smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1861

Some plants go regularly to rest,
and sleep so profoundly that in a
cloverfeid not II leaf opens until
after sunrise, and others in South
America are universally known as
"sIeepcrs." Most mimosas fold up
their delicate fcathery leaves as
night approaches, and when the
sun rises once more, the little
sleepy ones unfold again slowly,
and, as it were, reluctant, like some
of US to begin their work anew. 1t
has ever been observed that these
so called sensitive plants, when
wounded or otherwise suffering,
cannot sleep, but keep their leaves
open and erect all night long, until
they perish. Other plants close
their leaves during the day, and
awake from their slumbers at
night, while n few even droop and
clasp the stem, as if seeking sup
port in its strength, whenever the
sky is overcast aud a storm is
threatening.


This peculiar faculty of sleep
stands in immediate connection
with the general power Of certain
leaves to move either upon coming
in contact with other bodies, or,
apparently in spontaneous motion
All of the above mentioned mi
mosas fold up their leaves when
merely touched; first, one little
leaAet will be closed, then another
until the whole leaf proper, with
its delicate footstalll, droops down
and clasps the stem of the parent.


The so-called spontaneous move
ments Of leaves and other parts OF
plants arise mostly, though not al
ways, from their general tendency
to turn toward the light. Little is
as yet known with accuracy Of this
interesting feature of the life of
plants. ~ great number of leaves,
however, alter their position by
night and by day. Some make a
half, some q quarter revolution,
and then turn their points down
ward. Others, again, fold up in
regular order the youngest leai
first, as if it required most rest,
whilst the oldest are apt to do ell
tirely without it. In other plants
it is the state of the atmosphere
which determines such movements
the boards of the geranium aud the
wild oat curl up in dry weather
and straighten again in damp days
other plants do the contrary.


| t>~~s~~-~~~~~~~~-S~>~~~--~~~
Year: 1861

TO be intent on pleasure, yet
negligent of happiness, is to be
careful for what will ease us for a
few moments of our life, and yet
without any regard to what will
distress us for many years Of it.
Year: 1861

Having consented to be d candidate
for the office of Judge of this district
my desire was toavisit vou in person to
solicit your support at the coming cleo
ton. But causes Of a private nature put
it out Of my power to do so; and am
obliged to deprive myself Of that plea
sure, and to pay you my respects in this
manner. / fetl the more satisfied, how.
ever, that ttissomission on my part will
not make any material difference in your
determination as to, whom your votes
viii be given inasmuch as ] can not my
self say ANYTHING as to my fitness and
capacity to fiji re Office ! ask, and as
my position 1T the Bar and on the Bench
for the last thirty years has made me
sufficiently known. either personnallv or
by reputation, to almost every voter in
the district. $500 -4.,.


Asking nothing more than your sup
pot if your consider me worthy of the
Office, / subscribe m self Fa alReH


Your very obedient servant,


THos. j. Cooley.
Year: 1861

to our compact, and protect 1t "a propef
every loyal State, as We have done without CON-
plant for seventy years. But when slavery as
sumes hostile attitude, and is fighting to put
chain round our necks, We will put forth all our
power to cOnfine it within its present area, and,
if no other resort is left us, We will proclaim
freedom, in its place. Mr.. Davis has taken the
initiative to prey upon our private property.
We will show him that we can retaliate with
thousand fold force, and remove from our system
an element which has brought upon US our pres
ent misiortunes, which has always been a source
Of discord, and which mus. always continue to
be so while it exists.


Another point of great strategical importance
is Cairo, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mis-
sssippi Rivers. This commands completely the
States of Missouri and Kentucky and portion
of Tennessee and would be ali admirable base
of operations for a force sent down the Msss.
sippi. Upon this point large force should be
Immediately concentrated, amply supplied with
materials and munitions of war.


