smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

'luO . bhl


Our ancestry in England and Scotland
have observed some very funny customs
within the last three centuries At one time
valentines were fashionable among the no.
biity, and, while still selected by lot, it be-
came the duty of gentleman to give to the
lady who fell to his lot handsome present.
Pieces Of jcwclry costing thousands of dol
lars were not unusual, though smaller
things as gloves, were more common.


A gossipy old gentleman named Pepys,
whose private diary has come to afford great
interest and amusement to our times, tells
how he sent his wife silk stockings and gar
tiers for her valentine. And one year.. he
saws, his own wife chanced to be his valen-
tine, and grumbles that it will cost him five
pounds.


There is tradition among the country
people that every bird chose its mate on
Valentines day and at one time it was the
custom for young folks to go out before day
light ON that morning and try to catch an
owl and two sparrows in net If they
succeeded, it was a good omen and entitled
them to gifts from the villagers. Another
fashion among them was to write the valen-
tine, tie it to an apple or orange and steal
up to the house Of the chosen one in the
evening, open the door quietly and throw it
in.


The droliest valentine ever heard of be-
longs to those old times in England, and
consisted Of the rib of small animal wrap
ped in white satin ribbon, which was tied in
true lovers knots in several places. This
elegant and suggestive gift was sent to a
bachelor, and accompanied with these lines


go contemplate this lovely s!gnl


Haste thee away 10 Reasons shrine,


And listen to her voice;


No more illusve shades pursue,


To happiness this gives the clue,


Make but prudent choice.


So far it is uncertain whether or not the
lines refer to the pleasures of eating, suggest
ed Ito modern minds) by a rib. But they
go on to explain:


"Til Adam had partner given,


Much as fair Eden bloomed like heaven,


His bliss was incomplete;


No social friend these joys to share.


Gave the gay scene vacant air;


She came-twas all replete"
which leaves nothing to be desired, I am
sure.


Those were the days of charms, and of
course the rural maidens had sure and in.
fallible charm foretelling the future husband
On the eve of st. Valentines day the anx-
ious damsel prepared for sleep by pinning
to her pillow five bay leaves, one at each
corner and one in the middle (which must
have been delightful to sleep on, by the
way). If she dreamed of her sweetheart,
she was sure to marry him before the end of
the year.


But to make it dead sure" thing, the
candidate for matrimony must boil an egg
hard, take out the yolk, and fill its place
with salt. Just before going to bed she
must eat egg, salt, shell and all, and neither
speak nor drink after it. If that wouldn't
insure her vivid dream, there surely could
be no virtue in charms st. Nicholas for Feb
ruary.
Year: 1876

The greatest mistake that farmer can
make, is to allow his manure to remain ex-
posed to the air and water, under the caves
of his barn. instead of being securely placed
under cover, and then kept from the action
of the weather. A covering over the ma
nure heap is easy to build, and any farmer
can do it. The amount of money to be paid
out for material will not amount to much.
and will be returned in the increased worth
of his manure.
Year: 1876

A worthy wife Of forty years standing,
and whose life was not made up of sun.
shine and peace, gave the following sen.
sible and impressive advice to a married
pair Of her acquaintance. The advice is
so good and 50 well suited to all married
people, as well as those who intend enter.
ing that state, that we here publish it ioT
the benefit Of such persons:


Pcrscvere sacredly in the privaccs Of
your own house, your married state and
your heart. Let no father or mother,
sister, or brother, ever presume to come
between you two, or to share the joys
and the sorrows that belong to you two
alone. With Gods help build your own
quiet world, not allowing your dearest
earthly friend to be the confident Of aughI
that concerns your domestic peace. Let
moments of alienation, il they occur, be
healed at once. Never, no never, speak
of it outside; but to each other confess
and all will come out night. Never let
the morrow's sun still find you at vari'
ance Review and renew your vow;N
will do you good, and thereby your souls
will grow together, cemented in that
love which is stronger than death, and
you will become truly one"
Year: 1876

