smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1871

A WOMAN on THE fashions. Lydia
Mara Child thus crticises the proneness
of her sex to follow the changing fashions
of the day:


Sensible women must resist, as far as
they can, the expensive despOtism Of that
invisible tyrant called Fashion. What
enormous taxes it imposes upon US taxes
to 1.-THE of which we would not submit
for a moment from any other ruler. What
a mysterious and omnipotent power it Is
Suddenly there goes forth an edict, nobody
knows from whom, that everybody must
wear trailing garments, aud straightway the
filthy streets are swept with silk aud satin.
Some French mantua maker, whose fortune
depends upon stimulating the rivalry Of
wealthy idlers invents some new cut OF a
sieeve,or some new adjustment of trimming
which Vanity Immediately adopts, as a
public advert isemeut that she is rich
enough to change her dress with every
passing whim. Then the mystic saying
goes round the world, " They dress 30,
this season" Who they are nobody knows,
but the voice must be obeyed, without
regard to climate or convenience, or be
comingness t. individual faces and figures
\ miliner of the Empress Eugene places
a grape leaf on the head of her imperial
mistress, and calls it a bonnet it forms 8
pretty ornament for her tresses, and, as
utility Is no object to her who rolls along
through life in a chariot, such dolls mead
gear answers well enough for her. But
because she wears it.straightway every far
mer's wife in New Eng and feels compelled
to walk through wind and dust, heat IN
cold, with a grape leaf on her head


Seven or eight years ago boanets were
hung on the back of the head and slipped
down on the shoulders. instead of being
perched on the forehead and tipping over
the nose. as they now are. A. that time
a bride in the vicinity of Boston left her
fathers house soon after the marriage cere-
mony, and rode seven or eight miles in
winter evening to the dwelling OF her
husband She became 50 silent during
the latter part Of the ride that the bride
groom was alarmed and there being no
house in sight, ne drove as rapidly as pos
siblc Arrived at his own door, he lifted
a corpse from the sleigh. Her bridal
bonnet had fforded no protection from the
severe cold and her brain was frozen.


We laugh at Chinese women for def0rm-
ing their feet and rendering tbem useless
by the fashion Of casing them in baby
shoes yet in this enlightened country girls
are straiuinc the muscles OF their fee1 be
yond repair, and losing the power of walk
ing with firm, elastic tread because it Is
the fashion to topp!e about on high heeied
shoes. In this country it Is peculiarly re-
markabIe that we submit so tamely 10 such
perpetual aud vexatious interference with
our free will and our daily convenience.
We zcorn the idea of having our affairs
regulated by any other monarch, and would
resist any other involuntary taxation to
the death But we empty our purses
and waste our time and our faculties, and
tumble over eriuoGne traps, AMI stjtie our
lungs, and weaken our feet. ana freeze our
brains, because Fashion, IN the person Of
some Partisan modiste. proclaimS, They
90 So this season
Year: 1871

LErRosY CURE.-A cure fer oprosy has,
itseems, been discovered in India. Accord
ing to The Ploaeer. medical science has at


last triumphed over this terrible disease.
The civil surgeon of khundwa, reports the
case OF wretched old jew who came to
him from Bombay IN great grief, saying
that his frieDds had excluded him from
their society and obliged him to live in =
hut by himself He was at this time pleas
ingly mottled with rose color. The doctor
had him at once washed with soapand warm
water, and the old jew showed signs of i'm
provement. lie was then anointed with
carbolic acid and oil, with such good effects
that the next day he wrote to his wife TO
expect him home ina week In short, what
with washing with soap aud water, and
with carbolic acid aud oil, the old jew was
soon completely cured. The experiment
had moreover an interest apart from the
fact that an ancient scourge was being con-
quered in the chameleon variations of the
corpus rtle under experiment. The jew
came to Khundwa rose-colOred and brown
in week or two be was glossy black and
brown a little later he became speckled
gray then his skin-possibly uneasy at
what might happen next-lost all patience
with its owner, and peeled away from him,
/ leaving him Just the color jew ought to
be He lives IN the hut no longer, and has
been received into the society of his fami-


ly and friends.
Year: 1871

REMEDY FOR SrINGs.-The other day
while cleaning a few remaining Bradshaws
as [ took ho'd OF a plum it sent spark
fire into my finger. At any rate tn at wo
the impression of the moment, till a whit ;
headed hornet darted of. found it con
venient to come down from the tree.