Now that are in for tight, let Us finish It
at blow. The first thing is to know where We
stand, to learn who are our friends and who our
foes We want no relations that can embarrass
the utility OF our purposes Or plans. We are
infinitely stronger with Virginia an open enemy
than treacherous ally. II Kentucky, or Mary
land, or Tennessee are not heartily with US, le,
them follow the example of Virginia. We want
no friends who will be holding one of our hands
while We are striking with the other. We rot
only want to have the issue squarely presented
but we want the battle fought with the antagon
lists ranged under the appropriate banners.
Year: 1861

SINGULAR LAW CAsE.-A curious law.case was
recently before German court, arising from the
following circumstances: gentleman sat at
faro table in the town of kOethen, in SaxOny,
playing with the usual attention and silence.
Several PLAYS were made, and the cards which
the gentleman continued unchanged to put for
ward won repeatedly. The gold pushed toward
him by the croupier, however, was not drawn
by him, and after several more accumulations
had made the pile inconvenien,ly large, the
keeper of the bank rather angrily requested the
fortunate man to take in his money. With his
eyes fixed On the card, the player took no notice
of the request. "Draw in your gold!" was
again uttered by several round the table. No
answer. Monsieur, you incommode the other
players!" said the croupier. The same motion
less silence. person sitting next the offender
took hold of his hand. The winner was dead.
As the body was being removed tie crOuper
drew back the money he had showed toward the
dead body, alledging that the game based upon
reciprocal engagements could not exist between
the dead and the living. The heirs of the de-
iunct presented themselves the day after, declar-
ing that the winner had regularly commenced
and continued the game. The question was car
ried before the tribunal of Koethen, which de,
cided that the heirs of the deceased were enti-
tied to his winnings
Year: 1861

The FRENCH MopE OF GRArrING-The French
are practicing a new method of grating,
knowledge of which may prove valuable to
American horticul,urists, inasmuch as it can be
performed at any season of the year when the
sound. matured buds can be had, whether the
sap is in flowing state or not. 1t is performed
BY removing a small piece of bark and wood,
leaving q smooth and fat surface, to which a
similar piece, containing the bud which is to form
the future tree, is fitted, which is sealed over
Immediately with collodon. This forms strong,
impervious cuticle, which secures free circula-
ton of the sap on the approach of warm wealth
er, and perfect union of the parts.
Year: 1861

The GOVERNMENT FIRN.-A member Of the
Cabinet writes to a friend in New York city :
1--WE intend to test the power of the Government
to protect itself against treason, and if the people
viii sustain Us, We will crush out this rebellion"
Year: 1861

to see nothing in your hostinsy - "a
sion except an offensive purpose to humiliate the
South, and force her to inequality in the Union.
Now We are about to have a conflict, they will
learn that Northern people are not towards but
as brave and determined as themselves. The
knowledge of that fact will inspire them with re.
spect for you, give them confidence in your
truth, and make US all better friends than the
two sections ever can be until they have each
learned, by stern experience that the other is
worthy OF respect and confidence"
Year: 1861

PoxPEIr-The excavations are now carried
on with great spirit. A railway is in progress of
construction for carrying off the superintendent
soil beyond the city. Only third Of Pompeii
has vet been brought to light.
Year: 1861




stopped my horse aud li-teiFed!'s


could not satisfy myself WHITTIER the music
was in the air my brain. ! thought Of the
pine'forest which not far of but the tone Was
not harp-lk., and there was not breath Of wind.
Then it sweIled and approached; and then it
seemed 10 be miles away in moment; and
again il moaned il under my very feet. IL
Vas in fact almost under my feet. Ii was the
voice OF the winds imp isoned under the pail Of
the ice suddenly cast over them by the peremp.
tory power Of the frost. Nobody there hai made
air holes, for the place was wilderness; and
there was no escape for the winds, which must
mourn on ill the spring warmth should release
them They were fastened down in silence but
they would come out with explosion when, in
some still night, after a warm spring day, the
ice would blow up, and make crash and racket
from shore to shore. So was told at nv hosts
tha, evening, where arrived with something of
the sensation OF a haunted man. Ii had been
some time before the true idea struck me. and
mean y hile tn, rising aud falling moan made my
very heart thrill agan-Once a Week.
Year: 1861

Is it not folly. then, for the Connessites to
claim to be Democrats. Are they not trying
to carry water upon both shoulders, and are
they not at heart pubicans?-ErpreSS.


