smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

Ev1l.'


The Union seems to be considerably
exercised over an article which appeared
in THE ARGUS on Friday regarding the
late Senator Morton, and in the course of
its remarks. says:


The article in THE ARGUS has created
no little indignation among men who wore
the blue and respect all who aided the
great cause, whether they have since been
known as republicans or democrats. There
is not single soldier in the land to-day,
no matter it he has been led astray into
the democratic fold, but has sincere
respect for Oliver P. Morton or doubts
that patriotism was the governing motive
of his energetic action.


Further it says:


1t does not even give him credit for the
grace of sincerity in suppressing treason
| in his own state and making such hercu-
lean exertions to aid the Union cause; it
| does not even give him credit for love
| of country.


| The article in question gave the late
senator credit for every effort he made in
putting down the rebellion, but it did not
set him up on pedestal as a demigod to
be worshiped by the people. as the Union
would have him. To speak truth is not
to speak evil, and The ARGUS prefers to
give the truthin regard to one whose record
is part and great part of the American
history of the past sixteen years, rather
than fulsome sdulations, and comforting
of facts (simply because 'he sleeps bis
last sleep The late Senator Morton
was not statesman He was cunning,
wary and uDscrupulous-a politician oi
wonderful fertility and success But those
large views and firmly held principle,
which are indispensable in the higher
type of public meu were not MS. He aim
ed always at the advantage of the mo
ment, aud was just as ready to gain BIZ
end by means which high conscientious
ness would reject as by any others. Tha
thing was tricky or immoral did no
: make it odious 10 bis eyes, provided i
could he made useful in politics. He va
ambitious to become president: the rebel


lion made his faiue without satisfying hi
: ambition. Sectional animosity was th,


theme Of all his speeches during and sine


the war closed, and in bis individual per


son. he personifed, after all the reb
| els had laid down their arms
; the unforgivingness of the war; and u
to the very last day he spent in the seuat
. the burden Of bis speeches was pourin
/ forth inveetIve upon rebel dead aud thel
surviving heirs.-training his guns o


fallen foes. He. more than any other ma
, in the country, kept alive the doctrine {
! sectional hatred. Ia his death the doctrin
r expires that it was not essential to the prt
: servation of the union. That be was pos


sessed of good qualities, none deny; he WI
!, neither avaricious or venal in the commo
5 acceptation Of the terms, but he love
power for the sake of power-not none
Year: 1877

We require of our thoroughly-furnished critic
that he should have prepared himself for his
profession by comprehensive study of all that
human thought, experience and Imagination
have stored up for US. When We have used all
the short cuts to this goal which art and nature
have provided, how many years will such an
apprenticeship require? The data are wanting
on which to found calculation. Can the work
be got through in seven years, in twice seven, or
in three times seven? do not know. Arch
bishop Usher at twenty began to read the Fa-
theirs. Greek and Latin, with the resolution of
reading them through. The task was achieved
in nineteen years. Hammond, at Oxford read
thirteen hours day life of Usher, Life of
Hammond by FelL) Milton's industrious and
select reading,in preparation for the great
work to which he dedicated whole life long
choosing and late beginning, are as well known
as the thirty years spent by Edward Gibbon in
preparing for and composing his history. OF
course in this as in other trades, man learns
while he practices. Button told friend that
after passing fifty years at his desk, he was
every day learning to write. The critics
Judgment natures by many failures Without
these three elements-time, industry, arduous
endeavor-no man can attain to be a supreme





accustomed 10 set before yourselves quite an.
other ideal of the literary life. You have
thought the business of reviewing q lazy pro.
fessieu largely adopted by briefess barristers,
by incompetent clerks, by green youths fresh
from college examinations, and generally by
men who shirk hard work-in fact an easy
chair and slipper business. You have, perhaps
supposed that anybody can write review;
that essay writing is as easy as
talking; that it is ouly q matter of
cheek and fluency. You have imagined
that a quart srly or a weekly reviewer merely
got his knowledge of the subject in hand out OF
the book he had under review; that he there
upon dishonesty assumes to have known all
about it, and with voluble impertinence goes
on to retail this newly-acquired information as
If it were his own, seasoning it with sneers
and sarcasms at the author from whom he is
stealing. l know these things are said. 1
have heard even respectable reviews and mag
azines accused of paying for this sort of thing
BY the column, l. e., giving a pecuniary in
ducement to fill out paper with words
to make copy or padding, as it is called
l don't know if these things are done
in practice. If they are, they are fraudu-
ulent, and must, I should think, come
within the act of adulteration. What /
have set before you in the above outline is the
honest critic who gives his calling the devotion
OF life, prepares himself by antecedent study
and continues through the whole Of his career
TO make daily new acquisitions and to cultivate
his susceptibility to new Impressions
Year: 1877

