smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

Charley Nye formerly of Hallowe now one of
the most finished and artistic printers in the old
Bay State, was next to the last to "miss' at a
spelling match recently held in Worcester, where
he lives and prosrers.


A large flock of wild geese bound northward,
passed over the city yesterday forenoon. Their
music was the melody offspring, and furnished
another evidence that the backbone of winter is
broken.
Year: 1875

Under the influence of a warm sun, genial skies
and spring breeze, the ice in the kennebec must
be wearing away rapidly, and the apprehended
ice freshet may not come or as advertised. Thus
may it be, in the interests Of all who dwell in the
valley of the kennebec. 1t may be we'll to eau


ton those who venture the ice with their teams
with as much boldness as they had in mid winter
Year: 1875

A girl in II ncighboring town, was
shocked, the other evening, by her own
mistake. Being sent for some -four to u
store,in a hurry, she took what she sup
posed to be a clean pillow slir, from
her bureau drawer When she reached
the store, she handed the supposed PHI
low slip to the young clerk 10 fill with
nour. Even he did not notice what they
were till scoop of -four had gone
through them. Which he raised them up,
and exposed the two outlets a, the bot.
tam, nicely f,inged, etc. the gil ran
from the store without saying a word,
and the young man, covered with flour,
laid the garment in the drawer to await
her return He will probably wait some
time.
Year: 1875

A Fayetteville chap who, during his
courtship, sent hi. girl some poetry be.
ginning WAS it q Clean Of Golden
Hair" was mortified after marriage to
see her hang that CLEAN over the back
Of chair.


Don't imagine that you can correct,
all the evils in the world. A grain of
sand Is not proininen. in the desert
Year: 1875

A writer in the London Academy says:


In character Andersen was one of the


most blameless of human creatures. A


certain irritability of manner that almost


amounted to petulance in his earlier days,


and which doubtless arose from the suffer-


ing of his childhood, became mellowed


as years went on into something like the


sensitive and pathetic sweetness of a


dumb animal There was something in


his whole appearance that claimed for


him immunity from the rough ways of


the world, a chifd-like trustfulness,


tremulous and confiding affectiOnatenesS


that appealed directly to the sympathy


OF those arounde His personal appear
ance was somewhat ungainly, tall body


with arms Of very unusual length, and
features that recalled, at first instance,
the usual blunt type of the hlue--eyed,
yellOw-haired Danish peasant. But it
was impossible to hold this impression
after mnmept's observation. The eyes,
somewhat deeplyeset in under arching
eyebrows, were full of mysterious and
changing expression, and kind of exal
tatiOn, which never left the face entirely,
though fading at times into reyerie, gave
a singular charm to a countenance that
had no pretensiOn toward beauty. The
innocence and delicacy, like the pure,
frank look of girl-child, that beamed
from Andersen's face, gave it unique
character, hardly to be expressed in
words; Notwithstanding his native shrewd
ness, he seemed to have gone through the
world not only undefiled but actually
ignorant of its shadow-side.


The one least pleasing side of his char
acter was his singular self-absOrptiOn. 1t
was impossible to be many minutes in his
company without his referring in the
naivest way to his own greatness. The
Queen of TimbuctOo had sent him this
the Pacha of Many Tales had given him
such an order; such a little boy in the
street had said: "There goes the great
Hans Andersen" These "reminiscences
were incessant, and it was all the same to |
him whether little boy or a great queen |
noticed him, so long as he was noticed. |
This intense craving for perpetual lauda- |
ton, no matter from whom, was an |
idiosyncrasy in Andersen's character, not |
to be confOunded with mere vulgar van
ity. 1t was a strange and morbid char |
acteristic to be traced no doubt to the |
distressing hardships of his boyhood. 1t |
was harmless and guileless, but it was
none the less fatiguing, and it was so
strongly developed that no biographical
sketch of him can be considered fair that
does not allude to it. During his life
time it would have been inhuman to vex
his pure spirit by dwelling on weakness
that was entirely beyond his control, but
it was only just to his own countrymen,
who have been so harshly blamed for
their want of sympathy with him, to
the fact which made Andersen's
constant companionship a thing almost
In a small community like
that of Copenhagen little personal
popularity of this kind is not so easily
passed over as in a wider circle.
Year: 1875

