smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1867

The bill which passed the House Of Repre-
sentatives yesterday denying to attorneys who
favored or assisted in any way the Confederate
cause the privilege of practising in any of the
Federal courts, is directly in the teeth of the
decision rendered but few days ago by the
Supreme Court, and is utterly forbidden by the
rcasoning on which that decision was based
1t er post .facto; it is in the nature of an at
tauder; it is punishment without trial it de-
nes the expurgatory power of pardon; ard
it undertakes to prescribe rules of practice foT
the Supreme Court--none Of which things eau
Congress do, according to that decision. Oh
course, such an act iS>a nulity and Congress
only shows its reckleSsness by venturing upon
legislation of this character. If the object be
to override and disregard the Supreme Court
the result may be that that body will feel itseli
called upon to decide whether Congress that
excludes ten States from representation is a
Congress in contemplation of the Constitution


Richmond Wing, 24h.
Year: 1867

Pliny and Elian relate that Myrmccidcs
wrought out of ivory chariot with four wheels
and four horses, and a ship with all her tack
hngs, both in enali eompaoo that +" boo
could hide either with its wings. Nor should
we doubt this. when we find it recorded, on less
questionable authority, that III the twentieth
year of Queen Elizabeth's reign blacksmith OF
London named Mark Scallot, made lock of
iron, steel, and brass of eleven pieces, and
pipe key, all of which only weighed one grain,
ScaIot also made a chain of gold, Of forty-three
links, which he fastened to the lock and key,
and putt around the neck of flea, which drew
the whole with perfect ease. The chain, key,
lock, and flea, altogether, weighed but one grain
and a half.


Hadrianus Junus saw at Mechlin, in Brabant,
a cherry stone cut into the form of basket, IN
it were fourteen pair of dice distinct, the spots
and numbers cf which were easily to be discern
ed with good eye.


But still more extraordinary than this basket
of dice, or anything we have yet mentioned,
must have been a set of turnery shown at Rome,
in the time of Pope Paul the Fifth, by one Shad,
a turner. of Witelbrach, who had purchased it
from theartist, Oswaldns Norhingerus. 1tcon-
sisted of sixteen hundred dishes, which were all
perfect and complete in every part, yet so small
and slender that the whole could be easily in
closed in a case fabricated out of a peppercorn
of the ordinary size! The Pope it is said to
have himself counted them, but with the help
of pair of spcctacles, for they were so very
small as to be almost invisible to the naked eye.
Although his holiness thus satisfied his eyes of
the fact he did not we are assured, require Of
those about him to subscribe to it on the credit
of his own infaibility; for he gave every one
an opportunity of examining and judging for
himself, and among the persons thus highly ia
vored. particular reference is made to Casper
Schippins and Johanus Faber, physician of
Rome


Turrainus, of whose skill so many wonderful
things are related is said to have fabricated iron
mills. which moved themselves, so minute in
size that monk could carry one in bis sleeve,
and yet powerful enough,to grind in single
day grain enough for the consumption Of eight
men.
Year: 1867

A novel elopement occurred recently at Dam
vile. n. Y. a wife became poisoned against
her husband through the Vaccinations OF
lover, who furnished her with money to pro-
cure divorce and then married her. After
living with her second husband while, she be-
came convinced she had been deceived as to
her first husband, and her old love returning
she eloped from her second husband, running
away with the first.
Year: 1867

Our neighbors of the Moorsfeld Adrerfiser
state that only one individual, and he an Old
negro man, has been confined in the Hardy
County Jail since the surrender, and he only
for one night. Not single murder has been
committed nor horse stolen in that county
for nearly two years.-Rockingham Register.
Year: 1867

The Ohio Penitentiary has now nine hundred
and twenty five convicts. being but seventy-five
less than the whole number of the cells In tho
prison. During the war the number diminish
ed to five hundred and ninety-seven. AT tho
present rate of increase that institution will bo
full by midsummer.
Year: 1867

The Greenbrier Independent proposes Gen
Lee as agent for the Covington and Ohio Rail
road company, and says that in Liverpool he
could raise the ten millions desired for the road
by subscription, in ten minutes by the watch
Year: 1867

