smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

Orange county, n. Y, has just had


a wedding with enough romance about


it for novel. In 1862 the bridegroom


then young man, though under an


engagement to the lady whom he ex-


pected TO marry enlisted in the Union


army. His sweetheart made no effort


to dissuade him from what he thought


his duty, and with breaking heart she


bade him adieu, and quietly buried her


self in her home with her widowed


mother, the only living member of the


family beside herself. Fer awhile all


went well, and loving letters from his


sweetheart cheered the gallant soldier


and tender words of hope from him


made lite endurable TO her. After the


battle OF Charlottesville his letters


suddenly ceased. Letter afte- letter


but all that could be learned was. that
after the terrible battle he was missing.


Whether he had been killed or taken


prisoner no one could tell, and his fate


remained a mystery. His striken
sweetheart never entirely abandoned


hope, and lived on ''tender and true"


Hoping against hope for his return.


After many patient years her troth has


been rewarded, and she is now a happy


bride. His narrative is that sometime
during the fight he was taken prisoner.
and soon after he was sent to a South
can prison, where he was kept about
year. suffering untold torture. He


finallyescaped and reached the seabOard.
where he conceived the idea of person.
ating an English sailor and getting to


England on blockade runner. After
that all is blank. He learned afterwards
that he had been taken i'll, and soon
after was insane. On his arrival in
England he was taken to the insane
asylum by the Captain of the blockade
runner, where he remained until year
ago. when he was discharged cured, but
penniless. He succeeded in securing a
situation in a mercantile house, where
he rapidly won the esteem of the prin-
ciples, TO whom he told his story. \
leave of absence was granted him, he
came 10 Middletown aud found his old
now a mature lady of thirty
two, still faithful to his memory. They
were quietly married. and returned to
where lie proposes to remain
for a term of years. During his long
absence his only surviving relatives,
brother and uncle, had died and he had |
no ties to keep him here, save the love
Of country, which will eventually bring |
him and his faithful wife back TO our |
shores
Year: 1878

below the island, to see what it was
made of, and when he drew back his
arm his hand was gone. The island
god once gave present OF a club to the
tankei; and at fifty miles distance we
were assured that We should see the
club; but as we neared the place its
whereabouts became more and more
vague, until our arrival on the spot,
when there was no trace of it. Another
god. called ''Lotu," had taken away
that club. There were some other
thinge. also, that we did not see. The
three eels that served the Waga-qele as
rudder in the geod old times, we did
not see. But we were glad 10 see the
island itself, and all the place, before
the light of the ancient mythology had
entirely faded away, or, rather. had
become merged into the greater light;
for the simple belief of these people was
but tropic night, and not entirely des-
titute of some good thing.
Year: 1878

A late visitor to the Sandwich Islands
gives the following account of the leap
ing swimming and diving of the natives.
We returned to the Sunbeam on Christ
mas, and on the following day we
witnessed some extraordinary feats of
swimming performed by the natives of
the Island. A copious stream enters the
sea about a quarter OF mile west of the
little town of Hilo. At short distance
from its mouth it forces its way through
chasm in the volcanic rocks, and then
winds round precipitous crag of lava,
at the foot of which it forms still pool
six fathoms in depth. We had been
invited to witness two noted swimmers
leap from the summit of the crag into
the pool below. The whole population
turned out on the occasion, and seated
themselves on the grassy slopes above
the river. awaiting the arrival of the
two athletes. Meanwhile a number of
the more youthful inhabitants of Hilo,
of both sexes, entertained us with
display OF the art of swimming and
diving. One active girl leaped repeat
edly from a height of twenty feet into
the river. In the intervals between
theiI performances these amphibious
people climbed up the rocks that over
hung the river, whore they gathered
themselves into the most picturesque
groups of bronze, colOred yet shapely
humanity. There were few garments
to mar the symmetry of their forms, but
there was not the slightest faint of i'm
modcsty in the scene. A sculptor,
looking on with the cultivated eye of a
trained artist, would have reveled in
the graceful movements of the forms
displayed before him; while painter
would have appreciated not less the
harmonious colors of the picture, in
which the olive fiesh-tints formed such
an admirable contrast to the dark lava
rocks on which the swimmers reclined.
Many laborious student of the academy
has racked his brain in the vain effort
to produce a composition on canvas or
in marble, with not one half the beauty
or the truth to nature of these fortuitous
assemblages of graceful figures.


