smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

RIDIcULE-Ridicule is fatal weap-
on, and although it is in great many
instances the outgrowth of perverted
nature, it generally reaches the heart,
and seldom fails to rasp It's finer sensi-
bilities. 1t finds its way into different
avenues Of our nature, and sufices to
render us uncomfortable. One great
mistake in the use of this weapon is
that it is frequently welded by the
wrong person and another is that it is
frequently hurled at the wrong victim.
We would by no means Danish this weap-
Oh of warfare from our armory. 1t will
do as a desperate remedy in desperate
cases, but it should be cautiously used.
The man who attempts to fight logic
with ridicule makes himself obnoxious;
and he seems to live in lifelong ignor-
ance of any other method of defence. If
the man of letters confines his mightiest
energies to this channel. it will gradu-
ally widen until his whole life will be
swallowed up in an unhealthy warfare
that will bring bitterness in the end. If
the youthful aspirant sets out to pursue
the course we have described, he may as
well let his conscience 60 begging first
as last, for two, opposing elements can
not dwell peacefully IN the same tene-
ment. G sno
Year: 1878

The way to clean feathers is to wash
them in lather, then rinse in cold wa
ter, and then in water slightly blue and
shake them until dry. If the fue looks
thready, damp it between the folds of
cloth and beat lightly. and clap it be-
tween the hands till quite dry. 1t i'm
proves them sometimes to hold them in
the steam of kettle.
Year: 1878

Whatsoever things We desire when We
pray, believe that We receive them, and ye
shall have them" The Lord did not say
believe that ye have them and ye shall have
them. That would have fostered presump-
ton. But receiving implies that an empty
beggar has gift graciously placed in his
hand. Brighton, England, is much resorted
to by invalids for seaair and bathing aud
has broad paved walk bordered by solid
wall along the sea front for a mile or more
Along this sea walk one sees sick people
wheeled in rolling bath-chairs. 1t is said
that a poor beggar placed himself beside this
walk to gather a mite from the kindness OF
those whom feeble health might make ten
der-hearted, and cried, "Give me a penny !"
A gentleman saw him, and directing his SER
want to wheel him near to the beggar, held
out half-crown TO the beggar's extended
hand. The beggar still cried, Give me a
pennyl' The gentleman wondered, but
looked and saw that the man was blind
He said, Here, take thisl" The beggar
still cried, "Give me a penny =" when the
gentleman still saw that he was also deaf,
and then he placed the piece in the beggars s
hand, who was overwhelmed with gratitude
for gift SO far beyond his request. Thus
too often men pray, Lord forgive me,
with deep earnestness and hearty desire to
be the Lords, yet like the blind and deaf
beggar, do not believe that they receive
when, if with the hand of faith they would
grasp the proifered gift, they might be re-
joicing with adoring gratitude. The same
holds true of other requests. Men beg fol
crumbs when the Lord would have then
honor his bounty by asking and receiving
abundantly from his table. He wishes t.
"satiate the souls of his priests with fat
ness" and will do it if, allowing him to la,
the axe at the root OF the corrupt tree in oul
hearts, they ask to be filled with his spirit
Friends RevieW.
Year: 1878

How much time we fritter away without
doing anything for ourselves or the public
good For such omissions it is too much
the habit with us all to excuse ourselves on
the plea of want of time whereas, in
truth, this is seldom good and sufficient
ground of justification. Nothing is easier
than to fritter away time in matters of no
use to ourselves or any one else. The habit
is readily formed. 1t grows upon one una


wares. Keep strict account Of every houI
of your own time for a single week, setting
down correctly the exact manner in which
every hour is spent, and see whether, when
you come to review the record, you do moi
find it full of admonition and instruction


