smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

\ curious story, illustrative of the
intelligence and reasoning power, and
perhaps of the characteristic rascality
also, of the little twittering miscallei
English sparrOws, now 50 common
in all our principal towns and cities. i
related by Il friend, who had it from
the witness himself who saw the occur
renee. The gentleman, who resides in
New York, had erected, last spring, in
his back yard, large box for sparrow>'
nests. IL was divided into three rows.
each containing four compartments.
These were all speedily taken posses
sion of by dozen pairs of sparrOws,
and the business of making nests pro-
ceeded amidst the customary chirruping
of these fussy and pugnacious feathered
colonists. Sitting idly at the window
one Sunday, Watching the birds, the
gentleman saw one cOck-sparrow come
flying to his place with fine, soft
whits feather in his bill. The box was
so placed that he could see into the
apartments, and ne saw this bird fix the
feather into an incomplete nest, and
then fly away.


No sooner was he out of sight then a
female sparrow from the adjoining
apartment, who had evidently seen that
proceeding, hopped into her neighbor's
house and pulled out and carried of
the coveted feather. Becoming in
terested, the observer watched the per-
formanee, expecting to see the little
thief carry her stolen prize to her own
nest but here i where she displayed
an undeniable reasoning process. and
acted on a clear perception of cause
and effect, making prudent Use of her
knowledge of the character and dis
position of her plundered neIghbor
She flew of with the feather tOa neigh
boring tree. where she securely fastened
il in an incOnspicuOus place between
two twigS, and there left it. Pretty
soon the bird she had defrauded came
back with a straw to add to his nest.
Discovering his loss, he came out with
an angry chirruping that hoded no
good to the despoiler of his hearth and
home, if he could only find the rogue
His first demonstration was 10 visit his
next-dOor neighbor, without any
search-warrant. In that abode ofpeaee
and innocence he found no trace of the
stolen feather; and a. for the actually
guilty party, she was hopping limo
Gently about. and loudly demanding
As far as bird tones could be understood
bv the man at the windOw-what was
meant by this ungentlemanly ami very
impolite intrusion into lady's bed
chamber. and insisting that she was no
such kind of a woman. The cock-spar-
row was evidently puzzled. The thief
demurely waited till he had got well
off. and then flew TO the tree, secured
the stolen feather, and took it in tri-
umph to her own nest--Hartford Times


The ruling coiors in eroquet-Bl. OK
and blue.
Year: 1877

In the course of the day, more from
curiosity than anything else, | betook
myself TO the rooms of the manicure,
between the hours indicated on her
business card for her reception of ell
ents at home. To my surprise | found
the place crowded, not only with Ia
dies. but with gentlemen, patiently
awaiting their turn for the favor OF
sitting with the manicure. The dress
and bearing of all present indicated
their position, and in almost every ease
il was one of Importance. Grave sena-
tors, young scions ofnobility, numerous
stately gentlemen decorated with the
cross of the Legion of Honor, tastefully
attired ladies with children attended
bv servants, two or three pretty Amer
can girls, sat around the room and
glanced over books and newspapers to
relieve the tedium of waiting. The
manicure's operations were performed
i'm the same room, and under her skill
full scissoring and rubbing we saw hand
after hand depart in much more beau
tiful condition than when it was
brought there.


After tedious waiting my turn at
length came, and seated myself by the
manicure's little table, upon which
were scattered the tools of her trade.
These were scissors and knives of a
shape specially devised for the trim
ming of the nails, files, nail-cleaners, a
small basin of roSe-water with piece
of SOAP near it, tiny towel of linen
cambric, a bit of lemon, and various
polishing powders and sweet smelling
unguents in the form of ruby-colored
pomades. The first stepin her proceed
ines was to wash off the finger-tips
carefully, then to dry them, after assur-
ing herself that there were no ink spots
or other stain upon them. Then she
clipped and trimmed the nails into the
approved filbert shape, neither too short
nor too long, nor too pointed nor too
broad: the ''half moons" at the base of
the nails were gently brought into clear
light: all chang nails" were amputa-
ted: and after this she rubbed Il coral
colored pomade ola delicious odor upon
the nails and the upper part OF the mn
gers. After allowing this to remain a
little while she wiped it off again, and
scattered upon the nails a golden brown
ish powder, which she vigorously
rubbed with the whole length of her
powerful forefinger, occasionally aided
by the palm. More pomade, more pow
der. more rubbing, and then the nails
were shown with that beautiful gleam
upon them, that pearly pinkness, seen
in the interior of some delicate sea
shells. As the pedicure had said, the
manicure's manipulations greatly lad
vantage a pretty hand, but even in a
greater degree advantaged an ugly one.


