Evening Star Newspaper, August 25, 1883, Page 3

ee LITERARY NOTES. WASHINGTON WINTER. By Magners Vixtos OM inconte. Bo ton’ ames Me Oagead eo whington: A. Breatan> & Zo. When the announcement éras made some time Sco that Mrs. Dahigren was engaged in writing &@ novel based on the social life of Washington, it attracted much attention. Partial friends said the theme and its master had finally met, and that, after walting so long, the world should at last have a work in every way worthy it subject. This view was somewhat liberally accepted in advance, and the appearance of the book was accordingly awaited with no little interest. It has now heen before the public for a couple of weeks; andto say that ithas fallen as nearly still- bern as anvthing of the kind well could tall, is to state the truth very mildly. A novel it is but rather a series of dissolving views, d hasty, or at least very imperfectly. is no plot, or only the faintest pos<ibie nce of one; and the characters introduced censtitute one of the qneerest jumbles possible | of well known people in transparent discuise, Imaginary personages, for whom each reader will furnish his or her own original, and not 3 in real wand dead, who bear th own proper names. Where there is no plot. the charm of a book must obviously lie in its literary style, and its interest must center about its characters, and what they do and say.—in this case In one short season; for it Is In a <le winter in Washinzton that the chief events supposed to transpire. It is a matter for regret that the literary style of “A Winter in Washington” cannot be praised; but the truth is that it is weak and amateurish in the extreme. The conversations are for the most part commonplace and stupid; careless writing is apparent eyervwhere; the most absurd anachronisms abound, and the text is marred throughout by the pendantic and un- necessary lugging in of French phrases. For the leading characters of the book there is little to be said favorably, whether the type chosen or the manner in which they are portrayed be con- sidered. They are mostly old acquaintances, with very slight variations. Hon. Bardwell Slote and Mrs. Gen. Gilflory, of the “Mighty Dollar.” Hon. Silas Ratcliffe, of “Democracy,” and other ‘heroes and heroines who figure in that sort of literary trash, pose before the reader, under other names, and play their brief and un- savory parts. Such as these dor most of the principal scenes. and give to the book its flavor. They are the forces of its seciety, and the shapers of its events. ‘The respectable peo- ple who appear mostly serve as mere supernumer- artes on tie staze, or become clay in the hands of the hungry and yulzar men and women who are a Prominently projected here as in all pic- tures of Washington tife. but who are in fact so rarely a noticeable feature in the better circles of its society. In the language of the author, she has merely “selected a few of the types’ that exist, and grouped them into one picture.” Having’ ra‘d this much, it may perhaps be urged in her be- half that antaors and artists have the privilee of selecting such characters as they please to por- tray, and that, so long as they are artistically and truthfully drawn, the world has no ground fer complaint. This is ina measure true. but not wholly so. The rule applies. furthermore, only to the portrayal of character, and cannot be ‘stretchea to cover a case where the task chosen is the i'lustration of a theme or the rep- resentation of sucial or other conditions of life in a particular place. Neither author nor artist may so group even real types or characters as to Tepresent a state of things which does not in fact exist. It is the function of art, as it should be the ambition of the true artist, to beautify, ennoble. and elevate. It Is only allowable to caricature. toe: rate defor ies. and to ob- trude the repulsive side of nature and life when a plainly apparent and laudable purpose is to be accomplished ora moral lesson is conveyed. It is not claimed for **A Washington Winter” that it has “a mission.” The author, to use her own words, “only souglit to describe ome of the social clements of Washington _ life,”— to paint a picture of its society, to give @ history of one of its winters. But why. the reading world has the rizht to ask, did she want to paint the picture she holds before its view? Are there no households in Washing- ton where virture and cuiture are found yoked toxether—where domestic happiness and con- tentment prevail—where modest and healthy desires color existence and shape destinies? Are there no men in public life who have both in- id who are not forever the y and corrupt men. and de- wed women? Are there no wives and mothers here leading pure and noble Ives, who can be central figures in modest, hap homes, and at the same time give tone and color to the world about them? Are there no circles in which the intellectual and moral an nature are taken account of, where the Slotes and the Slocombs and the Gilfries and their kind are not always the @ominant spirits? Is there no clean spot any Where in the nattonal capital? Is its moral atmosphere constituted of mephitie vapors whose strata vary only in degrees of loathsome- hess and poisonous qualities? Is its societ: nothing but a whited sepuichre, filled witht Tottenness and unclean things? Sitting by her own fireside, the author of “A Washington Winter” will scarcely pretend that the reality is so bad as this. Why, then, is she content to paint her picture in the false and weak colors she has chosen? If