A Coop THING ON THE JoURNAL.-A
correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial
tells the following excellent joke upon the
editor of the Louisville journal:


The following took place in the Kentucky
Legislature few days ago:


A member from one of our mountain
counties, full of conservatism and streng
advocate Of the Louisville Journal, each
morning as he would take his scat in the
House, as business opened would commence
reading his favorite paper, and about the
same moment some member would move to
dispense with the reading of the journal,
when our mountain member would lay down
his paper. He stood this for some time,
when, rising from his seat one morning, he
exclaimed at the top of his voice:


"Mr. Speaker, I've sot here in my seat fur
MORN week, and submitted to the tyranny
of this House. Somebody, every morning,
moves to dispense with the reading of the
journal and I've lost every paper I've
bought for week by it, and no man has
ever moved to dispense with the Democrat
or Commercial, and, Mr. Speaker, 1 won't
stand u any longer. Mr.. Speaker ="


Here the balance was lost in the general
| laughter.
Year: 1867

the gladdest Of bells. This has been soma
compensation for losing the happiness of
crossing the East River on FOOLS bridge of
Ice.


Personal beauty is not so common in the
West as IN the East Indeed, it is not com.
mon anywhere. But have observed that
the inland atmosphere of the Western States
lacks something of the magic by which the
salt air of the seaside adds roses to woman's
cheek. Western men are finer looking than
Western women-a TACT which | attribute
to their frequent journeyings on business
from climate to climate. Moreover, take a
thousand Western children gathered into
Sunday-school audience, Can experimen
which have had a dozen opportunities to
witness), and a careful observer notices that
their cheeks wear less bloom than the cheeks
OF children on the seaboard do not mean
that Western children are less healthy than
Eastern perhaps they are more healthy;
but certainly there is no such positive rosy
color as in Yankee complexion. Still. 1
find that here, as elsewhere, ones own chill
dren are self-regarded the handsomest in the
world.


cannot see why household music need
be 30 scarce In the well-to-do families of the
West. In the hundred families which 1
have mentioned, did not see five good
pianos, or hear ten good players. But, as
music has been the tardiest of arts to make
Its way through the great world, so 1t Ia
peculiarly the tardiest of arts to make ita
way into new country. Very little good
singing is heard in the Western churches
call no singing In churches good that is not
done by the congregation. The Methodist
churches excel all others in this respect-as
in most other respects, in the West; for
have seen abundant evidence that the Metho.
dist denomination is the chief dominant.
and conquering church of the West. And
half the mischief which it does by its engine
OF ecclesiastictsm it purges away by the
fervor Of its hearty singing The Methodist
Church is the Christian song-bird of the
West. But all the Sunday y-schools, of every
name, are rapidly teaching all the children
to sing. There will come day when the
American people will be more musical than
the Germans; and the credit of the change
will belong to the 5unday-school system. I
solemnly believe that, at this very day, the
Sunday-schools of the Republic are of more
Importance to its welfare than are all its
churches. ga little child shall lead them. "


One thing more. I am sometimes told by
friendly critics at home that I draw my
Western pictures in over-colors. No.
endeavor always to understate, rather than
overstate, my admiration of the West. It
is a majestic region. Its people belong to
the nobility of mankind. Its prospective
growth is beyond calculation. Its soul is of
fire. Its ambition is to rule the land. Its
opportunity is not far in the future. It's
triumph, when 1t comes, will be complete.
The West is to be the Dictator of the
Republic.
Year: 1867

RUINS OF BLUE Boards CAsTLE.-A tour
ist writes from France: "There are certain
localities in the vicinity of Nantes which are
well worth visit. For instance I imagine
mot few of our little folks in America would
like to have Joined me in an excursion took
the other day to the ruins of Blue Boards
castle-that very identical castle where, the
story book tells us, the murdered wives hung
in line in the mysterious chamber The
original Blue Beard, it seems was one fe-
rocious old ohevalier Duval, who was, in
truth, an atrocious old bigamist, and lived in
this castle SO long ago that hardly anything
except tradition in regard to him yet remain
ed.


