smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

TT BRET HARTE.
Ii yoare waking call me early, call me carly, mother


dear,
And see that the is warm, mother, and the fire


is burning cIear
And tallow my once more mother. once more ere


you go away,
For Tn to be Queen o. the May, mother, Tn to be


Queen o the May.
1t froze SO hard last night, mother, that really


couldn't break
The ice in my little pitcher mother until / thought


the poker to take:
You'll find it there the hearth, mother, but oh LET


that hot brick stay,
For I'm to be Queen o. the May, mother, I'm to be


Queen O the May.
shall put on my aqud-scutens outside OF my sealskin


coat
And two or three yards of flannel DEAR will 60 around


my throatr
And you will see the boneset tea, mother, is drawn
while your child's away,
For I'm to be Queen o the May mother, I'm to be


Queen o the May.
Little Eie shall go with me, if her nose is fit to he
seen;
And you shall bethere too, dear mother, to see me
made the Queen,
Provided the doctor let you; and if it don't rain in
stead.
Little Johnny is to take me part of the way on his
sled
So, if you're waking, call rue early, call me early
mother dear,
For tomorrow may be the chiest day of all the glad
New Year;
For today is the thtieh mother, and blessd if your
child can say.
If she amt an April Fool mother instead of Queen
O the May.
-N0st'S Almanac for 1915
Year: 1874

Don't be too sudden about it. Many q
girl has said 'no when she meant "yes,
simply because her lover didn't choose the
right time and pop the question gentle,


Take dark night for it, Have the blinds
closed, the curtains down and the lamp
turned most out. Sit near enough to her
SO that you can hook your little finger into
hers. Wait until conversation begins to
flag, and then quietly remark:
Susie, want to ask you something. !"
She viii fidget around little, reply
"yes, and after pause you can add;


"susie, my actions must have shown
that is, you must have seen-I mean you
must be aware-that-that-''


Pause here for awhile, but keep your lit
tie fingers firmly locked. She may coual
and try TO turn the subject off by asking
you how you liked the circus, but she only
does it to encourage you. After about ten
minutes you can continue:


II was thinking, as l came up the path
tonight, that before I went away would
ask you-that is, [ would broach the SUBJ
ject nearest MY mean I would know
my-"


Stop again and give her hand a gentle
squeeze. She may give a yank to get it
away or she may not. In either case it
augurs well for you. Wait about five min
utes and then go on:


"The past year has been very happy
one to me. But hope that coming years
will still be happer. However, that de-
pends entirely on you. am here tonight
to know-that is, to ask you'll mean I
am here tonight to hear from your own
sweet lips the one SWEET


Wait again. 1t isn't best to be rash
about such things. Give her plenty of
time to recover her composure, and then
put your hand on your heart and continue:


eyes, thought as was coming through
the gate tonight, how happy I had been,
and | said to myself if you would only con-
sent to be my-that is, I said If only
knew-if was only certain that my heart
hadnot deceived me and you were ready to
share"


Hold on-there's no hurry about it. Give
the wind a chance to sob and moan about
the gable. This will make her lonesome
and call up all the love in her heart.
When she begins to cough and grow rest
less, you can go on:


Before I met you this world was des-
ert to me. didn't take any pleasure in
going blackberrying and stealing rare-ripe
peaches, and it didn't matter whether the
sun shone or not. But what change in
one short year: It is for you to say wheth-
er my future shall be prairie of happiness
Or q summer fallow of Canada thistles.
S. eak. dearest Susie, and say-and say that


Give her five minutes more by the clock
and then add:


q That you will be-that is, that you will
i mean that you will-be minew


She will heaye a sigh, look up at the
clock and over the stove, and then as she
slides her head over your vest pocket, she
will whisper:


stYou are just right will. m Quad.
Year: 1874

Rubber shoes for horses are recent in
vention. The shoe is made and lined in
a precisely similar manner to the articles of
apparel worn by the human race, and, in
fact, present no points of difference save in
it's shape and it's manufacture of the best
quality of India rubber 1t is designed as
q substitute for the iron shoe, and means
of preventing the many maladies to which
horses feet are subject. Horses suffering
with cracked or contracted hoof, and simi-
lar painful hurts, it is said, are quickly
cured by the substitution for the rubber
cover for the unyielding metal shoe. The
device is easily removed orput on the hoof,
and hence, while standing in the stall or
turned out to pasture, the horse may be
left barefooted. AS compared with iron
shoes, the cost of rubber is about one-third
more, and their weight is forty FER cent.
less, while they are very durable. Sixteen
sizes are manufactured, SO that accurate
fits may be obtained.
Year: 1874