A CORRESPONDENT asks the meaning OF
the terms characterization" and "remoneti-
zation" as used in the discussion of the sill
yer bill. In 1873 an act was passed by Con-
gress regulating the coinage. By that act
silver was deprived of its quality of legal
tender (except for small change up to five
dolars) and the coinage of the silver dollar
was stopped. In fact, no silver dollars had
been coined since 1858, and silver had not
been used to any extent as currency, except


as small change, since 1884; but the law
recognized the silver dollar of 4124 grains as
full legal tender. By the reconciliation of
silver is meant the restoration of the legal
tender quality to the silver dollar, and its un-
limited coinage, compelling all men to take it
in payment of debts. At the time it was de-
monetized the silver dollar was worth 1O3
cents; it is now worth about ninety cents.
The act was passed because of the inequality
of value between the gold and silver dollars.
Year: 1877

AT the last MacMahon found himself too
weak to attempt revolution. The Legiti-
msts and Orleanists refused to support him
in his scheme for dissolution of the As
sembly, and he did not dare to do it with the
aid of the Bonapartists alone, so he stepped
up like little man and submitted to the Re-
puhlicans.
Year: 1877

We do not read anonymous etters and communi-
Cations The name and address of the writer are in
all cases Indispensable not necessarily for publication
but as guaranty of good faith.


We cannot undertake to return or preserve COM
'munications that are not used.
Year: 1877

ONE would like to know the Congressional
definition of diplomatic document" Not
few letters from Congressman to their con-
stituents come under this head, and are these
to be sent through the mails free?
Year: 1877

We have been reading THAT Wife of Nine"
and unlike most readers, have found in 1t
character that is-not interesting nor enter
tanning, but-for want Of better word we will
say-curious. 1t is the husband of that wife.
He is an edtor-"the kind you read about
At the beginning of the story, which is some
distance along in the book, he occupies a sub
ordinate position on a newspaper. Then he
goes abroad and does some occasional corre-
spondence for the paper. Then he returns and
is offered a position as chief editor. This may
all seem very natural to the author of "That
Wife of Mine" and to the average reader; but
from the newspaper point of view it Is the
man who holds subordinate position
does not go abroad. On the con-
trary he pledges his salary in advance to
his landlady, and wastes his energies in dodg-
ing his washerwoman. But supposing that he
does not go abroad-he is not the one who, re-
turning home, is called to the chief editors
chair. That responsibility is conferred upon
the other young man who has grown somewhat
old and thin by close application to his work,
and not upon the one who has grown robust in
the easy capacity of tourist and occasional cor
respondent. Later in the book we find this
editor in the midst of a third editorial article
of the day-the other two lying on his desk,
cooling. Now the leading writer of a news.
paper DOESN'T reel OH aDl0 editorials In any
such wholesale manner. He has some mod
esty about him-and consideration for his read
ers. Again we find this remarkable editor
jestiDg lightly over the loss of five hundred
dollar watch and some two or three hundred
dollars In ready cash. This is the baldest kind
of fiction. 1t is barely possible that an editor
might jest over the loss of that amount of prop
erty; but the loss of it implies former possess
ion Of it-a situation which none but the
most audacious purveyor of fiction would
think of embodying in a story illustrative of
real life. Throughout tho book we find this
editorial husband of that wife talking in the
language of scholarly leaders and sarcastic
squibs; whereas nine editors wives out of a
possible ten will reluctantly admit that
they ara puzzled to understand what there
is in the atmosphere of an editorial
room to give even a fair degree of brilliancy to
the thoughts of one who is so conspicuously
stupid and commonplace at home. Perhaps
there will sometime arise a playwright or q
book writer who shall introduce in his play or
book character bearing some slight resem-
blance to the flesh and blood editor. And IL
there does the public will behold or read about
a character who. instead of talking 10 loud
tones dealing in sarcasm and wit with enviable
ease. wearing his hair on tiptoe and staring
wildly at everybody will be a very common
place sort of chap whose chief character
istic will be evident feeling of awkwardness at
being go far away from his desk.
Year: 1877

