smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

As regards mourning, the French


are far more sensible than we are. The


rules Of bowed shutters, and of wood


and Grape habiliments of the hue Of


outer darkness, would appear absurd


to this peculiarly intelligent nation


Their rules on this head are extremely


precise, each shade and style Of mourn


ing being severely regulated. A widow


must wear mourning for two years.
She must wear black wooden stufs,


with collar, cuffs and veil Of Grape, for
one year she must not ereper or friz
her hair, and she must wear a cap in
the house during that period. At the
end of one year she can wear black
silk.trimmed with black lace; this not
very oppressive costume is de rfge1tr
for six months. During the following
six months, all shades of violet, gray
and lilac, are permissible, after which,
her two years mourning having ex-
pired, she can dress as she pleases.-
The mourning for a parent or a child
is to be worn for one year; six months
Of Grape and bombazine, three months
Of grays or purples. For a grand
parent the rule is six months, and for
4 brother or sister four months, the
half Of which period only is to be pass
I'd in black stuff and Grape. In deep
it is not considered proper
% wear kid gloves, cloth being con
'idered appropriate nor is any orna-
nent, even of dulled jet or of a Berlin
ron admissible. When the head of
amily dies, the servants are put in
as well as the relatives
Each servant receives from the heirs
iwo complete toilets, one for every day
wear and one for Sundays. Abstention
rom society or worldly pleasures is
marked by the duration Of the deep
Mourning only; that is to say, for one
lear after the death of a husband or
Tife, six months after that of child |
r parent, etc.-Appleton's Journal.
Year: 1877

AN INDEX TO CHARACTER. .-Algreat


many wiseacres laugh at what is called


graphtomancy, OF the art of judging


characters by handwriting and yet all


acknowledge that handwriting does in


dicate something. Every one allows a


difference between a man and wo-


mans hand. We hear people speak of
vulgar hand, a gentlemanly hand, and


50 forth. II had once" said Arch


bishop Whately, "a remarkable proof
that handwriting is sometimes, at least,


an index to character. / had pupil
at Oxford, whom liked in most re-
spects greatly /; there was but one thing
about him which seriously dissatisfied
me, and that, as I often told him, was
his handwriting it was not bad as
writing, but it had mean, shufling
character in it, which always inspired
me with a feeling of suspicion. While
he remained at Oxford l saw nothing
to justify this suspicion; but tran
saction in which he afterwards engaged,
and in which | saw more of his char
acter than l had done before, convinced
me that the writing had spoken truly"
A still more remarkable case was that
of Mr.. Dash, celebrated graphtoman-
Ger. While visiting the house of a
friend he met a lady who very much
pleased him. His hostess, knowing
that he was mistaken in her character,
procured a slip of this lady's writing
(haying ascertained he had never seen
it), and gave it to him one evening as
the handwriting of friend of hers
whose character she wished him to de-
cipher. The next morning at break
fast the lady whose writing he had un-
consciously been examining made some
observation which particularly struck
Mr.. Dash as seeming to betoken very
noticeable and truthful character. He
expressed his admiration of her senti-
ment very warmly, adding at the same
time to the lady Of the house, "Not so,
by the way, your friend, and he put
into her hand the slip of writing of her
guest which she had given him the
evening before, over which he had
written the words, Fascinating, false,
and hollow-hearted." The lady of the
house kept the secret, and Mr.. Dash |
never knew that the writing on which |
he had pronounced SO severe a judg-
ment was that of the friend he so great |
ly admired.
Year: 1877

Once when travelling on stage
coach, says a writer in a contemporary
l met with a young lady who seemed
to be upon the constant lookout fol
something laughable. Every old barn
was made the subject of joke, while
the cows and sheep looked demurely al
US, little dreaming that folks could be
merry at their expense.


All this was, perhaps, harmless
enough. Animals are not sensitive in
that respect. They are not likely to
have their feelings injured because
people make fun Of them but when
we come to human beings, that is quite
another thing.


So it seemed to me; for after a while
an aged woman came running across
the fields, lifting up her hand to the
coachman, and in a shrill voice beg
ging him to stop. The good-natured
coachman drew up his horses, and the
old lady, coming to the fence by the
roadside, squeezed herself out between
two posts which were very near to-
gether.


