smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

We may venture to make a few sugges-
tions in behalf of those who desire to
acquire the art. If you are lawyer, when
ever the name of a very celebrated member
of the bar is mentioned, you must imme-
diately hint that that lawyer is overrated,
and that Mr.. Soand-so, of whom you must
be sure that your audience has never
heard, is really stronger man." If you
are an artist, you can say of some other
artist that he is a very good fellow, but
what pity he can't paint; or if the other
artist understands tone and you do not,
then you can say that "tone" nowadays is
tobacco" or "lamp-black." If you are a
poet, you can do nothing more to the
point, in the presence of young persons,
than to mentien in confidence, and with a
deprecatory air, that your verses on Nova
Zembla, containing that simile of the lily
and the bear, were printed six months
before Tennyson's famous ode containing
exactly the same simile. If you are a man
of science, you will gain great reputation
by merely struggling your shoulders at the
mention of some famous specialist. This
method will work admirably i'll the
medical, or in fact in any OF the learned
professions. But if you are not writer, oil
a professional man of any kind, but merely
person of taste, you can increase your
reputation by many not very costly devices


If an engraving or photograph is showr


you, cover part Of the picture with two
| fingers Of your right hand, and say that i


is very well-all but that. If it is too large


to treat in this way, stand at the prope


distance, shut one eye and hold finger o


two at arms length, first perpendicular.


and then horizontally, so as to hide nov


one and now another part of the painting
after the manner of some artists. Whei


you have done this you can either say tina


the picture is good, or that it is bad; bu


remember that you will gain most credit b


giving an opinion opposite to that whicl


you suspect is held by the persons present


If you go to public entertainment, lik


Dickens's readings, or Beethove


symphony, do not fail to report that 20
had to knock your feet against the chair I
keep awake,-although in the case OF tn


symphony be careful not to lay the blam
upon the composer, but upon whatev'
orchestra may happen to render the pieC
| that night. But if you suspect that tn
: music was particularly well rendered it wi
, be safe to declare that it was altogether tt
, we'll played, and that for your part yc
! prefer to hear Beethoven given by the -
!. Society, where Everything isn't cut ar
I dried, and something is left to the imal
/ nation. -" The old Cabinet !" Scribner J
y May.
Year: 1877

Miss Nelson tells a San Francisco re-


porter of her life when not before her
audiences, and is doubtless quite an ac-
curate drawing of the daily routine of most
hard working actresses. She says: "My
daily life is bare and simple enough,
though it may seem smooth and pleasant
enough to one who looks at it from before
the footlights. feel sometimes as though
| would like to 20 out in the forest of
Ardcnnes, far away from this incessant
toll and trouble and study. An artist
lives life of slavery and drudgery. She
has no rest, and scarcely time to eat or
sleep. My path looks as if it were strewn
with roses, but it is rather beset with
thons. This is my daily routine: In the
morning rise between and o'clock. |
first attend to my business letters, and |
study for an hour, if not upon a part that
have in hand, upon some miscellaneous
subject; then l walk to rehersal which
lasts from two to fonr hours. This is par


ticularly trying. If the play is new to the
| company, then l have to tell them all
| about the business : and if it is not new,
my business is different from that of the
star that has proceeded me, and much
that they do has to be changed for my
convenience. 1t is very hard upon mem
bers Of the company somctimes, but it can


not be helped. The company here is one
of the best in the country, and they are
very kind and good. The rehearsal over, |
receive callers for an hour, after which
dine and take a short nap, when | have
to get ready for the evening performance.
This is the mere work; but there is the
care and annoyance besides. When | am
about to play new character, for a fort
night before the opening night | get so
nervous that | can neither eat nor sleep.
generally walk to and from the theatre for
the benefit of the air and exercise. The
evening performance once commenced, if !
am acting part whose emotions carry me
away, | enter fully into the spirit, and
think no more of myself until the curtain
falls for the last time. get warm and ex
-pcited, and take cold from the droughts
The wonder is that am not often seriously
i'll instead of merely getting those colds
from which | soon recover. The play
finished, come home in a state Of nervous
excitement, which sometimes continues
for hours and prevents my sleeping.
would like to ride or drive to the beach
but | have no opportunity. | am in love
with this State but have no chance ts
see it. return to England, and the people
say Oh, tell us about California; tells u:
about the geysers, or Yosemite, or the biz
trees and | am compelled to tell then
that | have never seen them. And this


kind of thing continues for long season
or until my summer vacation comes-ar
incessant mental and physical strain
Year: 1877