An hour had passed away not unpleas-
antlywhen the heroes of the day arrived.
They were to leap into the pool beneath
from the summit of precipice ninety
feet in height. Thirty feet below the
edge crag juts out fifteen feet from the
face of the rock. 1t was necessary for
the swimmers to clear this projection.
We were seated on the ledge of rock
near the edge Of the water to witness
the feat they were about to perform.
II wac a nainf of view whence the
Year: 1878

Persons who contemplate spending
the summer at the seashore will be in
terested in a paper contributed to the
Medical Record by DIR. samuel Sexton,
Surgeon-in-Chief to the New York Ear
Dispensary, in which he estimates that
a thousand people of that city are sent
to their physicians, to be treated for
ear diseases, every year, whose trouble
has arisen from getting water in their
ears while bathing, or from catching
cold at such times by exposure or ne
glect. 1t appears from the Doctors re-
searches that salt water is peculiarly
irritating to the delicate structures of
the inner ear. Very cold water of the
freshest kind may, however. be equally
harmful, and there is a short list of ca
ses resulting from the Russian bath,
two of the patients being themselves
physicians. A few instances are cited
where the trouble came from using the
so-called nasal douche," water having
penetrated to the ear by the passage





are unimportant compared with those
where trouble has come from salt water
bathing. In all Of sixty-five of the last
named cases inflammation occurred; in
fifty-seven ii was acute. A variety of
subsequent damages may accrue, when
the trouble spreads; permanent deaf
ness is not among the least of these, and
life itself may be endangered, Surf
bathers are especially exposed to such
injuries, since a breaker may strike
them on the side of the head and drive
the water into the ear; the same result
may ensue if the bather gets a sudden
mouthful from an unexpected wave,
the water then being forced through
from the mouth to the inner ear. Man,
the doctor thinks, is not naturally am
phibious. Animals fitted for aquatic
life are provided with various arrange
ments for keeping the water out; seals,
for instance, have movable membrane
fluid; the muscles of the water shrew
are competent to shut the ear passages.
People who are blessed with very small
openings to their ears run the least
risk in bathing. A man should never
dive, says the doctor, if he wishes to
preserve his hearing. When in the
surf he should take the wave on his
chest or back, ''closing his mouth and
nostrils," though how man can close
his nostrils the doctor does not state.
But the pledget of cotton for the ears is
essential, and every bather should be
provided with it.
Year: 1878

tions Blake was struck by the recoil


of the hinder portion of the broken


roge and hurled to the corner of the


anchorage. covering the stones and


iron work with his blood. His right


arm was dislcc ted at the shoulder,


and torn out at the elbow, the bone


protruding about three inches from


the flesh. A blow on the head, Just
above the forehead, had made a hole
through which the brains could be
seen- He died Immediately. supple.


who was standing forward was hurled


back against the woodwork, and ropes
on the side of the anchorage, and, roll


ing through. fell down into the yard,
nearly seventy sect below. He died
about two O'Clock. Mr. Farsington was
struck by the rope and thrown upon his
on the other strands. the entire tackling
flying over his PROSTATE body, but
without doing him any further injury.


The huge block of pulleys. weighing
about 800 pounds, attached TO the shoe.
which, with its bars weighed about
three tons. all under the heavy strain OF
the strand, being suddenly released
darted toward the ryer with loud
whizZing sound. The huge missile
passed over TWO houses, demOlishing
the chimney of a third partly cracking
its roof, and knocked off a few bricks
from the roofs of the two next houses.

South street, which was crowded with
vehicles and people il broke down, q
stout new telegraph pole, which il bore
along with it. Passing over the entire
street, it struck the pavement on the
eastern side and rebounding, tore away
part of the high wooden fence OF the
yard of the main pier, and finally
rested on a heap of gravel, where a few
minutes before a gang OF men, with
several carts, had been at work. The
gate watchman and one of the fOremen
were sitting eating their dinners, about
five feet from where the shoe finally
struck An Italian candy vender, was
sta lding in the street, and portion OF
the rope struck his stand, demOlishing
it and scattering his wares i'll all direc-
tiOns, but the man escaped. y ear was
passing, and the rope rushed past close
behind the rear platform. The distance
between the anchorage and the pier on
the river side is $50 feet, and the shoe
attached to the strand passed over fully
700 feet before it rested on the bed of
gravel. That part of the strand between
The piers over the river, rapidly de-
'cending under its own weight; and
,ne of the Union ferry boats which wa
,rossing to Brooklyn, narrowly escaped
being struck by ii.
Year: 1878

swimmers were seen with striking
effect, as they first appeared on the crag
before us, and paused for moment on
its brink before taking their tremendous
leap into the gulf beneath.


