smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1870

That so thahy young men fall TO procure
fail to retain them, is their own fault nine
times out Of ten. They imagine that it is
their misfortune that they do moi possess a
business turn, or do not have on aptitude
for the duties Of certain positions or that
their employers causelcssly distrust them
But if they had the courage to go to the
bottom of the matter, they would discover
that they themselves are to blame. AS a
general rule this class of shiitless youths, who
find it so hard to retain positions, are not so
anxious to secure employment as to draw a
salary they do not like to work, and they
will not take lively interest in their duties.
If they are fortunate, through their own
efforts or through the assistance of friends,
to secure satisfactory place they try only
to do just enough not to lose it. They do
not seek to make themselves indispensable in
it, with their eyes steadily fixed on a still
higher position to which they will certainly lie
promoted in due time. They do their work
languidly, and throw it off their minds the
moment business hours are over, to think of
it no more till the next day, when the task
begins again. There can be no success in
this conduct Employers are sharp eyed
and rarely fail to detect merit in those whom
they employ. If one of their assistants is
useful to them, they are not willing to do
without him they are ready to pay him
what his services are worth (; and they are
anxious for him to reach that point when they
can confde share of their own responsible
tiles and cares to his hands. The secret of
success to young men lies in the homely
virtues of diligence, industry, vigilance and
honesty. With these attributes, even when
not reinforced by native talent and education,
no Young man need fail Of constant and
lucrative employment. They are the essen
tials to his employers confidence and friend
ship. They are valuable properties in any
business, and are as certain to command
good salary as prime wheat is to bring a good
price. Those young men who possess them
succeed those who do not possess them
fail.
Year: 1870

The TRUE IDEA OF NovEL.-Novels are
pictures of life, and have artistcally no more
to do with ethics than the canvasses upon my
walls. We want color, vitality, movement,
drama, in our novels we read them that we
may put ourselves into shapes other than
our own; the heroism, valor, sentiment, life.
are all ours, reflected in the page before u.s.
We do not ask nor seek for homlies; we ask
merely for photograph of life in its exact
tint and form. The novel in short, should
be always dramatic, never didactic. If it
preach ii is an abomination. We might
just as well look for a wise maxim pinned to
Niagara, as for moral clapped to the pages
of a novel.
Year: 1870

The Marysvle Appeal is responsible for
this story Rather an amusing joke was
practiced yesterday on one of the Committee
of Ladies appointed to examine honey and
other sweets, and award premiums. Some
practical joker procured a honey jar and
filed it with DR.. Me- daniels castor oil, and
labeled it g honey" The jar was nicely
fixed and set among numerous honey samples.
When the Committee came along this nice
looking jar Immediately attracted her atten-
ton, and she proceeded 30 sample it. Hold
ing i'll one hand an immense tablespoon, she
poured out the contents of tile jar, the clear
amber color Of which cxcited favorable
remark, and it was declared as fine looking
honey as there was in the pavilion Having
filed her large spoon, with mouth watering
for the delicious sweet, and eyes sparkling
in joyous anticipation, she threw her head
back, opened widely her mouth, thrust in
the spoon and swallowed the contents at a
gulp. But her pleasant expression of coun-
tenance was Immediately exceeded by symp-
toms of horror and disgust, and the laughter
Of The joker, who witnessed the success of
the trick, soon led to an exposition of the
fraud
Year: 1870

The BISHOP AND THE WIDOW. w hen Bis
hop Leighton was one day lost in meditation
in his own seqaestered walk, at Dumblane,
fair young widow came UP to him, and
told him it was ordered that he should mar
ry her; for she had dreamed thrice that she
was married to him.. every well,' replied
the Bishop, whenever shall dream thrice
that lam married 10 you, will let YOU know
and we will be married Immediately. "
Year: 1870

"What!" l cried out alond, forgetting th
third person at the window. THAT MAJ
who brought the message"


"Hush" he said, putting his hand upol
my lips. "There was no better man to be
found, after the officers had taken me-
know no more about him than you do }
paid him well, as a chance messenger, and
risked his cheating me ofthe Grand"
! You sent him, then?'