there is a bright side, surely the world ought to have, it not a glimpse of if, ‘at Jeast an idea that it exists. But it the view taken of her subject Is to be defended, surely the carelessness and inaccura- ies so frequently observable in the book can nut be expected tobe quietly passed by. On page 35, for example, the readcr is told that the ser- vant whose duty it was to announce the quests at_a reception at the residence of a Cabinet officer was ‘“‘an immense negro, with a voice lixe a Corliss engine.” So intelligent a woman as Mrs. Dahigren,—any woman, in fact, who attempts to write a book,—ought to know that Corliss enzine has no voice. Although that Machine was the mighty force which set in motion all the wonderful activities of the Centen- nial exposition, it was the one moving thing in that vast collection of human achievements which was absolutely voleeless and silent. Yet the anachronisms which protrude them- selves so frequently are even more confusing and inexcusable. As near as can be computed from the chronology incidentally furnished by te text. the winter described could not have been earlier than that of 1877-8. Yet when the Italian minister, Chevalier Benedetti, and Mrs. Beaulieu visited the Supreme Court that sea- son, “the fervid Choat (although dead for nearly twenty years,) ‘was speaki followed in reply by dy John: in 187 A fk days later, at one of Mrs. Wiiton’s every Saturday evening conversaziones “a very carefuily selected company” included, with @ number of imazinary personages in con- nection with Garfield, A. H. Stephens, Healy, the artist, and Alexander Dimitry. (who were living at the time), Orestes A. Brownson, who died In 1876; Charlotte Cushman, who made her final and actual farewell in 1875; Sumner, who died in 1874: Charles Astor Bristed, who passed away a little earlier the same year; General Kobert Anderson, who breathed his last in Nice in 1871; Count Gurowski, whose stormy career caine to aclose in 1866; and John J. Critten- den, who was laid away in his grave in 1863! Was such a jumble as this ever seen before? ne would have thought that where neither plot. noble characters nor bright conversation could be furnished. at least the probabilities of history might be regarded and the unities of literary eom ition kept in view; but even these are denied us. Why was the book written? or rather, perhaps, why was it published? is a questiva which its cannot heip asking. —-—-_ses Making Plaster Casts. From the Toronto Mail. the mask of the human face ever taken from life?” “Yes, itisdone. We havetaken such a mask several times, though we dislike it, and will probably refuse to do ao again. The plaster is put on in three sections separately, the space around the mouth forming one section, and a line reaching from the center of the forehead down to the tip of the nose dividing the rest of the face into two sections. A small pipe is Passed through to the nostril for breathing pur- Poses. The plaster ts likely to stick to any airs on the face, and hurts a delicate skin. Our charge for this cast Is over eight times as much ‘as for a hand, so you see that we regard it as a = requiring great care.” “I suppose you arecalied a to make masks of Come men’s faces?” ba “Yes, and busts, too. The cost hese Tather high, $15 forthe mask and one the bust. but we have had a number of calls in that department of our wotk. This operatio quires more time than others, hall day being needed for applying and remor ‘and then three days more for thee bis = week for the bust.” o “Are there ever cases of ‘monstroeities’ for casts of themselves?” oe ell, I don’t know that you would call this & case of monstrosity; but one woman recently had a leg taken in pl Just above the knee, which measured twenty-two inches. It was to be put in a show-case, she said.” Peo} ple are bezinning to learn that RELIGIOUS NOTES. ‘THE CHURCHES HERE AND ELSEWHERE. — Rev. Fr. Fox. of Georgetown college, will leave the early part of next week for New York, where he will spend a few days at home. —The Sunday school room of the Metropolt- tan M. E. church will be closed daring the work of renovation now in progress, but will be held in the anditoriam. —The Churchville Presbyterian church, of Harford county, Md., has extended a unanimous call to the Rey. C. D. Wilson. of Atglen, Pa. Mr. Wilson is a cousin of Rev. John R. Paxton, D.D., formerly of the New York avenue church. — The Presbyterian pastors of the District, who have been vacating, are returning. Rev. Dr. Bittinger, of Westminster, Md., returned the first week in August. Revs. J. T. Kelly (Fourth church) and G. B. Patch (Unity church) Teturned home last week and occupied their pulpits last Sunday. Dr. Howe, of George- town, also was home and occupied his pulpit one day since his vacation commenced, but is ain absent. S. Wynkoop, of the Western chareh, expects to be able to come home and resume his duties about September 15th. He has been absent. sick, since a brief visit to Mexico in April. Rev. Dr. Pitzer, of the Central, proposed to take no vacation, but felt. the need of a brief rest for his ‘‘health’s sake,” and his co! xtended the period of their union services to six weeks instead of four, and Dr. P. is enjoy- ing a needed rest. —Rev. Dr. Arthur T. Pierson has accepted a call to the Bethany Presbyterian chureh, Phila- delvhia. — Rev. Ross C. Houghton. D. D., of Indian- apolis, Ind., is to receive the appointment to Centenary M. E. church, Chicago. — Rev. W. M. McPheeters, Presbyterian, of Rocky Mount, Va., has been called to