As we looked up to the summit of the
precipice the powerful forms of these
olive colored men-notable specimens
of the native races of the Pacific-stood
out in magnificent relief against the
dark blue sky. Each wore a green
wreath fastened on his brow, trifiing
touch which enhanced the resemblance
to those admirable products of ancient
art, the bronze figures of the flying
Mercury in the museum at Naples. As
the first swimmer gathered himself
together for the leap there was breath
less silence in the crowd, a momentary
succeeded by that set look which man
wears who is determined to do a chiv-
alrOus deed or perish in the attempt.
Then came superb elastic bound, an
VI lht anu
the athletic figure darted downwards
like an arrow through the air, with i
tremendous splash, disappeared feet
downwards below the CLASSY surface,
and after prolonged immersion, rose
again TO the surface scathless, amid the
enthusiastic ovations of the crowd. The
great feat was followed by a perfor-
nance which, would have excited
wonder. 1t was leap down a water
fall having fail of fifteen feet. Not
only did the two champions take the
leap, but even the nymphs of Hilo, in
numbers, followed them. After Gisap-
pearing for a few moments in the
seething water at the foot of the cas-
cade, they reappeared laughing and
talking, evidently regarding this feat
as an ordinary bathing incident.
Year: 1878

THE ENGLISH SPARROW VANQUTSHED.
In the public garden II common ground
sparrow was observed to be quite sufficient
to vanouish mt least half II dozen Of the
English birds. The fight ended by the
ground sparrow, pcrched upon n twig,
taking one of the foreigners by the wing
letting him hang toward the ground and
shaking him much rs II terrier dog would
IA rat. Boston TranScrjpt.


L'vo for something Do COOL and leave
behind you II monument of virtue that the
storm of time can never destroy Write
your name in Kindness. love and mercy on
the hearts Of thousands you come in con
tact with year by year; you will never be
FORGOTTEN. No, your name, your deeds
will be rs logible on the hearts you leave
behind Us the stars of heaven,


Do the WORK Of your life well, anC
whether shoehhck or prime minister yol
will stand on the same plane ut the judg
ment day. Now if amy young Wan o
woman struggling with poverty or adyer
sitv should read this let such take courag
and remember that II goo heart wit


noble purposes will place one higher il


the love and kingdom Of God than all tn


riches and talent that could possibly b
possessed.
Year: 1878

An immense land slide occurred on
the line of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, near Harper's Ferry, on last
Friday. which was only prevented
from seriously obstructing the rail-
road track by the prompt action of
the authorities Of the road. The land
was observed to be moving about
noon, and the workman from a quar-
rv near Little lunnel were at once
put to work to prevent its reaching
the track. The tract of land COM
prised in the slide is variously esh-
mated at from one to five acres. Only
a small portion of it got on the track,
delaying the trains about hall an
hour. A large fssure was opened
near the top of the hill and the land
cracked ir every direction. The COM
panv has taken steps to prevent the.
possibility Of its moving down upon
The track.
Year: 1878

1t was just five years ago this sum-


ner that l was granted exemption for
one month from my desk and went
down with my chum Horace Hvalt,
to his fathers in old Monmouth, the
garden of that unjustly abused State,
New Jersey. l should never have
forgotten that visit, even though |
had not there met with an adventure
that had its influence on the whole of
my future life. | should remember
it for the real true hospitality of the
Hyatts, for the solid old time comfort
of the farm, and the quiet way in
WI ich within couple of days after
my arrival | was put into possession
of 1t, and made to feel that it belong
ed to me, to do just what | pleased
with. There were plenty of horses,
and we rode; plenty OF fish, and We
fshed plenty of woolcock, and we
shot. All this shall be spoken of
with proviso. | say we, by which
let it be understood that | do not
mean Horace S two sisters, Carrie and
Nettie, as having participtel in all
these Srorts.


