Evening Star Newspaper, April 4, 1891, Page 11

FOR THE LITTLE ONES. | =Sestere Some of the Latest Designs for Children's Costumes. DOING AS BIG FOLKS DO Dances for Children—Accentuating the Long Waist—For = Lad of Seven Years—The Household Fairy at Bedtime—The Service- able Every-Day Flannel Drese—Bed Clothes. Written for The Evenine Star. {Copyrighted OETS TELL US THAT heaven lies about us in our childhood. This, however, was once upon ‘a time when little girls wore plain white muslin frocks with pink sashes. Then in reality they did look so sweet, artless, so genuinely Jangelic that the afore- said poets are quite Justified in imagining them to be wingless an- geleand in asserting that heaven must be where ‘they were. But, alas, how times have changed and how the children have changed with them. My little Lady Foantlereine would be much offended if her nurse should hold up « plain eld-fashioned. I'll wear dull ivory white in soft silk, but a dead white like that is too harsh for my complexion.” And the little lady would not be far from right. Dead whites are, as a rule, not nature's whites. Snow bas a biue tinge and the rose and the lily ere not the dead china white of the artist's tube. White is quite se appropriate for a mourning garb as black. PREVAILING FASHIONS FOR ONILDREN. But |, for one, rejoice at the prevailing fash- ions in children’s attire. Soft flannels, fine eloths, thin silks, delicate swanskins, fleecy geuzes, airy chiffons and cobwebby laces in delicate tones, qualified to accentuate the velvety softness and exquisite fineness of the skin—these are the proper materials for little queens of the household, to say nothing of velvets, veloutines, plushes and corduroys for outdoor costumes. ‘The initial illustration pictures a dainty miss of about twelve summers in a contemplative mood. She is clad in a plain, soft silk of a deli- cate hue, having no other garniture than a berths of the same material made up of two volants, stockings and slippers in strict har- mony. This transforms the little lady into a perfect symphony of pink, or if she have a soft, | Olive skin, into an arrangement of yellow far fairer thana bunch of daffadondillies. However, dull red would go equally well with herolive complezion, and titen black silk stockings would make one of those harmonious discords of whieh musicians are so fond. JUST AS BIG FOLK Do. The second illustration shows quite a @ifferent phase of child life—the first in- clination to doas big folks do. There does seem to be something incongrnous in the idea of children having the same dances as grown folk. Once uj time this wasn't #0, and I, for one, would, in this instance anyway. like to go back to those good old times when children danced flings and jigs and hornpipe dances which called for » display of that delightful suppleness, that flexibility and quickness of motion, which belong to childhood. ue two dancers pictured in the secon? illus- tration are very modern, the boy being in white flannel sailor suit, stockings and shirt to match, and his very aristocratic-looking partner wear- ing a figured silk trimmed with fur and set off by a broad sash in harmovy with the ground of the silk; siippers and stockings in same tone. CHILDAEN SUOULD BE LONG-WAISTED. Tt should be borne in mind that it is quite as necessary nowadays that children should be Jong-waisted as grown folks, and hence showy Little gowns intended for dancing parties or evening fetes should be cut with a view to ac- eeutusie slong slender figure. In the third costumes for little girls from foar to eight. ‘The one on the left isa combination 0” cloth | and velvet—namely, alight blue reseda cloth with # black or dark blue velvet. The corsage | must pass under the skirt and be fastened with hooks and eyes atthe back. Front and back ‘there is an insertion of velvet upon which the | scalloped cloth is caught. The lower portion of the corsage is gathered. The slecves are trimmed with steel buttons. At the bottom of | the skirt there is the seme scalloped effect laid e border of velvet. The skirt is lined with eatin. ‘There iss large ceinture of velvet with a bow at the back. TRE COSTUME ON THE RIGHT {e's godelin blue cloth, the trimming being an open-work passementerie made up of little rings, under which are placed strips of velvet. erie trimming is applied as an doth for bordering and for brace and At © children’s party « few evenings ago I| saw what struck me as being a very pictaresque @estame for s boy of seven. It was macie up in by broad revers, trimmed with of the galloon set close together. were box pleated and there was o same material ornamented with apie yee above the waist there were four a F With this pretty ‘wore « broad turn-down collar and made silk the tending the ful length and there was» plastroa of the cloth craameuted with an anchor embroidered ie 4 MAID IN WHITE FLANNEL. At the same party there was a charming little | bill, no more scrawny females rushing out in {ustration are set forth two very charming | | Cork. A descendant livi tassels and tied in a large bow in | galloon, commencing rather high | back