We can give the heartiest approval of the
manner in which Commissioner Bentley has con-
Quoted the affairs of the Pension Office, but we
must take issue with him over new plan he
has proposed to abolish the present system OF
examining surgeons and establish another, which
we think will not be as advantageous to the Gov
ernment, or to the pensioners as that at present
in operation.


In his last report to Congress, Commissioner
Bentley describes his plan as follows:


'sIn place of the present system, under which the
claims are established by parte afdavits generally
framed by the claimants attorney of persons unknown
the Office and by the certificates of examining surgeons
whose relations to claimant the neghborhood prac
TONER constitutes powerful temptation 10 unduy favor
him. system should be adopted which viii give to the
office opportunity closely question both the claimant
and his principal witnesses and secure medical cNna-
Year: 1877

1t is a common mistake, on the part of pen
sioners and the public, to suppose that pension
given by the Government is mere gratuity to
its patriotic soldiers. This is not So To give a
pension to soldier disabled by wounds, injuries,
or diseases, or the family of dead soldier, is
merely the fulfllment of CONTRACT made by the
United States with every man who enlsts in its
military service.
Year: 1877

Two eardplaying friends we're passing
through q pine forest. when one asked
the other this audacious conundrum.
Why cannot the proprietor of this for
cat fell hia own timbcrT because no
one i allowed 10 cut when u 10 bis own
deal.
Year: 1877

TESTIMONY OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF


GEORGIA.


have used simmons Liver Regulator for
constipation of my bowels, caused by tempo
rary arrangement OF the liver, for the last three
or four ye Grs, and always when used according
to the directions, with decided benefit. think
IL is a good medicine for the arrangement OF
the liver-at least such has been my personal
experience in the uae of it.


HIRAM WARNER,


Chief Justice of Georgia
Year: 1877

From the n. Y. independently


Democrats profess to be sticklers for
state rights. Hitherto they have oppos-
ed all investigations by Congress into the
manner in which the states have man.
aged their own affairs, as being contrary
to both the spirit and letter Of the Con-
stitution. And yet the Democratic
House OF Representatives was scarcely
organized when a resolution was launch
cd and promptly passed providing for
the appointment Of three special commit
tees TO investigate the recent elections Of
Presidential electors in the states Of
South Carolina. Florida. and Louisiana
This appointment, If il has any practical
character, especially il tho reports Of
these committees are to be made the ba-
sis Of any action on the part Of the House,
assumes that the choice Of Presidential
electors is a matter in respect to which
the House has some sort Of Jurisdiction.
IL il be not such. then plainly the House
has nothing TO do with it, and certainly
has no right to revise or change what the
states have done in the exercise Of the
power to appoint these electors in such
manner as their respective legislatures
may direct. Presidential electors are
state officers, so far as they are officers at
all and when they are elected and the
fact is certified to by the proper state au.
thority, that is the end Of the question
as to their right Of action. When they
have cast their votes and furnished the
proper certificate thereof to the Presi.
dent Of the Senate, that is the end OF the
question as to these votes. Neither
their right nor their votes can be con.
tested. Such is the plain doctrine Of the
Constitution, AID its truth is not at all
affected by the character OF the votes
that may be given. We had always sup
posed this TO be Democratic doctrine


but il seems that we were mistaken wheT
Republican electors are appointed.
Year: 1877

Farewell since never more for thee


The sun comes mp our eastern skies,
Less bright hencefOrth shall Sunshine be
To some fond hearts and sadGened eyes.
There are, who for thy last, long sleep


Shall sleep as sweetly nevermore;
Shall weep because thou canst not weep
And grieve that all thy griefs are o'er.
Sad thrift of lovei the loving breast


ON which the aching head was thrown
Gave up the weary head TO rest,


But kept the aching for its own.
1867. r.. j.
Year: 1877

The House in the Meadow.