Nothing can be done by any one who
does not care enough for the matter to take
good deal of trouble to get what he wants !;
and to those who insist so warmly that
house cannot be made pretty and attrac.
tive without money, venture to insist as
warmly that money is the least important
element in the business Taste and con-
trivance are of far more Importance than
money; and of all the attractive houses
that it has been my good fortune to see, by
far the greater number have owed their
attractiveness to the taste and to the
ingenuity of their owners rather than to
their long purses. A person with no need
to think about the cost of anything may 60
into Cotter's rooms and buy and order
right and left and give the house commits
sion to decorate and furnish, and up
holster, and fill his cabinets with cold
blue" and never spare for cost, and when
all is done, nobody who comes to visit him
shall say, " low beautiful this is ! How in
teresting! What taste you haver' but
only, "Oh, then, | see Cottier has been
with your There has simply been a
transfer of goods from one show.pl to
another.


The truth is, we are depending too much
in these days on furniture and brick-a-
brac for the ornament of our houses, and
not enough on things more permanently
interesting. We ought to seek lat least Sc
it seems to me) the individual expression
of ourselves, of our own family life, oul
own ways of living, thinking, acting, more
than the doing as other people are doing


more than the having what other people
are having. | am not in for tilt agains


fashion; fashionable people may do wha


they like; 'twere vain to say them nay


They may buy embossed brass coal-scuttle


and put them in the middle of their parlo


hearths in front of dummy fre-places


neither coal-scuttle nor fireplace eve
having been intended to be used; the,
may put china cats nursing their kitten
on their satin sofas, and enjoy their bein
; taken for real ones by old beaus ant
maiden ladies; they may put artificia
, flowers in garden-boxes in their windows
, they may do anything that comes int
, their nonsensical pretty heads, and all W
! shall have to say about it is what old Mrs
t c. said after some stylish girls ha
t been "going on" and showing off, the
y new-fangled dress and airs: "How nice
is of 'em to do SO, dear l"-Clarenee Coo
i, in Scribner for May.
Year: 1877

Last Sunday the congregation at a
Brooklyn church was treated to vigorous
discourse upon the subject of unjust
stewardship, and generally upon defalca-
tions, the misappropriation of trust funds,
and that peculiar commercial dishonesty
which betrays confidence and destroys
mans faith in his fellowman. We do not
know that dishonesty of this kind is
specially modern; there must have been
unjust stewards in Judea to give point to
the parable But the sin is made more
common in these days by the large amount
of business transacted through corporations,
by the greater variety of mercantile transac-
tiOns, and by the almost universal credit
system upon which they are based. The
consequence is great increase In the num-
Der of those who use money unlawfully.
Nothing can be more charming than the
good intentions of the sinners, their deter
mination to make all right and to restore
the funds, which are actually pilfered,
whatever fine name may be given to the
transaction. But one who begins to filch
in this way is likely to be insolvent already
and it is we'll worth noticing that the sin
which he commits to save himself from ruin
usually accelerates the dreaded consumma-
ton.


Experience is all against such expert
ments with luck, and whoever tries them
plays with tools of an uncommOnly fine
edge. Very often, when found out, de
faulters exhibit remorse which shows
them to be persons of acute sensibility bu
if they were equally furnished with gooC
sense, they would say, "Get behind me
Satanr before they flched a dime. W.
waive the immortality of the matter, anC
beg men to consider its monstrous fatuity
Moreover, it may be useful to point out tina
society is getting to be a little out o
patience with dishonest business men, M
matter how penitent they may be after tn
denOuement. The disposition to forget an'
forgive, we notice, is becoming less. Tn
tendency is little in the other direction
Judges are not lenient any longer towar
heretofore respectable men who are caugh
thieving, and juries are disposed to convic
in spite of pleas of insanity and othe
"extenuating circumstances" If an vi
fortunate trader makes perfectly homo
able failure, paying the largest possibl
dividend in his power, and giving up to h
creditors everything, he is respected an
may have chance of retrieving his 70
tunes. Butsociety is by no means so tend'
as 1T tonce was toward those who cheat an
TINS, too, those who are tempted to fing'
alien funds should remember. Sympath
Tor the broken-down respectable man, wi
always means to pay back his plunder,


