smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

In default of public announcement of
betrothal, people in the habit Of watching the
actors from evening to evening may tell by
one infallible sign when the happy climax is
reached AS soon as the swain begins to pay
the young lady's reckoning in addition to his
own, depend on it, they are engaged.


Up to that time the maiden's Gansebraten
has been reckoned at the close Of every even
ing with the account Of the family and paid
for by the fond parent but now the burden
has been lightened The future son-in-law
meets his sweetheart's expenses, but them
alone. Even if there be nobody else with
them but the mother, she always pays her
own BILL Night after night one may see at
the same restaurant young man pay for him.
self and his sweetheart, while the worthy mat
ron is just as regularly left to the resources Of
her own purse IF the three visit the theatre
he purchases stalls for two, while the mother
takes her place in the queue and looks out for
herself and the rule is scarcely ever broken.


If it be said, on the one hand, that the
mother, having shuHled off the responsibility
of her daughters entertainment, ought to be
satisfied with that; it may be urged, on the
other hand, that in view of the fidelity and
regularity expected of German lover, the
support of the young lady is in itself enough,
and he ought not to be asked to have the
mother superadded-at least until after the
marriage Young people, when engaged, are
expected to pass three hundred and sixty-ive
evenings a year in each others society. If
they belong to the middle or poorer classes,
this phenomenon is generally witnessed at
cheap beer houses and gardens, varied in
summer by an occasional rural excursion.


If they have a more exalted position in the
social scale, there will be facilities for enter
tanning the victim at the house Of the intend.
ed, and for beer gardens they will, now and
then, substitute concert or play. But the
full quota of evenings is always vigorously Gu
acted.


Berlin is fast outgrowing slow matrimonial
Year: 1874

EDGE TooLs.-A correspondent of the De-
troit Tribune says "If an edge tool is so
hard as to crumble grind it on dry stone
until the edge turns blue; it will then cease
to break, and the temper will generally prove
to be aboutright. Scythes and axes are some~
times too hard at the edge, but if treated in
this way will give no further trouble"
Year: 1874

SAMBo's PATIENCE ExPLAINED.-I have
the story of an incident at one Of the Rich
mond hotels which made me laugh, although
all readers may not see anything funny about
it, A Boston man and two Virginians sat at
the table. The Boston man was shocked to
hear the Virginians call the colored waiter
"a black rascal" and "nigger." Surely, he
thought, the spirit of slavery is strongly upon
this people. He was careful to call the wait.
er "his FRIEND" when ordering dishes, and to
speak to him in the kindest and most polite
manner. Notwithstanding his honeyed speech
and bland manner he noticed that the waiter
brought the Virginians altogether the best
dinner. Upon reflection he ascribed it to the
terror awakened in the poor walters mind by
the rough speech and overbearing conduct of
these southerners. No doubt he thoug ht they
would shoot this miserable creature dead in
his tracks if he did not bring them just what
they wanted, and in good style. When the
Virginians left the table the sympathetic, but
rather poorly fed, Boston man fastened to get
the ear of the waiter Thirsting for evidence
of southern barbarism, as we'll as for good
cup Of coffee, he said to the waiter-"Here
were those men, who insulted you, and swore
at you and talked rough, yet you broug hit
them a much better dinner than me, who
spoke to you most kindly and politely; how
is this ?" SWELL" replied the African, as he
cast sly glance around and wiped the per-
spiration from his black forehead with the
corner of a napkin, II know these men talk
sorter rough like, but they gives me money
and you don't" The Boston man retired
with slight feeling of disgust for his colored
brother Correspondence Cincinnati CON-
7nercinL
Year: 1874

