davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
INITIATIVE WOMAN.
A Cyaieal English View of Feminine
Human Nature.


Decidedly women are an initiative
class From her earliest age the small
girl apes the doings of her elders and.
had she her own way, would be mini
ature cpitome of fashion. Such enter
tainments as she is permitted to wit
ness n her mothers drawing room she
initiates, with dolls and nurses for COM
pany. in the nursery. In her school
days she invariably forms" herself
on some special friend whom she elects
as a model Of feminine perfection. And
at certain stage of their lives girls
are as much alike as peas in a pod.
As they mature ana develop they may
perhaps show some signs of individual
fly, but In all the main issues of life
they continue to be more initiative than
original
Fashions. housekeeping and enter
taining are all more or less conducted
on the same lines. and the only true
sign of friendship that Is shown to the
young married woman Is to beg her to
order her life and her home on her
friends principles. Any departure from
those principles or any symptom of in
dividual taste or strength of mind will
sound the first challenge of unpopulari-
ty for the budding matron. Her moth
er and her mothers friends will alike
desire imitation of their methods as
the "sincerest form Of fiattery," and
every decline from the original system
will be pronounced wrong or injudi-
cIous.-Rita in London Mail.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
. 90
OLD TIME PUNlSHMENTS.
Cold Water Baths Helped to Cure
Swearing and ScOlding.

Swearing and ScOlding.
To punish child in such a way that
II Will see the direct connection be-
tween the correction and the fault is
one Of the precepts of modern educa-
ton. The judge of the eighteenth cen
Jury was not worried by such psy
Geological theories, but his decisions
often had the grim humor of fitness.
What could be better for the scold
than a cooling plunge or for the wife
beater than a few lashes on his own
back?
. A number of tender handed English
gallants joined pioneer expedition to
Virginia. The weather was cold and
the work hard. When these soft mus
cled young men were set at chopping
trees their hands were sorely blistered
by the Ak helves. With the cries Of
pain many oaths were heard.
The president of the company soon
put stop to this swearing by ordering
q can of cold water to be poured down
the sleeve of the guilty one at every
oath he uttered.
In colonial days hog stealing was
considered one of the most serious OF
crimes. At the first offense the thief's
ears were slit, at the second his ears
We're nailed to a pillory, and at the
third he suffered death without bene-
fit Of clergy"
DeceItful bakers and careless fish
no. T. hot
he who spoke detracting words had
his tongue bored by a bodkin.
A F'renchman, travelling In America
in 100, describes the ducking stool as
q pleasant mode" Of Furnishing a
scolding woman.
In 1886 Thomas Hartley of Virginia
wrote of his witnessing the execution
OF a ducking stool sentence:
DAY before yesterday at 2 Of ye
Clock, l saw this punishment given to
one Betsey Walker, who by ye vio-
lence of her tongue made her house
and her neighborhood uncomfortable.
They had machine for ye purpose,
vt belongs to We Parish. 1t has al
ready been used three times this sum-
mer.
"Ye Woman was allowed to go I'M
der ye water for We space Of u min
ute Betsey had stout stomache
and would not yield until she had been
under FIVE times. Then she cried pite-
ously. Then they drew back ye Ma
chine, united ye Ropes and let her
walk home hopefully penitent wo-
nan."-Yonth's Companion
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
A SOURCE OF DISEASE.
Beware the Man Who Blows Smoke
Through His NOstriIs.


A popular practice of many smokers
consists in discharging the smoke In.
hailed, especially from cigarettes,
through the nostrlls This Is even
considered by some to be essential to
the full enjoyment of the flavor OF the
tobacco.
The London Lancet while acknowl.
edging that perhaps under ordinary
circumstances no harm Is done to the
smoker save to his sense of smell, has
sounded a note of warning against the
habit as q possible disseminator of dis
ease. Hay fever and other annoying
complaints have been spread through
unsuspecting households by the un-
thinking visitor who habitually blew
smoke through his nose.
The surface traversed by the tobacco
smoke before issuing from the nose, II
is remarked by the Lancet, Is mois-
tened with the natural secretion of the
mucous membrane lining IT, and this
secretion is mingled with the fluid dis.
charged from the conjunctival sac pro-
tecting the eyes. 1t therefore contains
numerous micro organisms, which,
floating in the air, have become attach.
ed to the moist and stick surface OF
the conjunctiva, as well as those which
pass over the surface of the nasal
membrane. AS Tyndall long ago show
ed, germs are completely filtered of
from the air inhaled by the extensive
and irregular surfaces presented by
the turbinaI bones. These germs are
blows smoke through his nostrils.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
A POINTER FOR TOURISTS.
Put Your Prayer Book on Top of the
Things In Your Trunk.