For some davs after nv arrival at
the farm, curiosity had been much ex-
cited by the occasional panegvric Law
ishel by the vonng ladies upon a once
school, fellow Of their own, May Stew.
ems by name, who was, according to
their highly colored account, the most
perfect thing in the shape Of woman
then living.


And 50 she is coming at last I'm
so glad :


Whether 1t was that train of my
thought was uron that pornt at the
moment or what | cannot say, but |
kney directly the whole matter. |
saw Carrie with IN oren letter in her
hand, and coupling it with Netlie's
words knew that the heretofore only
heard of May Stevens was about 10
become reality, | had no need to,
ask questions; all the Incompatible
May, was to spend a month at lly-
ats and they were to expect her at
any moment, though as the letter
read, she might not be down for a
week to come. My whole mind was
now absorbed in making the best hg-
ure possible before the new queen
My choicest mortais OF wardrube
should be offered on the shrine Of
May Stevens.


I absented myself to 90 to town on
the plea Of sudden memory of busj-
ness neglected, and had faithfully
promised Nettje and Carrie that The
next day should see lno down again
at liyatt's to stay out tie month that
May Stevens, the wonderful, was
about to pass with them.


| arrived at my city rooms, and for
six hours | dressed and relressed
conpared rejected and selected and
at the end of that time | had laid out
those portions Of my wearable goods,
in which I had decided to make nv
first appearance before May Stevens
It wanted still seven hours to sunset
and having got safely through the
great object of my visit, l thought it
Year: 1878

astonishment; but in a moment, as
though waking from its stupeeaclion,
spoke


Are you Charles Morgan


Yes, was my rather subdued an
swer.


We'll, then, Mr.. Morgan said the
figure, by this time speaking calmly
and quite as digniied as though in
the drawing.room, Il am May Stew
ems, | was put in this room after an
unexpected arrival last evening"
Horace had gone over to a neighbor S
a few miles of before | got here, and
was not to return until morning.
That is how | was put into this room.


So here was I,vis a Wis to Miss May
Stevens, that mythical lady, for the
first meeting with whom | intended
to have got up such superlatiNe tol-
let, and she in the nightcap, and in
my dIawers-a nice style Of toilet. -
And she by this time was as cool as
the 3lst Of December, and stood look.
ing me right in The eyes as | made
some rambling explanation Of my be-
ing found in that most extraordinary
situation and costume 1t was lame
explanation, wonderfully mixed up
with ii relevant matter, and stammer
ed and shattered through in a way
that should have disgrsted any sensi-
bic person. She seemed to be serious
ly ponderng and thinking during the
recital, and at its end, looking at me
as though asking the most simple
question in the world, said


whats to be done.


Let me jump out of the window, as
| came in, | said, in a sicEIsh tone Of
voice, and then rejecting that it
would never do to put on these
clothes again, nor to stroll about the
farm as | was, / as hastily exclaimei:


No p. no | won't 90. | must have
a decent suit OF clothes. / won't g
without EN-, and | began looking
around for my trunk.


While | was doing so | heard a
noise behind me and turning round
saw she had sprung bed and was
dragging the clothes about her up to
her neck.


You must drcsss yourself and 80
away, she said 4 will lie still with
my head covered until you are gone.


And so she did, burying her head
in the bed clothes to suppress her
laughter. | hastily opened my trunk
and got out another t,anl as hasti-
ly arrayed myself in it. Then [ as
hastily departed and | venture to say
without the slightest fear Of dispute
that no man ever sneaked out Of his
own room more stealthily or more is-
ANONYMOUSLY than | did.


That morning we met, May Stevens
and | at the breakfast table. in the
character Of the newly married, and
were formally introduced, during the
ceremony of which we a3tolnded ov-
cry one present, and planted a thorn
Of wonder in the sides Of Nette and
Carrie, by Bursting simultaneously
>,to a hearty laugh, which we have
never failed to repeat whenever the
memory Of oNr first meeting comes up.
And now you have the whole story Of
how | first met my wife.
Year: 1878

A girl in Kentucky st ruck her Gro
quet pardner on the head with a NAL
let, brain fever set in, and the young
man nearly died. The girl was kept
under arrest until his recovery, and
when he got well, she married him,
and now she's sorry he didn't die.
Year: 1878