The manicure, like the pedicure,
charged forty sous for sitting, that is,
at her own rooms. When she did the
visiting her price was dollar. That
she found her business lucrative was
sufficiently indicated by her handsome
rooms, and her prosperous appearance.
She was almost as much fine lady in
respect to clothes, as some of her custo-
mers. Shewas very Independent, too;
for when a certain newcomer arrived
and stood at the door-sill looking about
at the waiting crowd, she said to him
Year: 1877

Here is scrap from the reminiscent
ces of Hungarian nobleman who spent
the best part of his manhood's life in
prison:


Fifteen years was in this dungeon
"a rough, dark, noisome place, not
more than ten feet square," he writes.
"During six years had a companion
during nine years | was alone. l could
never clearly distinguish the gloom
someness of our cell. The first year we
did not sleep, We talked necessarily
together; we related every incident of
the past which we could call to mind
told of our joys and our sOrrows-over
and over again. The next year We re-
Trained from relating experience, and
gave to each other our thoughts upon
all sorts of subjects. During the third
year we grew silent. We were losing
the power of reflection, and the old
ideas were forgotten. During the fourth
year we spoke but seldom, and then
only to wonder if the world without
was bright and bustling as we had left
il. During the fifth we were mostly
silent. There had come a feeling OF
sadness-of isolation-which would not
be broken in upon. The effort of speech
was painful. During the sixth year my
companion was taken away. They
came and led him out, whether to death
or to liberty | knew not. L was glad
when he was gone. The pale, vacant
face, dimly visible in the ceaseless
gloom, always in the self same place
always an index of woe and suffering
had become unbearable. Had he been
taken during the first or second year,
should have been crushed: but now the
solitude was grateful. | was thankful
when found myself alone with my
great sorrow.


One day, more than year after my
companion had been taken away l
heard the sound of a human voice again.
The door of my cell was opened, and a
voice said to me by order of his I'M
perial Majesty inform you Sir Count,
that your wife died twelve months
since Then the door was shut. This
great agony had been east in upon me,
and was left alone with 1t. The next
speech heard was of my liberation.
The best part of my life was behind
me. Heaven grant that | may live
long enough to learn to be grateful for
my liberty"


Yes, there is Il depth of misery that
wants no company, and many are the
men who have found and suffered ii.
Year: 1877




Any man who is really anxious to
study can do so infinitely better by HIM
self. with the help of books, than he
can possibly do by attending any lee
lures that may be delivered. 1t is
hardly possibly for any man, unless he
attends a long course of lectures-whicil
thousand unforeseen accidents may
prevent him from being able to do-to
study in this manner any subject sys-
tematically and eonsecutively; and,
moreover, inasmuch as the lecturer has
to address himself to very large num-
ber at once, and of different capacities,
he must address himself in such man
ner as to be understood by all. But a
man who studies and reads for himself
can pick out for his reading that class
of Information which he is most capable
of assimilating and digesting.
Year: 1877

Goat" said RusseltOn, with an
appearance of the most Raire surprise,
and taking hold of the collar sus-
piciously by the finger and thumb.
Goat, Sir Willoughby Do you call this
thing cOdtI''


\ much abused class of people are
tailOrs. They are ordinarily supposed
to need less endowment than other
men the ninth part of man | think
they call them. but believe they need
more. Poetry i lesser art i'll my
esteem.


Any man or woman may stitch-they
make a ''cOver-me-decently.' The
world goes clothed-tOwn and
cOuntry-though there are but few
tailors, comparatively speaking No
true tailor makes a coat for 4 man
before he sees him walk. The way
you move is everything. Ii you have
crabs gait, sideways. the hitch must
be eOunteracted. If you are meek
man and carry your head low, the col
lar must be set back TO remedy the de-
feet. If your passions are violent,
tight sleeve or close fit at the shoulder
is impOlitic. If your neck is too long
or too short, your body is crooked or
your bust Hat, or if you are a vain man
and swell at the lower button, it must
be allowed for in your coat. Ii is the
tailors business to make you perfect
or seem so. which is quite the same
! thing.


