smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

she always conjectured that her present
guests had had their share in that affair.
Without a candle she sat there stretch
ing her skinny hands to the blaze, for
the night was chill. The gawky boy,
who would be nearly seven feet long if
Strengthened out, and who seemed to have
acquired his longitude at the expense Of
his latitude, as if put through a rolling
mill, sat there in kinks and silence. They
heard the factory-bell, they heard a
cricket, they heard lusty rat, but they
heard no groan. At halfpast nine they
went out to large, shivering, impatient
crowd that had missed their groan and
felt misused. In an instant more the
groan was heard in all its perfection.
Our friends hurried back to the house to
inquire whether the lawyer had dropped
glove. The widow sas making up a
trundle-bed that had been lurking un-
suspected by them beneath the large one
in the darkest corner of the room. They
admired this contrivance for economic
ing space. Could the widow move it
easily? She ran it in and drew it out
again. BY this time the lawyer had
found his glove in his pocket, and again
they wished the widow goodnight,


Meanwhile the outsiders had heard
two extra groans; the first was some
what different from the usual one, but
the last was exact


4 have found" says the lawyer, "that
Ludlow has expended at least three hun
dred miles travel ON foot, and all in the
night-and hundred hours loafng by
these old bars to hear that woman draw
out her trundle-bed for that Jacobs lad
der IDIOT


And let me recommend you" added
the doctor, "when you find anything
you cannot explain, not to jump to the
conclusion that it is supernatural. 1t is
more than probable-it is eertain-that
if you knew enough, you could find q
physical cause for every physical effect. .


And so they all went home and went
to bed.


And the next spring the grass grew
again around the widows bars.-Rev.
+. HoLton in Coagregattonalist
Year: 1868

child held out its arms to me, SO I picked il
up. Butt knew at once that they would
come after me, and find it by its clothes
so I ran off with the two, and then ]
changed their things, and put the dead ba.
by down under wall. I did not think
about the poor lady, not till long after
Many,s the night since I've been awake
all night crying for thinking of her, but
then [ only thought of myself, and hoped
nv husband wouldn't come back before
there was time for the child to grow a
bit out of his mind And then that made
me think how the lady, when she came to
wake, would know the other wasn't hers
And then did what can't die with ]
shut my eyes, and dropped heavy stone
on its poor little dead face, and then. rolled
the stone and it down theAcliff.a God for
give me- I've dreamt aboutit till fancied
/ couldn't live another long day without
telling somebody. But then I was afraid
what would come to my husband if he ev-
er knew: and he and / always treated the
child well, and it grew up strong and did
not seem to miss anything. But couldn't
die without saying it, and you, gentlemen,
must do what is right"


There is little more to tell. The woman
recovered. The story was attested before
magistrate, and the child was restored.


/ couldn't resist going to Blackby.
really wished to convert my obstinate
friend from an opinion which | felt all
along to be unfounded: but [ wished still
more to deal killing thrust at his conceit
II was visitor on the side of visitor against
inhabitant, and determined not to spare
him. [ broke in upon him in the evening
and found him in the same chair, follow
ing the same pursuits.


"Back again?"


eyes" And we were soon chatting dis
cursively. ss


"By the way" broke in, "I was right
about the Blackby tragedy after all"


"sAfterf all the pains you took to GO
wrong?"


cit was all cleared up, as said it could
be. 1t was woman who committed the
murder, or rather there was no murder,
but woman had changed the children,
and beaten in the headof the wrong one. "


Really" he said, "you are making a
very mysterious story of it: give yourself
time"


"IhaVe cleared up all the mystery" l
replied; and then l related to him the
facts I had collected. "Now," / ended,
"confess that once in your life-you were
a young man then, allow-you formed 8
hasty Judgment. told you that you
were mistaken in thinking the man
guilty"


"And I don't remember that denied
your conclusion. Now you have come
back, may as well finish asentence you
interruptedr--you were young man then
1 allow about a week ago. i didn't be-
lieve his story a Bit said, and was going
to add, but it turned out afterwards to be
perfectly true AT that poor woman's con-
fession, the substance of which you have
given very correctly, l was present with
the chaplain: and subsequently spent a
month in searching for our former visitors,
and restored to them their lost child. l
was glad enough, warrant it, to own to
myself that a young man formed a hasty
judgment. Indeed, l have felt tender to-
wards young hasty judgments ever since,
and never contradict them" ~


Now, no one can say that / didn't learn
something at Blackby
Year: 1868

the total reduction of the debt, viz
$59,S14,294.


