smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

We had visit from a book peddling fe-
male last week. She wished to dispose of
a book. She was alone in this world, and
had no one to whom she could turn for sym.
pathy or assistance, hence We would buy her
book. She was unmarried, and had no man.
ly heart in which she could pour her suffer
ings, therefore we ought to invest in her
book. She had received liberal education
and could talk French like native; we
could not in consequence refuse to pay her
two.dollars for a book. She wanted to take
lessons In music from learned German pro.
fessor; consequently we must not decline
buying book. We had listened attentively,
and here broke in with, 'What do you say?
We're deaf" She startedin a loud voice and
went through her rigmarole. When she had
finished we went and got O roll of paper and
made IL into speaking trumphet, placed one
end in our ear, and told her to proceed. She
nearly burst blood vessel in her effort to
make herself heard. She commenced, az
am alonr in this world" st doesn't make
the slightest difference to us. We are not
alone; in fact, we are a husband and father.
Although this is leap year, bigamy is not al
lowed in this S ate. We are not eligible to
proposals." "Ohl what fool this man ISL
she said, in low tone; then at the top of
her voice, II don't want to marry you. L


want-to-sell-a-boo This last ser


tence was howled. "We don'twa q coos


we blandly remarked; our wife does the CO


ing, and wouldn't allow as good looking


woman as you are to- stay In the house five
mp,utes. She's very jealous She looked
at us in despair. Gathering her robes about
her, giving US glance of contempt, and ex-
claiming 81 do believe If three hundred
FOUNDER was let off alongside that blamed old
deaf fools head he'd think somebody was
knocking at the door," she slung herself out
and slammed the door with vehemence that
awakened our Office boy, who can sleep
sound enough for whole family. When she
was gone We INDUCED in demoniac laugh.
She isn't likely to sell us book any more.
Year: 1873

A Cincinnati gentleman who interviewed
the editor of paper in that city the other
day, and closed the conversation by abruptly
smashing in the editorial hat, has paid s25
and costs for the indiscretion.
Year: 1873

The attempt OF the theatre managers in
New York to abolish the bill-boards was a
failure. Two OF them put out bigger posters
than ever, and thus forced the others back to
the old system.
Year: 1873

The spinsters of Glasgow are preparing a
petition for the enforcement Of a Parliamenta-
ry act Of the fifteenth century, which provides
a penalty for any bachelor who should decline
an offer of marriage from ole of the fair sex.
Year: 1873

she and A did not live together, that they had each found company they liked better, though there was still pleasant thread of friendship between them. I asked her what proportion of the married continued union, she said she should think about one in ten or a dozen.

 Mary NJ said she had had no re- grets at leaving this life so early, that she was happy and there was the fullest op- portunity in spirit life for completing the earth experience, which all had to have, that the infants that came to spirit life were not exempt from this law. I asked her how plainly they could see us. She said, not as plainly as you see each other, but perhaps about one-haf or two-thirds as plaiuly. She says her spirit home is very beautiful, and increases in beauty as they progress higher and higher. and in time the spirits Navs the earth to remain away, after they become prepared for higher pleasures of development, and af- ter they have no longer any earth ties and attractions. She said she had a good deal of her earth teaching to correct.

 Andrew Hine says it took him long while to get over counting notes and mort gages and now he finds his whole occupa- 'tion gone, but he is begining at last to see some new things to take an interest in. I asked h1m if he ever saw General B.. He said, no, he guessed the General nov ed in different circles from himself.

 C. P- said he had had many re- grets at leaving this life as he did but he supposed it was all for the best, he was doing better now since he was getting bet ter acquainted with his new home and surroundings.

 ." B., IT,, says, it is pretty rough to roam round and meet spirit after spir- it that you feel like speaking to, and be repelled. But finally some spirits on 8 higher plane than himself were friendly to him, and these gave him his first start. He says it is not all the spirits on the ooAAO PAnAO "As4 yOu4CCAA tA6S yOu akG 6t- tracted to tor that will have any thing to do with you. He says they do not have to use words as we do to talk, but they read each others thoughts, which makes decep- tion impossible, and you know exactly who your friends are.