But let me tell your million readers tina
we have discovered one good use for tot
bacco.


1t is one of the best remedies for the
stin5s Of all insects Wet it so that the
juice shall start, aud place it on the part
stung, and in one momentyou are all right
again.


Last season a little grandchild, walking
in the grass near a bank. fell upon a nest
Of hornets, am the hornets speedily fell
upon her. Sac was badly stung in several
places. Her screams brought the nurse
She too, screamed. Everybody ran out of
the house.


WHAT'S the matter? And " what's the
matter sounded from half a score of
frightened mouths


Tobacco was at hand. Little wads Of it
were wettei, bound on the parts stung,and
n ten minutes the little girl was playing
again, nimb as a cricket. And chiefly to
set forth this remedy have we introduced
this article Wexejoice at length to learn
that tobacco has some reason for existing.
1t IS the nasty plague of neat men, but it
Is the good antidote for yeuomous insect
stings--H ~ Beecher.
Year: 1871

The WILLOW WHIsTLE-Who does not
love to make willow whistle, or see one
made =? Can you not recall your first
lesson in the art, the cutting of the flexible
bough. the choosing a smooth part, passing
the knife round it, above and below, pound
ing it judiciousy, wringing 1T earnestly, and
feeling the hollow cylinder OF bark at last
Tipping on the sappy, ivory-white, fragrant
wood That little plaything grew, with
the growth of art and civilization, to be the
great organ with thunders at Harlem or IN
Bos ton.
Year: 1871

Just in proportion as ones speech is a pure
and simple efflux Of his spirit, just in proper
tion as its utterance lies in the order and
inevitable procedure of his lie, he will be
liable to undervalue it. Who feels that the
universe is greatly enriched by his heart
beats that it il much that he breathes,
sleeps, walks? But the breaths of supreme
genius are thoughts, and the imaginations
that people its day-world, are more familiar
TO it than the common dreams of sleepers to
them, and the travel of Its meditatOns is
daily aud customary; insOmuch that the very
thought OF all others which one was born to
utter he may forget to mention, presuming
it TO be no news


The silent tears that fall at dead ofnlght
over sOIled robes which once were pure and white :;
The prayers that rise like incense from the soul,
Longing for Christ TO make II clean and whole;


These are not lost


The happy dreams that gladdened all our YOUTH
When dreams had less oi self and more OF trptn-
The childlke faith tranquil and so sweet,
Which sat like Mary at In Masters fest


These are not lost-4rgOsy-
Year: 1871

wards step too far, and before she could re-
cover herself, she fell into the water which
had shown her the dreadful truth. The tide
bore her away, and never again was seen the
Miller's daughter-Carls young bride. Alas
for vanity! az.
Year: 1871

The spasmodic revolutions in the miniature
Republics of South America are generally of
the tempest-in-a-teapot order. They are some
times remarkable also for other peculiarities !;
and among the most unique in incidents was
that in Bolivia, which is described elsewhere
by correspondent. The career of President
Melgarejo, as therein sketched, reads Like
horrible romance of a past age, and could have
been possible only under one of the unstable
governments of the tropics, where men are
forever indulging either in ideness or intrigue
The man was tyrant, as all the world knew ];
but few believed him the monster he Is here
painted. The story itself is tinged with some
thing of the romance which in the tropics
seems inseparable from narrative; but 1t Is
clear from it that in banishing him Bolivia is
happily rid of wretch whom, it is to be
hoped, will never attain in other lands such
power for evil as he welded in his own
country,
Year: 1871