1t should be observed that in this. table
none of the expenditures for the Freed
mems Bureau, and none of the expenses
of reconstruction have been included
both.s extraordinary expenses of over
twenty millions Of dollars which will not
have to be incurred again. Looking at
this account, and considering the financial
difficulties with which they have had to
contend, what honest man can say that the
Republican party, and the Republican
Congress have not done great and noble
work during the past year,


Is it not apparent that, instead of being
on the road to financial ruin, we are on
the road tothe grandest financial success
ever achieved by any nation, and that the
only thing that can cheat us out of il
would be the success of the Reputation
schemes of the Democratic party ?-Cha
cdg0 Tribune, 18Th.
Year: 1868

trust the nation with dollar of it, Had
all followed his example during the war
the Union would have persisted; were all
to follow it now universal bankruptcy
would ensue. When such man, a candi-
date for the Presidency, can stand up, and
in the face of all Europe thus decry our
national credit, we shall welcome the name
of "sbloated bondholder" as one most de-
scriptive of what he is not Worcester


Qoaa,
Year: 1868

Application was made to Judge Benedict
in New York some weeks ago to admit
Lieut.. John c. Braine, of the late Confede-
rate navy, to bail The Judge, on the Esd
ult, refused to grant the application


He said, having considered the applica-
ton, which was to admit the defendant TO
bail in a small sum, ne had to say that the
prosecution is founded on an indictment for
murder. The defense is that the offense was
committed while the criminal was acting as
one Of the Confederate rebel navy, the Of
fense charged being the murder Of an Off
Ger of the Chesapeake, a steamer plying at
the time between New York and Portland.
The accused has been in confinement many
months, and the application now is TO admit
him to bail in a small sum, on the ground
that he is unable to procure witnesses to
prove in his behalf that he (Braine) was
/ acting in the matter of the Offense charged
under regular commission. 1t was notvery
clear from the afidavits put In on the part
Of the defendant how his release on bail
would enhble him to procure the attendance
| of witnesses. The court, however, would
/ be inclined to accept the bail in a sum that


would insure the defendants attendance on
! the trial, but he did not feel justified IN ad-


mitting party charged with murder to
( bail in the small sum named IN the apphca-


ton He would therefore deny the motion
/ with liberty to renew the application when


ever it should be made setting forth an


amount Of bail to insure the attendance oil


the prisoner to take his trial whenever the


case MIGHT be called on
Year: 1868

The Brownsville Bee thinks it would be
of great benefit to the people who own lands
along Hatchie river if the Memphis and
Ohio railroad company were made to place
draw bridge over the river at that point,
and thus permit boats to ascend the Hatchie
TO Bolivar.
Year: 1868

Prentice says if the people honor General
Grant with the Presidency, what vast honor
the Confederates should bestow upon the
m memory of General Polk, who with a
greatly inferior force, whipped Grant at
Belmont within an inch of his military life
Year: 1868

It has been ascertained that lightning
strikes more women each year than men.
Their attraction is the death of them.


have passed through great hardships.'
as Che schooner said after passing thrOugha
fleet of iren-clads,


Value the friendship of him who stands
by you in the storm; swarms Of insects will
surround you in the Sunshine.


What dress shall lady procure in order
to keep her wardrobe clean. A laundress
Ga lawn dress)


When you hear man say, Life is but
dream" tread on his corns ard wake him
up. Life Is real.


Many a fool who has sense enough to get
good wife, lacks the wit to know 1t.


Olive Logan says that Mrs Caudle was
the only really successful female lecturer.


A ction is happiness here, and without ac-
ton there can be no heaven.


One of our exchanges is heartless enough
to call sick baker an ill-bred man.
When is ones head ike a monarch
When its aching "a king.


