smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

The Christian Union (H. W. Beecher),
speaking of the speech by Professor
Agassiz, at the opening of the Anderson
School of Natural History, says Afte-
few opening words, felicitously suited
to put all their minds into fellowship,
Agassiz said, tenderly, and with touch
ing frankress, 81 think we have need
of help. 1 do not feel that I can call
on any one here to ask blessing for
Us. l know I would not have anybody
pray for us at this moment. I ask You
for a moment to pray for yourselves, P"
Upon this, the great scientist-in an
age in which so many other great scien-
fists have concluded that praying is
quite an unscientific and very useless
proceeding-bowed his head reverently;
his pupils and friends did the same ;
and, there, in silence that was very
beautiful, each spirit was free to crave
of the Great Spirit the blessing that
was needed. For our own part, 1t seems
to us that this scene of Agassiz and his
pupils with heads bowed in silent prayer
for the blessing of the God of Nature to
be given to that school then opened for
study of Nature, is spectacle for some
great artist to spread out worthily upon
canvas, and to be kept alive in the
memory of mankind. What are corona
tions, royal pageants, the parade of ar
mics, to Q scene like this ? It heralda
the coming of the new heavens and the
new earth-the golden age when Ma
ture and Man shall be reconciled, and
the eonquests Of truth shall supersede
the conqussts Of brute force.
Year: 1873

The sexton of st. Joseph's Cathedral,
Vienna, being man of extraordinary
nerve and boldness, was accustomed to
stand on the pinnacle of the tower when
ever the emperor made grand entry to
the city, and wave flag as the pageant
passed by. When, however, Leopold,
who had Just been chosen emperor at
Frankfort, was about to enter the city,
the loyal sexton. still anxious to be true
to the old custom, but finding that years
had told against his nerve, declared that
any one who would take his place sue
cessfully should win his daughter.
Gabriel Petersheim, who was disliked
by the sexton, but loved his daughter,
at once accepted the offer, to the dis
gust of the sexton, who then arranged
with two villains to close the trap-door
of the upper stairway, while Gabriel
was above, thinking that as the emperor
was to enter toward evening, no one
need be the wiser, and the lad must
certainly fall before morning. The two
accomplices did their foul work, and
their intended victim, finding his way
down again barred, was confronted with
the alternative of clinging to the spire
through cold, wintry night, with his
feet resting on surface hardly ten
inches in circumference or of precipi-
tating himself to the pavement at once,
and thus ending the matter. Gabriel
was a youth of firm will and hardy con-
stitution he clung to the cold column
till morning. But the story goes that
his rescuers were amazed to observe
that his curling locks were white as
snow his wonted rosy cheeks were yel-
low and wrinkled and his eyes, before
SO bright, were now sunken and dim.
One night Of horror had placed him
forty years nearer his grave.
Year: 1873

Angels are our constant attendants
and intimate associates they enter into
and foster all our good affections. and
labor to repress or to moderate our evil
propensities. There is not holy feeling
or an upright thought in human minds,
which they do not inspire /; in short, the
channels through which the Divine
mercy and grace are conveyed to man
kind, who, in their fallen state, could
not, without tteir means, be kept in
connection with the fountain Of infinite
purity and inaccessible delight. Indeed,
the life Of man is supported by spiritual
association, for he could neither think
nor will without the agency of congo
nial spirits. Man is, therefore, not
only attended by angels from Heaven,
but also by spirits from hell and, as
those from above give the power of
thinking and willing what is true and
good, SO those from beneath give the
power Of thinking and willing what is
evil and false. As q man Of himself is
mere evil, in his unregenerate state he
draws into connection with himself such
spirits only as a.e OF q similar nature
and were these allowed to obtain entire
possession of the human faculties, their
unhappy subject must inevitably perish.
1t is only, the-efore. to the providence
of the Lord that we are indebted for
that angelic protection and influence
which we enjoy, which raises us, as it
were, out of hell into the midst between
the kingdom of light and the kingdom
of darkness, and preserves us in the
perfect liberty of turning to the one or
to the other. The vision which was
made to pass before the mental eyes of
Jacob, when reposing on his stony pill
low. is at once clear proof and beauti-
full representation of angelic ministra-
ton. A ladder is presented that reaches
from earth to Heaven, by which the
word is to be understood; and while
God is above and man below it, the in
termediate steps are occupied by angels,
not in state Of rest, but of activity,
ascending and descending. raising the
thoughts and affections of man to God,
and bringing down the gifts of God to
man,
Year: 1873

