smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

When go to the country to visit my relatives
writes Nj. Quad, the spare bed rises up before
my Imagination days before l start and shiver
as remember how cold and gravelike the sheets
are put of the visit as long as possible, sole
" on account of that spare bed. don't like to
fence than to enter that spare room and creep
into that spare bed and SO they know nothing
of my sufferings.


The spare bed is always as near a mile and q
half from the rest of the beds as it can be locat-
ed. It's either up stairs at the head of the hall,
or off the parlor. The parlor curtains have NOT
been raised for weeks everything is az prim as
an old maids bonnet, and the bed ia as square
and true as if it had been made up to q carpen-
ter's rule.


No matter If it be Summer or Winter, the bed is
like ice, and it sinks down in a way to make one
shiver The sheet are slippery clean, the pillow
slips rustic like shrouds, and one dare not
stretch his leg down for fear Of kicking against
tombstone.


One sinks down until he is lost in the hollow,
and foot by foot the prim bedposts vanish from
sight. He is worn out and sleepy, but he knows
that the rest Of the family are 30 far away that
no one could hear him if he should shout for an
hour, and this makes him nervous. He wonders
if anyone ever died in that room, and straight
way he secs faces of dead persons, hears strange
noises and presently feels a chill galloping mp
and down his back.


Did anyone ever pass comfortable night in a
spare bed ?-no matter how many quilts and
spreads covered him he could not get warm, and
If he accidentally fell asleep it was to awake with
start under the impression that dead man
was pulling his nose. 1t will be days and weeks
before he RECEIVERS from the impression, and
bed was assigned him in token of esteem and
affection.
Year: 1875

RETURN OF THE DuoKs.-With the breaking of
ice in the rivers and bays the ducks are return
ing northward, and for several days past have
been quite plentiful in the headwaters of the


Chesapeake. Some of our Wilmington duck
shooters were down at the feeding grounds, last
Year: 1875

One of the finest improvements in
the city will be the rebuilding of the
LAFAYETTE Hotel. The whole of the
back of the house is already being
torn down. and the front will shortly
he bujH up. The stores will be just
half as large as they are now, and, as
the Important has very large stock
on hand, they will not have half room
enough for their goods and in order to
prevent them from being damaged oy
dirt and dust, they have decided to
sell all their Spring goods at less than
cost, and others. such as cottons, table
linen. etc, at exact cost. We advise
all to call at the Important and con-
vince themselves Of the great bar
gains. Such bargains they can never
get again, and in order to prevent a
great rush, we advise all to call early
and take advantage of the building of
the Lafayette Hotel. al6
Year: 1875

NEW GOODS! New Goods! Marxsen Bros.


The new variety store, corner of Main and
Third streets, keeps constantly on hand a
large variety of Dry goods, Clothing, Gents
A large supply OF new goods just received,
ani sold at reasonable rates. All goods are
Ofthe best quality; no auction goods sold by
Us. We respectfully solicit the public to ex-
anime our goods and Judge for themselves
Goods delivered to any part Of the city free of
charge. feb3-tf
Year: 1875

SERVED HER RIeHr.-Just as
she was about to take the seat he
offered her in the street car, she
said snappishly: "If there were
any gentlemen here they would
not allow lady to go the whole
length of the car before offering
her seat. Then the brutal man
slid quickly back to his seat and
quietly remarked; 81 think the
ladies' are all seated" This was
followed by an audible smile from
several male tyrants, and the irate
lady, making frantic plunge for
the bell strap, was soon ushered
into the street, temper and all.
Year: 1875

In one room we were shown an
oubliette. a name for which there
IS no English equivalent. Int
which means the little place ofob-
livion. It is an opening in the
floor few feet square, a few
steps are seen leading into the
darkness below. The prisoner,
after torture, is told that he is to
have his liberty, and that BY this
passage they viii conduct him be-
yond the castle. He is told to de-
scend; he secs the steps BY the
.glimmerlng hight OF torches, and
encouraged by the hope Of free
Year: 1875

