smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

IDLENEsS. young people think
that an idle life must be a pleasant one ;
but there are none who enjoy 80 little,
and are such burdens to themselves, as
those who have nothing 10 do. Those
who are obliged to work hard all day,
enjoy their short periods Of rest and
recreation 50 much that they are apt 10
think if their whole lives were spent in
rest and recreation 1T would be the most
pleasant Of all But this i a sad mis-
take. a. they would soon find out if they
made a trial Of the life they think so
agreeable. One who is never busy Gan
never enjoy rest; for rest implies a relief
from previous labor; and if our whole
time were spent in amusing ourselves We
should find It more wearisOme than the
hardest days work. Recreation is only
valuable a. IL unbends Us; the idle can
know nothing OF it. Many people leave
of business and settle down to a life Of
enjoyment; but they generally find that
they are not nearly 30 happy as
they were before, and they are often
glad TO return TO their old occupations
to escape the miseries Of Incidence.
-He0rth and Home.
Year: 1874

y Hartford gentleman who had tar
tied late at a wine supper found found
his wife awaiting his return In a high
state OfnervOUsnesS. Said she: Here
I've been waiting and rocking in chair
till my head swimS round Ike top. -


jess so where I've been responded
he; Its in the atmosphere"
Year: 1874

How many people who go to see the
great spectacular plays of the day think
of the unceasing toll, the hard muscular
labor which are the toll, of the graceful
ballet danceri There is no day laborer
whose life is as laborious as that of the
dancer for the skill originally attained
through long-continued and painful eff
fort can be retained only by weari-
some, though perhaps painless work.
If this aspect of the ballet girls life
was more frequently thought of, there
would be less of the thoughtless, popu-
lar assumption that she is immoral and
dissolute. The very conditions of her
professional life require her to preserve
her health unimpaired by dissipation ;
and if hard work is an antidote to
temptation she is certainly triply armed.
Indeed, the art of dancing has been
employed by certain ascetics as safe
guard against temptation, and it was
with this view that the dancing cere-
monies of the Shakers we're devised by
their founder, Mother Ann Lee. The
public dancer does not lead luxurious
life, and rarely dissolute one. Let us
at least do her justice when we gaze on
her graceful and hard-taught gymnas-
tics,
Year: 1874

On a certain day, on a PENNSYLVANIA
railroad, belle Uf a thriving Pennsyl-
vallia town, the daughter of a wealthy
lumber merchant, was travelling in the
same car with shrewd old citizen OF
her native tOwnand an agreeable young
gentleman from the West who tells the
story,


The latter had been talking to the
belle; but as night drew on and the
young lady grew dr0wsy, he gave up
his seat to her and placed himself be-
side the somewhat cynical Pennsylva-
nian. The latter began conversation
by pointing to high mountain past
which they were whirling, and said:


"YOu see that mOuntain3 Six or
eight years ago it was covered with as
fine forest as ever grew, and was
worth $4,000 and upward. Now, with
out a tree, covered with stumps, the
land is scarcely worth continental.
The net produce of that mountain lies
over there in that seat" and he pointed
to the recumbent belle; ''that is my
calculation. 1t has just absorbed all of
that lumber, which her father owned.
to raise and educate the girl, pay for
her clothes and jewelry,. bring her out
in society and maintain herthere. Some
of you young men, if you were given
your choice between the mountain yOn-
der as it now stands and the net pro-
duce on that seat, would take the net
produce; but as for me, give me the
stamps -
Year: 1874

Perhaps as good criticism as has
ever been made upon George Eliot she
herself made when she said that it was
easy to be elOquent;that it was so much
harder to be true. This is the keynote
of her manner. Every wOrdm must stand
for thing. Each clause must mean
what it says and more. Not a careless
or half true adjective or adverb shall
escape her. In this course she has
kept on for many years. When bank
pays hundred cents on the dollar, and
does so every day for generation,
people get to think that its promise to
pay printed upon a paper note is as
good as gold. Whether or no George
Eliot is a poet, if we find her writing in
verse we may be sure that the verse
means something. We have opened
her recent volume with the expecta-
ton that it would contain deep thought
and high feeling. and many terse,
true utteranee. We have, of course,
not been disappointed. We can well
suppose it to be true that it is the de-
sire of her heart to be poet. Poetry,
indeed, could never be sufficient ve-
hicle of expression for her. When her
mind is bent in serious and powerful
gaze upon some problem of the heart,
or when her humOr is active, or when
she is making close fitting garb OF
satire for some folly, then she would
write in prose. But blissful or musical
thought will always be said in verse by
any one who has both the vision and
the faculty. Some truth which has
lain in the authors mind for MANY
months, some picture or emotion which
has long been nursed by him, and which
has always delighted him, is lost in q
page of prose Ikea needle in a hay.
stack. The artist wishes for such crea.
tiOns proper separation, He would
set such thought upon the pedestal Of
/ a poem.
Year: 1874

