smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

over the roads every twenty months by gal
loping ten miles in and out than adopt such
suicidal mode of transit. About this time age
begins to assert itself; loss of repairing power
and inroads of decay are visible; and here
skilled aid and advice by way of prevention
are invaluable. The periodical attention of a
good dentist is about as necessary as any
thing can be for health; the slightest failure
OF eyesight should be attended to, and proper
speetacles adopted. Reading BY gaslight or
without properly-shaded lamp is simple
na9nsss. A man may use his eyes incessant-
y al us lie INTO the small hours of the night,
anu preserve a strong, useful vision by proper
care. Such has been the case with MANY old
men, ana nothlng can be imagined finer than
olr David brewster on his dying bed making
scientific notes ON the disease OF the eve ne,
culiar to old age; or the late Sir Henry Hol-
land chronicliDg the gradual steps which
marke1 the progress OF decaying vital pow
eis. He knew he was growing old, he says,
when he no louger crossed the street slanting
but made the full square; the impetuosity OF
youth had gone. II a man has through his
life made point of taking two clear months
holiday every year, he has, so to speak insur-
ed his life and health indefinitely, and will as
suredly begin to realize the fact. 1t is now
that generous food and nourishment are i'm
peratively required TO keep up vitality. We
live literally by dying and perpeiually change
every atoms one by one. Life consists in per-
ishing, and renewing, and we are sustained
by giving and taking. Every meal is rescue
from death, an instrument by which we stave
of the i'm roads and waste which heat, cold,
atmospheric effects, and exercise make on our
organic life. DIR. Beard put it thus: The
golden decade is from thirty to forty; the sill
yer decade, forty to fifty the brazen, twenty
10 thirty; the iron, fifty to sixty; and from
sixty to seventy. we learn whether the iron Is
forged or only cast. According to the doc.
tors fOrty-sx is the age when enthusiasm,
judgment, ,and experience are balanced. After
that date enthusiasm declines judgment grows
timid, and though experience enlarges. there
comes time when it ceases to have any ed
ucating powers. hll sarI
Year: 1874

The London Spectator tells good
story: A meterialistic lecturer and a
city missionary met before an intelli-
gent audience to discuss the question
of responsibility. The lecturers
main point was the absurdity of the
scriptural notion of judgment to
come for deeds done in the body, in
asmuch as all the matter of the hody
changes every few years, and it is
unjust to hold the new man, who is
formed from the new matter, respon-
sible for the SINS of the old man,
who has passed out of existence.
Then arose the city missionary,
whose wits must have been lively,
and said: Ladies' and gentlemen, it
is a matter of great regret to me
that / have to engage in a discussion
with man of questionable charac-
ter-wiJh one, in fact, who is living
with woman to whom he is not
married"


Up rose in wrath again the mate
rialist. "Sir, this is shameful, and |
repudiate your insolent attack on my
character; l defy you to substantiate
your charge. | was married to my
wife twenty years ago, and we have
lived happily together ever since.
This is a mere attempt at evading the
force of my argument"


"On the contrary" replied the city
missionary, II reafirm my charge.
You were never married to the per
son with whom you are living.
Twenty years ago two other people
may have gone to Church, bearing
your names, but there is not one
atom in your bodies remaining Of
those which were then married. II
follows inevitably that you are living
in concubinage, unless you will admit
Year: 1874

A MEXICAN GRoTTo.-Amorg
the recent discoveries of ancient ru-
ins in Mexico is that of an artifcially
executed grotto, fifteen miles from
Tancitaro, in the state of Michoacon.
The grotto is represented to be of
immense depth and vast extent; The
remains of walls and arched carri-
doris are still to be seen, and many
curious specimens of the handi~ork
of an unknown race has been brought
from this subterranean palace.--T~o
citizens of a neighboring village re-
Gently penetrated into the caveruous
depth of the grotto and lost their
way. Thee days and nights wero
spent in wandering through the lab
yrinthine passages of this wonderful
place before they found an outlet
from their strange imprisonment.
Subsequent to this competent per
sons made more thorough exami-
nation ofthe grotto, when the tact
that at some unknown period in tho
past it had been shaped by human
skill, and walled in on every side ey
human hands, was revealed. 1t is
dark labyrinth, surprising in extent
and intricacy the fabled one eonstruc-
ted by DedaIus. The walls are Of
masonry, and the passage walls
which connect vast chambers, are
archcd over with stone. These evil
dences Of human labor and conlfl-
vance lead to the suppositicn that 1t
is the work of an aboriginal race
which long ago perished.
Year: 1874