In this simple way one can readily under
stand the secret of his wants in time. He will


discover that he has given hours to idle talk


to Incidence, and to inconsiderable trities


which have yielded him neither profit mol
pleasure. What is the remedy Arrange
your work in the order of its comparativ,
Importance. Attend first TO the things which
are essential to be done, and let the unes
sentials take chance afterwards. The diff


ference in the amount of work accomplished
will be astonishing. Duty before pleasure
Those who practice this precept have plent,
of time for pleasure, and enjoy far create


satisfaction than those who reverse this rule
Year: 1878

There was once mother and her only
child, and the mother loved her child with
all her heart, and could not live nor exist
without it. But the Lord sent great sick
ness which ragged among the children and
seized also upon this child, so that it sank
upon its bed and was sick unto death. Three
days and three nights watched, wept and
prayed the mother by her beloved child but
it died. Then there seized the mother, now
alone upon Gods earth, a great and name
less sorrow, and she ate not and drank not,
but wept three days long and three nights
long, and called upon her dead child. As
now so full of deep grief she sat where her
child had died. the door softly opened, and
the mother started for before her stood her
dead child. 1t had become a blessed angel,
and smiled sweetly as innocence, and beau
tifully as in TRANSPORTATION. And in its lit
tie hand it held vase, full to the brm. Aud
the child said 90, dear mother, weep no
more for me. See In this vase are your
tears which the angel of sorrow has collected
If you shall shed for me only one more tear,
then will the vase overflow, and shall then
have no peace in the grave and no bliss in
heaven. Therefore, dear mother, weep nc
more for your child, for your child is well
cared for, is happy, and the angels are hel
companions" So saying, the child disap
peared, and the mother wept no more, lest
she should disturb the child's rest in tn,
grave and her happiness in heaven.-Fron
| fLe German
Year: 1878

"Give us plain doctrine, for we are a
sleepy people" said an old Scotchman to
John Mcleod Campbell, soon after he began
his ministry in the parish of Row. "Give
us nice essays, for we are a cultured people, y
is the wish that goes forth in many quarters,
whether audibly or not And the cultured
essays are given Sunday after Sunday, while
the prayers go up at the mid-week prayer
meeting for the descent Of the Holy Spirit
But it is all taken out in expectancy, and the
worshippers despairingly sing:


:" Dear Lord, and shall we ever live


At this poor dying rate ?'


forgetting that the question is one for them
and not the Lord, to answer If you want a
revival of religion nothing is so important
an aid as the forceful, direct, personal preach
ing of the Word. The coldness of the cul
tured pulpit essay is as effectual hindrance
to the Spirit to-day as when the unbelief OF
the Jews upon notable occasion rendered
it impossible for Jesus to do "many mighty
works. s."-Christidn at Work.
Year: 1878

"Talk to me of Jesus" said an aged
Christian, when on the banks of the river
that was soon to bear him away. "Tell me
of him whom my soul loveth, and of the
many mansions where he dwells with his
own in glory, and where shall soon see
him as he is 1t is the news of the Masters
household long to hear; the advancement
of his cause and the progress of his king
dom. Do not tell me of things that are
passing away. ! care not for them. Thi;
world and all its possessions must soon bt
burned up, and wherefore should they dwell
in my affections | have a home that fire
cannot touch; kingdom and crown that
fade not away; and why should be con
cerned about affairs of the day 2"
Year: 1878

season of such vain strivings and empty
''beatings Of the air." he would all at
once pack his valise, telegraph his
friend Forster, and rush off to London
to gather his Inspiration from the
slums and back alleys of that great,
roaming metropolis. And yet, again,
he would spend days puzzling over a
name or triiing expression, changing
both many, many times, and frittering
whole days on nothings.


This may be a prosaic way of look
ing at the emanations Of ''genius;''
and yet there is to us ordinary mortals
much comfort IN it, for it shows that
skill and labor are the chief architects
Of man s fame, and that any plodding
human who has the will to plan, to
work and to persevere may achieve
something which will not only bring
him wealth and honor, but which the
world will not willingly let die,
There is no royal road to success in
this world but through hard and en-
during toil.-Pablic Ledger.
Year: 1878

IHE POTTER INVESTIGATION To GO RIGHT ON
The democratic members OF the Potter investi
eating committee held a private conference
yestt rday after the adjournment of the House.
al which 1t was agreed that Chairman Potter
snall call meeting Of the committee for next
Thursday. Ii was also informally agreed that
III case OF the House Shall not in the mean time
specially direct an Investigation OF the .cipne,,
leiegramS, the committee will proceed to make
an Investigation OF them and all similar matters.
uhder the general authority conferred upon il
at TIE last session. 1t is likewise the intention
oi lhe majority OF the committee to take ad-
ditiOnal eslimOny on the subject of inquiry the
investigation OF which was left unfinished last
summer.
Year: 1878