ALWAYS Too LATE.-Some people are al.
ways too late, and therefore accomplish moth
ing worth naming through life. If they
promise to meet you at such an hour, they
are never present until thirty minutes after.
No matter how important the business is,
either to yourself or to them, they are jus. as
tardy. If one of this class is to take passage
by steamer or railway, he arrives just as the
boat has left the wharf, or the train the sta
ton. His dinner has been waiting for him
so long that the cook is out of patience. This
is the course, the character we have described,
always pursues. He is never in time for
church, at his meals, or in lis bed. Persons
of such habits, we cannot but despise. AL
ways start in time and be ready at the ap-
pointed hour. We would not give fig for a
man who is not punctual to his engagements,
and who never makes up his mind to GER
tain course till the time is lost Those who
hang back, hesitate and tremble-who are
never at hand for journey, to meet an ap-
pointment for business. or anything else-are
poor soths, and are ill-calculated to succeed
in business or get living in this world.
Year: 1874

WASTED PowER-In every family there
is power to let In the development and use
of this power lies the true secret of success.
Parents are too apt to think that their cares
will cease when the little ones grow up, but
every year enlarges the responsibility they
have assumed The physical needs of the
children demand time and money, but when
their mental powers awake and expand, the
real care of parents commences. And just
at this point many parents shrink from their
plain duty, and place their hig chest privileges
in the hands of strangers. Is it right to be-
lieve that a mothers whole duty lies in the
adornment Of her daughters person, or that
a father has performed his when he has paid
his sons bills and notices his physical growth ?
1t is 50 easy to select school for the child,
let others teach it, and leave the moulding OF
its character to chance! But it is a hard,
unceasing care to watch the opening mind,
read the Thoughts, and study the best interest
of the little form that holds an immortal soul
Year: 1874

The new issue one dollar United
States Treasury note has made its ap-
pearance. While the general style of
the new and the old dollar notes is the
same on the face, the backs are entire
ly different. On the face of the new
note l.. the same central medallion
head of Washington. and left hand
corner vignette of Columbus discover
ing America, as well as the same right
hand upper corner lathe work denomi-
national vignette. There is no green
tint On the face of the note, as is the
case with the old issue. The difference
of engraving on the face of the new
note are Simply in the border for num-
Der and in the red treasury seal. This
latter is now smaller, and placed be-
tween the Washington and Columbus
vignettes. In place of the large seal
on the old note is red border and
lathe work over the letters forming
the words lone dollar" The back of
the new note is green. hut of new
elaborated and intricate design of geo.
metrical lathe work, with st. An
drew's cross in the centre bearing the
words United States of America"
Year: 1874

must moreover, caution susceptible
people agalnt giving much credit to
the reported discoveries of gold. 1t is
evident that the explorers have found
the precious ore; il would be strange il
they had not; 1t has been found, we be-
lieve, in nearly every State in the UD-
ion, from Maine to Alaska. What
paying quantities" may be we can
only surmise. Gold by the painful
might be dear in a country where an
armed and powerful expedition would
be needed to protect the honest miner


1t would be cheap at eight cents the
painful of pay dirt" if found in
OnOndaga county. 1t is evident that
the explorers. fascinated by the pristine
beauties of this new fairy land, feel
great enthuiaSm over their new dis
coveries. Like De Soto and his fol-
lowers i'm Florida. they find themselves
in Land of Flowers where the
streams run over golden sands-in
Imagination. The rosy dream is ma
tural. It is always 50 with ardent
discoverers. Their observations are
recorded in August, when the bright,
pure moutain country is seen at its
best. But it lies far north of the lati-
tude of Boston, in an altitude of at
least 1000 feet above the level of the
sea. In the lesser Black Hills, con :
siderably to the south, the winters are
often severe, the SHOWS being some
times tremendous in depth. General
Clusters floral valleys and blue grass
must have only brief summer.


s Precisely what this expediti III is
designed to accomplish we do not
know. It's addition to the general
geog apl ical knowledge OF tie country
will not be larI The whole region, a
we a said, is small in area. Mo O.
over, it IS not open to settiem Mt; tits the
property of the Sioux, 80 tar as solemn
treties of the United States can make
it so. The spreading of these feverish
reports about the universal wealth of
the country is sure to arouse that wild
and reckless class of men who rush
where there is q rumor of gold, and who
would prospect" for gold on the brink
of volcano or in a valley of tigers if
they thought they could ''get the
color. Whatever the special OCCASION
for the expedition, it will be a real
misfortune if its Immediate results
shall be the temptation thither Of a
rush of men, who will suffer privation.
danger, and diappOiatment themselves,
and who may, beside. bring upon us
another dispute with the warlike
Sioux
Year: 1874