A GRECIAN LEGENr.-When
Bacchus was boy he journeyed
through Hellas to go to Naxia; and
as the way was very long, he grew
tired and sat down upon a stone to
rest. AS he sat there with his eyes
upon the ground, he saw a little
plant spring up between his feet, and
was so much pleased with il that he
determined to take it with him and
plant it in Naxia. He took it up
and carried it away with him; but,
as the sun was very hot, be fear
ed it might wither before he reached
h s destination. He found a birds
skeleton, into which he thrust it,
and went on. But in his hand the
plant sprouted so fast that it started
out of the bones above and below.
This gave him fresh fear of its with
ering, and he cast about for a RENE
dy. He found lions bone, which
was thicker than the birds skeleton,
and he stuck the skeleton with the
plant in it into the bone of the lion.
Ere long however, the plant grew
out ofthe lions bone likewise. Then
he found the bone of an ass larger
still than that of the lion; so he put
it into the lions containing the birds
skeleton and the plant, into the ass's
bone, thus made his way to Naxia.-
When about to set the plant, he
found that the roots had entwined
themselves around the birds skele-
ton; and the lions bone, and the ass's
bone, and as he could not take it out
without damaging the roots, he
planted it as it was, and it came up
speedily, and bore to his great joy
the most delicious grapes, from which
he made the first wine, and gave it
to man to drink. But behold a mir
aclel When men first drank of it,
they first sang like birds; next, after
drinking little more, they became
vigorous and gallant like lions; but
when they drank more still they be-
gan to behave like asses.
Year: 1874

Prof Tyndalrs laborious address
to the British Association may be
readily summed up in the simple re-
statement of a very old argument.
An egg contains all the material nee
essary to form a chick. 1t holds also,
for time at least, the force requisite
to construct the animal out of its
component elements. The only thing
needed is to set the formative pro-
cessive in action by the application
of another form of force or motion,
called heat. But this last must be
supplied from without. The sum of
Prof Tyndalrs researches is precise
ly analogous. He finds in matter
"the promise and potency of every
form and quality of life" just as the
naturalist and organic chemist find
the organic materials of chick, and
the promise and potency to form one,
within the eggshell. But neither the
philosopher nor the experimentalist
can go one step beyond the facts.
They are wholly unable to explain
the something from without, in
whose absence neither an eggful nor
a world of life can be called into a
palpable existence. This is the point
at which philosophy again arrives
the old point at which it has been
arriving by various paths ever since
the first effort to penetrate an inscru-
table mystery. The Egyptians SYM
bolized the difficulty, and their inabil-
ity to surmount it, by offering the
mysterious egg reverently to their
gods. They laid the unsolved prob
lem of the finite at the feet of the
Infinite Prot. 'Tyndall and the Brit
ish Association might learn wisdom,
without humiliation, from the ancient
idolators, and emulate their not igno-
BILE submission.-London Globe.
Year: 1874

The Iowa Legislature has enacted a
law against baggage smashers. The
penalty for recklessly injuring baggage
is a fine Of not less than Fifty dollars,
nor more than one hundred, and i'm
prsonment not exceeding thirty days.
A similar law Is needed in other States
TO protect baggage and freight from the
recklessness Of the modocs of the rail
and If we should be elected 10 the next
Lcgislature-of which there is but little
doubt If we can secure the vote of the
grange:s-we will make the subject a
speciality.
Year: 1874

when they drew nigh, fear came up


on the maidens. So Saurs kissed


them and let them 60, but she her
self went on. And wheR she found
the corpse she threw her arms asoRnd
it, an d between it aud her own fair
bEeast she set a sharp dagger in such
a manner that when she straitered
h er embrace .he dagger pierced her
h cart, and so she died.


