smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

A pleasing instance of womanly deli
cacy was shown at the Marie Of the
ninth reimbursement, in Paris, the other
day, when youthful pair pesented them
selves before the magistrate for the pur'
pose of being united in marriage. The
groom, who was simple workingman,
could not write, and when the register
was handed to him, made q cross in
rather crestfallen mood. The bride,
who had evidently enjoyed much bet
ter education, and who could write with
ease, instead of signing her name, made
only cross IN the book, and on one of
her relatives speaking of it she replied,
Would you have me humble my hus-
band on such a moment2 Ought / to
let him in public appear inferior to his
wife2 Do not say anything about it, for
before three months have passed he will
be able to write"
Year: 1874

While Gen. Taylor lay with his army
at Point Isabella, just north of the mouth
of the Rio Grande, Commodore Conner
had assumed command of the Gulf
Squadron. Conner was veteran of the
last war with England, bearing honora-
BILE wounds, and with a record which any
officer might envy. He was by no means
a martinez, but he was strict in the mat
ter of cleanliness, and in the matter Of
his own dress he was elegantly precise.
Reared and educated in Philadelphia
he had imbibed the nice tastes of the
nicer class of her people. At muster
and parade, and when on official visits,
it was his custom to appear in full uni
form of the most elaborate and dazzling
description. He liked it.


In this matter of dress doubt if there
could have been found in either arm of
the service a greater contrast to Com
modore Conner than was afforded by
General Zach Taylor. His sobriquet of
"Rough and Ready" was entirely legiti-
mate. He dislibed pomp; and never
wore anything like regulation uniform
when he could avoid it.


On certain day Commodore Conner
anchored his feet off the Point, and sent
word to General Taylor that he would do
himself the honor of paying him visit.
This put old Rough aud Ready into
furry. In the midst of hard camp life
following severe fighting he was not in
the mood for ceremonious etiquette.
Had the proposing visitor been an old
sea dog, like Stewart or Hull, he would
not have cared; but he knew all about
Conners nicely, and the draft upon his
nerves was severe. He would rather
have charged an enemy's battery ten
times. Sull the old hero resolved to do
his best toward honoring his guest, and
through him to honor the navy.


Meantime Commodore Conner was
considering how best he might please
General Taylor. Knowing the peculiari
ties of that officer, he had resolved that
his visit SHOULD be without ceremony and
without pomp. So be dressed himself in
a suit OF plain white linen duck, and
went on ahore unattended by any of his
staff.


When word had been brought TO Tay-
lor that Commodore Conner had landed,
he quickly abandoned the camp work be
was at the time experimenting, and
made hasty strides for his tent, where he
plunged into his chest and dragged out
his best uniform. He donned it quickly
-donned it dusty, wrinkled awry-and
in his haste the coat was buttoned two
buttons higher on one side than on the
other, while one Of the. epauettes was
broken from its strap He had just &C
complished this uncomfortable meta
morphosis when Commodore Conner was
announced. With free and easy step,
and all alone, Commodore Conner en-
tered the Generals tent. The two he
roes shook hnnds warmly, and it was
very evident that each was greatly sur
prised at the personal appearance OF the
other. But the discomfort sss not for
long Both comprehended the situation
at a glance, and hearty laugh was the
result.


The officer from whom ] heard this
story was with Taylor in FloFida, and
during the whole campaign in Mexico,
and he assured me that the. occasion oil
Commodore David Conner's visit was
the first and last time he ever saw old
Trough and Ready" ia full uniform,
and, in fact, the only time he ever saw
the old war dog completely nonplussed.
Year: 1874

From the Country Gentleman.l


The bright tints of autumn leaves are
very lovely for ornamenting our parlors,
boudoirs and dining tables. Brackets
and picture frames can also be adorned
with them, and they add greatly to the
beauty of ones surroundings. Collect
large quantity, combining every hue,
from crimson to scarlet, from scarlet to
yellow, and from yellow TO green. The
red be sch and the beautifully variegated
snmach are very desirable, as also are
The oak and ferns, but the maple exceeds
them all in the great variety of its tints,
snd the various sizes of its leaves
smooth every leaf on the wrong side
with a moderately warm iron, holding it
nnon the leaf only a minute. Then
take a cameps hair pencil aud a little
olive oil and carefully brush over
every part Of the leaf. Place them on
a fat surface to dry, and let them re-
main until the next day. For wiring
these leaves into garlands, ETC., or for
nreparing them for bouquets, take the
fne green.covered reel wire, such as IS
always used in manufacturing wax How
ers and attach it around the stem, first
| laying it so that it will extend the entire
| length of the leaf TO support it. After.
wards wind around each stem to conceal
the wire, either narrow strips OF green
tissue paper, or brown Berlin worsted,
and Join the leaves together IN sprays
of course the individual leaves on eacn
spray must be of the same species. Pre-
pare a large number Of these sprays
mounted on wires. and then arrange
taem in vases. about picture frames


