smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

Amid all the hurrying throng of hu-
manity that wear out their fieeting lives
in this world Of ours, how few are found
who ever pause to ask themselves the
simple question. "What is life, its duties
and its cares. What its objects-what its
endsg" Immersed I'm business. wearing
out his lire in perpetual round of drudg-
cry, intoxicated with pleasure, pursuing
the giddy rounds of gaiety and fashions
eager for fame, straining every nerve to
win reputation and name-careless of
himself, treading the broad road uf dissi-
patton and vice, to poverty, disgrace and
ruin-man everywhere seems unmindiul
OF his own existence, and rushes onward
with not a thought of the future. He
sees not the light that comes to him
through the dim hereafter--he knows not,
he cares not what life is


Now and then is one whose prophetic
pen has discovered in the distant future
the outlines os that bright morning land"
and he awakes to ask himself the ques-
tion-such usually have drank deep of the
cup of human affiiction, been purified
from the grossness of earth, and have
learned by dear experience to look with
distrust upon all promised happiness based
only upon earthly foundation-and
they bear with stern f,rtitude and un-
flinching endurance, all the numerous
sorrows, to which the inhabitantS of
earth are ever exposed-such man
knows too that this life is but the gateway
to a better, purer, brighter life across the
river"-he meets all his trials with the
same calm endurance. fer he knows the
dark hours must have an end. He is
thankful for the blessings he receives for
lie knows they last forever.


Life is but a 'pitiful dream," frcm
which he awakes to real life in the
brighter world beyond. Men live with
out thought of aught, save the present
and waste the precious years of life not
knowing what they are living for-not





realizing that this state of existence Is
but the ante chamber to the great audience
hall above Men and women are brought
into the world, educated without much
care, marry for fancy, convenience, or
pleasure, live a few years for self, die and
go they know not whittier. Ii a man
would occaxionaiIy look in upnn himself
III he would not permit himself to be So
absorbed in his business, or his pleasure,
as never to look beyond the present, he
would add much to his happiness. for he
would know then what life really is-hc
would have better and clearer conceptions
of life's duties and ends. Let us then
strive to know ourselves, and to be what
God designed US to be, happy and content,
knowing that all of earth must soon pass
away. .st
Year: 1874

A nice little sermon with n strong
admixture of truth running through
it, is a gem in its way, and when
found should not be lightly set aside.
A sermon is sometimes good and
sometimes bad. Sometimes the les
son is more readily learned and longer
remembered, because it is taught by
a particular person or institution.
Below we append one of those little
sermons, which, while it is as true as
Gospel, yet o sermon we would not
dare to print as original in the col
umns of the HERALD. Had we done
so we should have been denounced as
the utterer of libel and the promul-
gator Of fraud. But the New York
Observer, a religious journal of might
and influence, says: r.. .n


All judicious pastors discourage familiarity
on the part of their people, especially of the
female denomination. For this way lies the
danger. a silly woman pious perhaps, but
very soft and shallow, hears the stirring words
of her eloquent pastor, is reused, warmed,
soothed, exalted,-she thinks etfGed,-and
straightway she believes him to be the man
sent to do her good. She goes to his study to
tell him so; how much enjoyment she finds
in his words; or she writes him letter, and
pours out her little soul full OF twadle about
her gratitude for what her dear pastor has
done for her; how she is Gifted up" by his in
structions; how she loves him as a friend
given to be her guide and comforter, and so
on, and so on, more and worse, running into a
mawkish sentimentality, a sickening man
worship, disgusting to every sensible person,
hutvery nectar to Il vain, worldly preacher,
who seeks only to make his hearers " feel
pood
Year: 1874

Among the amendments made to
the Code by the last Legislature of last
Winter are the following which are of
general interest. They all went into
effect on the first OF July.


All claims against county must be
first presented to the Auditor, instead
of filed with the Clerk of the Board of
Supervisors as formerly.


The criminal jurisdiction Of JUS
tices of the Peace is restricted to often
ses committed within their respective
townships.


