smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

AS on the raging sea the sailor sleeps
Within his narrow bed
Secure, though knowing that the awful deeps
Roar close beneath his head,
He sleeps and dreams with gently-heaving


breath;
No midnight terrors show
The thin partition between life and death
The blind abyss below.
So wrapt in blest unconsciousness we float
Upon that larger sea.
Whose shores are birth and death, and take no
note


OF POSSIBILITY;
Nor think how slight the walls 'twixt JOY and


pain,


How near to madness roll
The imagnations of the unbalanced brain
The breakers of the soul.
The slender barrier on whose upper side
Virtues serenely rest,
Below the unstable wastes Of life may hide,
Whose sway no thought had guessed.
Some sudden lapse from Wisdom's light and


law,


Life's fort may undermine:
Some breach of passion or some secret flaw
Let in the pressing brine.
Beware. lest through the vessels Wave-swept


sides


The enchoaching sea prevails:
Then trust the stalwart keel. Whate'er betides,
Gods wind shall fill our sails.
Year: 1875

A correspondent writes US: Il never
did anything in the way of political brlb-
cry but once had an experience Indirect
ly in that way. On my way home from
fishing excursion in the fall, in a neigh
boring State, met very old man who
told me that be had voted in that town
ttty-seven times; but was not going to
town meeting next day because he had a
Job that he could make tew shilllns' out
of by remaining at home. lie had never
been attached to any party, he said; and
|, being Democrat. and having the Sc
curity of at least sixty votes OF majority
in that direction, never thought OF bribng
him had California gold dollar in my
wallet, ald taking it out, | told the old
man he might have it and go to town
meetn', . as not to break his record OF
continuous voting for so many years. He
took it and he went. | accidentally
met him in custody of the Squire who
was a leading Whig, in the afternoon,
coming up the hill from the village to the
town house, pretty well over the bay.
Have you voted Uncle Joe?' inquired.
'No'-hiccupped Old joel hain't; but
Im gonter; and taking from under his
arm dried salt fish OF at least ten pounds
heft, he added The Squire has gone,
dollar and q salt fish better, and vote the
Twig Wicket That's my experience ana
reward for constructive bribery ana cor
ruption.'
Year: 1875

Rubber boots and shoes seem to be made
for sale more than for service, at the
present day The Improvements in man
ufacture tor several years past have all
been in the direction of cheapness, rather
than in goodness and durability. There
are preparations sold for mending rubber
goods, but how will they please the pur-
chasers we are unable to say.


We find, in our draw, the following re-
ceipt for making rubber cement: Four
ounces pure India rubber, one-eight ounce
powdered asphaltum, put together in tin
can, then add about six times the quantity
of benzine, let it stand three OF tour days,
then take Il stick and work it over, then
add benzine and stir it well until you have


it about the consistency of honey then it is
ready for use 1t should be covered as
tight as possible while dissolving, and
afterwards. 10 use it, scrape the polish
from the rubber, then apply the cement to
the place to be mended and also to piece
of rubber to be used as a patch. Dry
half an hour and apply another coat,
them, after another half hour, press the
patch into its place over the break. Like
all other preparations containing benzine,
it must be kept away from fires as it is as
explosive as burning fluid. Clements,
similar to the above, are sold by peddlers
at most of our country tairs every fall.
IN. +. Farmer.
Year: 1875

Many sly dig did get about my stub
bornness


"Have ye bought yer team vet, Miss
Shepherd?" Thus asked friendly neigh
Dor.


Miss Shepherd is saved the trouble of
reply. "a team? Dolly amt a-goin' to
buy no team she's a-going to work her
farm with idees."


Well, why not? if l can.
So, pursuant to Johns theory of ''idees, "
Iquestion and question until have learned
the routine of the main farm crops, the
number OF days work per acre of both
men and horses, cost of Seed and prob
able average and market value of yield
| also learn the daily amount of food con-
mails, together with the usual market
prices of the different meats.