Put Your Prayer Book on Top of the
Things In Your Trunk.
"If you ever 20 to Bermuda l can tell
you how to make time at the custom
house" said returning Washingtoni-
an. Il reached Bermuda early in the
morning. l made UP my luggage rath-
er hastily before leaving the ship.
Just as l was ready to close my
suit case l noticed that | had left my
prayer book on the lounge. | pitched
1t in rather unceremoniously. strapped
down the case and hurried ashore.
You don't have to wait to declare as
you do when coming into the port Of
New York. AS l stepped into the office
of the Johnny Bull official unstrapped
my case and opened it up. The official
talked at me as if | had been q tele-
phone
"'Hellor he said the first thing.
What's this| he asked, picking up my
prayer book. Prayer book, eh? All
right, Shut up your case
"'Want TO look at anything elseP I
asked.
mo. You're all right, my friend.
ANY man who will put his prayer book
on top of his traps isn't likely to beat
the government I'll take that for your
declaration
IL threw him half dozen cigars.
That's where / made my mistake.
"'Got any more like these In that
caseT asked the official
Il said hadn't but do you know he
wouldn't believe me, and l had TO open
up the case again, and he went through
it as if he thought was smuggler."-
TVas hiDutor POST
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
MANS WEAKER HALF.
One Side of His Body Always Stronger
Than the other.


The popular belief is that the left
side is weaker than the right, and, as
in all popular beliefs, there is much
truth in this. In most cases, says the
Grand Magazine, the right arm Is de-
cidedly stronger than the left, the
bones are larger and the muscles more
vigorous.
When we come to consider the lower
limbs, however, we find precisely op-
posite state of affairs; the left leg is
stronger than the right in the great
majority of cases. This want Of sym
metry Is noticeable all through the
body. Nine times out of ten we see
better with one eye than with the 9th
er and hear better with the left than
with the right ear, or vice versa.
Not only so, an injury to the body-a
burn or a cut, for instance-causes
more pain on one side than it would
were 1t inflicted on the other. Even
diseases attack one side on their first
onset in preference to the other. EcZe-
ma, varicOse veins, sciatica and even
tuberculosis begin invariably to mani.
fest themselves on our weaker side.
A blistering plaster, too, will provoke
an eruption only If applied to the right
side In certain individuals; in others,
only if applied to the left side.
The simplest way, apparently, of dis
covering which is our weaker side Is to
observe which side we lie upon by
preference when in bed, as it is GER
tain that we will instinctively adopt
the attitude which is most agreeable,
or, rather, which causes the least In.
convenience. In other words, we will
lie upon the side the muscles of which,
being more vigorous, are less sensible
to the pressure upon them of the
weight of the body.
Statistics and observation go to prove
that In about three cases out of four
1t Is the left side which is the weaker
thus giving reason to the popular die
tum. Curiously enough, however, pneu
monia, 1t has been noticed, unlike most
diseases, usually attacks at first the
right-that is to say, the strOnger-side
Of the body
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
MARIE ANTOlNETTE.
Two Dramatic and Contrasting Epf-
codes In Her Life.

