smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

1t was Monday morning, the first day
of school. He was on his way there with
a companion. He wore blue breeches.
A most startling blue they were-not
this navy blue so common to clothes but
a light dazzling blue, seen only in those
toys made up for the enjoyment of
young folks. These breeches fitted close
to his fat limbs. They were very beauti-
full, and added largely to the scenery of
White-street as he bounded along that
picturesque avenue. We never saw
such breeches as these in all our long
and active life. The color was so bright,
the fit SO snug, that to see them was to
soothe and nourish the mind. He and
his companion we're "chasing"-that is,
they were running without any par
ticular object in view. 1t was the
exuberance of youth that sent their legs
flying. He wore coat with tails, and
every time his legs flew up, the tails
flew up, and the blue fairly filled the
air. The beauty of the scene was almost
suffocating. 1t must have been great
Joy to the other boy to be with him.
Pretty soon they came upon party of
other boys somewhat younger than they,
and one of these, a very depraved
nature he must have had, derisively
yelled out


"Blue breeches! Oh, blue breeches
Ki vi! See blue breechesp


It was an awful blow. The owner OF
the cerculean garment lost the color in
his face, and it was only by mighty
effort that he summoned the strength to
appear Indifferent. 1t was no use.


"Ho, no, no! Look at the blue
breechesW again shouted the offender.


Like fash the wearer of the adorn
mentrushed upon him to crush him into
the earth. 1. was fatal move.


"Blue breeches, blue breechesp p
screamed another miscreant.
He turned upon the second offender.
1t was a feeling of mutual defense
that prompted another to take up the
cry, and then a fourth, and SO on.
He went at one only to be called tt
another, and the air fairly quivered with
the cry which now became roar. HI
was about wild with the din


"Blue breechesl blue breeches! blut
breechesp


1t was no use to fight them. They
were like wasps. The bombardment
was so terrible that he was glad to bea
an ignominious retreat, and the ono,
proud garment disappeared in humiliat
ing flight.


Poor boy! He may be obliged to weal
those breeches for months-to suffer day
by day torture worse than death. How
can parents be so cruel? How can they
when the spring has come, the tender
buds are opening and the songs of tn.
birds fill the air with sweet melody, pu
on the dye-kettle and color pair o.
breeches like that?


Tt is siraply internal.
Year: 1878

Mr.. Bryce did not find Noah's Ark on
the summit of Mount Ararat, nor the
angels who keep watch over that lofty
crest. But he found piece of wood on
the mountain, and, as he remarked at
a meeting of the Royal Geographical
Society, a fortnight ago, if he could not
prove it was piece of the ark, it was
perfectly impossible to prove it was not.
Ararat, he said, could not be identified
with any particular mountain mentioned
in the Bible, where the word is used as
a name for Armenia, or its northern
part. At the same time this mountain
was so much higher than any other
summit in Armenia that he could hardly
doubt that if the Biblical writer had
any mountain in his mind it must have
been Mount Ararat. AS st. Margaret's s
Church looked besides Westminster
Abbey, so Little Ararat looked when
compared with its greater neighbor.
Mr.. Bryce describes the view from the
summit more tanlely in his lecture than
in the glowing pages of his book. He
says it was extensive and wonderfully
grand, but in point of beauty it suffered
from being too high.
Year: 1878




There is the lately released convict
and more lately the mereenary of the
Porte, Baker Pasha. When this man
went to prison for gross assault on a
defenseless girl, it was by the personal
urgency of the Queen that he was
cashiered from the army and denied the
$25,000 or SO which was the selling
value of his commission. Her Majesty
properly desired to markher adherence
of his crime. But since he has sold his
sword to the Turk, and done good
service to his master, for the main
tenance of a system of government
under which defenseless girls are sub
jected to worse outrage than that for
which Baker suffered, he has regained
favor with his royal mistress. l say
nothing of the dinner given him by the
Duke of Sutherland, by which it was
intended and proclaimed that Baker
should be restored to his former social
position. 1t happened fortnight ago,
or more, and in measure answered its
purpose. A dinner has since been
given Baker at the Marlborough Club,
at which the Prince of Wales, with the
knowledge and approval of the Queen,
presided. And it is everywhere stated
that the Queen desires and intends to
reinstate Baker in the army, in which he
was, to do him all Justice, one of the
most capable and brilliant officers. But
the hints thrown out to this end have
met with a reception of kind surpris.
ing to their authors, There NAV not be
much opposition in society, where
Year: 1878

