smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874


Just after the death of the flowers,
And before they are buried in snow,
There comes festival season
When nature is all aglow-
Aglow with a mystical splendor
That rivals the brightness of spring
Aglow with a beauty more tender
Than aught which fair summer could


bring.


Some spirit akin to the rainbow
Then borrows its magical dyes,
And mantles the far spreading landscape
In hues that bewilder the eyes
The sun from his cloud-pillowed cham


Der


Smiles soft on vison so CAV,
And dreams that his favorite children,
The flowers, have not passed away
There's luminous mist on the mountains
A light azure haze in the air,
As if angels, while heavenly soaring,
Had left their bright robes floating


there.


The breeze is soft so caressing
1t seems a mute token of love,
And floats to the heart like blessing,
From some happy spirit above.
These days, so serene, and so charming
Awaken dream of delight,
A tremulous fearful enjoyment,
Like soft strains of music at night.
We know that they are fading and fleet


ing,


That quickly, too quickly, they'll end;
And we watch them with yearning affec-


ton,


As at parting, we watch dear friend.
Oh! beautiful Indian summer!
Thou favorite child of the year;
Thou darling, whom nature enriches
With gifts and adornments so dear
How fain we would WOO thee to linger
On mountain and meadow awhile,
For cur hearts, like the sweet haunts of


nature,


Rejoice and grow young in thy smile
Not alone to the sad fields of autumn
Dost thou less brightness restore,
But thou bringst world-weary spirit
Sweet dreams of its childhood once


more;
Thy lovelinesS fills us with memories
Of all that was brightest and best
Thy peace and sincerity offer
\ foretaste of heavenly rest.
Year: 1874

a clergyman, wno owned farm found
his plowman sitting on his plow resting
the horse Quoth the clergyman: "John,
wouldn't it be a good plan for you to have
a good stub-scythe here and be cutting
few bushes along the fence while the
the horse is resting short time?
Wouldn't it be well, sir, said john 'for
you to have tub of potatoes in the pull
pit, and when they are singing peel EN-
awhile to be ready for the pot?
Year: 1874

It is true economy for farmers to use
all implements and machinery that save
labor, and lessen the cost of cultivation,
and we would be glad to enlist practical
farmers in the discussion of the advanta-
ges and disadvantages of farm machinery,
as developed by experience. If any one
has become satisfied, after full expert
ence, that grain drills are not economical,
we would be glad to have the reasons.
Year: 1874

"A western man set fire to the prairie tor
fun, but after he had run seven miles and
climbed tree, with his pants about all
burned of, he concluded the sport was
little too violent exercise to be INDUCED in
oftener than once in lifetime.
Year: 1874

1t looks as though Canada will soon
De cursed with an Anti-Monop party. A
lot OF dishonest members or the Cana
dian Cabinet have been discovered in
their deeds of rascality, and if they do as
political rascals in this country do they
will straight away get up a new party and
call themselves "Reformers," or aAnti-
Monops, or some such name. This is
the last resort of political characters. who
have become desperate, and who have
been found unworthy of further conf
dence.
Year: 1874

To THE PARENTS OF OsKALoosA. -
The regulations of the city schools re-
quires the teachers to use their influence
to prevent the students from assembling
at the school buildings before the ringing
of the first bell in the morning and at
noon IF you would cooperate with us
by OBTAINING your children until about the
time for the first bell to ring, you would
do us favor, besides preventing many of
the petty troubles SO common in school
life. Yours truly,


A TEACHER
Year: 1874

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED BY THE
Co. SUPT.: What incentive is there, be-
sides the self qualification, to prompt a
teacher of Mahaska county to put forth
the effort necessary to secure a first Gloss
certificate, when it is known that he en-
secure as good position both as to S ry
and surroundings, when holding one Of
the second or even the third grade?


A TEACHER.
Year: 1874




On the following morning, Mr. Russell,
wearing face decidedly the reverse of cheer
ful, mounted horse which he had ordered
from the hotel stables, and set out on visit
to Hollingwood.


Itwas bright, balmy day-quite contrast
to those which had preceded it-and the fresh
soft breeze, laden with pleasant odors, the
blue sky and golden sunshine, and the lively
twitter of the birds, seemed enough to drive
away the clouds of discomfort from any ones
heart and brow Such was not the effect, how
ever, which they produced on the moody horse
man, who had no thought to bestow on the
generous aspect of Nature, and in his best
frame ofmind, cared but little for her charms.
The sordid cares of life were weighing heavily
upon him, and all his thoughts we're concen-
trated upon the vexing question of how to
meet the difficulties which encompassed him
on every side.