An Indiana Railroad being 10 debt
for $4,000 worth of unpaid taxes, the
sheriff of the town where they are due
is trying to attach locomotive. The
law doesn't allow him to take tho loco
motive of a mail train, and now the
freight trains do not stop at that town,
but run slowly through, all hands de.
riding the sheriff, who sees no way to
secure his locomotive.
Year: 1874

Continues to be the topic Of conyersa-


ton. Among those who have small regard


for the law, it is held ubas justice, and


sanctioned as right; but people from


abroad must not conclude from the talk
Of such people that they represent the
Law abiding portion of Wilmington or its
vicinity. We would not have any one
suppose that we would seek vengeance
upon the head Of the offender in this
case. The law is the only avenger that
should be called upon, and il has been in
voked; but its forms only have been OBJ
served. The charge of the Judge will
stand in lasting contrast with the yer.
dict Of the jury, and men will still feal
to shoot down in the heat Of passion
those who trespass upon their lands
There is no fear that farmers will ddr,
to repeat this foul and daring slaughtel
although one has escaped the terrible
ordeal reserved for sdch as would for :
few pennies spill the blood even Of thu
wrong doer in the face Of the law anC
the command, "thou shalt not kill
The fruit Of that tree Lad better boel
blasted forever rather than its owne
should SO have stained his hands and toI
tured his conscience with such crime
What the verdict woald have been ha


the chief Of the prosecution been equs
tothe discharge of his duty no ono know
Year: 1874

We are glad to know that General
CROOK has been confirmed as Brigadier
General in the regular army, He had
command of the department of West
Virginia for some time during the war
and was always known as good SOL
der and a generous man, and his SOL
dierly ability has been made even more
conspicuous than before by his success
full campaigns against the Indians OF
the western frontier.
Year: 1874

PROBABILITIES.


For New England generally clear asd
cold weather will prevail, with fresh to
brisk northwesterly and southwesterly
winds. For the Middle Atlantic States,
and thence southwestward to Eastern
Gulf coast continued cold and clear
weather with northeasterly to westerly
winds. For Alabama and thence
westward to Texas, northerly to east
erly winds with low temperature and
threatening weather, and possible
areas OF rain or snow. For the Ohio
Valley, generally cold and clear wealth
er, with northerly winds during the
greater portion OF the day, followed by
cloudy weather and falling barometer
and slightly rising temperature. For
the lower Lake region and thence east
ward to New Brunswick, continued cold
and partly cloudy weather with areas Of
snow. For the upper Lake region and
northwest, falling barometer. slightly
rising temperature, fresh and brisk
easterly to southerly winds and areas OF
snow near Lake Superior and in the
upper Mississippi valley.
Year: 1874

a WASHINGTON dispatch states that


the financial bill which was passed by the
senate Monday night, now goes to


the house, where it cannot be reached, un-


der the rules, by any means whatever,


before next Monday, and then it will re-
quire two-thirds vote either to take it
up for action or to refer it to commit
tee. Meanwhile the house will have
voted on the bill which it has before it
for free banking and sent it to thesenate,
and therefore the final passage of the
financial bill is yet distant. The same
dispatch says the President deems a
free-bsnking law with redemption, and
with provision for the retention by the
bank Of portion of their coin, the in
terest to be applied to coin redemption
at some future time, to be the best meas
ure attsinable at this session. Under all
the circumstances, a measure of that
kind he will approve, but bill, such as
that passed by the senate, If it ever
Teaches the President for his action,
would be very carefully scrutinized, and
there is at least strong probability that
it would be vetoed. The petition put
in circulation in New York Saturday,
asking President Grant to veto the
measures of initiation, has been with
drawn, and one modified in expression
substituted. The veto was asked "in or
der that the honor of our country may
not suffer in the estimation of our own
people and in the estimation of all the
civilized nations of the world"
Year: 1874