The young lady in the stage-coach
made some ludicrous remark, and the
passengers laughed. It seemed very
exeusable; for in getting through the
fence, the poor woman made sad work
with her old black bonnet; and now,
taking a seat beside well-dressed
lady, really looked as if she had been
blown there by whirlwind.


This was a new piece of fun, and the
girl made the most of it. She carica-
tured the old lady upon card; pre-
tended to make a pattern of her bon
net; and in various other ways sought
to raise a laugh at her.


At length the poor woman turned
pale face toward her and said


"My dear girl, you are now young,
and healthy, and happy. l have been
so too, but that time is past. l am
now old and forlorn. The coach is
taking me to the death bed of my only
child, and then, my dear, / shall be a
poor old woman, ali alone in the world,
where merry girls will think me very
amusing object. They will laugh at
my old-fashioned clothes and sad ap-
pearance, forgetting that the old wo-
man has loved and suffered, and will
live forever"


The coach now stopped before a poor
looking house, and the old lady feebly
descended the steps.


sHow is she?" was the first tremb-
ling inquiry Of the mother


just alive" said the man who was
leading her into the house.


The driver mounted his box, and we
were upon the road again. Our merry
young friend had placed the card in
her pocket. She was leaning her head
upon her hand; and you may be sure
that | was not sorry to see a tear upon
her fair young cheek. 1t was a good
lesson, and one which we greatly hoped
would do her good.
Year: 1877

MUTUAL AFFECTIoN.-It would be


vain to attempt to deny that one Of


the chief desires Of our sex is to beweH


married, and it is a desire which none


can blame; for, if matrimony has its


cares, it has its pleasure, also and


much, very much of its unpleasantness
has its rise in the want of conduct
either in the wife or in the husband.
There seems to be more importance In
affection, as means to matrimonial
happiness, than in anything else. So
long as there is a real and great affec-
ton existing between the parties, scarce
ly any evil-not even that terrible one
excessive poverty-can infict upon
either of them a pang more than he or
she would feel if enduring the same evil
in an unmarried state. 1t is, there
fore, most important that those who
marry from affection should keep it un-
impaired. As to those who marry
without feeling affection, and merely
for gain OF convenience, it is not to be
wondered at, and is not at all to be re-
GREETED, that in perpetual broils and
unavailing discontents, they receive
the just punishment of their dissirnula-
ton and hypocrisy.


But those who have been affection
ate, sometimes cease to be so, When
the novelty of ardor and youthful love
has passed away, and given place to do
nestle and everyday realities when
the faults, to which love was blind, be-
come apparent and disagreeable in the
husband, it is but too commonly the
case that we throw off that affection,
both in fact and in appearance, which
is at once the best safeguard of our CON
jugal virtue, and the surest pledge of
our connubial happiness.


It is from this that much domestic
unhappiness springs, and it is from an
erroneous notion of our own rights. We
think the affection of our husbands an
arbitrary tribute due to US, forgetting
all the while that the duty of affection
is reciprocal. We cannot be deceived
as to the reality of our feelings, and if
he finds himself despised by us, or even
Indifferent to us, he viii speedily enter
tain like feeling for us and from the
that he does so, our sway over
his heart is lost forever, and should cir
prevent him venting his
rage in violence still we shall become
of our error, when it is too
late to repair it.
Year: 1877

IMPORTANCE OF DEcIsIoN.-A great


deal of talent is lost to the world for
the want of little courage. Every


day sends to their graves number Of
obscure men, who have only remained


in obscurity because their timidity has
prevented them from making a first
effort, and who, if they only had been
induced to begin, would, in all proba-
bility, have got great lengths in the
career of fame. The fact is that, in
doing anything in the world worth do
ing, we must not stand shivering on the
bank thinking of the cold and danger,
but jump in and scramble through as
we can. 1t will not do to be perpetu-
ally calculating risks and adjusting nice
chances; it did all very well before the
food, when a man could consult his
friends upon an extended publication
for hundred and fifty years, and live
to see its success for seven centuries af-
terward; but at present man waits
and doubts, and consults his brothers
and his particular friends, till one day
he finds that he is sixty-fve years Of
age, so that he has lost so much in con-
sulting first cousins and particular
friends, that he has no more time for
over-squeamishness at present, and the
opportunity slips away. The very pc
riod of life at which man choose to ven
ture, if ever, is so confined that it is no
bad rule to preach up the necessity, in
such instances, of a little violence done
to the feelings and efforts made in de-
fanee of strict and sober calculation.
Year: 1877

