smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

1t has become sort of popular
almost national-faith that it is
not possible to be truly happy
unless yon drink. Among GER
tain classes-and they are by no
means exclusively the lowest
drink is the beginning and end
of everything. The very name of
liquor is held to be synonymous
with enjoyment, and the dearer
the liquor the more it is priced,
and coveted. Yet every man who
is not downright drunkard, is
well aware that the pleasure Of
drinking are, beyond a certain
point, a mockery, a delusion and
a snare. We put it to any one
who has stood half the night in o
club room, drinking, smoking and
bandying reckless talk, if the en-
joyment of such an evening has
been anything like that of a few
quiet hours at home with a book
or newspaper! The evil intiu-
ence of tavern pleasure on the
health is too obvious to be denied
by any one, and the illusory ma
ture OF the pleasures themselves
would be undeniable also, if the
persons who indulge in them did
not deceive themselves and put
the truth out of sight.


No one ever brought any good
out of drinking yet. 1t is a short,
feverish spasm OF animal enjoy
ment, which leaves nothing be-
nlnd out moroSeneSs, regret, bad
temper, self reproach and head
ache. Next night when you pass
the hours quietly at home with a
book or friend, you feel that
you have had real enjoyment, aud
that the time has passed pleas
antly, that you have learned some
thing and that you have not in
jured your health. You are not
ashamed to say your prayers, and
you get up next morning with q
clear head and good appetite,
and an increased faculty for work
and enjoyment oflife.- Elk. paper.
Year: 1868


Look not on the wine when tbs red
There's spectre beneath the bright


wave,


Though you SEQ in it nothing to dread,
'Tis the agent of he'll and the grave
Where the foam sparkles bright on its sur.


face, beware
Underneath is the gulf of eternal despair
Look not on the wine in your joy!
Though it add to the moments delight,
'Tis tempter that lures to destroy,
IT'S serpent that charms but to bite.
At the feast where the goblet is circling with


zest,
There is always, unnoticed, skeleton guest.
Look not on the wine in your sorrow
Tho it drown for the moment your grief,
1t will meet you again on the morrow,
'Tis at best but moments relief.
Meet your fate like a man in the image of


God;
Plunge not meath the waters of Lethes


dark flood.
Look not on the wine when forsaken
BY the friends whom you fondly deem.


ed true;
If in friendship your faith has been shak-


en-,


Trust in God it's the least you can do.
For the red, rosy wine, with its ambient


glow
Is deceitful alike, both to friend and foe.
Then look not on the red, rosy wine
'Tis snare that the tempter has given;
Worship not at the soulluring shrine,
Though it's clad in the livery of heaven.
In the grapes purple blood, oh who would


not lave,
Could they see but the misery that lies


meath its wave Temperance Id
Uocate.
Year: 1868

A man noted for truth is bull
wark in society. You can depend


upon him. He is a sort of power
of nature, of God. There is that
about him which awes you, and
unless you are like hiin) troubles
you. Such men keep society


from falling into absolute corrup-
ton. So long as they remain,
the battle in favor of evil is not
yet won. But they will triumph
ultimately: they must, as truth is
never wholely vanquished: she
still remains in nature, and is the
child Of God, her domain extend
ing over the earth. s 3u


When you know a man to be
rigid in truth, how safe you feel
in his presence. He is like a
mathematical problem accurately
solved. There is only one thing
to him in every case, and that is
the right thing. You stick to
that man as to an anchor. When
in distress he tells you a thing,
you know it is so--and how it
will tell upon you! He is a man
of power, and cool in emergency.
He is your knight; you trust him.
You are safe with him as with
law of nature. He is an intelh-
gent law ofnature.-[ Rural World.
Year: 1868

BEDDING SWEET POTATOES
The time for bedding Sweet Pota-
toes is at hand. A friend, who
has been remarkably successful
in growing Potatoes, gives us his
plan for getting slips early. 1t is
this: place the Potatoes in water
and let them remain until they
begin to swell-take them out
and Immediately transfer to a good
rich bed. Wet the bed thorough
ly and look out for an early and
full crop of slips.-!Henderson
(Texas) Times.
Year: 1868

u A celebrated lawyer once
said that the three most trouble
some clients he ever had were a
young lady who wanted to be
married, a married woman who
wanted diuorce, and an old maid
who didn't know sohdt she wanted.
Year: 1868