"Long Mines "a baseball club Of six
footers.
/ a high rent-A hole in the crown Of your
! hat


What is often found where i is not
Fault


Language is part of a mans character.
Year: 1868

The extent to which \ charger can appro.
bend the pegiis OF q battle ieii may be
easily unlegated 5y one who confines his
observation 10 horses stiil Carrying their
ridcrs for, as long rs troop horse in ac-
ton feels the weight and hand Of a master
his deep trust in man keeps him seemingly
free from great terror, and he goes through
the fight, unless wounded, as though it We're
field day at home but the moment the
death or disabling wound deprives him of
his rider, he seems at once to know what a
battle is--to perceive its real dangers with
the clearness of a human being, and to be
agoniacd with horror at the fate he may in
cur for want of hand to guide him.


Careless of the mere thunder of guns, he
shows plainly enough that he more or less,
knows the dread accent that is used by mis-.
sells of war while cutting their way through
the air, for as often as these sounds disclose
to him the near passage of bullet or round
shot, he shrinks and cringes. His eyeballs
protrude. ,Iild with fright, he still does
not most commonly gallop home into camp.
His instinct seems rather to tell him that
what safety, if any, there is for him must
be found in ranks, and he rushes at the first
squadron he can find, urging piteously, yet
with violence, that he, too, by right is
troop horse that he, too, is willing to
charge-but not to be left behindo that he
must and he will "fal in." Sometimes
riderless charger thus bent on aligning with
his fellows, will mot be content to range him.
self on the flank of the line, but dart at
some point in the squadron which he SEEM
inely judges to be his own rightful place and
strive to force himself in.-Kinglake Lava-
sion of the Crimea.
Year: 1868

Herbert had put in ine. order. :, But the
over work soon told on the strength Of the
young man. 1t was warm weather unfor-
seen changes occurred; his business went
bchindhand little; he missied the gentle
stimulus of his happy home-evcnings; he
grew pale and careworn in his effort to keep
straight with the world.


There came time when for weeks his
foot never pressed the threshold Of his hand
some new house when poor Dotty, white
and frightened, sat in the darkcned room
and listened to his incoherent words-al-
ways toward and other; words of tender.
ness and beauty There came time when
she was borne shrieking from that still cham.
Der, because the gentle lips had stiffcned to
the semblance Of marble, and the love and
light had flown ont of the stiff, glazed eyes.


There, in that beautiful par!or-aIl dark
encd now, the strange aroma of fading bios.
SONS telling of the tomb the chilling silence
and deathly pallor that seemed to change
even the familiar furniture striking upon the
senses Of the most Indifferent there lay the
love other youth, the husband Of her choice,
never to smile on her again, never to whis-
per the words that had made her heart leap
with joy. How little she had dreamed of
this How all her reasoning came echoing
back, cruel, hcartless, it seemed. D, why
did not her heart break and let her weary
spirit fly to meet him, to beg him to forgive
her? No not yet; she was doomed ever to
keep the recollection of that dim, darkencd
parlor before her mental vision-that haun-
ted room. Never afterward could she think
Of it without shudder; it was always pres.
ent, always q warning to her against the
pomps and vanties of the world. As time
went on the memory softened, its harsh
dreariness melted away, and an angle SEEM
ed to gil its gloom with softened light
Constant communing with the dear one she
had lost led her thoughts aud affections up
to the home he entered. She lived for
years, trained their child to blest woman.
hood, and then gave herself up to deeds of
mercy. Her heart was in heaven, and the
haunted room had become to her like the
recollection Of power Of beauty.
Year: 1868




his post till morning. If you can make
him do it, | shall be satisfied that you are
as smart and as brave as l require hus-
band to be-"


"Why nothing is so easy" exclaimed
Fritz. 81 can scare him away. Furnish
me with sheet, show me the room and 90
to your rest, Batbma. You shall find mo ut
the post in the morning"
Barbara did as required and saw thn TAFT
uer step lightly away to his task. Il was
then nearly Twelve O'Clock aud she sought
her own chamber.
Barney was sitting at his vigil, and so far
all had been well. The night seemed very
long, for he had no means of counting the
time. At times thrill went through him,
for it seemed us if he could hear low sup
pressed breathing not far away; persuaded
himself that it was the wind blowing thro'
the crevices of the old house. Still it was
very lonely and not at all cheerful.