 They all express desire to talk with their friends in the ''form, ''as they term it, and say if they ever go where there is a good Medium they will try to do so. As further test to prove it was they, the appearance of each one, as they were in earth-ife, was described, and it was as correct, and thought even better than I could have done it myself, and in other respects they succeeded wonderfully well in establishing their identity, which avi dences I would relate, but you will com plain tllnt tlis article IS already too long, so I will stop here and perhaps write more another tiEe. E. w. BALDWIN.
Year: 1873

next morning; it being one minute nearer
train time than he thought il was-a let
Let, gentle reader, which ran thus;


"MY DEAR Many have thought
very deeply ever since Tread your letter.
T. take that little desolate mother and
cLild home seemed such a good idea and
so ike you, that did not wonder, for q
m menl, that you entertained it. 1t took
M longer than that to decide to do it;
bat now have made the decision | am
anxious TO have YOU execute it for me rs
speedily rs possible Find her ii You
can and te. her Of me. and that il she
W laes to keep her child and is willing
to come out acre and live with me, she
ind - home and service open to her.
Perhaps | can brighten two lives at
le 81 | will try


This is only an answer 10 one bit of
your letter. Mary, but the rest can wait
a title and will come IN good time.


Is cvcr-your loving and impatient
fri GERTRUDE PoPE GwIN.
Year: 1873

A West Point official visitor says
that Gen. Sherman as he inspected the
riding of the cadets, sin his tall straw
hat, looked like an inquisitive farmer
who had never seen anything like this
before and was determined that no move
ment should escape him."
Year: 1873

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. II.


Since my last letter, nothing out of
the common has happened. Stocks
have been going up, and stocks have
been going down. Then there has
been the usual murder, and the usual
suicide, spiced with the attempted
murder by Oil avenging brother, ETC.,
etc.


Our Vegetable Troubles


Asprognosticated in my last, we are in
thick of our vegetable trouble, and
should there be any vegetarians in
this city, they stand very fair chance
of starving. The gardeners still con-
tinue firm, and the Supervisors are as
obstinate as ever. Every description
of vegetable, no matter how small the
quantity or how stale the quality
brings high price. Cabbages at 30
cents each; peas fabulously high, and
so forth. The hotel and boarding
housekeepers are regularly nonplussed,
the private families fall back on their
preserved tomatoes, and the free lunch
houses supply their ravenOus custom
ers with crackers dd lib and all Occa-
sional potato. How long this will
last, time alone will show; the garden
ers wish to compromise the matter and
promise to remove If time will be CIV
en-. 1t is said, and with what truth /
know not, that the whole affair is a
put up job, and that some of the City
Fathers have been handsomely "seen'
by the property owners Of the neigh
bOrhoOd where the wagons in future
are to stand. In the meantime the
poor public as usual must stand all the
annoyance and inconvenience attach
ed to the faulty supply.


ship BOARD Troubles.


Day after day our local papers treat
us to some new atrocity on board ship.
Scarcely vessel arrives in our harbor
without some trouble or another being
brought to light. Apparently it is now
the orthodox thing for captain to be
denounced for cruelty Immediately on
his arrival. Harris, the missing mate
of the Sunrise, has at last been found,
not much credit to the detectives either,
for according to his own showing he
has never hidden himself at all, walk
ing about the principal streets in broad
daylight, patrOnizing the theatre, and
taking his meals at one of our largest
restaurants. 1t is expected that his
evidence will prove of great interest,
but as yet he has been very reticent,
declining to give any information until
the case is brought up again. The
Captain is of course out of bali, and
has his work cut out in attending to
the many civil suits that have been
brought against him by his crew.


The wickedest Man I'm Frisco. s.


