smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1866

1.-THE following poem was written by Jane
Scottish poet but little know
n this country. Who that ever lost a brothe
or sister could read these lines without fal
er in the voice or tear in the eyes
They tell me first and early love
Outlives all after dreams;
But the memory of the first great grief
To me more lasting seems.
The grief that marks our dawning youth
To memory ever cings;
And DER the path offuture years
A heightened shadow filings.
Oh! oft my mind recalls the hour
When to my father home
Death came an unlimited guest
From his dwelling in the tomb.
/ had not seen his face before
| shuddered at the sight;
And shudder yet to think upon
The anguish of that night.
A youthful brow and ruddy cheek
Became all cold and wan,
An eye grew dim in which the light
OF radiant fancy shone.
Cold was the cheek and cold the brow,
The eye was fixed and dim;
And there moaned brother dead,
Who would have died for himl

know not if twas summer then;
know not if twas spring;
But if the birds sang in the trees
/ did not hear them sing.
If flowers came forth to deck the earth
Their bloom did not see;
| looked upon one withered flower,
And none else bloomed for me
A sad and silent time it was


Within the house ofwoe;
All eyes were dim and overcast,
And every voice was low.
And from each cheek at intervals
The blood appeared to start,
Asifrecalled in sudden haste
To aid the sinking heart.
Softly we trod, as if afraid


To mar the sleeper's sleep,
And stole last looks of his sad face
For memory to keep.
With him the agony was DER
And now the pain was ours,
AS thoughts of his sweet childhood rose
Like odor from dead flowers.
And when at last he was borne afar
From the worlds weary strife
How oft in thought did we again
Live Ger his little life.
His every look, his every word,
His very voices tone,
Came back to us like things whose wort
Is only priced when gone!
The grief has passed with years away,
And JOY has been my lot
But one is long remembered,


And the other soon forgot.
The gayest hours trip lightly by
And leave the faintest trace,
But the deep track that sorrow wears
No time can e'er eface.
Year: 1866

God knows what keys in the human soul
to touch, in order te draw out It's sweetest
and most perfect harmonies. They may be
the minor strains of sadness and sorrow; they
may be the loftier notes of joy and gladness;
God knows where the melodies of our nature
are, and what discipline win cali them forth.
Some with plaintive songs must walk in the
lowly vale Of life 8 weary way; others i'm lof-
tier hymns shall sing of nothing but Joy as
they tread the mountain tops of life; but
they all unite without discord or jar, as
ascending anthem of loving and believing
hearts finds its way into the chorus of the
redeemed in heaven.
Year: 1866

The average duration Of the life of man in
civilized society is about thirty three aud
third years This is called generation,
making three in century But there are
certain localities and certain communities Of
people where this average is considerably ex-
tended. The mountaineer lives longer than
the loWlander; the farmer than the artisan;
the traveller than the sedentary; the temper
ate than the selfindulgent; the just than the
dishonest The wicked shall not live out
half his days, is the announcement of Di-
vlnlty. The philosophy of this is found in
the fact, that the moral character has a
strong power over the physical; power much
more controlling than is generally imagined.
The true man conducts himself In the light
OF Bible preceptss Ia temperate in MI things;
is slow to anger" and on his grave is writ
ten: He went about doing good " In
these three things are the great elements of
human health: the restraint of the appetites
the control of the passions: and that highest
type of physical exercise, going about doing
good. 1t is said of the eminent Quaker
philanthropist, Joseph John Gurney, that
the labor and pains he took to go and see
personally the objects of his contemplated
charities so that none of them should be
unworthily bestowed, was of itself almost
the labor of one man, and he attended to
his immense banking business besides: in
fact, he did too much, and died at sixty.
The average length of human life, of all
countries at this age of the world, is about
twenty eight years. One quarter of al who
die do not reach the age of seven; one half
die before reaching seventeen; and yet the
average of life of Friends, y in Great Bri-
tain and Ireland in 1860, was nearly ffty-six
years, just double the average life of other
people. Surely this is strong inducement
for all to practice for themselves, and to in
culcate it upon their children day by day,
that simplicity of habit, that quietness Of
demeanor, that restraint of temper, that
control of the appetites and propensities,
and that orderly systematic, and even mode
of life, which Friend s. discipline incul-
Gates, and which are demonstrably the means
of so largely increasing the average of hu-
man existence.