BY LOUISE CHANDLER MoULTOS.
They sat at peace In the sunshine
TIL the day was almost done,
And then at its close an angel


Stole over the threshold stone.
He folded their hands together,
He touched their eyeli0s with balm,
And their last breath hoated outward,
Like the close OF a solemn psalm.
Like a bridal pair they traversed
Tie unseen, mystical road
That leads to the beautiful city
Whose builder and maker Is God.
Year: 1877

gushing but ungrammatical editor
says We have received a basket Of fne
grapes from our friend, for which he
will please accept our compliments, some
Of which are nearly an inch in diameter. I"
Year: 1877

The boy that you 50 generously received
ten years ago, aud have so tenderly cher
ished since, will never, never be taken
from you. The mother, forced to relin-
quish her babe, dearer TO her than life, is
in heaven. The father, who 50 basely for
sock his child, and her he swore to cher
ish, is unworthy Of SO sacred trust. In
the s. Bank you will find the sum of
$4,000 deposited in the name of your
adopted son, of which he is to come into
possession when legally of age; and the
interest of which is to be appropriated to
his support and education during his mi
nority.


To this singular letter there was neither
date or signature. There were various
conjectures in regurd to the stranger, who
had been in the village some days,
and from whom it was evidently this let
ter came, as well ms the package received
the night before.


But when Arthur recalled to mind the
look of sad, remorseful tenderness with
which he had regarded him, he felt that
it must have been his father Yet he Of
ten said, as he looked into the face of his
adopted mother, that he wanted no dcarer
friends than those he had already, As
for Mrs. Williams, among all the blessings
that surrounded her, there was no one that
brought purer joy than he whom she
had taken to her heart when friendless
babe, her New YEARS GIFT.
Year: 1877

is the recollection Of night spent at a
small khan in the mountains Of Arcadia.
All Saturday afternoon wo toiled up the
gorges in terrific thunder storm, the
lightning leapiug from crag to crag ac-
companied by the thunders ceaseless roll
Across our path rushed a mountain tor
rent, so tortuous that we forded it twenty
times between moon and night. Its bed
was dry when we first came to it, and the
last time we crossed it furious, turbid
food reached to the saddle-girths, threat.
ening to sweep US away. Drenched to the
skin, at dusk we reached a little hamlet,
and Immediately took possession of the
wretched inn, consisting of two apart
ments the stable, aud directly over it, the
room we slept in. A roaring FIRE was
built, around it we dried our bedding, as
our eyes were filed with smoke, and our
nostrils with the odors Of the steaming
horses below, discussed cold chicken,
black bread, tea from our tea caddy-the
faithful companion of our travels-and
then to bed on the floor where, in spite Of
various other Inconvenience, we slept as
only the weary can sleep.-Appleton' $
Journal
Year: 1877




The following mode of tying hyenas in
their den, as practiced in Afghanistan, is
given by Arthur Connolly, in his cover
land Journal, in the words of an Afgan
chief, the Shirkaroe Synd Daoud When
you have tracked the beast to his den, you
take rope with two slip-nots upon il in
your right hand, aud with your left hold.
ing felt cloak before you, you 60 boldly,
but quietly, in. The animal does not know
the nature of the danger, and therefore
retires to the back part Of the den. but
you may always tell where his head is by
the glare of his eyes You keep moving
gradually toward him on your knees, and
when you are within distance throw the
cloak over his head, close with him, aud
take care he does not free himself. The
beast is so frightened that he covers back,
and, though he may bite the felt, he
cannot turn his neck round SO as TO hurt
you, so you quietly feel for his forelegs,
slip the knots over them, and then with
one strong pull draw them tight up to
the back Of his neck and tie them there
The beast is now your own, aud you car
do what you like with him We general
ly take those we catch home to the krail
and hunt them on the plain with bridlel
Ia their mouths, that our dogs may b
taught not TO fear the brutes when the,
meet them wild.
Year: 1877

Saying smart things does not pay. 1t
may crafty your spite at first, but it is
better to have friends than enemies. II
you cannot make people happy, at least
refrain from adding to their misery. What
if this woman is not your ideal Of womanly
perfection, or that man your model man 2
Your mission on earth is not to remind
them of the fact Each of us has faults
of his own or her own; in correcting them
we shall find ample occupation. A ''sting'
or "dig" never did any good-never
helped any one to be better One who
falls into the habit of giving them soon
looks ill-natured, 1t is not always posi-
bic to join the Mutual Admiration Society
and be good member, but at least one
can hold ones tongue,
Year: 1877