Next to the human form divine, the
most beautiful thing in nature is per-
feet coat. II is like perfect style-it
looks as if it was the easiest thing in
the world. The collar lies loose and
vet neatly to the shoulders. The back,
buttoned or unbu,toned, fits nicely and
under all motions to the figure. The
skirts hang gracefully and indie
pendently of the back, parallel and
slender. The sleeves work fifty with
the ARMAND the breasts lie Hat and
yet amply on the chest, and the wearer
has that look in it that a spectator
would suppose it grew to him-that II
was a part and evidence of his fair pro-
portions and the skill of the artist.
There are a few artists who have
acquired Immortality i'm the cut of pam
falcons; but man must grow gray in
practice before he acquires even the
theoretical principles of that article.


Fault-fnders should 90 through the
cities and look at the popular tailors,
and if there is one who can cut but
fragment of Il coat well, who has not a
fine head phrenOlogically-then I'll
cease to extol them. The heads of your
quack tailors are rs fat behind "a the
white sides OF melon. They are all
face: any one can see they are sim
pletons at once. Your talented artist,
on the contrary, has the head of Il
scholar-a fine lift behind, good eye,
broad forehead and strong mouth. He
looks like Notwithstanding over
the eyes, high cheek bones and promi-
nent organs. Men might just a. well
try to live without baker, a. 4 tailor
| they are Indispensable.


Another thing in which, believe, .
good many will agree with me is, that
the laugh generally comes in ON the
other hand-the tailor plies his needle
and stands all the ridicule heaped on
his profession. at the same time grow
ing rich, and in this | think he shows
not only his artistic ski II, but his phil
Osophical and good sound common sense
as a mdH.-DetrOn Free Press.
Year: 1877

Simple and unpretending ignorance
is always respectable, and sometimes
charming; but there is little that more
deserves contempt than the pretense of
ignorance to knowledge. The curse
and the peril Of the language in this
day, and particularly in this country,
is that it is at the mercy Of men who,
instead of being content TO use it well
according to their honest Ignorance, use
it i'll according TO their affected knowl-
edge; who, being vulgar, would seem
elegant; who, being empty, would seem
full; who make up in pretense what
they lack in reality; and whose little
thoughts, let off in enormous phrases,
sound like fire-crackers in an empty
barrel.-Richdrd Grant White.
Year: 1877

Courage, brother do not stumble,


Though thy path is dark as night;
There's star to guide the humble


Trust in God, and do the night
Let the road be long and dreary.


And its ending out OF sight,
Foot it bravely. never weary


Trust in God, and do the right
Perish policy and cunning;


Perish all that fears the light;
Whether losing. whether winning.


Trust in God, and do the right,
Some will hate thee. some will love thee
Some will fistter. some will slight;
Cease from man and look above thee
Trust in God, and do the right,
Simple rule and safest guiding.


Inward peace and inward light,
Stars upon our path abiding


Trust in God and do the right
Year: 1877

Is there fool in all the world that
cannot criticise? Those who can them
selves do good service are as but one TO
a thousand compared to those who can
see faults in the labor of others.
Year: 1877

The following advice from the New
York Eceniny Post is very important.
Let every mother remember it:


"Life-lonx discomfort and sudden
death often come to children through
the inattention or carelessness of the
parents. A child should never be al
lowed to 20 to sleep with cold feet
the thing to be last attended to- is to
see that the feet are dry and warm.
Neglect Of this has often resulted in
dangerous attacks of Group, diphthe-
ria, or . fatal sore throat. Always On
coming from school, on entering the
house from q visit or errand in rainy
muddy or thawy weather, the child
should remove its shoes, and the
mother should herself ascertsin wheth-
er the stockings are the least damp.
II they are, they should be taken of,
tho feet hold before the fire and rubbed
with the hands till perfectly dry, and
another pair of shoes put on. The re-
serve shoes aud stockings should be
kept where they are perfectly dry, so
as to be ready for use on . minutes
notice !" ttf q
Year: 1877

