smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

The question is often heard, where are
our great men? Political hypochondriacs
point back despairingly to the times when
the policy of this or of other nations was
shaped by one or a few minds; when one
thinker words were received and followed
by all men, more because they were his
than because they seemed to be wise; and
they call our days by contrast the days of
little men. They despair of the future, be
cause the intellect of Webster is no longer
heard in the Senate, the fierce resolve of a
jackson no longer rules the people from the
White House, and the dictatorial judgments
of Marshall no longer frame Judicial legis
lation on the bench.


There is a shadow of truth in all this. No
one man now is such centre of the nation
political life as was Washington, Jefferson
jackson In his time. On no man is the
hope of a great party built, as it was, even
within a generation, on Silas Wright or
Henry Clay, All our habits of thought, all
the tendencies shown in our contemporary
history, forbid US to expect such times
again.


Indeed, great people are always jealous
of great men. He who gains prominence
among them is seen in the same fierce
light that beats upon throne, his great
ness exposed, his greatness lessened by
standing in sharp contrast with our noble
noble ideals. Hence the proverb that Re
publics are ungrateful. Not that they
will not appreciate and reasonably reward
real service, but that they wiz not, like ma
tons still in their infancy, accept ability for
service and PROSTATE themselves in the en-
larged shadow of greatness.


Whatever raises the standard Of manhood
dininishes both the numbers and the prom
inenee Of those who rise above that stand


ard The nations which accomplished mos


for humanity are not those which have tn,
+ longest record Of the most eminent names
/ 1t Is in comparative baTbarisln that demi
7 GODS arise; that one man absorbs the glo!


and the power of people. 1t Is IN tha


millennial future to which, though it stil


lies beyond the very horizon Of thought
Year: 1868

become american citizens. Perpetual ale
glance as claimed abroad is only another
name for perpetual bondage, and would
make all slaves to the soil where first they
saw the light


Our Rational cemeteries prove how faith
fully these oaths of fidelity to their adopted
land have been sealed in the life blood of
thousands upon thousands. Should we not,
then. be faithless to the dead, if we did not
protect their living brethren in the full en-
1 joyment Of that nationality for which, side
by side with the native born, our soldiers of
foreign birth laid down their lives?


1t was fitting. too that the representa-
tiyes of party which had proved so true to
national duty in time of war should speak
so clearly in time Of peace for the mainte-
nance untaInished Of the national power,
national credit, aud good faith as regards its
| debt, the cost of our national existence [
do not need to extend this reply by further
comment on platform which has elected
such hearty approval throughout the land
The debt of gratitude IS acknowledged to
/ the brave men who saved the Union from
destruction, the frank approval Of amnesty
based on repentance and loyalty.


The demand for the most thorough econ
omy and honesty in the Government the
sympathy Of the party Of liberty with all
| throughout the world who long for the iber-
/ ty we here enjoy, and the recognition of the
sublime principles Of the Declaration of In
dependence, are worthy Of the organization
on whose banners they are to be written in
[ the coming contest. Its past record cannot
be blotted out or forgotten, If there had
been no Republican party slavery would to-
/ day cast Its baleful shadows over the Bepub-
1 lie Ifthere had been no Republican party
a free press and free speech would be as un-
/ known from the Potomac to the Rio Glande
as ten years ago.


If the Republican party could have been
stricken from existence when the banner Of
rebellion was unfmled, and when the res
( ponse ofno coercion was heard at the North,
we would have had no nation to-day But
for the Republican party daring to risk the
odiun Of tax and draft laws, our flag could
not have been kept flying in the field till the
long hoped for victory came Without a
Republican party the civil rights bill, the
guarantee Of equality under the law to the
humble and the defenceless as well as to the
strong, would not be to-day upon our nation
al statute book


With such inspirations from the past and
following the example Of the founders of the
Republic, who called the victorious general
Of the Revolution to preside over the land
his triunphs had saved from It's enemies, I
cannot doubt that our labors viii be crowned
with success; and it viii be a success which
shall bring restored hope, confidence, pros
perity, and progress South as well as North,
West and East, and, above all, the blessings
under Providence Of national concord and
peace. Very truly. yours,