A family named Smith has recently
moved to Germantown, and Mr. Browns
boy, on Saturday, leaned over the fence
and gave to our reporter his impression
of Mr.. Smiths boy, n lad about fourteen
years old


.. Yes, me and him are right well ac-
quaintcd now. lie knows morn | do,
and he's had more experience. Bill says
his father used to be u rObbcr (Smith 10y
the way, is n deacon in the Prcsby ytcrian
church, and very excellent lawyer, and
that he has ten million dollars in gold
buried in his cellar, along with whole
lot Of human bones Of people he's killed.
And he says his father is IL conjurcr, and
that he makes all the earthquakes that
happen anywhere in the world. The
old man will come home Mt night, after
there's been an earthquake, nll coverod
with sweat, and so tired he can hardly
stand. Bill says it's such hard work.
And Bill told me that once, when man
came around there trying to sell light
ming rods, his father got mad and ct, ct
him right up and he takes bites out Of
everybody he comes acrost.


That's what Bill tells me. That's
all know about it. And he told me
that he once used to have dog, one of
those little kind of dogs, and he was fly
ing his kite, and just for tun he tied the
kite string to the dogs tail. And then
the wind struck her, and his dog went
II bommin' down the street, with hind
legs in the air, for about mile, when
the kite all of a sudden began to 90 up,
and in about minute the dog was tif
teen miles higlr and commanded view
of California and Egypt and Oshkosh, l
think Bill said. lie came down, anyhow,
| know, in Brazil and Bill said he
swum home all the way in the Atlantic
ocean; and when he landed his legs
were all nibbcd off by sharks. | wish
father would buy me dog, SOS could
send him up in that way. But I never
had no luck. Bill said that where they
used to live he went out on the root one
day to fly his kite, and he sat on top of
the chimbly to give her plenty Of room,
and while he was sitting there thinking
about nothing, the old man put keg OF
powder in the fireplace to clean the SCOT
out Of the chimbly, and when he touched
her off Bill was thrown over against the
BPtist church steeple, and he landed on
the wcathercock with his pants torn, and
they couldn' git him down for three
days, so he hung there, going round and
round with the wind, and she lived by
eating crows that came and sat on him,
because they thought he was made of
sheet iron and put there on purpose.


" He's more fun than enough. lie
was telling me about sausage stuffer
his brother invented. 1t was kinker
machine that worked with treadler and
Bill said the way they did in the fall
was to fix it on the hogs back, and con-
meet the treadle with string, and the
hog'd work the treadle, and keep on run.
ming it up and down until the machine
cut the hog up fine and showed the meat
into the skins. Bill SAID his brother
Year: 1876

The following amusing incident IN the
life of an Italian Padre is related by
Bishop Ferrette in his Boston lecture
The worthy Bishop was pleading for alb
solutc religious liberty, with his usual
elooucnce, relating, by way of illustra-
ton. his individual experience, when the
Jealous Padre burst in upon him with
the following religious philippe:


Religious liberty nonsense! ReIig'
ious liberty for minors what a more
complete subversion OF all the principles
on which the State, the Church, and the
family rest Such principle will make
of every nation nation Of Protestants
ana mndels. you have shown, and l
grant, that the denial of religious liberty
in general, or with regard to minors in
particular may, in some instances, hap
pen to work in manner in which the
Catholic Church deprccates. 1t may be
used here and there to enforce intidelity
and Professionalism against Catholicism.
1t has been used in the Roman Empire
prior to Constantine, in England under
Elizabeth and Cromwell but then what
does this prove That every society
which, however bad or hcretical it may
be, from a Protestant synod to band OF
brigands has at all in itself the condi-
tions of existence, initiates the Catholic
Church in holding with her, partly at
least, those fundamental principles with
out which no society could for moment
exist. Among those principles is that of
social resistance to the claim laid by in
dividuals to the right Of deciding for
themselves what is reigiously, or polite
ally, or morally right or wrong, and car
rying their views into practice. A Pro-
tcstant power which persecutcs Catho.
lies does thing we must condemn when
we Judge it morally, tor 1t is o sin. But
when we rise to the height of those prin-
Ciples on which the balance of the uni
verse rests, we cease to see in those cruel
freaks Of a Protestant dCspot anything
else than the wrong application ota right
principle; and if, Of the principle of APP
pIicatiOn, the one must unhappily be
wrong, say let, by all means, the right
principle be maintained, and the applica-
tion Oe what it may. The right princi.
pie, maintained bp protestants during
the inteTeGnum of Catholic authority
will be found intact by the Catholic
Church on her return, and be, from the
first day, used by her us Il valuable means
Of government. You gave to me your
experience as a boy, and l will give you
mine, which is somewhat different"


Attcr giving vent to the above, the
lanatical Padre relates the following as
the means by which he became a theolo-
gian and desciple of the holy Catholic
Church


One day, years ago, when our Italy
began to be overrun by Protestant ennis
saries not SO bold or so numerous as to.
Year: 1876

A little plant was given to sick girl
In trying to take care Of it the family
made changes in their way of living
First, they cleaned the window that more
light might come in to its leaves then
when not to cold, they wo ID open tue
window so that fresh air might help the
plant to grow. Next, the clean window
made the rest Of the room look so untidy
that they used to wash the floor AMI
walls and arrange the furniture nor
neatly This led the father of the fam
lily to mend u broken chnir or two, wIil'il
kept him at home several evenings. ~
ter the work WAS done, he staid at honlN
instead OF spending his leisure at ta,
ern, and the money thus saved went "
buy comforts for them ALL And then %
the home grew attractive, the whole tap,
lily loved it and each other better thup
ever before, and grew healthier and nag
pier with their flowers. Thus the lit~
plant brought real as well as u phv
ical blessing.
Year: 1876

Y North Carolina exchange tells of a
man living in Wilson, that State, fifty
four years OF age, who never owed a cent
in his life, and, as the records will show,
was the first man TO pay his taxes.
Though blacksmith and pIow-maker by
trade, he cuts and makes his own cloth
ing; and when engaged at this work if
there is call at the shop, his wife goes
to the anvil and will shoe horse, brace a
plow, upset an AK, or perform any other
jobs in the line with as much skill as
her husband.


Wink ut small injuries rather than
ayenge them. II to destroy single bee
you throw down the hive, instead of one
enemy, you make a thousand.


Manners easily and rapidly mature
into morals.
Year: 1876

Other States surrounding Delaware
are holding Conventions, appointing
Delegates to St. Louis, and urging
upon the Country the name Of favorite
Son as candidate for the Presidency
Why are not the Democratcy in Della
ware also moving in this matter; du
they wish their great and gifted States
man to 60 before the country at all or are
they expecting him to win the prize
solely upon his record. Sans peure Ell
Sans reproche ? Thomas F. Bayard
would honor the Presidential chair and
do much during an official term to wipe
off the stain resting upon our honor as
a nation, caused b. the corrupt admin
istration of Mr.. Grant. and the Della
warean who would not feel proud to see
him adorning the highest post of honor
under our Government cannot be to
the manor born hence without State
pride Gentlemen of the Democratic
State Executive committee, call Con-
vention. before the people get engaged
in their farm work. appoint suitable
delegates to St Louis. organize Bayard
Clubs in every Hundred in the State,
and let each club send an especial dele
gate to St. Louis as lay members to
aid our six in contending for Bayard
and Reform. W.
Year: 1876