Some fellow very truly says that
a tax on prolanc language would
raise more revenue than MolFett's
bell punch or drink register; and the
more a man was taxed the more he
would swear.
Year: 1878

How many take wrong view of
life and waste their energies and des-
toy their nervous system in endeav-
oring TO accumulate wealth, without
thinking Of the present happiness
they are throwing away. 1t is not
wealth or high station which makes
a man happy. Many of the most
wretchod beings on earth have both;
but it is radiant, sunny disposition
which knows how to bear little trials
and enjoy comforts, and thus extract
happiness from every incident in life.
Year: 1878

WHAT A GLASS OF WINE DID,
The Duke of Orleans, who was the
eldest soa of King Louis Philippe,
was the inheritor of whatever rights
his. father could transmit. He was a
very noble young man-physically
noble. His generous qualities Lad
rendered him universally POPULAR
One morning he invited few of his
companions TO breakfast, as he was
about to take his departure from Par.
is and JOIN his regiment. In the con-
vlviallty Of the hour he drank little
too much wine. He did not become
intoxicated-he was not in any re-
spect a dissipated man, his character
was lofty and noble-but in that 10y
Gus hour he drank just one glass too
much. In taking the parting glass
he sllShtly lost the balance OF his
body and mind. Bidding adieu to
his companions, he entered his car
riage; but for that one extra glass of
wine he would have Ike t his seat
He leaped from his carriage, but for
that one glass of wine he would have
alighted on his feet. His head struck
the pavement. Sensess and bleed
ing he was taken into the beer shop
and died. That extra glass of wine
overthrow the Orleans dynasty, con-
tiscated their property Of $lOO,000,-
900, and sent the whole family into
exile.
Year: 1878

ALL ABOUT TILE PuLsE.-Every
intelligent person should know to as
certain the state Of the pulse in
health then by comparing it with
what it was when he was ailing he
may have some IDEA Of the case. Par
ents should know the healthy pulse
of each child, as now and then a per
son is born with remarkable slow or
fast pulse, and the very case in hand
may bo Of chat pecuIiarity. An IN
f,nts pHlse is l40; q child of seven
years, about 80 and from twenty to
sixty years, it is 70 beats a minute,
accling to 60 at foulscore. A health
ful grown persons pulse beats 70
times a minute. There may be good
health down TO 60, but if the pulse al
ways exceed 70 there is a disease
The machine is working itself out;
there is fever and inflammation some
whore and the body is feeding on it.
self--as in consumption, when the
pulse is quick, that is, over GO, grad
uaiIy increasing with decreased chan.
ces Of cure, until it repches 10 or 100,
when death comes before many days.
When the pulse is over 70 for months
and there is u slight enough, the lungs
are affected.
Year: 1878

We never can tel! what's going to
happen in this world. The girl who
this year is working zephyr dogs on a
young mans slipper may next year
be working halt soles on the old man s
pants.
Year: 1878

After filling the State with more din than
is raised by a band Of practicing musicians
in a quiet neighborhood the so-called Ma
tionals of Ohio polled one vote in sixteen !!
Their clamor was so great and their claims
SO startling that the oldest parties were
frightened and in an excess Of prudence es-
timated the strength of the new movement at
100000. The Nationals claimed $50, 900, six or
seven congressional districts, and any num-
ber of local offices. Their real vote was about
400O0 and the statement is made that they
did not elect a single candidate, from con-
gresham to constable, in the whole State
They had q plurality only in one county, a
majority in none.


AS In Ohio, so in Louisiana. Several months
ago the so-called Nationals began to make
stir In the State, and organized In this CITY,
Emissaries had been sent into the country,
and reports began to be circulated of the
growing strength Of the new party. Finally,
and in accordance with previous understand
ing with the Returning Board ring, conven-
tion was called, and the farce of selecting can
didates already determined upon was gone
through with AS soon as the ticket was put in
the field those not in the secret began to see
that they had been betrayed into the hands Of
Wells, Anderson and the rest Of the gang,
and commenced to desert. Their numbers
were never large. and the movement
was rapidly dsintegrating when the
DEMOCRAT OF Sunday appeared. The
exposure of the connection of the National
leaders with the Native American and Red
Warrior secret organizations completed the
work already begun, and scattered the rem
nants of tie party to the Winds The Re
turning Board wing Of it may remain in the
field, for the ticket was hatched up with a
view to putting that precious gang again in