The jurisdiction of Justices over Of
fenses is moreover limited to cases
where the penalty does not exceed q
six months imprisonment or fine of
$500, instead of a years imprisonment
and $1,000 fine, as formerly


The law allowing the mortgage one
day for every twenty miles distance
between his residence and the clerks
office, in which to record his mort
gage, was also repealed; also the de-
cision of the Supreme Court previous
ly rendered on that enactment made
the repeal more an act of form than
anything else.
Year: 1874

EDITOR HERALD: 1t seems to me
that in your issue of Saturday you
dashed off an article under the above
caption without your usual delibera-
ton.


"vice is monster OF such hideous meln


That, to be hated, needs but to be seen;


But seen too oft, familiar with its face,


We first endure, then pity, then embrace"
Thus speaks Pope or the subject,
and it is as true as Holy Writ. We
are all, more or less, creatures of cir
cumstance, and what is hateful to-day
becomes loveable to morrow. Tell
me not that precept and example eX-
ert no influence on the morals of man
kind. Some thirty-five or forty years
ago an Episcopal minister, to while
away his leisure hours, wrote a relig-
ious romance, the manuscript of which
was stolen by shrewd, cunning, fell
low by the name of Sydney Rigdon,
who, in conjunction with one Joseph
Smith, baptised it as the Book of
Mormon. Upon this slight founda-
ton, by the power of precept and ex-
ample, they have erected a powerful
theocracy, which at times has deied
the power of the United States, and
is still o troublesome cancer in the
body polite. Since that time, Brig
ham Young has added polygamy to
the Book of Mormon-at first to the
disgust of the decent portion, if not all,
of his followers. To-day, by the force
of precept and example, polygamy is
the first article in the Mormon creed,
and its practice universal. But we
need not go to Salt Lake nor the
mountains of Utah for argument to
refute your position-taken, probably,
under the pressure of your " DEVILS"
cry for more "copy.n Do you recol-
lect, in the early days, whilst sporting
upon the village green, the first oath
you ever heard l do; and it made
the hair on my head stand on end. !
am older now, and have seen the day
would rip out an oath with the gem
uine ring of the Barbary-coast ranger,
without rutfiing hair


Take retrospect of your own eXpe-
rience, and answer if truth and candor
do not compel you to admit the truth
of the above quotation.


HAMPDEN.
Year: 1874

OUR correspondent, "HAMPDEN,"
assumes that polygamy is the leading
tenet of the Mormon religion. This
Is hardly correct. 1t is the distinctive
feature of that faith, but not its sub
stratum. There are many thousand
Mormons who neither practice nor be-
lieve in polygamy. In fact, the church
is now divided on that question. The
argument that we "first endure, then
pity, then embrace" " a vice, does not
seem to hold in the practice of polyg-
amy among the Latter Day Saints.
Many old Mormons of both sexes have
opposed that feature of the religion
from the beginning, and the fact that
it is practiced all around them has not
made them converts to it.
Year: 1874

How TO ESTIMATE THE PRoFlrs OF a FARM.
The farmer lives III his own house. The use
of the house, which he does not pay for, is as
much part of his income as the money which
salaried man pays for rent is of his, and should
be counted as such 10 an estimate OF the profits
of the farm. All things produced on the farm
and consumed on the farmers table, including
the vegetables from the garden, the eggs aud
milk used in cooking are as much part OF his
income as the money paid for such things out
of his salary is of the salaricd man. Ii the
farmer gives bis wife aud children pleasant
ride to town using his own horses aud wagon
the value of their use is part Of his income
from his farm, as truly as the money the other
man pays out of his salary for carrlaAe hire OF
his The correct rule for estimating the In
come from farm is substantially this: Give
credit for every article produced, used or ex-
pended in any way whatever, no matter how
small iu value, as well as for cash received for
products sold, and for increase IN value OF farm
property, and charge against the farm for ln-
terest on capital Invested, aud tor all cxpendl-
lures. The farmer that will do this from year
to year, will not so much feel like complaining
Of the uuprohtableuess of farming as compared
with other pursuits The fact is, that not one
iu hundred farmers take into consideration
the luxury and comforts of fresh eggs, butter,
milk, fruits, etc, that they would nave to pay
high prices for if ihty .!rcd IN towns, Or DO
without them.
Year: 1874

The special social qualities are good
nature, amiability, the desire to please,
the kindness of heart that avoids giving
offence and can not bear 10 hurt any ones
feelings. A good-natured person may
frankly disagree with you, but never Of
tends. He quarrels good-naturedly. He
boxes with gloves on and when he fences
ever so deftly there is a great soft butto
at the end of his foil He may satirize,
ridcule, open up all your weaknesses and
absurdities, but so kindly that YOU cannot
help loving him. He cannot say harsh,
hard, bitter or contemptous thing, be-
cause he has no hardness and no con-
tempt. This is simple, natural goodness
of fond and friendly animals. 1t NAV not
be high moral virtue; there is NO par
ticular merit IN it any more than in beauty,
or any natural gift; but it is very de-
lightful quality. and those who do not
possess it should initiate those who do.