When winter came, | returned to my
ancient employment My school keeping
wages paid my debts to the farmers; and
with the surplus l bought out cousins
hennery entire-the fowls and guano -
together with pretty pair of Poland pigs
Lou had purchased grass and clover seed,
and had learned to drive; and as | knew
how to milk, and April was near at hand,
we bought load of hay, handsome horse
Pampas, and gentle COW Maggie, cult
vator and spades, gathered up all the old
tools cousin had given us, even to draw
shave, and went down home.


And here blessing upon the gray
heads of cousin Janet and cousin John is
surely in order; for portion OF every
thing in their house was sent with us,
from bag of flour and ham down to a
tiny sack of salt and the residue Of my
oatmeal, from load of nursing fruit
trees down to a bundle of currant bush
and peony root; and, last of all, a lovely
little cat, :" to purr and sit in your laps
and make it seem like home in the even
ing" That was what little cousin Jamie
said as he reached up and put it in my
arms after we were in the wagon.
Year: 1875

Grease may be removed from carpets by
covering the spot with whiting and letting
it remain until saturated with the grease
when it should be scraped off and another
coat of whiting applied and if this does
not entirely remove it make a third APP
plication, after which clean off thoroughly
with clothes-brush


Five courses of brick will lay one foot
in height on a chimney six bricks in a
course will make tlue four inches wide
and twelve inches long, and eight bricks
in course will make tlue eight inches
wide and sixteen inches long.


FACTS WORTH REMEMBERING. One
thousand shingles laid tour inches to the
weather will cover one hundred square
feet Of surface. and five pounds Of single
nails will tasten them on


One-fifth more siding and flooring is
needed than the number of square feet of
surface to be covered, because of the lap
in the siding and matching of the floor.
One thousand laths will cover seventy
yards of surface, and eleven pounds of
lath nails will nail them on.
Eight bushels OF good lime, sixteen
bushels of sand, and one bushel of hair,
will make enough good mortar to plaster
one hundred square yards.


A cord of stone, three bushels OF lime,
and a cubic yard of sand will lay one
hundred cubic feet of wall.
Year: 1875

there are generally TWO or more Sizes
to most questions concerning the most
common affairs of lite. If there were
not, the course of daily experience would
run smoothly enough There would In
deed be no question as to the proper thlng
To do or the proper way to do 1t. when
IN comes TO the more important matters OF
life. as the economy Of this or that dlsposi-
tion of time or labor or energy, the ques-
tion often becomes one of great practical
importance to the individual at least, upon
whom the responsibility of a decision
rests. This is the case, it seems to us, in
iayng out the work of the farm. Shall it
be concentrated or diffuslvep


1t seems to US that we, as a body of
farmers are too Scatterlng, that is, we aim
at doing too many things and spread our
energies over too much ground, instead
1i concentrating our thoughts, our skill
and our means upon some special line OF
effort, some particular crop or some lead
ing branch OF farming. 60 round through
our quiet and beautiful rural districts, ana
study the character and incHnatlons OF the
farming population, and you VIII ma IN
Tast number Of instances that the 1armef
wants 10 own the next farm. There IS
aabkeling 1or more land rather than q de-
sire to cultivate the home farm WELL and
bring it to the highest state of productive
ness But this, although we regard it as
n some respects, al unfortunate trait in
The New England character, is not exactly
the fault to which we allude You will
tiud genmallv that the farmer makes his
caleu 8tiOns to do a little Of everything,
instead of making a speciality of anything.
lie VIII have little patch OF corn, an





mans two or three cows and a horse. all of
which is very Wen, in its way but you will
discover no central leading idea, no one
Orop Mo one branch of farming that seems
to excite the mind and thought to special
activity, no one product on which to rely
for rhe money income OF the farm, and SO
YOU will lind at the end OF the year, that
both ends VIII hardly meet, OF il they do,
here will be nothing to spare.
Now we are not inclined to advocate the
cultivation Of one crop or another, to the
exclusion OF all others, but to insist upon
the adoption of some line OF effort as a
-ppcaltv. whether ii be the culture of
fruit, the culture of corn OF grass. the
breeding Of stock. the keeping of sheep
ar poultry We would leave the particular
object of pursuit to be governed by cir |
cumstauces. such as the location and
character of the farm. We would study
IDS special fitness for one thing or another
some farms are admirably adapted to the
rising OF fruit. Some have warm south
eru exposure. with a light warm soil,
adapted to the grape. Where vineyards
would return a profitable yield. Some
have facilities for the raising of cranber-
ries and il is a pity not to take advantage
of them. Some are remarkably well
adapted TO the raising of poultry, retired
and free from disturbance. Some specially
Year: 1875