At the Washington and Lee Univer-
sity, Lexington, Va. says the Savan-
nah AdUertiser. a student is each day
detailed to watch beside the tOOmh of
General Lee. Every morning one of the
students is posted at the tomb in the me
mortal room of the chapel. built un-
der the supervision of Lee. He is sty led
a watcher" and his duty is to remain
there during the day and receive vis-
itors. showing them the proper cOur-
tesy and attention AS there are near
ly three hundred and fifty students,
no one is on duty more than once a
year Thus the entire southern
people. through their representatives
in the University, are watching at the
tomb of Lee, and their SOILS improved
in manner and bearing by the sacred
duty they perform. and their minds
and hearts benefited by thoughts of
the noble dead.
Year: 1874

AGRICULTURAL well-knOwn az
ricultural chemist, assures US that no
matter how susceptible manure is to
fermentation, no matter whether it is
fresh, heated up strongly, well-rOtted.
or all old compost, if it is spread but
thinly on the field, all fermentation is
speedily checked, just as when mass
Of ignited Goals IS scattered over the
ground, the glow ceases. the combus-
ton declines, and even in the hottest
summer day the fire is soon extin-
guisnPd. II this spreading is done in
the cool of autumn and a gentle rain
shortly follows, all the element of the
manure, the potash, ETC.. dissolve and
sink into the soil. But they canb OF
go far down unless we have manured
q grave bed or sand pit. On land fit
for farmer to handle, whether a nat
ural loan, or a sand or clay. subdued
to proper texture, the descent of fer
tilizing matter is arrested as already
mentioned, by the beautiful chemistry
Of soil-absOrptiOn, the slowly descend
ing water is filtered by the sell of near
ly all il took from the mature. and the
real feeding qualities of the top dress
ing are distributed and diffused
throughout the surface soil in O way
no tillage can begin to initiate. Loss
is reduced to its minimum, and the ap-
plication is as perfect in style as in
cost If, on the contrary, the manure
is spread out in hot weather. and lies
exposed some days to dry winds, the
ammonia it contains, in the form Of
carbonate, will be carried off into the
atmosphere; but this loss is not so great
as is often supposed. The quantity of
volatile ammonia that can be got out
of stable manure by this exposure is
certainly not greater than exists in it,
and the analyses show that it amounts
to but two to six parts in 10000 Of
fresh, or well-rotted manure.
Year: 1874

THERE can be no doubt that the
northern purpose to pass the Civil
Rights bill has caused the present
epidemic of negro outbreaks in the
South, and there can he very little
doubt that the lynch law admins
tered by the whites will produce the
passage of that measure rcXt ses-
sion. That event will be followed
hy still more negro insolcnGc, and
that in turn by more lynch law
Thus one can easily see that the bill
means civil war in the South, aud
that, in It's turn, means ruin. We
would be glad to have a more hope
ful view of affairs, but we look for
nothing permanently good in the
present temper of the northern
people.


Where and whenever there shall
be fewer whites than are necessary
to own and direct tie great indus
trial interest of the State and more
negroes than are needed to do the
rotine labor, there will be trouble
and bloodshed and insecurity.
Year: 1874

one other gentleman. In addition to
these, the specially interesting fea-
lures of the evening are expected to
be instrumental and vocal music by
Mendel Meyer and Pancho Coronel,
and the reading of the first number Of
the Los Angeles Independent, a news
paper conducted under the auspices
of the Lyceum by several young ladies
whose previous literary efforts are a
sufficient guarantee for this portion of
the entertainment. An opportunity
will be offered during the evening for
the presentation of applications for
membership, and large increase in
numbers is hoped for, especially of la
dies. A cordial invitation is extended
to all who may desire to be present.
The time of meeting is half-past seven
p. VI.
Year: 1874

pn- The Tide ofinmigration is steadily set
ting in, and the first thing eastern people do
is to throw away their New York Hats and buy
a new one of DESMOND. They say there Is no
comparison between the two. 21ao
Year: 1874