The excursion is a delightful one, and you
may reach the ruins either by road which
conducts through a charming rolling land
scape, or by the pretty little river Erdre,
which winds romantically northward from
the center Of the town. Just outside of the
primitive village of Jardiniere, immediately
/ upon the sloping bank of the stream, you
encounter some crumbling walls, SO thickly
covered with moss, ivy and brush that you
can hardly discover them, and in the midst
of pretty wood; and this is all that still
exists of Blue Boards castle. They under
take to place you on the very spot where
the murdered wives were transfxed; for
tradition takes strong hold on the ignorant,
superstitious minds of those French peasants,
and doubt not that the old woman who
shows the ruins for few cents thoroughly
believes In the story from beginning to end. /"
Year: 1867

The PUNcTUAL MAN.-Mr. Higgins
was a very punctual man in all bis
transactions through life. He amass-
cd large fortune by bis untiring In
dustry and punctuality; and at the
advanced age of ninety years was
resting quietly on his bed, and calmly
waiting TO be called away. He had
deliberately made almost every ar.
rangement for his decease and burial.


His pulse grew fainter, and the light
of life seemed Just Pickering in its
socket when one of his sons observed


"-Father you will probably live but a
day or two; is it not well for you to
name your bearers 7"


"To be sure my son." said the dy.
ing man. "it is well thought OF, and |
will do it now"


He gave the names of six, the usual
number and sank back exhausted upon
his pillow.


A CLEAN Of thought passed over his
withered features like ray of light,
and he rallied once more. Ny son
read me the list Is the name of Mr..
Virgins there 7"


at is father"


"Then strike it off, said he emphat.
ically "for he never was punctual-
was never anywhere in season, and
he might hinder the procession a
whole hour"
Year: 1867

How TO LIVE EAsILY.-The art OF
living easily, as to money, is to pitch
your scale one degree below your
means. Comfort and enjoyment are
more dependent upon easiness in the
detail of expenditure than upon any
degree in the scale. Guard against
false associations OF pleasure with ex.
pcnditure. The notion is absurd that
because pleasure can be purchased
with money, therefore money cannot
be spent without enjoyment What
a thing costs a man is no true measure
of what it is worth to him and yet
how often is his appreciation gov
erned by no other standard, as if there
were a pleasure in expenditure per Sc.
Let yourself feel a want before you
provide against it, You are more
assured that it is real want, and il
is worth while to feel il little in or
der to feel relief from il. When you
are undecided as TO which of the two
courses you would like best, choose
the cheapest. THIS rule will not only
save money, but save also good deal
of trifing indecision. Too much leis-
ure leads to expense; because when a
man is in want Of objects, il occurs to
him that they are TO be had for mon
ey, and he invents expenditure in or.
der TO pass the time.
Year: 1867

There is some discussion on the
best mode of ventilating the National
Capitol. We would suggest whether
il cannot be better done by tho peo-
pie at the polls, than in any other
way.
Year: 1867

The military despotism" which
has been established over the South
is immensely expensive, and greatly
adds TO the enormous measure of tax
alton which is now being imposed on
the people Of the North. The land is
dotted ever with officers, drawing
such salaries as these
Year: 1867

A writer in the New York Evening


Post states that it is a deficiency OF


phosphate Of lime in the system that


causes bad teeth He adds:


What shall be done to give the teeth
the proper proportion of phosphate of
lime? The simple answer is, eat it I;
because we know of no other process
by which it can be introduced into the
blood, and unless it is found there
somewhat abundantly it will never get
into the structure of the teeth, mas
much as they, like the rest of the body.
are composed of material which are
brought into the blood by the diges-
tive organs. In order to ''eat it" one
must eat certain kinds of food which
are now coming into general use in
cities, and will contain, in themselves,
large quantities of it-such as grits,
oatmeal, Graham bread, one fourth Of
an inch of the surface Of potatoes
The reasons, furthermore, may be
found in the following: The bone Of
the tooth is composed of phosphate of
lime to the extent of siXty-twO per
cent The enamel has in it about
eighty five per cent of this sulphate,
and if less than this amount is found
in proportion to the whole tooth, its
structure is very easily dissolved away
by the acids which form in the mouth
from particles Of food in process of
decomposition, from confectionery
and other sweet things, which in the
mouth rapidly acidify Some of the
above named articles Of food should
constitute part of daily diet From
the time Of first evidence of a child's
existence to the fourteenth year of the
same, at which time the characters of
the teeth may be considered finally set
tied, they will be found of a good
shape, hard, with an excellent enamel
covering, without deep seams cross
ing each other on the surface, and Ii
able to decay, but the enameled caps
will be found perfectly formed-a
covering to the bone, which will save
the patient an immensity of fear, pain
and expense. The wonder is very of
ten expressed, that the teeth of people
of the present day are so frail, while
in the past generations they have been
sOmuch more generally sound Itwould
not be far from correct to reply that
the art of refining flour has much
more perfectly robbed it of the bran
OF the wheat, that we get from our
white bread just so much less phos
phate of lime; also dyspeptics, and
those who dread dyspepsia, knowing
they ate potato skins when young,
blindly say they find such trying food
injured their stomachs, and hence
neither themselves nor their children
are allowed to eat them; and it ap-
pears to sum up that the children of
the last two generations throughout
the civilized part of the world have
happened to be deprived of just the
source of the supply of phosphate of
lime in their food which have robbed
their blood cf the wherewith to make
good teeth, and bones, so our teeth and
general bony framework but lily com
pare with those of the backwoods set
tiers, who personated our grandfathers
and lived more Independently of fine
bolting cloths, and ate up the entire
potato, relishing rye and Indian bread,
all to our present mystifcation and the
blessing of their own physical happi-
ness
Year: 1867

When farmer Milton's boy went after
| the cows, there was one who Was called


old White Face that always staid be-
hind. No sooner were the bars let down
and the call made. Co! CO. cor than
'Brindle,' and 'Brighteyes.' and Broken


horn would stir their stumps at once,
and make their way to the road home.
But old White Face would keep crop
ping and cropping bit more, as if no.
body had called for her, and nobody
wanted her milk.


Sometimes it was needful to go to the
very further part OF the pasture and
crack the whip pretty smartly before she
would stir peg. Lazy old brute ! NUT
tered the farmers boy. why can't you
come when you're called, as other cows
do? have to go after you almost every
day. Why can't you come when you re
called ?


so say, Tom,' said farmer Milton,
who was just on the other side of the
fence, and heard what he said. Il often
call you in the morning, and you snooze,
and snooze, till come up close to your
bed and bawl out as loud as l can. You
used to hear at first and start at the first
call. but you thought you would lie still
minute longer one day, and two min
utes the next, and now the habit is very
hard to break.


And there's another call, Tom, that
You have heard many time. 1t is
more important call than mine, 1t is
Gods call Have you not heard it from
your Sunday school teacher, and from
the minister, and from the good books
you got from the library? Q. my boy,
if the poor, dumb beast could speak as
the ass in the Bible story, she might say
Obey Your Makers call, my lad, before
you beat poor old cow for not obeying
yours


Tom drove the COWS home without
saying another word, and hope he re-
membered what farmer Milton said to
him
Year: 1867


She was clothed in rags, and her feet were bare,
As she sat alone in the frosty street;
But she heeded not the piercing air,
And her lips wore a smile serence and sweet
"Frends and kindred have none.
Nor even q roof to shelter me;
But God will care for the homeless one,
And take me soon where the angels be.
hear his voice in the silent night,
When earthly voices are hushed IN sleep;
Be patient, child, there will soon be Light,
And thine eyes be clearer, because they weep"
BE will give . robe of spotless white,
And crown Of gold, but no star there;
For I've wen no soul from the outer night,
That may the shining symbol wear.
Father, If / may but see thy face,
And hear thy kind Voice speak TO me,
I'll be content with the mesnest place
Among the angels that wait on Thee.
Her lips grew still, and her glazing eyes
With q sudden joy were strangely bright,
And her face had a look of sweet surprise,
When they found her there in the morning light.
Year: 1867

A young Oriental prince was visiting
at the castle of duke in one of the
finest counties in England. He looked
from his window into beautiful garden,
and inhaled the fragrance which was
waited toward him by the gentle breath
of June


What exquisite perfume he cried 8,
bring me, l pray you, the flower that SO
delights my sense. See you yon stately
stalk, bearing on it's shaft those gorgeous
lilies, whose snowy petals are veined
with blood red lines and with violet
shade; that is undoubtedly the plant
seek


They brought him the curious lily of
Africa.