Reasoning from the analogy Of the animal
creation, mankind should live nearly an hun
dred years; that law seeming to be, that life
should be five times the length of the period
of growth; at least, the general observation
is that the longer persons are growing, the
longer they live; other things being equal
Naturalists say.
Year: 1866

The election which took place in West
! Virginia on the 9th, as TO the adoption or
rejection of the Radical amendment to the
| Constitution disfranchising all sympathizers
with the Southern cause in the late war, has
resulted in a ratification of the amendment.
| In speaking of this election the Wheeling
| Register says:


Persons outside Of the State not thorough
| ly familiar with our local politics, should be
cautioned against accepting the result of this
election as a correct indication Of the politi-
cal sentiment Of our people. The amend
ment was only voted upon by portion of
those citizens who can comply with the con-
ditions of the registry act, and none at
all Of the large class, whom the amend
ment is intended to disfranchise were
permitted to vote for or against its
ratification. 1t will be readily admitted by
even the Radicals themselves that the
amendment has not received the sanction of
majority of the constitutional voters of
the State and we are confident of our abil-
ity to prove next October that it has not re-
ceived the approval of even a majority of
those who can take the test oath and register
their names. A large portion of the con-
servative vote is still unregistered, and in
many of the counties a system of intimida-
ton and force has been employed to keep
conservative voters from the polls, which
will not be so successful next fall. We trust
that the friends of civil liberty in other
States will not think so meanly Of the intel
ligence and patriotism of the citizens of West
Virginia as to believe that majority of our
people favored so infamous a scheme of OPP
preston as was embodied in the constitus
tional amendment. Our people will yet
achieve freedom, in spite of all the disfran-
chisements, the test oaths, registry acts and
other unjust legislation the Radicals are to
in1ct.
Year: 1866

MEN IN ARMoR.-Buckston the London
comedian and manager, at recent theatri,
cal gathering, gave the following account of
panv were once placed:


II had once occasion to represent Richard
the Third at Haymarket Theater, but being
unaccustomed at the house to warlike TRACE.
dies, we had no suits of mail to engage tho
captains and soldiers Of York and Lancaster.
In this difficulty, applied to the manager
of Astley's Amphiteater for the loan Of some
armor when almost Immediately afterward
van-Ioad arrived at my stage door. I sent
my thanks to the manager for his kind and
prompt compliance with my request, and
experienced to him an indescribable feeling
Of friendship, mingled with gratitude. The
only drawback to this generous action was
that the armor was very dirty, aud required
occupied for two or three days in Frightening
it up.


The night came for the performance Of
Richard the Third. The armor was donned
10y the actors, who went into the battle Ger,
tainly, but under difficulty. My Earl Of
Richmond, on lifting up his arm to strike at
Richard could not get it down again, but
continued in that striking attitude to the
end of the play. Catesby and Ratciffe
wandered about like animated Dutch ovens,
and being unable to see through their vizors
where they were going, came into collision
with each other; some of the helmets having
been forced on the heads of some of the SOL
diers, could not be got off again till long
after the tragedy was over; while one dis.
gusted super, who had been laughed at by
the audience, and had also experienced a
tumble or two, was heard to say. If this


armor dodge goes on | shall leave the pro


fession'"
Year: 1866

The RAILRoAD-The contractors Of the
Copperopolis Railroad have gang of about
thirty men at work grading the road, and
have reached point little over three miles
from the city Of Stockton
Year: 1866

An Englishmau and a Dutchman, so the
story goes undertook on wager, to row
their respective skifs from a place seven
miles below the Gap TO a point above It,
The man who arrived first at the place OF
destination was to be considered the champ
ion and to receive the stakes Both started.
The Englishman pulled out vigorously, when
the Dutchman, with true Teutonic imperturo-
ability, suffered his opponent to 60 ahead
without an apparent effort to keep up with
him.


When the Engishman began to round the
bluff, after passing the gap, the Dutchman
was "hull down and almost out OF sight
Of his antagonist, who had sure thing Of
it."


