smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

A VIRGINIA journal gives some reasons
why Thanksgiving day was not observed
In lie locality. First, the people residing
there do not give thanks Tor anything /;
second, q great many persons forgot that
It was Thanksgiving day; and third. that a
great many turkeys died with tho cholera
and consequently the people had nothing
IN celebrate tho occasion with.
Year: 1873

superlntendent Cummins, Of the Water


Works, last Saturday, called the attention
Of the Water Works Committee TO the
present threatening condition ofthe Water


Wo:ks. He considers, as we have been
repeatedly informed, that there is on
argen; necessity for repairs or for new
water works, as the works in their present
condition, while barely able to supply the
ordinary and increasing demand, are
liable to let down at any time. The
Committee should give the matter their
immediate attention and report the facts
10 Council. II they do not, VIC suggest
the matter is one of so much moment
that Council should appoint a special
committee 10 look into it.


The question of a future water supply


is really serious one, No well informed
person doubts that VIC ought to have a
new and enlarged Water Works, located
clear above the city; but the city is SO
hampered by the constitutional provision
limiting her power to borrow money,
that it is not easy to see how the money is
10 he obtained to build them. It Is a
question that ought to receive imme.
diste attention at the hands Of Council.
lit be found that the City is unable, or
Council is unwilling, to takC adequate
measures to secure an increased water
supply, or at least to assure the uninter.
rupted continuance Of the present one, 1t
would be nothing more than prudence
for largo manufacturing establishments
to mako arrangements to supply them:
selves.
Year: 1873

If there is one thing more pleasant than
another, it is for husband, weary and
hungry, to arrive home, to find his dool
locked and his wife oil visiting the neigh
bors. Now II all women would do as that
Scranton woman did, the husband
could get in the house comfortably.
Alter d deal OF annoyance, he managed TO
climb through back window, and
upon q table in the psrlor he found this
note; II have gone out you will find the
door, key on one side OF the doorstep"
Year: 1873

A correspondent Of the Lon don Nd.
tttre gives the following curious incl
dent bearing on the amount of reason
| ing power and intercommunicatiOn Oi
domestic fowls "Three years ago
was staying at a house in Ireland,
where a good deal of poultry was kept
and a young white duck just feather
ed, being the only one left Of a brood,
was allowed to rOOst with hen and
a young brood of chickens under the
furnace in the back kitchen, to keep il
from the rats which infested the out
houses. One evening our attention
was called by the servants to q great
cOmmotion between the hen and the
duck, which had always before been
excellent friends, and upon eXamina-
tion it was discovered that the duck
was not the hens usual companion,
but although, closely resembling it in
age and color, was a perfect stranger
not even belonging to the premises at
all, while the proper duck was found
quietly resting with the other ducks
| in the duck house. The intruder hav.
ing been elected, and the ordinary
bedfelIow restored to the hen, peace
again reigned between the feathered
companions; but the singular part Ol
the affair is, how the duck could have
met with stranger so nearly like
herself, and induced it to take her own
nightly place in a strange house and
with strange hen. Was it an act Oi
charity toward a stranger wandering
in search of a nights lodging, or was
the duckling tired of the hens com
pany and desirous of joining the birds
Of her own feather, and so cajOled the
stranger so nearly resembling herself
to take her place, believing the cheai
would not be discovered ?n
Year: 1873

A revengeful traveller on a certain
railway in this State packed carpet
bag full of loaded revOIvers and hand
ed it to a gentlemanly baggage-smash-
er, who had ruined three or four
trunks for him already. The smash
er flung the bag up against the wall
savagely, and then threw it on the
floor and stamped on it, and jumped
up and down on it, as usual. AT about
the fourth jump firing began along
the whole line. FOrty-siX revolvers
went off in rapid succession, distribut-
ing bullets around the car with dis
gushing carelessness of the legs of the
smasher, who was shot in six places
before he could get out of the car. He
rode upon the platform during the
whole of that trip and when he did
enter the car he encased his legs in
stove-pipe, and ran an iron-clad snow
plow in front of him to push the bag.
gage out with. He smashes, perhaps,
| fewer carpet-bags now than he once
did in the blissful past-much fewer
and he is filled with gloom. The on
" boon he Graves is that he may bf
present when the carpet-bag owner
calls with his check. He says there
will then be a conflict which viii


