smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

THE following extract is taken from Pro-
fessor Huxley's address to the working
men of London:


Suppose it were perfectly certain that
the life and fortune Of every one of us
would, one day or other, turn upon his
winning or losing game of chess. Don't
you think that we should all consider it to
be primary duty to learn, at least, the
names and the moves of the pieces; to
have a notion of gambit and keen eye
for all the moves and chances of getting
out of check? Do you not think we
should look with disapprobation amount
ing to scorn upon the father who allowed
his son, or the State which allowed its
members, to grow up without knowing a
pawn from knight? Now, it is very
plain and elementary truth, that the life,
the fortune, and the happiness of every
one of us, and, more or less, of those who
are connected with us, do depend upon
our knowing something of the rules of a
game infinitely more difficult and compli-
Gated than chess. 1t is game which has
been played for untold ages, every man
and woman of us being one of the two
players in game of his or her own. The
chess board is the world, the pieces the
phenomena of the universe. the rules OF
the game are what we call the laws of ma
ture The player on the other side is hid
den from us. Alive know is that his play
is always fair, just and patient. But also,
that he never overlooks a mistake Or
makes the smallest allowance for ignor-
ance.t To the man who plays well, the
highest stakes are paid with that sort of
overlooking generosity with which the
strong shows delight in strength: And one
who plays i'll is checkmated without haste,
but without remorse. My metaphor will
remind some of you of the famous picture
in which Retzch has depicted Satan play
ing at chess with man, for his soul.
Substitute for the mocling fiend in the
picture, calm, strong angel, who is play
ing for love, as we say, and would rather
lose than win, and | should accept it as an
image of human life Well, now, what |
mean by education is learning the rules of
this mighty game. In other words, edu
cation is the instruction of the intellect in
the laws of nature, and the fashioning OF
the affections and Of the will into harmo-
nv with those laws"
Year: 1868

YESTERDAY, about five o'clock in the
afternoon, when every one had finished
work at this mine (Garin mine), and the
workmen in a group were awaiting their
evening meal, we saw coming through the
air gigdntic bird, which, at first sight, we
supposed to be a cloud surrounded by the
atmosphere, and divided from its COM
panions by chance current of air.


AS the object in question came nearer,
filling us with very natural feeling Of
surprise, we were able to note that 1t was
an unknown creature of the air-the roc
of the Thousand and One Nights" per-
haps, or possibly the Leviathan of the
deserts From whence did it come? To
where was it going? Its direction was
from northeast to southwest; its fight
rapid and in a direct line. On passing o
short distance and over our heads, we were
able to note the rare structure of its body.
Its great wings were clothed with brown
plumage; the head of the monster was in
shape similar to that of the grasshopper,
with enormous eyes wide opened and
brilliant as stars, and covered with some
thing like hair or bristles; the body
lengthening itself out like that OF ser
pent, was covered with brilliant scales,
which emitted metallic sounds as the





81 Surprise resolved itself into fear among
the workmen in The presence of such
strange phenomenon. The whole stock
of pathological science possessed by the
good miners was in vain exhausted to find
the name and qualities of the strange
bird which had just passed without
leaving a sign. Some assert that in those
moments they perceived detestable smell,
like that given out by arsenic on being
burned. Others that their senses were
not offended by any unusual odor. The
superstitious believe that it is the devil in
person they have just seen pass, while
others recollect having been witness some
years ago, in the same place, of the pass
age of similar monstrous bird.


AS the whole affair is in the extreme
curious, we have thought it our duty to
communicate it to you, Withholding ali
useless comment, for the truth is, we cannot
expIain satisfactorily to ourselves what we
have seen for the first and probably last
time in our lives. Can it be possible that
in the desert of the Cordilleras Nature
pleases to give life to these monstrosities
and rear them in solitude for many
wears. When they have attained sufficient
Strength they commence their fight
through space with no other object than
that Of transporting themselves to other
regions, where death masters them, and the
earth guards their skeletons, to the con-
fusion of sages, who on meeting them be-
lieye that they have found antediluyian re-
mains. -Santiago (Ctil5) Paper, March
9th.
Year: 1868