The conduct of the Orleans Princes in face
of the strong temptations of the situation has,
so far, been of character to fully justify the
expectations of their numerous friends. A
natural fear and jealousy excluded them from
the ranks of the fighting men who were sus-
tanning the Republic; and when, after the
crash of defeat, the time came for the election
of a Constituent Assembly to make peace and
decide upon the future of France, their candi-
dacy was marked with dignity and with a
scrupulous regard for the rights and even the
prejudices of others. They were elected. and
instead of coming forward and claiming their
places with arrogant clamor, as other pretend
crs have done, they quietly awaited the decis-
ion of their colleagues as to the validity OF
their elections. Although this decision was
unreasonably delayed and complicated by un-
founded reports of conspiracies and CO.
alitions, they made no noisy recama-
tions, but bided their time patiently
at the Chateau of Duke PasQuier-
AudifIret, until very large majority Of the
Chambers had abrogated the unjust and i'm
polite decree by virtue of which the usurper
Bonaparte had so long kept them from their
native SOIL At the same time their elections
were found valid and regular, and their seats
in the Assembly were given up to them.
This triumph of their just cause does not seem
to have elated them, any more than their
former reverses depressed them. The Duke
of Aumale declined banquet rendered to him
by the partisaDs of his family. and prepared
at once TO set out for England by
| way of allaying tho general suspicion
and excitement over supposed Orleanist IN
| trigues. There is an apparent contradiction in
| the dispatches which announce, on the one
| hand, that the princes have resigned their
| seats and on the other. that the Prince of
Joinville has elected to serve for the Depart
ment of the MarDe among the many districts
which chose him. 1t would appear like an
overstrained punctiiousness that these able
and accomplished men should insist on BAN


shing themselves from France while profess
ing full loyalty and obedience TO the Republic.
Nothing but a violent and injurious public ex-
citement arising from their presence in the
country could Justify such an expatration.
As long as they profess themselves law
abiding citizens they have as much right in
their native town as any workingman who was
born there. ttI.


Even if they were, "A is charged, intriguing


for the crown, while this would deprive them
Of Republican sympathy, It would be by no


means clear that it would give their adversa-
| ries the right to Danish them. France has not
| yet SPOKEN authortatiyely in regard 10 her
Year: 1871

future form of government. She has adopted
the provisional organization Of the Republic,
and all our wishes and aspirations are that
she may frame her permanent system upon
the model we consider best for all people who
can administer it. Still. this issue is by no
means sure. When the time comes for the
masses to give the decisive vote, 1t IA greatly
to be feared that they will remember the
year of woes and terrOrs which they have
suffered since Sedan. and may be led by
false and bigoted counselors TO attribute
these evils TO the government which inherited
rather than to that which prepared them IL
France wishes a monarchy-a result we 90 NOT at
present admit, and one which we should deepy
deplore-it would be no crime against hohor
nor against liberty if the family OF orleans
should accept the crown they have learned IN
adveI sity to wear with some chance OF dignity
and success. They would even he justliled I'D
using any fair means to press their claims upon
the consideration of their countrymen. piottlhg
to destroy the Republic, they would deserve
the doom of traitors canvas5iDg for an eStao-
lisbed and vacant throne is another matter
altogether. .r.--r- .t--~s--


Among the different camps into which the





line is clearly and distinctly drawn. The re-
ports made 80 authoritatively SNORT
time ago of tho completed fusion oi
the elder and cadet branches of the Bour-
bons have not been confirmed by recent de-
yelopments. The inCOngruity of permanent
alliance between the advocates OF stricuy
limited constitutional monarchy. deriving its
powers and its sanction from the popular
voice, and the partisans of Prince VINO
POUNDS his claim on the divine right involved
in the accident of birth, has been heretofore
pointed out in The TRIBUNE. There IS no
common ground which the Orleanlst b0ur-
geoisie of France many of whom are Protest
ants, and many more Indifferent in religion,
can occupy in company with the fanatical Ultra
montanes and the bigoted mobiles who pay alle-
glance to Henry the Fifth. The men
who look TO constitutional monarchy
TO heal the wounds OF nation,
who imagine that peace and independence
will follow the triumph of their ideas, cannot
but look with anxiety and aversion upon the
programme recently announced by the Count
of ChambOrd, by which he binds himself to
the restoration Of the Pope in his temporali-
ties. II is therefore most likely that the two
branches of the BOurbOns will continue In the
future as in the past, TO represent respectively
the middle-class idea of expediency and the
feudal fantasy of absolutism. More busy and
more shameless than either. the adherents Of
Bonaparte are now engaged in a campaign to
redeem by intrigue aud demagoguery the
position they lost by corruption and inca
Dacity. II is hard to say what they represent,
except immortality and plunder-a cynical and
unabashed lust of power for the material
advantages which it gives its possessor1.
Year: 1871