AS we avoid in person, dress or man.
ners, anything that may give disgust or
pain, so must we do in our conversation
we must no more use vulgar expressions
than we would wear vulgar garments
Our talk should be as clean as our fingers.


We should no more bite one with our
"oIuS tnaH Win our teetn. An angry
word is as bad as a blow, and satirical
word is like sting. If we are ever to
say anything to person that will give
him disgust or pain, we must even be
more careful not to say anything of any
person which will injure him in the esti-
nation of others. Playful, good-natured
criticism upon the little foibles and pecu-
larties' of others NAV do no harm, and
may be even useful. but ceases to be
good-natured when it gives pain. Sian
der is sin much worse than theft.-
Charity forbds that we should even tell
the truth, when that truth can wound or
injure. The best rule is to say all the
good we can of every one, and to refrain
from saying evil, unless it becomes clear
matter OF duty to warn some one against
him.
Year: 1874

the following story, which is given
as fact, can hardly be surpassed even
by the imaginary situations that mark
many specimens of the modern drama:
Near the city of Detroit, man by the
name of Macarthur was crossing rail-
road track in the night time, when his
foot caught fast In a frog" and his
efforts to extricate it were of no avail.
His boot fitted so closely that be could
not draw his foot out, and at length he
could hardly movehis leg for pain. He
found that he must either be run over
by the next tram or make known his
situation. He shouted himself hoarse,
but no one came. After having been a
prisoner for upward of an hour he heard
the whistle He had a matchbox IN
his pocket papers IN his bundle, and
the idea came to him to signal the
train. Tearing the paper off his bum
die, he rolled them into a heap, and for
fear the flame would die out too sud
denly, he added his clothes. The bum
die was then made fast to the end of bis
walking-stick and he waited until the
headlight of the locomotive should ap-
pear. 1t finally greeted his vision and
he struck his match, but a gust of
wind blew it out. Another match was
struck, and in an instant he waved his
signal back and forth, and Just when
he thought death was certain he heard
the whistle for brakes. He was saved.
but the engine had only thirty feet
more to 90 to crush him.
Year: 1874

Cape May Correspondence of the New YOrk


Herald


Quite a funny little incident occurred
at the depot tonight, just as the party
was leaving. OF course there was an
immense crowd on the platform, and il
was with great difficulty that the Presi.
dent elbowed his way through. After
he had taken his seat inside, little
girl chanced to place her hand upon
the side of the window nearest him
He caught the hand In his own, and
asked for a kiss. The little one, who
might have really sought kiss under
any other circumstances, now that the
President had caught her by the wrist
when she did not expect it. refused TO
give him one.


''Then I'll have to hold you in this
way until the car starts" said the
President.


We'll" returned the little one, "you
can do so if you wish"


'YeS, but in case L do, as soon as the
car starts it will drag you along with it,


"Well, don't care" said the girl, ''you
can't have kiss anyhow"


"Just hear this little lady talk, gentle
men," said the President to his companions.
'Here is 4 little creature who would be
dragged along after this car rather than
give me a kiss"


The President held on 10 the hand, and
the youngster held on At the same time TO
her resolve. Presently her mother spoke q
word to her, and she, reluctantly giving
the kiss, was released. Turning to one Of
ber small friends, she said


"SIother made me do that. He might
have dragged me all the way to Camden"
Year: 1874




1t is a beautiful valley about a mile
in length, walled in on either side by
perpendicular walls from two hundred
to three hundred feet in height. There
is but one entrance to this enchanted
spot. and that is by very rugged and
dangerous pathway, and the footman
experiences great difficulty in the de-
scent. Upon reaching the valley we
could hear the rustling of the wind
Though the lofty pines on the cliffs
above us. sounding ike the roar of
some devastating hurricane. while the
grass beneath our feet lay as calm and
still as death. Not even the slightest
breath of air could be felt. Everything
was so still that a person Standing at
the lower part of the valley could dis
tinctly comprehend persons speaking
at the upper end.
Year: 1874

In 1870 President Grant approved the bill
adding ffty-four millions of bank notes TO
our inflated currency, and putting it just so
much further from specie payment. Last
fall he ordered the issue of greenbacks
which by law were dead, because he
thought the country needed more currency.
Now he proposes to contract our currency
four hundred and thirty millions in the
most summary manner.