and running down to j ri ey sult the ‘Uitte Ini | three strapping daughters, now bebird and the en re brought around ‘THE HOUREMOLD FAIRY. The fourth illustration represents the «mall- sized but substantial household fairy as she appears when ready for bed. Her golden hair has been carefully combed and braided and she has been attired in her soft flaunel night robe. Mothers make a great mistake in having their children sleep under too heavy a weight of bed clothing. This practice, reprehensible even in the case of adults, is particularly harmful to young children, who should never be ham pered in their inclinations to thrash sbout when asleep. THE SPRVICEATLE FLANNEL DRESS. The last illustration sets forth the flannel dress—one of the most healthful and service- able for tasteful if a proper amount of thought be given it. Two favorite colors are white and light blue. For a little girl of from five to eighta funnel dress pretty generally looks well when made up blouse style with very large sailor point in front and fastened witha large bow of | ribbon with long ends. Mother-of-pearl but- tons in front. sleeves large with cuffs r stitched and several rows of stitching around bottom of skirt. An altogether lovely little | flannel dress may be made up in this wise: A light blue material cut princess style with a velvet yoke and collar. The waist must be frilled and attached to the yoke and the dress must be belted in at the waist. The sleeves must be full and high at the shoulders. Still another very pretty little gown for a child of ten may be made of dark green cheviot with velvet revers opening on a front of cream-col- ored cloth embroidered in the same color. Straight cloth collar, deep cuffs of cream-col- ored cloth embroidered to match the front. AN EAR PROTECTOR. TN bring this talk about children’s attire to a close by telling you of a rather strange con- trivance I saw the other day. I mention it | her children than as anything of real value, for of that I have serious doubts. It is no more or less than a sort of open-work cap to prevent | achild’s ears from growing away from the | No doubt the ears of many children are made pressure in that direction which the ear often — IMPROVEMENT IN NIGHTCAPS. Ruffled Meal Sacks and Pudding Bags Are No Longer Worn, From the London Figaro. Why has the old-fashioned nightcap of » former age fallen into such sad iil repute? No one is prepared to maintain that its successor, | the modern nightcap, has not its possibly very | good points. But becanse it is doubtless so | eminently satisfactory constitutes no reason for supposing that its predecessor was all wrong. When made of common white cotton, or pos- sibly of Turkey red, and furnished with a tassel at the end of a long point, it was perhaps not what would be called an msthetic bit of headwear. Itis not to be denied that it possessed character when it was seen, as in an- cient prints, perched on the head of some baldpated citizen of rubicund visage, who, roughly aroused from his slumbers by a broil in the street, throws open the casement and peers out, tallow candle in hand. But character | and beauty are different things. Nor was the | female of that especial order of male nightcap | any better. A big, rotund white bag, like a| sack of meal, with @ gigantic ruffle about the | edge of it, and two substantial white strings at the end, securely to tie it under the chin. Ah! but there are other nightcaps than this, There isa dainty creation o: lin, all foaming with little quillings of lace, | through which runsa bit of ribbon, white or | mure rosette, a bow licht as a butterfly on the wing. Such a cap, but little larger than an infant's, covered’ the curly head of a debutante not long ago as she sat up, | propped in pillows and convalescing from | a fever. Adorably pretty was the mutinous face peeping out from such framing. And imagina‘ion from this delightful starting point took a delicions flight. ‘Think of it! Could this | one example set by a young creature of some originality but be followed what changesYhere would be! No more nocturnal visions of curl papers, wisps of hair done up in last month's butcher's | case of fire into hotel corridors with front hait quilted into iron crimping pins and standing | aot like the quills of the fretiul porenpine. No | more unlovely exposures in like instances of thin gray locks straggling about a high fore- head, shorn of its “skeleton bang” or other elaborate “frontpiece,” forgotten in the terror of the moment on the pincushion. But demure little caps, Quakerish and sweet and prim; may be eloquent of all manner of gentle, old-time ideals of modest and dainty femininity. They suggest vaguely the faint, old-fashioned fragrance of lavender and dried rose leaves and those = decent, loving lives that were passed. in all order and sobriety, in the shade of quaint green arbors and about the big. soft-lighted rooms of ancient and substan- tial mansions in those streets of our modern cities that have now grown hopelessly obsolete. ———_+e+_—___ A Family of Giants. From the Philadelphia Press. Mrs. Margaret Larkins, who