five knew the woe and heartache


Waiting for us down the road,
flour lips could taste the wormwood,


If our backs could feel the load
Would we waste the day in wishing


For a time that meier can be;
Would we wait in such impatienee


For our ships to come from sea
If we knew the baby fingers


Pressed against the window-pane
Would be cold and stiff tomorrow,


Never trouble us again
Would the bright eyes Of our darling


Catch the frown upon our brow2
Would the prints Of rosy fingers


Yex us then as they do now?
All, those little ice-cold fingers,


How they point our memories back
To the hasty words and actions


Strewn along our dusty track
How those little hands remind u.s.


AS in snowy grace they lie,
Not to scatter thorns-but roses
For our reaping BY and by
Strange we never prize the music


Till the sweet-voiced bird has flown,
Strange that we should slight the Yiolets
Till the lovely flowers are gone;
Strange that summer skies and sunshine
Never seem one-half so fair
As when winters snowy pinions
Shake the white down in the air.
Lips from which the seal of silence
None but God can roll away,
Never blossomed in such beauty
As adorned the mouth to-day;
And sweet words that freight our memory
With their beautiful perfume,
Come to us in sweeter accents
Through the portals of the tomb.
Let us gather up the sunbeams
Lying all along our path
Let us keep the wheat and roses,
Casting out the thorns and chaff;
Let us find our sweetest comfort
In the blessings Of to-day
With patient hand removing
All the briers from our way.
Year: 1877

1t were better to have no opinion of
God at all, than to have such an opin-
ion as is unworthy Of him, for the one
if unbelief and the other is contumely,
and certainly superstition is the re-
proach of the Deity.-Bacon.


Deceit and falsehood, whatever con
venience they may for time promise,
are, in the sum of life, obstacles to hap
piness. Those who profit by the cheat,
distrust the deceiver; and the act by
which kindness was sought puts an end
to confidence.
Year: 1877

OLD AGE.-A vain and heartless


woman shrinks from becoming old as


she shrinks from the grave. 81 hope


that I shall not outlive my beauty, ("


we once heard a charming lady say I;


q should be wretched if / lost my
power ofpleasing." As though beauty
alone were necessary to render a wo-
man attractiveI But this is the popu-
lar idea-or error, nowadays. Our
young people think that the old folk,


particularly "old maids" must, of ne
cessity, be disagreeable and trouble
some-and that from these peculiarities
there is no escape. On the contrary,
our daughters should be taught that it
rests almost entirely with ones self,
whether, if living in "single blessed
ness, one shall be the bugbear of the
family or its sweetness, its crown, and
its glory. These latter blessed ones
have no hesitation in speaking of their
age under the proper circumstances.
But there is class of ladies who en-
deavor to hide their age even at the
expense of truth-the mothers who love
dress and fashionable life more than
their. homes and children-who, to Sc
cure the compliments and attentions
usually given to the young, keep their
daughters in boarding schools away
from home as long as possible, looking
forward to their children's vacation
with dread, and see their little girls
shoot up into beautiful and graceful
women with dismay, dreading to be
rivaled even by their own daughters.
Such women dread old age, and with
reason, and will not acknowledge it so
long as by every known rejuyenator or
cosmetic, even at the risk of health or
life, they can ward off the dreaded foe.
Their daughters, just entering upon the
unnatural and unhealthy excitements
and dissipation of fashionable life, will
not give up their own qualification to
soothe the declining years of mothers
who are made prematurely old and
helpless by former dissipation. How
different the lot of those mothers who
have made home and home duties their
pleasure, and, having tried to do their
whole duty, shrink not from wrinkles,
gray hairs, or old agel"
Year: 1877

THE Loss OF A WIFE.-In COM


parison with the loss of wife, all other


bereayements are trifing. The wife !


she who fills so large space in the do


nestle heaven; she who busted herself
so unweariedly for the precious ones


around her; bitter is the tear which
falls on her cold clay. You stand be-
side her coffin and think of the past.