In the first place, let people defer to
the laws of health, of sanity, hereditary
sOundness; let them obey restrictions,
consult wholesome seasons, respect the
limits set up by the common sense of
nature. Natural ignorance on these
points is filling marriage with unnecces-
sary evils; they not only spoil the well
being of a family, but spoil its dispOsi-
ton. Let the work in every house be
reduced, by a reduction of its ambitions,
till all its parlOrs, all its tables, all its
clothes, exactly represent the current
condition of every family; not bracket
or ribbon for exaggeratiOn, not a single
room for parade, neither sewing, washing,
eating, securing, company-giving beyond
actual needs, and all done by the least
elaborate methods Then, in the second
place, reduce to the lowest possible point
the disturbances which arise from ignOr-
ance and vanity, from artificial training;
you simply liberate marriage for more
effective discharge of its spiritual pur-
pose. The men and women might
suspect that they were ill-mated till life
itself pronounced the banns. Teach
children that marriage only prOlOngs
their school hours into the future or
sterner discipline and less perishable
attainments. Warn them against those
affectionate extravagances which under
mine respect, against the physical errors
which so sap the will that it is humbled
and enslaved by annoyances which health
and freshness laugh at. And teach them
simplicity, make vulgar habits and ambi-
tions appear odious to them, ply their
IMAGINATION with austere and noble forms,
tempt them to fall in love first with
spiritual beauty, whose service makes
them free, then they will be better pre-
pared to discover that marriage withholds
felicity until it has been earned.
Year: 1875

No doubt there are many farmers who
commence business with a determination
to keep daily record of their operations
on the farm, and the result of them.
This resolve is carried into execution for
a time but after awhile intermisions in
these iottings occur, and finally cease
altogether. This delinquency does not
prove that the practice is not good one;
and as an incentive to perseverance, we
would cite a case of man who COM
menced farm life bare handed, but event
ually attained great wealth-a result he
attributed in great measure to a daily
iournalizing of his farming operations-a
practice kept up for forty-five years, and
not then discontinued.


These daily memoranda were made in
books of convenient size, each Containing
the records of single year, and when
full properly labeled and filed away for
future reference when desirable. They
contained the number of fields farmed
each year, the character of the crop, the
estimated or actual yield, and amount of
labor bestowed, the names of the parties
Year: 1875

Our landlady's daughter, writes Oliver
Wendell Homes, is young lady of some
pretensiOns to gentility. She wears her
bonnet well back upon her head, which
is known to be mark of high breeding.
She wears her trains very long, as the
great ladies do in Europe To be sure,
their dresses are so made only to sweep
the tapestried floors of chateaus and
palaces; as those OdiOus aristocrats of
the other side do not go dragging through
the mud in silks and satins, but, forsooth,
must ride in coaches when they are in
full dress. 1t is true that, considering
various habits of the American people,
also the little accidents which the best
kept sidewalks are liable to- a lady who
has swepr a mile of them is not exactly
in such a condition that one would care
to be her neighbor. But confound the
make-believe women who have turned
loose In our streets. Where do they
come from? Not out of Boston parlOrs.
| trust. Why, there isn't a beast or
bird that would drag its tail through the
dirt in the way these creatures do their
dresses. Because a queen or a duchess
wears long robes on great occasions, a
maid-Of-all work or factory girl thinks
she must make herself nuisance by
trailing about with her-pah! that's
what l call getting vulgarity into your
bones and marrow. Making believe what
you are not is the essence of vulgarity.
Show over dirt is the one attribute of
vulgar people. If any man can walk
behind one of these women an1 see
what she rakes up as she goes, and not
feel squeamish, he has got a tough
stomach. l wouldn't let one of 'em in
my room without serving them as David
served Saul at the cave in the wilder
pess-cut off his skirts, sir, cut off his
skirts. Don't tell NE that a true lady
ever sacrifices the duty of keeping all
about her sweet and clean to the wish of
making vulgar show. | won't believe
it of a lady. There are some things that
no fashion has right to touch, and
cleanliness is one of those things. If
woman wishes to show that her husband
or father has got money which she wants
and means to spend, but doesn't know
how, let her buy yard or two of silk
and pin it to her dress when she goes out
to walk, but let her unpin it before she
goes into the house.
Year: 1875

