smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879




The following little story is touching
one, and the hero thereof is we'll known
young gentleman of this city. He has
been somewhat wild in his habits in the
past, out for four months he has ab-
stained rom drink and spent his evenings
at home. One evening, three weeks ago,
he went out calling, and some one gave
him glass OF wine. This aroused the
sleeping fend. and he went off on
grand carouse. For three days he lost
mastery over himself, and scarcely knew
where he was. On the morning OF the
fourth day he was comparatively sobered
up. He wandered into the reading room
OF one OF our hotels, where he was well
known, and sat down and stared moodily
into the street. Presently a little girl
OF about ten years came in and looked
timidly sround the room. She was
dressed in rags. but she had a sweet, In.
telligent face that could scarcely fail to
excite sympathy. There were five per-
sons in the room, and she went to each
begging. One gentleman gave her FIVE
cent piece, and she then went to the
gentleman spoken Of and asked him for
a penny, adding, al haven't had any>
thing 10 eat fer whole day." The gen,
tlemsn WAS all out of humor, and he
said Grossly, "Don't bother me go away
l haven't had anything to eat for three
days" The child opened her eyes in
shy wonder, and stared at him for mo.
ment, and then walked slowly toward
the door. She turned the knob, and
then, after hesitsting few seconds, she
turned and walked quickly up to him
who had spoken so ill>naturedly, and
gently laying the FIVE cents she had re-
ceived ON his knee, said, with true
touch OF girlish pity in her voice: "fi
you haven't had anything to eat ior
three days, take this and 60 buy some
bread. Perhaps can get some more
somewhere" The young fellow blushed
TO the roots Of his hair, and lifting the
miniature sister of charity in his arms,
he kissed her two or three times in de.
light. Then he took her TO the person
In the room and TO those in the corridor.
and the Office, and told the story and
asked contributions, giving himself all
the money he had with MIN. He sue,
ceeded in raising over forty dollars, and
sent the kindly-hearted little one on hel
way rejoicing.
Year: 1879

An American who has been studying
the life, habits and traits of the Conan.
ches thinks there are at present from ten
to twelve thousand, of whom about
twenty five hundred are warriors. Who'll
ly nomsdic, they have no villages or
fixed habitations, but roam and plunder
eight to nine hundred miles from north
to south and seven hundred from east to
west. They own large herds of horses and
mules, obtaining horned cattle emily for
their immediate wants, because they can
not drive these rs fast ss they want to
move. All their animals are procured
by robbing the Mexicans and Americans,
and all their wars are undertaken more
for plunder OF this sort than for any
other purpose. They never take men
prisoners, though they kill and scalp
them; but they carry of women and
children; make wives of the former, and
rear up the latter as their own. They
have never had any permanent places of
abode, as the absence of all mounds or
tumuli In the territory they range over
clearly proves. They seem to have been
born on horse eback, where they do all
their sighting, and in attacking trains
they always endeavor to stampede the
animals by cries and war-whoops-a
stampede rendering destruction of q
train almost certain. If they attack a
village, they kill every body they encoun-
ter and then drive off the stock The chiefs
OF these Indians do not inherit their
authority, but acquire it by superior
knowledge, personal bravery, or success
in war. Any social disagreement is ad
justed by a council of chiefs and seniors
Of the lodges; but these disaereements
are lew, and family teuds are rare In
deed they live together more hsrmon-
iOusly than many civilized people do.
Oflaw they have no notion, nor have
they any conception Of national policy.
They never observe treaties any longer
than selt-interest prompts, in which they
resemble most enlightened peoples. Their
religious ideas are very crude and indef-
mite. In an evil spirit they do not be-
lieve, but ascribe both good and evil TO
the good spirit. Their conception of a
future life is indistinct {; but they hold
that men who have stolen the most
horses and taken the most scalps will
have the best chance OF happy hunting
grounds in another world Fire is sacred
with them, and used in all their religious
observances. Ties OF kindred are very
strong, and extend not only to relatives
BY blood, put by marriage. OEenses
against any member of family are aven-
ged by all or any one connected with it..
They are polygsmists, some chiefs hay
ing ten or twelve wives. Intidelity on
the part of wife is punished by cutting
off the nose, and the seducer Is obliged to
give up his available property to the in-
jured woman. The husband exercises
absolute dominion over the wife, who
does all the work while he fights an d steals


Going into fight they divest themselves
OF every thing except their breech cloth
and leggings. They call themselves Natini,
meaning live, or tirst-alive people.
Year: 1879

who had either heard or imagined
that he heard that her children
were dead also.