The face in the coffin cleaned white STILL
The rats squeakcd as if there wasa famine
upon them and they smelled the dead flesh.
The thought made him shudder He got
up and walked about, but something made
slight noise behind him, and he put his
chair with his back against the wall, and
sat down again. He had been at work all
day, and at last grew sleepy. Finally he
nodded and snored.


Suddenly it seemed as if somebody had
touched him. He awokc with start, and
saw nobody near, though in the centre of
the room stood white figure.


Curse you. get out Of this" he ex-
claimed in fright, using the first words that
came to his tongue.


The figure held out its right arm and
slowly approached him. He started to his
feet The. spectre came nearer, pressing
into the corner.


'lhe mischief take you /" cried Barney
in his extremity.


lnvoluu,arily he stepped back; still tho
figure advanced, coming nearer and nearer,
as if to take him in n ghostly embrace. The
hair started up on Barney's head; he grew
desperate and just as the cleaning arm
would have touched him, he fell on the
ghost Ike whirlwind, tearing the sheet,
humping, pounding, beating and kicking,
more and more cnraged at the resistance he
met, which told him the truth.


As the reader knows, he was big, and
Fritz was little; and while he was pomnel-
ling the little fellow terribly; and Fritz was
trying to get lunge at Barney's stomach,
to take the wind cut Of him, both kicking
and plunging like horses they were petri
fed by hearing voice cry:


Take one of your size, big Barneyp'


Looking around they saw the corpse, sit
ting up in his cchin. This was too much.
They released each other and sprang for the
door They never knew how they got out;
but they got home in hot haste, painting like
stays.


1t was Barbara herself who came and
opened the door next morning.


ITS very early one more little nap"
said he, zone more little nap" turning over
in his coffin.


So she married him, though she sent Fritz
and Barney invitations to the wedding they
did not appear. IF they discovered the trick
they kept the knowledge to themselves, and
never willingly faced Barbara's laughing
eyes.
Year: 1868

A friend narrated to us a day or two
since an anecdote of early times in Wes


Tennessee, which we will attempt to repeat
even at the risk Of loosing the graphic sim.


plicity Of his conversational narrative:


Some eighteen or twenty years since O


wellknown resident of Upton county was
put on his trial, charged with the murder
of his wife. As usual in such cases. popu.
lar feeling was largely against him, and the
eloquence and ingenuity Of counsel were re.
quired to make an impression in his favor
upon jury which, however impartial i,
might desire to be in the consciousness Of
sworn duty, could not but sec the waves o1
popular prejudice surging in upon it. }
The case was ably argued. The counsel
for the defence made most vigorous and i'm.
passionate appeals. The case was submit.
ted to the jury, and these retired to make
up their verdict. Time passed and as the
setting sun warned all Of the approaching
night, the large throng in attendance, the
judge, counsel, etc., retired, all anxious, the
accused not the least so, to learn the verdict
of the jury, and some wondering that the
jury heritated for one moment to bring in a
verdict Of guilty. In tho meantime the
jury had come to point beyond which
they could progress no further The ap-
peals Of the counsel for the defense had not
been without their influence, and the jury
stood Interchangeable, six for conviction and
six for acquittal. Something had to be
done. In those days twelve good fellows
could not be got together for q night and
sleep. Cards appeared mysteriously from
the depths Of sundry large pockets, and ex.
ercises in seven up and poker were jealous.
ly commenced. ..,


About midnight, one Of the number, Col.
P, proposed they should play game Of
seven up, and the result to decide the yer.
dict. The proposition was heartily aud
unanimously agreed to, in all seriousness,
and the whole crowd collected around
Col. p. and his his opponent, who proceed
ed to play the game on which was staked
human lite.


Col. p. played to save the accused. The
hackers, five and five, stood behind them on.
couraging the champions, and watched the
game, dimly seen by the light Of two tallow
candles, with the most intense interest.