/
cal leaders, emboldened by appar-
ent acquiescence, attempt to put
the finishing stroke to their trai-
torous work. The Inauguration
of a man preferred to Office by
usurpation in lieu of President
legally chosen by the constitu-
tional electors of the United States
can never take place. There may
be few signs of what is coming
till such time as the conspirators
attempt to place over the people
one whose claim is founded in the
support of negroes and the ruling
out of the votes of white citizens,
but then, if not until then, tor
rent as reSistless and consuming
as the sudden eruption from the
sleeping volcano will burst upon
them.


All this we would if possible
avoid. We would have the Rad
ical leaders realize the futility of
their scheme ere tits too late. We
would have them understand that
the success of their scheme to de-
prive the people of their liberties
and establish Capitalization and
despotism is impossible. We
would have them know that the
people of the United States, or an
overwhelming majority of them,
are resolved to continue to speak
for liberty, to vote for its preser-
vation, aye, and if need be, to
fight for it. Thus, perhaps, they
may be induced to abandon the
conspiracy, and avoid bloodshed
and civil war.


There should no longer be hes
itation with any Of the friends of
constitutional liberty to declare
their purpose of resisting to the
last extremity the subversion of
the Government contemplated by
the Radicals. Let them speak
their intentions boldly as patriots
and freeman should speak, and
perhaps the conspirators may be
warned before they have taken
the fatal step. No time is to be
lost. Already Congress has set
the Constitution at defiance. AL
ready it has destroyed legitimate
governments in ten States, and is
about to admit those States under
negro constitutions, in order that
their electoral votes may be coun-
ted for the Radical Presidential
candidate. Already it has usurp-
ed much of the power of Presi.
dent johnson and the Judiciary,
and is preparing to usurp the rest.
Already it is proposed to give the
General Of the army, who is also
| the Radical Presidential candi-
date, dictatorial power over the
South and over the Democratic
States that his success may be
secured by the strong arm. 1t is
evident what all this tends to.
Let those who love liberty and the
old government be no longer
silent Louisville Courier.
Year: 1868

| We learn with regret that the
recent advance in the price of cot
ton is about to induce many of
our planters to abandon their first
intention of planting heavy crops
ofcorn. Cotton is again resuming
his ancient sceptre, and they bow
their necks to the ancient King,
forgetting the lessons of the past.
1t is astonishing how people,
once infatuated with an idea will
cling to it in desperation, hoping
for it's final triumph, although
bitter experience must proclaim
its folly. The grand idea, around
which the hopes of our agricult-
urists continually revolve, is cot
ton. Cotton is the only panacea
for bankruptcy. If so, it is on
the homeopathic principle, simita
similibuS carantln-the effect is
cured by the cause; for no man
can fail to perceive that an exclu-
sive reliance on cotton is the
source of our present bankruptcy
as community.


How long must the press in-
weigh against the suicidal policy
of an exclusive relinance on cot
ton7 Is experience nothingg Is
the sad condition of our people
nothing9 Shall the prosperity of
food-producing countries of the
world, as compared with our cot
ton producing communities, go
for nothing? Is the present high
price of corn, in the face ofNv,lst
was pronounced an overwhelm-
ing crop last fall, to be passed
over as of no important Two
months ago, one bale Of cotton
would not purchase thirty bush
els of corn-it was worth less
than half the actual averag cost
of making it in fall season and
yet with a slight advance, which
may be only temporary fluctua-
ton, and not sufficiently great to
render it a profitable crop with
with such labor as we now have,
our planters, with an -infatuation
astonishing to those who are out
side the vortex which revolves
around the "central idea,' are pre-
pairing to plant heavy crop, to the
neglect of the cereals.


