smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1864

er than that of the country YOU are fight
ing for you shall be treated as spy And
did you but know how OF eu our men.
when on picket, have heen duped by reb-
els having on the uniform OF the United
States soldier, whowas in reality but an enemy
of the cowarilieSt kj.d who had .he cour
age cniy OF coutroating you IN the garb OF
q friend, and having gained your confidence
would then either take your lite. or make
you prisoner, frequently the former


The order too possesses the merit Of treat
ing with murderers as murderers, for such
they unqueStlonabiy are, aud also, TO hang
them on the spot, thus making sure that
the iawless assassin has received the doom
he just y merits | have said that the
past three nights the guerrillas have not
molested US, though the nights have been
favorable for them, yet their absence is as
unaccounted for. One infereuce, however,
Is that the mountains contain large num-
Der of rebel deserters, aud it is believed
that Mose5y is paying his attentions to
them Monday last FIVE deserters came in,
on tuesday seven more; they represent the
mountains as containing a large number,
anxious to give themselves up to US, but
are deferred from presenting their ugly
forms to our pickets, believing Just then
they will become targets for our men to
exercise upor with their carbines Those
who have come in presented anything but
an inviting appearance, some were entirely
barefOoted, and others had bare sufficient
clothing for common decencY.


Re enlisting is going on quite briskly in
our regiment Your humble servant oblig-
ed himself yesterday to serve Uncle Sam
tor three years more, and expects to pay
you visit ere the month passes away
How cheering it is to see the almost unan-
lmOus determination Of those who respond
ed to their country's call, to again offer
their services, though the trials and dan
gers to which they have teen subjected in
the past two years, have no parallel in
history


There are few important matters that
the soldier wants which is in the power of
the citizen to give. First, honest Old Abe
to be the next President second, the light
to vote How absurd the idea that anv
thing like fraud can be perpetrated at the
polls OF regiment as at tavern as we
are called upon to fight its battles, give US
the Americans pride, the right to vote.
The weather is very pleasant here just now,
though 1t has been very severe until the
past few days. j. p. L.
Year: 1864

One OF the literary men OF England,
who has outgrown many of the reli,
gious influences of his chil' hood, gives
the following touching sketch of the
impression made on him ~ the habit
of prayer taught at his mothers knee:


Very singular and very pleasing to
me is the remembrance Of that simple
piety Of childhood, Of that PRAYER
which was said so punctually, night
and morning, kneeling by the bedside


What did l think of? What image
did | bring before my mind as | re-
peated my learnt petition with such
scrupulous fidelity? Did [ see some
venerable form bending down to listen?
Did he cease to look and listen when
[ had said it all? Half prayer, half
lesson, how difficult it is now to sum-
mon it back again But this [ know,
that the bedside where | knelt in this
morning and evening devotion, became
sacred to me as an altar. | smile as
recall the innocent superstition that
grew up in me that the prayer must
be said kneeling just there. If some
cold winters night | had crept into
bed, thinking to repeat the petition
from the warm nest itself, it would not
do; it was felt in this court of con-
science to be "a fruitless performance :
there was no sleep to be had till | had
risen, and, bed-gowned as | was, kneel-
ed at the accustomed place, and said it
all over again, from the beginning to
the end. To this day never see the
little, clean white bed, in which a child
is to sleep, but | see also the figure of
a child kneeling at its side. And for
a moment am that child. No high al
tar in the most sumptuous church in
Christendom could prompt my knee to
bend like that sn0w-white coverlet,
tucked in for chid's slumber.'
Year: 1864




In "Cudjo's Cave war novel by J. T.
Towbridge, we'll known as contributor to
the Atlantic Monthly, we find the follwing
beautiful paragraph:


How many beloved good for-nothing'
has gone from OUr streets and fresides, to
re appear far off in vision of glory, The
school fellows know not their comrade; the
mother knows not her own son. The strip
ping, whose outgoing and incoming were
so familiar to us-impulsive, fun loving, a
little vain, little selfish, apt to he cross
when the supper was not ready, apt TO come
late and make you or IS when the suuper
was ready and waiting g-who ever g1essed
what nohleness was in him! His country
called, and he rose up p.triot The ia
tlgue OF marches, the hardShips of camp
and bivouac, the hard fare, ,he injustice
that must be submitted to, all the terrible
trials of the body's strength and the souls
patient endurance-these he bore with the
superb bouyancy of spirit which denotes
the hero. Who was it that caught up the
colors, and rushed forward with them into
the thick of the battle, after the fifth man
who attempted it had been shot down?
Not the village loafer, who used to 90
about the streets dressed so shabbily? Yes?
the same. He fell, covered with wounds
and glory. The rusty and seemingly use.
less instrument we saw hang 50 long idle
on the walls of society, none dreamed to
be trumpet of sonorous note until the
soul came and blew blast And what
has become of that white gloved, perfumed,
handsome cousin of yours, devoted to
his pleasures, weary even of those-to
whom life, with all its luxuries, had become
bore2 He fell in the trenches at Wagner.
He had distinguished himself by his dar-
ing, his hardihood, his fiery love of liberty.
When the nation alarm beat, his manhood
stood erect; he shook himself; all his past
frivolities were no more than dust to the
name of this young lion. The war has
proved useful if only in this, that it has
developed the latent heroism in our young
men, and taught us what is in humanity,
in our fellows, in ourselves. Because it
has called into action all this generosity
and courage, if for no other cause, let us
forgive its cruelty, though the chair OF the
beloved one be vacant, the bed unslept in,
and the hand cold that penned the letters
in that sacred drawer, which cannot even
now be opened without grief
Year: 1864

We want a religion that goes into the
family and keeps the husband from being
spiteful when the dinner is late, and keeps
the dinner from being late-keeps the
wife from fretting when the husband tracks
the newly washed floor with his muddy
boots, and makes the husband mindful of
the scraper and the door mat-keeps the
mother patient when the baby is cross, aud
keeps the baby pleasant--amuses the chill


dren as well as instructs them-wins as
well as governs-projects the honey
into the harvest moon, and makes the hap
Ply hours like the Eastern 6g tree, bearing
Year: 1864

Passing along the railways of city
and country, it is common thing to
see the turnouts from the main track
called switches" How regularly and
gradually the massive car moves off in
a different direction when the lever
turns the path. 1t is thus with human
destiny. All along the moral path
ways of men lie the diverging lines
from the straight one of duty. Every
day we see the richly freighted car of
existence yielding to the pressure of
temptation gently laid upon the will
With scarcely perceptible deviation
from the lines of right and purity, the
young and lovely 60 from it on every
hand to return no more.


Young man an / maiden, beware of
that " little SIM" that shining folly,
that simple delay to repent and believe;
Tor you will soon see and feel that the
hand Of the arch iend was on that
lever which turned your course away
from God and heaven and unless you
hasten back you are lost forever
american Messenger.
Year: 1864

IN Its blossom at once the beauty of the
tender bloom and the glory of the ripened
fruit. We want religion that bears
| not only on the 'sinfulness of SIM but
on the rascality of lying and stealing
religion that banishes small measures
from the counters, small baskets from the
stall, pebbles from the cotton bags, clav
from paper, sand from sugar, chico-y from
coffee, bee; juice from vinegar alum from
bread, lard from butter, st-ychnine from
wine, and water from milk cans


The religion that is to advance the world
will not put all the big Strawberries and
peaches on the top, aud all the bad ones at
the bottom. 1t will not offer more baskets
OF foreign wines than the vineyards ever
produced bottles-and more barrels of
tennessee -four than all the wheat fields of
New York grow and all her mills grind
lt will not make one halt pair of shoes
OF good leather, and the other of poor
leather, so that the first shall rebound to
the makers credit, and the second to his
cash 1t will not let a piece of velvet that
pr tesses to measure twelve yards come to
an untimely end in the tenth or spool
of sewing silk that vouches for twenty
yards be nipped in the bud at fourteen and
half-nor the cotton thread spool break
to the yard stick fifty of the two hundred
yards OF promise that was given to the eye
nor all wool delains and all linen hand
kerchlefs be amalgamated with clandestine
cotton-n0r co Is made of old woolen rags
pressed together be sold to the unsuspect.
ing public for legal broadcloth