4 II sent him."


My story is over, gentlemen. There is no
need for me to tell you that Mr. Fauntlerov
was found guilty and that he died by the
hangman's hand. 1t was in my power to
soothe his last moments in this world by
taking on myself the arrangement of some
of his private affairs, which, while they re-
manned unsettled, weighed heavily on his
mind They had no connection with the
crime he had committed, so | could do him
the last little service he was ever to accept
at my hands with q good heart and a clear
conscience.


say nothing in defence of his character
nothing in palliation OF the offence for which
he suffered. But | cannot forget that in the
time Of his most fearful extremity, when the
strong arm of the law had already seized
him, he thought of the young man whose
humble fortunes he helped to build whose
heartfelt gratitude he had fairly won; whose
simple faith he resolved never to betray.
leave it to greater intellects than mine to re-
concile the anomaly of his reckless falsehood
toward others and his steadfast truth toward
me. II is as certain as that. we sit here that
one of Faunteroy's last efforts in this world
was the effort he made to preserve me from
being q loser by the trust that had placed
in him. There is the secret of my strange
tenderness for the memory of felon; that
is why the word villain does somehow still
CRATE on my heart when hear it ass ociated
with his name
Year: 1870

Her shawl was as sable as night,


And her gloves were as dark as her shawl;
And her jewels, that flashed in the night,


Were black as funeral pail
Her robe had the hue of the rest


(IIow nicely it fitted her shaped,
And the grief that was heaving her breast


Boiled over the pillows of Grape,
I couldn't help thinking the beauty,


In mourning the loved and the lost
Was doing her conjugal duty


Entirely regardless of cost.
Year: 1870

In constructing a new street in Paris, a
cemetery used in the days of the first revolu-
ton has been uncovered. Among other hui
man remains was found a remarkably beau
tiful head OF woman, in a wonderful state
of preservation. The fair hair still adhering g
to the skull bears the coiffure in fashion in
1894 with twisted and powdered tresses.
There is no doubt that the head belonged to
one of the victims of the revolutionary tri-
bunal, but it is singular circumstance that
the eyes are covered with black frontlet.
AS no mention is made in the chronicles of
the time of any one among those executed


being blindfolded before mounting the scaf-
fold, this discovery has given rise to much


speculation and conjecture.
Year: 1870

It Is generally known that General
Lee has always refused to receive gra-
tuities Of any kind-that just as dur
ing the war he refused to receive a
house from the city Of Richmond, and
nobly said to the Council, "If you
have benefnctions to bestow, give
them to my private soldiers, VINO are
more needy and more deserving than
myself" SO since the war, though
robbed of his patrimony, he has stead
fastly refused to receive presents that
have been offered him. His conduct
In this respect has been very striking
ly like that Of Washington.


The Board of Trustees Of the Col
lege have found It, therefore, very diff
ficult to make such provision for Gen.
eral Lee rs they have felt due alike
to him, themselves and the public.
He has declined to receive such salary
rs the board thought he ought TO have,
and they have been puzzled to know
what to do.


During his absence they had meet
ing. at which they settled upon Mrs.
Lee, for life, the house i'm which the
General now lives, and an annuity of
s., 900.


At their recent meeting the board
received letter from Gen. Lee, in
which Ton behalf Of Mrs. Lee) he very
respectfully, but firmly, declines the
proffer.


After q full consideration OF the
matter, the board have, as delicately
as possible, decided that they must
adhere to their original action-that
they cannot suffer the risk of any con-
tingency in which the family Of our
loved and honored chieftain might
suffer. They insist that this Is not q
"gratuity," but the payment OF IA very
small part OF the debt which the Col
lege, the State and the country at
large owe to the distinguished patriot
who has devoted himself SO earnestly
and so successfully to the education
Of the youth OF the land.


The board have also elected q pri-
vate secretary to the General, with u
view Of relieving him of the burden
ofletter writing and other work which
has been pressing him down. He
gets all sorts of letters from all sorts
OF people-many Of them evidently
written simply to get his autograph
and II Is designed to put q stop to this
as far rs possible. INnI
Year: 1870

In one of the northeastern counties
OF Georgia, and less than q hundred
miles from Chattanooga, Is a natural
curiosity, called from Indian tradi.
tion, the Enchanted Mountain.


The mountain Is not large, and
there Is nothing remarkable about Il
until You get on top, when human
tracks, or Impressions I'm the solid
rock which appear TO be human
tracks, are seen. W d.