Some people think Democrat may con-
tiaue to be National, without joining another
party. The McConnellite think a man must
go with some Secession State in order to be
real sound National Democrat. Has the
Democracy of the Nation or any so-called
wing Of it, in any National Convention, ever
declared war upon the Union? If so, we
never knew it. The rebel traitors are steal -
ing the livery of the Court of Heaven to serve
the devil in, when they call themselves De-
mocrats If Democracy means treason, we
would as soon be called horse-thief as a
Democrat.
Year: 1861

Tue SECESSION PARTY.-The Secession par
ty, in point of numbers, is scarcely worthy
of consideration. 1t is composed of a few
persons who may be considered mere polili-
cal brawlers. The suppostion that the Me-
Connell party is the Brechinrdge party OF
last year is a fatal error The Mcconnell
party is an organization of macontents of
dissatisfied and disappointed politicians, of
men who desire the destruction of the Gov
ernment, and none else There are thousands
of men of the rank and file of the Breckin-
ridge party last year, who abhor the hereses
of Secession and whose eyes are now fully
open to the past political crimes Of the Jeff
Davises and Yanceys of the Southern Con-
federacy. These men will support the Union
Democratic ticket on the day of election and
they comprehend the majority of the Brock
inridge party. The Secessionists are really
out of the contest In numbers they are in
so woful a minority that it is not worth
while to make an estimate of thcm.-!S. T..
Herdid
Year: 1861

PRoGREss OF THE OVERLAND TELrGRAru.-
The newt by this (he lasD Pony was tele-
graphed from St Louis to the new outer sta
ton fifty miles beyond Fort Kearny, suppos-
ed to be Willow Island. The dispatch was
taken out of the bag at Dry Creek Station.
thirty-siX miles east of Reese river, the most
advanced point on the route of the telegraph
from this side. The distance from Fert
Churchill to Dry Creek is one hundred and
sixty eight miles, and from this city three
hundred and forty-seven miles The distance
now traversed by the Pony Express, between
the two outermost stations of the telegraph.
is about eleven hundred and fifty-nine miles
the united distance covered by the wires
from St. Joseph on one side and Sacramento
on the other being about six hundred and
eighty miles. This is exclusive of the length
of telegraph route opened westward from
Salt Lake under the superintendent of
Street. UHl0n
Year: 1861

Should Messrs. Shattuc!s, Barber, and
Ganahl be elected they Will, when they
reach Washington, exert themselves for
peace on honorable terms and do all in their
power to relieve the pepole,-ErPresS.


The peace that S. i. and G. would vote
for might be highly honorable to Davis d Co.
but we would rather have the matter settled
10y men who do not hate the loyal people of
the Union. We cannot afford to pass a vote of
thanks to the rebels, even to be relieved
This may be little matter of foolish pride,
but we cannot help it.
Year: 1861

GYMNAsIUM.-Tbisi institution will be
open again TOR the cultivation Of the humsn
muscle In the course ofa week. Stock holders
will h old . business meeting on Saturday night
TO take important matters into consideration
Year: 1861

We were standing together, Faith and
I, by the railroad, with some two or three
hundred other women, young and old, a
crowd of noisy children, and here and
there an old man, or half grown lad, all
assembled to wait the passing of the train
that was bearing the - regiment on its
way to Washington.


There was a company from our village
among them, though they had started to
day from the State capital, and many a
mother, wife, and sister in the crowd was
waiting for last look from the eyes that
should meet hers again no morc-'it might
be for years, it might be forever so that
they we're, for the most part, very quiet
and subdued, though burning with sort
of inward fever of impatience, for the meet
ing that must be, after al, so sadly brief,
so terribly unsatisfying.