A gentleman was once making in
uuiries in Russia about the method of
catching bears in that country. He was
told that, to entrap them, pit was dug
several feet deep, and after covering 1T
over with turf, leaves, ETC., some food
was placed on the top. The bear, If
tempted by the bait, easily fell into the
snare. But" he added, 'if four or
five happen to get in together, they all
get out again" "How is that 2 asked
the gentleman. "They form a sort of
ladder, by stepping on each other s
shoulders, and thus make their escape.
'But how does the bottom one get out?''
"Ah these bears, though not possess
ing a mind and soul such as GOD has
given us, yet can feel gratitude and
they won't forget the one who has been
the chief means of procuring their
liberty. Scampering off, they fetch the
branch of tree, which they let down
to their poor brother, enabling him
speedily to join them in the freedom In
which they rejoice" Sensible bears,
we should say, and great deal better
than some people that We hear about,
who never help anybody but themselves.
The Carrier DoUe.
Year: 1874

One sharp lesson of the autumn &
panic, and, indeed, of our shifting
American fortunes without any panic
at all, is the wasteful folly and cruelty
of the old education of woman. 1t is
folly, In an economic sense, that ig-
nores the sharp possibilities of the
future of our girls, while we send our
boys out into life fully armed and equip
ped foI the fray.


The young man, returned from col
lege or the scientific school, in the
bright glow of dawning powers, un-
trammeled as yet by care, and under
the shelter of his fathers roof, decides
upon his career. Admiring aunts and
sisters watt their prayers and hopes
upon the winds that wing his sail; the
fathers experience and counsel pilot
the boat through the shallow waters
near the shore. Everything aids his
start-youth, freshness, and special
training. He has no responsibility upon
him save for his own health and good
behavior,


When does a woman choose her ca
reer' In middle age; broken down by
sorrow; when she has seen her llfe's
hopes go down one by one in the hori-
zon. As girl, she has waited in her
fathers house for the lover who never
came. All of youth has gone by in
vague dreams. In the frivolous busi-
ness of fashionable society her strength
has spent itself.


Her hands are skilless save In deli
cate embroidery; her brain is sluggish,
though it aches with new anxiety and
despair Heavily weighted with re-
sponsibility, it may be, with the bro
ken-down father or the always invalid
mother now suddenly dependent upon
her, she sets out upon this new path
with weak, uncertain steps. Beginning
a career at forty, all unframed


The daughter of her washer-woman
can distance her; the girl who used to
bring home her shoes has already shot
far ahead. She scarce used to notice
these girls, save when they were thlnly
clad or looked hungrier than usual. 1t
was easy to loosen her purse-strings or
send them into the servants room to
be warmed and fed. Where are they
now, while she is halting, timorous, on
tine sharp stones of the highway? The
washer woman's girl is salaried teach
er in the model school house yonder;
the other is book keeper in her fathers S
shop, and it pays her well.


All that artisan father, that mother
toiling early and late, had deeper
wisdom in their need than the merchant,
the clergyman, the railway king, In his
hour of power. What cruelty like to
their indulgence nowl The unreason-
ing fondness which reared their girls in
luxurious helplessness, which assumed
the future as certain in its golden round,
has its parallel in other lands. There
are Asiatic fathers who put out the eyes
of girl that she may be more pa
thetic begpar. To the study of this
Chinese prototype We commend the
American father who, choosing a career
for his boys in the fine freshness of
early manhood, leaves his darling
daughters helpless amidst the Bullets OF
the changing tide.-Harper's Maya,
zine
Year: 1874

The RAVEN AND THE Dod.-"Oh what
a pretty picture p Grace, Willie and
Josie pressed close to their mother with
sparkling eyes and eager tones. She
held in her hand beautiful engraving
by Harrison Weir araven, with bone
in his beak, stood beside large dog
whose leg was bandaged, The bird
seemed Offering the bone, and the dog
bending his head to take it with plea
sure, of course, but no surprise,-as ii
this were an everyday occurrence.


sis there story about it, mother p
asked the children in breath. "Did a
bird ever do that, really ?"