1t seems an amber-colored pathway,
where the sun shone upon beautiful
flowers, or the stars hung glitteringly
overhead. Fain would the soul linger
there. No thorns are remembered save
those your hands have unwillingly
planted. Her noble, tender heart lies
open to your inmost sight. You think
other now as all gentleness, all purity,
all beauty. The hands that have min
istered SO untiringly are folded beneath
the gloomy portal. The heart whose
every beat measured an eternity Of
love lies under your feet. The flowers
she bent over with smiles, bend now
over her with tears, shaking the dew
from their petals, that the verdure
around her may be kept green and
beautiful. There is no white arm over
your shoulder, no speaking face to look
up into the eye of love, no trembling
lips to murmur, "0h, it is too sad p
There is so strange a hush in every
room; nolght footsteps passing around;
no smile to greet you at nightfall. And
the old clock ticks and strikes-it was
such music when she could hear it.
Now it seems to knell on the hours
through which you watched the shadow
Of death gathering on her sweet face.
Ana every day the clock repeats that
old story. Many another tale it teIioth,
too-of beautiful words and deeds that
are registered above. You feel-oh,
how often-that the grave cannot keep
her-that she will live again.
Year: 1877

WoMAE's AFFEcTIoN.-Washi
ton Irving wrote: As thedove viii clap
its wings to its sides and cover and con-
ceal the arrow that is preying on its
vitals, so it is the nature of woman to
hide from the world the pangs of
wounded affection. With her the de-
sire of the heart has failed. The great
charm of existence is at an end. She
neglects all the cheerful exercises that
gladden. the spirits, quicken the pulse
and send the tide of life In healthful
currents through the veins. Her rest
is broken, the sweet refreshment of sleep
is poisoned by melancholy dreams,
"dry sorrow drinks her blood" until
her feeble frame sinks under the last
external assailant. Look for her after
a little while and you find friendship
weeping over her untimely grave, won
dering that one who had so lately
glowed with all the radiance of health
and beauty should now be brought
down to darkness and the worm"
You will be told of some wintry chill,
some slight indisposition that laid her
low; but no one knows the mental
malady that previously sapped her
strength and made her so easy a prey
to the spoiler.
Year: 1877

Tear from woman's life all else that
she holds dear and leave her love, and
she is rich; load her with jewels, clothe
her in costly stuff, let slaves wait upon
her and courtiers bow, and she is but a
pauper if no one loves her.
Year: 1877

ENEMIEs.-Have you enemies ? Go
straight on, and mind them not. If
they block up your path, walk around


them, and do your duty, regardless Of
their spite. A man who has no enc
mics is seldom good for anything; he
is made of that kind of material which
is so easily worked, that every one has
hand in it. A sterling character
one who thinks for himself, and speaks
what he thinks-is always sure to have
enemies. They are as necessary to him
as fresh air; they keep him alive and
active. A celebrated character, who
was surrounded with enemies, used to
remark: "They are sparks which, if
you do not blow, will go out of them
selves" Let this be your feeling while
endeavoring to live down the scandal
of those who are bitter against you. If
you stop to dispute, you do but as they
desire, and open the way for more
abuse. Letthepoorfellows talk there
will be reaction if you perform but
your duty, and hundreds who were
once alienated from you will flock to
you and acknowledge their error.
Year: 1877

Some idea of the power of tramps
as an organized body may be gained
from the following facts published in
the Herald Of April 23d, and the fact
may explain why it was so difficult to
obtain an enactment against vagrants.
A Herald reporter was sent to inyesti-
gate the Kings County Poor House
and his report Of the investigation,
which was subsequent to that of a
white-washing commission, contains the
following paragraph:


It is rumored about the township
that a certain gentleman now at Albany
owed his election to the pauper vote.
It was ascertained, after diligent in
quiry, that paupers were marched
down to the polls and voted in body,
all, of course, voting for the same can
Year: 1877

The problem is sol we'd in regard to the
cultivation Of tame hay, in This vicinity
We saw a:field Of timothy, on the farm
of Col. Thompson, yesterday that cannot
be excelled in any country. It is simply
magnificent. We do not consider the
propagation of tame :grasses absolute
ly necessary, especially when we consid-
er the good quality of the never falling
native .yarities, which make such good
hay, but yet others think there is no hay
like tame hay.
Year: 1877