THE CABINET MEETING TO-piy-Secretary
Thompson was absent from the Cabinet meet
ing this afternoon. The Cabinet was in session
about an hour and a half. A good portion OF
Tie time was consumed in a discussion OF re-
sumption and the financial condition OF the
country. The universal opinion on these sub
jectS was one OF satisfaction. II was thourht
mat there would be nothing to seriously oDpoS Sa
The success Of resumption and that ii might b.,
considered an assured fact
Year: 1878

What may have been our own preconceptions


In regard to quarantines, or what conclusion


was reached after the thorough test which
has been given 1t in this city, are matters
there has been no occasion for US to discuss
80 far. We sustained the Board Of Health In


the policy it thought ft to adopt, simply be-
cause the efficacy of quarantine, as precau-
tion against yellow fever, was disputed
question among scientists, and because, In
the case Of this city, our medical author
tiles had established 1t, and were carefully
watching its results with view to arriving
at some conclusion In regard to this same dis
puted question. Believing that 1t was ques-
tion upon which there were no data that
justified any one, not even physician, In
speaking dogmatically, we have put aside all
considerations affecting the material welfare
OF our city in commenting on the quarantines
established in the interior against New Or
leans. We here had exercised the right and
privilege OF testing the question, and we con-
ceded the same right to the towns In the in
terror.


We refer to these facts merely because they
appear to justify the com mplaint we are at last
forced to make against the unreasonable ex-
tension of the period of these embar-
goes against New Orleans. The Red
river quarantine is yet as vigorously
enforced as ever-even to the exclusion
OF the mails. There is no reason what
Year: 1878

The course Of tie IiU,es yesterday morning
In dragging the nams and personality Of 81
reporter Of this paper into an affair in which
he was engaged in the legitimate pursuit Of
news was at once cowardly, indecent and un-
journalistic. The DEMOCRAT is responsible
for all steps taken by it's employees In the
pursuit Of news and until the paper disclaims
their acts 1t Is responsible for them. If the
Timer believed that the means taken by our
representative to obtain certain inforrna-
ton WIS censurable, it was tho duty
Of that journal to attack tho DEMOCRAT. It
had no right to drag the name Of the reporter
into It's columns and attempt to rnalgn him
until this paper had dsclaimed his acts, which
1t hhs not done and does not propose to do.


The Timca has again displayed itself In an
indecent attitude.
Year: 1878

Secretary Gorham does not look with q
favorable eye upon Republican prospects In
Maryland. He was applied to for funds a
few days ago to assist the party canvass
there. "The committee has no money to keep
old graveyards in repair" Is said to have
been his rather curt reply. Gorham Is no
fool. Maryland will be "solid." as usual.
Year: 1878

The New York Ielegraua's special, repro
duced in the DEMOCRAT this morning, will
create genuine surprise in New Orleans That
part of it relating to the collapse Of the Ma
tionals is probably true. In fact, the National
party never had vital existence here, except
such as was breathed into it by the Repub-
lican eaders to accomplish their own ends.
Year: 1878

The Democrats in Iowa are determined to
vote again for Congressman on Tuesday next.
At q council OF the party it was concluded
unanimously that the Tuesday following the
first Monday In November, being the day
fixed by act OF Congress for the election Of
Representatives, Is the only legal election
day for Congressman In Iowa, and that the
omission OF the Governors proclamation does
not deprive the people Of jurisdiction.
Year: 1878

The hatehez Democrat says that the ticket
adopted by the Democratic purity In Concordia
parish Is highly acceptable to the majority OF
the voters and will certainly win on the day
Of election
Year: 1878

Do not work butter too much nor too
fast. Work slowly, and until all the salt is
thoroughly and evenly absorbed, otherwise


the butter will not be of uniform color.
Working it too fast will destroy the grain
Year: 1878

In Germany farms are systematically
drained without regard to the amount of
water on them. The object is to admit the
air into the soil to vendLate II, as it were.
The same thing has been done in some
parts of our own country with evident
profit.
Year: 1878