over mirrors, aad as ornameEts 70 lace
curtains, and your apartments will pre-
Year: 1874

A few years ago. says a New York
paper, large drug firm in that city ad-
vertised for boy. Next day the store
was thronSed with applicants, and
among them came queer-looking little
fellow. accompanied by his aunt, in lieu
Of faithless parents by whom he had
been abandoned.


Looking at this little waif. the mer-
chant in the store promptly said. Cant
take him; places all full Besides he
is too small s


81 know he is small, said the woman,
''but he is willing and faithful.


There was twinkle in the boys eyes
which made the merchant think again.
A partner in the firm volunteered to re-
mark that he did not see what they
wanted of such a boy he wasn't bigger
than pint of cider. But after consul
tation, the boy was set to work


A few days later call was made on
the boys in the store for some one to
stay all night. The prompt response of
the little fellow eontrasted well with the
reluctance of the others. In the middle
of the night the merchant looked in to
see if all was right in the store, and
presently discovered his youthful prote-
gee busy seissoring labels What are
you doing ?" said he Il did not tell
you to work nights"


II know you did not tell me so; but
thought l might as well be doing some
thing"


In the morning the cashier got orders
to double that boys wages; for he was
willing.


Only few weeks elapsed before 6
show of wild beasts passed through the
streets and, very naturally, all hands
in the store rushed to witness the spec
tacle- A thief saw his opportunity ant
entered in rear door to seize something
but in a twinkling found himself frml,
elutehed by the diminutive clerk afore
said, and after struggle was captured
Not only was robbery prevented, bu
valuable articles taken from other store
were recovered When asked by tn
merchant why he stayed behind to watcl
when all others quit their work. the re
ply was, s'You told me never to leav
the store when others were absent an
| thought I'd stop" Double that boy
wages he is willing and faithful L
1869 that boy was receiving salary c
$4,000, and in 1870 had become
partner in the establishment.
Year: 1874




HERD OF CAMELs IN NEvADA.-0n a
ranch on the Carson river. eight miles
below the mouth of Six-mile cannon, is
to be seen herd of twenty-six cameis,
all but two of which were born and rais-
ed in Nevada. But two of the old herd
of nine or ten brought here some years
ago are now living. 1t would seem that
the original lot fell into the hands of
Mexieans. who treated them very badly,
overlooking and abusing them. The
men who have them are Frenehmen,
who had formerly some experience with
camels in Europe. They find no diff
Guilty in rearing them, and can now show
twenty-four fine healthy animals, all of
Washoe growth. The camel may now
be said to be thoroughly acclimated in
the State. The owners of the herd find
it no more difficult to breed and rear
them than would be experienced with
the same number of goats or donkeys.
The ranch upon which they are kept is
sandy and sterile in the extreme, yet
the animals feast and grow fat on such
prickly shrubs and bitter weeds as no
other animal would touch. When left
to themselves their great delight, after
filling themselves with the coarse herb
age Of the desert, is to lie and roll in
the hot sand. They are used in pack
| ing salt to the mills on the river, from
the marshes lying in the deserts some
sixty miles to the eastward. They have
auImals UnaI easily PACK I,TOU pounds.
Year: 1874

committee l'iHU Ule NfeaU w tSJcfU
Railway of Canada, one of the old
est and most popular roads on the
continent, had been improved" up
to point where it could earn no
more than the interest on it's bonds
the improvements consisting Of
branch lines and extensions. In
other words, the property of even
this magnificent line has been tenn
porarily lost to the world, for al
though the road still answers the
purposes of transit for which it was
constructed, it is like any other ma
chine which consumes as much as
it produces from day to day and
yields no surplus to its owners. 1t
is hardly possible that this particu-
lar road can long remain uuproduc-
tive, but it is fair illustration of the
causes of these hard times. Nor
have railroads been the only sin
ners. Public and private buildings
have much to answer for. The
whole country has over-built, and
Chicago is not singular in this re-
gard, though the results of over
building are rather more conspicu-
Gus here than elsewhere, by reason
of the fire.