-Four parts borax and three parts EPSON
salts, mlzed with three or tour parts warm
water to one part OF the combined sub
stances is said to form an excellent fire
proof wash for clothes. 1t should be used
Immediately after preparation.


An oaken color can be given to new
pine floors and tables by washing them in
a solution OF coperas dissolved in strong
lye, a pound OF the former to gallon O
the latter When dry this should be oiled
and it will be well for year or two /; ther
renew the oiiing.


Papering and painting are best done il
cold weather. especially the latter, for the
wood absorbs the oil of paint much more
than in warm weather; while in colo
weather the oil hardens on the outside
making coat which will protect the wood
instead of soaking into it.
Year: 1875

sen IN Eggs. A correspondent of the
London Journal of Horticulture says in
reference to this question Last winter an
old country poultry keeper told me he
could distinguish the sex in eggs. |
laughed at him, and was none the less
sceptical when he told me the following
secret: Eggs with the air bladder on the
centre of the crown of the egg will pro-
duce cockerels; those with the bladder on
one side will produce pullets. The old
man was so certain OF the truth of this
dogma, and his poultry yard 50 far con-
firmed it, that | determined to make eX-
periments on it this year. l have done 50,
carefully registering the egg bladder YER
tical or bladder on one side, rejecting
every one in which it was not decidedly
one or the other, as in some it is only very
| slightly out OF the centre. The following
is the result:


titty-eight chickens were hatched, three
are dead, eleven are yet too young to de-
eide upon their sex; of the remaining
forty -four, every one has turned out true
TO the old mans theory This, OF course,
may be an accidental coincidence, but
shall certainly Try the experiment again
Year: 1875

When living insects have entered the
ear, it is of the first Importance to kill
them as quickly as possible, after which
they may be removed at leisure by syring-
ing, or the use Of forceps. if necessary
Killing the insect uay be speedily accom-
plished by pouring into the ear a small
quantity of any mild oil or melted lard.
Year: 1875

KINDLY REMINDERS OF DEATH. There
was heather king once. named Philip of
Macedon, and a very wise king he was.


though he was heather. and one of the
wisest of his plans was this: He had a
slave whom he ordered to come to him
every morning of his life, whatever he


was doing, and say to him, in q loud


voice, "Philip, remember that thou must
die" He was a heather, but great many
who call themselves Christians are not half
SO wise as he, for they take all possible
care not to remember that they must die,


but to forget they must die and vet every
living man has servant who, like King
| Philips puts him in mind. whether he likes
| it OF not that his day will run out at last.


and his twelve hours of life will be over.
and then die he must. And who is that
servant? A mans own body, Happy for
h i'm, though. if his body is his servant
not his master and his tyrant. But still be
that as it may, every tinger-ache that
ones body has, every cough and cold ones
body catches, ought to be to use warn
ing, like King Philips servant, "Remem-
Der that thou must die" Every little pain
and illness is warning, akindly hint from
our Father in heaven, that we are doomed
to death, that we have but twelve hours in
this short day of life, and that we must
get our work done and our accounts set
| tied, and be ready for our long Journey
Year: 1875

GOOD ADVICE TO A DYsPEcTIC. gentle
man saw an advertisement that receipt for
the cure Of dyspepsia might be had By sending
two postage stamps to the advertiser, and the
answer was: Dig in your garden and let
whiskey alone."
Year: 1875