GhisteIto2-r. In his Royalty In
Nj AGcs.'' describes two dramatic
nnd Il: &;caily contrasted episodes in
the life OF Marie Antoinette, the lovely
and i'll fated queen Of France Once,
Ii tie dG.,s Of her greatest popularity,
WIEN she went to the opera of "Iphi-
gcnia.' when Achilles came to the line
Let Us sing and celebrate the queen"
he tuTle'i toward the radiant young
sovereign ahd sang two additional i'm
proClDtu lines OF charming compliment
Ta,3 &:2"efli and unexpected homage
so delighted the audience that "all was
shouting and ciapping Of hands, and
what never happened at the opera be-
fore-thc chorus was encored, and
there were cries of Long live the
queen" at which expression Of feeling
her majesty was so affected that she
shed tears"
On the next occasion, when Marie
Antoinette's sun of popular favor had
set and she was nearing the tragic
close Of her life, one of the actresses in
Unforeseen Events" bowed to her as
she sang the words "Ah, how / love
my mistress" In moment all was In
uproar, and the theater was full Of
hoarse, angry cries of mo mistress!
No master! Libertyw and mo master!
No queenr aad it was some minutes
before the tulnult quieted down and it
was L ;sible to proceed with the plav
SaIU.
1t sees tGat the sea was made salt
Ia tl4> e2c.-:-4ing IL a part OF the ssraud
desi2n o. the C..ator to provide for
the sySteI. (. ""C.ution which has been
going on sine The creation. Many dis
tinct species Of living organisms exist
In the sea a, Il result of its salinity,
and their rem ms have largely contrib
uted to the 81 oy'th of continents. The
three great factors in accounting fol
the system o. currents In the ocean
by which 1t becomes the great heat dis
tributer of the globe are changes OF
temperature, the winds and sallnity
The LIST mentioned becomes an i'm
portant factor through the immediate
and essential differences of specific
gravity aHi consequent differences Of
level that it pr0lnces in different parts
Of the c"e,in through the action OF
evaporation and rainfall.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
THE BEAT OF THE PULSE.
1t Varies Greatly In Different Per-
sons and Conditions.

II Varies Greatly In Different Per-
sons and Conditions.
The pulse of women generally beats
men. 1t may be said that when q per-
son is at rest his pulse, that of any
adult, may be from seventy-flve to
eighty times a minute Great variation
exists in different individuals in re-
Spect of the number of beats. After
exercise the pulse quickens because Of
the stimulation of the heart, and the
same result applies to the effects OF
taking food. A dose of alcohol will also
stimulate the pulse somewhat, just as
the use OF tobacco, especially In excess,
will tend to have an opposite effect
namely, that of lowering the rate of
the pulse, because Of the depression of
the heart which results. In fevers and
infiammatory diseases the pulse rate
tends to be very much increased and
also in respect of its character. Instead
OF beating quietly the blood vessel In
such cases exhibits very full and
bounding movement. On the other
hbClC CAlSlS anu lliC
temperature of the body falls, the
pulse may be unna turally slow and its
character weak. Physicians are accus-
toned TO distinguish other Characters
tics in the pulse, such as become valu-
able hints in the discovery and deter
minatiOn of disease. The practical les
son we learn here is that where the
pulse continues for any length OF time
10 have its beats quickened to an IN
natural degree and where especially
rise Of the temperature or heat of the
body accompanies these symptoms we
ought to suspect some kind of feverish
condition or other to be represented.
The pulse alone forms a valuable
enough guide to this state of the body,
but It's value is very much increased If
to the Information given us by the
pulse we add that which the use of the
thermometer supplies.-Cardiff Times.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
CURIOUS FISH.
They Keep Their Eggs I'm Natural
Pockets In Their Mouths.


In the sea of Galilee. or Lake Tibe-
rias, as it is also called, there is a
strange fish named the Chromis simo-
mis-, which is more careful of its young
than fish generally are The male
takes the eggs in his mouth and keeps
them in his natural side pockets, where
they are regularly hatched and remain
until able to shift for themselves. BY
this ingenious arrangement the brood
IS comparatively guarded against Its
natural enemies. 1t is easily fed, too,
but il is a puzzle how the little ones
escape beinE eaten alive. Awhile ago,
says a traveller writing to religious
contemporary, ! found in my net
number of these fish without eyes.
Others of the species, when l lifted
them up, dropped a number of little
fishes out of their mouths, which swan
away hastily The natives explained
the phenomenon. The blind chromis
Is the victim of sea hawks. When
these birds have eaten their fill they
begin to look out for tidbits. After
catching a fish they hit its forehead
with their sharp beak, knocking out
the middle part, in which their eyes are
set. The bony structure is dropped
into the water. but the eyes are eaten
by the birds with great relish.
Strangely enough, the fish generally
survive this rough treatment The
Wound heals up quickly in water, anC
the continue to ply the lake for food
as Il nothing had happened.
Standard.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
PARADISE FISHES.
These Creatures Live In Odd Nests
Composed of Air Bubbles.