When the Dutchman reached the gap, he
ran his skiff oh shore, raised it on his sh9ul-
ders and made his way with all possible dis
patch across the few hundred feet Of inter-
vening space. When the Engishman arriv-
ed at the point at which the race. was to ter
inmate, what was his astonishment to find
his opponent in his skif, calmly await ne
his appearance, having relieved the weariness
Of lis stay by smoking, with Dutch leisure
three or four pipes of tobacco.
Year: 1866

Towards night the Judge began to
look around for his distinguished oppo-
nent, but could not find him. He waited
patiently till evening services began, and
concluded he would go out to the large
shed where the people had assembled
for meeting, thinking perhaps he might
meet his friend. On going out, what
was his astonishment to find the gallant
Governor, the hero of the shooting
match, in front of the altar, surrounded
by ministers and class leaders, with a
hymn book in his hand, head thrown
back singing as loud as his lungs would
permit.


'' How firm foundation, ye saints of the Lord. "


"From that moment, said the Judge,
" I gave up all hopes. tell you-I tell
you, sir, a man that's good for a camp
meeting and a shooting match cant be
beat for Congress. 1t can't be done,
sir And so it proved.
Year: 1866

Gen. SPeridan's experience with a


stiff old Virginia gentleman just be-
fore Lee surrendered at Appomatox
| G. H, is told excellently in a recent
| book on the last campaign of Lee, as
follows


1.-The general dismounted here, at
the fence of a stiff old gentleman who
was sitting on his high piazza and
/ scoWling severely as we rode up. He
was the typical Southerner of 80 years;
his long, gray hair fell over the collar
of his coat behind his ears he was ar
rayed In the swallow tail of a by-gOne
mode, a buff linen vest, cut low, and
nankeen pantaloOns springing far over
his feet, that were neatly encased IN
morocco slippers a bristling shirt
frill adorned his bosom and from the
embrasure of the Wall-hke collar he
shot defiant glances at us as we chat
tered up the walk to his house. Prince
Edward Court House was stranger
to war, and our indignant friend was
looking now for the FIRST time on the
like Of us, and certainly he did not
seem to like our looks, He bowed in
a digni6ed way to the general, who
bobbed at him carelessly, and set down
on a step, drew out his inevitable map
lighted fresh cigar, and asked our host
if any of Lees troops had been seen
about here to day. Sir, he answered, |
as I can truly say that none have been
seen by me ] will say so but if I had
seen any I should feel it my duty to
refuse to reply to your question.
cannot give you any information to
the disadvantage of Gen. Lee This (
little speech, clothed in unexceptiOn- /
able diction, which no doubt had been |
awaiting US from the time we tied our /
horses at the gate, missed fire badly. !
1t was very patriotic, and all that but |
the general was not in humOr to |
drop patriotism just then, so he only |
gave a soft whistle of surprise, and re-
turned to tie attack quite unscathed.


How far is it to Buffalo River p


''Sir, l don't know"


THE ID you don't. How long
have you lived here p


''All my life"


very well, sir, it's time you did
know


Captainl put this gentleman in charge
of a guard. aud when we move, walk
him down to Buffalo River, and show
it to him


And so he was marched off, leav-
ing us a savage glance at parting and |
that evening tramped five miles away
from home to look at river which
was as familiar to him as his own fam
ily. Doubtless to this day he regales |
the nejghbors with the story of this |
insult that was put upon him, and /
still brings up his children in the faith 1
for whose dogmas he suffered. Doubt
less, too, he considers Gen. Sheri dan /
a perfect gentleman.
Year: 1866

A capital story is told of a young
fellow who on one Sunday str0lled in
to a village church, and during the
service was electrified aud gratifed by
the sparkling Of pair of eyes which
We're rlVeted upon his face. After the
service, he saw the possessor of the
shining orbs leave the church alone.
and, emboldened by her glances, he
ventured to follow her, his heart ach-
ing with rapture He saw her look
behind, and he fancied she eviueed
some emotion at recognizing him. He
had quickened his pace, and she actu-
ally slackened hers, as if to let him
come up with her-but VIC will per-
NIT the young gentleman to tell the
rest in his own way


Noble young creature y thought [,
her artless and warm heart is supe-
TIOr to the bond of custom"


l had reached within a stones
throw of her She suddenly halted
and turned her face toward me. My
heart swelled to bursting, I reached
the spot where she stood she began
to speak, and I took off my hat as If
doing reverence to an angel.