THE future of ardent lovers is to be a
terrible one. The lady heretofore has
been compelled to base her hopes of a
successful breach of promise suit on let
ters received, but this plan has of late
become futile, owing to the cireumspec-
ton of the writer's. Science, however,
now steps in and makes matters worse.
The phonograph is the source of the
trouble. Conceal one in the wall back
of the sofa, primed and ready to begin
its nefarious work; let the loving youth,
innocent of suspicion and overfowing
with tenderness, enter; dim, religious
light from the turned-low burner serves
to increase his fascination. He takes
his place beside her and pours forth his
endearing words and promises, while the
relentless machine behind records faith
fully every tone. Then the time comes
when he would wish to seek other fields
and pastures new, but he is confronted
by the awful register, and with the
terrors of the courthouse over his
head, he meekly submits, and is led like
a lamb to the matrimonial altar.
Year: 1878




Russian diplomatists, as a body, are
persistent, devoted, and keen, but they
are trained in the old way, they have a
difficulty in comprehending nations,
and they impede the success of them
selves a great deal too much for us to
credit them with magical farsightedness.
What is the value in our day of a
diplomatic service which gives an i'm
preston that it is not to be trusted? We
do not know that the Russian diploma
fists are a bit more tricky than all the
diplonatists of the Old World, the
diplomatists trained to deal with in
dividuals, always were. Napoleon's
diplomatists would say anything, and
Prince Bismarck has admitted over aud
over again, with cynical frankness, that
part of his business was to Jf,esse. Their
defect is that they do not see how their
age is going, and apply their notion of
management" in its old sense to ma
tions who are not Influenced like in
dividuals, but in totally different way.
The adroit chess-player is not wounded
because his adversary looks stolidly at
the section of the board where the mate
does not lie, but the half-ignorant on
locker thinks it deceit, and is ready in
his wrath to knock the chess-board over.
Year: 1878




The saying that "the way of the
transgressor is hard" is impressively il
Illustrated in the career of this man, SO
brilliant and prosperous in its opening,
so dark and miserable in its ending.
Tweed at heart was no worse than a
thousand and one rascals who have
plundered the taxpayers Of nearly all
the municipalities in the country, or be-
trayed the trusts of high offices under
the Governments. II is doubtful whether
he has inflicted as much suffering on his
fellow creatures as the sleek rogues who
have absconded with the fundgof large
industrial establishments, or cheated
the small depositors out of their hard
earnings in savings banks. But his
opportunities were better, his capacity
greater, and his ambition as boundless
as his will was unscrupulous. He was
involved by the very logic of his position
in schemes he might have wished to
avoid, but from which his confederates
permitted no escape. Like man who
consents to assist in burglary, and finds
himself participant in murder, he was
constrained to make one plunge after
another, deeper and deeper into crime,
lest some one of his confederates should
turn upon and expose him.


Tweed was not without good traits. If
he was rich, he was also generous; if he
employed men in his designs, he also re-
warded them handsomely for their
service. He had undoubted ability and
great executive capacity. His personal
influence was great, and his strong will
carried men with him. Had he been
honest, he might have made himself an
honorable and lasting name and fame in
New York. He chose to be dishonest,
and there are now none to regret his
death or cherish his memory. Yet, i'm
pressive as the lesson of his life is, there
is no reason to fear it will not diminish
the number of those who will continue
to seek fortune and fame by dishonest
ways.
Year: 1878