We earnestly urge upon our
friends to pause before it is too
late. Corn has neuer been too
abundant in the South-it cannot
be too abundant. Look back
upon the past two years-see
what hopes were built upon cot
ton, and how fallacious they were
may you not be deceived again9
Remember the hundreds of thou
sands OF dollars sent to your enc
mics up North for corn-remem-
Der your own impoverishment as
the consequence of that suicidal
policy which forced us to do so,
and plant more corn! Plant large
ly, heavily, abundantly-let the
broad acres of this "staff of life"
waving in the summer sunlight of
1868, attest your abandonment of
old ideas, and the adoption of a
new regime Natchitoches Times.





~ A celebrated lawyer once
said that the three most trouble
some clients he ever had were a
young lady who wanted to be
married, a married woman who
wanted a diUorce, and an old maid
who didn't know sohdt she wanted.
| 70 A courtship of seventeen
years duration, in the town of
York, Me-, has recently terminal
1 \
Year: 1868

We have constant demand for Dwelling Store and Vacant
City Property also for Country Place around the city and
Persons wishing 70 se invited
psee property in hands - We make 70 charge
unless sale u Effected
Year: 1868

This simple exhortation Of the Christian Apos-
tie is brimfu OF practical good sense. 1t applies
to make life more intensely and Christianly hu-
man; to make men think of and feel for each
other in all the possible relations of pleasure and
business and calamity. Courteousness is quite
synonymous with the true idea of politeness.
You may gather its full significance from these
shades Of meaning be civil-be obliging-be
friendly y-minded-be polite.


There is vast deal of vagueness respecting po-
liteness. The cold mannerisms of aristocracy are
known to be mere hollow pretenses. The rough
boorishness of the untutored is alike defective in
the real virtue Of civility. Genuine politeness is
from the heart. 1t springs spontaneously forth,
and is grace which cannot be readily counter
feited. We can account for and forgive awk-
wardness, where there are unmistakable evlden-
ceS of an honest heart. True heart-actions have
always in them the virtue of elegance.


The entire system of etiquette is most beautiful
ly epitomized in that suggestive utterance of
Jesus Thou shalt love thy neghbor as thysef."
Here is couched the life and spirit of politeness.
When we have properly respect for ourself, then,
and not till then, will we show proper respect for
our tellow-men.


Love that takes upon itself nothing but the
mere type of profession is valueless; but that
which speaks and ministers alone causes the heart
to rejoice.


Polteness is of practical use daily. How it
lightens the heavy burden of the weary how it
sweetens the bitter portions Of the suffering how
it glanddens the sorrowful ? how it gladdens the
merciful2 1t costs nothing, and yet how inesti-
Its Ga Dfb bsnaS n nRs
the nobler graces of life in luxuriant richness.


The idea that constant politeness would render
social life siffand restrained, springs from most
false estimate of it. True politeness is the per-
feet ease and freedom of feeling and acting 1t
simply consists in treating others as you would
like to be treated yourself. Happy the family
where courtesy prevails. Happy they who know
how to be polite.


o ye surly nncouth boorish ones, but for you
earth would be thousandfold more lovely ?
And you ye fretting, stewing, and scolding ones,
how ye fill to the very brim the cup of the weak
and suffering, who otherwise would be as happy
as the morning lark Is it your mission to make
souls chant perpetually the woeful ,aiserere OF
sorrow No u! this is the mission Of demons not
men!


Go thou, and by thy kindness fash thy bright
rays of sunlight across the Swallowed path Of thy
| brother. Go and be courteous.
Year: 1868

A BAD "SpELL. democracy and orthogra-
ply never had any sympathy in common, and a
cotemporary asserts that as soon as Democrat
begins to spell correctly he Immediately becomes
an object of solcitude and suspicion to that par
ty, and has to be watched to prevent his back
sliding. Those who think Nasty is OVERRIDING 1t
in writing in the style he does should have seen
some of the transparencies borne in Democratic
procession recently, in neighboring town. One
illumination" declared, "We cast our MAIDEN
vote" They wouldn't give maiden even one I.
Another said, 'sThe Ruster amt dcd." A worse
spell than that will come upon them in Novem-
her = TDIedn Blade
Year: 1868

Ma- knowledge, like wealth, is simply an
element of power and enjoyment. Its possession
does not imply either wisdom or virtue. Knowl-
edge is an increased power to do good or evil.
There is q necessity, therefore, that mans whole
nature should be educated to make him COM
plete being it is essential that the development
of his moral keep pace with that of his intellec-
tua faculties.
Year: 1868