"Yes; L will tell you about it The
dog and pet raven were kept at an inn,
in Hungerford, England. The dog was
accidentally run over, and his leg Sc
verely injured. 1t was bound up care
fully, the raven watching the process.
No one thought of this at the time, but
the bird made a constant practice OF
bringing bones to the dog while he lay
helpless on his bed in the stable.


One night the door was accidentally
shut, and the faithful raven picked a
hole in it, and thus gained admittance
to minister to his friend.
Year: 1874

The SPANISH ARTIST AND THE LAST
SUPPER.-A Spanish artist was once
employed to paint the 'Last Supper. ;"
1t was his object to throw all the
sublimity of his art into the figure and
countensnce of the Lord Jesus but he
put on the table in the foreground some
chased cups, the workmanship of which
was exceedingly beautiful. When his
friends came to see the picture on the
easel, every one said, "What beautiful
cups" ''Ah," said he, 81 have made
mistake these cups divert the eyes
of the spectator from the Lord, to whom
1 wish to direct the attention of the
observer" And he forthwith took up
his brush and blotted them from the
canvas, that the strength and vigor of
the chief object might be prominently
seen and observed.


Thus all Christians should feel their
great study to be Christ's exaltation ;
and whatever is calculated to hinder
man from beholding Him, in all the
glory of His person and work, should
be removed out of the wayl "God
forbid that 1 should glory, save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" Let
the sentiment of Paul be ours.
Year: 1874

THERE is a man herding cows on a
great open square in front of my win
dows. He seems to have an easy time
OF it, so far as I can judge, lying COM
fortably on the green grass, while his
great shepherd dog sits beside him alert
and vigilant. If a COW strsys toward
the edge of the green. the drover points
with his finger, and the dog dsshes
away, circles around the vagraht and
brings her back. 1 admire the great
shaggy fellow. He seems to me to have
fully as much intelligence 81 his mas
ter, if one may Judge from the express
sion of his face. But then 1 remember
that it is hardly safe to Judge by looks
alone. There is kind of monkey, the
dOg-faced ba5oon, with such q solemn
countenance that the old Egyptians felt
sure that he was possessed of mysteri-
GUS wisdom and worshiped him accord
ingly. When they made images of their
gods they always represented the gods
of learning and science by the image of
this baboon. However 1 have known
other folks than monkeys to look much
wiser than they were. There goes big
white COW straight for the bridge. The
drover smokes sleepily, but the dog is
all in culver. He arches his long
fringed ears, turns uneasily towards his
master, whines little, and then is away
over the thick green turf like the wind.
The COW sees him coming, turns lei
surely and goes on eating as if she never
had thought of crossing that bridge,
and the dog comes trotting back with
an air of satisfaction in having done his
duty.
Year: 1874

LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL.-Place a
young girl under the care of kind
hearted graceful woman. and she, un-
consciously TO herself, grows into a
graceful lady. Place boy in the es-
tablishment of a thorough-going,
straight forward business man, and the
boy becomes a self-reliant, practical
business man. Children are susceptible
creatures, and circumstances, and
scenes, and actions always impress. As
you influence them, not by arbitrary
rules, nor by stern example alone, but
in thousand other ways that speak
through beautiful forms, pretty pic
lures, &c, so they will grow. Teach
your children, then, to love the beauti-
full. If you are able, give them a
corner in the garden for flowers allow
them to have their favorite trees teach
them to wander in the prettiest wood
lets show them where they can best
view the sunset rouse them in the
morning, not by the stern Time to
work, but with the enthusiastic "See
the beautiful sunrise !" Buy for them
pretty pictures, and encourage them to
decorate their room in his or her child
ish way. Give them an inch and they
will go mile. Allow them the privilege
and they will make your home pleasant
and beautiful.
Year: 1874

he lived or died Where his uncle
the unhappy cause of his misfortunes
had gone he did not know. He only
knew he was alone, tired, and heart
sick, and discouraged, turning with a
longing heart from the hot and dusty
city streets, to fresh, green meadows of
the country.