It's no use crying tor split milk.
What we have lost or put beyond
our reach can only be recovered by
labor, economy, and patience. Have
we seen the worst of the strain, the
hardest of the hard times? IL is not
easy to answer this question. A
theoretical answer cannot be given.
We can only watch the course of
business and note the Improvement
when it comes. Shortly before the
1st Of July there was a very percep-
tible change for the better, which
continued until few days ago,
when the severe drought seemed to
threaten the corn-crop. This had a
depressing effect which has not yet
been recovered from, although the
recent rains have saved the corn
and put the farmers in good humor.
These beneficial showers have made
all the difference between riches and
Year: 1874

A married man at Ottunwa felt unhappy
and hung himself. His wife and sisters cut
him down. Then be tried to butt his brains
out against the wall. The women interfered,
and held him till the city marshal cane.
That functionary cleared out the medders,
and told the frantic youth to butt away as
long as he wanted to. He butted three
times and quit.
Year: 1874

A Brooklyn widow has just ascertained
from an examination OF her late husbands
cor, espondence NTH his mothtr-in-aw, that
the old lady's omission to visit them was due
to the continued prevalence of smallpox in
their family.
Year: 1874

The question was raised short time since,
az to whether or no it was evidence of an
overstrained pride in aSunday-school supeiin-
tendent to wear a scarlet necktie. We have
since had positive evidence that il is not
Year: 1874

Apropos of the assurance from the Sherifrs
officers that they have the convict Genet
within circle of one hundred miles, the New
York Commercial Advertiser says, ''This is
the biggest ring Harry's been into yet.
Year: 1874

The SENATE.-Mr. Morton presented a
petition of colored men of Indiana, pro-
testing against recent decision of the
Supreme Court of that State, claiming
that by the force Of that decision they
are deprived of citizenship, and their
children of the benefits of education and
asking that the proper law officers of the
Government be directed to appeal the
case to the Supreme Court of the Uuited
States Referred.
Year: 1874

That the sheriff has finally and freely
resigned his office, as a new election has
been ordered and peace and quiet re-
stored in our county; that there is there
fore no reason why the State should be
subjected to the expense Of an extra
session of the Legislature to make lave
for this county; that our people in the
trying circumstances in which they have
been placed might well have done more
and could not have done less for tbs
protection of themselves; their families
and their property.
Year: 1874

Having to preach in the pulpit oil the
town in which he found his wife, on the
Sabbath after his marriage. one maladroit
minister-who had grown iron gray as 4
bachelor-iu his simplicity 50 tar forgot alt
suggestions possible u the occasion, as to
announce as his text, job xxx. ,, and read
amid the painful filters OF the people 20
that were as in months past; IL IN tho
DAYS when God preserved ne
Year: 1874


o high set lion of sweet SAINT Mark.
lhere are seas to the left and seas to the right,
Front and aback there is nothing but flood,
Nothing but billows and nothing but night,
And white-blown caps that are tossed and curIed.
City afioat, thou art surrey an ark.
And here about are beasts in stud
Creatures and beasts that come and 90,
Enough and wicked enough know
To populate or devour world.
Sphynx-like lon art prophet or what?
Nay, Noah or prophet art thou, Saint Mark;
But king of the desert or slave of the sea,
Whatever thou art or what shall be,
what thoa art now what art not,
In city at sea, in ark or bark,
Lead us and land us on some sweet shore.
Some new-washed summit, where olives are green
Ard never the yisage of sorrow is seen, @
For ever and ever and ever more.
Lead us and land us, oh! that were best,
10 the Isles of the Blest, by the Isles of Greece
And on and beyond where the great moons face
Bends low and large to the golden grain
The whole year through; and death nor pain
Nor any hard thought has name or place--
To the land of olives, the land of peace,
To the land of love. to the land of rest
Lead us ard land us, for that were best,
home on the seas were never home
Floating in floods of salt sea-foam
And seeking for what? For the Golden Fleece,
For the land of Giants. the sea-lost moon,
Gates of Hell or of Hercules
Or the land of eternal afternoon?
n lo5 5o1d hot Col
Lo! here are doves, this is the ark,
But where is the olive and where is the peace,
Where is the land and where is the rest?
Year: 1874