They buried her and Tajyr apsrti
but even in death he would not be
severed from her, and few days
later the bodies OF the two lover
were found in the same grave. Then
they buried them in two graves
between which water flowed. Forty
days later they who passed that way
saw that poplar had grown up at
the head of each grave, and the two
trees had bent towards each other,
and intertwmed their bougks, form-
ing n leafy arch above the stream,
On these boughs stood storks, and
amid the foliage nightingales sang,
And there, amid the birds and the
green leaves, might che gliding forms
of Taiyr and Saura be seen,
Year: 1874

[San Francisco Chronicle, January 22.l


When Foster, the Spiritualist me
dium first came to this city and hung
out his Shingle at the Grand Hotel,
he was an object OF much curiosity
Among those who went TO witness
the marvellous manifestations which
it was claimed were daily made, was
welI-knowr gentleman, whose name
we are not authorized to give. The
tleman had heard of the slip-ofpaper
trick, and believing he knew a thing
or two more than Foster did, he re-
solved to play a sharp game with
him. Before going to the mediums
room he wrote Il name, which he
wrapped and folded tightly in piece
of tln-foil, When he got there, in
company with several other friends,
ne handed the little roll of tin. foil to
Foster, and awaited events.


The little paper inside the tin-foil
contained merely the full name of the
gentleman's mother-her maiden and
married name, Foster took it, press
ed it to his forehead in that dreamy,
lisiless way he has, and then laid it
on the table, Presently he said,
"Ye., sir, | have a message for you.
There is the spirit OF lady here. who
wishes me to write this message. -
Here Foster took up a pencil, and
with many jerks and quirks, wrote;


do not remove The remains OF
your father and myself. Let us rest
where we are. Your heart is right,
but your Judgment is wrong.
Year: 1874

The Attorney General was asked on Monday
if the rumor was true that he had ordered legal
proceedings against the White Leaguers
throughout Louisiana. He replied that he
did not consider it worth while either to deny
or confirm the report. 1t is inferred from this
in Washington that the rumor is well founded
Year: 1874

A Boston Correspondent Of the Cleveland
Herald says: No better city than Boston could
be chosen in which to advocate and carry into
existence the principles of dress reform, though
| fancy that New York and Chicago will find
their work more of a drag than long skirts are.
Here, although women dress well, that is, elc-
ganuy and appropriately, there is the least
real dressing" L ever saw. And have often
heard Boston ladies' remark that they never
realized how plain their wardrobes were until
they found themselves in some other city, sur
rounded by their fashionably attired sisters.
Whether this inattsntion to dress has anything
to do 18th it or not, [ cannot say, but do
know that never knew more perfectly good
lOvable, sensible women than one meets in
Boston, and the Boston girl is the most sub.
lime creature in existence, [ think.


1hs few gentlemen one meets in society here
are not superlatively agreeable, suppose it is
hard for them not to feel their great social i'm
pOrtsnce, for it would require rather a steady
headed young man of twenty-five to preserve
his equilibrium, who finds himself at an even
ing party literally surrounded by bright, char
ming girls, all ready to smile upon him, and
receive thankfully any attention he may de-
sign TO bestow upon them. And this rsminds
me of little story heard the other day.
was making morning call, and as several
other ladies' were doing the same, we met at
the house of friend, and naturally fell into
society gossip, and one of them told this:


Mrs.-had very nice niece visiting her
last winter, and as she wanted her to see some
thing Of Boston society, made party for her.
During the evening her husband went up to
two young gentlemen who we're talking tOgeth.
er, and said, want to introduce you two to
my niece.


They looked at each other in perplexed
way, as if it was rather a stupid scraps they
had got into, and then replied in chorus:


All, will you please excuse US, Mr.,
We really cannot dance with your niece, our
cards are full now, and we already have a very
large circle of young lady friends, so if you will
please excuse US, We will be greatly obliged to
you."


Then thers is that standard anecdote which
is always told to shock Western girls And show
them the woes of Eastern society girls. 1t is
true, every word OF it.


One evening at party young lady who
had been abroad a number of years, and had
come back quite a stranger to her native city,
heard the following pleasant little dialogue
going on about herself. She was sitting near
a door, and the two young men did not know
of her near presence. One said


Come let me introduce you to Miss -,
she has just returned.


Another girl u exclaimed the second


"She is very charming" urged the first.