FIRE ARMs.-A man of ordinary cour-
age, who is neither afraid nor disposed to
quarrel, can travel anywhere in any civil
lied community more safely without
pistol in his pocket than with such weap-
on. The best defence in the worst parts
of Il great city or on-he frontiers, where
the widest and most desperate men are
found, is simple confidence, fearless and
unsuspecting. The people who get killed
in rows and are murdered by ruffians, are
generally those who are armed in prepa-
ration for an attack, while the man who
neither seeks nor avoids danger is almost
certain to escape. A bad habit has grown
up among the American people of certain
classes of arming themselves with con-
cealed weapons, and we hear of about as
many accidents from this cause as we do
of crime. There is text of scripture,
that He who taketh the sword shall per-
ish by the sword" and it is true that the
hilt is dangerous as the point. The Gus
tom of carrying pistols has reached to the
school children, and the result has been
that there have been numerous accidents,
and some dreadful deeds which were not
wholly accidental. We have had some
illustrations in our own community of
late. A boy with loaded pistol is more
dangerous animal than a panther, even if
the boy be of the best and most quiet dis
position. A quick or surly tempered boy,
SO armed, is more dangerous than royal
Bengal tiger. 1t is not a plaything for
school boys, and when found in their pos
session the best disposition which can be
made of it is the heat of a hot furnace, af-
ter being carefully taken apart to make
sure that it is not loaded. a pistol is not
proper weapon for II policeman. One
properly qualified for his duties can per-
form them just rs well without fire arms,
except in case of general riot, and will
have less temptation to use fatal violence.


The young men who "go cunning"
are largely OF the class who know little
more of The danger of fire arms than the
school boys. An old sportsman OF an old
soldier knows that the muzzle of loaded
gun is not IL safe place to occupy, but you
will see plenty of young men who are not
aware of this fact, us careless with a shot
gun AS if it were harmless as a broom
handle. In the army many suffered from
this nexperience and lack of knowledge,
and instances are frequent of sportsmen
shooting themselves and their friends.
Within a generation several promising
young men have fatally shot themselves by
careless use of guns, and several others
have been shot by their friends. Too
much care cannot be used in handling
these weapons, and those most acquainted
with them are the most careful.-NeDbu-
report Herald.
Year: 1878

PLAY FOR THE CHiLDREN.-It is natural
for the young to pass the greater part OF
their days in play. The kitten will tumble
and roll at the end of n string; the little
lamb will frisk about the fields, and the
young dogs are always ready for frolic.
Nature has decreed this law throughout
the world, and children are not free from
it. 1t is the essential thing to them, and
makes them better and stronger men and
women. Hard work and dignity are at
tributes of advanced age. Children should
have neither. The young body and mind
should have no weight to crush the body
or Cypress the soul. The recreation oi
children should be enjoyed principally in
the open air. Their play naturally calls
for considerable muscular exertion. and
there is no display Of muscular force with
out some waste of muscular substance


The blood is constantly at work repairing
the waste, and to perform its duty well II


should be thoroughly oxygenized. The
pure. open air does this. Let them run
and shout, and laugh climb trees ant
Jump fences, if their strength is sufficien
Year: 1878

to prevent them from falling. The bolster
GUS sports not only develop health and
strength, but they create self-reliance. and
teach them how to use their arms and legs.
Girls as well as boys should have their
outdoor pleasures. 1t is to be expected
that girls will be less rough in their play,
but they will obey the instincts of their
different nature and breathe the same air
as their less gentle brothers. / don care
how often your daughter may be called
hoydenish, or how often she may deserve
the appellation of tom Boy" she is de-
veloping health and strength, and a gen.
eral fitness for the duties of mature life.
If few idiots who either cannot under
stand the needs of childhood or are envi-
ous of young blood, choose to call names.
they will not hurt her nor make her any
the less a lady. The day when skeleton
with paid cheeks and feeble footsteps was
considered genteel is passed. There were
loo many young graves filled by that jug
gernaut of fashion to make the style per-
manent.-Neeo HaUen Register.
Year: 1878

SAGACIrY OF THE MULE.-The Virginia
City Enterprise says that the editor of the
iWard (Nevada) RefeD relates the follow.
ng with just but modest family pride
"They have a mule at the furnaces Of the
Martin White Company that displays a
wonderful degree of intelligence. She re-
quires no driver, and, no matter what the
cart is loaded with, she knows exactly
where to leave it. All that is necessary is to
load it, and she engineers the vehicle to suit
herself She will pull like mailer until
out of breath, stop, get her wind, and
then 90 on again. She makes difficult
turns nicely as though driver directed
her course. The mule has never been
known to take load to the wrong place.
We noticed one of her performances in
which she stopped about fifty yards from
the place where her load was being deliv-
cred. The mule had taken long look
ahead and discovered that wagon was
being unloaded at the dump, and patiently
waited until it moved off, when she i'm
medately came on again, and backed up
to the exact spot where the earth was to
be dumped. This intelligent animal has
been overloaded so often that she is now
laid up for repairs, and perhaps will never
recover.
Year: 1878