900 to Sinking Fund and borrows 81 100000 to


make up deficiencies, the debt aooumniates
at compound interest precisely as fast ss the
fund which s to redeem it. Our correspondent
thinks that the debt can be consolidated
at saving of 1 or IL per cent
in the interest charge, and the gain OF pre-
mium of TO per cent on the whole
debt When we find reason to agree with him
our readers shall share our knowledge. For
the present we content ourselves with the
statement that the average rate of interest
paid on the City and County debt as it stood


on the 1st Of January, 1859, was 9-1O per
cent, and that the average rate paid now IS
$40 per cent. AS the law provides that the
new consolidated stock shall bear interest ~
the rate of per cent in gold or 2 per cent
in currency, and as per cent in gold is equiv
alent to ca per cent in currency we do not sec
how the saving of interest predicted oy our
correspondent can at present be Effected. ..-
Year: 1871

The details of the burning of the Peruvian


coolie ship Dolores Ugarte, 80 far as they are
received justify the view we have already


taken of the probabilities of the case. Tho
fire appears to have originated among the
coolies, and the crew having left the ship to


its fate, the major portion of them, 500 in all,


were burned alive. These poor wretches were
entrapped Gas ak coolies are) on board the
ship at Macao, the great depot in China for
this abominable business. Whether they set
fire to the ship, in their desperation, or if the
oonfagration was caused by an accident will
probably never be known. But the holocaust
at sea in which 500 human beings perished
ought to call the attention of all civilized nations
once more to this traffic; and it may be that
this new horror will be the means of compelling
Peru, San Salvador, and Portugal, whose flags
usually cover these living cargoes, to with
draw their quasi sanction of the COolie Trade.
Year: 1871

Gov. Hoffman has returned to the Secretary
Of State with his objections, the Midland Rail
road bill The Governor objects to extending
State aid to local improvements, on the ground
that the people do not want to pay the tax
thereby made necessary. But, unless we IN
tend to abandon altogether the principle of
extending State aid for the promotion OF pub
lie improvements, this objection is untenable'
If ever there was railroad in the State to
which any part of the public funds could be
judiciously diverted, the Midland is certainly
that road The enterprise is one OF the first
importance, and the aid asked was but moi
ETY. of the amount already provided for.
Year: 1871

Our Mayor Is smart 1ellOW, ana we leel
pride in him as one of the cleverest and most
versatile of our minor journalists. But we must
regret that his dexterity as a paragraph
ist (which he somewhat Overrates) often i'm
pels him to attempt literary feats which Gas
in the case of the bull who went at the loco
motive) commend his courage at the expense
of his Judgment We think he illustrates this
tendency in his Message by challenging COM
parisOn between the Finances and financial
management of our City and those of the
Union. Let us consider:


Mr. Hall asserts that our City pays more
annually into the Federal Treasury than
into those of the State and City. Even were
this true, it is not cOnsoling. 1t does not COM
fort the eel which you this instant are skin
ming to tell him that somebody else skinned
him yesterday and will try to skin him again
tomorrow. On the contrary, he might prefer
to save little of his hide to-day to be ready
for to-morrows discipline.


Suppose it were true Gas it is nOD that the
Federal Government takes as much from our
citizens annually as the State and City author
tiles together do, just consider that the
Federal Government is resolutely and steadily
reducing its debt by honest, bona fde pay
ment of principal-more than Two Hundred
Millions having been paid since Gen. Grant
became President beside larger amount for
interest, and at least Sixty Millions for War
Pensions. People can stand Taxation when
they see that it is paying off debt, and 80
rendering future reduction not merely prob
able but inevitable.