We are accustomed to use our toes 50
very little, that for all practical purpos-
es Of life VIC might almost as we'll be
without any. They were intended. in
the first place. to give fexibility to the
fo9t, and to help US in our walking but
the modern custom Of cramping them up
in tight shoes makes them almost as i'm
movable as if they grew together. 50
the help they give Us in walking is not
so much after all. And as for putting
them 10 any other use, We never think
Of it. We abuse them dreadfully some
times eramp and torture them. and
pinch them out Of all likeness to their
original shape. until they would never
I be known for the pretty, perfect little
baby toes that We like to cuddle, and
/ count. and 20 to market with, grown up.
Who. for instance, would ever imagine
/ that the second toe is intended to be
longer than the first And yet in a
| perfect foot ii always is. though We are
/ obliged to 90 TO statues and paintings to
find it out. And who, putting foot
and modern narrow-toed shoe side by
side. would ever suspect that they were
intended for each other ? The fact is.
cur toes are our most abused members,
and 20 we don't get half the good from


them that We might The Chinese and


the japanese and the Bedouin Arabs. it


is said, from continual practice use their


toes nearly as well as their hands. They
can pick up their tools With them, and


even work with them while they do


something else with their hands Arabs


braid ropes with their fingers and toes


working together in coneert.-Chioog1
Adyouce
Year: 1874

The Troy Times says landslide &C.
CURED in curve on the Troy and Green
bush Railroad. A locomotive was CON-
ing up to be attached to the first local
train down. when it was caught by the
landslide, forced from the track, and
partly turned so that its headlight was
pointed west. The slide occurred just
at the moment the New York and Bos-
ton express was leaving the Troy depot.
The engineer of No. 80 knew that the
down train could not pass the obstruc-
tions. He told his fireman, Al. Bascom,
to take red lantern. go up the track
and intercept the train. Bascom started
on his mission in the darkness he stum-
bled and fell on the track the light
was extinguished.


The time was too short to allow him
to return and procure another lantern
it was impossible in the strong wind to
light a match. Covered with mud, but
losing scarcely half a minute, he pushed
on the headlight Of the approaching
train came in sight he knew his voice
of warning. be it ever so loud. could not
be heard above the roar Of the train.
He had but few seconds in which to
determine upon his course. What did he
do ? Something very few would have
thought of doing. Taking aim as best he
could he raised his lantern and hurled
it at the approaching locomotive, and
then awaited the result. He could not
see where his missile landed the inter-
vening seconds seemed ten minutes BY
what we must regard as mysterious
and benefcent interposition of PrOvi-
dence, it entered the cab window. break
the woodwork and coming within an
inch of striking the fireman inside, fair
ly in the face if it had hit him he
would have been seriously injured.
When the shattering and shattered lam
tern fell at the engineers feet, he knew
that something had gone wrong and
whistled down brakes : the train
slackened speed, and at length came to
a full stop within hundred feet of the
wrecked locomotive, saved from destruc-
tion by the presence of mind of the man
who had thrown the lantern.


At the point where the way was OBJ
structed the track is built on an en-
bankment close by the river, and had a
collision occurred between the disabled
locomotive and the moving train, the
latter would have been thrown from the
track into the river, and the horrors and
loss of life, the woundings and maimings
of New Hamburger would have been re-
peated. All honor to Al. Bascom.
Year: 1874

There Is one among the many.
Can you tell me where he stays9
He's an odd. old fashioned party.
Called the honest man who paws:
Yes-the honest man who pays


Every dollar he may owe,
Keeping up the good old ways


That so many scarcely know.
If he gives his word of promise
'Tis bond as good as gold;
If he hold post of honor.
Not a trust Is ever sold


By the honest man who pays


Every debt he may incur.
Yielding each just award.


And no grudging or demur-
And I'm told this rare old party
Lives-within his income won
By the fairest. squarest dealing
We see beneath the sun.