The Morning 4rgus down at our place is
scrupulously careful of the honor of jour-
nalism. When it makes an assertion it
never takes it back under any eircumstan-
ees. The other day it announced that u
certain Mr.. Stebbins had been eaten over
in the woods by Squire Hoover's pigs. The
next day Stebbins called at the Office to say
that the whole story was false; such thing
had never occurred and he wanted contra
diction published. The reporter assumed
a solemn look, and assured Stebbins that
when the argus said u thing, that thing was
so; and besides that, he had been over to
see the pigs, and they looked as if they had
eaten a man named Stebbins, and there was
nobody named Stebbins around there, so
he must have been eaten, and all the cir
cumstantial evidence was so strong that
until the pigs side Of the story was heard,
not another line upon the subject would be
published. Then Stebbins threatened vio-
lence, and subsequently the reporter agreed
to put in a paragraph to the effect that per-
sons who had any objections to eating any
member of the stebbins family need not OH
that account decline to buy sausages of
Hoover, and that was as far as he could
conscientiously go. It is perfectly clear
that if men are to be permitted to stultify
a free press with their foolery, our liberties
are in danger. If Stebbins had been a
conscientious man he would have given
himself over to Hoover's live stock as soon
as lie saw that Item in the ArgUs.
Year: 1874

The statement floating about in the pa
pers to the effect that "a jealous Indianap-
oils woman has just made her thirteenth
Intellectual attempt to commit suicide," re-
minds me of the case of Mrs. Barker of
Harrisburg. She attempted to poison her.
self tWenty-three times, but WAS always
saved by the judicious use of q stomach
pump, by her friends She was life and
hope and comfort and bread and butter to
the newspaper reporters, and thought SO
much of her thateat last they got her up
little testimonial in the shape Of silver
plated stomach pump with a gutta percha
piston and bell-metal valves, inscribed with
the sentiment. MAY she never succeed.'
Some of her friends gave little collation.
at the time, and after it was eaten, some-
body proposed to test the apparatus on one
of the reporters. They say that the meet
ing then adjourned suddenly.
Year: 1874

Scarcely week passes without the re-
cord of some wonderful surgical operation


Sallie Brown was lately taken in hand, and
had broken knee and dislocated rib taken
out and new ones put in, and she is now as
good as ever. 1t may not injure the story
much to add that Sallie was canal boat
Year: 1874

Whose endureth to the end"


So, long ago, the word was spoken
Hearts fail, and bowed heads earthvard bend
Yet who shall say the pledge is broken
Brave eyes may read the promise still.


Though writ in lines of pain and loss.
The path lies onward up the hill,


Though every milestone be Cross.
Long time ago my soul andI


Converse and council held together
When clear and bright youths morning sky
finished ROSY in the sammer weather.
81 Soul" ," said 1, many pathway fair,
Waiting thy choice, before thee lies
Think long, choose wen, then proudly dare
Thine utmost might to win the price,
And so we looked, my souI andI,


And many fair, false joy refusing,
Beheld at last, serene and high,


The crown of her supremest choosing:
And on it fixed our steadfast gaze,


While the bright, joyous wizard, Hope,
Through all these bounteous summer davs
Drew one delicious horoscope.
But summer hours fade fast away,


And that dear crown, above my winning
Here in the twilight of my day


Clean far, as in my bright beginning;
And now hopes eyes are dim and sad,
And doubt and grief walk close beside,
And many joy that erst had


In this long toll has drooped and died.
And yet I know my souls true good


Lies stil, lies ever, there before me;
could not tBrn me if I would,


Though clouds and darkness gather DER m
And, though fail and though I die


Far from my goal, my crown unwon,
No meaner star can tempt my eye


That one has known the steadfast sun,
So on press up that steep slope,


Behind whose brow that sun is setting;
walk with Faith, and not with Hope,
Despairing not and not forgetting;
But when the last brief breath is sped,
shall not grieYe if this men write:
q He strOve-he failed-and he is dead,
True always to his highest light"
Year: 1874

The pencil marks You see around this
paragraph (thus) mean that your sub
scription is out or unpaid, and that
you are requested to pay up st once.
We would take great pleasure IN extend
ing credit to our friends and patrons,
but cash alone Will pay expenses, and
we are forced to adhere to q strict cash
rule. We hope you viii comprehend
and appreciate the necessity of s1ch 6
course, and renew your subscription
without delay. We solicit yOur favor.