SOWING GRASS SEEDs-Thc following
directions for sowing grass seeds will be
found useful at the present time I'm SOW
ing VIC advise, for obvious reasons, that the
soil should be clean, i'll good condition-thc
surface made level and firm and perfectly
pulvcrizcd by narrowing and rolling. A
calm, still day, when rain is approaching, is
most suitable for the work. After sowing,
the surface should be only lightly narrowed
and rolled A firm seed bed and depth
of covering of a quarter to half an inch is
most favorable for the vegetation Of small
seeds. If covered deeply they do not grow
at all or in very small proportions; if not coy
cred, many of the seeds arc picked up by
small birds, and the vegetation of those that
escape depends upon their being washed in
to the soil by rain Young grasses arc in
jured by frost The proper season, there
fore, for sowing extends from March to
September the spring months arc prefer
able. If the land works unkindly, seeds
will not vcgetate we'll and larger quantity
must be sown to obtain stand. Grass seeds
may be sown with or upon land already
planted with wheat, barley or oats, as IL re.
gular crop, with every chance of success
except in cases where the cereal crops are
over abundant and lodged. When sown
without crop-for the safe protection of
the finer grasses and to increase the produce
of the first year-it is advisable to add to the
quantity of grass sown and also bushcl
of oats or barley per acre.
Year: 1877

to Presiding Elder for license. "Then," said the elder, "you must be damned; for preach the gospel, you cannot"

 Labor and perseverance will enable you to do anything which is your duty, and no mans duty is more than he can do.

 In your own realm of thought and action you can touch every point, solve every problem, do all the work. and do it well. Aim at the highest point in your proper sphere, and Heaven will help you to it. Don't try to be anybody else; be yourself. Don't try to do another's work; do your own.

 "Act well thy part; there all the honor

 lies."

 There is no triumph for you in auy place without patient toil. Crops grow, and trees leap from the hills at the sound of the lute-in the imagination of the poet only.- Not in reality.

 Young, inexperienced, self conceited, proud man would leave the realm ot mor- tality, and the task to mortsls given. He would put alp on alp, Pelion and Ossa on Olympus to invade the divine sphere, and take by stealth the good things which God holds in reserve for those who are not too lazy to work for them. It is best for 6 man to learn bis proper sphere, settle down quietly in it, and then conclude with Ten nyson:

 And must work through months of toll, And years of cultivation, Upon my proper patch of soil,

 To grow my own plantation. I'll take the showers as they fall;

 l will not vex my bosom; Enough, if at the end of ali,

 A little garden blossom."

 T a. OAvTpv
Year: 1877

This world is just the place for man dur ing the time of his probation. The world was made for man, and not man for the world. But each one has his own place in the world, called his sphere, beyond which 1t is not safe for him to venture. It is the duty of each one to ascertain. if possible. whether he is in his proper place or not. Mans self, fearfully ard wonderfully made, is the instrument with which he is to do the duties and gain the triumphs of life. Your lite-work, remember. cannot be re- vised, nor can you get out second and corrected edition of it. The way of life can be traveled but once by you. AS you proceed, keep within your limitations. The daring, alas, often leap too far and then lie ruined just beyond their proper sphere.

 An inexperienced man may mount 10. comotive and call on all around to see him run the machine, but he does not know how to manage an engine. He turns the wheels, not knowing what will be the p- suit. Hark There is a ring, 6 scream, and start. Wonder he goes at the rate of a mile minute, not knowing where he is going, what started him or how to stop The engine, breathing steam and splitting fire like a demon springing from the mouth of hell, leaps from the track down into the rocky glen below.

 "As demon is hurled by an angel's spear, Heels over head to his proper sphere, Heels over head and head oyer heels,

 Dizzly down the abyss he wheels"

 You are off tbe track, young man! You are out of your sphere, my boy.

 Every man has his measure. his cable-toe' beyond which he cannot pass with proprie- ty or safety. He who properly strives for that which is within his sphere will proba- bly, succeed; but if he goes beyond bis sphere, failure is sure.