A Doc LEAPS FROM A TOWER ONE Hun
DREp FEET HIGH ANDIs UNHURT.-Yesterday
evening very sedate, genteel-looking dog,
OF the pointer species, went to the top OF
the fremont Hotel to have q look at the
city. A beyy OF boys spied him, and at
onco betook themselves to the top Of the
building to Experiment on the jumping
qualities OF the animal. He was an elderly
dog. and had that philosophical turn of
mind that convinced him that it would be
useless to argue the danger there was in
undertaking the feat his assailants had sug-
gested to him, and so without, any
snarling argument or swapping debate
he announced himself ready and pre-,
pared himself for the ordeal. The leap
from the fremont Hotel to the ground Is
perilous one, but the dog was brimful OF
enterprise, and made it. The distance IS
about one hundred feet, and while passing
through that space the dog evidently had
some grand old ideas Of gravity that the
world will never know. When he struck
the ground he was stunned and lay notion
less for several minutes, but finally gotup
and walked oil, resolved in his own mind,
doubtless, never to ascend to such lofty
heights again, and particularly when there
is boy in sight GdlueSton NetcS.
Year: 1877

ATTENTION PAID TO CITY FATHERs-THE
BILL IN RELATION TO COUNCILMEN AND Con-
TRAcTs.-The following is the bill in rela-
ton to counclmen and contractors as it
passed both houses '.... -.E...I


/. Be it enacted, That it shall not be law
full for any member Of the Council or Board
Of Aldermen, or any other officer or agent,
including commissioners appointed for the
opening OF streets, of any city or other in
corporated town, to he contractor with
the SAID corporation for any work or labor
ordered to be done, or goods, wares, or
merchandise, or supplies OF any kind or
dered by the said corporation to be pur-
chased, or in any manner, directly or in
directly, interested in the profits OF any
such contract; and every contract made in
violation OF this act shall be utterly void,
and the officer or agent making it shall for
felt and pay to the State the full amount of
money stipulated for by said contract, to be
recovered by motion in the Circuit Court
having Jurisdiction over the said corpora
ton: Provided, that this act shall not apply
to towns of under two thousand inbab-
itants.


.. This act. shall be in force from its pas
sage.


The Senate amendments proposed by
General Bradley T. johnson, requiring that
there should be quarterly publication OF
all goods and articles purchased at private
sale or by contract, were struck out by the
two houses agreeing to the second report OF
the committee OF conference.
Year: 1877

We presume thcro is no good In appealing
to anything liko pnblic spirit in tho cnsc Of
MIKE EVANS and his attorneys, because TINT
probably cnta no figure In tho desperate
struggle for tho privilege Of collecting tho
South Town taxes md getting tho conmis-
sfona thereon. At tho sano time It Is m
outrage, after EVANS has heon beaten on all
sides, and when 1t is perfectly clear that tho
Supervisor cannot DO compelled to approve
his bond, that l,o should again tlrng the case
to tho Supreme Court simply to defeat tho
collection Of tho personal tax altogether.
Unless he can do tho collecting. ho doesn't
propose 1t shall bo done ut ell. We do
not know that there Is ATTY why to
prevent this spiteful and malignant
schcrnc to keep both city and county ont Of
n part Of thcir taxcs II ho IS determined
to occasion the delay 30 that tho time will
lapso whom tho Town Collector could have
oh.alncd tho personal ta1, we have no doubt
that County Treasurer HucK will DO pre-
pared To mike up for tho Lost tiino when the
list shall fall to him, and prore as energetic
md successful In the end ns ii tue collection
Ind gone through the usual routine.
Year: 1877

is entitled to decent cisility from
it's subordinates, if it does not
demand servile homage. A dis
agreement in sentiment does not
necessarily imply personal hos
tility, such as is exhibited by
our friend Of the Courier. No
one would more regret than we
the removal Of faithful and
competent officer for an offence
against the Administration, tho
we fully recognize the right and
duty Of the Administration to
defend itself against insult from
its subordinates.
Year: 1877

q fair compression, and compell-
ing the company to take and
give dispatch to all freight offer
ed, without partiality or unequal
discrimination, the thing is done
without much danger of its be.
ing undone. The vast sums ap-
propriated by the Government
to the improvement of the river
now inure solely to the benefit
Of a monopoly. The opening of
the navigation of the river to
free competition would be worth
to the people east of the Cas-
cades more in amount than the
sum total of their annual taxes.
Year: 1877

Presidents have not shown
any greater inclination to abdi-
cate than empcrors and kings.
An exception, however, must be
made in the case of the Presi-
dent Of Costa Rica. who has just
thrown down the reins of pow
err. Costa Rica is one of those
happy spots where it is some
times prudent to abdicate.