baltimore Sun


An elaborate article in late number
of the New York Euening Post presents
some new points in the question of
female domestic service. A table of
wages paid in six selected average years
running back to 1868 shows a steady
rise in wages since the war, with slight
check, from which there has since been
a recovery in 1876. This is believed to
prove that the demand for female SER
wants more than equals the supply
otherwise, with the present general need
and determination to retrench domestic
expenses, there would have been a great
fall in wages. 1t is stated that the de-
mand is at present reduced below the
normal condition by the number of
women formerly employing two or more
servants who now take upon themselves
and members of their family part or
the whole of the domestic work. With
the increased prosperity of Ireland the
supply of white domestics has been
greatly diminished. German girls do
not take kindly 10 domestic occupation,
and French girls are few in number.
American girls have so much pride that
they generally do not want to serve any
but themselves in housework, though
occupations involving greater hardship,
if not humiliation, are readily engaged
in. There is one field where the market
is not overstocked, and the demand
promises to increase. In the South alone
the supply of domestic servants is
greater than the demand.
Year: 1878

Court influences are all powerful, but
in the country it is different. Bakers
crime was too odious, and the memory
of it is still too fresh among people who
do not hold their sympathies and antip-
athies at the caprice of fashion. /
heard a man say lately that Baker
could not be put back into the army
without a revolution. No doubt he
overrated the strength of the indigna-
tion against him, but it must be very
strong indeed before man of wide re-
lations and good judgment could esti-
mate its force so highly.
Year: 1878


Have faith in enc another,
And let justice be your guide;
Then will our life be cheerful
Whatever may betide.
Let kind words alone be spoken,
To cheer each sorrowing heart,
And the clouds that hover Ger them,
Like vision will depart.
Have faith In one another,
When ye pledge loves holy vow:
It will not be always summer,
Nor be always bright as now.
And when age comes stealing Ger ye,
II some kindred love ye share
And have faith In one another,
Ye shall never know despair.
Have faith In one another,
And respect q brothers name;
A careless word quite often leads
To ruin and to shame.
False friends may reign season,
Oil doubt not that they viii;
But have faith in one another,
And the right shall triumph still.
Year: 1878

AN Illinois genius has invented a novel
contrivance to prevent horses from run
ingaway. He places powerful electric
battery under the buggy seat, with con-
Meeting wire therefrom to the horses
bit and another to the crupper. If the
horse wants to run away the driver turns
on the electricity, which goes to the
crupper, traverses the spinal column to
the head, and instantly paralyzes the
horse, bringing him to dead halt.
Year: 1878

THE Chinaman believes that the soul
of his body takes flight through the
sole of his foot when he dies, and there
fore lies with his feet toward the door
in the hour Of dissolution, that his soul
may have free exit. Don't die In your
boots.
Year: 1878

bread, looking wistfully at the tempting
food, yet refraining from touching it,
Kneeling beside him, she smocthed his
faded hair and asked him if he was not
hungry


Hungry yes. Oh so hungry %


Then why not eat something, my
dear ?"


Then the large, msurnful eyes over
flowed, his little thin lips quivered, and
between his sobs he said, "Oh, you are
SO good lady, but something chokes so,
cause my little sister is so hungry, too,
and she hasn t single Bit"


You foresee the result. The little boy
was assured that his little sister would be
cared for, and so soon as the other little
waits had been waited on, the carriage
was ordered Miss Louise and her father
trusting to their little wanderers direc-
ton, were driven rapidly toward one Of
the dark streets. O;her carriages rolled
by them, their occupants dressed in holi-
day attire, en- route for opera or party,
but no one of them, I ween, happier than
was our friend Louise. as she hears from
the little ragged boy the question, Are
you the angel my mother said she would
send ?"


At last little sister was found. Alas,
that such poverty and want should come
to any in city of wealth and palatial
homes. In a low, dark room, they
found the baby alone, lying on pile of
straw, her tangled hair escaping row and
then into curl, the little cheeks all tear.
stained, while one little hand clasped a
dry crust.


From the inmates of another room they
learned that ths child's mother had died
two days before. The drunken father had
that morning sent the little boy out to
beg, and then had gone somewhere him
self, and the CHI lid had cried itself about
to death.