Dr. Livingstone tells US in his Travels
that once when he and his party came to
beautiful valley, he wandered away from
the natives who were busy cutting up an
elephant that had been killed the day
before. Looking through his glass, he
saw distinctly, at the end Of the valley,
about two miles Of, great mother ele-
phant playing with its baby The little
thing was rolling in the mud in a atats of
great glee, and would jump up and frisk
about her mother, much in the same way
as kitten would round cat; and the old
mother enjoyed the fun quite as much
as the baby did. Poor things they did
not know they were having their last
gambol.


1t so happened that on that morning
some of the Africans belonging to DR..
LivingstOne's party had gone again ele-
phant-hunting; and just when the mother
was wagging her tail and tapping her ears,
in the excitement Of the game, both ami
mails heard noise which made them
stand still, and expand their ears, to lis.
ten. 1t was She hunters blowing through
tubes to attract their attention, and shout.
ing loudly


o chief, chief we have come TO kill you,
o chief, chiefl many morew will die beside you


The little calf, as the elephants young
is called, started off in terror, but seeing
the men she ran up to her mother, Just a
you would run up to yours, if anythin,
frightened you,-and what would you
mother do2 Throw her arms around you
wouldn't she and assure you that no on,
should hurt you. And SO this mothe
threw her trunk around her child, an,
stood between it and their enemies. The
came shower Of sharp javelins, whicl
covered her sides with blood, and mad,
her fee for her life, even forgetting he
baby in the terrible pain. So the poo
little one was easily shot to death; ant
then the mother with a piercing shrek
turned and charged her pursuers. But i
was easy for the nimble natives to escape
while the poor animal got weaker from los
of blood, for fresh showera of snears eame
till at last she reeled and fell down dead


You won't wonder that good DR. Liv
ingstone could not bear to watch the pain
full scene. 81 turned from the spectacle
Of the destruction Of these noble animals,
says he, with feeling of sickness, unre
lieved by the recollection that the iyor,
was mine"
Year: 1877

In marrying, men should seek happy
women. They make a terrible mistake
when they marry for beauty, or for talent,
or for style; the sweetest wives are those
who possess the magic secret of being
happy under any and every circumstance.
Rich or poor, high or low, it makes no
difference, the bright little fountain bub-
bles up, just as musically in their hearts.
Nothing ever goes wrong with them-no
trouble is too serious for them "to make
the best of it, Was ever the stream Of
calamity so dark and deep, that the sun
light of happy face falling across its tur-
bid tides would not wake an answering
gleamP Why, these joyous.tempered pco-
pie don't know half the good they do.
No matter how cross and grabbed you feel,
no matter if your brain is full of medita-
ton on affecting dispensations,' and
your stomach with medicine, pills and
tonics, just set one of those CHEEKY little
women talking to you, and we are not
afraid to wager anything she can cure
you. The long drawn hue about the
mouth will relax-the cloud of settled
gloom will vanish nobody knows where,
and the first thing you know, you will be
laughing All, what blessings are these
happy women How often their little
hands guide the ponderous machine of life,
with almost an invisible touch How we
look forward through the weary day to
their fre-side smiles No one knows, NO
one will ever know until the day of judg.
ment reveals, how much we owe to these
helpful, hopeful, accomplishing happy
women
Year: 1877

WEBsTER's WooING-In olden times
it was the fashion for suitor to 60 down
on his knees to lady when he asked her
to become his wife, which, with very stout
gentlemen, was an uncomfortable proceed
ing The way in which Daniel Webster
proposed to Miss Fletcher was more mod.
ern, being at the same time neat and poetic.
Like many another lover, he was once
holding skein Of thread or wool which
the lady had been unravelling. "Gracic, -
said he, 1--WE have been untying knots; lei
us see it We cannot tie one which will not
unite in lifetime" With piece Of
tape he fashioned the halfof true lover,
knot; Miss Fletcher perfected it, and q
kiss put the seal to the symbolical bar.
gain.