THERE was time when the country
was stirred up to the very highest pitch of
excitement, by reported captures of the
kidnapped child, Charley Ross. But they
beclme so frequent, that it is now like the
cry of wolf when there is no wolf Ard
that is just precisely the way in which
the people regard the Charley Ross stories.
They give him up for gone, and await the
development of his discovery some day by
his father, from some eutaneous mark.
But now we have new actor upon the
scene. One WHO is as ubiquitous as
Charley Ross. He is captured in one
place to-day, and tomorrow the tele-
graphic wires bear the tidings that he has
been captured somewhere else thousand
miles away. This actor Is Ex-Boss
Tweed of the Tammany Ring. We read
almost everyday that big fat man, the
vay counterpart Of William Marcy
Tweed, has been taken in hand away ont
wet somewhere ard imprisoned day or
20. AID then the disappointing news
comes that it is not the Boss after all.


The man captured in Havana was near
enough to him to have been lis brother, if
his name had happened to be Tweed in
stead Of Brown or Smith. Aut unfortun-
ate'y it was not the man and the
country sits with folded hands
quietly awaiting the capture of some other
poor unSuspecting individual who is un-
fortunate enough to resemble Tweed both
abdominally and in facial appearance, who
is cast into dungeon, and then told thai,
he Is not the right man afier ALL


There is no reason for searching further
in this country fol him, for even if he
were here, and that we have many reasons
70 believe, he could not be captured. The
State of New York is in no way anxiors
Tor his capture. and the people regard
themselves as having cast off an ulcer at a
comparatively small price, There is no
doubt that Tweed should have been pun
ished for his bold plunderipg of the peo
pie, but nothing more than Imprisonment
could have been done with him. This
would have only banished him from
rocicty, and his escape accomplished pre-
cisey the same end. he has left the
country, he has done SO for the country's
good, and if he is still here he is banished
from all life.
Year: 1875

AN OUTPAaE.-While son of Allen
Ruth, member of the Board of Educa-
ton from the Tenth Ward, was going
home, few days ago, he was assault
ted and badly beaten by three boys,
The reason Tor this assault was that
young Ruth, at the request of one OF
the teachers at No. A school, had in.
formed his father of serious offence
committed in school by these boys.
They were dismissed from school and
took this manner of revenge.
Year: 1875

tilation in churches, halls and school


houses. The air is often not only offensive


and oppressive but poisonous. The windows
are shut close to save the heat. The worst
| way to warm 4 room is by the exhalations
from the lungs and bodies of its occupants,
Fires should be abundant and then there
should be provision for constant supply of
pure, fresh air. Persons often think that no
ventilation is needed in . cold room. It ia
needed just as much as in q warm room,
for cold impure air is just as Injurious az
warm air that is impure. Heat is mode of
motion and favors ventilation. It is easy to
ventilate room which is properly warmed.
Parents and school committees should see
that our school-houses are well warmed
and well aired. Windows should be thrown
open for halfhour after school at night
and for few minutes just after fires are
built in the morning, also at noon and at
recess. There should be also some means
OF changing the air during school hours.
Better even little draught than a poison
GUS atmosphere.


An effort is being made to secure better
ventilation in the Philadelphia school hous-
es. The speaker hoped that attention
would be given to the subject here. Good
air is plentiful and free. There is perhaps
as good air o the Wilmington bills as any,
where. Let the children have it in the
school-rooms; let us have 1t in our homes,
halls and churches.


Dr. Hicks was given vote of thanks for
the lecture, when the meeting adjourned.
Year: 1875

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND NOTARY PUBLIC
in Wilmington has had several ups and downs
but finally passed the House, yesterday, Mr..
Handy only voting against it, 1t now goes to
the Senate where it will be very apt to require
some elucidation before it will pass. The bill
was backed by a strong petition and opposed by
an equally strong remonstrance.
Year: 1875

Christmas day has again come around,
and once more are we allowed the pleasure
and privilege Of greeting our many readers
with the ever familiar sslutation of "Merry
Christmas" The crowded streets of our
city which have been witnessed for the last
few days indicate that Notwithstanding the
present state of winter affairs, our people
are prompted with the same desire and
fervor to spend money for the happiness of
the little folks this Christmas as in former
ones. But while we recognize the cheerful
and liberal manner in which Christmas is
prepared for, it should not be forgotten
that there are thousands to whom the
bountiful hand of Providence has not been
outstretched; whose Christmas days are an
infliction Of pain and not Of pleasure, and
who can only covet the riches in which the
city abounds. And while the rich sit at
their Christmas dinner tomorrow let them
not forget that they are surrounded by
poor pennies creatures who crave and de-
serve their prayerfLl attention.