was interred in St. Joachim's cemetery, Frankford, afew days ago, at the age of ninety-two years, came of an Irish family remarkable for physical strength and longevity. Mrs. Larkins’ maiden name was Scannell and her father was a well-to-do raiser of horses in the vi has visited the old Scannell homestead, says that the villagers still point with a sort of clannish pride to a huge capstone which he removed from the arch: of a limekiln and placed in the position it at present uceupies in what was to i marriage at the age of forty Mr. Scannell set- tled down to farming. The next farm to his was owned by a cousin, whose descendants, manage the dairy, plow the fields and reap the harvest and do whatever ditching and draining the soil re- quires. The Philadelphian who met these three ded ureh on ‘Sunday neither by dress nor demeanor are they distinguishable from the most blue-blooded of their countrywomen. The iy bas been prolific in giants. One of the brothers of the deceased lady still lives in Ireland and is of extraordinary stature. A cousin residing in this city stands6 feet 63¢ inches in his socks sdx-year-oli mnid in white flannel. The waist | “84 another 6 feet 2)¢. Au unele, Michael had 2 gathered yoke front and back. The braces, straight collar, cuffs and the bottom of nell, was the parish priest at and at- A nephew some years ago collar, square at the back and coming to the | ‘ head and thus marring the beauty of the head. | pression of dignity and durability. Tacn: Feceives when the child is asicep,anditis barely | SAbles, ull turned toward the possible "that this contrivance would tend to One of Mr. Jedediah Morse’s description of obviate this, but, on the other hand. it seems to me that’ such a contrivance would cause & child not a little discomfort, for a while, any- way. This is one of the things which a mother's watchfulness rather than » helmet is better qualitied to correct. ‘all his future home. After his | Pe™' CHILIAN WAR NEWS. Bebels Have Possession of All the Main Ports at Present. THE ATTITUDE OF THE ARMY. Uncertain Which Way the Officers Will Lean— Difficulty in Obtaining Reliable News—In- teresting Description of fam Pedro de Tacna, @ Typical Town of Chili. From The Star's Traveling Commissioner. Sax Prvao pe Tacwa, Cam, 1891. REACH THIS PLACE ONE MUST COME to Arica, Chili's northernmost port, which is distant from Valparaiso 714 marine miles. Tacna lies forty miles due westward from the sea, at the edge of a fertile valley, and is con- nected with Arica by railway. The carestart near the steamboat landing and while waiting for the Tacna train one may see about all there is of interest in Arica. Not far from the cannon-mounted “Morro”— the giant bluff described in a previous letter— one observes some tall masts and spars sticking up in the sands of the-desert. They, with rome broken machinery, are all that remain of the ill-fated Watcree, a United States steamship which happened to be anchored in the harbor during the great earthquake and tidal wave of 1868, when she was carried inland nearly half a mile aud left bigh and dry by the seceding bil- lows. BOW ARICA 18 GOVERXED, There is a big church to be visited, which was made entirely of wrought iron brought from the United States and set on top of a massive ne terrace, and the usual central plaza, with a little garden in the middle, which is doing its t to survive on en infinitesimal supply of a's exclusive upper tendom is led by the official circle, which includes two gov- ernors, one maritime, the other supposed to at- tend to affairs of terra firma; a judge, of what is hereabouts known as ‘First Instancia;” comandante de armas, « postmaster and cu house administrador and their respective families down to cousins several times re- moved, which comprises fully one-balf the population. Besides the railroad before men- tioned, the town communicates with Tacna and with other parte of the republic by telegraph (that is in times of peace), and with the outer world by cable submarino. FOUR HOURS TO GO FORTY MILES. ‘Though the railway journey to ‘Tacna is only forty miles long it requires nearly four hours to make it, partly because the latter city stands 2,000 feet higher, and therefore the grade is in some places very heavy. The route leads over ‘4 waste of sand that shows no semblance of life or verdure, except st the half-way station named El Hospicio, where a few scant bi tation so frequently met with in this part of t world. The azequias, or irrigating ditches, always ca: high upto the extreme edge valley, and thence the water is so freely distributed as to make positively startling the contrast between cultivated fields and environ- ing desert. ‘THE HOUSES MOSTLY OF WOOD. Tacna has none of the oriental aspect com- mon to most Spanish-American towns, princi- pally becsuse not much stone and adobe have been used in its construction. The low, one- storied houses are mostly made of wood, which was brought from southern Chili, or by’ sailing vessel down the Pacific from distant Oregon and California, or still farther, from the forests of Maine and eastern Canada, away round