% We enter no new names on our
books without the money in advance.
Year: 1874

was the quiet reply, shut hope to be as
soon as 1 become comfortably located in
Stonehenge."


"Have done what was best ?n asked
Matte, bending low over the baby to
hide her embarrassment.


Certainly. No one could have done
better. Pll leave you soothing potion
to give him every half hour until come
again"


"WiIl you please to see little to my
me. her, sir? fancy that she is really
ill.n


Medical aid for Mrs. Armstrong was
indeed badly needed. The poor woman
lay in death-like swoon upon the dis
ordered : ID.


Isaac Armstrong stepped up to the
bedside aud looked anxiously upon the
inanimate form of the wife whom he had
taken but few short years before from
the home a doting mother, promising to
love, protect and cherish her until death
should part them. Had lie fulfilled his
vow?


ITO no conffnueH1
Year: 1874

Charles Warren StOddard, writing of
" Under Rome,n says: Fancy q mar


row subterranean walk, varying from
two to seven feet in width, twisting into
q thousand angles, and three hundred
and fifty miles in length. Such were
the ancient catacOmbs. They have


been filled in, walled up, and left to the
eternal night, many of them some of
the underground trails have been lost or
forgotten these thousand years, but st.


CaliXtus is still marvel full of mystery
and horrors and romance. No one ven
lures into its labyrinths without an ex-


pert guide, and the number and lengths
of the wax tapers that are necessary to
complete a successful exploration is sim
ply alarming. In the midst of meadow


we found pair of steps that led us into


the bowels of the EARTH The guide un-


locked door at the foot of the stairs and


our party entered the door was locked


after us, the lights were lit, the guido


led us into dark alley that smelt warm


and earthly; one after another, in silence,


we tracked the guide in avenues that
seemed endless, for the shadows crowded


in upon us oppressively and our tapers


burned but feebly. Up stairs and down


stairs, to right aud left, we wandered


like band of lost spirits. We hung on
each others coat tails, and grew more
and more intimate, as we felt our hold
on life and our dependence on the re-


morseless man who was burying US
alive increase. What if the earth should
fall-the soft tufa rock that you could


break with your thumb nail? 1t grew
uncOmfortabiy hot; it was not pleasant
to have the whole party crowding on to
your heels nor pleasant to be in the


midst of it, with no chance of escape in
case of panic, but il was worst OF all to


be the last man, who was the half the


time around the corner in darkness and
liable to drop off into chaos or oblivion
at the shortest notice. There were small
chapels with the remnants of alters and
half obliterated frescOes to be inspected.
MANY a Pope has slept here his final
sleeD. and many saint and martyr; but
the bones of these revered one have been
more gorgeously enshrined and the dark
CITY of the dead is now nearly deserted.
IL was in these winding waves that
AIiriam,' of the marble fawn, met her
dismal model it was here that Hans
Anderson's Improvisatore had his ad-
venture with the young artist, and here
is laid much of the scene of that most
fascinating and patriotic story, Fabiola.
How congregations of worshipers ever
survived the unholy darkness of these
tombs 1 know not; yet in the third CEN
tury Christian Rome was driven like
hares to these burrows. Here they wor-
SHIPPED, lived and were buried.u
Year: 1874

The mechanical power of vegetables
is receiving considerable attention just
now. A squash experimental with at
the Agricultural College, at Amherst,
Mass, is now struggling successfully
under weight of 1000 pounds. In Pei
ham is a birch tree growing out of a
ledge of rocks. The tree is about two
feet in diameter and nearly thirty feet
in length. One of the roots has forced
its way under huge mass of rock,
fully forty tons, and has detached it from
the main rock, so that about an inch in
tervenes.
Year: 1874

The setting of a great hope is like the
setting of the sun. The brightness ofour
life is gone. Shadows of evening fall
around us, and the world but a dim re-
Election, itself broader shadow: We
look forward into the coming lonely
night. The soul withdraws into itself.
Then stars arise and the night is holy
LouqfellOV.
Year: 1874

Teach me, and lead me where to find,
Beyond the touch of hand and lip,
That vital charm Of heart and mind


Which in a true companiOnShip
My feeble life TO his shall bind ,"
40, dearest Fatheri may no slOth


Or weakness OF my weaker soul
Delay him in his kingly growth,


Or hold him meanly from the goal
Thai shines with gnardnn for rs hnfl ~