make the FrancO-German war appeal
perfectly ridiculous.
Year: 1873

Choirs are not only very costly. bui
are skittish things to handle Tbara


Is usually row in the choir abOut
four times a year, and each lasts sb0Ut


2s long as the seasons. LOretz il fhe


greSt Orsanist and composer Of this


region. He Is q Wiry, nervous and
sensitive creature, and is full Of music


as some people are Of electricity. You


can't tOucl. him without sparks fiy-


ing of in all directions. He has had


the lead Of the music for some time at


st. AIMS. His music has been very


celebrated, and on festive occasions if


would have required q good sized park


TO hold all the people who wanted 10


get IN. The rector has been very ieaI-


OusI from time to time, Of the draw


ing qualities Of the organ end of the
church. To carry oct his purposes


Mr.. LoretZ wanted to Introduce info


the church the ''harp, flute, sackbut.
violin" and other instruments used
on the Plain Of Dura. The rector. who
10 rather pOmpOus and OpIniOnated.
entered decided protest against the
Introduction of these vain and world
ly instruments of music. After the
services were opened, came the grand
musical performance. First came q
beautiful flute solo. The indignant
rector then heard the distinct twang
of the prohibited harp. The shriek-
ing violin rode on the top wave and
could not be drowned even by the
deep notes of the pedal bass. Word
was Instantly sent to the defiant or
ganist to turn out the prohibited in
struments at once. The answer was
sent back: "There is nothing here to
turn out but the organ. There is no
harp, flute or violin i'm the building.'i
And the music held on its way. The
rector was not only indignant that his
wishes were not complied with, but
felt that the Organist was lying about
the matter. Couldn't he hear with
his own ears The vestry was sent
up to investigate the matter, and it
was found that the Organist was i'm
on the organ itself, and do
ing it so naturally that any man
would have been willing to have tax
en- his oath that ths prohibited Instru-
ments were doing their work. The
feelings Of tho rector, when he learned
the situation, could not be expressed.
-NcW York Correspondence Of Boston
JOllraCL
Year: 1873

It appears that with the enforce.
ment of the Lottery law, the patron
iZing public will be compelled to fore
go the luxury Of that interesting arti.
Gle of commercial renOwn, known as
the Prize Package. The travelling
community will sustain a severe loss
and the weary emigrant must pursue
his mOnOtOnOus journey, without the
occasional, refreshing opportunity Il
/ invest a half dollar in a few cents
worth Of stale candy and a brass ring
When this traffic is suppressed, the
/ inventor of those enticing traps must
be rewarded with a cOnsulship to some
cannibal island.
Year: 1873

A lawyer in Nevada had as a client
a man accused Of murder, the prinei.
pal person who could testify in his IA
vOr was his wife, but her relation tC
the prisoner barred her testimony
So the lawyer got the trial postponed
applied for a divorce in behalf Of the
wife, secured it, and then triumphant.
ly placed her on the witness stand
and secured the acquittal Of her nus.
band.
Year: 1873

An Illinois correspondent of the
Country Gentleman, who usually puts
his statements in a very positive
form, says ''the suggestion that we
have OverdOne the business Of deep
plOwing has been accepted to a sur
prising extent in the West. 1t is be-
ginning to be understood that the ac-
tive powers and forces which stimu-
late and promote vegetable growth
are confined to the surface and to a
very few inches below it There are
those who claim that If the soil can be
stirred without being inverted, and
cultivated and kept clean, so much
the better. However, the exigeneies OF
cultivation require that the soil should
be turned over; but three inches Is
better than four, while five inches or
six or seven, so buries the plant food
as to nearly ruin the land. In these
remarks / confine myself 10 sush ex-
periences as have been had with Oul
prairie Soils"
Year: 1873

Better to wear a calico dress with
out trimming, if it be paid for, than
owe the shOpkeeper for the most ele-
CANT silk, cut and trimmed in the
most bewitching manner.


Better to live in q log cabin, all
your O@n, than a brown stone man
sion belonging TO somebody else.


Better walk forever than run in
debt for horse aud carriage.