1t is only now and then that the public
get sight of man who was once boy
and acted like boy. One of this sort was
met at the Central depot the other day.
Feeling tired and yet desiring to see all
that was TO be seen, he made arrangements
to sit down on bench outside. Passing
his hand over it several times. he said to
himself " No tacks or pins put in here to
raise fellow up, and no pitch to hold a
fellow down." He looked it over very
carefully, and continued; " No fresh paint
on here to spile clothes, and no acid to
sple the hide" He made last examina-
ton, and felt satisfied 10 say: "No place
above here to pour water down my back
no bricks to fall on my head-no Bogardus
kicker under it-no bumble-bees around
now, and l think can sit down and take


omfort.-DevoH Free Press.
Year: 1878

O'Leary's victory almost compensates
for the Chicago fire. which was caused by
the kick of his mothers cow, which broke
the lantern which fired the straw which
lay in the barn which the peeler saw
which wasn't put out by the strolling lout
and burned the town that Cheek built.
Year: 1878

"a New Yorker ate Welsh rarebit
and drank six glasses of lager before going
to bed. He dreamt that he raw Bob
Ingersoll in his night shirt, with pitch
fork, chasing the devil over an Illinois
prairie. ."--AndresOS Bazaar,
Year: 1878

ENCHANTMENT.
The sails we see on the ocean
Are as white as white can be,
But never one in the harbor
As white as the sails at sea.
And the clouds that crown the mountain
With purple and gold delight,
Turn to cold gray mist AMI vapor
Ere ever we reach the height.
Stately and fair is the vessel
That comes not near our beach;
Stately and grand the mountain
Whose height we never may reach.
o, distance, thou dear enchauteri
Still hold in thy magic veil
The glory of far-ofr mountains,
The CLEAN Of the far-ofr sail
Year: 1878

The godly people of Massachusetts,


whose tender sensibilities would be
sorely pained if we made a code affect.
ing the colored people as severe as that
in which they would entangle tramps,


propose to re-enact laws that Lewis
Cass made operative when he was Gov
ernor of Michigan Territory. Migrants
under this Michigan code were sold
into servitude for period not exceed
ing six months. When Cass was q
candidate for the presidency in 1s4S,


against Taylor, one of the Taylor cleo
tors used to read this bloody law, as be
termed it, and illustrate its manner of
enforcement by selling his competitor
the Democratic elector-to the high
est bidder. HIS description of the per-
sonal charms and virtues of the fat,
lazy looking Democrat was ludicrous
to the last degree. But he could never
get more than a dollar and half bid.
Purchasers feared to feed the oily rep
resentatiye of Mr.. Cass's party, and we
are much inclined to believe that the
specimens of the genus tramp, which
one encounters in Texas, will be hard
ly more salable than the late Postmas-
ter General, who was the Cass elector
to whom we refer. sst a
Year: 1878

The Sherman Register says ''our pref
erence for Ex-Governor Throckmorton
Is based wholly on the ground Of his
superior fitness for the great trusl. Ii
is true there is also sentiment, and
not an unworthy one, growing out OF
his brief and cvrntfui rule rs Cover.
nor just aitsr the close of the war, that
the people of Texas owe it to the true
man who had the courage and the
manhood TO stand up for them until
forcibly elected from the Capitol by
Federal bayonets, IL replace him in
that position. Linked with the men,
ory of his courage and devotion tO prin-
cipie in that dark hour, is the recollec-
tion of the wisdom and the Iurity Of
his administration, and the great SER
vice he has rendered Texas SINCE that
date. It is not Surprising, therefore.
that ThFockmorton should be loved
and honored, and that it should be so
often SAID of him, he is popular with
the people Perhaps no man in the
State has so strong a hold upon the
affections of the people, and were the
race 10 be made without the interven-
ton of the usual party machinery.
there would be no question Of bis cleo
tion.r ~