When the Supreme Court decided the
note tender act unconstitutional, the Presi-
dent thought the discredit of the "best cur
rency in the world" so vital a matter that
he took care to appoint two Judges who
were sound on this question to reverse
the decision. Now he regards the repeal
of the legal tender as the first step to restore
our currency to soundneSs.
Year: 1874

A NEW counterfeit Of the recent issue u
so cent scrip has jnst made its appearance.
It is One-sixteenth of an inch shorter in
length and width than the genuine, and
the line connecting the two upright lines
of the letter y in the small words dl-
grared, engrdCiag aud printing, at the end
Of the scrip is reversed in every instance
but one. In the counterfeit there is no
distinction between the white crayat and
shirt bosom Of Samuel Dexter, while in the
genuine they are well defined. IL is likely
to deceive in the evening or with the rapid
money changer.
Year: 1874

Don't be too sudden about it.
Many a girl has said mo" when she
meant ives, simply because her rlover
didn't choose the right time and pop
the question gently.


Take dark night for it. Have
the blinds closed, the curtains drawn
and the lamp turned most out. Sit
near enough to her so that you can
hook your little finger in hers. Wait
until conversation begins to flag, and
then quietly remark:
"Susie, 1 want to ask you some
thing"


She will fidget around a little, re-
ply Eyes" and after pause you can
add:


Susie, my actions must have
shown-that is, you must have seen
i mean you must be aware that
! that"


Pause here for while, but keep
your little finger firmly locked. She
may cough and try to turn the sub
lect off by asking you how you liked
the circus, but she only does it to en-
courage you. After about ten min
utes Won can continue:


81 was thinking as l came up the
path, tonight, that before / went
away / would ask you-that is, l
would broach the subject nearest my
-Imean fwould know my


Stop again and give her hand gen
tie squeeze. She may give a yank to
get it away, or she may not, in either
case, it augurs well for you. Wait
about five minutes, and then go on.


The past year has been very
happy one to me. But l hope that
future wears will be still happier.
However, that depends entirely on
vou. am here tonight to know
that is, to ask you-I mean | am here
tonight to hear from yonr own lips
the one sweet


Wait again. 1t isn't best to be too
rash about such things. Give her
plenty of time to recover her compo-
sure, and then put your hand on your
heart and continue:


Eyes, | thought as l was coming
through the gate tonight, how happy
| had been, and said to myself that
if Ionly knew You would consent to
be mv-that is, said if | only knew
if was only certain that my heart
has not deceived me, and you were
ready to share"


Hold on--there's no hurry about it.
Give the wind a chance to sob and
moan around the gables. This will
make her lonesome and call up all the
love in her heart. When she begins
to cough and grow restless, you can &C
on.


Before met you this world was {
desert to me. didn't take any pleas
ure in going blackberrying and steal
ing rare ripe peaches, and it didn''
matter whether the sun shone or not
But what a change in one short year
1t is for you to say whether my future
shall be a prarie of happiness or
summer fallOw of Canada thistle
Speak, dearest Susie, and say-that-
that-that-"


Give her five minutes more by the
clock, and then add.