YESTERDAY morning some workmen
passing along the San Jose Railroad, some
distance out of town, came upon milk
snake about three feet long, which had
been killed by hand-car passing over and
crushing his head. They took it up and
examined it, being pretty sure that the
reptile must have been sick, or gorged, be-
fore he would have permitted hand-car
to take such liberty with him. While
they were handling it they saw peculiar
something protruding from the mouth,
and looking closer discovered that it was
the tail and rattles of a rattlesnake, the
major portion of whose body was evident
ly inside the milk snake. They drew out
two or three inches of the rattlesnake, to
make sure that he was all there, and then
presented their prize to Sheath, who
brought it into town and placed it in the
new Merchants Exchange, where it at
tracted much attention throughout the
day. The milk snake is a harmless rep
tile, and in consideration of the fact that
he has an antipathy to rattlesnakes, per-
haps it is not going to far to say that his
mission is beneficent one. He will at
tack the rattler, and being more nimble
than his antagonist, seizes him by the
head and then winds his coils around him,
tightening them in methodical manner,
until he has squeezed the life out of his
enemy He then proceeds to inter the
corpse in manner not altogether un-
known to certain tribes of the human
family, though the latter do not generally
proceed upon so grand a scale as their
scaly imitators Having disposed of the
rattlesnake, which is about two feet long,
and has seven rattles, he, of course, was
gorged. and subsidized into torpid state, in
which condition he would have remained
until he had digested his dinner had not
the hand-car deranged the action of his
assimilative organs.-Sa1 Francisco Times


PgIzE-FIGHTNG may not be penny-wis-
Year: 1868

Nothing could be more creditable, alike
to the heads and hearts of these two dis
tinguished Generals, than this correspond
ence. 1t is in fact unique in history. 1t
discloses the mutual confidence, the per-
feet good will and affection, the entire alb
sence of any feeling of rivalry or jealousy
which characterized the relations existing
between them. Such a spirit is as rare as
it is fortunate for the country whose great
captains in time of war are inspired oy
sentiments so elevated and magnanlmous;;
As rule, military men, next to actors ana
musicians, are peculiarly liable to jealous,
les of each other, to bitter rivalries, and


envious feelings. A large part OF the DIS
asters which befell OUR arms in the cam
paigns in Virginia is directly traceable to
such disturbing influences prevalent among
the Generals of the army of the Potomac.
Grant and Sherman stand out in bright
and eminent contrast. Raised by superior
genius to the most conspicuous place in
the eyes of the people, if they had been
susceptible to the sentiment of jealousy OF
each other, the result might have been
most disastrous to the country. But they
were only emulous of serving the common
cause-never of each other; and in their
whole career, during the war and since,
they have maintained the most harmoni-
Gus relations. In this respect their con-
duct is as remarkable as it is honorable to
both, General Grant has always been
prompt to acknowledge his Indebtedness
Year: 1868

THE Rock ON WHICH THEY SPLrT.-A
certain man was married; he lost his wife and had
a stone erected over her grave. He married
second wife, and when she died he had the tomb
stone split, and it thus served for the two depart
ed He proposed to third, and the lady quaint,
w remarked: II do not believe that stone will
split again" How heartless remark in her to
make to man who thought so much of his frat
wife that in cleaving to her, ne cleaved In two her
tombstone
Year: 1868




Bonifaces are more subject to imposition
from penniless travellers than any other
class of purveyors, and it must be admitted
also meet with less sympathy when they
are taken in. If what we hear of Vallejo
landlords be true, they must have suffered
q heap Of martyrdom from itinerant Bohe-
mians before they resorted to the present
ingenious measure of self-defense. II
seems that the rule adopted there is to pay
for dinner Immediately upon the delivery
of the plate Of soup. The other day a
fraudulent genius, having unsuccessfulfy
exploited one hotel, boldly entered the
Washington and called for dinner. He
was astonished to see the waiter approach
him with a plate of soup in one hand, a
towel in the other, and large family
syringe under his arm. The waiter laid
the plate of soup in front of the customer,
and significantly placed the palm of his
hand under the nose of the hungry man.
As our friend had not as yet tackled his
meal, he modestly inquired the meaning
of" the open hand


l"Pay in advanced p was the terse and
peremtory reply of the waiter.