He (thc ocean telegraph operator)
| taps the "kcy" as in land telegraph, only


it is a double key. 1t has two levers
| and knobs instead of one. The alphabet
used is substantially like the Morse al


phabet; that is the different letters are
represented by a combination of dashes


and dots. For instance, suppose you


want to write the word "bOy." ltwOuld
read like this C.. -
-" b is one dash and three dots; O,


three dashes, and Y, one dash, one dot,
and three dashes. Now, in the land tclc-
graph, the dashes and dots would appear
ON a strip of paper at the other end of
| the line. which is unwOund from a cylin-
der, and perforated by pin at the end of
the bar or armature. If the operator
could read by sound, we would dispense


with the strip of paper, and read the
message bv the "click" Of the armature
as it is pulled down and let 60 by the
electro-magnet.


The cable operator, however, has neither
of these advantages There Is no paper
to perforate, 10 "click" of the armature,
no armature to "click" The message is
read by means of moving flash of light
upon polished scale produced by the re-
Election" of a very small mirror, which Is
placed within "mirror galvanOmeter,"
which is a small brass cylinder two or
three inches in diameter, shaped like a
spool or bobbin, composed OF several hun
dred turns of small wire wound with silk
to keep the metal from coming in contact.


1t is wound or coiled exactly like a
bundle of new rope, small hole being
left i'm the middle about the size of com
mon wooden pencil. In the centre ofthis
is suspended very thin, delicate mirror
about as large as a kernel of corn, with
correspOndingly small magnet rigidly at
tached to the back of it. The whole
weighs but little more than grain, and
is suspended by a single fibre of silk; much
smaller than a human hair and almost in
visible. A narrow horizontal scale Is
placed within darkened box two or three
feet in front of the mirror, narrow slit
being cut in the centre of theyscale TO al
low a ray of light to shine upon the mir
ror from a lamp placed behind said scale,
the little mirror in turn rejecting the light
back upon the scale. This spot of light
is the index by which all messages are
read. The angle through which thelray
moves is double that traversed by the
mirror itself; and it is, therefore, really
equivalent to an index four or six feet in
length without weight.


To the casual observer there is nothing
but a thin ray of light, darting to the left
and right with irregular rapidity; but to
the trained eye of the operator, every
fash replete with intelligence. Thus the
word "boy," already alluded to, would be
read in this way: One flash TO the right
and three to the left is b. Three flashes
to the right is o. One to the right, one
to the left and two more to the right Is Y,
and so on. Long aud constant practice
makes the operators wonderfully expert
in their profession, and enables them to
read from the mirror as readily and as
accurately as from newspaper
Year: 1875

employed each day, the rate of compen-
isation, the daily receipts for stock and
farm produce sold, money paid out, and
for what purpose, the character of the
weather, together with such reflections
as the current news of the day supplied.
This journal was uniformly written up
each night just before retiring to rest
but when the party was absent, as was
occasionally the case, it was the duty of
the person in charge to make the neces-
sary memoranda each evening.


These records were often appealed to,
to decide disputed points in regard to
the weather and crops of particular sea-
sons, and not infrequently taken before
the courts for the purpose of determin-
ing the date of particular local transac-
tions. At first the nightly records may
prove rather irksome, but if the practice
is kept up perseveringly for two or
three years it becomes a habit, pleasur-
able rather than otherwise, and profit
able to the parties who steadily pursue
it.-Ameriedaa Farmer.
Year: 1875