Dy no means characteristic of the presen
we cannot blame the world for this, for


has been swindled and plundered uni
patience has ceased TO be virtue, or at al
rate has ceased
Year: 1877

A French authority recommends the use
of sawdust instead of hair in mortar to
prevent its peeling off. His own house,
exposed to prolonged storms on the sea
coast, had patches of mortar to be renewed
every spring, and after trying without effect
a number of substitutes, he found sawdust
perfectly satisfactory. twas first thoroughly
dried and sifted through an ordinary grain
sieve to remove the larger particles. The
mortar was made by mixing one part
cement, two lime, two sawdust, and five
sharp sand, the sawdust being first well
mixed dry with the cement and sand.
Year: 1877

The happiest moment in woman's life
is when She is making her wedding gar
ment; the saddest when her husband
comes home late at night and yells TO her
from the front steps to throw him out
some key holes, assorted sizes.
Year: 1877

A STRANGE OCCCRRENCE.--The most
strange occurrence Of the time is the
death-in.life of Miss Anne Gooddale, the
actress. 1t has not been mentioned in any
newspapers. She died three weeks ago.
Up to yesterday she was not buried. The
corpse is warm and limp, and the features
as soft and mabile as when in life. Several
doctors have examined her, and have
ordered that the body must be watched
night and day. The poor lady is evidently
come to life it is impossible to say. Not
long, ago a General in France lay in
similar condition for three months, after
which time decomposition set in, with
every indication of death, and without any
token of life at the time save the warmth
and hexibility of the body.
Year: 1877

1t is very certain that we cannot have
too little of bad thing. 1t is just as true
that we may have too much of a good
thing. Any substance with q high flavor
soon pals upon the senses if we have too
much of it. No hurgry man would care
to sit down to dinner Of confectionery.
Books made up of elegant extracts, or
newspaper squibs, or miscellaneous ancc-
dotes are rather dry reading. There are
certain excellent qualities of character
which some people have in excess. We
know a few persons whose chronic amiable-
ness is so intense as to make them repul-
sive. You do not care to see a man or a
womans face wreathed with perpetual
smiles. Others weary you by their sedate-
ness-wooden people, who mistake gravity
for virtue. Some takers offend you by
their candor and communicativeness
others by their caution and reticence.


The man who censures without discrimi-
nation is Of course nuisance; and so is he
who praises without discrimination. Even
the Bible cautions us against being Fright
eous overmuch :" and once in great while
you fall in with q sanity person, whose
interest in the next world makes him
oblivious of the duties which pertain to the
present. There are good people who give
too much good advice, and sometimes
wear out the patience of saints as we'll as
sinners. Parents may exercise too much
restraint over their children, and teachers
demand too much study Of their pupils.
As a general rule, we have too much talk
and too little action. Too many speeches
are made at public dinners, anniversaries
and meetings of all sorts. Clergymen are
expected to preach too many sermons, and
occasionally may preach too long. Law
yers are apt to traverse the universe in {
case of petty larceny. Physicians, unit
recently, gave too much medicine; bu
they are doing better now. Too man!
women try to live by needlework, and to,
many men and women try to earn some
thing by their pen.


We have too much so-called philan
thropy which, with the best intentions only
serves to aggravate the evils which it seek
to cure; and too many societies do th,
work which would be much better ant
more cheaply accomplished by few.
the percentage of receipts required by som
of these great institutions in order to keel
the machine in motion--expended il


building, salaries, agencies, and stationer
were generally understood, we are ir
clined to think that many princely be
quests now bestowed upon them would b
, directed to other uses.-Erchange.
Year: 1877