RreHr has at last obtained triumph
over Might. The infamous Enforce
ment Acts, passed in company with
and for the purpose Of. inforcing the
illegally adopted fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments to the Constitution, have
been declared unconstitutional by the
highest judicial tribunal of the land
Thus the appropriate Legislation
which has been styled the elimination
of Yankee hate and malice against the
South, becomes nuA and void, and can
no longer be executed. Were the Con-
stitutioual amendments under which
these acts were passed subjected to the
same judicial test. it is more than pro-
bable that they would meet with the
same result as did the enforcement
Acts.
Year: 1876

EXIT AMEs.-To escape impeachment
by the Legislature, Adelbert Ames. the
loyal carpet-bag Governor of Missis-
sippi. has initiated the example OF
Secretary Belknap and resigned biz
Office. This leaves the State in tb.
hands Of the white men of the State


This the Wilmington Commercial pro-
fesses to regard as pretty sure sign
that Mississippi will 60 Democratic at
the next election. We think our CO.
temporary is about right. Placed in q
position which give them no special
advantage from control of the State
government, the Republicans stand but
small chance Of carrying Southern
State. But the Commercial ought not
to regret that Ames has been ousted


As friend to good government ana Of
the rights of the people it ought to re-
joice that the people Of Mississippi have
succeeded in getting rid Of him. Ames
is nothing more, nor less, than polit-
ical adventurer like hosts of others Of
similar character, he went South at the
end Of the war, seeking what be might
devour, and, and aided by the patron
age Of the Federal government. be sue
ceeded in ingratiatiDg himself into the
favor Of the negroes, and thus
got himself elected to the governor
ship Of the State. How he conducted
himself in his Office. and how he abused
the trust imposed in him, is we'll known


So we'll known, indeed, that he did not
think it worth while to await the issue
of the impending trial, but virtually
plead guilty by reaigniDg bis position.
Year: 1876

The Executive Committee of the New
York State Central Democratic Green
back Convention has issued call for a
St.te Convention to be held in New.
York. on June l. to elect delegates to
the National Democratic Convention.
Year: 1876

After we had held the edge of the
woods for two hours, says an old soldier,
relating some incidents of battles, and
when the space between our line and
that of the enemy fairly smoked and
famed with the fury of the fight, the
cry arose that we were getting out of
cartridges. Some full wooden boxes
were brought up, and such was the
haste of the mon to get them that they
took up the boxes and dashed them
bodily against the trees, splintering
them to pieces, and making the cart
ridges at once available.


About the same time 1 saw one of our
sergeants hit in the hip with bullet.
He had just finished loading his musket,
and he declared he would not leave the
field until he had returned the shot.
Supported by two soldiers, he carefully
sighted and fired, and then was helped
to the rear. He died from the effects of
his wound.


Much has been written of the "line of
battle" and here again the popular idea
is at fault. It would, no doubt, be
much prettier for troops in action to
preserve a regular formation, with ranks
well aligned and each rear-rank man ex-
actly behind his file leader, and I re.
member that in the early days of the
war the illustrated papers were accus-
toned to represent battles in this way.
But this is not in the least in accord with
the truth. In the toll of the fight, with
the rapid loading and firing, and the fre,
quent dropping Of men dead or wound.
ed, the line is destroyed, the ranks often
become mingled together, and the com.
pany becomes an irregular squad OF
knot of men, of whom half will be on
the ground or firing from the knee.
Year: 1876

A fashionable girl says: What are
called poke bonnets are most popular at
present with young ladies. These are
slender shapes worn OH the back of the
head, and extending high above it. In
stead of having aaring brims, they are
close on the sides, and the whole top of
the head is left uncovered. These shapes
in cream colored felt, or in velvet to
match costumes, are used for dress hats.
They are trimmed with soft silk and two
nodding demi-plumes. An ornament of
gold or of silver is seen on many hand
some velvet hats, yet most milliners use
such decorations with care. A bird g
wing stuck in tho face trimming is
also popular fancy with stylish young
ladies.