Charles Warren Stoddard writes: Ire
land puts her best foot forward on which
ever side you approach her. Within she
is barren and bleak, and awfully uninter-
esting. Some miles, of peat bog will do
very well fora background, but when you
find yourself swamped in the middle of it,
somehow you lose all interest in this life,
and naturally begin thinking of your lat
ter end. Ireland is so lonesome, so mel
ancholy, 50 thoroughly forsaken, that
when you come upon a town of any con-
siderable size, you wonder how they man.
age to keep it up. There is plenty of
land there, most of it rich and mellow,
but it lies idle simply because there is no
one to work it, or worse, those who have
remained at home and are willing to work,
can not afford to undertake it, they have
not penny to bless themselves with.
They have pig which bathes in green
water in front of the door, and dries him
self on the hearth by the peat fire in the
one room of the cottage. The hens lay
eggs in the bed, that is when they can af-
ford to make shells and fill them; the COW
looks in at the back window, which is
without glass or sash, and swears at the
scarcity of bran. | have seen COW i'll
the house examining a chest of drawers
to see if there was anything eatable there
abouts, while the family was literally
crowded into the mud under the door
sill, where the pet pig snored luxurious
ly. These very people would give you a
sharp and witty reply, and very often a
graceful one, to any remonstrance you
might be pleased to make. You find
fragmentary unpublished pages of Lever,
Charlton, Banim Maxwell, Griffin, Mrs.
S. c.. Hall, and host of other novelists
in any hovel you enter; but for the un-
bounded good humor of Pat and his
Biddy, Ireland would indeed be a sor-
rowful spot.
Year: 1875

Al over the North anl West
real estate has depreciat; d greatly,
far more than in the South. In
fact, the people Of the South, and
espe :ially of Tennessee and Ken
tncky, are in much better cOndi-
tion than they are in t Northern
States, East or West. If we have
not enough money to supply tie
wants of trade, we do not owe so
much, and are therefore not under
the necessity Of sacrificing proper
ty to SO great an extent to meet
debts.


Again, The bulk of our popHla-
tion are tillers of the soil. We
have had abundant crops of the
cereals, cotton, tobacco and fruits,
so that there is no danger of star
vatlon TO either man or beast.
Our mines and manufactures are
located in the midst OF fertile agri-
cultural districts, and if they have
but little work for their employees,
in the climate there is no danger
of protrac:ed suffering. Upon the
whole, Notwithstanding the loss
necessarily occasioned to all by
the miserable financial system
which the Republican party has
fastened upon the country. we have
the consolation of knowing that
we. are better Off than they are in
any State ia the Union where the
Republican party is in power.
Year: 1875

Has made the most Astonishing Cures =.
so quick, so rapid are the changes the
body undergoes under the influence of
this truly wonderful medicine, that
Every Day an Increase In Flesh and Weight


Is Seen and Felt.


The Great Blood Purifier.
Year: 1875

A FAMOUS WOMAN SwIMNER.-
During the last voyage Of the steam
ship Royal Dane, from Copenhagen
to'Newcastle-on yne, serious ac-
cident occurred to Miss Fry, the
stewardess. The sea was rough on
Sunday, and as she was gong up
some steps to the deck, the boat took
a lurch and Miss Fry fell into the
sea. The accident caused great com
motion on board, aud it was expect
ed that she would be drowned be
fore assistance reached her. the yes
sci being under luIl steam at the
time. A boat was got out from the
steamer AS soon as it could be stop
ped, and was fully manned and pull
ed back TO where Miss Fry was last
seen. She was found comfortably
floating ON her back, wien tho boat
reached her, aud not much the
worse for her immersion. she stated
that after she was thrown into the
water she pu led her boots off, and
swan for some time. She then wait
ed quietly until the boat picked her
up. Miss Fry belongs to famous
rynemouth family of swimmers, and
she is considered one of the best
female Swimmers on the northern
coast of England.-Lipe,poot Adrer-
tiSer
Year: 1875

DIR. HALL relates the case of a
man who was cured of his bilious
ness by going without his supper and
drinking freely of lemonade. The
next morning his patient arose with
a wonderful sense of rest and refresh
ment, and feeling as though the blood
had been thoroughly washed, cleansed
and cooled by the lemonade and fast
His theory is that food can be used
as remedy for many diseases sue
cessfully. AS an example he cures
splitting of blood, by the use of salt; /;
epilepsy, by watermelons; kidney af-
fections, by celery; poison, by olive
or sweet OIL; erysipelas, by pounded
cranberries applied to the part affect
ed; hydrophobia, by onions, etc. So
the way to keep in good health is
really to know what to eat and to
know what medicine to take.
Year: 1875