He went. For two days he tramped
slowly along, sick in mind and in body.
He had tried again and again to find
employment as he came along, but still
the same helplessness of ignorance was
his bane barrier. He was sick, very
sick, and knew not where he might lay
his weary head. at last he fell, and
knew no more.


After the long blank and darkness he
had dreamy sense of a pleasant,
shaded room Of open, vine-covered
windows, filled with fresh, pure flowers;
of kind, hearty, rugged face that came
and looked at him, and then spoke
cheerily to another kind and motherly
face that hovered over him oftener, and
smoothed his pillows, and brushed back
his clustering hair, matted with his
restless fever-tossings of another face
AN angel he dreamed it was-younger
and SO fresh and sweet that the very
sight of it seemed to put him far on his
road to health again.


This face did not come as often as
the others. 1t would steal softly in for
a moment with the other faces (; and
even then. if he happened to be awake.
it would dart out again in frightened
manner, and as the days passed on and
he grew better, it did not come at all /;
and then he grew impatient to get well
and find where it had gone.


At last the pleasant morning came
that he was well enough to walk oHt
and sit on the pleasant porch; and
then, unasked by them, for they were
too kind to intrude upon his secrets, he
to ltt them all his story, and they lis
Item land gave them his warmest SYM
Year: 1874

THE Eureka New correspondent of
the San Francisco CdH gives the fol-
lowing account of the recent rain deluge
in that city, by which twenty lives were
lost and a large amount of property was
destroyed. -4-a+ ar ra r-r rer


II had been raining with unprecedented
violence at times since early in the morn
ing, and about midday a cloud burst
upon the lofty range of mountains which
borders the canon in which the town is
situated to the east, and the water came
through in large streams. None but
trifling damage was done, however, and
soon the excitement ceased but scarcely
had people returned to their homes and
the scenes of their business when del
uging rain set in, such as is seldom seen
in any country. Each street and gully
way was, within ten minutes from the
beginning, converted into miniature
river, and the eastern portion of the
town, which is much lower than any
other, and through which is the natural
channel fora good sized creek of water,
was immediately flooded. The fan OF
water being considerable, ittore through
with fearful rapidity, but'stili the inhab,
itants thought themselves safe in their
houses, and presumed at each successive
stage that the flood had reached its high
est and that a subsidence would follow,


They Teckoned ahliss for suddenly
there came laundering down the canOns
from two directions aperfectocean, which
carried everything hoatable before it. SO
great was its speed and volume that it
fairly tore up the ground and mingled
the dust of the earth with the spray of
the foaming waters. Those who remained
in their premises were now hemmed in
beyond the possibility of escape, and the
scene was one of the most heartrending
character. Those living or who CHANGED
to be on the more raised portions of the
town came heroically forward en- nlasse
and rendered all the assistance that hu-
man aid could render. Every moment
houses were moved from their founda-
Year: 1874

A PEACEFUL Quaker, who has travelled
in the Indian country, says the whole
cause of the present Indian war is
drugged liquor. Such drink has been
known to produce something very like
savage warfare elsewhere. The Quaker
must be right.
Year: 1874

Every man, woman and child is or

 ought to be interested in this subject, and

 as the immediate fortunes of the enterprise

 now turn on success or failure in obtain

 ing national credit to float the bonds of the

 railroad, we give the following timely re-

 marks of The San Diego Union:

 We cannot see upon what ground of na- tional economy or true stateSmanShlp

 Congress can refuse its aid to the Texas

 and Pacific railway company. All that is asked is the credit of the government; and the most ample security is rendered. By

 giving the guarantee of the nation for the payment of the interest on the bonds Of the road, Congress will put it in the power

 of the company to negotiate its bonds in Europe without delay or difficulty. The disposal of these bonds will bring into the country from abroad from thirty to fifty millions of dollars in gold which will be disburSed in the construction Of a thor Oughfare more important to the develop

 ment of the country than any work of 1n- ternal improvement that has yet been un-

 dertaken within our borders.