The city by a fiuke has been saved
the further annoyance Of numbering
amongst its inhabitants, one who has
for some years past borne the name OF
"the wickedest man in Frisco" Allen,
a noted pugilist, and the proprietor OF
the lowest dive, known as the s"Bull
Run" situated in the heart of the Bar
barry Coast, has fallen ignominiously
by the hand of man not much better
than himself. For murder it was GER
tainly one of the tamest of which we
can boast, bad whiskey, high words,
a scuffie, thrust with a knife and all
was over. The man who dealt the ia
Year: 1873

Fitzpatrick who kept the opposition
store in Volcanoville "a town not big
enough to decently support one store),
and who was engaged in a little game
of "freeze-out /" with Slingerland, be-
came alarmed lest Slingerland should
obtain the stone for an attraction for
his store, and thereby turn the scale of
trade against him, and he bid seventy.
five dollars for the wonder. Rejecting
these offers to purchase, Haws and Nc
Cusick carried the stone over to George
town to an assay r, who tried on it all
the acids known in the laboratory of
the chemist; none of which, however,
gave satisfactory results, and he was
unable to classify it either as metal or
metalloid, and gave as his opinion that
the substance was an serolite which had
fallen in some antediluvian age, and
had got mixed up with the glacial
detritus, from which it was extracted by
Haws and McCusick.


AS might naturally be expected, the
fame of this wonderful stone in time
reached San Francisco, and after being
exhibited while in glass case in Sam
Alden's drug store, in Georgetown, it
was finally gobbled up, and is now on
exhibition in Woodward's Gardens,
San Francisco, labeled with the history
of it's discovery, and wise disquisition
on its undoubted meteoric origin by
the celebrated Professor Clarence King.
Year: 1873

"That descent into the depths of the
sea with the sinking ship" says a pas
senger on board the Vile du Havre,
was an awful experience, and onethat
fell to the lot of more than three-fourths
of those who were saved. was stand
ing by the side of the vessel, certain
that she was rapidly going down, and
that there was no hope of being saved.
I would not have given ten cents for
my chance of life. If anybody had been
on the point of discharging revolver
to blow ones brains out, l could not
have felt more certain of death. We
went down with the ship. do not be-
lieve anybody, however we'll he might
have been able to swim, could have
helped doing that. She made an awful
vortex in the water. 1t seemed to carry
all of us along with her. Nothing could
have saved you except holding firmly by
some piece of wreck or life-belt; and
most of those ON board, l am sure, new
er even came on deck. / cannot say
whether the ship heeled over or not
when below the water, but she seemed
to me to sink straight. ;"
Year: 1873

While stood quietly looking about
me, says Nicholas Pike, rush was
made to the centre of the grounds,
where large crowd soon assembled.
Piles Of wood were burning, which in
about an hour, became bed of live
embers. Two nude men, having long
handled rakes, were engaged in getting
out the unburnt pieces OF wood and dis
tributing the embers over a square of
about twenty-five feet. An excavation
was made on one side about foot deep
and six square, in close proximity to
the bed OF embers, and filled with water.
During this raking several persons were
engaged in dashing water over the men
to prevent their being scorched by the
heat, which was intolerable, even where
l stood. Everything being pronounced
ready by the priest who superintended
the whole, music was heard in the dis
tance, and a procession moved along
the grassy plain, preceded by men bear
ing upon their shoulders small plat
form, on which was an image, dressed
in Indian costume, loaded with iewelry.
They came on in silence and halted
near the burning mass. Presently an.
other similar procession advanced from
the opposite side and faced the first.


At given signal an old man with
only cloth around his loins, bearing O
child in his arms, stepped into the
square and walked unfinchingly across
the glowing bed of embers. Three
young men followed, and then q dozen
rushed in and ran across, stopping for
a moment to cool their feet in trench
filed with water. The contortions,
screeching and yelling of these latter
were terrible, and turned away sick at
heart from the sight. This part of the
rite is called thinnery, or walking upon
fire. 1t seems to me literally the old
worship of Moloch revived, and any
thing more heathenish and devilish 1
cannot imagine. Strange to say, the
Indians persist that they do not get
burnt. For at least a month previously
they undergo severe tests, taking little
except rice and milk /; do not even touch
grease or animal food pray incessant-
ly, get the priests blessings, and then
walk fearlessly over the burning en-
bers. They say it is only those who
have eaten forbidden food Especially
salt fish, got drunk, or committed some
unrepented sin, who get burnt. -Ram-
btes IN the Land of the Apmanayter9p.
Year: 1873