Faith was excited. Her checks glowed
her eyes shone like stars; and as she stood
there, her brown curls swaying in the
breeze, could but think it great pity
that she had no brave young lover among
the approaching volunteers, who would
carry away in his heart this radiant picture
of girlish grace and beauty. But she had
not-only some old aequaintances and
childhood friends so that there was dash
of regret to temper her exultation in their
bravery, and in the cause they were going
SO nobly to uphold.


As for me, I was very sad. My heart
ached terribly, because-strangcst of all
reasons-I had no one to grieve for.


"No," l thought bitterly, 4" there is nc
one in all these thousands that are march.
ing steadtastly, day by day, to meet death
if need be, to whom | can say, God bless
and keep you, and bring you safe home to
me again mot one to whom this parting
will bo the wrenching asunder Of heart
strings for my sake.


And then came back to me, or rather
grew more vivid in my remembrauce-for
its image lay always, night and day, in the
shadowy recesses of my heart-the love
that two years gone by had made one sum-
mer of my life long bright dream Of per-
feet content, without single shadow O.
alloy, until, all in moment, arose thu
terrible storm that was to make such uttel
shipwreck of my happiness.


How had it come about! could hardl,
tell, even now. 1t all seemed like SOM
horrible nightmare dream, from whicl
Year: 1861

DEAR Bob Bully for vacation. I'm
having the p-toppest time you ever see.
Uncle Nathe was as glad to see me as he
could be, for he's cross old curmudgeon,
and makes the boys toe the mark, tell
you. He said he hoped I'd be good, and
l said l shouldn't be anything else. He
whispered something to Aunt Hatty, and
looked at me, but l didn't seem to mind
it. He's got new horse that is very old +,
and pretcnds he can't 60 along unless you
push him with whip, 1t is all sham, for
stuck brad into stick and touched
him. with it, and he went like smoke
He kicked his hind heels through the
dasher, broke the wagon and landed me
and Bill into the ditch. Uncle Nathe
said he couldn't see what had got into the
beast, but | guess it was the brad, though
l thought it wasn't best to mention it.


We had fag-raising here yesterday.
1t was big fun, you'd better believe. We
hadn't any flag; SO I got one of Aunt
Hatty's sheets, and painted blue squair
in the corner with her indigo bag and
chalked out some stars; then got Uncle
Nathe's pot of red paint that he marks bis
sheep with, and made some elegant stripes,
and the flag was done. We took bran
new cod-line of Uncle Nathe's for halyards,
then cut down nice little maple for a
pole, and nailed it up on the barn. One
of the neighbors went down and told Uncle
Nathc what we were doing, and he came
up from the meadows as mad as hop
l see by the way he acted that hesswas q
seceshioner. He took down the flag that
we had consecrated, and couldn't stand
it, so l made him speech, and told him
that the flag he had pulled down was the
emblem of our right 10 do as we pleased
and he had better be careful how he trifed
with the spirit of liberty. I'd better not
said it, because all of US boys had to go to
bed without our supper that night, and
Aunt Hatty gave US a great talking to
about the sheet. What fuss folks make
about triAes.


But we had some fine fun next day with
Uncle Nathe. He's got a big white roos-
ter, that he sets everything by. So we
caught him and colored one of his wings
blue and the other red, and he looked as
fine as anything you ever saw. The hens
didn't know what to make of him, and they
all seeded. When Uncle Nathe came
home the first thing he saw was his Grower, :,
who got up on the wood-pile and yelled
Yankee Doodle do" as loud as he could
bawl. Uncle Nathe didn't know what to
think of it at first, but when he saw the
fun of the thing he didn't laugh any.


wish you was up here; if you were
we would train round some, guess
There's plenty of berries, and lots of birds,
and Uncle Nathe has got gun and two
pounds of powder, and there's a boat in
the pond, and fine fishing, and everything
to make a fellow comfortable. Can't you
steal away and come up here, and make
'em think you've gone to the war! Yours
in clover,