And the news was told to Roger
Blair by kindly people who be-
lieved it thoroughly, and he had
borne it as best he could, and had
sailed the sea again, a weary,
heart broken man.


He had not found all his treas
ures, but that some were spared
was more than he had ever hoped !;
and the meeting between father
and daughter was like that be-
tween two arisen from the dead.


And so the rose bush had done
moro for Millicent than she could
have dreamed and to this day it
is the most cherished treasure in
the little home where the old man
lives with his two daughters; and
when once a month it's blossoms
fill the air with their fragrance,
they crowd about it as about the
shrine Of some sainted thing, and
whisper:


But for this we should still be
parted
Year: 1879

Just as the last rays of the set
ting sun were gliding the church
spires and whitewashing the back
kitchens of Detroit the other af.
ternoon a man ard a barrel was
discovered at a stairway on Mon
roe avenue. He was a small man
and it was a big barrel, and pe-
destrians who saw him looking up
the stairs and back at the barrel
inferred that it was his intention
to elevate it to the third story.
But how ?


I'D rig a tackle and pully in
that third story window said the
first man who halted. 'That's
your easiest way and there's no
danger Of accident


He leaned against the lamp-post
to calculate on the length of rope
and the lifting power required and
along came a second man who
took in tho situation at a glance
and said:


Go and get some scantlings
fourteen feet long and lay 'em On
the stairs. Then two men can
roll that barrel up there as slick
as grease


The little man looked around in
a helpless SORT of way, and a third
man came clustering up and called
out:


Want to get that barrel up
stairs, eh? Well, now, fasten
your pulley at the head Of the
stairs and ten men dowA here can
snake the barrel up IN TO time.
Where's your tackle p


By this time the crowd had in
creased to twenty, and was pretty
evenly divided between a dead
lift through one Of the front win
dows and pulley at the top of
the stairs, but the man who sug.
gested the skids had a very loud
voice, and was determined to car
ry his point. Taking off his
coat he said:


4 know what I'm talking about,
and say that I can skid that bar
rel there alone. You just wait a
minute


He crossed the street to an un-
finished building and returned
with couple Of two by four
scantlings and laid them on the
stairs, and the crowd numbered
fifty.


You want this barrel on the
third floor do you?' he asked the
little man.


'Yes-but-but-'


But what!'


why, L was waiting for my wife
to get the clothes-horse out Of the
upper hall. She's all ready now,
and I'll take it up


EsAnd the little man shouldered
the barrel and trotted briskly up
stairs between the sklds. II was
empty.-DetroH Free Press.
Year: 1879

To lend unto him that would
borrow, and give unto him that
asketh of thee, is both a Christian
and neighborly duty, and if the
practice is properly conducted
may be a convenience to all
around. But when all is on one
side it may become burden to
one party.


A good outfit Of nearly all kinds
of tools necessary to conduct my
gardening affairs, has always been
in my possession, but to keep
them, and in order, is the trouble.
One comes for a hoe, rake and
spade, they want to garden !;
another wants saddle to ride,
another a log chain, etc., until
half Of my things are out, and it
would be necessary for me to stop
work in the garden, if did not
have two complete sets of them.
1t is very seldom that borrow
from neighbors, for two good rea-
sons. One is that the practice is
unpleasant to me, and the other is
that very few have any thing
that I need.


But all this I could stand with
a sort of patience, if things bor-
rowed would be returned in due
time and in order but this is not
the case.


Five times out of six l must
send for them, and not unfre-
quently they come homo broken,
and always dull and rusty, if OF
iron and steel. In a few instances
after having an implement for a
year, the parties claimed it as
their own property; and it was
left with them rather than have a
difficulty but those same men
don't borrow from me again.


That neighbors can accommo-
date each other to mutual advan-
tage if it is properly conducted IS
very true, and then there is a
reciprocity Gas Pat says,) but
when it is all on one side it is a
severe tax.


This is written for the benefit
Of those who, in a measure, de-
pend upon borrowing, and do not
seem to think that thing bor-
rowed should be returned to the
owner in proper time, and in good
order. There are two things that
[ won't lend, a whitewash brush
and a piece Of soap. They both
came home about used up, and the
user won't buy new brush, and
to return a piece of soap is usually
forgotten.