Abington, Va. —At Milwaukee, Wis., forty-eight novices at the Convent of Notre Dame took the black vell on the 19th inst. —The Methodist conference of Sweden has elected Rey. B. A. Carlsson delegate to the gen- eral conference which meets in Philadelphia in May next. — Rey. A. W. Wayman, bishop of the African M. E. church, has preached this season to large congregations at Emory Grove (M. E.) camp and Wesley (M. E. South) camp. — Revs. James F. A. Sisson and W. M. Thomas have been appeinted by the bishops of the Afri- can M. E. church as representatives to the next general conference of the M. E. church. — Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Smith Richardson, editor of the Church Guardian, Episcopalian, died last week at the age of 73. He was the author of several religious works. —The Missouri Lutheran seminary recently graduated thirty ministers, for whom there were on file elghty-two applications from as Many vacant congregrations. — Eighteen seminary students are doing home missionary work in Minnesota this summer, of whom thirteen are from Yale, two from Oberlin, one each from Chicago, Lane, and Wabash. —The American Bible Society has received letters from Constantinople, indicating a dispo- sition on the part of the Turkish government to withdraw its objections to the distribution of the Scriptures. — Rev. F. C. Klein, missionary to Japan, who will take charge of the Methodist Protestant mission, was married recently to Miss Potter, of Pittsburg, Pa. Mr. Klein will sail in a short time for his station. —It!s sald that at alarge and fashionable 5th avenue church on a recent Sunday morning there were exactly seventeen persons present. The people apparently had all imitated the pas- tor, and were off on their vacation. — Mr. Jeremiah Milbank, of the Madison ave- nue (New York) church, has had the honor of giving his name toa flourishing town in Da- kota. Mr. Milbank is said to intend to build a house of worship there costing $25,000. — Rev. A. T. Lalley, pastor of the Roger Wil- liams (Freewill) Baptist church, of Providence, R.L., called to the chair of Greek and Hebrew in the Hillsdale Theological school, Mich., has resigned his charge to enter upon his professor- ship in the autumn. —Deacon Kirby, at the First church, Pitts- field, Massachusetts, recently gave an account of his twenty-five years’ work among the Esqui- maux. He was the first missionary north of the Arctic circle when It took two years te receive goods trom England. —The National Council of Congregational Churches of the United States will be held in Concord, N. H., beginning October 4, and con- tinue about a week. They will be entertained by the North and South Congregational churches, which unite in inviting the organization to Co cord. — Minneapolis has 100,000 people and nine Congregational churches. Of this the Congre- gationalist says: “‘Only five cities inthe Union have a larger number than this, viz: Boston. 26; Brooklyn, 17; New Haven, 15; Chicago, 12; Cleveland, 10. Worcester, Portiand and Hart- ford each have 9.” — Bishop Borgess has forbidden the Roman Catholic churches of Michigan to raise any money by rafies, fairs, excursions, or balls. The first consequence of this is tne lessening of the in- comes of several charitable institutions, and he has ordered an assessment on his diocese tomake up a deficit of $1,300. — Sister Ferdinand, superior of the convent of the Sisters Bon Secours, West Baltimore street, Baltimore, has returned from Paris, where she attended the triennial meeting of the sisterhood. There is but one convent of the order inthiscountry. Sister Ferdinand brought with her Sister Justinian from Paris, making ten at the Baltimore convent. The work of the order is nursing the sick. —A successful form of evangelization in France is the Bible carriage movement. M. Pointet, in a vehicle suitably furnished with re- ligious reading, has itinerated in not less than ten departments of the republic, selling Bibles and tracts and using his carr: ag a pulpit from which to preach. The chief opposition is in the vicinity of Paris. —Through the effort of Mrs. Martha Riggs Morris, about $1,500 have been raised toward erecting a home for girls of the Dakota tribe of Indians, at Sisseton agency, Dakota. The ob- Ject of the home is to teach them the principles of christianity, the ordinary branches of study, and practical housekeeping. The sum ral: is almost one-half the amount needed for the enterprise. — Rev. Dr. Samuel R. Gordon, rector of St. Thomas’ Episcopal church, Prince George’s county, Md., died last Sunday night, aged about 7 years. Mr. Gordon was for many years a member of the standing committee of the Epis- copal diocesan convention of Maryland, and for four years its president. He was well known for his learning as well as for his zeal in church work. He was unmarried. — Dr. M. M. Parkhurst says that the profits from the sale of the Moody and Sankey hymn- book, arenot far trom €400,000, and that the Lederer ee ee eee crags ger for be- nevo! purposes. . he Chicago has received $100,000. Other associations th vat the country have had large gifts. The cago avenue church has $50,000. None of the money has been used for ire Beruonsl contort of ‘either Mr. Moody or —The retreat of the Christian Brothers at Rock Hill college, Md., closed on the 15th inst., and the following changes were announced: Brother Francis, formerly of Philadelphi: Rock Hill College; Brother Albert George, from Rock Hillto La Salle College, Philadelphia. The vacancy by the withdrawal of Prot. gan from Rock Hill was supplied by Brother An- selen, of Washington. Three new houses have been opened—a community in Philadelphia, a house in St, John’s parish, Baltimore, and one in Norfolk, Va. — Mr. Dwight L. Moody, the evangelist, is expected in Baltimore about September 15, to most fruit } the is at its best when stewed lightly with small | the quantity of sugar and made very cold. BRIGHT FANCIES OF THE POETS.