 It is often said that ''perseverance con ouers all things" and that "whcre there IS a will there is way" These sayings are lies, and they have deceived and ruined thousands, making their lives, not sublime, but orse than useless. Men rum them selves by trying to be what they cannot be, and what God never intended they should be. "Lmust preach the Gospel or be damned" said young man who applied
Year: 1877

Everybody is somebody's child. A mans future in this world does not depend exclusively upon aohdt he is; it may depend very much upon sohose he js. ltls some times very important to have our relation ship definitely fixed, beyond all possibility of doubt. "Blood will tell," and the law of the land makes children heIrs to the pos sessions of him whose they are. It makes difference then whether your father is rich or poor.

 But how does any one become the child Of another By generation and birth. know of no other way. It is true that one man may take another mans child into his family by legal process called adoption, and consider him his own, but really he is not, because another man Is his father. Each man in the flesh has, or has had, a father, and no man can have more than one father. What are your earthly prospects? !? To what family do you belong2 Whose child are you2

 In the spiritual sense everybody is some body's child. A mans future in the spirit world will depend upon sohat he is, and sohose he is. There are but two who pre- tend to be fathers of our spirits. If you are not child of one you are by necessity child of the other. There is no alterna- tive but that. You must be a child of God or child of the Devil. Whose child are your

 As Christians, we say, '.Now are we the sons of God" but we were not always thus We formerly belonged to another family. and had another father, of whose nature and spirit we largely partook. How, then. have we become the children of God " There is but one way, the only way by which one can really become the child of another-by generation and birth. We were generated and born before; this time we are regenerated and born again. w. are not the children of legal adoption only we are born into the divine family.

 But" says one. "how do you know that you are the children of God ?' We answer, first because He osons us. "Th' Spirit beAreth witness with our spirit tha we are the children of God" We answer secondly, because we are ''partakers of the divine nature." Blood will tell. Thi is an important matter; "and if children then heirs; heirs of God"

 A child partakcs of it's fathers nature What is your nature; divine or deYilish Whose child are you If you are not now child of God make haste to get into the divine family, Come in the right way. There Is but one way regeneration and birth: ''Verily, verify say unto thee, except man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom oi God. That which is born of the flesh il | flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that said unto thee ye must be born again."

 If you are still in sin, may your happy conversion soon set the choirs of heaven singing oyer another soul born by new celestial birth. and added to the number oi Gods dear children.

 | "When man is born anew,

 And beings perfect bliss IS given, i Lo! new Eden starts to view, i While angel harps rejoice in heaven: 'Tis wondrous all, divinely bright, And the new creature walks in light" | J. G. OAKLEY
Year: 1877

~ We are informed by postmasters the fol- lowing named subscribers have left the places where they have been regularly receiving THE NEWS, and as they did not notify us of their change of post-office, and are in arrears to the amounts placed parallel with their names we pub fish their only address known to us and if any of our readers know of the whereabouts of any ot them, they will do us favor by informing us.- Is it exactly HONEST treatment. to receive news paper till several dollars are due and then leave the postmaster to inform the paper is not re- whersi The following have done this: Does
Year: 1877

TSoR SALE OR EXCHANGE. New is the E time to look at Real Estate, if you wish to purchase this Fall or next Spring; and If co. 1t may be to your advantage to cell on or address the subscriber. JAMES l.. bkAeS.
Year: 1877

"Reminiscences The communication in another column, ''Clerical Reminiscent ces," was written for THE DAILY, but it did not come at time when we could put it in type for that purpose. It is just as good for the Weekly, and will be read with interest.
Year: 1877

You bid me sing gay refrain,
Win from my Tyre note more glad,
And when | chose a brighter strain,
Still-stil you told me it was sad
did not mean it should be so,
MOI was my wisi to make you Sigh;
But You are young, and do not khoW
How joy aud gricftogcthcr lie.
There ever is n minor chord


Struck somewhere in our earthly lays,
Ever a shadow on the sWard
Of brightest scenes whcrcon we gaze.
And while we may not heed the one
Nor hear the other, each is there
Yet lurking in the hlthcst tone,
Yet darkcning the landscape fair.
Thus. often scarcely knowing why,
We cannot look without tear;
And so It is we sometimes sigh,
Tho joyous be the song we hear.


--1rY2sy.