How IT FEELS TO BE HANGED. "A Paris
newspaper gives this extract from the notes of
young fellow who tried TO commit suicide and
was cut down before suffocation was complete
He was delighted to return to life, and it is
noted that the would be suicides who are rescued
from their set-sought fate rarely renew their
attempts to shuttle off this mortal COIL when
stood on the chair the mirror on the mautel-
piece involuntarily attracted me, and looked
at myself as l fastened the slip knot around
my neck. Blood flowed to my head, for my
face was very red; something took place at the
same time in my optic nerves, fo: it seemed to
me that my face suddenly began to make
grimaces My eyes and nose changed place
necessarily, like the pieces OF Kaleidoscope.
kicked the chair from uoder me aud fell with
the sensation that | had been struck on the
top of my head with hammer. [ did not at
first feel the rope around my neck. The only
very clear impression which followed the blow
with the hammer on my skull was that of great
heavloess in the head. 1t seemed to me that
my bead was larger and heavier % uy should
ers than the great bell of Notre Lame. At the
same time felt an immense night falling
around aud in me. Then | felt extremely cold
at my lower extremities, and at the same time
an acute, terrible pain 10 my neck, which was
produced by the rope, which cut my skin and
sawed my veins. Then I felt nothing. Evi.
IDENTITY this was the moment when my good
aunt CeclIe eo;t5ed my room aod cut me
down."
Year: 1875

The soil is OF rich sandy loan and free
from alkali. There are two or three small
pieces of alkali ground on the tract, but they
will be pointed out to purchasers so that they
may know what they are buying. The char
acter of the soil is more like the warm mesa
lands of the country, than the low, damp corn
lands, fe
Year: 1875

The great desideratum of Southern Califor-
MIA, without which the richest land is con-
verted into desert, and with it the desert is
converted into a garden, is here easily obtain
ed in great abundance. Surface water is found
at depth of ten or fifteen feet, and
Year: 1875

Can be readily and SURELY obtained at a
depth OF from one hundred and thirty to two
hundred feet. There are many flowing wells
In the immediate vicinity, and within the ar
tesian belt no failure to get flowing water has
ever occurred. Responsible parties propose
to sink artesian wells everywhere on the tract
and guarantee water or make no charge there
for. The town of
Year: 1875

Over the choicest portion of their table lands
and purchasers will have the right to water
without charge. Such an opportunity to se-
cure land admirably situated and watered
and perfectly adapted to semi-tropical fruit
culture, will not occur again.
Year: 1875

The feelings of the editor of the Vicks.
burg Ploindealer when his last patent in
sides came to him can only be imagined.
1 He was obliged to read in his own paper
rhat the vicksburR riot Of the twelfth
instant occurred in New Orleans.
Year: 1875

DOR SALE-THE STOCK AND FIXTURES OF THE
Millinery and Dressmaking Establishment of the late
Miss A. Turner the leading place of the kind In the city,
fine opportunity to get control of well established bust
69 State street ALFRED TURNER, Administrator,
New London. Conn.
Year: 1875

Homer. it is said, had such an aversion to natural music, that he could never be prevailed on to walk along the banks of murmuripg brook nevertheless, he sang his own ballads, though not in the charac- ter of a mendican., as recorded by the in- famous Zoilus.

 Virgil was so fond of salt that he seldom went without box full in his pocket. which he made use of from time to time, as men of the present day use. tobacco.

 Zoroaster, it is said. though the most profound philosopher of his time, tbeo- retically, was very easily put out of tenn per. He once carried his irritability SO far as to break marble table to pieces with a hammer, because he chanced to stumble over it in the dark.

 Shakespeare, though one of the most gen erous of men, was great higgler. He was often known to dispute with shop keeper for half an hour on the matter of a penny. He gives Hotsput credit for 6 DOT ton of his own disposition, when he makes him say, I would cavil on the ninth part of . hair

 Peter Corneille, the great wit of his time, so far as concerns his works, was re- markedly stupid in conversation. as was also Addison, who IS acknowledged to have been one of the most elegant writers tha, ever lived.