Paradise fishes come from Japan,
and their nests are very odd Indeed,
for they are composed of air bubbles.
Unlike goldfish, they will breed and
raise their young in an aquarium or
even III a glass globe, and they raise
three or four broods each year.
Ordinarily the male paradise fish is
or dull silvery color, but when he
goes accounting he puts on a brilliant
coat, striped with streaks of red, blue
and green. When the female fish Is
ready to lay eggs, she builds her nest
by swallowing air and making bubbles,
which are held together by a sticky
secretion that comes from her mouth.
The eggs rise in the water and find a
resting place among the air bubbles, to
which they cling. The female fish tries
to swallow the eggs, but her husband
drives her away and keeps guard until
the eggs are hatched If the air bub-
bles burst, the male fish blows some
more, so that the nest is always float
ing on the surface of the water.
AT the end of five days the young are
hatched out. They cannot swim, but
cling like tadpoles to the air bubbles.
If one falls, the father fish catches it
In his mouth and blows 1t up among
the bubbles again. He does not leave
his little ones until they are able to
swim, and then they take care Of them
selves
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
CROMWELl.'S HORSES.
An Accident That 5efeII the Protector
In Hyde Park,

In Hyds Park.
"As Cromwell rose in power and rank
his love of horses began to be more
conspicuous" says a writer in Black
woods. "When he started from Lon
don in 1649 to reconquer Ireland he
went forth in that state and equipage
as the like hath hardly been seen, him
self in coach with six gallant Elan
ders mares, reddish gray" In 1858,
when the Spanish ambassador took his
leave of the lord protector, Cromwell
sent him "his own coach of six white
horses" to convey him TO and from
Whitehall. Certain 1t is" adds the
narrator, that none Of the English
kings had ever any such"
The protector was not much Of
whip, however. In 1904 the Count OF
Oldeuburg sent Cromwell present of
six horses, and the protectors anxiety
to make trial of their quality led to his
well known adventure in Hyde park.
On Friday, Sept %, he went with Sec
retary Thurloe and some of his gentle
men to take air in the park, ordered
the six horses to be harnessed to his
coach, put Thurloe inside of 1t and IN
dertook to drive himself. His high
ness" said a letter from the Dutch
ambassador, drove pretty handsomely
for some time, but at last, provoking
those horses too much with the whip,
they grew unruly, whereby his high
ness was flung out of the coach box
upon the ground His foot getting
hold in the tackling, he was carried
away good while In that posture. but
at last he got his foot clear and 50
came to escape He was presently
brought home and let blood and after
some rest taken is now well again. The
secretary, being hurt on his ankle with
leaping out of the COACH hath been
forced to keep his chamber hitherto
and been unfit for any business"
The royalist Scroggs, afterward chief
justice, writing of this incident, hoped
that the next fall would be from a cart
limiting at the gallows. AS to Crom-
wells views on the burning question
of horse racing it is difficult to arrive
at positive conclusion. His constant
aim was to possess as many good
horses as he could afford. Whether he
entered his horses for races or had
history does not say.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
HE DIED FIGHTING.
How Prince Louis Napoleon Was
Killed by the Zulus.

How Prince Louis Napoleon Was
Killed by the ZuIus.
How Prince Louis Napoleon was kill
ed by the Zulus June l, 1879, Is told
graphically in the book by Sir Evelyn
Wood, who took part In that war. The
little party which the prince accompa-
MED was surprised and attacked. Sir
Evelyn writes: The Zulus In pursuit
ran first after the two white soldiers
who We're OH the TANKS, three or four
men. headed by Labanga, following
the prince. His horse had jumped just
as he was mounting, and his sword fell
but of its sc"hbard. He was very ac-
tive and was vaulting on his horse in
motion when the wallet on the front
Of the yodGie broke away, and he fell
to the round being at this time only
sixty Fards behind the (British) fugi-
tive There were seven men who ac-
T. ~ fought the prince When Ian
: iebele, pursuing the fugitives, first
saw L.abanga he was running away
from the prince. who was rushing at
him. Labanga, crouching in the grass,
threw an assagai at him. The first as
sagai stuck in the princes thigh, and,
withdrawing ii from the wound, he
kept his foes at bay for some minutes
In the natives words: lie fought like
lion. He fired two shots, but with
out effect. and | threw an assagai at
him. which struck him, us | said at the
time, but always allowed Labanga's $
claim to have killed him, for his ASA
gal hit the prince in the left shoulder.
i lportal wound d"
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
OCEAN ROPES.
q Marine Plant That Grows a Stem
Three Hundred F-~t Long