Wisdom will never let us stand with
any man or men on an unfriendly foot
ing. We refuse sympathy and intimacy
with people, as if we waited for some
better sympathy and intimacy to come.
But whence and when? Tomorrow
will be like to day. Life wastes itself
while we are preparing to live. Let us
suck the sweetness of those affections
and consuetudes that grow near us.
Undoubtedly, we can easily pick faults
in our company, can easily whisper
names prouder and that tickle the fancy
more. Every mans Imagination hath
its friends; and pleasant would life be
with such companions. But if you
cannot have them on good, mutual
terms, you cannot have them. If not
the Deity, but our ambition, hews and
shapes the new relations, their virtue
escapes, as Strawberries lose their flavor
in garden beds.-Enaerson.
Year: 1873

Though it may be granted that the
words of the catechism, which require
a man to do his duty in the station to
which it has pleased God to call him,
to give an admirable definition of our
obligation to ourselves and 10 society I;
yet the question remains, How is any
given person to find out what is the
particular station to which it has pleased
God to call him2 A newborn infant
does not come into the world labeled
scavenger, shopkeeper. bishop, or duke.
One mass of red pulp is just like an
other, to all outward appearance. And
it is only by finding out what his facul-
ties are good for, and seeking, not for
the sake of gratifying a paltry vanity,
but as the highest duty to himself and
to his fellow men, to put himself in the
position in which they can attain their
full development, that the man discov-
ers his true station. That which is to
be lamented, / fancy, is not that society
should do its utmost to help its capa-
city to ascend from the lower strata to
the higher, but that it has no machinery
by which to facilitate the descent Of
incapacity from the higher strata to the
lower
Year: 1873

1 have known several instances oi


persons who have seen the ''fetch," OF
apparition of living person, called in
Germany the "Doppelganger;" yet,
though such appearances are usually
supposed to portend the death or illness
of the person thus strangely doubled, u
I have never yet heard of case where
any unpleasant consequences followed.
For instance, an old friend of mine, q
gentleman of undoubted veracity, once
told me that on one occasion he entered
his house about five o'clock in the after
noon, and ran upstairs to his mothers
bed-chamber, where he saw her stand
ing near the centre of the room, clad in
loose white gown and engaged in
combing out her long black hair. He
remained looking at her for some mo-
ments, expecting that she would speak
to him, but she did not take any notice
in any way of his presence, and neither
spoke nor looked at him. He then ad-
dressed her, but, receiving no reply,
became indignant and went down stairs,
where, to his amazement, he found his
mother seated by the parlor window,
dressed and coffee as usual. 1t was
some years before he would trust him
self to tell her of what he had seen,
fearing that she might consider it an
omen of approaching death, and indeed,
though not a superstitious man, he was
inclined so to view it himself but his
mother lived for many years after the
appearance of her wrath. I also knew
young gentleman to whom the un-
pleasant experience of beholding his
own double was once vouchsafed. He
had been spending quiet evening with
some young ladies', and returned home
about eleven o'clock, let himself into
the house with his latch key, and pro-
ceeded to his own room, where he found
the gas already lighted, though turned
down to mere blue spark. He turned
it up, and the full light of the jet shone
on his bed, which stood just beside the
burner, and there, extended at full
length, lay-himself. His first idea was
of burglar or some such intruder. But
his second glance dispelled that impress
sion. He stood for some moments gaz-
ing at the PROSTATE figure with feelings
which must have been anything but
agreeable he noticed little peculiari-
ties of his own dress and features, and
marked the closed eyelids and easy
respiration of slumber. At length,
plucking up courage, he attempted to
pass his hand under the pillow to draw
out small revolver which he usually
kept there, and as he did so he felt the
pressure of the pillow, as though
weighed down by reclining head.
This completely unnerved him. He
went out of the room, locking the door
on the outside, and spent the remainder
of the night on a sofa in the parlor. He
did not re-enter his chamber till broad
daylight, when, to his delight, he found
that his ghostly visitor had vanished
Lippincotfs Magazine.
Year: 1873

The Shah of Persia, the "King oi
Kings" and we know not what else
besides, has visited Europe and gone
back to the Orient. He has been pro-
cessioned, and feted, and toadied to
generally, by high and low, in way
that we thought Americans only were
capable of. Kings and queens have
delighted to do him honor, and the
common people have stared at him with
open-mouthed wonder.