BEAUTIFYING GFINGER-NAILs-Th finger,
nails of fashionable French women are pro-
fessionally attended, and this is a descrip-
ton of the method of operation. First, a
sharp instrument cuts the nails, sloping
them on the side with point in the centre
then tiny pair of pincers were used to
pull off all the pieces of dry skin around
the nails, commonly call by us hangnails
then steel file was used to raise the skin
up and push it back so as to show the half
moon on the nail, which is considered a
part of its beauty; then liquid was poured
over it to bathe it; then dried, and red
pomade spread thin, rubbed off with fine
yellow powder, which caused them to shine.
1T took about half an hour, and cost the
munifcent sum of sixty cents. There are
women nail-doctors in Paris who obtain as
| high as 50 visit.
Year: 1877

A physician says that he considers the
following prescription for purifying the
blood the best ever used. One ounce of
yellow dock, one half ounce of horseredish,
one quart hard cider. Dose, one wine
glassful four times day.
Year: 1877

THE PERMANENT EXHIBITION.-PreSiden
Hayes has accepted an invitation to be
present at the opening Of the Permanent
Exhibition in Philadelphia on May TO-.
The only marked change in the construc-
ton of the Main Building is in the center
Of the north side, where the high gallery
has been connected with the floor by as
cending tiers of seats, the great organ loom
ing up above them. This is stage for a
chorus of $500 voices, and in front of it
there is an audience room that will hold
5000 people. The foreign courts face the
main aisle, the structures being as a rule
the same as those used at the Centennial EX-
hibition. One of the towers is to be turned
into an Indian encampment, and close by
will be placed the old log cabin and the
New England kitchen. Another tower will
represent a German homestead, elaborately
tiled and lighted with stained glass. \
new bronze statue of the Goddess of Liberty
is to stand in the center of the Exhibition
building, and the art exhibits, including
marble and bronze statues, plaster casts,
paintings, engravings, and photographs,
are to be arranged to the south, fronting
both sides of the main transept. The
main art exhibit will be in Memorial Hall
The educational section will be very com
plete; machinery and agriculture have
not been neglected; a large space has been
reserved for the book department, and q
French crystal pavilion where foreign glass
is to be exhibited is one of the many new
features that have been introduced.
Year: 1877

The pool sellers of New York city, in
consequence of the passage by the Legisla-
ture of the bill prohibiting the prosecution
of the business in New York, have made
arrangements to move TO Jersey City, and
an exodus of the fraternity issoon expected.
Year: 1877

Mrs VIM. Vanderbilt is fortunate lady.
She has gorgeous drawing-room cars sent
all the way from Buffalo to Mobile just to
bring her back to the North. Her husband
is doing a sensible and kindly thing in
establishing library and rcadingroom in
Albany for the special benefit Of his rail
road employees.
Year: 1877

There may not be gold, but there's no
question about the quantity of lead in the
Black Hills. Every Indian has gun full
of it, and isn't stingy.


"When l die" said married man, 6
want to 90 where there is no snow to
shovel" His wife said she presumed he
would.


The statesman who is now shouting that
the war has been fought in vain is usually
the one who didn't get postotiice.


With the utmost care one can make but
very few friends; whilst host of enemies
may be made without taking care at all.


The Spring style of fever is the same as
last year--which is probably why the
tramps affect it.


Rich men will soon learn TO make their
wills in favor of lawyers, to avoid contest.


How to avoid taking severe cold in the
Spring-commit suicide in February.


Sheet iron for stove-pipe elbows is now
cut bias by fashionable tinsmiths.
Year: 1877

"What is the state of morals in your dis
trictw asked long faced reformcr, Of
farmer who recently visited town.


"Pretty good, y replied the farmer, "every-
body seems disposed to mind his own bust
ness in our parts.