word has been said to break the stiffness
of our repose and the dignity of our fall
until General Johnston has violated the
solemn truce of defeat by violent re-
newal of what was buried in the past.
Virtue needs no vOciferation; and while
we would fain give General Johnston
all the respect and regard his age and
position demand, yet we can only ap-
peal to the soldiers of the world, from his
own statement, and leave to their re-
buke this ungenerous conduct of the
general whose tactics, like those of
Shimei to David, was only to stand on
one hill and curse his enemy as he
passed by on the other. Your obedient
servant, GEO. R. PHELAN.
Year: 1874

the closing quotations of Saturday afternoon of to
Il Der cent Central and Hudson and Lake Shore ad
vancing each Erie. Pacific Mail, and Wabash each
A. North West and st. Paul each Ii Western Union,
l. Rock Island. Il. and Ohio and Mississippi, II.
The advance in Rock Island has probably no other
significance than that it has suited the interest and
the pleasure of its manipulators TO allow
it to take a step or two toward what
would be its real value under more
favorable auspices while the improvement IN Ohios
seems but a natural reaction after its sudden de-
cline. There is no reason why the latter should
command any higher price to-day than it brought
on any day last week, excepting that speculators
chose to pay more for it, We doubt it it is now any
nearer to or further from a dividend than when it
was quoted at As. The following table shows the
opening highest lowest and closing prices
Year: 1874

A singular specimen of a 10:
comotive has just been turned
out of a machine shop at Glou-
cester, N. j., which bids fair to
create quite a sensation among
railroad men. 1t is four tons
in weight, and designed to run
on one rail. 1t rests upon two
wheels, one following the other:
The rail or track upon which it
is to run, a sample OF which is
laid in the yard of the builders
is styled "a "prismoid, or one
track railway, and is composed
Of several thlcknesses OF plank
built upon the style Of an in
verted keel of a vessel with a
fiat rail on the apex. Upon a
test trial speed of about
twelve miles an hour was at
tanned, and the inventor and
patentee claims that the speed
can be almost doubled on a
heightened track. The capacity
for running curves is very much
greater than the two-rail sysi
tenn. The revolving flanges at:
tached TO the engine and which
run on The outside of each
wheel, absolutely lock the rolls
ing stock to the prism, and OBJ
viate the necessity of so much
heavy rolling stock in a light
traffic at a high rate of speed.
1t is also claimed that pris-
modal railway, built with a.
base of IA inches angles 45 de-
grees can be built at a cost Of
$1,000 per mile.
Year: 1874

We remember the case of O friend
who dosed himself with laudanum
without knowing it, by eating too free
ly of certain cough nostrum. He was
made to drink pure strong coffee and
kept walking seven hours, before he
recovered. The laudanum sleep is
fatal when once fastened on it's victim.
The Baltimore Gazette says:


On Sunday afternoon young man
named George Falk, swallowed, as he
stated, three ounces of laudanum and
five grains of morphia, in order to end
his life. There was but one way of
saving him, and that was to keep him
in motion. After relieving him as far
as possible, his physician order that he
be walked until he was out of danger.


At half past two o'clock, Sunday
morning, he was put upon his tramp
for life, and was to walk in the open air
as rapidly as he could. His father kept
by him for long time, and friend or
policeman assisted. After some hours
the father gave out, and finally officers
and friends grew tired. At last officers
had to be taken from their beats and
made to do duty in saving the life of
the would-be suicide.


When the walk commenced it was
with great difficulty that he could be
kept going, and so great was his stupor
that at times he would almost fall like
a stick. Frequently it was necessary to
catch him and move him on. He
reeled at times like a drunken man,
and then he would revive considerably.
The dreary, monotonous walk was kept
up without intermission until half-past
six o'clock next morning, when the
physician consented that he should be
allowed to take rest.


The live of the young man was saved,
but the struggle for freedom from the
effects of the drugs was a severe one.
To have stopped three minutes would
have been fatal. aE I
Year: 1874

In the year 1745, Vandille, the miser,
was worth nearly 9SOO,000 He used to
boast that this vast accumulation sprang
from a single shilling. He had in
creased it, step by step, farthing by
farthing, shilling by shilling, pound by
pound, from theage of sixteen to seven
ty-fve. For six and fifty years had
that covetous old man lived, for no
other purpose than to accumulate gold,
which he had not the courage to enjoy.
Not once during these years had he in
dulged himself in any luxury, or par
ticipated in any pleasure his life was
dne continuous sacrifice to mammon.
The blessings, which a kind and be-
nevolent Providence has bestowed in
his mercy upon mankind, were never
accepted by Vandille his whole
soul was absorbed, his every Joy was
sought for, in the yellow heap, which
his avarice had accumulated. His
death was singular one.