Not that only the cold meats remain of
the feasts and the ewax-tapers have burned
low, and the distinguished stranger has
taken his departure, with his numerous
retinue, and is fairly out of hearing,
we begin to find what manner of man
he is. 1t seems strange, knowing so
we'll from the tales of travellers what his
nation is like, that there should have
been any doubt or ignorance about the
matter. We are told that he is gross
in appearance and boorish in manners
in brief, the representative ruler of a
barbarous nation, which arro2ates to
itself all the wisdom and refinement
and religion of the world, and looks
with contempt and hatred upon all out
siders.


Still, we hope that the Shah's Western
tour may not be unproductive of good
results to himself, and through him to
his people. Having seen Western civil
ization in its full tide, he may be emu
lous of introducing some of its material
advantages at least into his own country,
and from them may spring spirit Of
liberation which is now nowhere found
in Mohammedan countries. The rail-
road which is to connect Ell Medina with
Mecca will do much toward breaking
down the barriers of Orientalism, and
it may yet be found, not only in Persia,
but in every portion of the world, that
the iron track will become the literal
representative of the bonds of fraternity.
Magazine. 2
Year: 1873

Representative Quinn, of the Peoria
district, has introduced in our legislature
the following bill, which was read and re
ferred to the judiciary Committee:
An act to protect married women against


the brutality of their husbands.


Be it enacted, etc.


SECTION l. That when any person shall
commit, or cause to be committed, an as
sault and battery upon the person of his
wife, he shall, upon conviction, be punished
by being publicly whipped upon the naked
back with a common raw-hide whip, re
ceiving for each offense not less than five
nor more than twenty blows, in th'
discretion of the magistrate or court before
whom he is tried, and any officer having
authority by law to serve or execute pro
cess issuing from such court or magistrate
is hereby authorized to infict such punish
ment, and the defendant may be adiudget
to pay the costs of prosecution.
Year: 1873

Amer tile lst Of July all papers put in the
Pos, Office will require postage paid, whether
in the County or not.


Those of our Subscribers who have hereto
fore had their papers put in the Post Once
will find them at this office, until otherwise
ordered.


ANY OF our city subscribers who fail to get
the Press by the carrier, will please notify u.s.
that we may remedy the complaint.
Year: 1873

There is no class of the community
upon whom the future welfare of the
country moro essentially depends than
upon the rising generation of young
mechanics. II they are intelligent,
sober, industrious and consequently in
dependent. able and accustomed to
Judge for themselves, and governed in
their conduct by an enlightened view of
theis own best interests if they are
men of this sort, the mechanics, and es-
pecially the young mechanics, will form,
in conjunction with the young farmers
Of the country, a bulwark against mono
poles and corrupt politicians, and save
the republic. If, on the other hand
they are ignorant, idle. dissolute, and
consequently poor, and dependent upon
those who are willing to trust them-if
our mechanics should unhappily be-
come such a class-they would soon be
converted into the mere tools of a few
rich and artful men, who, having first
stripped them of every sense of self-re-
1rect, and every feeling proper to virtu
Dus citizens, would use them RS passive
instruments for promoting their own
ambitious objects, and for the enact
nent of laws which are beneficial to no.
body but the artful few and base
demagogues with whom they originate.


1t is as true of the mechanical arts as
Of nyother profession that knowledge
IS power.
Year: 1873

profitable mode of making presents
was practiced not long ago on the occa-
sion of golden wedding. Ten gentle
men, acting on the suggestion OF one OF
their number, decided to present $500
gold cup to venerable friend by way
of signalling their interest in the tiftieth
anniversary of his wedding day. Con-
tributions of $50 from each of the gen.
tlemen were promptly collected, and
the person who proposed the thing was
depntized to bu. the cup and make the
presentation, which he did to the satis-
faction of all concerned and with quite
a flourish of trumpets. The recipient
was grateful, the donors were happy,
and the affair reflected any amount Of
lustre upon all VINO had to do it. But
unfortunately for the person who pro-
posed and purchased and presented the
gift, the cup subsequently required
some little thing to be done TO it, and
was sent by its owner to New York foe
that purpose. 1t happened that the
cup was sent to the very store where it
was purchased, and, its interesting
story having gone along with it, the
discovery was made that it was only
silver gilt article and had been pur-
chased as such for $3.50. The buyer
had contributed nothing, but had pock-
eted 1920 out of the contributions of
his friends.
Year: 1873