Great preparations have been made for
the appropriate celebration of Christmas
day in the Protestant Episcopal Churches
in this diocese, and we are ableto lay before
our readers pretty complete programme
Of the musical part of the services in the
leading places of worship.
Year: 1875

MEASURING BY THE EYE.-Yesrs ago
when we went to school in the weather
beaten little school house on the corner,
we remember what excitement there used
to be over the teachers favorite exercise
of having the scholars try to estimate
with the eve the size and weight of differ
ent objects in tho room. lie would hold
up his cane, for instance, and have each
one tell how long he thought it was, and
it was lucky child who could come
within half foot of the right length. He
would take boys straw hat and ask how
much the crown would hold. He would
measure an urchin, and then have the
scholars try to reproduce The measure on
the wall. He would mark off an inch or
foot or yard in some conspicuous place
and then see how near any one could
come to chalking off the same distance on
the blackbo And it was astonishing
to see how wide astray one could go.


The fact is our eyes, deceive us most
ridculously, even about the commonest
things. At first thought which would you
say was the taller, three year old child,
or -four barrel And could anything
but actual measurement convince you
that the same child is half as high as a
six footer? The old saying is that child
of two years is half as tall as he will ever
be, and after few experiments in meas
uring one can easily believe it; not be-
fore.


In Boston they have just been trying
al Tea Company, for several weeks past,
has requested every one who made pur-
chase of them to guess how much the big
| tea kettle, which hung as a sign over their
door, would hold. Every guess was re-
corded and if correct, was to win pack
age of tea. About twelve thousand guess
ss were on file. People try every arith-
metical formula known for wine and beer
measure; they measured the kettle by
! triangulation, and even, it is said, by
night, on the sly, with ladder and cal
lipers. Competent engineers tried their
hand at it; and the guesses varied all the
way from two quarts to three thousand
gallons. The other day, in the presence
of large crowd the city measurer filed
the kettle with water and announced that
it held two hundred and twenty
gallons, two quarts, one pint, and three
gills. Not one had guessed right, tho
eight had come within three gills Of it,
and seven more guessed two hundred and
twenty-seven gallons. Evidently the
Bostonians are not good at guessing.


Some such experiment as the school
masters would make a pleasant evenings
diversion as we'll as help train the eye to
accuracy, and we shall come to great
many places in life where an accurate eye
will be worth a great deal to u.s.
Advance.
Year: 1875

WORRIED HIM Our Among the as
semblage around the hotel dnner-ta BILE,
yesterday, were a husband and wife from
Wisconsin, going East on the night train.
She was much the younger, and fashion
able, withal, while he was like an old
bear. AS they sat down she was heard
to whisper:


Remember, now, and eat with your
fork"


lie started off all right; but pretty soon
she caught him feeding bis mouth with
his knife and she nudged him, and said iu
a whisper:


You have forgotten use your fork


He commenced again but it wasn'
two minutes before she had to prompt
him once more. He made still another
start and another failure and as she whis
pered to him he threw down his knife and
fork, and growled


"Now, SEQ here, Mary, it's twelve
shilings whether we fiji up or go hungry
and I'm going to eat six shillings' worth
if lose whole set Of case-knives dowr
my throat!"


She had nothing more to say.
Year: 1875

DISCOVERED MERIT.-A wealthy gen
tleman while passing through an obscure
street in Il large city, saw II fine but very
dilapidated picture in brokers' shop.
He purchased it and inquired the paint
er's name, but was unable TO discover
more than the initials. Confident that
the picture-a seaside view with "A rocky
shore-was modern, he was anxious to
discover the painter. In vain he tried all
the picture dealers. They knew the style
and the initials, but were unacquaiuted
with the man. They were confident that
the painter was alive, but knew nothing
of his home or haunts' The gentleman,
piqued at being so bakec, determined to
find the painter and at last, in despair,
applied to skilled detective. The latter
knew nothing about art or artist, but he
undertook to find the man. And find him
he did, after some trouble in the midst OF
the direst poverty, living in dirty little
court. The discovery Of the artist was tho
turning point in his fortunes. The gem
tleman became his partner and he finally
arose to wealth and station. Humble
worker, take courage from this incident,
and persevere.
Year: 1875