1t doth not put brick, worth only FIVE
dollars per thousand, into chimneys it con
tracted to build Of seven dollar materials
nor smuggle white pine into floors that
have been paid for hard pine-nor daub
ceilings that ought to be smoothly plastered
nor make window blinds with s!ats that
cannot stand the wind, and paint which
cannot stand the sun, and fastnings that
may he looked at, but are on no account to
be touched. The religion that is to sanct
fy the world pays it's debts 1t does not
consider that forty cents returned for one
hundred cents given is according to law
1t looks on a man who failed in trade and
who continues to live in luxury, as a thief.
1t looks upon man who promises to pay
fifty dollars ca demand with interest, and
neglects to pay it on demand, with or with
out interest, as liar.
Year: 1864

Killed by Shark.-A letter from AS
pinwall gives the following account of the
death of seaman belonging to the West
India r. NJ. steamship SoIent, at that port.
A sailor going ashore ON hawser from
the bow of the R. NJ steam packet Solent
was seized BY shark, which took off one
OF the sailors legs at the first bite The
next attack the man lost his left arm near
the shoulder; then the right arm at the
shoulder; and last his head was taken clean
of. The trunk. with one leg attached,
foated, was recovered and buried by the
ships company.
Year: 1864

had oar choice to go in or go up; that's
what was the matter Don't Won think
that slavery vas the cause Of the war q
We didn't once think 50; we do now.
was the reply. One remarked that meth
err ne nor any other man expected to live
to see train of cars as they had that day.
with Massachusetts regiment at its head
and South Carolina regiment at its tail,
and both in the Union service Forces
ter (Hass.) Spy
Year: 1864

TO ascertain the length of the day
and night at any time Of the year, double
the time of the suns rising, which gives
the length Of the day. This is a simple
method, which, We guess few people are
aware OF.
Year: 1864

The teu-forty bonds, of which nine hum
dred millions were authorized by the act of
Sd March, 1862, will bear interest in gold,
and the rate of interest is not to exceed six
per cent. Mr.. Chase, if he deems i, for the
interest of the public service, may all
uouuce loan under this act at or 81 per
cent. The time when the first issue will be
offered has not been made:publiO, nor is it
positively known whether continuance
will be decided on of the loan agencies
which have worked so satisfactorily with
the Sub Treasures in placing the ave-
twenty loan in the hands of the investing
public in allpsrts of the country.


By the operation of this agency system
our government debt has been funded with
greater rapidity, on cheaper terms and
among greater number of holders than
any large war debt ever incurred by the
governments of Europe.
Year: 1864

The copious warm rains Of the past
week have given grass and grain a fine
start and fields and meadows are assuming
a lively green. Fruit and leaf buds are
swelling aud an early and fruitful season
is every where predicted by nature, ever
mindful of the comfort and necessities of
man,
Year: 1864

CONTRARY TO expectation we are uh-
able 10 obtain the official statement Of
the vote upon tie county seat question
for this weeks issue. The township Of
Chester gave for the removal l4O; against
the removal 4.
Year: 1864

The Grand River Association of minis
ters is in session at tho Congregational
Church, in our village. A goodly number
are in attendance. The exercises are
highly interesting. The session will prob
ably close tomorrow.
Year: 1864

The steamer Daniel Ball is doing a
very good frcighting business down stream,
though but little freight is passing as yet
eastward. In a few days the line of pro-
pellers will be regularly established from
Muskegon, by way of this point, arriving
80 as to make direct communication be-
tween Chicago and Grand Rapids, when
business on the river will liven up and
matters move along briskly and merrily.
Year: 1864

are the most active and thorough pills
that have ever been introduced.


They act so directly upon the Liver
exciting that organ to such an extent az
that tho system does not relapse into liz
former condition, which is too apt to b'
the case with simply purgatlve pill


They are reaily.a
Year: 1864

says: .,.e-,.. -.