The game proceeded with very equal for
tune, till both parties stood at six and six.
1t was Col. P.'s deal; he dealt and turned
Jack. The prisoner was acquitted, and
every member in the jury joined in the
shout which startled the village, even the
revollers in the grocery Next morning the
Jury went into the court, and gave, to the
astonishment Of many, the verdict Of mot
guilty" The juryman who played an un'
successful game for human life still lives,
and is a much respected citizen Of the dis
trict One of the counsel is distinguished
member of the Memphis bar, and the &C.
cused has, we believe, gone to higher court;
but neither of them, nor any Of the assem-
blage nor the court, who marveled at the
verdict eighteen years ago, has ever known
that a human life was saved by turning
Jack, There are some episodes in the his.
tory of our early settlement; but who would
think Of venturing life on turning JackT
Year: 1868

LADIES, doYou remember how hard it was
for you to become accustomed to wearing
high-heeled shoes-how they threw you
forward, squeezing your poor toes down
to the extreme ends ofyour shoes, making
them ache horribly, and ensuring you a
good crop of cornsP Don't you remem-
Der that, after you had worn them an
hour or two, the cords of your legs felt as
though they were stretched to their
utmost tension, and there was such a
trembling weakness in the small of your
back you could hardly stand-that there
was faintness felt, sort of an "all-gone-
ness at the pit of the stomach, and, last,
but not least, racking headache?


Did you attribute all these most distress
ing symptoms to the wearing of high
heeled shoesY l dare affirm you did not.
These symptoms wore off after while
you became accustomed TO the shoes, and
now they don't hurt you at all.


They don't? You are greatly mistaken,
my dear friends. The evil is there Just the
same, but Nature has ceased her efforts to
teach you the error of your ways. Your
toes have grown numb and insensible to
pinching. The muscles are stretched out,
as they are no longer painful, but are,
nevertheless, unnatural; and, should the
high-heels go out of style, you will find it
equally hard to wear shoes without heels,
because Nature must then make an effort
to resume her normal conditions.


Just consider for moment the absurdi-
ty of the thing. The foot is so construct
ed as to touch the floor from toe to heel,
except narrow strip upon the inner side
of it. Instead Of making o shoe to fit the
foot, we make a shoe that compels the
foot to fit itself to it, at fearful cost OF
good temper-and even health ITSELF They
are dangerous, too. Have you never no.
ticed how apt you are to trip at slight OBJ
structions, and how easily your ankle is
turned and sprained-how frequently the
heel of your boot is caught in the stair
carpet, and you are in imminent peril OF
falling from the top to the bottom of the
stairs? All these mishaps are clearly at.
tributable to high hheeled shoes.


am quite willing you should make
martyrs of yourselves, if you choose; but
protest against the cruelty and wicked,
ness of putting them upon our children
even upon babies of six months old, and
compelling them TO learn to walk in them
The muscles of their little legs are never
properly developed, thus tempting girls tC
resort to the pitiful cheat Of false calves
JENNIE II HAZEN
Year: 1868

ABOUT twenty miles from New York
lives rich man, who has fine estate and
an enterprising family, Ofwhich the eldest
is beautiful young lady, her fathers pride
and hope. Last year, while his elegant
mansion was building, a young carpenter,
who had Just finished his trade, and whose
sole property consisted in pair of large
hands, a stout, good heart, and habits of
industry and soberness, came TO work upon
the premises. Very naturally the young
knight of the broad-ax soon fell in love
with the young lady; and, not strange to
say, the young lady fell equally in love
with him. She spent considerable time
every day in watching the progress of the
work, particularly that performed by the
young mechanic, and he found his greatest
incentive and joy in working under the
watch Of her loving eyes.


The secret, however, soon became an
open one, and finally was broken to the
young lady's father. He heard the sad
news without apparent concern, but, in a
few minutes, set off for the village, where
he made diligent inquiry respecting the
young carpenter, who, he learned, was the
only son and support Of awidOw, but was
an Intelligent, capable, promising young
man. The father returned home, and,
calling ms daughter to his room, asked her
how the matter stood between herself and
the young carpenter 1t was a critical
moment to her, and for moment her fears
4riumphed over all her other feelings, and
she burst into tears. The tears were fol-
lowed by confession of an attachment
which had grown stronger every day, even
with the fear that it was doomed TO cruel
isappointment-for the object of It was
nothing but poor mechanic. "Bus ] love