| MARWOOD’S BUNELING WORK. THE YELLOWSTONE CAMPAIGN. ‘Written for Taz Evenrné.8ran. You're Sweet. (4 80NG OF THE MOCKING-WRER). L You're sweet—you're sweet—you're sweet A little bird sings, You're sweet! And my heart tne song well knows, And knows that the song 1s trus; For you are as sweet as the wild, red rose, And the rose of my heart are you: You're sweet! ba You're sweet—you're sweet—you're sweet! The singer repeats, You're sweet! You are sweet as you are fair, Who are fair as the evening star: As a Illy that lolls in the twilight atr, ‘You are fair, and as sweet you are: ‘Ycu're sweet! mL You're sweet—you're swect—you're sweet! And sweet to my ear, You're sweet! For you to my mind it brings, ‘The simple, melodious lay; And I sing of you as the little bird sings— What more need a minstrel say?— 3 You're sweet! Once more, after years, In the quaint old church, To the choir I bent my ear, But vainly, throwsh it made iisiening search, For the voice once held so dear. No lack of melodious art was there, SUIL grand were the chords of Yet I missed with a pang the familiar air Of the choir of my boyhood’s days, ‘The sweet, pure flood of my sister’s voice, Of my brother's full-toned and clear, And of yet ad whose accents choice Mide my pulses stir to hea And of friend aud neighbor, each quit In the symphony—vhere are th Gone, vanished-and mute—a chiin disiinked— An accord that had died away! I mourned their loss; and then vague and dim Grew the notes of the later choir, And there seemed to swell on the air a hymn Rich and strong with the old-time fire, With a thrill cestutte T recognized E..ch tone in remembrance kept, While that one dear voice, thn of all more prized innermost heartstrings swept. So real it was that I turned my head. To the singers as if to see, ‘The prayer eyes of my beautiful dead, king down, as of old on me When the speil was dissolvet—I recalled no face, No glance the new choir mong, And the dream-hymn, fading, gave gradual place To the psalm that was being sung. Sad and sedate through the Gothic door 1 pas-@d with the goouly throng, And the quaint little church was hushed once more, So to rest for a whole week long; But for dys anil days, in recesses g Of memory, long locked fast, A phantom choir held sovereign sway With the anthems of the past. The black clouds roll before the sun, Their shadows darken on the grass; ‘The songs tie sweet birds sang are done, And with wide wings the minstrels pasa, ‘There comes a sudden shert of rain, ‘That veats the tender field flowers down, And In the narrow, fragrant lane ‘The white road turnsa muddy brown, And then the clouds move slowly back, ‘The sun again shines flerce and hot, The cows come down the soiden track, And munch the wet grass in the lot. ‘The flowers their mo!stened faces raise, The wet leaves in the sunb>am’s gle: The oirds, refreshed, resume thelr lays, ‘The children paddle in the stream, How like to life such days as this! ‘The Lrightness and the storm of tears; 80 much to gain, so much to miss, ‘The sudden overflow of fears. ‘Yet, thouch the song ts hushed a while, We know 't will break forth by-and-by; ‘We know behind the clouds the smile Of radiant glory still doth lie, ‘Oh. let the sudden storm beat low Our tendcrest blossoms as it may! Aud let our sweetest sonz-birds go, ‘They will come back some other day, We shall forget the sheeted rain, ‘And all that looks so dark, so drear, Just a8 We have forzot the pain ‘That seemed so hard to boar tast year. Jauxs Berkey Bunsst, tn Youth's Companton, er ee Some ‘Time. “Some time.” the blue-eyed malden cried, “Some (me P'll be a rich man’s brige, Ti have bis gold when he is 014, And grandly in a coach I'll ride.” “Some time,” the brown-eyed maidenoried, Aud blushing turned her face aside, “Goi grant it mel I'll married be ‘To him whom Heaven shall provide.” ‘The blue-eyed matden had her way; She married one both rich and griy, And when he died she took ui; pride, ‘And that Is all she took—they say. A handsome lover came ont day And bore the brown-eye:| maid away; He was her life and she—his wife; What more is there to ask or say? i At Rest. rom Good Words. Ah, silent wheel, the nolsy brook is dry, And quiet hours glide by In this deep Valo, where once the merry Sang on through gloom and gliai Only the dove in some leaf-shaded nest ‘Murmurs oI rest. Ah, weary voyager, the closing day ‘Shines on that tranquil hay, ‘Where thy storm-beaten soul has longed to be; Wild blast and angry sea Touch not this favored shore, by summer Dlest, A home of rest. fevered heart, the grass 1s green and dee] co Where then areata asleep; : Kissed by soft winds, and washed by gentle show- el "Thou haat thy crown of flowers; Poor heart, too Tong ia this mat world opprest, Take now thy rest. 1, too, perplexed with strife of good and 1, ng to be safe and still; Evil is present with me while I pray .