How these almost human tracks
came to be impressed on the rock OF
this mountain, Is one of the many
mysteries OF this mysterious land Oi
ours. There are great many tradi-
tions among the Indians in regard to
this mountain, but none of them are
satisfactory, and 1t probably never
Will be known who it was that left
their tracks upon the summit of the
enchanted mountain. One of the In
dian traditions Is curious. for It shows
that they had vague idea of Noah's
food before the advent of the white
man. The story had been handed
down among the aboriginees that IL
was the landing place Of the great
canoe after the deluge, and the trucks
were made by the people in the canoe
as they stepped out upon the rock,
which had been made soft by the long
inundation.


One Of the tracks, and the largest
one, Is seventeen and o half inches In
length and seven and three-fourths
inches wide. Unlike the others, It
mas six toes. These must have been
Noah's tracks, and II there was any
thing In the Mosaic account of the
Hood concerning Noah's feet, we
have might a confirmation Of the
Indian tradition. The size of the track
would indicate that he wore number
eighteens.


There are 138 impressions of the feet
and hands visible on the face of the
rock. The smallest foot track Is four
Inches In length, and Of perfect shape.
Another Indian tradition Is, that n
great battle was once fought there,
and the large track, with six toes, Is
that Of the victorious commander.
This Is essentially Indian, as their
ideas OF mental greatness were cir
cumscribed by physical size. To be
great warrior, with them, was to he
of Immense size and strength. They
did not recognize the size and quality
of the brain as having anything to do
with 1t.


But who made these tracks upon
the Enchanted Mountain? If it was
human feet, then whose feet, and In
what age Of the world? If they were
chiseled out by human hands, whose
hands and when? Alas, that the
learning of the world amounts to SO
little, for no man can tell.
Year: 1870




In o recent sermon by one Of She
Presbyterian ministers In Cincinnati,
on the secular and religious press, It


was said:


We can go along without oar coffee
for breakfast better than we can with
out our paper. Not only as q vehicle
OF news Is the paper powerful; not
only because by the paper does Flora
McFlimsey do her days shopping
and the merchant his days buying,
but especially because II does the
practical thinking Of a large part of
the people. They are too indolent to
do IL for themselves, 50 they get a
man to sit up nights, state tile facts,
and draw the conclusions aud advo-
cate q theory for them, do the whole
up In a convenient package and slip
It under the front door. In half an
hour, while they sip their coffee, they
have not only learned what Is going
on In the world, hut exactly what
they ought to think, and how they
ought to feel about the mixed up bus
iness IN this sgreat rushing world of
ours. 1t Is Idle to say q newspaper
Is very ephemeral thing, or a very
unreliable thing, and that people do
not believe what In in newspapers.
It IL ephemeral only as the leaves Of
the summer are ephemeral, easily
trampled, but ever renewing and ex-
erting their influence on the face Of the
earth In all generations. The paper
you had at your table to-day is easily
thrown under the counter, but the
power II speaks Of Is one you would
not care to grapple. And rs to not
believing the papers, while there Is q
great deal of that kind Of talk, 1 be-
iieve that half Of the business COM
munity, affecting to patronize the
press, believe In it with q surrender
of faith more absolute, by far, than
they give to the Bible.


The preacher thunders on Sunday,
4" He that believes shall be saved; he
that believes not shall be damne,i,n
and II scarce makes a ripple In the
peoples life. They go home and sleep
sOundly under the terrors of the mes
sage that has been launched over
their heads. But on Monday morn.
Ing, a single line In the paper, telling
how yellow dust has gone up or fal-
len, throws every man of that placid
people into q fever. A few letters
Of type, more forcible than 81 much
powder, shoots In through the streets
as II he had been shot out Of q NOR
tar, and more quickening than SO
much electricity, makes him quiver
through all his fiesli and spirit, as he
rushed around 'change. sat5


God speed the day when, forgetting
our littlenesses, our party strifes, our
denominational Shiboleths, we shall
comprehend the breadth OF the land
Of our heritage, stretching from the
river to the sea (; when our wealth,
our enterprise, our activity, as we'll as
our faith being pledged to God, we
shall use with all enthusiasm as un-
matched as our work Ia glorious, every
element ofnature as well as every force
Of grace, for the progress Of the truth
and the redemption OF man. Then
impatient OF the feebleness Of human
breath alone, we shall use lightning
and steam to be heralds ofthe gospel,
and count foremost among agencies
for the elevation of man an elevated
secular and an enterprising religious
press, twining their banners together
FOR common advance upon the ig-
norance and the wickedness of the
world.
Year: 1870