Down by the bed Of straw kneeled the
fair, young, petted child of luxury, and
very tenderly she reused the little sleeper.
Two bright eyes opened wonderingly, and
then crying and sobbing, the child sprang
into the boys arms. Gently as tender
mother, this little begger boy took his
sister in his arms, his great eyes glowing
with delight as he held up the sweet, soft
bread, saying, See, see what brudder
Brought the baby,


Louisa Horton and her father looked
upon the terribly real tabeau, and thank
ed God that they had been led to care for
these little ones; and when their carriage
rolled through the brilliant street again,
it carried into the light of home and love
two Of Gods little ones. Louise had de
cidsd to adept the little boy. and she was
confident that she could find a home for
the little girl.
Year: 1878

then summoned his housekeeper, and by
so doing evoked scene.


Mrs. Quimbly tremb bIed violently with
righteous indignation we suppose), when
she was informed of the baby's presence.
Mrs. Quimby was not to be put down by
any mort Al man, or woman either, and
SO she made her speech.


"Mr. Livingstone, 1 shall not be re-
sponsible for this strange proceeding.
can assure you. If you were in heaven
it might do, but IN this gossipping world
it is pretty risky for single man to adopt
a baby. People will talk, Its natural for
them to talk, and in this case it is very
likely that they will talk great deal. In
fact, think they would be justified in
talking"


Let thom talk, then, and I am glad
that for the first time in my life l have
performed an act so pure and good that
the world is obliged TO hunt for the rea-
son why. have determined to adopt
this little girl, and now Mrs. Quinn by
will you ring for some bread and milk" !"


Mrs. QIimby went herself for the
bread and milk, muttering as she went
Eyes, be is crazy: Know he is: l hav e
heard that it rurs in the family.


But Hugh Livingstone was never mere
sane than when he decided to take into
his desolate home the little motherle SIS
girl, his home was ever brighter; home
and heart thrilled with childish prattle
and music until be called her Sun
shine"


Thev are blind and crazed who sit in
dresry, desolate, childless homes, while
SO many little ones wander on through
cold, starvatior and crime, unto death.
Year: 1878

IT is noticed that in spite of hard times
We are runAing country that consumes
fifty million gallons of whisky, ten mill
ion barrels of beer, twenty seven million
pound of tobacco, sEd two billion cigars
in q single year; and that i: can spare
enough gram, cotton, wool and sugar to
feed, clothe and sweeten the rest Of the
Year: 1878

Some strange kind Of divinity, after all


does seem to hedge king and shield


him from the danger and the bullet.


Over fifty attempts on the lives Of rulers


and royal personages have been recorded


during the last thirty years, and Of these


very few have succeeded. From an ex


animation, however, of the statistics of


assassination the curious conclusion is


drawn that the republican element seems


as much to arouse the assassin's fury as
the monarchicaE Within the last thir


teen years the Presidents of the United


States, of Peru, of Bolivia, Of Ecuador,


and of Paraguay have fallen by the W


erring dagger or the bullet; yet the


crowned heads of Europe have nearly all


run the gauntlet Of fire. Assassination is
one Of the inevitable peri's which strew
the paths Of princes. Not to mention
minor instances, our own Queen has been
shot at again and again the Emperor Of
Austria has been twice openly attacked
the Gar has been thrice in imminent
danger Of his life; lha @ 'een Of Greece
has been scorched with powder. and the
Queen of Spain had to thank the thick
ness of her stays for breaking the thrust
of a sti|etto; King ferdinand Of Naples
was stabbed, and King Victor Emmanuel
in his graver moments admitted he had to
thank the Almighty for his providentiaI
escape from sudden death Napoleon Ill
was so frequently assailed by cut throats
that he never stirred abroad without
circling Gordon of out'iders and private
police to protect his person from daggers,
bullets and Orsini bombs; the Emperor
Of Germany has been so frequently und er
fire that he has now come to regard the
report Of a pistol close to his ear as an
incident Of his daily life.
As for. Prince Bismarck. he would pro
baby never have lived to achieve the
nnifcation of Germany had he not, in
1866, on Unter den Linden, grasped
julius Cohen by the throat and wrested
from him a smoking revolver.
Year: 1878