Those who can afford it should
buy their own tools, and if they
must borrow tools, at least take
good core Of them and return as
soon as done using.-SANuEL MIL
LER.
Year: 1879

'MRss.'-A woman. who opened
a small millinery store in the
western part Of the city engaged
a painter to paint her sign.
When it came home the other day
she saw that it read: 'Mrss. J.
Blank etc., and she called out:


You have an extra IS in Mrs,
and you must paint the sign over
again


The painter saw the error, but
he didn't want the job of correct
ing it, and he replied


Madam, haven't you had two
husbands 2 -


Yes, SIR


You were a Mrs. when you lost
the first p


i was


tAnd do you think a woman can
60 on marrying forever, and not
lengthen out her title ? Mrs.
means a married woman or a
widow. Mrss. means q woman who
has been married twice and is
young enough to marry again,
and only yesterday a rich old coon
was in our shop and said If he had
any idea that you were heart
free he'd come up-'


'Ob, we'll, you can nail up the
sign,' she interrupted, aud it is
there to-day.
Year: 1879

MlIllccnU, MllllCcllV, Wl4ti! - sup
per?'


God only knows, child


Perhaps I'd better pray for
some then,' said little Jane Blair,
solemnly.


Really l think you had said
Millicent, in a soft tone.


There she sat, staring into the
little fire on which their last atom
Of wood was burning, and seeing
in the red ashos, into which the
light wood dropped so quickly,
pictures Of the past, They had
never been rich people, but always
comfortable.


Her father was a seafaring man
first mato Of an ocean vessel
and her mother a tidyshousewife,
who made everything bright and
cozy. How ho used to sit telling
his adventures to them when he
was at home.


He would not have been a sailor
had there rot been sea serlcnts
and mermaids in them, but moth
ING was too wonderful for those
loving folk at home to credit ; and
indeed he probably believed them
himself.


The rooms had been pretty
with shells and coral branches, and
bright parrots in swinging cages
and pictures of ships upon the
wall.


It had been so different from
this wretched place in which the
two girls now llVeu.


But that was not all the love
was gone-the tender caro- that
parents have for their children.


The mother lay in ber groen
grave in a far-off cemetery and
who can point tho place of a ship
wrecked sailors grave?


Sue remembered so we'll how he
sailed away that last time-how
they looked after him, her mother
and herself-how they waited for
news, and waited in vain, until at
last there came TO them a sailor,
saved from the wreck of the Fly
ing Scud,' who told how she went
down in mid-seas at the dead Of
night, ablaze from one end to the
other; and how Roger Blair, the
first mate, was among the miss
ing.


After that, poverty and sorrow !;
departure from the dear old home;
toll in a strange city, sickness,
friendlessness, and, crowning woe
of all, the mothers death.


The girl had done her best for
her little sister ever since, but she
was not u very skillful needle
woman, and could not earn as
much as some others; and now
work had given out altogether,
and she, pretty and sweet and
good, and helpful in daughteriy
way about the house, was not
quite sure that she could win
bread for two IN any way-bread
and shelter and fire.


She was only seventeen, and a
frail little creature, with very lit
tie strength in her small body,
and now that matters were so bad,
who can wonder that she almost
despaired?


4 suppose it isn't quite supper
Year: 1879

Heaven must begin in our own
hearts or it will be no heaven for
US. Until man allows the spirit
Of love and truth to enter his own
soul and make an inward heaven,
NO outward heaven can do him
any good.
Year: 1879

Men must not only pray that
God would help them, but they
must make an effort to help thom-
selves; God answers prayers in
such a way as to encourage the
performance of duty, not to neg
lect it.
Year: 1879

a WEDDING.
The happy morn has smiling come;
Before Gods altar man and wife,
Hand clasped in hand, all silent stand,
One flesh, one life:


All me! ah mel
Is it for JOY or misery?
The parting words with friends are said,
The slippers and the rice are cast,
And to new life new man and wife
Have gayly passed:


All! mel ah me!
Is it to Joy or misery?
Is i. to live as God has willed,
In bonds of love and sympathy?
Is it to share or joy and care


Co-equally?


Is life to be
One grand soul-stirring harmony?
Or is it rather day by day
TO waken to their cruel fate?
With icy heart to drift apart.