SCHTNTER COLFAX.
Year: 1868

Make me no VOWS Of eonstaney, dear friend
To love me, though l die, thy shole life long,
And love no other till thy days shall end


Nay-it were rash and wrong.
IF thou can st love another, be it so
I would not reach out Of my quiet grave
To bind thy heart, if il should choose TO GO


Love should not be slave.
Ny placid ghost, trust, viii walk serene
In clearer light than gilds these earthly morns,
Above the Jeaiousies and enYies keen


v hich SOW this life with thorns.
Thou would'st not feel my shadowy caress,
If, after death, my soul should linger here
Mems hearts crave tangible, close tenderness,


Loves presence warm and near.
1t would not make me sleep more peacefully
That thou vert wasting all thy life in woe
For my poor sake what love thou hast for me


Bestow it ere I go.
Carve not upon a stone when I am dead
The praises which rsm0rseful mourners give
To women's graves tardy recompense-


But speak them while live.
Heap not the heavy marble on my head,
To shut away the sunshine ana the dew;
Let small blooms grow there, and the grasses wave


And rain drops filter through.
Thou viii meet many fairer and more gay
Than but trust me thou canst never find
One who viii love and serve thee, night and day,


With more single mind
Forget me when die; the violets
Above my rest viii blossom just as blue,
Nor miss thy tears ey' n Nature self forgets


But while I live, be true.
Year: 1868




The PROMISE KEPT.-The following,
from an exchange, is worth reading: 4
mother on the green hills of Vermont, was
holding by the right hand son, sixteen
years old, mad with the love Of the sea.
And as she stood by the garden gate one
morning, she said: Edward, they tell me,
for never saw the ocean, that the great
temptation of a seaman's life is drink.
Promise me, before you quit your mothers
hand that you will never drink. ''And. -
said he, for he told me the story II gave
her the promise, and went the broad globe
over, Calcutta, and the Mediterranean, San
Francisco, the Cape of Good Hope, the
North Pole and the South. saw them all
in forty years, aud never saw glass filed
with sparkling liquor that my mother form
by the gate did not rise before me; and to-
day I am innocent of the taste Of liquor
Was not that sweet evidence of the power
of single word? Yet that was not halt.
For, said he, Yesterday there came into
my counting-room man of forty years, and
asked me, 'Doyou know me?' No We'll,
said he, 1 was once brought drunk into,your
presence on ship-board; you were passen-
ger; the captain kicked me aside; you took
me to your berth and kept me there till /
had slept of the intoxication, yea then
asked me if had mother. said I had
never known word from her lips You
told me of yours at the garden gate, and to-
day | am master Of one Of the finest packets
in New York; andI came to ask you to
come and see me. ~
Year: 1868

TRAIN up your children to love sunsets,
flowers, and clouds of all kinds. We arc
creatures ofedueation. And we hold it to
be the duty Of parents to teach children to
appreciate the beautiful things of this world
which God has given them to gid life with.
There is gloom and grief enough at best,
and so much innocent Joy might be ex-
tracted from thousand sources, that it
seems philosophical as well as a sacred duty
to reap the great harvest of happiness which
falls to US from proper appreciation of
beauty
Year: 1868

SOME shrewed editor, with an eya orcn 10
the main chance, gives the following hiut to
the brides;


When parties get married and the groom
is paying the parson his fee. If he should
forget to hand him dollar to pay for set
ting up the notice of the event in the paper,
the bride oughtto interfere Immediately
and do the first great duty Of her married
life by insisting that they commence their
career honorably and justly by paying the
first bill Of expense.
Year: 1868

Oh, slow TO smite and swift to spare,
Gentle, and msrcifgl and just
Who, in the fear Of God, did'st bear
The sword Of power-a nations trust.
In sorrow by thy bier we stand
Amid the awe that bushes all,
And speak the anguish Of a land
That shook with horror at thy fall.
Thy task is done-the bond are free
We bear thee to an honored grave,
Whose pr0udest monument shall be
The broken fetters Of the slave.
Pure was thy life, its bloody close
Hath placed thee with the sons Of light,
Among the noble hosts Of those
Who perished in the cause of right.