"That you WILL mean that yol
will--be minen'


1 She will heave a sigh, look up a
the clock and over the stove, ant
then as she slides her head over on
your vest pocket, she will whisper;


..You are inst right, | willm
Year: 1874

A correspondent of the Boston
Journal writes: paralysis is be-
coming a prime disease. 1t is not
confined to the fleshy, the plethoric,
nor to the aged. The fast life OF our
business young men tells on them.
1t is a very common thing to see men
of thirty and thirty-five bald-headed,
feeble-gaited, and walking about with
canes. their underpinning knocked
out, with other signs of premature
age. These signs of early weakness
develop in paralysis. Sudden deaths
from this cause are very common.
Several have occurred in railroad
trains; the vibration seeming to pre-
dispose persons to the disease. Not
long since gentleman died in one oi
our churches. He was interested in
a case of discipline. He made a re
port to the church on the case, sal
down, laid his head on the back Of
the seat and instantly expired. In
another case, a man not accustomed
to public speaking, arose to relate hi
religious experience. He was so ex
cited that he could scarcely speak
In the midst of his remarks he wal
| seized with paralysis, and carried t
his home. Our young men win hav'
to tone down their style of living i
they amount to anything"
Year: 1874

Look well to the time of doing any
thing; there is time for all things.
If your wife looks wearied or worn
ont, be sure it is not the right time
to tell her thatthe dinner is not good,
or that the bread is sour. Comfort
her; cheer her up. Use the ten
thousand little stratagems you were
wont to use so skillfully in the old
davs to bring out the smiles around
hei1 bps. If you are annoyed or
vexed at people, just remember it is
not the right time to speak. Close
Your mouth, shut your teeth togeth-
er firmly, and it will save you many
a useless and unavailing regret and
many a bitter enemy. If you hap
pen to feel little cross-and who
among us does not at some time or
other?-do not select that season fOr
reproving your noisy household flock.
One word spoken in a passion will
make scar that 4 summer of smiles
can hardly heal over. If you are a
wife, never tease your husband when
he comes home weary from his days
business. 1t is not the time. Do
not ask him for expensive outlays
when he has been talking about hard
times; it is most assuredly the wrong
time. If he had entered upon any
undertaking against your advice, do
not seize in the moment of its failure
to say, Il told you sOr' In fact, it
is never the right time for those four
monosyllables.


If people only knew enough to dis
criminate between the right time and
the wrong, there would be less do
mestic unhappiness and less silent
sorrow and less estrangement OF
hearts! The greatest calamities that
overshadow our lives have sometimes
their germ in matters as apparently
slight as this. If you pause, reader,
before the stinging taunt or the biting
sneer, the unkind scoff passes youl
lips, pause just long enough to ask
yourself, as it the right time for me
to speakY' you would shut the door
against many a heartache.


The world hinges on small things
and there are not many more trivia
than the right time and the wrong.
Year: 1874

''BE careful how you drink, or
you'll wash the color from your
cheeksp' said a gentleman at fash
ionable party, as he handed a glass Of
water to lady. There is no dan
ger of your ever taking water enough
to remove the color from your face,


was the good-natured retort,
Year: 1874

ARREST AND PROMPT DISCHARGE or II CRUSADERS


IN PORTLAND THEIR FIRMNEsS IN REFUSING


ANY COMPROMISE.


In The Portland Oregonidn OF the 9th inst.
there Is interesting account Of the arrest OF Is
women members OF the Union Temperance League. at
the request Of before whose place they
had been praying and singing. These women, all Of
whom are married, had frequently prayed and sung
before the same saloon The morning of their arrest
large crowd was attracted together after their
appearance before the saloon and when the proprietor
observed the crowd he at blew his whistle for
policeman Several officers then urged the ladies' TO dis
perse, but they refused. The Chief or Police
quested by the saloonkeeper to protect him. he had
that morning paid for his license But to all entreates
of the officers the ladies made but answer, they
would not disperse. Ali persuasion and remon-
STRANGE proving futile the officer placed the
ladies under arrest, and they followed him vii
lingly toward the Jail. Before reaching there
free II they would return their homes They pre-
ferred to TO JAIL and there they declined to be baed
out condition that they would refrain from visiting
saloons. The at once brought TO trial. The
charge was for willfully and unlawfully conducting
themselves in disordery manner by singing and pray
ing on the sidewalk on Frsts whereby the peace and
quiet OF the city was disturbed" general demurrer
for the defendants filed, the ground being taken
and that every person at liberty under the C0nst
tuition OF the United States t0 worship God according
the dictates of his conscience and that the COM
plant upon its face alleged statement OF facts that
could not amount 20 disOrderly conduct. The Court
promptly sustained the demurrer and DISCHARGED the
defendants. They then filed out OF the building aud pro
ing was beng held and during the afternoon visited
several other drinking resorts.