«t good may win the Great Giver, grant me Thy last ‘Thy gift of res stream We Cee have been,—these are but common wor And yet they make the sum of life’s bewalling; ‘They are the echo of those finer chords ‘hose music we deplore, when unavailing. ‘We might have been! Life knoweth no like misery; the rest Are single sorrows; but in this are ble all sweet emotions that disturb the breast: ‘The light that once was loveliest {s ended. We might have been! lenceforth, how much of the full heart must be A sealed book, at whose contents we trembiel A still voice mutters "mid our misery, ‘The worst to bear, because it must dissemble, ‘We might have been! inst by night and day ali stay with mee ‘There ig vo distance—not for those who know ‘The silent countersign that makes them one, ‘Whose thoughts are messengers that love's fleet messages the winds outrun. Go, sail the seas! Go, seek the rising sunt Beyond my constant heart thou can’st not go. ELLs WHEELER, oa es ‘The Value of » Full Stomach. From the London Lencet. Two conditions oppose the acquirement of These are by hypertemia of the brain— le down con and fioteed,even after tie moet covereate entinee ing Sot mpon the race conres, at the plough imitate the unartificial habits of less x A Terrible Scen the Execution Darham Murderer. From the London Dailf' News? James Burton, tHirty-three years, was executed yesterday Mornlig within the walls of Durham jail for the inurder of Elizabeth Sharpe. at Tunstall, near Sunderi: May 8th last. The condemned man, who passeda fairly good night, Tose at about 7 o'clock. and was soon Joined by the chaplain, who remained with him till the end. The prisoner as very pale, but was calm, and walked with a firm step. Marwood at once set to work adjustirite the foose and putting the culprit in positicm ‘with fils back to the lever, allowing @ drop of‘abouf’ seven and one-half feet. Burton, who had confessed his crime on Sunday morfiing, was heard by the distant spec- tators praying fervently, and he was giving @ response just as Marwood took hold of the lever. One of the warders touched the executioner, who waited for the moment. The words, “Lord, receive the soul of this man about to die!” had issued from ‘the chaplain’s lips. and the culprit’s response: ceased, when at 8:03 the lever was raised, andthe condemned man disappeared down the cavity. He was too far off for the distant spectators to see him, but the Tope swans violently the moment he wasthrown 1 jd Marwood’s hurrying around to thenorsh side of the cavity and stooping down in the effort to get hold of the rope showed the distant spectators that something was wrong. Warder Cox caught the rope and jerked it over to Mar- wood. who, assisted by Cox and Warder Thomp- son, drew the man up until he was placed in a sitting position, aithough he appeared to have only his elbows on the ledge as seen by the on- lookers, who were much below him. it was tound that the slack of the rope had caught as he fell under the right elbow and stretched across his face, thus relieving the pressure on the neck, but giving the appear- @nce to the spectators of the noore having slipped up and caught his face. He presented a ghastly spectacle, but a part of his face gave an appearance of blood. There was no blood, how- ever, and in half a minute Marwood had ad- Justed the slack of the rope to its proper poms tion, replaced the white cap, which had been raffied up, and, holding the culprit by the shoul- ders as the two warders relinquished their hold of him, he threw him with a strong push into the cavity again. The force he used sent the convict right across the cavity almost to the op- posite side, and as the rope returned he steadied it, and all was over. It is atated that while the rope was being adjusted the second time the culprit twice muttered: “0, Lord, have mercy on my poor soul!” The body’ was cut down at 9 o'clock. Bears in a Melon Patch. From the Denver Republican, I once worked on a watermelon plantation where we had 100 acres under vines at one time. The curious thing about the business was that our hardest fight wasn’t agin weeds. It was agin bears—black bears. We'd got the vines all shooting along, some of them with melons on ’em as big as a pumpkin, and the old man ‘was getting the road to the river cleared out so a8 to be ready for shipping, when one morning in came one of the boys, and says he: “Something has broke down the worm fence and battered up about an acre of the vines in the clearin’.” We'd Just cleared’ about ten acres ot woodland the past winter. and melons were doing amaz- ing'y well in that fleld. So you may know the old man as iad’ when he heard this. Him and } went down t6 see what was up, and we saw in a minute that it was bears. There were tracks. just ag they were made by men walking on their hands, in the soft earth all over the field, ard the vines was torn up and ripe and green melons mashed to flinders ina way that nothing but a bear could do. ‘They'll be back to-night,” said the old man. “You and Josh and. lenry clean out your rifles ‘and be ready for ’em.” ‘here was a full moon that night, and I tell he things looked purty. Josh and Henry and settin’ behind stun pee our rifles acroas our laps, waiting. The’ fence Was still tore down at the point nearest the woods and the moonlizht shining on the dark forest, where we expected the bears to come from, aud then on the fleld of watermelon vines, whose white tendrils glist- ened like silver, looked mighty purty. Now and then we beard a screech-ow! yelling down in the woods, but we didn’t pay no atten- tion to that; and presently I saw a bear come out and walk slowly into the field. He was a big fellow, as black ag coal in the moonlight, and he wasn’t in any hurry, either. He saunt- ered along as slow as you please over to a bit striped Georgia melon, and settin’ down