The winter of 1894 had been very
cold and bitter, and the miser felt in
clined to purchase little extra fuel in
the summer time to provide, to some
extent, against the like severity in the
ensuing winter. He heard q man pass
the street with wood to sell i; he hag-
gled for an unconscionable time about
the price, and at last completed the
bargain at the lowest possible rate.
Avarice had made the miser dishonest /;
and he stole from the poor woodman
several logs. In his eagerness to carry
them away, and hide his ill-gotten
store, he overheated his blood, and pro-
duced a fever. For the first time in
his life he sent for surgeon. 81 wish
to be bled," said he; "what is your
charge ?" "Half livre," was the
reply. The demand was deemed ex-
tortionate, and the surgeon was dis
missed. He then sent for an apothe-
cary, but he was also considered too
high; and he at last sent for poor
barber, who agreed to open the vein for
threepence a time. "But, friend"
said the cautious miser, how often
will it be requisite to bleed me?'
Three times" replied the barber.
"Three times and pray what quantity
of blood do you intend to take from me
at each operation p "Abopt eight
ounces each time" was the answer.
"Let me see, said the possessor of
three-quarters of a million, "that will
be ninepence too much-too much. I
have determined to go cheaper way to
work; take the whole twenty-four
ounces at once, and that will save me
sixpence." The barber demonstrated,
but the miser was firm he was certain,
he said, the barber was only desirous to
extort an extra sixpence, and he would
not submit to such scandalous impo-
sition. His vein was opened, and four
and. twenty ounces of blood taken from
him. In few days Vandille, the
miser, was no more. The savings of
his life, the wages of his vice and
avarice, he left to the King of France.
Year: 1874

The history of the Virginia Common
wealth commences with an auction
sale-not, however, in store, but be-
meath the green trees of jamestown,
where probably the most anxious and
interested crowd of auction hobitues,
ever known in the history of the world,
were gathered. In letter, still to be
seen, dated London, August 21, 1921,
and directed to worthy colonist OF
that settlement, the writer begins by
saying:


"We send you a shipment. one
widow and eleven maids, for wives for
the people of Virginia. There has been
especial care in the choice of them, for
there hath not one of them been re-
ceived but upon good concentrations.
In case they cannot be presently
married, we desire that they may be
put with several householders that have
wives, until they can be provided with
husbands"


But the writer of this epistle had
little reason to fear that any of the
"maidens faire" would be left over.
The archives contain evidence to prove
that these cargoes of young ladies were
put up at auction, and sold for one hun
dred and twenty pounds of tobacco
each, and it was ordered that this debt
should have precedence of all others.
The solitary q one widow" went along
with the others, for they could not be
particular in those day. The good min
lister of the colony no doubt had busy
time that day. He did not mention any
fee, nor did the bridegroom think Of
rendering any. All was JOY and glad
ness; no storms ahead, no uneasiness
for the future, no inquisitive clerk to
stand and say, "Here's the license;
fork over that dollar" Nothing of that
sort. From some of these couples the
first families of Virginia are descended,
and we'll may auctions be popular
there.
Year: 1874

William II. Plummer, of Cole Cour-
ty, KY, relates the following incident
illustrative of the difficulties attending
an effort of his to get comfortable
nights rest during one of the recent
hot nights. It was useless to think of
lying indoors. The thermometer was
somewhere up in the nineties, and not
breath seemed stirring. The windows
were raised and the doors opened, and
every invention and allurement known
to genius was employed to coax up a
single zephyr from the caves. But all
in vain. Plummer concluded, there
fore, he would abandon the room
that held his accustomed couch and
take to the open porch, in the hope
that stray Whit of fresh air might
occasionally reach him.