ness that help was near, could moi
have held on against that furious rusl
OF waters (; but did hold on, at least
think so and when the wave receded
n bright dazzling light shone into my
eyes, light from the bridge, wher,
some one was holding what seemed tt
he portable sun, but that was actually
piece Of burning magnesium wire
Then everything appeared in the black
est darkness.


odd you see anything'" cried q
voice


"fm not sure; I thought saw some.
thing move"


A couple Of lamps from the engine
were now brought, and placed at the
edge of the platform; they lit up the
beams and rafters Of the bridge, bu,
the light seemed to be lost in the dark
waters. All they would never discover
me


Once more I had strength to cry.


"Ah it's man down there" ]
heard somebody shout


A long plank was run over the gap in
the bridge, then another; along the two,
portable windlass was quickly raken;
n bucket descended, in it man with n
lantern.


Hollo, mate !" he cried as he caught
sight of my white face in the focus cf
his lamp, "what are you doing down
here 2"


In another moment was standing il
safety on the further side of the bridge.
l owed my rescue to the unexpected
visit of the chief-engineer of the line,
, who hao come down to see with his own
eyes the manner in which the bridge
behaved in heavy gale, and had driven
with the engine to the farthest access
ible point of the platform.
What a comforting glass of hot
brandy and water that was of which
partook by the warmth of the engine
furnace, and how eAh,larating the run
homewards on the swift shrieking en-
gine


was at Dolbadarn in time for dinner
after all. As | sat down to the cheerful
meal with friends who were discussing
the light ordinary topics of the day, /
looked about me, wondering if | were
really here in actual corporeal presence,
or if my life had ended in that last rush
of water, and l were only dreaming,
for in that sleep of death what dreams
may come J.
Year: 1873

A man was hanged the other day at
San Francisco, for murder with n
weapon OF a peculiarly dangerous and
for long time mysterious nature. This
is sand club, formed by filling an eel
skin with sand. When this instrument
was first brought into Use the authori-
ties were greatly puzzled by deaths, ap-
parently from violence, yet no marks
could be found on the outside of the
body. A burglar was finally captured
with sand club in his possession made
out of an eel skin stuffed with sand
Being closely questioned, he explained
it's use. When the victim is struck, for
instance, on the head he drops insensi-
BILE and soon dies from congestion of
the brain. Often the skull suffers no
injury from the stroke, and if the per-
son struck recovers sensibiity he grad
ually relapses into n condition of id
iocy Sometimes man struck in the
body will be knocked down by the
force of the blow and feel no immediate
results from it. In n few weeks, how
ever, the flesh will begin to mortify
under the line of the blow and rot down
to the bone. Heller, the celebrated
pianist, is supposed to have met his
death in Mexico from a stroke of this
diabolical weapon.
Year: 1873

OF all the odd deaths in the world
this reported from India is certainly tn
oldest. A native, while catching fish
in tank, pnt the head of one in his
troublesome in the matter of wriggling
Sudden y one of the sharp points in the
back fin stuck in his hand he opened
his mouth to call for help, and the fish
giving aquick plunge jumped down his
throat, and there firmly stuck. 1t was
only taken out, and by small pieces,
after he had been carried to the hos
pital. He was SO exhausted that he
died ~ soon % it WA removed.
Year: 1873

New York journalists westward. We made
San Francisco in fifteen hours, driven as by
hurricane. There we took on board sew
we few towards the light of day. ....-.


And what wild scene there was on board
when we shot into the broad daylight over a
sea as calm as mountain lake, past islands
all glorious in sunshine, on, on, until we
sighted the pagodas of Pekin and came down
at the station. '".' '+' t''T.


And here we heard the welcome news.
Slowly the great world was again moving on
her course. An Almighty Engineer, whom
winds and waves obey, had reversed her
motion, and slowly she was obeying his be-
hest y. ..'.