"Can't you wait till l get through my
my meal, first 2"


"No, sir. Our rules arc positive. On
delivery of the soup plunge down the
cash. ~


Singular promptitude," he muttered.
Then reddening up with natural indigna-
tion. said he:


II suppose, if / don't pay you, you'll
brain me with that bludgeon pump OF
yours p


sa'.Not at all, sir. Through this instru-
ment we. secure our business on cash
basis. Your money, if you pleased"


He thought he had the dead-wood on
the soup anyhow, and dipped his spoon
for the first mouthful. Before the spoon
reached the broth, however, he was trans
fixed at seeing the. waiter coolly introduce
the point of his syringe into the plate, and
pulling the suction handle out to its fullest
extent, the soup suddenly disappeared,
leaving his plate as empty as his stomach.
He turned around, but the waiter had
passed to another customer, and our friend
left the establishment in disgust.
Year: 1868

We heard very pretty incident the
other day, which we Cannot help relating
A young lady from the South, it seems,
was woed and won by youthful physician
living in California. When the engage
ment was made the doctor was rich, having
been successful at San Francisco. 1t had
not existed many months, however, when
by an unfortunate investment he lost his
entire !" heap" The event came upon
him, it should be added, just as he was
about to claim his bride. What does he
do? Why, as an honorable and chival-
rous young man, as he is, he sits down
and writes the young lady the particulars
Of the unhappy turn which had taken place
in his fortunes, assuring her that if the fact
produced any change of feeling toward him,
she was released from all the promises she
had made to him. And what does she,
the dear, good girl? Why, she takes a
lump Of pure gold, which her lover had sent
her in his prosperity as keepsake, and
having it manufactured into ring, for
wards it to him with the the following bi.
BILE inscription engraved in distinct char
acter on the outside: sar f'ta





g Eatreat me not to leave thee; or 10 return
from following thee for whittier thou goest will
go, and where thou lodgest will lodge; thy peo.
pie shall be my people, and thy God my God
where thou diest will die, and there will be
buried; the Lord do so to me and more also, il
aught but death part me and thee"


The lover idolized his sweetheart more
than ever when he received this precious
evidence of her devotion to him in botf
storm and sunshine We may add thai
fortune soon again smiled upon the young
physician, and that he subsequently re,
turned to the South to wed the sweet CIR
he loved, and who loved him with such al
undying affection. Young ladies who read
the bible, as the heroine of this incident
seems to have done, are pretty sure tc
make good sweeathearts and better wives
--Louisuiile Journal.
Year: 1868

FIFTEEN hundred and twenty-four
millions of dollars is what Radicalism
has expended of the peoples mosey
during the last three years of peace.
This Is rather too expensive peace to
suit the business men Of the country.
Year: 1868

and Don PrATT said all his ideas were


concentrated in Marshal BRowN's pups.
J these men speak the truth, and they
have no motive to "befoul their own
nest" is General GRANT fit to be Presi-
dent of the United Statesi
Year: 1868

/ The SWEDISH ARMY IN TME OF


PEACE.-In Sweden, in time of peace.


it is customary to let out soldiers for


civil labor, so that in the cities, espec-
tally the seaports. the gusrd-house is
an Office for letting out men for civil


work of all kinds If it is desired to
unlosd ship rapidly, the owner or cap
tain sends to the guard house for the
number of men he requires, who are
sent, and receive extra pay for their
work. A merchant who has extrs COPY
ing to be done sends to the guard house
for men to do it. So when large din
ners or festivals take place soldiers who
ara recommended as walters are engaged
to assist as attendants. CaYalrymen
are engaged as extra drivers, and TO
take care Of horses. In this way three
fourths Of the force are, in one way or
another. engaged in miscellaneous ser
vices to their own satisfaction and prO6t
as well as to that of the State and pri-
vate employers. It would hardly do to
adopt the Swedish custom in our army,
bat it is, nevertheless, worth consider
ing whether it would be sound policy
10 not only permit, but encourage, mil
itary men Of all ranks to undertake.
any employment not compatible WITH
the due performance of their duties as
soldiers.-ArTly and Nary Journal.
Year: 1868

\ LADY's COMPLIMENT TO A LADY-A
lady Washington correspondent, in notice
of some of the prominent ladies who are
spectators of the proceedings in the I'M
peachment Court, writes of Mrs. Senator
Sprague as follows:


Her costume is as perfect as the lily or
the rose. She is a lilac blossom. Not a
particle of jewelry is visible upon her
person. She has copied her bonnet from
the pansy or wood violet. \ single flower,
of lilac tinge. large enough for the & new
style" rests upon her head, and is fastened
to its place by lilac tulle so fimy that ii
must have been stolen from the purple mist
of the morning. An exquisite walking dress
Of pale lilac silk has trimmings a shade
darker, white lilac gloves conceal hand
that might belong to the queen of the
fairies.
Year: 1868

Forget others faults: remember thine
own.