on his ham, he just picked that melon up in his two fore-paws and smashed it between ’em like In half a minute his whole head was dripping with Juice, and Icould hear him smack- Jag his lips like a hog. We let him alone, according to the old man’s Instruction, waiting until there shoula be a bear apiece for us, for the tracks showed that at least six of ‘em had been around the night before. In a few minutes along came another one, and then there walked in an old she with two little ones at her heels. We had three bears now, but nary one of us fired. Watching them bears was the biggest picnic ever [ saw. Sometimes they'd catch up a melon just as you'd take up a baby, and, holding it cloze to ’em, travel across the field ‘on their hind legs until they'd see a bizger one, and then smash would go the rind, and Juice would drip off’em like they had just come out of a bath. I was watching the old she teaching her young ones how to break into the Juicy part, ‘when crack went Josh's rifieand the whole gang started ona run. The vines tripped 'em up so that they couldn't go very fast. and we each bagged one of em, mine being one of the youn ones. We watched Seer night after that till the season was over. butthey were kind of wary now, and we never shot more than one ina night. While we'd be sitting in one field wait- ing for them, they'd be rip-anorting away at the fruit on the other side of the plantation. Bears are keener after watermelons than a negro and I can say no more than that. ——— improving a Style. “T like to get some law-sults on a gang of young fellers,” he replied, as the Detroit chief of Police asked him what was wanted. “What do you mean?” hell, 1 vhas shwindled und made some fools of. Vhen I tinks it all oafer I am ao madt dot I clean out my own saloon mit a glub. 0 you want to enter a complaint?" “Vhell, | should remarks! I like to enter oafer 40 complaints if I haf a shance.” Make your statement.” hell, I keep a saloon on —— street. Yon may have seen dot some aldermans come to my pee and vhas treated shust like princes?” “Go o1 “It vhas Saturday eafenings. I vhas all alone. By and by sume loafer comes In, but he vhauts noddings. Pooty queek I hafsix or seven shust like him. Nopody vhants no beer nor pool nor dominoes, und I vhas mat!” “T am following you.” “Vhell, by and by { aske if dot crowd me to pay rent mit sucty customers, und one loafer he says: ‘Vhell, vhy: doan' you sell beer by der new game?’,. So he-telis me dot der new vhas for all dep gang to take a drink, und len I vhas to call iy. der dog from der back yard. Whichever loafer det dog. shmeils of first must Pay forall.” t 1 I otra > * “Tt vhas, eh? I doan’ see it. Sometimes 1 vhas tickled, but not now: All der loafers said it vhas shust like dpy doea in New York und mn, und I goes after der dog.” nd Beene smell of any abies jo! But vhy! Because, vi vhas gone after him all dose loafers” ate avi lke grease! Ifdot vhasder New York und T vhas a fool!”, “You can’t do anything,” sald the chief. “Can't I get some law-suite?” 'o.' a 1 “Can't I hat someiloafers sent mit der work- house?” : , “No.” £ “Must I put up mit such shwindles like dot?” “You must look out for them.” “Now I vhas madt like a wet hen!” exclaimed the caller as he rose up. “‘I tell you sometings, and doan’ you forget all about it! I keep my dog pehind der bar! By to-morrow some loafer come in und vhants to know if I sell beer by der New York und Boston vhay. I let dot dog und vhen he dogg ach perce North N. ¥., is close old, weather- farm-house that was once his howe. It isin a corner of the and fenced: | | ' The Dreadfal Mistake im Ornithology Which the Nimrod President Made. ‘From the Chicago News. “Gentlemen,” said the chief, “enough of this, T have not been duck-hunting for some time. I understand that there are some beautiful mus- covite duckson the hills here. If you will ex- cuse me for a few hours this morning, I think I will go over and thin out the crop a little. Bob, duck on toast wouldn't be bad for supper. Eh? Have everything in readiness and I will bein with @ meal of the best muscovites to be found in the mountains.” So saying. the chiet shouldered a beautiful silver-mounted, double-barrelled _shot-gun, which a friend gave him before leaving Wash- ington. It wasa magnificent fowling-piece.and would have been an ornament to any purlor. The chief had never fired it off, but he judged by the magnificently engraved stock that it must be sure death for ducks, particularly for musco- vite ducks. The gun was a breech-loader, but the chief knew nothing about breech-loaders. He had been somewhat disappointed at not finding a ramrod, aud lad spent the early morning whit- tling one out. Somebody had given him about halt a pound of powderand a quantity of buck- shot, and he felt that he was prepared for a big day's sport. Before reaching a lake which shimmered in the sunlight a few miles from the camp he pro- ceeded to load his gun. He put enough powd into each barrel to blow the ional capital up. Then herammed in halt a newspaper. Then he poured the barrels halt-fall of shot. Then he put in some more powder, and then he was ready for ducks. There was no place for the ramrod, so he put it, for convenience sake, in one of the barrels, and stepped to the edge of the lake. “This is a bully day for ducks,” he said, and just then a beautiful bird—a wild turkey— greet from the underbrush which fringed the 0. “Bang,” went the gan and over went the chief, his shoulder being almost dislocated. But he was up ina moment, and “bang,” went the gun