And learn too late


That life must be
A dull dead waste Of misery!
Nay, God forbid but let them go
To such sweet life of perfect love
That hand in hand at length they'll stand
In heaven above,


And so may be
One life through all eternity.


-Harper's Bazaar.
Year: 1879




wonder whether he knows how
hungry | am ?


what shall | do p said Millicent
to herself, as she looked about the
room. 4 have sold everything
the clock, the books, even mo
theirs work-box and the parrot
There is nothing loft. The chi!c
will starve before morning. Oh
what shall | do


She arose and went to the win
dow, and looked down into the
street. It was dirty and narrow
and swarmcd with filthy chill
dren.


Opposite was a little drinking
shop, about which q blind man
with q fiddle drew q proftless
audience.


Nothing sweet or fresh or pure
met her eye there, but between
that scene and herself a sudden
breeze blew a beautiful screen
and there was waited to hel
through the broken glass an ex
quisite perfume.


On ths sill without stood a rose
in q broken teapot.


She had picked up the slip
among the rubbish cast out by 8
neighboring gardener, and it had
grown we'll in it's handful Of
earth.


To-day it had bloomed; per
feet rose, exquisite in shape, per
fume and color, dropped from the
stem, and beside it halfblown
bud gave promise Of another flow
er as lovely.


Until this moment Millicent: in
her anxiety, had forgotten her on c
treasure.


But for q gentle shower that
had fallen that morning, it might
have withered whore it stood, for
she had not even watered it.


Now a bright thought fitted
through her mind.


She had ofton seen children sell.
ing flowers in the street, and Ia
dies and gentlemen seemed glad to
buy them.


She would force herself to be
courageous.


She would 60 out into the street
with this rose and it's bud, and
some one would give her enough
to buy a loaf Of bread, or at least
q roll for little Jane.


She would do it-she would.


God would give her strength.


She tied on her hood and wrap
ped her shawl about her, and
the flower and leaf or
two, and that bright bud, that
seemed perhaps the fairer of the
two, bade Jane be good and wait
for her and won't down stairs and
out from the dingy cross street in
to Broadway.


There every one save herself
seemed gay and happy, and we'll
dressed.


She seemed to be q thing apart
a black blot in all this bright
ness.


She stood at a corner and held
out her flower, but it seemed that
no one heeded her.


At last she gathered courage to
touch one Of the ladies that=passed,
and say:


Buy a rose, lady-buy a rose!
Please buy rose


But the woman hurried by as
the rest had.


1t would not do to stand still.


She walked out slowly.


Whenever she caught a pleas
ant eye she hold out her bou-
quet, and repeated her prayer:


Buy a rose ? buy a rose?


But the sun was setting and
she was opposite the City Hall
Park, and still no one had bought
her flower.


She was growing desperate.


Some one.should buy it.


Jane should have bread that
night.


Buy rose! See Look at it |!
Sec how pretty it isl she cried, in
a voice sharpened by hunger and
sorrow. Look! You don't look
at it, or you'd buy it.


These street beggars should be
suppressed said tho stout man
she had addressed. Young wo-
man, I'll give you in charge if
Year: 1879

| L
and began to weep bitterly.


The twilight was deepening.


She was far from home and lit
tie Jane.


She was faint with weariness
and hunger.


Beyond the present moment all
seemed an utter blank to her.


She covered her face with her
hands ; tho rose dropped into her
lap unheeded.


She cared for it no more.


Fate was 80 much against her
that no one would even buy q
beautiful flower like that Of her.


There were steps.


She needed them not.


There were voices.
It mattered not to her.


Suddenly some ono said:


what a beautiful rose


And the words caught her ear.


She looked up.


Three or four seafaring men,
with bundles in their hands, were
passing by, fresh from the ocean
evidently, embrowned with the
sun and wind, and with the ships
roll still in their gait.


Sailors were always generous.
One ofthese would buy the flower.


She held it out.


Buy it, please she whispered,
family. please buy this rose


Il am glad to get it, said a
stout, elderly man, slipping for
ward. Whats the price, my lass /?
Will that do p


He tossed three or four foreign
looking silver pieces into her lap,
and took the flower.


Then looking at her very close
ly, he spoke again:


whats the trouble, lass. Don't
be afeared to tell me. had a lit-
tie girl of my own once. She's
dead now. Tell me, can I help
you?'