Its odor is nauseating, he said but
bring mo that flower of q hue SO much
deeper and richer than even the beautiful
roses of my own fair lan5. See how it
glows like flame Surely rich odor
should distil from that regal plant


1t was q dahlia, and its scent was even
less agreeable than that of the lily.


Can it be, then, the larger white bios
SONS clustered on yonder bush, or the
blue cups on the neig hboring shurb P he
asked.


No, the SNOWFALL and campanula proved
alike scentless. Various plants yielded
their odorless buds or broad spreading
petals for his inspection. But he found
not what he sought


Surely it must be that golden ball,
he said, for SO snowy bloom should at
least charm the nostrils as we'll as the
eye


'Faughr 1t was marigold.


AT length they placed in his hand a
wee brown blossom.


so unpretending thing as this can
lot surely be that for which I seek ex-
claimed the prince, with a vexed air
this appears to be nothing better than a
weed


He cautiously lifted it to bis face.


Is it possible ? he cried. is it really
This obtrusive brown weed which gives
sorth so precious an odor? Why, it
langs over the whole garden, and comes
tanning in at my window like the very
breath of health and purity. What is the
name of this little darling5'


Precisely that, your highness,' answer
ed his attendant-'this flower is called
'mignonnette, the little darling


Wonderful wonderful y repeated the
as.onished prince, placing it In his bo-
som.


thus your highness pereeives,' re-
marked his tutor, gravely, that the hum
bic and unpretending often exhale the
most precious virtues Little Pilgrim
Year: 1867

How TO CHOOSE WIYE-s.A place
for everything and everything in its
place said the patriarch to his SON
Select wife, my son, who viii never
step over a broom stick" The son was
obedient to the lesson. '.Now," said he
pleasantly on q gay May day, to one Of
his companions, II appoint that broom
stick to choose me q wife The young
lady who will not step over it shall have
the offer of my hand.' They passed
from the splendid saloon to the grove
some stumbled over the broomstick, and
others jumped over it. At length .
young lady stopped and put it in its place.
The promise vas fulfilled; she became
the wife of an educated and wealthy
young man, and he the husband Of .
prudent, industrious and lovely wife
He brought fortune to her, and she
knew how to keep one It was not easy
to decide which was under the greatest
obligation; both we're rich, and each en-
riched the other


Charles Dickens is coming 70 this country 70
stay six months.


Some 100000 books ehaa0d hands at IL
New York trade Sales
Year: 1867


The WONDERS OF Seeds there upon
earth a machine, is there a palace, is
there even a city, which contains so
much that is wonderful As is inclosed in
single little seed-one grain of corn,
one little brown apple seed, one small
seed of tree, picked up, perhaps. by
sparrow for her little ores, the smallest
of o poppy or blue bell. or even one of
the seeds that are so small that they float
about in the air invisible to our eyes
Ah! there is world of marvel and
brilliant beauties hidden in each Of these
tiny seeds.


About hundred and fifty years ago,
the celebrated LinnRus, who has been
called 'sthe father of botany" reckoned
about 5000 different kinds of plants !;
and he then thought that the whole num-
Der existing could not much exceed lO,-
O00 But q hundred years after him, NJ.
de CandoAe of Geneva, described about
40 900 kinds of plants, and he supposed
it possible that the number might even
amount to 100000


Well, have these 100000 kinds Of
plants ever failed to bear the right kind
of seeds Have they ever deceived us
Has seed of wheat ever yielded barley,
or the seed of poppy grown up into q
sunfiower2 Has sycamore tree ever
sprung from an acorn, or a beech tree
from q chestnut ? A little bird may
carry away the small seed of a sycamore
in its beak to feed its nestlings, and on
the way may drop it on the ground The
tiny seed may spring up and grow where
it fell unnoticed, and sixty years after it
may become magnificent tree, under
which the fiocks of the valleys and their
shepherds may rest in the shade Ru-
raj New Yorker