Are you a peddler P'


No, my dear that is not my occu-
patton"


Well, I don't know" continued
she, not very bashfully, and cycling me
very sternly Il thought when [ saw
you In the meeting house that you
looked like n peddler who passed off
a pewter half dollar on me three weeks
ago, aud so [ determined to keep an
eye on you. Brother John has got
home now and saws If he catches fbe
fellow he'll wiring his neck for him
and l amt sure but you're the good
fOr-nothing rascal after all ?''
Year: 1866

A LONGITUDINAL RIVER.-A river
that runs east or west crosses no par
allel Of latitude; consequently, as It
flows toward the sea, it does not change
its climate, and, being in the same eli
mate, the crops that are grown at Its
mouth are grown at its sources; end
from one end to the other of it there
is no variety Of prOduction-lt is Of
wheat and corn, or wine or oil or some
other staple Assorted cargoes, there
fore, canuot be made up from the pro
duce which such a river brings down
to market On the other hand, a riv-
er that runs north or south crosses
parallels of latitude, changes its eli
mate at every turn, and, as the traveller
descends it, he sees new agricultural
staDies Astounding. Such a river bears
down TO the sea a variety Of prOduc.
tioBs, which one or another OF the na-
tions is sure to want, and for which
one will send to the market at its
mouth, or the port whence they are dis
tributed over the world Its advan-
tages are equally great for trade be-
tween the different sections through
which it flows, as the staples of those
sections are unlike, and productions
lacking in one part of its course are
supplied in another. The assortmeuts
Of merchandise afforded by such a riv-
er are the life of commerce they give
it energy, activity and scope. Such a
river is the Mississippi, and the NJ is
sissippi is the only such river In the
worldl
Year: 1866

MARINE BABO8IETERS.-A dog OF
the pointer kind, brought from South
| Carolina in an English merchant YES
sci, was a remarkable prognosticatoT
of bad weather. Whenever he was OBJ
served to prick up his ears, scratch the
deck, and rear himself to look to the
WindWard, whence he would eagerly
snuff up the wind, if it was then the
finest weather imaginable the crew
were sure of a succeeding tempest; and
he became so useful, that whenever
they perceived the fit upon him they
Immediately reefed the sails and took
IN their spare canvas, TO prepare for
the worst.


Other animals are prognOsticators Of
weather also, and there is seldom a
storm at sea but it is foretold by some
of the natural marine barometers on
board many hours before the gale
Cats and pigs for instance, perceiviDg
though we cannot, the alteration in the
atmosphere, by some effect it has on
their bodies. will run about like wild
creatures. The cat will dance up and
down the shrouds. gnaw the ropes, and
divert herself with every thread that
stirs. The pigs will race about, bite
one another, and commence perfect
posture-masters, though they get many
a kick for it from the apprehensive
sailor.


May not the popular saying of "pigs
seeing the wind" have had its origin
from this circumstance


Poultry on shipboard also, before
the approach of windy weather, are
greatly disturbed, beating their wings
about their coops, dropping prodig
iously, and making a low, mournful
kind Of cackliug.
Year: 1866

WHY THE SKY Is BLUE.-It is gen
orally supposed that the blue color of
the sky is due to moisture in our at
mosphere, and the idea seems to be
confirmed by the intensity of the color
during the moist weather of summer,
when compared with the sky of the
more dry weathered winter. 1t has
recently been shown by Prof Cooke,
of Cambridge, in a paper read to the
American Academy of Arts and Sci
enees, that this view is correct. He
has found by means Of the speotroseope,
a very delicate instrument of analysis,
by which the most minute substances,
even when at distance, can be deteo-
ted, that the aqueous vapOr of the at
mosphere absorbs most powerfully til e
yellow and red rays emanating from
the sun, leaving the blue rays to be
transmitted, and thus accounting for
the color of the sky. The instrument
also proves that the color is due to
simple absorption of these rays by the
water, and not to repeated reflections
from the surface of an infnity of drops,
as has been supposed.
Year: 1866

was woman, and I'd a heart,
And I raYed oflove and of constancy,
And he saw the tears to my eyelids start,


For he was the world to me!
He Whispered low when the spring-time


flew,


Of the tangled paths in which men


stray,
And around me all his arms he threw,


His eyes were on fire that day.
We parted: yesl but I clung to MIN,
And put up my lips to be kissed


again:
But the laughing eyes of the heav'n


grew dim,


And were swollen black with rain,
They came to me when my love was


gone,


And said he was poor and toiled for


bread
They taIk'd of ruin and tears alone,


And my heart was dull as lead.
And then they laid their briBe at my
Twas the same old tale that is often
told
They played on the strings ofmy hearts
cOneeit,


And dazzled my eyes with gold.
I sold myself to loveless thing,
And walked to the altar and thereT
lied;
For my heart was away with the prim-
rose spring,


And by my husbands side.
And now you ask me what Of the lie?
I've paid full dear formy girIish greed;
'Twere better, Think, for a woman to die
Than to live the life I lead.
I am alone, but still I can sing,
And pray for the ruin ofwinter's rain,
For the scent of the primrose-crown Of
spring
VIII return to me again.