The wounded in the field hospital
bearing the name of General Sheridan
as well as the various hospitals estab-
lished in the churches, to-day expert
enced an unexpected pleasure from the
visit Of their gallant chief. He first
visited the field hospital east Of the
town, and was conducted through the
different wards by DIR. Hayden, the
Surgeon in charge. The poor wound-
ed men, with fearful eyes at the sight
of their chief, rose up in bed as he en-
tered and passed through each ward,
hand in hand, stopping here and there
to listen to the narrative of one and
another brave who had left an arm or a
leg on the field as perpetual offering
on the altar of their country. He spoke
kind and encouraging words, and
seemed to inspire new life and hope
into the patients as he passed along.
The scene was truly affecting, and af-
forded evidence at once of the admi-
ration felt for their commander by the
wounded soldiers, and the soldiery
consideration which brave general
feels for the men who fight and fall by
his side in the cause of their country.
Year: 1864

young to walk or talk, running about the
streets cursing their Maker"


Mind mother if you love your bOy-if you
would not have him continually revel in a
reekiDg pit of pollution beyond all language
to describe, keep him from the street after
dark He will thank you for it by and by
The first step to the States prison and the gal
lows is the step that takes the boy out of the
gate and into the street after sunset. When
daylight fades make home pleasant to your
children by kind words, handsome pictures, in.
teresting books, or harmless amusements.-
But at all events, forbid hem running on the
street, for its is the highway to temporal and
eternal ruin.
Year: 1864

The following paragraph is said to have
come from the pen Of Geo. D. Prentice. They
are worthy, true, and beautiful words;


There is bat q breath Of air and beat Of
the heart, betWixt this world and the next
And the brief interval Of painful and awful.
suspense, while we feel that death is present
with Us, and that we are Powerless, and lie all
powerful, and the last pulsaIion, here is bat
the prelude Of endless life hereahsri we feel
ia the midst OF the stunning calamity about
to bSfall us, the earth has no compenaating
good to mitigate the severity Of the lost
There s no grief without some bene6eient pro-
vision to soften its intentnesH. When the
good aud lovely die, the memory Of their deeds
like the moonbeams on the stormy see, light
our darkeued hearts, aod lend to the the sur-
rounding gloom beauty 80 sad, so sweet that
we would not il we could, dspel darkness that
| environs it,"
Year: 1864




Oh, the grave. 1t buries every error, COW
ers every resentment. From its peaceful 30
som springs none but fond regrets and tender
recollections. Who can look down upon the
grave even OF an enemy and not feel com
punctuous throb that even he should have
Rarred with the poor handful Of earth that
lies mouldering before him!


But the grave of those we love; what a
place for meditation Then it is that we call
up in long review, the whole history of en-
dearmeuts lavished upon US almost unheeded
in the daily intercourse Of intimacy then ii
is that we dwell upon the tenderness, the sol
emn, awful tenderness Of the parting scene
the bed of death, with all It's stifed griefs, It's
noiseless attendants, its mute, watchful ASST
duties the last testimonies Of expiring love
the feeble fluttering, thrilling, Oh how thrill
iug, pressure of the hand, the fond looking Of
the glazing eye, turning upon as even from
the threshold Of existence the faint, faltering
accents struggling in death to give one more
assurance of alfe ction.


Aye, go to the grave Of buried love and
mediate There settle the account with thy
conscience for every past benefit unregarded
Ol that dS ptlA bS0 DNlHS3 hLo S-A4 A'S'NA' H~'
return to be soothed by thy contrition


If thou art child, and hast ever added a
sorrow to the soul, or furrow TO the silvered
brow of an affeclionate parent; if thou art a
husband, and hast ever caused the fond bosom
that ventured It's whole happiness in thy kind
ness OF thy truth in thought, word, or deed,
the spirit that generously conided in thee il
thou art lover, and hast ever given one IN
merited pang to that true heart that now lies
cold and still beneath thy feet then be sure
that every unkind look, every ungenerous
word, every ungeutle action, will come throng-
ing upon thy memory. aud knocking dolefully
at thy soul then be sure that thou wilt lie
down sorrowiDg and repentant on the grave.
and utter the unheard groan, and pour the
unayailiug tear, more deep, more bitter, be-
cause it is unbeard and unaVailiug.