Millicent looked up.


The mans face was half hidden
by his hat, and he was stouter and
grayer than her father had been,
but she fancied a likeness.


You have helped me, sir she
said, by buying the rose. Thank
you very much. My father was a
sailor too; and he was ship
wrecked


It's a sailors fate,' said the
man. It's time you were getting
home, lass. This city is no place
for a young girl to be out in after
night. But just wait. A sailors
orphan has a claim on a sailor, and
my poor little Millicent would
have been about your age if she
had lived


sMillicentp screamed the girl.
oh, my name is Millicent. I'm
frightened. L don't know what
to think. You look like him
you. I'm Milicent Blair. My
father was Roger Blair. Is it a
dream It can't be true. 1t
can't be father :?


But the next instant he had her
in his arms, and she knew that
the sea had given him back to her.


Wrecked with the vessel, but
not lost, he had been cast upon
desert island, whence he escaped
after three weary years, only to
find his little homo empty.


The widow had left her little
cottage to earn her living in the
city, and the news Of her death
had been brought back to her old
home by some one who had been
in New York when she died, and
Year: 1879

of the St. Louis Commercial Gazette we take the following interesting court decisions:

 WAIVER OF PERFORMANCE.

 The widow of deceased member of an Odd Fellows Lodge, sued to recover money due under the laws of the Order to her as the widow of an Odd Fellow. The rnles provided that the payments were to be made in case of the death of a member of the association who. had paid all his dues and remained member in good standing ln his lodge, and it appear ed that the mere fact of being in arrears to the lodge, did not forfeit membership in the lodge, and that the association according to it's GUS tom of disregarding the fact that members were in arrears to their lodge received dues from deceased up to his death and waived prompt payment to the lodge. Held that the forfeiture should have been in sisted upon before payment, and that payment having been received ny the association, it was too late after death of the member to set mp that the deceased was not in gcoo stand ing with his lodge by reason oI ar rearages. If the association desired to rely upon the fact that it's mem bers were not in good standing with their lodges, it should have taken steps to ascertain the fact. If 1t is in the habit of disregarding the fact and does not care to insis; upon a literal enforcement of its rules, but valves prompt payment in order to the rule as to prompt payment to defeat recovery, after the death of member.-Piqulnard vs. Libby, St. Louis, Ct. of Appeals.

 DIVORCE AND HABITUAL DRUNKENNESS.

 In order to establish habtual drunkenness, within the meaning of the divorce act, 1t is not necessa- " that the drunkenness proved be such as to incapacitate one from talk ing care of his person or property or that one should be an habitual drunk ard within the meaning of the stat ute with regard to Insane persons. One may be an habitual drunkard who retains the power of self control and who exercises iL at intervals when an uncommon motive is pre- sented. The question IS as to the existence of drunkenness as habit. The frequent and regular recorrence of the vicious indulgence constitutes the habit. A divorce will not be granted where the application is not made in good faith for the reason stated in the petition. But where obvious reasons are shown to exist, bad motives are not to be imputed by implication and an argument against the existence of good faith drawn from occasional exaggerated expressions of an injured wife who appears from the whole evidence to have been sincerely desirous to do her duty, and generally to have done it in the midst of Encouragement and aflronts, and to have persevered in efforts to reform her husband SO long as any reasonable hope remain ed, will have little weights.-Golding vs. Golding, St. Louis Ct. lals.

 'lieve that r

 A pair of drawers-straN1 ln lem onade Il Puck. A pair of pants two dogs after long chase Phil adelphia Chronicle A pair Of slip pers-two ecis.- Albany Afgns. A pair of shoos-two women chasing a hen. Rochester Democrat. A paro ''does"-two physicians. = White hall Times. A pair O dies two drowning kittens Yonkers Ga zette. X pair O twins Tom and
Year: 1879

THE recent advance in manu-
factured iron is equal to about six
dollars per ton. THIS IS cheerful to
the manufacturers, as it means a
profit, which Is something they
have not seen in fouryears past. 1t
IS cheerful to business men general
", for it means a general revival of
trade. Iron is at the foundation of
so many branches OF industry that
It's price affects the entire com
merciaI fabric. 4 good market for
iron means prosperity; a depressed
market for iron means depression in
general trade. The market is grow
ing in strength every day.