A Boston gentleman who could not
waltz, offered a young lady one humid
red dollars II she would let him hug
her as much as the man did who had
just waltzed with her. IL was a good
offer, and showed that money was no
object 10 him but they put him out
of the house 81 hard that his eye was
quite black.
Year: 1870

There are two ways Of coming down from the
top Of church stcepe--one is to jump down.
and the other is to come down by the steps
but both will lead you to the bottom. So
also there are two ways Of going to hell: one
is to walk into it with your eyes open-few
people do that-tho other is to 20 down by
the steps Of Httle sins, and that way | fear,
is only too common. Put up with few little
sins, and you will soon want few more even
a heathcn could say who was content with
only one stu ? '--and your course will be reg
ularly worse every day. Well did Jeremy
Taylor describe the progress Of sin in man
d" First it startles him, then it becomes pleas.
ing, then easy, then delightful, then frequent,
then habitual then confirmed Then the man
is impenitent, then obstinate, and then he is
damned Reader the devil only wants to
get the wedge Of little allowed sin into
your heart, aud you will soop be all his own.
Never play with the fre-neyer triae with
little sins. - Selected
Year: 1870




When | was about ten years old, says a
wcll-known writer, "a gentleman, who had
called on my father to transact some business,
perceived that my hands were dirty, aud those
of my brother Fred in the same condition.


" My boys" said he " hate dirty fingers.
Now If yours are clean when call here again
next Tuesday, will mako you present"


" As soon as il was light on the Tuesday
morning, my brother and got up and began
to wash our hands We used more soap that
morning than we had used for a month before
and il ever cur hands were clean, they GER
tainly were then The gentleman did not
come till dinner time, so we thought it better
to have another scrubbing at our hands, aud
once more were up to our elbows in soapsuds.
The gentleman came, and after examining our
hands, he gave each Of US five new, bright ten
cent pieces, and we fancied ourselves to be as
rich as Jews


Now, my boys" said he you see it is
possible to keep your hands clean when it
answers your purpose to do So should be
ashamed Of boy who would be mean enough
to wash his hands to make money, aud not
keep them clean to make his parents and
friends comfortable. The love and good opin-
ion Of your parents and friends are worth all
the money in the world.
Year: 1870

Ono day little John came running into the
the house whore his sister Mary was sewing.
He held something in his hand which he had
found out of doors.


"'Oh sister Mary" said he, &" | have
found pretty thing. 1t is a piece of red
glass and when looked through it every.
thing looked red, too The trees, the houses,
your face, and everything is red"


Mary replied yes, it is very beautiful.
Aud !et me show you how to learn useful
lesson from it.. You remember the other
day you thought every body was cross with
you. Now, you we're like this piece of glass,
which makes everything red because it Is
red. You were cross, SO you thought every
b. dy around you was cross too II you are
in good humor and Kind to every one, all
will seem kind to you. The color of the
world around US depends much upon the
medium through which we view il aud the
same world looks very different when light
ed with the bright sunshine from what ii
does when seen in the darkness or gloom.
Year: 1870

For myself, should be thankful to return
to the habits Of our grandmothers, buy a bon
net which would do to wear ten years; have
three dresses, two for every day aud one fol
"nice, and wear them year after year till
they wear out without alteration; also twisl
up my hair in a plain wad at the back of my
head, should then have more time lol
reading and study, aud more money to spend
in books, pictures, and travelling, to say moth.
ing of the unlimited time aud money for doing
good. And know Of very many women who
would be only too happy to throw aside the
wearsome shackles Of fashion. But what
would be the result2 With the maiden, no
more beaux with the wife, cessation OF
devotion on the part Of her husband results
too dire to be contemplated for moment.
speak what know and testify what have
seen. have myself been to parties sonsbly
and economically clad, and was despised
and rejected Of men again, | have been more
fashionably and expensivcly attired aud
had more beaux than knew what to do with.
by the way, why don't some Of the wise aud
sensible bachelors court and marry among the
vast army Of working girls2 They are
dressed simply, and are accustomed to habits
Of economy. They would be glad enough Of
good homes, aud would make excellent wives.
They are personally attractive, and doubt
not, are quite as refined aud intelligent as the
average Of fashionable women. Why is there
not greater demand Tor them as wives, and
why are not the Flora Mcl'Iimseys drug in
the market2 Let the facts speak for them
selves. BE not deceived, o, my brethren
With you lies the fault; from you must come
the remedy-re refuse to pay court to silks,
panniers, lrills and chiguons, and We shall 60
over to calico in battalicns.
Year: 1870