"Sydney must do something" he solilo-
quized, as he rode along. "Sick or not sick,
he must make an arrangement of some sort.
A broken head can't incapacitate him forever
from attending to business and I'll not leave
him to-day until l get matters settled to my
satisfaction. If hadn't met with such a
confounded run of i'll luck, last week, it would
not be so bad but as things stand now, l
can afford to wait no longer just as [ was
beginning to see my way out little, too-it's
too bad! But l am too great fool to stop
when ought Well, one comfort is, Sydney
can help me if he chooses and he'd best
choose, if he has an idea what's to his advan-
tage. He knows have him, safe and sure
and if ever the time comes to make him feel
my power, he'll rue it, even though suffer
with himI'


Reflections of this nature did not add to
the agreeable expression of Mr.. Russells
countenance, or to the amiablity of his tenn
per; and he struck his spurs into his horses
sides with sufficient degree of sharpness to
make that unofending quadruped give an
indignant snort and bound, and then set of
at headlong pace down the road.


The impetuosity of his career was checked
by sudden jerk of the bride, as Russell
came in sight of another steed and dis
mounted rider at some distance ahead of him.
An elderly gentleman was fumbling at the
girth Of the animal, which had become loos-
ened, and was apparently unable to rectify
the damage. AS Russell came up, he recog.
nized Grenvlle face, and stopped to profer
his assistance


"Mr. Bradley, l believer" he said, touching
his hat.


"That's my name, sir" said the old gentle
man. Il haven't the pleasure of remember
ing you"


"No, sir, l am stranger here; but you
have been pointed out to me on one or two
occasions by mutual friend. My name is
Year: 1874

TAKING THE BULL BY THE HoRNs.-The
Southern Methodists, in conference assembled
at Louisville, have taken very bold position
on the temperance question, and one which is
much more radical than any northern church
has assumed. By very large vote-325 to
SS, being more than the necessary two-thirds--
minority report that any person making
buying, selling, or using as beverage intoxl'
eating liquors, shall be, upon conviction, de-
barred from membership in the church, was
adopted. This action will be sent round to
the local conferences, and if the majority OF
three-fourths concur it will become law:
The vote was preceded by long and excited
discussion, in which all points that have so be-
wildered our local clergy were canvassed
AS there was no apparent possibility that
scriptural texts could be reconciled or that
the views of delegates would admit of any
compromise, they decided to take the bull by
the horns, and throw the animal out altogeth'
er. The whisky-manufacturer, the whisky
seller, the whisky.buyer, and the whisky
drinker were all classed under the same head
and the ban was pronounced.
Year: 1874

A WARNING TO BoYs.-A certain doctor,
struck with the large number of boys under
fifteen years of age whom he observed smok-
ing, was led to inquire into the effect the hab-
it had upon the general health. He took
for his purpose thirty-eight boys, aged from
nine to fifteen and carefully examined them.
In twenty seven of them be discovered inju-
rious traces of the habit. In twenty-five
there were disorders of the circulation and
digestion, palpitation Of the heart, and more
or less marked taste for drink. In twelve
there was frequent bleeding of the nose; they
had disturbed sleep; and twelve had slight
liberation of the mucus membrane of the
mouth, which disappeared on ceasng from
the use of tobacco for some days. The doctor
treated them all for weakness, but with little
effect until the smoking was discontinued, when
health and strength were soon restored Now,
this is no "old woman's tale" as these facts
are given on the authority of the "Rritish
Medical Journal"
Year: 1874

