The Tang of the Jam and the Hawthorn Circle
Georgic anecdote from Hawthorne life shows Henry Bright the water color artist feasting on a jar of raspberry jam with ants. The discovery provokes shock among Hawthorne and guests while Bright praises the jam hence ignorance is bliss. Tolstoy and others react with staged wit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Julian Hawthorne
Hawthorne
Ja i Hawthorne
Liverpool
Henry Bright
England
Mrs. Hawthorne
Mr. Bright
Bible Use Aged Child Soberly Seeks Keepsake
A Boston Traveler clip tells of a child in a household asking for a Bible not for faith but to press flowers in it. The aunt questions the purpose, and the girl replies the Bible is needed for pressing flowers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston
Tolstoy and the paradox of man and moralist in life
The excerpt notes Tolstoy’s enduring tension between natural impulses and an ascetic moral code. It cites Aylmer Maude’s Life of Tolstoy and mentions Sarah Bernhardt’s Moscow visit as part of a larger discussion on wit and mental elasticity in great figures.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tolstoy
Aylmer Maude
Sarah Bernhardt
Moscow
In An Old Library
An evocative reflection on entering a venerable library where writers linger among bookish memories. The narrator imagines souls resting among leaves and moth scented shelves, breathing in the scent of aging volumes and forgotten labors.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Charles Lamb
Purifying Water by Alum Use Described
An old note explains that adding a teaspoonful of alum to four gallons of water will cause impurities to settle to the bottom, clarifying the liquid to resemble spring water. The method promises purification within a few hours.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
PT of
Pune
Saigon
Alumni National Magazine
Forbidden Waters Spark Fishermen’s Debate on Stocking
A London Mail excerpt shows a bridge confrontation over fishing rights in restricted waters. A fisherman on the bank questions the legality while a new acquaintance insists the water is stocked and costly to preserve. The dispute centers on roach versus trout and status of the water.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London Mail
Why He Resigned and a Soldier’s Nerve
A studio rumor recalls the famous academy resignation linked to an addressed letter to the leading landscape painter of America. Also told is Marshal MacMahon’s remarkable self possession during battle as a shell exploded near his tent while he dictated a letter.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Academy
America
New York
Sun
Marshal MacMahon
Foreign Ambassadors and Immunity Through History
Harper's Weekly recounts famed breaches of ambassadorial privilege from 1653 and 1661 in Britain. Pantaleon Sa of Portugal faced execution after a deadly feud with a rival. in 1661 French, Spanish, and Swedish diplomats clashed in London with many killed or wounded.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Great Britain
Pantaleon Sa
London
Tower Hill
Whitehall
Barthe
Harper’s Weekly
Friction Matches and Early American Patent Dispute
A 19th century note recalls the first practical friction matches in the United States. In 1836 L. C. Allen of Springfield produced a better design, while a French imported match required dipping in sulfuric acid. Allen did not patent first, and Alonzo Phillips, via a third party, had already secured a patent.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
United States
L. C. Allen
Springfield
France
Allen
Alonzo Phillips
Rossetti's Elephant Christmas Wager Reveals Painter’s Sale Plan
Dante Gabriel Rossetti joked to Browning that if given an elephant for Christmas he would train it to clean windows. Passersby would see the elephant and ask who lived there, leading them to learn of the painter Rossetti and, ultimately, to buy his pictures.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Inter
Browning
Young minister settles in Scottish mining kirk lodging
A new minister in a Scottish mining district secures a kirk and lodgings after much effort. On his first morning, the landlady asks if he washed, explaining she plans to make dumplings for dinner and wants the basin’s loan.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Scotland
London
A Modern Youth and a Nickel Tale
A fragment from a Boston Daily page depicts a mother reproaching her child for bad behavior after a nickel was given yesterday. The text shifts to a congested, garbled line of dialogue suggesting a struggle for worth or value and a tense domestic moment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston
Balzac Feasts After a Day of Vigil and Study
A vivid anecdote recalls Honore de Balzac's extreme work routine. After hours of writing and fasting, he and friend Verder skip work for a day in Paris. They attend a Conservatoire concert and dine at Very's, where Balzac orders a Gargantuan meal including a hundred oysters and twelve chops, astounding onlookers and recouping from prolonged fasting.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Honore de Balzac
Shakespeare
Frederick Lawton
Verder
Conservatoire
Verdet
Very’s
Paris
Rabelais
Louis XIV
Balzac
Why They Applaud Chorus A Lauded Performance
A chorus lady plays to a surprised companion as the ensemble finishes. She nudges her escort to urge an encore, noting stage managers blame performers when applause is weak rather than faulting the audience.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
The Source of Real Beauty
Orison Swett Marden argues true beauty stems from a sweet noble disposition. He says bad nature and jealousy ruin even the most beautiful face and that cosmetics, massage, or drugs cannot remove prejudice and envy born from wrong thought habits.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Orison Swett Magazine
Is there any one present who wishes the prayers of the congregation
A minister asks for prayer requests at a service and Sister Abigail volunteers to pray for a husband. The minister corrects her that she has no husband yet, but she insists she wishes to pray for one. The anecdote, attributed to Life, reflects humorous church dialogue.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Uae
Abigail
Not Exactly as He Meant in Suburban Guest Dialog
An enthusiastic suburbanite guests his domain and comforts while discussing prospects and money. The guest asserts there is money in it and claims every cent he has is borrowed for the venture.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Moses
Tolstoy
Also Mentioned on This Page
W. W. Hollingsworth & Son
THE
Store OF Quality
Balzac Was
Husband
Hitchen Mercantile Co
Wilson & Hitchen
First
Meridian
Oxfords
Nash & Finley
First National Bank
E. M.F
Flanders
Newberg, Oregon
Lowney’s
White
Oregon
Chas. K. Spaulding Log. Co
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!