"Well, trOt her out, responded his friend
in the despair Of snnGi So he was brought
up and introduced, and the lady had the pres.
encs of mind to eye him over, and say languid-
ly, Now trot him of.
Year: 1874

When Mr. Sumner first came under nay care
he was suffering from arrangement OF some
nbres OF the nerves. As you all know, he had
received blow upon the head. His spine. as
ne was sitting, was bent in two places. His
bent spine had produced the effects of a sprain
and when saw him in Paris he had recovered
altogether from the first effects of the blow
lie had then two troublesome was that he
could not make use of his brain at all. He
could not read newspaper or write letter.
lie was IN fearful state. 1t seemed to him
as il his head would explode.


lie had another trouble Of the same nature
as regards external appearances, but occupying
another portion of the spine, and causing other
symptoms 1t was a sprain at the level of the
last dOrsal vertebra. The irritation there was
intense, and any motion was extremely hard.
hen he walked he had to push forward his
right foot and then his left, holding on all the
while to his back to relieve the pain.


1t had been thought that he was paralyZed
as to bis lower limbs; it had been thought that
ne had disease of the brain, and that was re-
garded as being the cause of the paralysis of
the lower limbs. Fortunately, the discovery
made with regard to the Vaso-mOtor nerves led
me at once to find that he had no disease, OF
the brain and no paralysis. He had only an
irritation ct the vase motor nerves, at their exit





What was to be done then was to apply a
counter irritation on these two sprans the
only point which has led me to speak of this.
| told him that the best plan of treatment
would consist in the application of moxus, the
most painful application to the skin | asked
him IT he would not take chloroform to dull
the pain or removeit altogether will alway,
remember his impressive assent when ask ed
him that


He said: doctor, if you can say positively
that will derive just as much benefit if | take
chlorof0rm as if do not, then | will taks
chlorOform; but it there is to be any degree
whatever of greater amelioration in case
don't take chlOroform, then | shall not tax,
it. / didn't have the courage to deceive him
| tod him there would be more good if b,
didn't take choroform; so had to submi
him to the martyrdom of the greatest suffer
ing that can be inflicted by medical practice
and burned him.


thought that after the torture of the frs
time he would afterward use choroform bu
tor five times after, in accordance with his owl
determination, the operation was performed
without it. never saw patient before ths
would submit to such thing | have men
toned it on this account, only to show wha
kind OF man he was-BrOWn- .Sequard
ffh lecture.
Year: 1874

Richard Grant White says: No observant
reader of the literature of the day can have
failed to notice that during the last fifteen or
twenty years begin has been going rapidly ort
OF use, its place being taken by commence
Where, before, We began almost everything,
and used commence only in matters of some
state and importance, now we commence the
most trivial matters; so that | read, the other
day, that a boy commenced to eat his ME -
This tendency showed itself a long while ago.
but it is only within the period that | have
mentioned that commence has rushed" begin
almost out of the language.


Now commence Is word whose very pre.
sence in English is the merest superhuity.
Although it came in about FIVE hundred wears
ago, it is an intruder, and might better never
have been heard from English lips. As it is
generally used, it means simply begin" no
more, no less; and having begin which is
homs-bred English, why should we so run after
this strange Roman god commence? We gain
nothing by 1t in meaning, in sound, or even in
variety of accent. Nor do we in dignity :
"In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth" I'm the beginning was the
Word.


The historical writer upon language to wit,
the etymOlOgst, or he of wider scope and
higher aims, the philOlORist. goes over his &C.
cumulated list 0f examples, aud records the
fact that at such a time begin began to pass
out OF common use, and commence commenced
coming in; and there he washes his hands
His business is to observe the phenomena of
language. to record and if possible to connect
them. Such, however, is not my clam, scen
tiie attituded. | am interested in this funeral
and claim the right to weep over it.


