond of bright
things, and even the smallest tots reach
out for the colored pictures with evident
delight. A room, therefore, the walls of
which are covered with these pretty things
is sure to appeal to all their hearts.
The various art magazines, the papers
and some few of the finest advertising
cards will supply the material. All that
you need to make a picture room out of
the ordinary nursery is little energy and
generous supply of that guInption at
tributed to all live Yankees
The pictures should first be sorted and
some kind of order arranged. Then when
you have sufficient number and have
planned how to place them so as to get
the best results you will be ready to begin
the practical work
Each picture should be set within "A
frame, so to speak, or each should be sur
rounded by molding tackled about the
edge. The best for the purpose is the mar
row half inch width painted in fiat
tone, such as paper hangers use about the
panels of IA room. If that is more costly
than seems wise, in view of the amount
required, the ordinary gilt sort will an
swer. The main essential is to get some.
thing unobtrusive and rs plain as possible
The pictures once grouped and the mold
ings selected the next step is to make
smooth flour paste and to cover the entire
wall with the gay, pretty scenes. Then
when they are dry and firm fit the mulu
ing about each one and tack the strips ii
place with the long slender brads mad
for the purpose.
The one difficulty is to make the joint
of the molding neat and exact. All the
rest is simple and only n little judgment
is required to make IL collection which viii
be to the children IA perpetual dcHgnt
One womun of unusually fertile re
sources has it upon plan for dispensing
with the wood molding ana lor using ~
| binary MANILA rope in its place, Her sue
cess has been great, ana hcrroom Is In some
ways better than the ordinary ,ori 80 II
| the moluing seems u iron 1icso.nc f2.
there is way of crading that part Of the
| work.
In this especial room the pictures arc Sc
| lccted With unusual care and are grlupod
| according to size. The rope is carried IN
| straight lines, both horizontal and vcrli-
cal, between the edges and is tackled fast
bat each place of meeting with an orna-
mental nail.
The effect is really an excellent one
and the rope makes quito sufficient
frame in addition to having reduced both
the labor and the cost.-Neto York Herald.
|
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Restful Faces.

Emotional women age and get ugly long
before their time Crying, weeping, fret
ting, frowning pouting worrying and
other expressions of impatience and re-
sentiment make fearful inroads on beauty.
Quiet women with plain faces are at times
positively beautiful Who has not seen
under the hoods of the sisters of charity
and beneath the caps of the professional
nurses almost celestial beauty, which, ON
study, was found to radiate from sweet
spirit a gentle nature, a sublime superior
ity to the petty caresf 1t isn't the fea-
lures, but the feelings expressed, that
make face almost divine. Cheerfulness,
amiability and a merry heart are fine cos
metics-NeW York World.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
WOman's Age.

Wien the writer was only IA years old,
she thought it very fine to be considered
much older and to that end cultivated the
society of girls Is and 90, doing her best to
assume grownup airs and graces until
when In reality she was only 81 society
shrugged it's shoulders and said "Sho
can t pose as an infant. Why, to our Ger
tain knowledge she has been grown up for
at least eight years. -
Thus the battle between the real and
the fictitious age began, and il was quite
as hard to make people believe, even with
the help of the Bible, that it was precocity
rather than precision that had been the
agent in converting small girl into
grown woman.
This is one side of the story. The other
Is the unnecessary and ridiculous deception
that some women think necessary in re-
gard to their ages when they have once
turned %. Each year appears to them but
.pn added burden, and, as though maturity
were something to be ashamed of, they set
up a new system of calculation, allowing
birthday to come around only once in two
or three years. Now, isn't that bit of
folly quite as much to be derided as the
other phase that attacks us early in life9
This is the age of woman, and she Is not
entitled to that distinction until the teens
have been well left behind and she has
acquired graceful roundness of expert
ence that tinges her conversation, hc1
walk and her ways. Dignity has a charm
superior to kittenish fippancy. The prog
ress that has made the world better place
to live in has likewise set it's seal upon the
intellect of man. and the real thinker, the
real worker, wants companions, not toys,
in the women he meets daily. There is a
rare charm in youth that can never be
dimmed, yet there is another in ripened
perfection that lives longer and can only
be acquired from actual living experience
Therefore why need the sensible woman
care rs she sees the years fit by, for though
they bring gray hairs they likewise bring
richer, purer emotions and nobler senti-
ments, the just reward for the loss OF
youths hopes and rosy Visions Philadel-
phia Times.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Don't BE Conspicuous.

For women of moderate means 1t is new
er in good taste to appear on the street or
in public in II conspicuous gown, bonnet,
hat or any other conspicuous article ol
wearing apparel. Quiet colors, indefinite
designs, medium Styles are the most ap
propriatc. Every one knows how bright
colored dress, hat or wrap will mark per
son If she is obliged to wear it constantly.
Women who possess carriages can dress
In gayer apparel than their poor sisters,
who must always be in the glare of sun
light, exposed to its searching rays-Neto
York Journal.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
THE HOUSEHOLD.
Soul Dawn.
by MARION X. SHELDON.

What shall she grow to be. my little girl.
with brown locks tossing and all a-curl2
with great dark eyes shining up into mine,
What are you going to be, In timer
Shall you be an artist. my little queen,
Painting on canvas a beautiful dream7
All Natures glory is waiting for thee
II thou, translator, its meaning can see.
Perchance poetess. my little maid,
with words whose briliance never can fade,
Lives in thy heart. and with years shall grow,
Tell me, my grave little face, is 1t so2
HAPPY your trusting heart, my woman small
willilove places Of fame not at all,
Choosing a sweet, sheltered home in life,
Light of household, cherished as wife.
Dear little mystery, heart close to mine,
Only thy Maker knows how thou shalt shine.
Only he knows, who hath fashioned thy soul,
Even thy mother can ne'er guess the whole.
Sweet ruby lips, with the teeth pearly white,
Rosy cheeks dimpled, and flushing so bright,
Innocent face wreathed now in smile,
Fresh, happy heart, knowing nothing of guile, -
This is my grille, just now, of a truth,
But what is the future of my little Ruth2
Only God knoweth, and he, who hath given,
Safe will protect her till happy In heaven.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26
Household Inventions.

A convenient little invention for kitchen
use is one that combines funnel and
strainer. 1t has a handle and may be
used with or without the straincr, which
fits into the bottom Without it it can be
used for filling fruit jars or bottles. In u
small size the inverted funnel makes a
biscuit cutter.
Another invention that appears to be II
great convenience is II gas iron, with "A
rubber tube four feet long, that can be at
tached to the gas fixture in any room,
making it possible to iron in cool place,
with an iron that is always hot, at "a tri-
fling cost The iron is nickel plated, and
the only objection to it seems to be its
weight, which is 7 4 pounds.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-09-26

THE earlier symptoms of dyspepsia,
heartburn and occasional headaches,
should not be neglected. Take Hoods
Sarsaparila to be cured.