Better to use the old eane-seated
chairs and faded three-ply carpet,
than tremble at the bills sent home
from the uphOlsterer's for the most ele-
CANT parlor set ever made.


Better to pay the street Organ-grind-
er two cents for music, If you must
have it, than owe for a grand piano.


Better TO gaze upon bare walls than
pictures unpaid for.


Better to eat thin soup from earth
en-ware, IL you owe your butcher
nothing, than dine of lamb and roast
beef, and know that it does not be-
long to you.
Year: 1873

He met Miss Kitty at ball. After
talking about the balloon ascension,
the weather and other things, he said
rather abruptly, "Where is your moth
er % "Oh," said the sweet damsel,
aI have left her at home. generally
do when I go to a ball. What is home
without a mother ,"
Year: 1873

A farmer makes no greater mistake
than in suppOsing he must be wealthy
to have a nice lawn in front Of the
house planted with flowers and ever
greens nor that he cannot have pear
trees and grapes and abundance Of
small fruit.
Year: 1873

At a spirit meeting the other night
a gentleman requested the medium to
ask what amusements were most pop
uIar in the spirit world. The reply
was Reading Of obituary notices." A
Norfolk paper contains the obituary
of a gentleman in that city and con-
cludes it with the following words
Since writing the above We are graft
fed in being able to state that he is
not yet dead, but he is very low and
mot expected to survive"
Year: 1873

As it use 10 be and as it is now


You know her. She lives on your
street. Her features are either pinch
ed or full of frowsy. Her dress is


wet, i'll fitting and of no particular
pattern; her slippers are broken down;


her voice is either schrill or coarse


You have seen her stand out in the


back yard, and put bare arm up TO
her eyes, and under it peer out to the
fence or barn, where man in an ILL.,
citing coat is searching for something,
and have heard her shout, John |,
can't George bring me some water ~
And have you heard him cry, "If be
don't get that water III take every
inch Of flesh of his bones And
when you looked at her again does it
seem possible that those angry eyes
have dropped in maidenly reserve, or
raised in coquetish light to the face o.
the man in the ill-ftting coatg Can
you, by any possible wrench Of the
Imagination, corrective of his tenderly
passing peppermints to her; of his
taking that hand in his and bashfully
squeezing it? But it was so. Many
a "God bless you." has been uttered
above that bare head, many a kiss
pressed on that uncombed hair. The
tightly compressed lips have lovingly
framed tender invitations TO him to
take another bite of cake and pickle.
The hands that are now parboiled
and blistered, and marked with scars
from the bread knife and scratches
from the last setting hen, were once
twined lovingly about his neck, and
the nose, which is now peaked and
red, and looks as if it would stand on
its bind legs and scream with rage.
once followed the figures of his new
vest pattern or bore heavily against
his jugular vein As little probable
as this seems TO you, it seems less to
her. She has forgotten it. She won't
hear it talked of by others Two
lovers are TO her "a psrsel of fools. 7"
And-but George is rubbing his head
and we turn aside while our heroine
re-adjusts her slipper.--Danbary
Nelcs
Year: 1873

A Mr.. Peck had long entertained the
idea that he could invent self-acting


sewing-machine, and he did. He pro


cured steel ribbon spring about twenty


feet long, and of sufficient power to run
horse car This he rugged on his
wife's sewing machine with II lot of
clockwork, and it appeared to him,
when he finished the job that evening,
that he had realized his hopes. If any
sewing machine ever would go that one
would, so he wound it up ready for use
in the morning, and went to bed. AT
At four o'clock Mrs. Peck aroused him
and told him to listen to the burglars in
the house. He listened and heard II
most terrific racket in the sitting-room.
1t appeared to him that there must be
million burglars refreshing themselves
with a prize-fght. SO he loaded his
gun, crept softly over, and peeped
through crack in the door. 1t was not
barelars, it was Mrs. Peck's sewing


machine. The peg had slipped out and
that spring was having full play. 1t
would rear the machine up on one end
and charge it three or four times like n
battering-ram against the glass front of
the book case then it would wheel
around and suddenly tear across the
room, and butt up against the mantel-
piece, and it would lie down and roll
over the floor, and hammer the sofa,
tear up the carpet, and boost the center
table and try and jam hole through
the wall, and then endeavor to leap up
on the chandelier. Then as Peck en-.
tered the room, it flew at him, and tore
in and out between his legs, the wheel
revolving like Lightning all the time,
and the spring gradually unwinding.
And then Peck rctrcated and the family
all got up and got mattress OIL the


he'd. with which they covered the ma


chime. and sat on it for while, but


finally pushed it out of the window into
Year: 1873

One of the most frequent errors we


all make in life is the valuing the thing


according to the difficulty of obtaining
it, and this error is universal We do


not believe anybody is free from it.