 Handel was such miser, that at tho same time he was in receipt of fifty pounds night from the opera. he was frequently known te wear shirt for month to save the expense of washing. ....rs

 Burns never remained sober so long as he could get drunk. It was in the fits oc- casioned by his peculiarity, that he wrote so many of those simple deggrels for ser want girls that we frequently find attached to beautiful airs, under the title of poetry, such as Wandering Willie, &c.

 Byron was also sadly addicted to the malt stoup.' Some of his stanzas, how ever, were produced under the influence ot the jolly god. According to his servant, Peter Conroy, pint of brandy was his nightly allowance.

 Samuel Rogers is an invetcrate punster, albeit from his poetry, one man might sup pose him to be the gravest man in Christen dom. He has one peculiarity that distin guishes him from all poets, past, present and to come. i. e. three hundred thousand pounds.

 Thomas Campbell, though an ugly man, it is said was very vain of his personal ap- pearance; he once discharged servant for limiting to him the propriety of getting a wig, as his hair was turning grey.

 Sir Walter Scott was said to have taker no pride in the wonderful creations of his genius, at the same time that he was ex- tremely vain of his title of sheriff of tho county.

 Hogg, however, was the victim of stil more unpardonable vanity. Whenever h, was asked out to dinner, he invariably said, I shall do ye the pleasure, and ther ye will ha' it to say that he had the honor te st in company with the EttriOk shep herd, allowed on all hans to be the great est sang writer in the wairld.'
Year: 1875

Ashley Falls.

 We are all alive up this way, and lite moves on in the good old way. The hodse- keeping fever rages severely, and we poor men are driven out of doors, while woman reigns supreme within. Well, we believe in woman's rights once year, provided they don't choose election day on which to exercise their authority! No startling events have occurred of late to make our place noted, yet we are content to remain unknown to the rest of the world, if the hail storms and tOrnadoes will only let us alone this year. As June 7th approaches, the anniversary of that dread night when the terrors of the whirlwind spread devas- tation in our streets, many recall to mind the scenes of last summer and pray that in the coming season kind Providence may temper the winds for our safety.......We think we have improved somewhat within a year, and look upon the changes here with satisfaction. The park bids fair to become thing of beauty and a true orna- ment to the village, thanks to the labors of those men who have lately planted shade trees there for the benefit of coming gene rations who shall rest under these pleasant shades The new school house is we'll liked, and we are justly proud of our four ishing school: but where is the bell which in imagination we heard so long ago peal ing forth from the now vacant belfry. Has any one seen it Trade seems thriving, and all the merchants keep busy. Our en- terprising neighbor. R. c. Taft, is doing a good business here, and yet finds time 10 make himself useful in New York part of each week......Robert Taft, with his family, has spent the spring months in
Year: 1875

ET A man in Baltimore called on grave digger one day to have his wife's grave sodded. He was an extremely penurious man, and biggled long time oyer the price of the sodding. Suddenly he ocean e mute, while his eyes were fixed upon a neighboring tombstone. His daughter and the grave digger stood back in respect for the feelings of the gentleman, in whose mind they supposed the sight of that tablet had called up the memory of dear depart ed friend, for grief was depicted in his countenance, and he was visibly agitated. At length the deep emotion which swelled his bosom found vent in this pathetic out burst: s'My God when did that man die i? He owes me two hundred dollars, and I'll never see cent of it."
Year: 1875

subscription AccOunt.-The date on the col0red slip of paper with the name of the sub scriber shows the time to which the sub scriptiOm is paid thus. R. B. Smith 5Jul74

 indicates that MT. Smith has paid for his paper to see to it that their account, as indicated by the date on their papers, is always correct, and when they pay for renewal of their subscription, vii observe whether their date is changed to indicate the proper credit and in the event of an error to inform us for correction at once. No claims for errors in these accounts will hereafter be conRd- cred unless presented within thirty days after the payment is claimed to have been made as the regular receipt of tho paper with the date to which the subscription is paid plainly printed thereon is prima faeie evidence of it's ac

 ceptance as correct. J. L. PEAsE.