And the honest man who pays


Always holds it good and right.
For the rich TO help the needy


When the times are tough ant


tight.
Year: 1874

No one who ever heard Parepa Rosa,
the great songstress can fail to regret
that she has left us. Possessed of a
voice the like of which has not been
heard in this country, excepting perhaps
Jenny Lind's, and endowed by nature
with health and great recuperative pow
ers, Parepa became national songstress,
whose heavenly notes were heard from
the eastern and western shores, and from
the north to the far south. Everywhere
was she beloved, not only for her per-
fection as an artist. but as noble, true
hearted woman. She was above the
small jealousies that mar smaller minds,
and the word fail was not in her voea-
bulary She was a conscientious stu
dent The least soprano of the chorus
grew impatient of rehearsing and drill
ing but not Parepa. Cheerful, obliging,
generous and ever willing to try again
for the sake of improving some lame part
of programme. she was favorite of
all musicians.


At the Beethoven festival in New
York, which took place in 1872, when
Parepa appeared among the Handel and
Hayden Society, of Boston. chorus of
FIVE or six hundred, arranged on the
platform around her. they arose to their
feet and greeted her with cheers, waving
of handkercbiefs and garlands. The
| glourious woman received this ovation
with tears, and sang with an inspiration
caught from the sympathy of her friends.
| Those who saw her then or in similar
scenes will never forget this queen Of
song.


Sacred to her memory are her noble
efforts to elevate English opera to an
honorable and successful estimation.
America pays tribute of gratitude
in general and earnest regret that We
shall hear her voice no more.
Year: 1874

A TERRIBLE FAMILY SEcRET-The
police authorities of New Orleans have
recently unraveled sickening mystery
relating to respectable woman, who
many years since disappeared from the
outside world The woman was a light
quadroon. Some twenty-nine years ago,
when she was handsome girl of sixteen
she had symptoms of insanity, and was
not allowed to go out of her room. At
| that time her relations, who were well off
were able to keep her at home In prop
er manner. The girl gradually grew
worse, and finally insane. Whilst in
this condition she was generally quiet,
but would occasionally burst iuto fury
of passion. Under these circumstances
! her family, not desiring to make their
family skeleton public, kept her pris-
ouer at home. For number Of years
she was imprisoned in this manner
; 1 HS iOItuHcS VI lhS iai1ilg SiC" Hoi9cs
/ but wherever they went they carried
the poor maniac with them. She finally
became very repulsive to them, and
they lost all love, and regarded her as a
bugbear forever on their hands. Sew
enteen years ago the woman was'convey-
ed to her present cell. from which she
has never stepped out, and in which she
had seldom moved. The family only
remembered to throw her enough food
to keep her alive, and they sometimes
forgot her for days, during which the
woman was only kept alive from being
accustomed to this starvation. The
clothes she had originally worn rotted
off her. she lay summer and winter upon
the cold floor, utterly naked. The fam
ily became accustomed to her in this
state, and made no attempt to send her
to the asylum and thus the lived, rot
ting and dying, when the authorities
discovered the terrible secret. For years
she had never worn an article of cloth.
ing, never felt even the warmth Of FIRE
never seen the light Of day The au,
thorities have ordered her to be taken
to an asylum. although there is but lit
tie hope Of saving the poor woman, ow-
ing 10 her critical condition.
Year: 1874

With my returning senses the truth
came to me. That which had murd er.
cd the three mep who slept before me
in the blue chamber was nothing more
or less than the coal stove.


1t was provided with what is called
damper, and this being caught in a
manner which closed it sent the pois-
onous air into the room. It had been
kindled as wood-ire would have been
at the hour Of retiring, by one quite ig.
norant Of the danger possible from coal
gas, and they had slept never to awak.
EN-. Had l thrown myself upon the
bed, also should have been found
dead at daylight, in all probability.


As for the fact that neither doctor
nor coroner discovered the truth, l
have but to say that they we're not deep
ly scientitic men.


or coure I rejoicelt the houaeh>ld by
my discovery next morning, and equal :
ly Of course, Mme. Natteau, who was
not only freed from suspicion, but be-
came the object Of universal sympathy.
She was always grateful to me, and she
proved her gratitude by giving what
soon asked for. the hand Of her dauoh.
ter Gabrielle in marriage.