L think that the departure of begin, no
matter how, or by whom it was brought about
is to be mourned, and if that good, simple
English word can be called back it would be
well-wel for us no less than for our lana ua ge :;
because it would show that manly simplicity OF
taste aud love OF kindred speech have not yet
quite died out among u.s. And | venture to
foretsl that it will be called back TO take again
its birth right in the hoI: ssteal of out tongue
But it will come almost from the grave.
Year: 1874

Revenue returns in Ohio give new phase
to the Temperance Crusade. 1t is shown that
in consequence of the fierce onslaught made
on the drinking places by the crusaders, re-
ceipts from internal revenue taxes have fallen
off in eleven districts at the rate of more than
$35O,O per month. The revenue derived
from distilled and malt liquors in those dis
fore, that the falling off in consumption has
been quite large. When the whole account is
adjusted, however, it will be fouad that the
loss is only apparent; the gain by the rsfor-
nation is real
Year: 1874

The Savannah Ne,cs says a negro was buried
alive in well at Butler recently. His friends
dug down to him in about four hours. and
found him alive and we'll He said that he
never wanted to sneeEe so bad in his life, but
was afraid he would jar down some more dirt.
Year: 1874

A Brooklyn man who sat down to mediate
IN his sweetheart lap, had occasion to eau.
ton her about looping up her skirts with pins.
tie found that the consequences had ten
dsncy to disturb his mental poise.
Year: 1874

PR0KIBITIoN IN New HAMPsuIRE.-Th
Springfield Republican says There is no
longer any doubt that tho Democrats will have
complete control Of the State government
There will he a Democratic majority of seven
ar eight in the House and three or four in the
Senate. while four out of the five Councillors
will be Democrats. The Republicans say that
the prohibitonists have cut their own fingers,
tor, while there was prohlbitory plank in the
Republican platform, the prohibitionists voted
for their own candidates, thus throwing the
government into the hands of the Democrats,
who are strongly opposed to prohibition.
Year: 1874

Some young men 10 Green Bay presented a
preacher with horse and received his heartfelt
thanks. Two days after the presentation the
horse was taken away by the farmer from
whom it had been stolen
Year: 1874

A Sacramento dealer in hair OIL who sold on
the principle OF mo cure, no pay, has sued
one Of his bald headed customers and the lat
ter demands a bald headed jury, in order that
be may be tried by his peers.
Year: 1874

this mutinOus course of goldi Why does it
leave the country which has the balance of
trade in its favor for the country which has
the balance of trade adverse' How will MIR.
Boutwell, explain this phenomenon The SIM
pie explanation is that the French want the
gold, and it pays to send it to them. We do not
want it, and it pays to ship it off to Europe
as fast as it is mined. As the President most
truly said in his veto message, the balance OF
trade has nothing to do with the expectation
of our gold---no more to do with it than Secre-
tary Richardson's paying out silver dime
and we are glad the President is sensible of
tho fac
Year: 1874

tho stand witnesses the late Lord Lytton. The
Earl of Wilton. and other persons prominent in the
social and literary world. The court found for the
plaintiff II is hard to believe il in this nineteenth
century, but there are. not only in England but in
New York az well, n great many cultivated and in
telligent men who regard Astrology science AZ
worthy of respect AZ Chemistry or Astronomy.
Year: 1874

Whether or not the common schools in the
South should, in reality as well as name, be
common to the children of all citizens, was an
exciting topic of discussion yesterday in the
Senate On the one hand, the requirement
was denounced as tending to insure the fail
ure of the whole cOmmon-school system at the
South and on the other, commended as the
only possible democratic or just system.
Year: 1874

A Tammany Democrat and Republican,
together with an independent Alderman, Mr..
OttendOrfer, have united in a report to the
Board of Aldermen. In this document the
Police Commissioners are charged with gross
ineficiency, culpable negligence and fragrant
violations OF law, and the Mayor is urged to
remove those who are responsible for the de-
moralization of the Department. An indepen-
dent Democrat and Republican refused, on
the other hand, to sign the report. If
the Board accept the views of the majority of
the Committee, the Mayor cannot afford to
treat this report as lightly as he did an earlier
appeal for the reorganization of this powerful
Board. When his attention was called to the
structures of the Legislative Committee on the
abuses in the Street. Cleaning Bureau, he init
mated that that Committee had been appointed
for partisan purposes. This insnuation is
repelled in this report, and a second count is
added to the indictment against the Police
Commissioners by pointed reference to the
evidence taken in one of the State Courts in
regard to the appointment and removal of
inspectors, and other irregularities on election
day. The air has been filed with charges
against this Board for SIX months. The Mayor
should either clear the air or Police Head
nua