MD- Wade Hampton threatens that if he and
his fellow rebels are not restored to power they
will leave the country. We regard this as one
Of the most cogent arguments for electng Grant
and CoIfax yet presented. Our only fear is that
the news is too good to prove true.
Year: 1868

@g- Remember that the Democratic party is
in favor of a direct tax for the benefit OF the
Government burdening the poor farmers and
mechanics with increased taxation and making
them pay the revenue of the Government now
paid by the rich.
Year: 1868

Whatever kind of coffee you may
use, the first condition is to pick it
before roasting, and remove all
things not belonging to it-as pieces
Of wood, stone, plumes, and above all,
the mouldy, black beans, which will
be found in every kind of coffee. The
sense of tasteis so tery susceptible, that
the smallest addition of anything for
eign will not pass unnoticed, The color
.ofdark-green looking coffee is usually


given to it artificially, and such beans


must be washed and thendried with a


warm liuenacIoth. s<a raSsst ~ :


The next important operation, on


which the quality Of the coffee de


pends, is the roasting. The beans
should not be roasted more than to the


point where they lose their horn-like
quality, and thus become fit fer grind
ing or crushing in wooden mortar.
The coffee contains some crystalline
body, called cafeia, the volatile ma
fure of which makes it necessary that
the greatest care be taken to retain it


in the beans. The roasting, therefore,
must be done slowly, until the coffee
assumes a light-br0wn color. From
beans roasted to dark brown, the cafl
fein will be gone; and should they
have been roasted still stronger, and
become of black color, all the princi-
pal cOmpOnents of the fruit are totally
destroyed, and the drink made Of
them does not deserve any more the
name of coffee.


Thebeans, made porous by the roast


ing-and thus subject to the influence
of the penetrating atmosphere, will
lose every day some of their aroma.
To avoid this, strew some powdered
sugar over them before you take them
out of the hot roasting pan-one half
ounce of sugar will be sufficient for
one pound of coffee. The sugar viii
melt Immediately, and will candy
the beans, which are to be stirred and
to be shaken. Their pores will be
covered by the melted sugar, and thus
be protected against the influence of
the air. The coffee will lose nearly
all its smell by this procedure, but
the latter will appear again SO much
fuller at the grinding. More recon-
it will be still, to roast only
such quantity of coffee as may be
wanted for one days consump ion. An
open frying-pan is preferable to a
closed cofee=drum, as the former af-
lords a better chance to watch the
4
Year: 1868

We are passing toward final rest
ourselves. Do not regret it, if the eyes
grow dim. You will see better by
and by. If the ear is growing heavy,
do not be sorry If your youth is
passing, and your beauty fading, do
not mourn, If your hand trembles,
and your foot is unsteady with age, be
not depressed. in spirit. With every
impediment, with every sign of the
taking down of this tabernacle. re
member that it is the striking the
t Mt that the march may begin,and that
when next you pitch your tabernacle,
it shall be on undisturbed shores, and
that there, with eyes unYet with
tears, through an atmosphere undim


med by clouds, and before a God un-
vailed, and never to be wrapped in
darkness any more-that there, look
ing back upon the world of ignorance,
and suffering and trouble, and upon
the hardships of the way, you VIII
with full and discerning reason, lift
up your voice and give thanks to
God, and say: "There, was not one
trouble too much; there was not one
sorrow too. piercing. ,, And you will
thank God, in that land, for the very
things that wiring tears from your
eyes in this. Look then, to that bet
ter land, out of all Of the trouble. of
the way sigh for it pray for it pre-
pare for it, and enter into it, n.
Year: 1868

Merchants of every description
who have suffered from losses which
they incurred by too much credit in
1866, are now naturally anxious to do
a cash business. in fact, "pay down"
is the dictate of safety and wisdom,
because the financial and political
affairs of the country are just in that
shape where the thoughtful man feels
the necessity OF holding his resources
in hand. Now it is a concession of
all traders-even those who do not
advertise-that the custom which
they have heretofore obtained by ad-
vertising, has generally been from
men with cash in hand, who bought
freely at the lowest market rates.
When merchants advertise good bar
gains" it attracts the cash from the
pockets of the community. We are,
therefore, correct in saying that moth
ing tends more to promote cash
business than advertising.
Year: 1868