The heart is the only thing that increas-
es in value by being broken.


He who loves little, prays little; he who
loves much, prays much


Observed duties maintain our credit, but
secret duties maintain our life.


Look up,card for the grace needed now,
and toracard for the rest that remaineth.


He who sins against men, may fear dis
covery. but he who sins against God, is
sure of it.


Teach your child to be honest, because it
is right so to be; let sinners inculcate the
quasi religious proverb of honesty bein G
the best policy.


True religion shows itself in every part
of our conduct it is like the sap of the
living tree which penetrates the most dis
tant boughs.


Prayer is ever profitable at night it is
our covering; in the morning it is our ar
NOR Prayer should be the key of the day,
and the lock of the night.


MA, if you will give me an apple 1
will be good" ''No, my child, you ought
to be good, for nothing"


a lady being asked to waltz gave the
following sensible and appropriate answer ::
No, l thank you sir; I have hugging
enough at home"


The Lowell Courier calls the parting of
young ladies much ad;eu about nothing.


The Hindoos extend their hospitality to
their enemies, saying: The tree does not
withdraw its shade even from the woodcut-
ter"


/ There is a class of people who think
that to be grim is to be good; that piety is
sort of facial longitude and that a
thought, to be really wholesome, must be
shaped like coffin.


Many persons think themselves perfect
ly virtuous because, being well fed, they
have no temptation to vice. They don't
distinguish between virtue and victuals.


Consider our feelings Swell tailor tc
new customer-''Yo you'll excuse my asking
sir-but-a-you don't mean to wear our
clothes with that hat?"


The cross of Christ is the sweetest bur-
den that ever bore it is such burden as
wings are to bird, or as sails to ship
carry me forward to my desired haven


There is greater depravity in not re
penting of sin when it has been committed
than in committing it at first. To deny, a
Peter did, is bad; but not to ,ceep bitterly
as he did, when we have denied, is worse
Many favors which God giveth US rave
out for want of hemming, through ou
own unthankfulness for though praye
E purchaseth blessings. giving praise dotl
a deepen the quiet possession of them
), Fuller.


: 1t is an awful thing to feel all thatwe pos
sess continually waste away. and at the sam
time to set our heart upon it without inquir
ing after something more solid and durable
Year: 1868

hold in the world, 10 and behold, there
farm Not stopping to give the details of
the manner in which this happened, it is
sufficient to say, this man was wealthy. and his
title could not be disputed. He had no OBJ
| lection to going to law if desired There
was no alternative, so Mr.. Harris, for that
was the mans name, surrendered up his
| home. Having some friends settled on the
Treaty, he comes to Kansas and joins them.
lie selects him a claim. The land there all
belongs to the Government, but settlers i'm
proving land with the intention of buying it
when 1t comes into market call it - a claim -
They can sell their % claim . but not the
land They have what they cali club law
there 4 man can hold claim if he stays
on it, otherwise not. Mr.. Harris after
making some improvements, had occasion to
90 to Missouri on business, and was detained
a considerable length of time On coming
back he found that some emigrants had
pitched their tent square on his claim. He had
not the power to compel them TO leave. His
friend with whom he was temporarily stay
ing, out of compassion for his wife and child
purchased him another claim somewhat i'm
proved. Again he had to 90 to Missouri
and coming back found his house occupied
by five resolute men, armed with reyolvers.
who were determined stay. They were pre-
vailed upon to pay back the moley his friend
had given for the improvements, and that
Vvas bn l,,, / |
pletely discouraged His money was all
gone, his hard labor had been thrown away
Every opening was blocked against him,
Worse still his family, himself included,
were all taken sick with the ague-the
meanest of all complaints that ever afflicted
the human race, for it makes a man feel ten
times worse than he really is. when he is
about as bad Off as he can be at best How
could man : prospects b. any more gloomy?
W hat could ne do? He resolved to send his
wife and child back to her fathers, and
strike out for the Rocky Mountains and try
his luck iii the mines. He was two days on
his journey when he stopped here. Mr.
Harris appeared to be candid sort of
man, and | have no doubt told the truth.
lie was not trying to excite sympathy in
order to obtain charity, promptly paid his
bill in the morning, without expecting any
deduction. As bade him good-by in the
morning, sincerely wished him success in
his new adventure. and hope that he may
come back to his family with his pockets
full Of the precious metal and that they





them yet. If hear from him again, l will
let the readers Of the FREEMAN know how he
gets along WIBUR.
Year: 1868