The last importaticns are capote bon
nets, shaped like babies bonnets, with
ont a frame, and with cape and soft
crowns that can be crushed without in
jury. The front frames the face, and is
tied under the chin, like the old-time
cottage bonnets-a warm and comfort
able fashion that we predict will become
popular next winter after the poke-bon-
nets now worn have exposed the head of
the wearer and brought on neuralgia
and other ailments. A pretty capote of
brown silk, with crown and cape in one
piece, has brown o trich ruche for face
trimming, and damask rose. A long
scarf of ecru lace passes over the
top, and serves for strings to tie under
the chin.


The Italian Brigand is the name given
new round hat of black velvet, or of
velvet made with high pointed crown
and wide brim turned down. A scarf of
scarlet silk, with gold bands in the end,
is twisted round the crown, and an odd
little aigrette of game feathers is stuck
in the back.
Year: 1876

Believe me, when tell thee, darling,
That my heart is warm and true;
And the years have only brought up
Hope and love combined with you.
Bitter memory wakes the sorrow


That has slumbered many years;
But the daylight hour is nearing


When we meet in smiles and tears.
The world may scofr aud turn coldly
On my track DER land or sea,
Yet I'll bear the blow more bravely


II it leads to love and thee.
Lonely hours and fading pleasures


Fill the mind with days gone by,
When we kissed our little treasures,
Parting sadly; you and I.
Fate and fortune ever battling


In the ranks Of bounding life.
Down to-day and up tomorrow
I Is the lesson Of the strife.
Loving hearts must never falter;


Hoping onward to the last
Breast the storm without murmur;
God will help when all is past.
Year: 1876

A New York paper, the Graphic, in
all sincerity puts forth the following
strange settlement of the capital pun
ishment problem. We publish it as a
curiosity simply AS there is preju-
dice against the putting to death of
persons whose neurosis crops out in
murder, a hint as to what should be
done with them might well be taken
from the insect world. When wasps
have laid their eggs they confine beetles
near them for food; but should they
kill the beetles they would be mass of
corruption by the time the eggs were
hatched, and should they leave them
fully alive, they would sprawl about and
kill the young larvae. So the wasps
wisely sting the beetles in such way as
to paralyze and render them incapable
of motion, though they still live and
are incapable of doing harm. A man
insane enough to commit a murder is
always dangerous; but as it would be
"inhuman to kill him and UNIV SO to
leave him his liberty, and, as things 60,
impossible to confine him as insane
when he has become sane, would it not
be we'll to render him permanently in
sane by processes we'll known to physi-
cians-to paralyze or reduce him to i'm
becility-when he will feel no hardship
in his confinement and humane persons
will have no reason to complain 1t is
evident that some compromise must be
brought about in the matter, and there
seems to be none better than that sug
gested by the wasps,
Year: 1876

Jennie Collins, in the Boston Tran
script, tells the following story of the
working girls of that city: On Sat
urday night, not long ago, three girls
came home with their weeks pay, and,
as the first one said, "Mother, hold your
apron" all threw their money into it.
congratulated the mother, because they
were so good. She answered: "I wish
they were bad, then it would not break
my heart to see them deny themselves
every pleasure and work like slaves"
One girl, who was out OF work and in
debt last spring, could not bear the cross
looks when she went TO the table, 30 she
in her despair wandered into street
car house, sleeping under car three
nights and sitting in an Office in the day
time. This exposure to the cutting cold
winds nearly cost her her life. When
she found something to do she dropped
on her knees and began to pray.
Year: 1876

Insanity is increasing in some of the
United States, says an exchange, in a
ratio greater than that of the popula-
ton of nearly twelve per cent. The
increase is also larger in the foreign ele-
ment than in the native born. The
causes assigned for this increase among
the American born population are "the
educational pressure upon the young to
the neglect of physical exercise, artificial
and unnatural habits of living, the ex-
element and competition of business,
and whatever causes multiply nervous
diseases, especially those by the brain,
which result in mental arrangement.