! COMPARATIVE RESULTS OF COLLEGE EDU-
cATIoN.-A Princeton College undergraduate
suggests the institution of intercollegiate
contests in scholarship, essay writing and ora
tory, and says that, unlike college regettas,
such contests would not require the sending Of
a band Of men to a wilderness and the feeding
Of them on stale bread, grits and raw meat
lie appears to overlook the fact that the liter
| airy contest would lead to similar train
ing " of the contestants, and that where boat
men would be required to abstain from food
to reduce their weight, " book-men" would
be crammed =" for the mental trial of skill
There is enough of superficial training for OK
hibition purposes in all schools and colleges
without having premiums offered to the differ
ent colleges to compete in the matter OF fore
ing their students. The man who is laying
the best foundations for a matured intellect is
not always or often the man who, willie
student, can be displayed to advantage, and
serious injury IS sometimes done to the best
schools by comparing the superficial accom-
plishments of their pupils with the rank
growth of some hot-house of learning, the
plants of which will soon wilt when they come
to be exposed to the common air. The truest
competitive examination between the gradu-
ates Of ditferont colleges is furnished by the
result accomplished in their after lives. II
good work has been done in the college it will
show good results not alone on the cxhi-
bition platform of public hall on commence
ment day, but in the great Theatre of the
world.
Year: 1874




The word Of God is sure support for men
in trouble. Mans word may be reasonable,
wise, consoling, but it never forms a founda-
ton in tribulations, like that which comes
from heaven. God = word comes with author
ity it falls upon the heart like the rising
sunlight upon the mists of night, dissipating
the doubts, illuminating the pathway, and in
spring the courage needful for the struggle
into victory. 1t is the end Of all controversy.
Whatever else may fail, this word will abide.
Heaven and earth may pass away, but this
word remaineth. No man who puts his trust
in that word, and who shapes his life in filial
obedience to it, need fear the opening fu-
ture either of this life or that to come. Re-
spect unto the commandments exclude fear
and shame. It emboldens the heart and
strengthens the hands for all good deeds, and
gives assurance Of the coming victory and
reward.
Year: 1874

Tells an interesting story Of how he was
induced to take newspaper, and what
came Of it as follows:


Ten years ago lived in town in In
diana. On returning home one night
for am carpenter by trade-I saw .
little girl leave my door, and asked my
wife who she was. She said Mrs. Harris
had sent after their newspaper which my
wife had borrowed. As we sat down 10
tea my wife said to ne:


II wish you would subscribe for the
newspaper; it Is so much comfort to me
when you are away from home.


- would like to do so, said ], {" but
you knew owe payment on the house
and lot, 1t will be all can do to meet
it,"


She replied. n you take tl,is paper I
ssiil sew- for the tailor TO DaY fpr II


subscribed for the paper; II came IN
due time to the shop. While reading
one noon and looking over it saw an
advertisement Of the county commission.
ers to let bridge thatwas to be built. /
put in bid for the bridge and the job
was awarded to me, on which cleared
$4,000, which enabled me to pay for my
house and lot easily and for the news
paper If / had not subscribed for the
newspaper | should not have known
anything about The contract, and could
not have met my payment on the house
and lot. A mechanic never loses any
thing by taking paper.
Year: 1874

We laid our father under the snow,
In the shady nook where the hcmlocks grow
We laid him away with prayers and tears,
To slumber on through the coming years.
As evening lowered the snow fakes fell,
And covered the new w-made grave so well
That at morn we said THE place is white
Where we laid our father yester-night'
His grave Is like beautiful bed
With pure white covers oyerspread;
And the hands that laid him down to rest
Were the hands of those that loved him best
The sun shines just as high to-day
AS though he had never passed away;
1t does not seem to lessen its glow
Because dear father is under the snow.
The little snow-brds fly about,
Out and in, and in out;


The waving branches overhead,
How can they know that father is dcadY
by and by, in the joyous Spring,
Over his grave the birds will sing;
And the little robins build their nest
just where father Is laid to rest.
ii may be oroag 10 moan anu fret
For him we never can forget;


And surely he would not have it 80
Who is lying uader the beautiful snow.
Christian Intelligencer.
Year: 1874

rs-" Shall we burn or bury p Is
one Of the revolutionary questions now
agi,a,ing the public. For our part, we
are not in favor of going back on the old
plan 1t was good enough for our faith
ers, and it will suit us rs well. The fact
is. we expect to die some time. and pre-
fer to be laid away in the shady recesses
Of q sepu'chre. with the screws in the
caskct loose, and, in case OF termination,
to be able to kick the lid Off, rather than
to be thrown into the furnace Of loco.
motive aud have no chance OF escaping
the smoke stack Louisville
Courier Journoi
Year: 1874

the place! The old eurmudgeon! had
a great mind to pitch him iute the hand
cart, and run him TO the"


"Well," +" said Peter, IL | had been in
your place SHOULD have taken up with
the Offer"


Mark mentioned the name of the same
individual again.