Ike PARTINGToN.
Year: 1861

At all events, the reduction of Fort Sum
ter and this manifesto of President Lincoln
are equivalent to declaration of war on
both sides between the Confederate and the
United States. In conflict of this sort
there can be but two parties-a Northern
and Southern party-for all other parties
will cease to exist. The political princi-
Piles, organizations aud issues which have
divided our country and our people, in va
rious shapes and forms, since the treaty Of
our independence with England, will all
be very soon overwhelmed in the sweeping
changes of civil war 1t would be folly
now to argue what might, could, would, or
should, have been done by Southern fire.
eaters and Northern disorganizers in 1854,
1860, or by Mr.. Buchanan, or by Mr.. Lin
coin, or by the late session of Congress-
Civil war is upon US, and the questions
which now supersede ali others are :: What
are the consequences now before us?-
Where is this war to enc and how and
when? What is our duty under this war
like condition of things? and what are the
movements and the co editions necessary to
change this state of war to state of peace


These questions will irresistibly impress
themselves upon the mind of every think
ing man, North and South. Earnestly la.
boring in behalf of peace, from the begin
ming of these sectional troubles down to
this day, and for the maintenance of the
Union through mutual concessions, we dc
not even yet utterly despair of arresting
this civil war before it shall have passed
beyond the reach of reason.-Nc'o York
Herald.
Year: 1861

The Past makes the PreseDt-the Pres
ent, our Future. What is to be the future
of the present events which press upon u:
with their stern and stirring realities?


Our readers know that we have repeated
ly declared that we did not believe that g
war between the North and the South would
be the result Of a dissolution of the Union
by the secession of the Southern States
With the sound of our cannon still ringing
in our ears, we are of the same opinion still


That the brutal fanatics who sit in the
high places at Washington are ready to
plunge the whole country into contest and
blood, we have never doubted. 1t was q
thorough conviction of their treacherous
and desperate hatred of the South that
compelled US to urge, as TIE only course Of
safety for the South, prompt and eternal
separation from their power.


Events have shown that our estimation
Of this brutal and bloody faction was cor
rect. Large portions of the people of the
|seceding States did not believe it. The
Frontier Sla1 e States have not believed it.
They have still believed that there were
feelings of fraternity towards the people Of
the South, from the great body of the peo-
pie of the North. Hence they have lin.
gered in the foul embraces of a Union, mas
tered by Abolitionism, whose one great pol
icy was the subsection of the South to the
dominion of the North-whose one great
passion was to destroy the South. Slowly
but surely time has lifted the veil from the
hideous and loathsome features of Aboli-
tioDism enthroned in Washington. Its
inauguration by cannon and bayonets, man
ifested at once its principle and its reliance
for success--despotisna and force. Oliver
Cromwell praying whilst Charles the rs
head was being but cut off, was the example
of its bloody hypocrisy.


With Lincoln's Proclamation, and his
requisition for troops to march upon the
South, the standard for the conquest of the
South is at last unfurled. Thirty years
agitation and hate at last breaks forth in
its eager cries for blood. 1t is most natu-
raj. Thank God, the consummation is in
Year: 1861

They could scarcely have forced their way
through the heavy batteries which lined the
coast, nor could their participation in the
fight have changed the result. The pre-
rarations of the enemy were too complete,
and their forces too numerous, to warrant
any hope of success with the number OF
guns at our command The fort was brave.
ly defended 1t has fallen without loss of
life-the ships are ou the spot to enforce
the blockade of Charleston harbor-Fort
Pickens, according to despatch from
Montgomery, has already been reinforced
and everything is ready for unrolling the
next and the far more terrible scene of this
great drama.-New York Times
Year: 1861

The curtain has fallen upon the first act
of the great tragedy of the age. Fort Sum
ter has been surrendered, and the stars and
stripes of the American Republic give place
to the felon flag of the Southern Confeder
ates. The defence of the fortress did hon
or to the gallant commander by whom il
was held, and vindicated the Government
under which he served. Judging from the
result, it does not seem to have been the
purpose of the Government to do anything
more. The armed ships which accompanied
the supplies took no part in the contest
Whatever may have been the reason fol
lit, their silence was probably Fortunate