Envable farmer! If you have an ounce
of pity for your kind, telegraph your exact
latitude and longitude. Delectablc town
" Everybody disposed to mind his own
business" Let's all emigrate thither |!
Neghbor Jones over the way will never
know or care whether we have fish balls or
beefsteak for breakfast Squire jenkins
and his wife, up in the big house, will never
bother themselves tc inquire whether our
great grandfather was hod carrier or a
descendant Of Lord Littlebrain. If our
daughters choose to wear their last years
bOnnets, not a saucy tongue shall whisper
that "the old mans failed" If our hus-
bands are civil enough to lift their hats
when they meet a lady acquaintance, we
shall not straightway be visited by Neigh
Dor Spywell and Madam Quarrelmaker; for
these twain shall find no abiding place in
the land where everybody minds his own
business" If our wives take a fancy to
make visit home without publishing then
intentions and q full statement of reasons
thereof, we shall not at once be accused ot
being cruel and unfaithful by Mr.. Long
tongue, for friend l.. will find his occupa
ton gone and emigrate to more cOngenial
climes. If by some lapse of conscience OIL
in some hour Of overwhelming temptation
some friend has erred we shall never know
it, but can 60 on trusting him and loving
him, and SO encourage him to be his trIC
self again and always; for Mr.. Faultfndci
and his cousin, Mr.. Maket worse, will neve
come to that happy region to stay. w,
have never been a very firm believer in th'
millennium, but if that farmer tells til,
truth and lies not, we are satisfied that tn,
millennium has commenced. Heaven gran
that it may not long be confined to on
locality-we need it badly over in Mace
donia.
Year: 1877

USEFUL HINrs.-A small piece Of paper
or linen, moistened with spirits Of turpcn-
tine and put into a bureau or wardrobe for
a single day, two or three times, is said to
be a sufficient preservative against moths.


Parents should be very careful and not
let the rays of the sun shine directly upon
the faces of sleeping children. Strong
light is very injurious to the eyes, cspe,
cially if they are inclined to weakness.


Two teaspoonfuls Of fincly-powdercd
charcoal, drank in half a tumbler of water
will often givarelief to the sick headache
when caused, as in most cases it IS, by a
superabundance Of acid in the stomach.
Year: 1877

MORE Truth Than POETRY. More
than one wife, as She reads the following
words of Rev. Mr.. Murry, will wonder how
he came to know her husband and herself
so well:


Some people have way of doing good
as ifit hurt them. II certainly hurts those
whom they nominally benefit. Some hus-
bands have a way Of giving a five dollar bill
burns in her pocket all day and it kindles
fire into her temper at night. And the fire
short, she is mad and she has a right to be
mad. She would not be half a woman if
she wasn't
Year: 1877

The prayer of Agur, "Give me neither poverty nor riches" has always seemed to me the best that could be offered To have enough--to be comfortahlsv-ana te feel that t is enough, and to be grate- ful for it, is the essence of happiness, Yet, what we would call modest com- petence, many would style atter poverty 80 entirely different are our optlooks in life; and those who dwell in marble halls" and possess elegant aqsipages, horses, wardrobeG and furniture, can hardly believe that those wRo have two story houses, plainly furnished, without even a stable, can know the enjoymenis that riches bring to them. But many of the people who now live in luxury were not lapped in ii in their youth, but were ttr,rnn and nurtpred in small houses, with little to spare to beautify their surround ings and yet the old home possesses a charm to taem that their own palatial house never could possess.

 And are they so much happfeE, now that they are surrounded by gorgeous upholstery, and ''siller hae to spare ?'' No indeed Poverty has its compensss tions and the enjoyment of being asla to make little go a great way has g real zest which the spending of ihous= ands could not produce. To be su.e you cannot walk with due dignity into a shop, and select whatever suits your taste. without giving a thought to it's price or being compelled to take cheap CT article, because your purse does not contain sufficient to allow you to PVT chase the more expensive one. You

 Continued on fourth page.l
Year: 1877

THE North Pacific looks quite natural
on her accustomed route again. We hear
that II she continues to run il will he lie.
cessary to havea new set of boi er. tor her
BE this as it may, she is certainly desir.
able above any other boat of the line.
Year: 1877

COFFEE dealers will be very sorry to
hear that one of our gallant young friends
on the hill intends discarding this luxury
in order to enhance his charms with the
lair sex. He says he means business, and
will preserve his complexion at any cost.
That's right.
Year: 1877

On Friday next the third open meeting
under the auspices of the Good Templars
OF this town, will be held at their hall. A
large attendance and general jolly good
time may be expected.
Year: 1877

The Pacific railroad committee of the
House of Representatives has finally
agreed to report bill providing for the
construction ofthe Texas Pacific railroad,
by which the government gurantees five
per cent. interest on the bonds of the
company, and is to be secured by first
mortgage on its property No govern
ment aid to roads forming parts Of the
proposed line already CONSTRUCTED is pro
Vided for n the bill