The New York Evening Post says:


The fact is that with all the uhstinted
lberality which has been and is pouring
out money like water, there is still Ia
mentable suffering for want Of money in
all the yellow fever cities. The distress is
not merely that Of persons with the fever
in their houses. The class to be relieved
includes not only the poor, as we ordna-
rily use that word, but everybody who is
dependent for support upon earnings Of
any sort, because all business is at an end
in the stricken cities and all earnings are
stopped. Men who in ordinary circum
stances are accounted thrifty and we'll to-
do-lawyers. clerks, salesmep, shopkeep-
ers--are left without resource, with the
means Of livelihood cut off, and al these
men with their families are in state Of
destitution to which such men in ordiua
~ circumstances never come. Into the
ranks Of the poor are thus thrust tens of
thousands Of persons who are not thought
Of commonly, even as possible subjects of
charity. The need is overwhelming, the
helpessness appalling, and in the ordna
~ course OF nature the cause of ali this
suffering must continue its activity for
five or six weeks yet at the least. Every
dollar that pity can spare is sorey needed,
and literally as good people have every
where given to the cause, they must give
more literally yet, else all the horrors of
famine will be added to those Of pesti
lence.
Year: 1878

CRUELTY IN YoUNG CnlLDREN.-Therc
is a strange vein of hard heartedness that
may often be noticed with young children,
and that requires care Of its early removal
Sometimes it appears with children who
are not by any means to be reckoned as
on the whole peculiarly depraved. They
are careless, unaccountably and shocking
ly, of one another's feeling. and do not
mind taunting one another with poverty
or shabbiness Of dress, or with respect to
the vices Or the misfortunes Of their par
ents or friends, or with regard to whatever
else that is disagreeable may come in their
way. Much Of this i'll behavior comes, no
doubt, Of inexperience and thoughtless
ness; but it is not all due to that. And
whatever the cause may be, the disposi
'ion IS one that should not be neglected
and suffered to strengthen itself Pains
ought to be taken when such actions are
observed. to cause the child to understand
the real hatefulness and wrongfulness Of
what he is doing. He should be put 10 a
way to see how the other child is aft cted
by ii; aud both his conscience and his
power Of sympathy should thus be called
into play. Children being but AS they
are, need guidance and help, sometimes
even the help Of \ wise severity, in such
matters. And the mischief is one that
t achers, as we'll as parents, may often
have opportunity to correct.-Congrega-
tionaList.
Year: 1878

Tho Medical Board OF the Jersey City Charity Hos
pit al has notified the Police Commissioners that the
appropriation awarded by the Boaru OF Finance for tho
support of the hospital for tho ensuing year Is wholly
lnndequatc and they ask that the appropriation be
ft be necessary to apply TO the Lcgis
must remain closed 10 hundredsoi poor suffering hu
mn nttv
Year: 1878

SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS.


tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TKIBUNE.l


WASHINGTON, March 1.-COnsiderable interest
has been excited among persons interested in the
bills introduced IN the House and Senate on Monday
last to provide for the carrying of the ocean mails
in American steamships by the discovery that
very radical difference exists between the Two.
The former provides that the mails shall be carried IN
iron steamships built in the United States from Amer
lean material In the Senate bill it is not required
that the vessels shall be built in the United States.
As both bills were determined upon in the export
convention which recently met here and as the
senate bill was submitted by Senator Wallace IN
there are sIspIcons that this copy was garbled ny
the free trade element in the convention before IL
reached the Senator.
Year: 1878

JOHN SHERMAN has at last ordered the
legal tender silver dollars to be paid out
for government notes. Simultaneous
Herewith the newspapers owned by the
brokers proclaim the silver dollar fail
ure that the people do not want them
How ridiculous ? What an appreciation
of the intelligence of their readers these
newspapers must have? The people do
not want them, nor do the people want
gold dollars any more. If they did gold
dollars would not be so near par as not to
pay for the time consumed in walking
after them. 1t is no wonder the finances
of the country are SO deplorably managed
when such journals lead the Secretary of
the Treasury.