He accordingly wheeled out his easy
chair, and with elevated feet over the
railing, dropped off into nap which
lasted for a few minutes, when half
stified with the oppressiveness of the
heat he aroused himself and began to
look around and study some new
method of repose. During the short
nap, a huge rattlesnake had crawled
upon the porch and coiled itself close
to the unconscious sleeper's chair. In
his survey of the surroundings on
awakening this object was the first to
attract his attention. He was unable
to distinguish it through the dim light
of the shadowy night. His first i'm
preston was to put his foot on it and
push it aside. But this required an
effort and was abandoned. He next
observed that at every movement of
his the object would start. This led
him to closer inspection of it. Sud-
denly he realized that he had snake
for companion.


This brought him to his feet, and as
quick as a flash his snakeship was
brushed from the porch with the chair
legs. This movement was followed by
such a rattling from the grass beneath
as made the night echo. Plummer re-
sponded by hurting his chair in the
direction of the sound. He then re-
treated to his room and brought out
his shotgun, reappearing just as the
serpent was gliding out of the yard,
and was at point directly between two
young calves that were lying within q
few feet of each other, when he fired,
halting the retreating intruder with a
bullet through his head. A club finish
ed the work. Eight rattles were the
trophy. But the balance of the night
was not whit the more comfortable.
The trouble of finding a cool and com
Portable place to sleep was not in the
least abated.
Year: 1874

A Queensland paper gives the follow
ing account Early in April boy,
about fifteen years, the son of a Mr..
Porter, OF Euri Greek, was dragged by
an alligator into a water-hole close by
his fathers house. 1t appears that
this boy and his elder brother had been
engaged in getting pigs into a stye, and
that the poor lad who is gone went into
the edge of the water-hole to wash a
green hide rope which they had been
using with the pigs. While he was so
engaged his little sister, who was sit
ting on the bank hard by, saw the alli-
gator seize the boy by the leg and drag
him under water. She gave the alarm,
but it was, OF course, too late the
brute had dragged the boy down to the
bottom, and nothing more was seen of
him for several days, when leg and q
portion of his clothing foated to the
surface. A few days later the same pa
per thus records the destruction of the
alligator. The brute was over twelve
feet long, and of very great age, prob
ably over one hundred years. This was
indicated by the condition of his mon
strous teeth, many of which were gone
altogether, and the remainder much
worn. He also showed scars and severe
marks of former battles, having lost a
considerable portion of one side of his
snout, probably bitten off by some rival
alligator. Inside the stomach was
found the skull aud some of the bones
of the boy. Among the bones were
some of the vertebre, already much
worn by the action of the stomach, and
also softened, probably by the gastric
Juice,
Year: 1874


Swift through the darkness
The little boat goes
What is before us,


Who cares, and who knows ,
Low hang the branches


That border the stream
AAoat in their shade,


Do we wake, do we dream
Could our flight through the twilight
Continue for aye,
Should we care for the sunlight,
Or pine for the day
Should tire of the language
OF beautiful eyes,
And weary of melody


Written in sighs j?
II life were but floating


By sweet woman's side,
Should we long for the haven,
Or turn of the tide /?
Still through the shadows


We grope to the sea
The world is before. us,


And I, love, choose Thee
Year: 1874

PUrTISa ON A SHlRr.-There are things
which man can do with some show of
dignity and even elegance. but the put
ting ON vi q clean shirt is not one Of
them. Even those fastidious chaps who
put enc on every week never become so
expert and familiar with the process that
they can go through with it with any de-
gree of comfort or dcxierity, and the less
extravagant individuals who change only
once month. are really to be envied
The feat is accomplished in this way ::
You lay the garment down on the bed.
or across y table or washstand, bosom
downwards, each rustic OF the siiilly
starched garment striking terror to your
soul Pulling il open, you make strange
draft on your courage aud resolution,
and plunge into it, thrustIng your arms
here and there ia a frantic aud desperate
search for the sleeves, fnding which yon
struggle mautully in an endeavor to draw
the garment down so that you can catch
a glimpse of the outer world once more
BY tn, exercise OF a proper amount of
jldgmcnt yon are tna,ly successful in
tsis, and YOU find yourself gazing o At
upon surrounding objects. encrcied by
stiff, rustling linen, which props ysur
chm up in the air and gives rise to feel
ing as though you were braced around
about by crowbars, with no prospect Of
ever being able TO sit down oyui" Put.
ting on collar aud tie. you don your
outer garments and sally forth, feeling as
uncomfortable and uneasy as though you
had just sat down on coat tail pocket
full Of eggs