"Whv, y resumed Peter, I've been
doing the work of butchers boy for
whole week.


Mark was incrcdulous, but his com
panion convinced him, and then they
separated one going home happy and
coDteuted, and the other going away
from home TO find some sort OF excite
ment in which to drown his misery.


One day Peter had basket Of provls-
ions to carry to Mr.. W., his former
employer. lie sook the load upon his
arm, and Just as he Was entering the yard
out.


& "Ah, Stanwood, is this Your asked
his old employer, kindly,


Yes sir


"W hat are you up to now =


"Tm butchers boy, sir,


"A whatY"


You see I've brought provisions FOR
you, sir Pm regular butchers boy. !"


"And how long have you been at
work thus =


"This is the tenth day"


"But don't it come hard


Nothing comes hard as long rs II Is
honest, and will furnish my family with
bread


"And how much can you make day
at thisp'


Sometimes over dollar, and some
times not over fifty cents +"


"Wel, look here, Stanwood, there
have been not less than dozen OF my
old hands hanging round my counting
room for fortnight, waiting for work,
they are stout, able men, and yet they lie
still because have no work for them
Last Saturday took pity on Leeds, and
offered him the job of doing my hand
carling told him that l would give
him dollar aud quarter day; but he
turned up his nose and asked me not to
insult him And yet he owned that his
family were suffering But do you come
tomorrow morning, and you shall have
something to do, if 1t is only to hold
your bench honor you for your man
~ independence. -


Peter grasped the old mans hand with
a joyous, grateful GRIP. and blessed him
fervently.


That night he gave Mr. Snow notice
that he must quit, and OH the following
morning he went TO the blndery For
two days he had little to do but on the
third day heavy job came in, and Peter
Stanwood had steady work. lie was
happy-more happy than ever, for he
had learned two things; fret, what a no.
ble wife he had aud second--how much
resource for good he held within his own
energies


Our simple picture has two points to
its moral. One is--no man can be low.
cred by any kind of honest labor. The
sccond-wnile you are enjoying the fruits
of the present, forget not to provide for
the future for no man is so secure but
that the day may come when he will
want the squanderings Of the past
Year: 1874

The VALUE OF MIRTu --Mirth is Gods
medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in
it. Grim care, anxiety, moroseness, all
this rust of life ought to be secured Off
by the oil Of mirth 1t Is better than
emery. Every man ought To rub himself
with it A man without mirth is like
wagon without springs, in which every
one is caused dsagreeably to Jolt, by
every pebble over which it runs.
Year: 1874

An exchange gives the following
account of weasePs strategem, with
the suspicious remark that it is
vouched for by a friend: "a grist
mill was infested with large rats, un-
til weasel came there and destroyed
nearly all of them. There was, how
ever, one large rat, which he could
not conquer. They had several
pitched battles, in which the rat
whipped the weasel, until, whenever
the rat appeared, the weasel would
seek safety in fight. They were
watched for several days, when the
weasel was observed to be digging a
hole in the earth under pile of lum-
Der. After he had completed it, he
approached the mill, and the rat came
after him as usual. He made some
show of fight until he had got the rat
interested, and then ran into his hole.
The rat followed, when the weasel
was seen to come out at the other
end of the hole, and run at the en-
trance afterlthe rat. Subsequent ex-
animation proved thatthe weasel had
made theS9ble large enough for the
rat to enf*f,. but had contracted the
other anakso he could not get out.
Having thus trapped his antagonist,
the weasel took him in the rear, and
easily conquered him.
Year: 1874

Astronomers are pretty nearly
agreed among themselves that the in
teryal between our planet and the sun
is equivalent to about 95, 600, 900 miles
This is very large number mere
trille, however. when compared with
others that we meet with in astrono-
my-and leaves a vague Impression
on the mind. How then, is it pos
sible to form some definite idea of
this wide distance.


Let us suppose a train of cars to
have started from New York for the
sun ON the 1st of JAN, IA, with con
slant speed of thirty miles an hour.
1t would arrive at its destination in
the year 2235, or about three hun
dred and sixty years from now. In
this length of time the imaginary
train, moving with the same speed,
would have circumvented the earth
1876 times!


Light travels at the rate of 1872, 900
miles in second of time. A single
ray flashed from the sun at precisely
six o'clock this morning would reach
us about eight minutes and seven
teen seconds past six.