No doubt the desire of overcoming a
difficulty was implanted in the human


breast fer very good reasons, but we


have carried this desire to an extreme,


and it mostly renders us blind as to the


real value Of the object we pursue. In


love, for instance, the easiest conquest


is the best. We know that this is q
very daring remark, but We are pur-
suaded that it is true one. The love
which soonest responds to love, even
what we call love at first sight, is the
surest love, and for this reason, that it
does not depend upon any one merit or
quality, but embraces in its view the
whole being. That is the love which is
likely to last, incomprehensible, unde-
Unable, unarguable about. But this
love often fails to satisfy man or woman,
and he or she pursues that which is
difficult to obtain, but which, from that


very circumstance, is not the best for
him or her. The same thing occurs in
friendship. The friends that are the


easiest made are the best friends and


the most lasting. But often an i'll


conditioned or even a cantankerous
man offers some attraction, by reason of
difficulty to other men to gain his friend
ship. After much effort, what friend
ship this man can give is perhaps gained,
and is ultimately found out to be worth
but little. As an additional argument
for not being led away by the difficulty
of the pursuit, let us remember how
very short life is. In material things
the folly of pursuing them eagerly.
merely because the pursuit is difficult,
is very apparent. A man will seek af-
ter some almost hopeless honor, or
some station in society which he never
Year: 1873

ENJOYMENT OF LIFE.-It is singular
to what an extent people believe hap
pincss depends on not being obliged to
work. Girls are considered wcll-mar-
ried if their husbands are wealthy, and
boys well-provided for if enough can be
left for them for support, and enough
surplus left for them to play business
with. Bosh Honest, hearty, contented
labor is the only source of happiness,
as well as a guarantee of life. The
gloom of misanthropy is not only a
great destroyer of the happiness VIC
might have, but it tends to destroy life
itself. Idleness and luxury produce
premature decay much faster than many
trades regarded as the most exhaustive
and fatal to longevity. Labor, in gen.
eral, instead of shortening the term of
life, actually increases it. 1t is the
lack of occupation that actually de-
stroys so many of the wealthy, who
have nothing to do but Play the part
of drones, and, like them, make a
speedy exit, while the busy bee fills out
its day Of usefulnes and honor.
Year: 1873

Language was long ago declared to be


the image of the soul. For truth and


beauty nothing can surpass this def


milton. There are arts that can catch


and detain the image of the face, and


upon the physical features we may look


with the eye and perceive the existing


beauty; but the soul is invisible III,


tangible, inaudiblc. Through the gate


of music only small fragment of the


spirit may be seen. Something of its


pensiveness or delicacy might be in


ferred, but reading the human soul by
its music alone would be the study of
cOlors in dim cavern, or of mankind
by limiting your research to the small
est habitable island in the South sea.


Wonderfully beautiful and powerful as
music is, it is astonishing how little of
the soul can be learned by its medi-
alton. When Beethoven calls 8 sym
phony PASTORAL" it is almost i'm
possible for us to distinguish the trip
out of the city from the dance in the
field, and the dance from the storm com
ing up in tho valley. 1t is not other
wise with all the other fine arts They
afford only glimpses of broad world
such as is enjoyed by the English mi
ners, who, from the bottom of IL shaft,
look up and see only n piece Of blue
sky, no larger than carriage wheel
Oh, what poor spectacle compared
with that great sweep of light and
shadow, peace and storm, granted the
heart which, from some old mountain,
overlooks a vast horizon Compared with
all the arts, language alone is worthy of
being called the image of the soul "
Out of this ivory gate march in beautl-
full procession the attributes of the
spirit. Ambition, patriotism, friend
ship, love, religion-all memory, all
hope, all sorrow, all disappointment,
all genius, all judgment, all sence of
honor and justice--emergo through
this portal of speech; and, with II
magnificense surprising the triumphal
pageants OF Caesars, the souls vast
army flies before us, no longer invisible,
but in the fields of light. What should
we know of the morals or love of the
Nazarenc, what of the wisdom of New
ton or Bacon, what of the soul of
Dante, of the moral beauty of Bea-
trice, what of the poetic nature of
what indeed of man or
God, if only music rolled its melody |
around us, or painting unveiled its pic
lures All arts are as nothing com
pared with the divine gift of language
1t is true creation and development
and visible unfoulding of the soul.
Our histories, our poems, our philos
ophies, our laws, our morals, are pho
tographs of souls truthful to an ex
treme degree, ind outlasting the souls
casket of dust. -DaUM SUing.
Year: 1873