g. Marine Plant That Grows a. Stem
Three Hundred F~t Long.
The largest marine p----.C and proba-
bly, one of the highest plants known on
this globe is a gigantic seaweed, the
Ecrcocystis, the stem of which has
been found to grow as much as 300
feet long. 1t was first discovered not
far from the Alaskan coast, but has
since been found floating In various
parts of the Pacific ocean along the
American and Asiatic shores. This
seaweed grows in a very curious man
ner. Large quantities of it are found
at a little distance from shore and at
depths not exceeding 800 feet. On
loamy bottoms large thickets of this
plant take root, and a stem Of the
thickness of ordinary cord grows up
ward. At its top there is pear shaped
balloon. which grows with the stem,
and when 1t reaches the surface of the
water 1t often measures six feet and
more in length, with diameter of four
feet six inches. This balloon has, of
course, an upward tendency and keeps
the stem growing until it floats on the
surface Of the water. From the top of
this balloon large tuft of strong,
thick, spadelike leaves grow out, which
originally are not more than two feet
long and which grow and split until
from the balloon d roselike growth of
from fifty to siXty-five feet In dame
ter covers the water. This gigantic
weed grows in such quantities that
near the shore large meadowlike is
lands are formed, which impede navi-
CATION. The natives of the Aleutian
islands make manifold usage of this
plant. From their strong dried stems
they make ropes 80 feet and more
long, while balloons of this weed fur
nish them with large vessels after they
are dried. the smaller ones being used
III their boats to bail out water The
long leaves, after being dried, are cut
into narrow strips and used for wicker
|yori: tiie making OF BASKETS and simi-
lar furniture.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-28
A MYSTERIOUS CARD.
Mark Twain's Odd Request and Ho
Mrs. Cleveland Received 1t.

Mark Twain's Odd Request and How
Mrs. Cleveland Received 1t.
When l was leaving Hartford for
Washington upon one occasion my
wife said: 81 have written a small
warning and put it In pocket of your
dress vest When you are dressing to
go to the authors reception at the
White House you will naturally put
your fingers in your vest pocket, ac-
cording to your custom, and you will
find that little note there. Read It
carefully and do as it tells you.
cannot be with you, and so l delegate
my sentry duties to this little note. II
/ should give you the warning by
word Of mouth now 1t would pass from
your head and be forgotten in few
minutes"
1t was President Cleveland's first
term. l had never seen his wife, the
young, the beautiful, the good hearted,
the sympathetic, the fascinating
Sure enough, just as l had finished
dressing to go to the White House, /
found that little note, which l had
long ago forgotten. 1t was a grave
little note, n serious little note, like
its writer, hut it made me laugh.
Hvy's gentle gravities often produced
that effect upon me where the expert
humorist's best joke would have fail
ed, for 1 10 not laugh easily.
When we reached the White House
and | was shaking hands with the
president he started to say something,
but 1 interrupted him and said:
IF your excellency VIII excuse me
l will come back In a moment, but now
have a very important matter to ct
tend to, and it must be attended to at
once"
l turned to Mrs. Cleveland, the
young, the beautiful, the fascinating,
and gave her my card, on the back Of
which l had written "He didn't" and
/ asked her to sign her name below
those words.
She said: "He didn't? He didn't
what?"
"Oh," 1 said, never mind We
cannot stop to discuss that now. This
is urgent Won't you please sign your
name?" l handed her a fountain pen.
why" she said, II cannot commit
myself in that way. Who is 1t that
didn't? And what is 1t that he didn'tP'
"Oh," l said, time is flying, flying,
flying! Won't you take me out Of my
distress and sign your name to itf
It's oil right I give you my word it's
all right"
She looked nonplused, but hesitat-
ingly and mechanically she took the
pen and said:
81 will sign it. | will take the risk.
| But you must tell me all about 1t right
afterward, so that you can be arrested
before you get out of the house In case
there should be anything criminal
about this"
Then she signed, and | handed her
Mrs Clemens note, which was very
| brief, very simple and to the point 1t
said, Don't wear your arctics in the
White House" 1t made her shout, and
at my request she summoned mes
sanger, and we sent that card at once
to the mail on It's way to Mrs. Clemens
| tn Hartford.-Mark Twain's Autobiog-
| raphy in North American Review.