An apothecary lately refused to re-
sign. his seat at the theatre insVienna
to an officer, who, feeling himself in
suited, sent in challenge. 1.-The
was punctual at the meet
ing, but observed that he had to pro-
pose a new way of settling the dis
pute. He then drew from his pocket
a pill box, and taking therefrOm two
pills, thus addressed his antagonist
GAS man of honor, sir, you would
not with me to fight on unequal
terms. Here are, therefore, two pills,
one composed of deadly poison, the
other perfectly harmless. We are,
therefore, on equal ground if we each
swallow one; you shall take your
choice, and I promise faithfully to
take that which you leave" 1t is
needless to add that the affair was set
tied by a hearty laugh.
Year: 1868

Hardly anything is more contempt
able than that deceit which rests
merely upon social position, the con-
ceit of those who imagine that they
are thus divorced from the clay Of
common men. Of those who shrunk
with horror from the idea Of work, as
something which degrades by its very
contact, and yet who, very likely,
owe their present position to some not
remote ancestor, who, recognizing his
call to work, lives more honestly in
the world than they do, and was not
ashamed of soiIed thumbs. 1t is one
of the meanest things for people to be
ashamed of the work from which they
drew their income, and which glOri-
fed their ancestors more than their
soiled aprons and black gowns, than
themselves with their fine ribbons and
flashing jewels.
Year: 1868

SLIPPING-A Clergyman and one
of the elderly parishioners, were walk
ing home from church one frosty day
last winter, when the old gentleman
slipped and fell fiat upon his back.
The minister looking at him a mo-
ment and being assured that he was
not hurt much, said to him: ''Friend,
sinners stand on slippery places -
The old gentleman looked up as if to
assure himself of the fact and said
Il sec they do, but l can't"
Year: 1868

One evening, a lady of Troy, sitting
in her room, was inst Op-
pressed with conviction that her lit
tie son had fallen from the window
in his sleeping apartment to the
ground below She repelled the
thought as an inpossibility. In a few
moments more it flashed upon her
mind with such force that she could
not resist it. She hurried up to the
bedside of her son, and there, to her
intense horror, she discovered the lad
sleeping upon the window sill, the
window open, his head projecting out
side-he was on the very point Of fall
ing to the pavement below! Who
can explain this phenomena, which is
unquestionably true?
Year: 1868

BRUCR's OK STORY CONFIRMED.


The Abyssinian correspondent of a
London journal makes the follow
ing statement


Three Of the officers of the
Fourth Regiment saw the other
day at Fokada, an operation which
was described by Bruce, but which
has been denied bY al subsequent
travellers, and BY the Abyssinians
themselves. This was the opera
ton Of cutting q steak from the
body of a living OK. They came
upon the natives just as they we're
IN the act Of performing it. The
unfortunate bullock was thrown
down, and its four legs tied to-
gether. The operator then cut an
incision ia the skin, near the spine,
Just behind the hip joint. He blew
into this to separate the skin from
the flesh, and then cut two other
mcisions at right angles to the
first, and then lifted d Hap of skin
four or five inches square. From
this he cut out lump OF flesh.
cutting with the knife under the
skin 50 that the amount of flesh
taken out was larger than the por-
ton uncovered. The operator then
filed filed lGiP the h9la with with eeW dang,
replaced the flap Of skin, plastered
IL un with mud. united the feet of
the poor animal, who had kept up
d low moaning while the operation
was going on, gave it kick To
make it get up, and the whole
thing was over. I should mention
that the operator cut two or three
gashes III the neighborhood Of Che
wound, apparently as q sign that
the animal had been operated on
iii that part. The officer observed
that several cattle I'LL the same herd
were marked In precisely 4 similar
manner. They returned ID half al
hour and found the animal walking
about and feeding quietly. Ihave
not mentioned Chat il lied very
little as the time the operation Was
being performed.