aga' “By hokey, I've got him,” sald the chief. “Won't this make a mash on the boys when I go back. A wild turkey! Onl an hour, and a wild turkey! Well, I should Riggle.” . * * * . . “T bet that report we heard was a thunder- clap on the mountains,” said Judge Rollins. “They tell me that the thunder-claps are dread- ful out here.” “No, no; I'll bet ten to one it was an ex- losion of dynamite up at the Rufus Hatcn ouse."” “ “We will soon see,” sald Judge Rollins. Ci De A. ae eee “There,” said the chief, as he threw down the turkey, corcleny; “I remembered that I had some important letters to write, so I hastened buck. When I go out again I will take a a I find that these turkeys are very heavy. ik him, Bob. I think there will be enough for sup- per, and some cold turkey won't go bad in the Morning, either. You will lon me now fora short time. If the bird should not be large enough, just call me and I'll go out and get an- other. It’s no trouble.” . * * . * .- “Bee yer, stranger,” said one of the frontiers- men employed around the camp, ‘“‘may I make #0 bold as to ax yer what yer gwine ter do with that yer critter?” “T’m going to cook him, of course,” sald Bob Lincoln. “‘An’ eat im?” “Why, certainly.” “Well, I'll be d—d!” “Why, what’s the matter?” “Ef thet yer don't break me all up. Why, blow my ‘tarnal eyes, stranger, that yer es buzzard.” . . . . . * “How is he now?” whispered Senator Vest at the chief's bedside. “His respiration is normal,” replied Mike Sheridan, “but his pulse is very high. It was a terrible blow to him. Bob shouldn't have been so abrupt. I never saw man so nearly heart- broken in my life.” “Has he said anything lately?” “Nothing for half an hour, His last words were: ‘And Mike, I shot my ramrod through the cussed thing, too!’ Oh, my, I’ll never forget the expression of his face.” ——_—+o-__ Feminine Base Ball. Alden in the ». ¥. Times, The game of base ball recently played in Phila- delphia by gorgeously dressed young women waa confessedly a failure, aad it established the fact that base ball. unlike the modern drama, Saturday Smiles. Edith: A first-class summer resort is one at which the cottagers will not to the hotel hotel guests will net Siege 01 not to the cot! A third-class resort noua wuien orestey tries to have a good time.— Philadelphia News. A young and illiterate doctor, on being told that a certain patient was convalescent. said: “Why, that ts nothing. I can cure convales- cence in three hours.” “The work that I am compelled to perform,” id a dissatisfied minister —_ sermot “would killa mule, and I don’t believe that can stand it.” The Co ist talks of “the decline of honor” in our army and navy. And yet the number of debts ot honor that have been by officers must be quite larce—if we may judge by some of the court-iartfals and the referen- ences to poker playing.— Puck. A Montana belle, says the Bismarck Tribune being asked by a Bismarck man if they pos" sessed any culture out her way. replied: “*Cul~ ture? You bet your variegated socks we do! We kin sling more culture to the square foot in Helena than they kin in any camp in America. Culture? Oh, loosen my corsets till I amile!” True liberality: The old man Jones was rub- Ding his hands and smiling all over as he met Brown the other day. and the latter felt com- Pelled to inquire: “‘ Has yoursilver mine turned out a bonanza?” ‘Haven't heard from it in Tour weeks.” **You look as pleased as if you had a thousand tons of ore in sight.” ** Oh, n I have just been giving away $50,000 wi stock.” ‘Not giving it away!” didn’t cost the recipients a penny.” “Well what kind of a way is that torun asilver mine?” “Oh, don’t you worry, Brown—not a bit. We've got to have some shares out in order to make an assessment, and next week we shall call for seventy cents on the dollar in order to meet the expenses of survey and machinery. Don't ~ worry about me, Mr. Brown.— Wall Street News Nice and slow: ‘Walk slower, papa,” cried the little girl, whose short ps were no match for thestridesof her masculine progenitor; ‘‘can't you go nice and slow, like a policeman?”— Lowell Two conundrums: ‘Aw, can you tell me, Miss Fair,” ‘queried George Washington LaDude, after a brief period of intense study, “why the— aw—Ponto’s caudal appendage is likea coming event?” , Mr. LaDude.” ‘ell. aw, it is something toacur, don't you know- ia Fred, Mr. LaDude, Hog! ut can y me why your hat is like a bad habit?” “Why er-r, aw; well, no—why 1s it?” “‘Beoause it is something to a void,” “Oh! weally. now, Miss Fair, you are just too bad for anything, don’t you know?"—The Judge. Why he was fined: “‘Why did you strike this man?” asked a justice of the peace of a prisoner. “I had sufficient cause, your honor. He came to epi ard my children, and laug! my ‘s sing- ing, turned up his nose at a fish I meng | and put my wife tg deal of trouble dinner time, and—" “But all that gave excuse to strike him with astick of Soren through. Ai began to talk on the tariff question. I hithim.” “Tariff, eh? I fine you $10 for not shooting him.”—Arkansaw Traveler. Acircus lemonade man happening to be in ® market the other day, and seeing gome of the mex fruit, pointed to it and said, “What's hem things ?"