To change and to better are two differ
ent things.


Everybody knows good counsel except
him that hath need of it.


Poverty is the sixth sense


Better free in a foreign land than serf
at home.


Better 90 to bed supperless than run
in debt.


There Is no good in preaching to the
hungry.


Charity gives itself rich, but covetous-
ness boards itself poor.


1t is not enough to aim, you must hit.
The end of wrath is the beginning of
repentance.


The sun-dial counts only the bright hours.
Piety, prudence, wit and civility are the
elements of true nobility.


Gods mill goes slowly, but it grinds we'll.
High houses are mostly empty in the
upper story.


More are drowned in the bowl than in
the sea.


A hundred years of wrong do not make
an hour of right.


The fewer the words the better the prayer.
One has only to die to be praised.
With patience and time the mulberry leaf
becomes silk gown.


Take the world as it is, not as it ought
| to be.
Speak little, speak truth; spend little.
pay cash


Handsome is that handsome does


Handsome apples are sometimes sour
1t is easier to blame an to do better.
Our neighbor's children are always tae
worst.


Forgive thyself nothing and others much


When God means to punish nation. he
deprives the rulers of wisdom
Little and often make heap in time


Take care of your plough, and your
plough will take care of you.


He who saves in little things can be lib
eral In great ones.


He who avoids small sins, does not fall
into large ones.


he that pslts every barking dog must
pick up great many stones. e
Would you be strong. conquer yourself.


Where the hedge is lowest, the devil
leaps over.
Year: 1868

\ few days ago an agent of an acciden
tai insurance company entered smoking
car on Western railway train, and ap-
preached an exceedingly gruff old man.
asked him if he did not want to " take out
policy?" He was told TO get out with
hispolicy, and passed on. After riding
about half an hour an accident occurred to
the train, and the smoking car ran over the
sleepers, causing much CONSERVATION among
the passengers. The Old man jumped up.
and seizing hook at the side of the car to
steady himself, called out: Where is that
insurance man ?" The question caused a
roar of laughter among the passengers, who
for the time forgot the danger
Year: 1868

HABIrs we justly regard as the expo
nents OF a persons inner nature and dispo-
sitions often, also, of his principles or
want of principle. In his habits we read
very intelliribly what IS within him; so
that, when we speak of a mans habits, we


look not only at acts done so frequently as
to have become habitual, we naturally take
into account that within which prompts the
acts \ person does something because
he likes to do better. The oftener he re
peats it, the better he likes it; and so it
grows into habit But, besides being the
exponent Of dispositions already existing,
habit has wondrous power of generating
dispositions, and Of nurturing them until
they become in effect a second nature-a
part of a persons self You do something
which you do not much like to do You
do it again, and you dislike it less. You
do it continuously, until at length all dis
like disappears, and to do it ranks among
your strongest propensities, and acts in a
short time become habitual and also that


in human nature there are propensities
which, innocent in themselves, if not kept
under the strictest regulation, soon become
vicious. and prompt to acts destructive of
peace and good conscience and ruinous
of religious and even moral character. \ You
require, then, always to be perfectly mas
ter Of Yourself; and in assisting you to
form right habits, you must he advised
what principles to embrace, and what to
discard what dispositions to cherish, and
what to represS.
Year: 1868

Delay.-Soue Of our readers in the
upper part Of the county, We under.
stand, are complaining that our issue Of
last week did not como to time, and have
intimated that We kept the paper back to
satify certain parties. Such is not the
case. We did not receive the returns Of
the county election until after nightfall
on Wednesday, aud could sot get the pa.
per ready for the mail thursday morning.
In consequence Of this they had to lay
over till Saturday, the next mail for that
part.