WILLIAM Cullen BRYAST.
Year: 1868

Bees in swarming have been known to alight
upon persons and animals singing them Sc
yerely and In some instances causing death
The American Bee Journal,sin referring TO an
instance Of the kind, where a swarm of bees
recently settled upon the head of a horse stand
ing in front of a church and the owner, who
went 70 It's assistance, was stung senseless, saws
that all the difficulty could have been obviated
by the use Of cold water.


In such cases the Journal advises q prompt
application of few gallons Of cold water
sprinkled from a common watering pot d.
rectly on the clustering bees. 1t remarks that a
little knowledge, presence of mind and calm
ness would have been serviceable here; for
nothing is more apt to rouse the i'll temper of
bees than to come in contact with q sweaty
horse; and horse Is most helpless animal
when attacked by bees.


During the extreme hot weather Of July we
mad several swarms come OF that We're ex-
uemely irritable, and we treated them to a
sprinkling Of cold water. after which they be-
came quiet, were easily handled and were
hived without the least trouble Unca Herald
Year: 1868

Was there ever any bread so good as rye and
Indian breadl Pity there are SO few who kno W
how to make it. Once in great while we find
some old lady who can do At to a charm We
knew several few years age, and one of them
told us Just how to make it. She said:-"For a
good, thick loaf, l take one pint rye flour to
three pints OF corn meal. one-half tea-cdp OF
molasses, or brown sugar, scald with boiling
water-be sure to stir in water enough TO
thoroughly scald it-cover it up and let il stand
till cool, then reduce With cold sweet milk un-
til thin enough TO pour INTO your pan, bake all
day, let 1t stand in the oven all night, and in
the morning yon will have the best loaf of
bread you ever tasted. If your crust Is too
hard TO eat, remove it, soak in water and add
TO your next loaf. 1t will be richer than the
frst.-MRs. BARKER in Western Rural.
Year: 1868

IMPROVEMENT OF PAsTU RKs.-A successful
farmer in this vicinity claims that many ras.
lures are so overstocked that the roots of the
grass and the whole plant are kept so small
that its growth is feeble, and not half the feed
is afforded that the land would produce If
stocked lightly year or two, and the grass al
lowed to get a good thrifty start. He has kept
a large stock Of cattle, yet the feed in his pas
ture is so rank that in some places ton of hay
tains double the stsck that can be kept on ad.
Joining lands that have been habitually over.
stocked. passed the pasture q few days ago
The snow was q foot deep. yet this grass ap-
peared above 1t. Whether the stock was cows,
sheep or beef stock, they never failed to grow
and yield profit to the owners satisfaction,
and a decided increase over neighboring stock
of the same kind.-Z. Z. JdmesOn, IN Country
GenflRmHn.
Year: 1868

HOUSEHOLD ORNAMENTS. Articles of
ornament in the household have so much
influence in the family as educators, that we
consider them quite as importont as objects
of utility. Indeed, we should prefer to spare
some of the necessaries of life, rather than
miss the articles of taste that speak to US
daily from the walls of our home. I'll ey are
not only beautiful in themselves. but they
remind US pleasantly of the friends who
have thought of us at our household anui-
versaries. Costly pictures and splendid up
holstery are well enough for those who can
afford them, but those who possess them
are not always people of taste, and they are
bv no means essential to the cultivation of
taste in u.s. We may have beauty of form
and color on small scale and inexpensive
material, that shall kindle the Imagination
and give pleasure to the feelings quite as
effectively as the gems of art The homes
of many who have a competence are utterly
bare of ornament. Nothing is done, moth
ing is seen within to administer to our wants.
The whole aspect is cheerless, and one es
capes to the sunshine and verdure without,
with feeling Of relief 1t is worth much
to children to have around them objects of
refinement and taste, to cultivate in them
an appreciation of the beautiful 1t great
ly helps the formation of habits of neatness
and order in them and tends to make home
cheerful and happy.
Year: 1868

Gentleman is a term which does not
apply to any station. The man of rank who
deports himself with dignity and candor, and
the tradesman who discharges the duties of
life with honor and integrity, are alike enti-
tied to it, nay, the humblest artizan, who
fulflls the obligations cast upon him with
virtue and honor, is more entitled to the
name of gentlemen, than the man who
couldindulge in offensive and ribald remarks,
however high his station.
Year: 1868