Just such weather as this, thinks the
Danbury News, instils new life and
animation in man, and is apt to make
him frolicsome. 1t stimulates him to
racing, jumping up and down, clapping
his hands, and feeling good generally.
It so stimulated one of our merchants
on Friday evening, and led him to in
vite his wife to catch him before he
got around to the back stoop. He
started on smart run, and she bore
down after him at creditable speed.
He tore around the corner very much in
earnest, and stepping on piece of ice,
swung from his foothold and went
careening acress ten feet of frozen
ground, and brought up with consider
able force against pear tree--a new
variety, we believe. It was genial
spectacle to see the fond wife pounce
on him and hear her gleeful shouts OF
victory as he struggled madly to his
feet and besought her "not to make o
darn fool of herself"
Year: 1873

The newest waterproof cloaks are cut
in the redingote style and have a small
cape. .#.f


Overskirts have gone almost entirely
out of fashion, and are nowadays sell
dom seen.


In Paris the ladies are wearing blue
and scarlet hose, striped respectfully
with white and black.


Necklaces of gold coin are new, also
bracelets. They are very unique and
exceedingly handsome. - .#


Brides have altogether given up white
satin for their wedding dress, and have
substituted tulle and silk. .g


West Point earrings are the newest.
They are made of the gilt buttons worn
by the natty little cadets.


Feather trimming becomes more fash
ionable as the winter advances, especial
ly on velvet costumes.


Sealskin is the most fashionable fur
of the season. It is considerably cheap
er this season owing to the panic.


Colored silk scarfs are worn by the
luQl66 UIllS WlHtoI, ttIlu DO u IlllO VI NOlJ
becoming to the demoiselles. Kerr


Brown tinted wedding cards have
been introduced this season, but with
anything but encouraging success.


Miss Davenport and Miss Jewett, of
the Fifth Avenue Theatre, are exhibit
ing some magnificent Partisan toilets.


A lady appeared at a wedding recep-
ton lately in dress of eight different
and distinct shades of green.


Roman scarf sashes are imported in
many new and beautiful styles, and are
made much wider than heretofore.


Ruff1es continue the popular mode
of trimming dresses both for the house
and street. Small ruffies are preferred.


Velvet muffs lined with silk or satin
and with wide bows of ribbon on either
side are very fashionable.


There is very little demand for coral
nowadays, and except for children it is
going out of fashion.


Coronet braids are in vogue again.
They only serve to elevate the bonnet of
the period little more.


Worth is said to have prepared cos
tune for Miss Nellie Grant, in which
she will appear on New Years Day.


Gray felt hats, ornamented by sin
gle gray feather, are worn by the ladies
of Paris this winter. g


For evening dresses corn colored
silk is coming in favor again. 1t is most
elegant trimmed with black velvet.


A bunch of moss roses on q bit Of
white lace is the fashionable breakfast
cap of the period.


A lady was recently married in a
dress OF point applique over white
corded silk.
Year: 1873

the distressed family. said reproach-
fully to her You appear only to
think of yourself, Frau Thomas. Do
you not suppose your husband has also
suffered all those years the same as
yourself ?" She looked at me astonish-
ed, and rather abashed, replied


"Of course he was miserable to see
me so, but, as he could not help me,
he let me alone"


Now, Frau Thomas, we have the
secret, and that is where you have been
unjust, and wronged your husband.
You daily exhibited regret that his life
had been saved at SO great sacrifice to
yourself. 1t left him in more uncertain
ty regarding your love for him, and
can you blame him if he did not think
his life too dearly bought 1t was noble
in him not to reproach you for saving
his life at the cost of the one dearer to
you. Is it not SO, Thomas ?"


.'Truly, you have read my feelings bet
ter than I could have explained them.
Frequently my heart seemed to break
when l realized what you have said, but
1 could not blame her, when she had
done so much for me-"


The woman's face was study. EN-
barrassment, regret, perplexity-all ap-
peared, until for very shame she cast
herself upon her husbands breast, beg
ging his pardon. a.


1t was his turn to be embarrassed
now, and it was really touching to see
the man act as if he had done some
thing very foolish.