LIBERAL and judicious advertising
does more to stimulate business than
all other things combined. The men
who stay quietly at their stores and
places of business and expect GUS
toners to rush in upon them like
doluge, will be the subjects of heavy
disappointment if they fail to let the
world know the nature Of the bar
gains they have to offer. Newspaper
advertising may possibly be regarded
bysome as an old-fashioned method
of pushing business, but it is never
theless the most effectual system ex-
tant, as the great majority of success
full business men can testify. Con-
tinuous liberal advertising is certain
to be a source of revenue to those
who practice it-lCarson "Tribune." !"
Year: 1875

GOVERNOR NYE has So far recovered
his reason that his friends have re-
moved him from the insane asylum.
Everybody will be glad to hear OF his
recovery, as the "Old Gray Eagle y Of
Nevada had many traits that ehdeared
aim to the people.
Year: 1875

she said, looking at him with her eye
full of love. 81 had all the work
could possibly do in your absence, and
| WAS well paid for it. And when
Uncle John came to see us this spring
he gave me the two hundred dollar
bills for a birthday present. | am
glad if the money can help you in
your troubles, Harry"


"Help mel 1t will save mer' said
her husband, clasping her to his heart.
"Oh, Margaret, will repay you for
the gift thousand fold when once the
good times come back again. This
will pay off the mortgage, and settle
the bills, and pay our way through
the year, if we are careful. Oh, Mar
garet, what treasure you are !"


"And we will ask no more credit"
she whispered, with her lips close to
his ear.


Not bit, my love--so help me
God. | say it reverently, my wife"


And he kept his vow.
Year: 1875

Goodness and truth are of more
weight than brilliant talents, and good
temper goes farther than a great gift.
We cannot expect people to believe
either in our principles or our sinceri-
ty, when they see them falling to amend
our faults and strengthen our virtues,
Year: 1875

Why CATTLE REQUIRE SALT-We know
why the animal Graves salt and why it uti.
matey falls into diseases if salt is for time
withheld. Upward of half the saline matter OF
the blood Isl per cent. consists of common
salt; and as this is partly discharged every day
through the skin and kidneys, the necessity of
continued supplies of it to the body becomes
sufficiently obvious. The bile also contains
soda as special and indispensable constituent,
and so do all the cartllages of the body. There
fore, If the supply of salt be stined, neither
will the bile be able to properly assist the di.
gestlon, nor the cartlages be built up again as
they naturally waste.


Add when We consider it to be fact that
without salt man would miserably perish, as
among horrible punishmeuts entailing certain
death that of feeding oulprits on satless food
Is said to have prevailed in barbarous times,
We may become partially convinced, at least of
the necessity of feeding salt to our cattle-that
1t is one OF the necessities as we'll as one of the
luxuries of life for man and beast, and it should
be profusey provided at short intervals, in
proper places, if it cannot be kept by them
continually, so that each and every animal may
satisfy the demands of bis nature. Then it
shall not be said of US that while our PUDDING
Is we'll seasoned and salted, our stock are al
lowed to suffer for want Of the same Ingredient
which is as truly necessary for their food as for
ours.-Prot Johnston
Year: 1875

The Chinese mode Of training birds Is
somewhat quaint and peculiar, being ef-
fected by dipping the bird into pail Of
cold water, holding it at the same time
carefully in the hand. After this process
whether from the shock Of the sudden i'm
mersion, and cold, or from feelisg that
the hand of its owner had protected il
from danger, il seems to be quite under
control, and ceases to attempt its escape
from the cage, or to be the least afraid Of
the human face and voice. II will ere
long be taught to know his masters call,
and after enjoying full liberty in the open
air for hours, will return instantly at the
sound of his voice The golden orioIe is
a tenant of the northern woods, as are also
several varieties Of the thrush tribe, the
blue-throated warbler, the gorge warbler,
the red-throat and the North China lark.
The latter is good mimic, and when it
mas been educated 10 initiate successfully
the mewing ofa cat, it Is considered highly
accomplished, and will command high
price, Il is called the pe-ling, "hundred
spirited bird" and to the poorest Chinese
its sweet natural strains, which are lively
and constant, will afford amusements and
consolation in the midst of many hardships
and sorrows. The crying thrush, too, is
highly priced, and when pouring out its
evening ditty, which is peculiarly sweet at
the fall Of day, melodious concert may
be frequently enjoyed, for the owners Of
these birds love to bring them in competi-
ton, and many delighted hearers win as
semble to listen to the simple harmony.