Then weave thy chaplet of flowers, and
strew the beauties of nature about the grave
console thy broken spirit, if thou canst, with
these tender, yet futile tributes of regret but
take warning by the bitterness of this thy
eontrite af1iction over the dead, and be more
faithful and afftctionate in the discharge OF
thy duties to the living.
Year: 1864

Every street in our city swarms at night
with children let loose from parental restraint.
The warm and pleasant evenings OF summer
are temptation too strong to be withstood.
The little ones plead earnestly to go and play,
and only for lew minutes, and refusal would
almost break their little hearts SO the gentle
mother is teased or coaIed into compliance.-
Yet but could that mother step out upon the
street, and watch and listen uDobserved for
but single five minutes, TO the example that
is set before her child, and the lessons he il
learning, she wonld hide her face in shame to
fnd that minds so young could be so polluted
and shudder with horror to reflect upon what
must be the consequences OF such associations
upon the future destinies of the young immor-
tai soul committed to her charge. We know
that each fond mother thinks her darling is
naturally 80 well disposed and has been SO cor
rectly trained that there can be no danger oi
his being led so very far astray. So vital an
error will bring its own punishment, when the
mother finds her heart crushed and her life
embittersd by the sins and crimes of her darl-
ing boy.


The infant soul may come forth frsm its
Makers hand pure as q snowflake ere it falls
but it is as impossibls that it should not bs
degraded by wicked associates, as that the
snowflak should remain unsullied after being
trod in the mud and mire Of the street, be-
yoDd the restraining presence of their parents
Under the cover of the gathering night, boys
emulate each other in profane and vulgar Ian
guage, obscene and indecent conduct, and law,
less and riotous behaviour. And these boys
are not miserable "brats" from the haunts o
vice and iriquity, but the hopeful sons OF onr
bankers, merchants, professional men, christian
men, respectable men in every way In the
NEST aristocratc streets OF the city, no deeen
woman can walk the length of block with
out having to force her way through GROVE
of insulting, obscene, blasphemous bedlamites
and blessing the city fathers, who are SO con
sidarate TO her bushes as not to food the stree
with gaslight. The extravRgant assertion o
Sir Boyle Roche almost ceases to be an exag
gsration-when he spoke Of the " children to'
Year: 1864

A paragraph which does rank injustice Il
Gen. schenck, which was clipped from an ex
change for the purpose of refuting II, found ii
way into our paper yesterday without note o.
comment through a mistake of one of our cdi
t1rial staff.


We need hardly say that we have the, hIghes
admiration for Gen. schenck, for both his gal
lnntry In the field, his energetic administration
of the affairs of his military department, ant
the ability and patriotism be displayed al
chairman of the Military Committee in Con
grcss.
Year: 1864

This well-kuown officer on yesterday ten.
dered, for the third time, his resignation to the
War Department, his health having become
permanently impaired by the miasma OF the
swamps of Virginia. He goes home to recover
his health, and declares that he will devote his
remaining strength to the cause Of the Union
Year: 1864

MONEY LOST BY MAHA-We lose money every
week mailed to us by subscribers, showing that
there are rogues somewhere, but we do not believe
they are in the office at this place. friend writ
ing US from surry County says 81 have mailed
money twice to Raleigh which has been lost A
man that would steal ten or fifteen dollaIs in Con-
federate money must be very low down or very
bard pressed"


All money sent to US by mail is at the risk Of
those sending but money sent by Express is at our
risk. Let those who aresnear an Express Office in
every case send to us by Express. ..
Year: 1864

The weather in this latitude for several days past


has been delightful-as mild and as ballny as in
spring time But the cold season is not yet over.


The buds are swelling, and week more of such
warm weather for January may result in the de-
structiSn of the fruit, which would be seriously
felt as the scarcity of general means of subssten
is likely to continue.