"Oh, father she sobbed unable to con.
troll her feelings aud hid her face on hi.
breast as she spoke" if you never would 20
away


Tendorly did the father draw his arm
round his weeping child and kiss her pure
forehead.


" Mary said he, calmly as he could speak,
" for your mothers sake but he could not
finish the sentence. His voice quiverei and
became inartculato.


Solemnly in the silence Of his own heart
did the father, as he stood thus with his
child in his arms, repeat tAe vows he had al
ready taken And he kept his VOWS.


Wonderful is the power of music II is
the language Of the soul, aud speaks to it in
voice Of irresistible persuasion 1t is a
good gift from heaven, and should ever be
used in the good cause.
Year: 1870

My mother was one of those gentle, soft
spoken, quiet little women who, like oil, per-
meate every crack aud joint Of life with
smoethness. With a noseless step, an almost
shadowy movement, her hand and eye were
everywhere Her house was a miracle Of
neatness and order--her children of all ages
and sizes under her perfect control and the
accumulations Of labor Of all descriptions
which beset great family where there are
no servants, all melted away under her hands
as if by enchantment. Sh, had u divine
magic, too, that mother Of minc if it be
magic to commune daily with the SUI arnatu-
raj. She had little room all her own where
on stand always stood open the great family
Bible, and when work pressed hard aud chill
dren were untoward when sickness threaten
ed, when the skeins Of life were al crossways
aud tangled, she went quietly to that room,
and kneeling over that Bible, took hold Of a
warm, healing, invisible hand, that made the
crooked straight, and the rough places plain
Year: 1870




| have ssen an experiment ia a chemists
laboratory, when they set person on a chair
with glass feet in order to Isolate him from
the earth aud then they poured in au incrcas-
ing stream Of electricity until his frame was
full; and have seen when, if any one came
and touch his finger, the sparks would ny out
and kindle what they touched But if he
touched the earth anywhere. there would have
been no stream from him and no kindiins
it would oil have been drunk into the ground.
Now, dear friends. take such a life as vii.
liam Burns knew him from our youth up.
| know that no man, if he had tender con
science to speak Of the Christian system, could
approach that missionary withou, feeling some
fire coming from him aud kindling his own
heart but the secret lay in this, that he
was isolated, his soul c.cayed not to the
ground. He was isolated from it, and when
any one came near him be was kinded by
the sparks Of the earnest spiritual life and
soul in habitual communion with Christ, get
ting life, aud not cleaying to tho dust to let
ooze away all he had gained.
Year: 1870

--Kingslcy says If you wish to be mis-
erable, you must think about yourself; about
what you want aud what you like, what res.
pect people ought to pay you, what people
think Of you; and then to you nothing will
be pure. You will spoil everything you
touch you will make sin and misery for
yourself out of everything God sends you ;
you will be as wretched as you choose" :"
Year: 1870

FEMALE 1NFLUENcE.-How often
nave seen a company of men.
who were disposed to be riotous
checked all at once into decency
by the accidental entrance of ar
amiable woman; while her good
sense and obliging deportmen,
charmed them at least into a tenn,
porary conviction, that there il
nothing 80 beautiful as female ex.
cellence, nothing 30 delightful as
female conversation. To form the
manners OF men, nothing contrib.
utes so much as the caste of the
women they converse with. Those
who are most associated with wo
men of virtue and understanding
will te always found the mos
amiable characters. Such society
beyond everything else, rules of
the protrusions that give to many
an ungracious roughness !; it pro.
duces a polish more perfect and
more pleasing than taat which is
received from general commerce
with the world. This last is often
spacious, but commonly superb,
cial the other is the result of gent
Ter feelings and a more elegant In
manity the heart itself is mould
ed, and habits of undissembled
courtesy are formed.