A BAD RECORD FOR \ ONCE HONOR
ABLE PARTY.-Governer Seymour car
RES seven States, but the following
is the dishonorable record which will
have to be recorded by the historian ::
Two States, New York and New
Jersey, by fraudulent votes Ken
lucky, Maryland and Delaware by
the votes of returned Confederate
soldiers. In the days of Jackson this
would have been considered as a
frightful record for the Democratic
party. But in the days of Seymour
and Blair, 1t is the best record they
can offer in their struggle against
Grant.
Year: 1868

TALLAHASSEE, Dec. l7.--In the Supreme Court
and asked the chief justice to sign the citation
which was refused. Gleason left for Washington
last evening. his business supposed to be to bring
bis case before the United States Supreme Court
by getting the signature OF an associate justice OF
that court to the citation.


The State Supreme Court adjourned to day till
The Hext regular session iu the coming month.
Year: 1868

HAIR WAsHEs-1t is oDly right to refer TO q
source Of possible disease which Is peculiarly
widespread just now. and against which the pub
lIc should be cautioned. At the present time
there is quite rage for the Of hair washes or
restOrers, which, whilst the charge of their being
dyes Is Indignantly repudsted, yet 10 short tims
restore the color of the hair. The active agent in
these washes is, Of course, lead. In the majority
OF cafee, probably, moderate use of such lotion
would be unattended with mischief; but 1t is
worth remembering that palsy has been known to
be produced by the lopg-con inued use Of COS
meiics containing lead. But Of the thousands Of
persons who are now applying lead TO their scaips
there will doubtless be some with an extreme sus.
ceptbliy to the action of the poison, and these
will certainly run no incoBsidersbe risk Of finding
the restoration Of their hair attended by loss Of
power in their vrists-- Lancet. s.1far
Year: 1868

DEATH FROM EXPOSURE. - Tho Provid-
ence Journal says that last Monday night,
nearmidnight, young married woman ramed
Catherine Watson, who had been quite sick
tor several days with fever, and slightly de-
lirous, escaped from the house in her night
dress with no covering on her feet but stock


ings, and wandered away In that iorloIn and
pitiful condition In the intense cold of Mon
day night. Her husband, exhausted by
giSilant watching by his sick wife for several
nights, had dropped asleep in bis chair for
moment, and she passed outby him so quietly
as not to arouse him; he awoke very soon,
however, and discovering her absence COM
menced q search for her with the assistar ce
of some kind neighbours, whom he awaken
ed, and the night watcbman, but she came
home again within hall an hour, before she
was found BY any of those looking for her,
and told her husband she had been down
TO the wharf to see il the railroad and teIe-
graph wires were all right She was nearly
frozen to death, and evidently quito insane,
and though everything was done for her that
kindness and humanity could suggest, she
died at midnight, Tuesday, leaving two young
children to the care Of .helr dtsconsolate


father, a
Year: 1868




Webelieve the prejudice against books on
farming has in some good degree worn away,
and farmers are now more willing to read
works on agriculture than they were few
years ago. True there are some so vain and
seltconceited that they are Inclined to think
their experience is worth more than all the
hooks that were ever written. Such pers ons
viii remain in ignorance in spite of their ex-
ferience. But such characters aie growing
less every year. The march of intelligence Is
onward and upward, and almost everybody Is
falling into line, and the the stragglers are
not SO numerous as they were once. sd1 =


The Rural World asks some very pertinent
questions upon this subject. sWhat is thought
OF the man who opposes education? and what
is education but TO learn to know thing
II he who is prejudiced against hook farming
knows how to trim his vine, be is the man,
il he has words for 1t to write book OH the
subiect-the very man we want, for we are
often fail after the best mode' Now, book
farming Is simply the best farming put in
books, yours, reader, If it is the hest. An able
man must do it--not one OF mere accomplish
ments-but one skilled in the business he
writes upon. In this way we have books by
the best men in all the departments Of learn
ing. And why sh ould any one be opposed to
such works? Why should he array himself
against knowledge? Why. should he be CONTEXT
to remain in ignorance? Such questions are
not easily answered, and he must be vain
man indeed to think no man can teach him.
1t takes all the people to know everything
and then they come short OF knowledge. 1t
is said from high authority that every gener-
alton grows wiser. And how except the
future is profted by the experience of the
past? Let our farmers gain all the iniotma-
tion they can from the experience of others
and from good books written by men who
understand the subject upon which they write,
Year: 1868

a "A paper published in this place
speaks Of the Tribune as our imbecile
neightOr, in view of which we would like
to ask question:


Does 1t not seem little singular to hear
man, whose rile hubits have brought him
TO the verge Of the grave, who goes about
the place the veriest shadow Of what he
should be, talking OF others being 'imbe-
cile z And the same sheet speaks of one
of our editors as light trained.' Thank
God the editors of this paper are not in
hourly danger of death frem delirium tre-
mems, and light or heavy brain they
know enough to take care of themselves.
Can the Dan referred to above say as
much p


The above is taken from the Smut Ma
chine of last week, and is not an unfair
sample OF what commonly appears 10 that
indecent and disreputable journal conc ern
ing ourself. The writer of the above, 1.-THE
Penny Whistle SMITH. is an active Church
and Sabbath School man, and we really
think that the Christian brute ought a.
least to read the above to bis Sabbath
School children for their next Sabbath les
son, in order that they may be edited by
his precepts and instructed by his example,
and in order, further, that they may he
taught to follow in the footsteps of HiD
who, when "reviled, reviled not again" +"
OF course VIC don't know how long the
Benevolent Father of us all may permit US
to stay outside of the grave; but We do
know that we have been vouchsafed life
enough already to have stopped the blssts
of one Tia Horn in this community, and if
the length of our span should be continued
few months longer we feel deep convic-
tion that the penny whistle of the Chris
tian SMITH will also be silent. Query:
Will the community mourn such a con-
summation?
Year: 1868

The RESULT. what we bear from
other parts of our Congressional district,
we have reason to anticipate the election
of the Democratic nominee by a very
handsome majority. In the Republican
counties the former majorities will fall of
from one quarter to one>half, while the
majorlties in the Democratic counties will
be largely Increased. The masses OF the
people-the laborers and tax payers-pro-
pose to take the administration of the af
fairs OF government out of the hands Of
the non n-taxpayers and capitalists who have
TOR the past few years run tx e governments
al machine tor their own especial benefit
and without regard to expense; and, as
the hrst step In that direction, will elect
Y ILAs to Congress.
Year: 1868

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION. Before our
next issue Of the Plot, Democrats will be
called upon to meet and hold their primary
meetings in the several towns tbroug hout
the county to elect delegates to the county
and assembly district conventions to be
held on the 9Th instant, and We take this
occasion to give few words Of caution or
advice to Democrats.


There should be as full an attendance at
the several town caucuses as will be neees~
sary to secure the election of suitable per-
sons as delegates who will represent fairly
the wishes of u majority of the Democratic
electors of their several localities, and when
they meet they will argue in the proper
spirit their respective CLAIMS to the choice
of candidates, but taking good care not to
bring forward and urge upon the conven-
tion the nomination of men Incompetent to
discharge faithfully and we'll the duties of
the Offices to which they may aspire, and
then when the convention is over those who
have not obtained their first choice can
yield graceful and willing assent to the
choice o the majority and feel that they
are diseharging their duty to their party
and the country in the support of the sew
eral nominees


1t will not do to follow the example of
the Republican convention aud nominate
weak and incompetent candidates, because
we have the numerical strength and may
succeed in e'ecting them over those who
have already been brought into the field by
our opponents, but men should be noni.
mated who have the respect and confidence
of the people and will command at least the
entire Democratic vote Of the county. To
nominate, as is universally conceded the
Republicans have done, candidates unified
for any of the Offices to be filed at the
approaching election, will disgust end drive
from the polls many Democrats, as many
of the nominations already made has dis
gusted and will keep from the election
many Republican voters.


The coming convention should avoid
doing anything that may hazard the loss
of vote in the county for the Democratic
Presidential electors or the Democratic
candidate for Congress. and We hope and
trust that each delegate to the conventions
will make this hint key to his individual
action, and that such action may result in
the nomination o! candidates for the sever
al Offices that all democrats will cheerfully
and enthusiastically support.