CoUeHING.-Th best method Of cas-
ing cough is to resist it with all the
force of will possible. until the accumu-
lation Of phlegm becomes greater then
there is something greater to cough a
gainst, and it will come up easier and
with half the coughing. A great deal Of
hacking, and hemming, and coughing in
invaids is purely nervous, or the result
of mere habit, as is shown by the fire.
quency with which it occurs while the pa
tient is thinking about it, and its compar-
ative rarity when he is so much engaged
that there is no time to think, or when
the attention is impeled in another direc-
tion. - Scientific American.
Year: 1875

A BALTIMORE MIsER. - Baltimore is
called upon to mourn the death of an ell
derly miser who, in his journey through
this world, had spent little else than his
life. A short time before his death he
informed friend that he had never given
away a cent nor spent one when the ex-
penditure could possibly be avoided
-Four years ago he married third wife,
and though she was young, and he was
in his dotage, he had entire ascendency
over her, compelling her to work in n
factory and turn over her wages to him.
He assumed the whole responsibility OF
the household, and under his penurious
management, nothing went to waste
Some six years ago he purchased cheap
pine coffin, and stored it in his tenement,
biding patiently the day when he should
need it for his final wrap.


Shortly before his death he told his
wife that his funeral expenses must not
exceed ten dollars, and to that end he di-
rected that his body be carried on the
shoulders of men instead of in hearse.-
Learning, however, that the mode of con
veyance would cost at least twelve dol
lars, he decided upon the employment o
an express wagon, which could be haC
for the purpose for about five dollars
Finding that n barber's tariff twas some
thing more for shaving corpse than hi
charge for the service to sick man, b,
sent, on the night before his death, fo
one of the razor craft, who Idid the worl
to the old gentleman's satisfaction. Tn,
widow was mindful Of her deceased lord I
injunctions, and the total expenses of thI
funeral were just eight dollars and seven
ty-fve cents. The miser left property tc
the value of thirty thonsand dollars, the
result of pinching himself and family
through long series of years. BY hi.
will it was divided between his wife anC
a son by former marriage.
Year: 1875

IT was melancholy pleasure to tho
disabled catcher OF the Danbury nine, 70
listen from his window to the children on
the street, crying. last evening, " Bat, bat
come into my hat, and I'll give you
pound of candles" The bat had come
into his hat only four days before ana
taken away four inches of his scalp ana
he would have given n whole iorchlight
procession if it hadn't come,
Year: 1875

1t seems the investigation by the COM
mittee appointed By the City Council is
about to fzzle out without any material
compensating benefits. Had the work
on the basin been given out by contract
there would have been no Investigation
necessary, and the city would have saved
a great deal OF money. We have heard
this saving estimated as high as $780,
600 on the whole work. There never was
such a foolish piece of ring work at
tempted. The present Water Committee
is composed of gentlemen whom We es-
TEEN, but candor requires US TO admit
that the committee is the poorest and
the shabbiest in business qualifications
that We have ever known. They cer-
tainly deserve to be criticised and GEN.
sured for their want of ability and deci-
sion. Scarcely man who builds a row
OF houses will do SO without contracting
for the cellars. The men whose business
1T is to excavate cellars, know precisely
how much their men can do IN day,
shA Ihcy Wlh COulTdCI W remove IIC
earth at so much the square yard. depo-
sitting the dirt wherever it is desired.