And this is how the sun came to rise in the
west. AT some future time may write you
further particulars of our home voyage. How
saw London when the sun first gilded the
spire of St: Paul's, after the long, long night,
and how the people went wild with joy, and
many other things which l have not now
time to write. r. H.
Year: 1873

Halls Journal Of Health says that cold
bedchambers always impcriI health and
invite fatal diseases Robust persons
may safely sleep in temperature of forty
or under, but the old, the inia,at and the
frail should never sleep in room where
the atmosphere is much under fifty
degrees Fahrenheit


All know the danger Of going direct
into the cold room from n very warm
room. Very few rooms, churches. theatres
aud the like. are ever warmer than seventy
degrees. If it is freezing out of doors it
is thirty degrees-the difference being
forty degrees more Persons will te
chilled by such a change in ten minutes,
although they may be actively walking.


But to lie still in bed, nothing TO
promote the circulation, and breathe for
hours an atmosphere of forty and even
fity degrees, when the lungs are always
at ninety eight is too great a change.
Many persons wake up in the morning
with infam nation of the lungs who went
to bed well, and are surprised that this
should be the case The cause may often
be found 10 sleeping in a room the window
of which had been fooishly hoisted for
ventilation. The watercure journals of
the country have done an incaleulable
Injury by the blind and indiSeriminate
advice of hosting the window at night.


The rule should be everywhere during
the part of the year when fires are kept
burning to avoid hosting outside windows.
1t is safer and better to leave the chamber
door opea, as also the frepace-theu
there is a draft up the chimney, while
the room is not so likely to become cold.
If there is some FIRE in the room all night
the window may be opened an inch. 1t
is safe to sleep in a bad air all night with
"a temperature under forty The bad air
may sicken YOU but cannot kill you the
cold air can aud does kill very often.
Year: 1873

There is man in this city, who is so af-
fectionately fond of his wife that he is
jealous if a man looks within forty-five
degrees of the direction in which she may
happen to be. The other day gentleman
spoke to her, and he Immediately threat
ened suicide. His wife was dispatched for
a bottle of poison, which she had put up
at the druggists, consisting Of little wa
ter colored with licorice and bottled, with
a glaring poison label outside. When he
threatened to take some of it, and actually
poured it into wine glass, she screamed
for help and ran into another room, where
she could watch him through the keyhole,
and saw him cody open the window and
throw it out. She then rushed back, ap-
parently frantic with grief, and implored
him not to do the rash deed. He merely
pointed at the glass, and laying down on
the floor began to kick out his legs like a
.jumping-jack. She told him she was de-
termined to share his fate, and swallowed
the rest of the licorice-water, whereupon


he became really frightened, called the
neighbors, confessed that he only sham
med, and said that if she only survived he
never would trouble her again Then she
explained the ruse, and he was so mortified


he tried to buy up the silence of the neigh
bors, but the story was too good to keep.
He was thoroughly cured. 7vtusviNe Her
mid -'ta-<f
Year: 1873

The tomb OF Napoleon III. in Eng
land was again covered with flowers
In magnificent profusion and variety
on the recurrence Of one of Eugenie's
fete days. The widow did not appear.


Ara ball In st. Louis the principal
feature was q pound of pepper judici-
ously sprinkled on the floor.
Year: 1873

VIRGINIA newspapers arc earnestly
beseeching President Grant to appoint
sound lawyer and an honest man
rather than carpct-bagser to fill the
vacancy in their District Court caused
by the death of Judge Underwood.
Year: 1873

The Tribune says of the Pomeroy business
The Senate cannot afford to shove this matter
BY in any such way. The party in power. if il
allows this thing 10 be done, will make q mistake
that cannot be other than fatal Either Pomeroy
Is an honest, much-abnsed man, the victim Of an
amazing and outrageous conspiracy, OF he is an
infamous seoundrel, guilty of higher crime than
treason or rebelhon-Wh0 should not be allowed 10
leave the seat he has disgraced without having
his own proper stamp put on hIm by the body he
has disbonOTed. Whatever Senators may do, they
may rest assured that the people viii weigh the
testimony and render jud and impartial iudg-
ment on the facts. II this man is guilty, he muet
not be screened; II innocent LET the Senate 50
certify him to the country and stamp his aecuser
As q peTiured william"