 For, the construction of the Texas and Pacific railroad will not only give employ

 ment to hosts of men iii the iron mines and manufactures of our country. and to

 armies of laborers in the building and

 operation of the road, but it will bring into existence thousands of farms, of

 mines, of wealth-prOducing industries; it

 will immediately double the commercial

 activity of the nation; it will give new life 1 to the south, and will be the most potent measure of |" reconstruction that can be adopted,

 Moreover, to what. purpose has our gov- ernment expended millions of the nation

 al treasure in the purchase of New Mexico

 and AriZona-tO what purpose has it ever since expended from three to five millions

 of dollars annually in maintaining it's do-

 minion in this territory-if it shall now withhold the aid required to secure a

 highway of commerce and travel through

 that section which will at once convert

 the country into source of revenue 1n-

 stead of expense?
Year: 1874

SCANDAL.-A story is told of woman who freely used her tongue to the scandal of others, and made a confession to the priest of what she had done. He gave her ripe thistle-top and told her to go out in various directions and scatter the seeds one by one. Wondering at the penance, she obeyed, and then returned and told her confessor Toner amaZement, he bade her go back and gather the scattered seeds; and when she objected thatit would be impossible, he replied that it would be still more difficult to gatherup and destroy all the evil reports which she had circulat- ed about others. Any thOughtlesS, care less child can scatter a handful of thistle seed before the wind in Q moment, but the strongest and wisest man cannot gather them again.
Year: 1874

This is an age of reform, and nothing is sacred from revision and change. The ap-

 petite seems unsuitable and one great rev.

 olutiOn in manners and customs is no

 sooner effected than another is agitated. The latest reform on the boards Is that

 of cremation, or the burning instead of the burial of human remains. While the idea and practice of burning the dead is

 nothing new under the sun, it is new to

 this age and startling in that 1t jars against long established custom. The subject is

 of considerable interest to the dwellers in

 cities, and those who are moving in this

 last phase of change have noilack of ar guments, for the new mode of disposal of the dead sought for has in it's favor health, cleanliness, economy, beauty and a cer-

 tain classical odor that lends it charm. They have made considerable advance

 ment in the movement in New York as

 would appear from the following:

 A meeting of those in favor of burning | instead of burying the dead, was held at l the rooms of the Young Mems Christian | Association, to form a Cremation Society. About twenty-five persons were present. Letters from prominent journalists and others, favOring the scheme were read, and

 resolutions looking to the further advance ment of the project, were passed. Com mittees were appointed to effect a perma-

 nent organization and to make arrange

 ments for future meetings. The meeting

 then adjourned to the 24th.

 But like a great many reforms this one

 stops short of much good it might accom- plish. If it's advocates would only carry

 it further and include in their burning some of the living, the movement would appeal to the kindly sympathy of afflicted

 humanity. What a purification of society | would it be if on every occasion of burn l ing a good dead man, there could be

 thrown in bad living one. The carrying

 out of this suggestion would prevent waste

 would be consolation to every good man

 in the prospect of dissolution, would be a

 sweet savor in the nostrils of justice and

 would tend to promote virtue generally. We offer this amendment gratuitously 1 to the advocates of cremation.
Year: 1874

If we sit down at set of sun, And count the things that we have done,

 And counting, find One selfdenying act, one word That eaSed the heart of him who heard

 One glance most kind, That fell like sunshine where it went, Then we may count the day well spent. But if through all the livelong day, We've eased no heart by yea or nay;

 If through it all We've done no thing that we can trace, That brought the sunshine to a face

 No act most small, That helped some soul, and nothing cost, Then count that day as worse than lost.
Year: 1874

Is always supplied with an ample variety of weIl-cooked food. No eXaggeration in this. Stage passengers and travellers by there understand It, and to them all un- acquainted with the fact are respectfully referred for information.
Year: 1874

The speakers Mt tho Republican meeting, to-
night, should tell the voters of the Sixth Ward
the fact that Senator Bayard does not approve
of the education of all children, but thinks it
unreasonable. The great majority of the clti-
zens OF the Sixth Ward send their children to the
public schools, and they have right to know
that the Democratic organization, run by Soma
tor Bayard, is disposed to take that opportunity
from them,