If we suppose the intervening
space to contain atmospheric air, and
the sun to be nhabited-which is
barely possible-a man standing on
the earth and shouting with all his
might to his neighbor up above would
not be heard by the latter until four
teen years and two months after he
had given utterance to the sound!
Year: 1874

From Private Letter by Mrs. J. d.


Barrett, of Nemaha County, Kansas.l


1t looks very sad and dreary to me
to-day. The sun is quite hidden by
the clouds of grasshOppers flying all
around and alighting on everything.
They are pelting against my doors
and windows as fast as hailstones
ever came. | can scarcely see through
my screen door for them, and to look
out as far Us eye can see, it looks like
a snOw-storm-as they fly their wings
look white, like flakes of snow in the
air. They destroy everything they
alight on. They have destroyed acres
and acres of corn, and now they are
going in our cornfield by clouds, and
will destroy it in a day. Every shrub
and tree is covered with them. You
know we read of Pharaoh's plague,
where the insects got into the knead-
ing trOughs. / think this is one of
them. Invent out by the door to try
to drive them off and they flew all
over me, and l had to change my
dress to get rid of them. Instead of
rain we are having showers of grass
hoppers. Our six windows are COM
pletely covered with them, and as 1
write they are pouring down the
chimney and coming down the stove
pipe.


Father has just come in. He can
not work out doors, for they blind
him; and they are coming faster,
and are now eating the netting off
my door and windows, and the heat
and close air are sitting. / never
saw anything so terrible in my life.
The ground is now completely COW
cred, and they cause such an offensive
smell that but for an occasional breeze
to carry it off, l know not what we
should do.


Please excuse mistakes, as | feel
so bad and nervous under this awful
scourge and desolatiOn. ...
Year: 1874

A correspondent of the st. Louis
Republican describes the following
scene, which he says he witnessed
on a recent voyage to China.


One day | was putting on new
hook, about the size Of a boat hook,
when the man ut the wheel saw q
huge shark under our stern. He had
been following us for some time. AS
soon as he told me about it got a
large piece Of fat pork, three or four
pounds, for q bait and dropped it
overheard. His sharkship saw it
and came slowly toward it.. The wa
ter was nice and clear. He felt the
bait with his nose and turned over
on his side, opened his ponderous
mouth, and took in hook, bait and
all, then started. 1t fairly made the
woodwork smoke, as the heavy line
played out over it. We soon stopped
him by taking a round turn on be-
laying pin, and we brought him up
with a sudden jerk that almost
Strengthened out the huge iron hook.
1t took three men to haul him on
deck, and he made things lively for
while sure. He fiounced and bounced
around the poop-deck. into the lee
scuppers. The cook went for him
with a carving knife, and the first
lick he made at him he missed him.
The shark gave bounce, striking
the cook with his tail behind both
legs. The deck being slippery, the
cooks legs flew from under him, and
he dropped on the broad of his back
as fat as a founder The cook, moth
ing daunted, went for the shark again,
and this time cut him clean open.
That didn't take the fight out Of
him. 1t took two men, with board
across his tail, to hold it down to the
deck, while two men held the line
with the hook in his mouth, so he
could not do any more damage.


The shark is the sailors greatest
enemy at sea. Jack hates him worse
than poison. They took the insides
out of the fellow His heart beat for
two hours and twenty minutes, by the
watch. We pitched him overheard,
and he kept Hopping about as if he
wanted something; so we threw him
his insides, minus the heart, which
he no sooner saw than he gobbled
them up and started off; but they fell
out again through the slit the cook
made in him. He kept picking them
up and dropping them so often he
must have got tired of that job, for
he finally took them in his teeth and
made dive below out of sight.
Year: 1874

A colored man named Charles
Crook died horrible death at River
head on Tuesday night last. He
was a man of prodigious size and in
consequence of a great accumulation
of fat he had for some time been
hardly able to get about. For the
two weeks preceding his death he was
in a constant, terrible struggle for
breath, the air-passage being nearly
closed by the increasing fat, and he
was at last literally suffocated from
this cause. For five days and nights
he was compelled to remain constant
" on his hands and knees, as this
was the only position in which he
could breathe at all, and at the end
even this resort failed him. His
weight was S96 pounds-M 7,
Korld.
Year: 1874

They have engaged as foreman of this de-
partment. one of the most experienced Book
and Job Printers in the country; and the
presses will be superintended by Skilled
Freshman from one OF the largest offices in
New England