—Boston Post. Stress of weather: ‘ Dearlady, please mal an unfortunate man. ain't had no work at my trade since last winter.” ‘Poor man! What is your trade?” ‘‘Shovelin’ snow, mum.” oo > The crusade of a New Hampshire reformer is against chewing = His fervid oratory sets a ‘ames gum leads, via tobacco. to us alcohol. =————————————— Lt ae REMAINING IN THE Was iGTON CITY POST OFFICE, SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1883. fg aes Beets etesiaes f not called for within onemonth they will be sent ead Letter Obbe=. LADIES’ LIST. tothe Biseker Lucy M! Blackwell Susan Mrs Boose 5 Clarke Amelia Cross, hebeocs Mre iv Cann 8 cannot be made exclustvely an exhibition of | Gay Geo: clothing. The base ball girls had undoubtedly been trained with great care. In order to pre- vent serious accidents, a soft ball was in the training lessons, and the batter was allowed. to use a hollow paper club. The trainer asserts that prior to the public exhibition the girls had acquired what he considered a fair degree of proficiency—that is to say, the ball was pitched about once in three times somewhere in the nelghborhood of the bat, and several successful catches were made in the course of every game. When, however, the girls played in public with areal ball and bat they did not cover them- selves with glory—much as they in _need_ of some kind of coy- ering. With the exception of a mouse, there is probably nothing more dangerous than a base ball flying through the air directly at some unprotected irl Such, at least, was the opinion of the ball-playing girls. The batter alone showed no of fear, for there was, of course, no probability that the balls aimed at her would oome near her. The other players, whenever a ball came in their di- rection, would excleim loudly, ‘Oh, my!” and would frantically dodge it. No casualties, either among the girls or the 5] rs, occurred, for the reason that ball swiftly enough to inflict a severe blow. Still, had it hit a girl in the eye or on the back hair it might have caused some inconvenience. Of course the girls cid not venture to catch the ball. They could not have caught it had they tried, for the simple reason that they were standing on their feet and were without aprons. To expect a girl in such circumstances to catch @ ball would be absurd. The sanguine speculator who managed the base-ball girls is, however, not disco! 5 He intends that the girls shall at once resume the study of the game with a hard instead of a soft batl—the trainer as well as the girls being ineased in the Boyton rubber armor. The girls are all to be provided with large aprons, and, with the exception of the pitcher and the batter, will sit down during the game ready to catch in thelr laps any ball that may come to them, while the labor of chasing runaway balls and bringing them back will be performed by an auxiliary force of small boys. The great problem, how- ever. 18, how to teach the girla to throw a ball with Ge Hier It is proposed to ascertain by careful experience in precisely what direc- tion a girl should try to throw a ball in order to hit the bat. itis Sonny belleved If the batter ig standing due west of the pitcher the latter should aim at the north star if she wishes to send the ball within reach of the bat, but this is not a rule which can be trusted in all cases. The peculiarities of each es er must be ascer- tained by experiment, and when this is done the angle st which she should throws ball can be calculated as easily asa sailor who knows the variation of the compass can calculate the exact Position of the pole. After all, it is very doubtfal if furpass the male “ited Stockings” surpass Inge’ Stockii of their but in cause would leas were they to clothes on the stage instead of the ball field. Wilde as « Short-Haired Person. ‘From the Brooklyn Eagie, Oscar Wilde is the most peculiar looking ob- Jeot since his hair has been cut off that I have ever seen. I thought the same of him when his hair was long, but his a) more outlandish than w! can be can far “White by an immense shock of hair trained down over the forehead andaround the like ears a considerable portion of tne face concealed from view. e more Mr. Wilde cealed his face the more beautiful Now that he has cut his hair and his out in bold relief, one cannot rid himself. im} on looking at him that his part of his head and is stuck 01 ir. esd ogeaesetbvinindy caprdon vel this time—to make money production his play, and so he deserves same considera- tion that any other short-haired man on a simi- lar errand should receive. tele eeu pectato: Do girl was_aple to throw the | J: ee wee | az ri : es wh, m Hs a 3 y we el ie a 6 Fr if i i | PPoPosats FoR PURCHASE OF VESSELE. The veesels off oa! © Keoean, #6 i00 an Xo. Iowa, $44. ‘Boston: WY, 10; | niuety rth of ‘acce: tance. tan Act to inereane the, wator SS ‘end for other p: other th! Fale grvey end may of the iandy aeeencary es eekcee a ‘vey and map Leceseary to exten. Was ‘Aqueduct from. itn nus to street nation. i decrees 40 minutes 22 to ite exnteru Mmit at the site: — loward Universit oh att atten ‘of the weverd shafax, At Fayette Strect, air shaft, a lot 60x100, fronting on Fayette etroot. (ig) Actes on the left ban) of the creck extend 1,000 feet down stream from the lower mill: bounded on the east by the mili race, Atan Aér Shaft, located about 1,400 feet nest of Qolupdia Toes. on tunnel line or a yuare road ‘A roadway 60 fect wide, and 1,850 feet from the suxiliary wat oan oe soe hues bo the intersection of the Poxhall abe and New veral .d referred to above ge Sa Sea etree rat Sontorring: as fat le, to the wial 5 a ng. aa far as practicable, @). FoR RESERVOIR NRAR HOWARD UKIVERAITY. wo the wishes lat. Itis poned to take and 67 8-10 acres of tana ine 'in the ge # 3 2 ir 35 RE: i ike a statement smaated. AMES Wakids BRewsreR, *Xore.—This lot is required for the constru tion of the valve chambrr. ‘eu23-304 RES Ee