Eltor AJJcrille Press end Banner:


In my reflections lately, I have


come to the conclusion that "thing:


are not equal' in this world Of


ours. When God made man He


made him a farmer. There was


not a preacher, lawyer, doctor OF


merchant in existence; but some.


how or other the top rail has got to


the bottom. My present object is


to inquire what has brought this


state Of things about-for no one


will deny that all other professions


arc necessary evils, for if evil had


not entered into the world, there


would have been no necessity for
preachers and doctors. If men
would only act right, lawyers would


be superfuity; and the merchant


makes his living by pandering to
fashions which did not exist in the
times Of the patriarchs, for then
the clothing was made at home,
and when visitors came, we read
that old Abraham would kill O kid
and dress it for bis questionable
wife Sarah to cook and serve up.


1t is a principle in philosophy,
that every effect must have had a
cause. Therefore, there must have
been some cause why the noblest
style OF man has been thrown from
his position, and made to occupy
the "lowest room." This thing
ought not 60 to be, and the tillers
of the soil should rise in their
might and claim their birthright.
That young man, because he can
stand behind a counter, with
broad-cloth suit on, a pen behind
bis ear, and a yard-stick in his
hand, should imagine that he is a
superior being TO one who, with
brawny arms, and coat of, bravely
shoulders the axe, and makes
an honest living Ly the sweat of his
brow, is the greatest delusion Of
the age. For, while the one mere
ly transfers goods from one point
to another, the other is producer,
bringing things into existence
which did not exist before, The
one by selling yard Of cloth for
fifty cents for which he paid twenty
five cents, benefits himself; but the
other, by "dressing the earth and
keeping it," causing "two blades Of
grass to grow where one grew be-
FORE" not only benefits himself, but
is a benefactor to his country, all
ornament to his race, and a glori-
fer to his God, Brother farmers,
the position taken above cannot be
contradicted for it is as firm as.the
everlasting hills, and as true as
holy writ, for the good book says
that Seven the king is fed by the
field"


The question then arises, how
are we to regain our lost position?
1 would say, first, by exercising the
talents which God has given us.
Study, think, and read the papers.
both agricultural and political.
Mind is superior to matter, and the
man who sits in the shade all the
summer, while you are working in
the sun, knows that he will get the
benefit of your toll. The eagle
who sits perched in the top of some
distant tree, watching the fish
hawk at his labors, is not to be-
blamed for finding out an easier
way Of getting fish than working,
but the hawk should see to it that
he himself is benefited by his Ia
bors. The farmer, in the spring
and summer when the merchant
arms him and persuades him to
buy his goods by offering him all
corts Of Inducements feels very diff.
Year: 1873

A very prudent man in Danbury
provides himself with an extra hat
for the month of November. He
carries it in his coat tail pocket,
and when the wind lifts the one
from his head he straightway jams
on the other, and then puts after
the first, and thus not only saves
much chatting from the. unregener-
ate, but actually gets credit ,as a
philanthropist, the general impress
sion being that he is in pursuit of
somebody else's hat.
Year: 1873

To PICKLE SWEET AppLEs.-To
one peck Of apples make q syrup
of four pounds of sugar and one
quart of vinegar. Boil the apples
in the syrup until tender, and then
take them out and save that sauce.
Put the apples in a jar; boil five
pounds Of sugar and one quart of
vinegar with some cinnamon and
cloves twenty-five minutes, and
pour it hot over the apples. The
pickle.is delicious,