HarPer'S Weekly.
Year: 1866

These ants are a medium size be
tween the large and small red ant
and are of a reddish and brown colol


Appended to the rear of each one is
transparent sack or globe filed wit
pure, clear honey, of a most deliciou
favor. These sacks vary 10 size Of
different ants-ranging between tn
size of buokshot and a navy pisto
ball On this sack, at short inter walls
are attached thin layers about the
length aud width of half a grain o.
rice, and Of a dark color, evide ntly tf
strengthen it and keep it in shape
These interesting animals, when theJ
crawl, draw their delicious load after
them, and if the sack is empty, they
set themselves to work to replenish II
again. Whether they deposit this
honey in their great general reservoir
among the rocks, to draw from it as
occasion may require, or hold and use
it as individual property, we are not
informed. Here is a curiosity that
we believe has heretofore escaped the
eyes and pens of our celebrated natur-
alists.
Year: 1866


The cannon were belehing their last


Ger the fields where the routed were


flying,


And shouting Pursuers strobe fast,


Through the heaps Of the dead and


the dying.


Wars rage was beginning to waue,
The fierce cared no longer to strike
And the good stopped to soften the pain
Ofvicbors and vanquished alike.
A yellow-haired Austrian lad,


Layat length on a shot furrowed bank;
He was eomeIy and daintiIy clad
In the glittering dress of his rank
Not so white, though, his coat as his


cheek,


Nor so red the sash crossing his chest
As the horrible crimson streak


Of the blood that had welled from his


breast.


His foes approached where he was laid,
To bear him in reach Of their skill
But he murmured, Give others your.


aid


BY our Fatherland let me lie still"
At dawn they came searching again,
To win now the quick from the dead
The boy was set free from his pain,
And his faithful young spirit had fed.
As they lifted his limbs from the ground,
To hide them away out of sight,
I10l under his bosom they found
The dag he had borne thro' the fight
He had folded the silk he loved well,
Lest a shred should be seen at his side
To wave it in triumph he fell,
To save it from capture he died.
The head of the sternest was barred
AS they gazed on the shot-riven rag, /
And the hand OF the hardest spared
To make prey Of that Austrian flag.
Ger the tomb of their brother they


bowed,
With prayer for a spirit as brave;
And they gave him flag for a shroud /
In his narrow and nameIess grave


Bloomfield Jackson, n. 4.
Year: 1866

The following from a correspondent
at Bramfeld, Conn, is not bad hit
upon small organs IN country churches: /:


A lady from New York was up here
having been spending the summer in
the country. As this was to be the
last Sabbath Of her visit, she took her
son, child of four years old, 10 church
with her for the first time. As soon as
the organ commenced its strains, the
little fellow started up with delight /;
he looked back to the gallery, he
stretched his neck he got up on the
cushions and raised himself to the
very tallest; his mother demonstrated
with him and told him to sit down.
But he refused, and continued gazing
aloft with straining eyes.


sit down" said the mother.


II won't Z" he cried, so as to be
heard all around. Sc want to see the
monkey"


There is quite a party In our church
opposed to the organ, and they tell
this story with great gustO.
Year: 1866

YoUNG AMERICA WoNDERs.--I wonder
what makes papa tell such stories to visitors
about his hiding the masters rattan when be
went TO school, aud about his running away
from the school mistress when she was going
to whip him, and then shut me up all day
in dark room because tried just once to
be as smart as he was :


Wonder what made papa say that wicked
word when Betsey upset the ink all over his
papers. and then slapped my ears because l
said the same thing when my kite string
broke


Wonder why mother told Bridget the other
day, to cay she was not at home when Tommy
Days mother called, and then puts me to bed
without my supper every time tell lie ;


Oh, dear there are lots OF things | want
TO know How | wish | was man