This the committee very we'll know
They could have contracted for all the
excavation on the basin with one party
or a dozen parties if they had seen pro-
per to divide the work up in sections,
and they as well as the bosses and SUPER
intendents would have had much less
trouble. The laying Of the street mains
could have been given out by contract in
the same way, and the city would have
had the advantage of criterion for the
price of such work in future. 1t is too
bad that when the taxes are SO high the
city is afflicted with such committees as
compose those who control the work in
the Water Department, the Street De-
partment, and the Engineering Depart
ment. Each of which is now been run
In the most extravagant way, the work
that ia done costing perhaps so per cent.
more than it could be done for.
Year: 1875

A New York mercantile house held an
unsettled claim OF long standing against
a lame duck "out West,n and hearing
he was becoming swell TO do'' sent their
claim on to lawyer to collect. In due
time they received reply. It ran in
this wise: "Gents, you wal never get
any spondulicks from Bill johnson, The
undersigned called upon him yesterday,
and found him with his feet upon the
naked earth, and not clothes enough
upon him to wad q gun.
Year: 1875

There shall be no prescription for
opinions sake: no persecution on
account of birthplace Men shall
have the right to believe as they
please. to vote as they please, and to
live where they please, in any part
of this land. The individual or State
that interferes with this sacred pre-
rogative does SO at his or its peril. !"
This declaration, already made in
Constitution and laws, must be en-
forced: and in enforcing it the
government must be supported and
encouraged There is no other
road to peace, and therajs no other
pathway to honor and prosperity.
Year: 1875

The triumph of the Democratic
party in Indiana was signalized
and made memorable by the ex-
pulsion of colored children from
public schools. They were driven
from them because they had dusky
skins. In st. Louis two Demo-
cratic papers are advocating the
election of a colored man to the
Constitutional Convention. We
fervently trust that none of that
race will be found who is base
enough to serve as cats paw to
pull the Democratic chestnuts out
of the fire.-Lafayette Courier.
Year: 1875

The people of New Hampshire
are not proud, but seem perfectly
willing to allow the janitor of the
State House to use the basement OF
that structure for hennery, and
he is accordingly doing a flourish
Ine business in the poultry line
Year: 1875

The validity of the Fifteenth
Amendment is to be tested by the
Supreme Court 1t is the suffrage
amendment The ease comes up
from Kentucky, where two Demo
cratic judges of election refused to
receive the votes of two men on
account of their color.
Year: 1875

sS-Persons believing they have made an
invention discovery In art or science, and
DESTROYS of knowing whether the same has
been patented, by transmitting to q
model, or drawing, or n sufficient descrip-
tion to make the invention intelligible, eaIl
have a thorough examination made in the
Patent ONCE. and the result of said exam
ination forwarded to them for reasonable
COMPENSATION.
Year: 1875

Now that the picnic season is
drawing to close, we may give
the result of some of our close oE-
servations as follows:


Girls with holes in their stock
ings never get sprained ankles.


Girls with striped stockings are
the fondest of round dances.


Girls with small feet are the
most venturesome in climbing
trees or wading sWamps.


The girl who will fly in terror
TO the arms of her escorts at the
sight of a toad will, if she happens
upon a snake when by herself, de,
liberateIy catch it by the tail and
jerk its head off.


One ordinary handkerchief Is
quite large enough for two per
sons to sit ou 1T one and the same
time.


The young man whose pants are
the most mercilessly torn by
thorns is the one who is the mos'
urgently solicited to climb trees
and fix swings.


Bugs have no sense of prOprie-
ty.-Brunswicker.
Year: 1875

She was watching at the window,
Az hurried down the street,
In the simple, brown merino
That l fancy looks 80 neat,
And her smile l thought pretentious,
1t was so exceeding sweet.
Then she met me at the threshold
With very loving kiss,
That recalled the early stages
Of our matrimonial bliss,
And felt at once tremor-
Was there anything amiss 7
No! The children were all qniet,
And the hearth was very bright,
And my pet-our rOguish Charlie
Was quite festal in his white;
Yet | brnced myself for something
Be that something what it might.
My chair was near the fire


And my slippers by its side,
My pipe was very handy


And my papers open wide.
And she wore the pretty breastpin
That l gave her when BRIDE.
The dinner was perfection
1t was lavish without waste
The soup WAS Vermlcelli


And exactly to my taste;
While the desert was triumph
OF artistic skill in paste.
And when the meal was over,
And the inner man ut rest,
She drew her chair beside me,
With the baby her breast,
felt, and 30 told her,


was one among the blest.
Oh the smile of tender radiance
That illuminated all her face,
AS clasped her to my bosom
In lovers fond embrace
1t was then she softly whispered,
Wont you lot ME have that lace =


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