I left them confident in their future
happiness, and SO it proved. In time
another child came to bless the sorely-
tried mothers heart, but never again
the question, Husband or child ?"
Year: 1873

The widow Crepin was washerwoman
at Vanves Department of the Seine).
Her husband had died during the Com
mune; she had but one child left OF
ten, a boy six years of age. These
losses had reduced her to state of
nervous depression. She was constant
ly in dread of losing her employment,
and, indeed, having been seized with
illness, ran into debt, and, at length,
was told by her landlord, to whom she
owed three quarters rent, that she must
leave her lodging. She then resolved
to put an end to her own life and that
of her child; and, having dressed her
self and the little boy in their best
clothes, lighted two braziers of char
coal, lay down with the child and await
ed death. The little fellow died in the
middle of the night, but. the mother
could not die. When she found that
she was alone in the world, she lit more
charcoal and now felt confident of ap-
preaching release but hour after hour
passed by, and she still lived. She
kept the neighbors away on the plea OF
illness for thirty-six hours after the
child's death, and then, worn out by the
horror of her position, let them in, and
showed them the corpse of her son. The
unhappy woman was tried for the MUIR
der of the child, but the jury were SO
overcome with pity for her sufferings,
that, forgetful of their raison detre,
they acquitted her, in absolute dis
regard of the potent fact that she had
taken her sons life. This verdict is
described by French journal as
merciful Justice"
Year: 1873

IL the clothes which cover the body
are damp, the moisture which they con-
tain has tendency to evaporate by the
heat communicated to it by the body.
The heat absorbed in the evaporation
of the moisture contained in clothes
must be in part supplied by the body,
and will have a tendency to reduce the
temperature of the body in an undue
degree, and thereby to produce cold.
The effect of violent labor or exercise
is to cause the body to generate heat
much faster than it would do in a state
of rest. Hence we see how, when
clothes have been rendered wet by rain
or by perspiration, the taking of cold
may be avoided by keeping the body in
q state of exercise or labor until the
clothes can be changed, which in every
case should be done as quickly as pos
sible, particularly underclothing, as
stockings, vests and shirts ; if not rheu-
matism will sooner or later set in.
Year: 1873

Samuel Nelson, late Associate Justice
of the United States Supreme Court,
died suddenly at his residence in
Cooperstown, New York, Of apoplexy.
For some months past his health has
been good, but week before his death
he complained of having taken slight
cold, and was confined to his room till
two days before his death. While it.
ting in his chair, between one and two
o'clock, listening to Mrs. Nelson read
letter, he made an inquiry in regard
to it, and then. without word or sigh,
was dead. Judge Nelson left the bench
of the United States Court in 1872.
Year: 1873

Here is a true dog story: A
family down town having a
false crate ia one of the rooms
OF the house, placed some red
paper behind it TO give the eli
feet of fire: One of the cold
est days last winter, the dog
belonging to the household
came in from out of doors, and,
seeing the paper in the CRATE,
deliberately walked up to il
and laid down before it, curIed
up in the best way to receive
the glowing heat as it came
from the fire. He remained
motioniess for a few minutes;
feeling no warmth, he raised
his head and looked over his
shoulder at the CRATE; still feel
ing no heat, he arose and care
fully applied his nose to the
CRATE and smelt of it. 1t was
as cold as ice. With a look of
the most supreme disgust, his
tail curled down between his
legs, every hair on his body
saying "I'm sold," the dog trot-
ted out of the room, not even
deigning to cast a look at the
party in the room, who had
watched his actions and laugh.
ed SO heartily at bis misfortune.
That dog has reason as we'll as
lnstinct.-T0y Times.
Year: 1873

The efforts of a few Demo-
cratic papers 10 make party
capital out of the back pay
matter, is fittingly rebuked by
the Memphis Avalan che, which
says:


"At any time The Democrats
could have defeated it. n
splendid opportunity TO plant
themselves on the solid rock
Of virtue and reform was with.
in their grasp: Did they avail
themselves of itg Not If the
official records tell the Truth,
A majority of item voted Tor
the Infamous measure. Others,
afraid ID vote for it but tearn-
ing for their prospective share
OF the robbery, lodged at roll
call; and when the bill becams
a law rushed to the Treasury
to secure their extra money
early, to avoid accidents"