Will Mr.. Hall state just how much our City
and County owed when Gen. Grant was in
augurated, and how much they owe nowf
We think that would sicken him of drawing
narallels between Federal and City Finances


Again: Secretary Boutwell, gives us month
" expos6 of the Financial situation. He
shows you at a glance how much the Govern
ment owed last month and how much 1t owes
now-what amount OF principal Is due on
this loan, what amount on that, with the in
terest due on each up to date. All Is simple
frank, honest, Straightforward, and the great
mass of the People can know just how the
Government stands, financially, if they will
This seems to us valuable in many aspects
and especially in that it gives the masses con-
fidence in their Government, with faith in its
integrity and solvency.
Compare with this Controller COnnolly's re-
cent yoluminOus bulletin. We try to under
stand it but we cannot tell from this how
much the City owes, nor how its Debt came to
be SO much larger than it was officially reported
only a few years ago. That Report seems tt
Ms full of "windOws to exclude the light, ant
"passages that lead to nothing" Take this
item as sample:


VII ACCUMULATED DEBT BoSDs.-The amount issued
in 1870


The principal of these bonds is payable as follows:
Year: 1871

The New Hampshire Democrats, dissatisfied with
the fine point to which their great victory has
been whitfield down, are casting about for means to
enlarge their dangerously small majority in JOINT
Convention. Given a working majority, all the rest
is easy; 50 the Democracy cooly propose to unseat


few Republicans by simply declaring their positions
vacant. The trick has not even the merit of novelty,
and in these days of total political depravity it
would probably fail to excite so much ripple on
the surface. But ought not these staid New-liamp-
shire men to be satisfied with their present attain
ments in the dark ways Of the most corrupt variety
Of Democracy, One would suppose that such a
demoralizng campaign as that which has just given
them majority in the Legislature would suffice
without expellng members to increase that majority
Year: 1871

In relation to Communication, for which
we make room in another column, touching the
"City Finances and Sinking Fund" we remark
that we know of no other way of getting rid
Of debt than to make our expenses less than
our receipts-to stop borrowing and pay az
we go. Unless these precautions are taken, the
maintenance Of Sinking Fund is the sheerest
farce. II city contributes every year $1,000
Year: 1871

Total. -.to,oO,Dp w
The interest at the rate OF per cent per annum
payabe semi-annuay, from taxation, the first day
OF May and November.


The premium received on the above bonds


Perhaps we ought to understand the above;
but we certainly do not. How was this debt
"accumulatedi" BY whomf For whatf What
claim on the treasury was satisfied by the
proceedsf Why were we compelled to pay so
biob n rate of interest on bonds which have
80 long lifef Possibly, there is some ex-
planation in the Report under some other
head; but why not here And we cannot
guess why this debt was "aecumulated' nor
what benefit conferred on our citizens Is repre-
sented by it.


We say once more to our Municipal masters
This Financial exhibit will not answer. Oakeys
iaunty way Of telling our Taxpayers that they
are admirably well of If they only would put
realize it-that no property is to be sold TO re-
Year: 1871

The Governor Pe.a.oned for the Pardon
of Thos. R. Bird, conr'cted Of Bigdmy.-
K petition, numerously signed by many Ct
the prominent citizens of Alexandria and
vicinity, was yesterday laid before the Gov
ernor, asking the pardon of Thomas r,
Bird, well known sporting gentleman Of
Washington city, who had been tried, found
guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary,
for the crime of bigamy.


We are informed number of ladies
have not only signed the petition, but that
delegation of them will probably visit the
Executive in behalf of Mr.. Bird. Should
delegation of ladies call on the Governor
for that or any other purpose, they will find
him mighty good looking fellow, but a
great humbug as politician or Republican.
In fact we have long since given him over
to his worshippers as unworthy place in
our ranks, and if we are permitted to
Judge by the action of the Convention, his
own friends are getting heartily tired ano
sick of him. We learn he has taken nc
action yet in relation to the application fol
the pardon of Bird.
Year: 1871

Accideaa IN Mdnchestg.-Yesterday,
while Alexander Roundtrce was engaged
running circular saw, his hand was severe
ly cut by coming in contact with it. With
proper care and treatment he may be able
to resume work in few days.
Year: 1871

After the first of January there ought to be
some abatement in the prices of tea, coffee,
sugar. and spices. On that day reduction
taxes place of fifteen cents a pound in the duty
on tea' OF about one and quarter cent a pound
IN the duty on sugar, and two cents a pound
on coffee. On spices there will be large re-


duction, and also large addition to the free
list; this last mainly in the special interest of
the manufacturers. The surplus revenue for
future years is estimated By Protectionist Or


gans at one hundred millions per annum. and
they propose to keep it up at this figure for
their own benefit and that of tie bond-holders.