the Horn. These fimsy casus show no rather to point the moral of a parent's duty to | @ttempt at architectural adornment and are oor #ubstitutes for the Moorish balconies and eavy-arched doorways which we have learned to admire and expect, and which, however tumble-down and neglected, convey an im: ouses appear to have been knocked together in great haste, like our mushroom towne in the rere Manan et nen | fas ead Whee bong, antares iets (ot rect, remind Albany, N.Y., in bis excellent old geogri aphy, Viz, "a'city of 1,000 honses and 10,000 fahabit: ants, all standing with their gable ends to the strest.”” STREETS LOOK AS IF THEY GREW. The population of Tacna ts somewhere about 8,000 and the last census gave to the depart- ment of which itis the capital a trifle more than 20,000 souls. The streets are long, wind- ing and irregular, as if they were never laid out, but “grew”, like Topsy. ‘There are two big'theaters and’one small church. The former are bare, barn-like structures, resembling northern skating rinks or breweries, aud it is not the fault of the citizens that they do not possess a more pretentious sanctuary. Many years ago they had nearly completed a splen- did church, ‘La Parroquia,” facing the main plaza—when an earthquake came along and cracked it so badly that work was abandoned. Ite walle are built of a light-colored trachite that abounds in the neighborhood, and one wonders why the houses are not more gener- ally made of the same beautiful material. THE MARKET PLACE OF TACNA. The market place is s hollow square sur- rounded by a colonnade and entered by arch- ways from parallel streets. The venders squat on the pavements and display their wares in shallow baskets of braided rushes, or spread out on blankets long innocent of soap and water. ‘There are four common schools in the town, besides several of superior grade, all supported by the government. The local laws are administered by a Jefe Politico, assisted by five subordinates, and backed by two hundred soldiers. In the immediate suburbs was fought that historic battle known as “El Alto de Ali- fine: sheer mus. | 28" Ga May of 18:0), which ruptured the old alliance between Peru and Bolivia that had proved so disastrous to the former country rosy or blue as a turquois, ending in a de- | #24 gave Chili possession of the territory. Now the Chilians complain that Moilendo, the Peru- vian port, has ruined both Tacna and Arica by absorbing all of Bolivia's exports and imports; for, naturally, the Bolivians do not take kindly to paying duties to the country which took away their sea coast by superior force of arms. By special permission of the Chilian gover ment, line of carreteros run between Arica and Bolivia, bringing out from the latter country some ores, coffee, cocoa, cinchona bark, &c. ‘THE ALAMEDA OR PUBLIC PROMENADE. All the water that is used in Tacna is brought from the great canal called Uchusuma by an aqueduct 5,000 metres long and is deposited in common reservoir, whence it is carried around to the houses in huge tin cans. Per- haps the most attractive epotin the place is the Alameda or public promenade—a long and narrow area, with a broad azequia running down the middle, which is crossed by many stone bridges, precisely like those seen in Chinese paintings, each hump-backed little arch capped by an allegorical statue in marble. Long lives of ancient willow trees shade the whole and beneath their drooping and worm- dropping branches stone benches are thickly set for the accommodation of the Fagin which never comes this way, for the place is completely deserted at all ti except by the birds and butterflies. THE La BOLA DE ORA HOTEL. ‘The caravansary where we tarried, named La Bola de Ora (‘The Golden Ball”), is quaint enough to deserve especial mention, aud as Frenchy as anything in France. Its only en- ‘seasons, ce is through the saloon, where Madame la | ¥“ tran oug n Froprctaig ‘tall Say biting tne oouner with ber. sewing when not dispensing ars enh eolian, Fextons sak teen Gif'eround are. shelves flied with jars and bot: flee, of odd shapes ‘and with glaring labels, containing wines, liquors, candies, nuts, Y | Crackers and dulcies; while every space on thé Is between them is crowded with <8 pore 9 aaa ip yn Geiseneath thems Liste ound tables a seat: Undernea! are scat tered all about, where mildly-convivial natives ‘take of eau sacre or coffee and play games of dominoes. There is no way of into around with little wooden bi that look like so many toy houses, all precisely alike, with their gable ends turned toward the court. Each Fable is penetrated by a door, and over each door is a square window, hung on a pivot, & la transom, which may be opened and shut by pulling » cord inside, and is the only means of affording light and ait to the Saad Each iny play house is a complete ing apar! ment, with floor of bare boards well washed and sanded, and is furnished with a “single” bedstead of White painted iron, canopied and much berufiied; a emall wooden table and smaller washstand; one chair; a tell candle stick, minus the candle, which you must pay extra for, and aconepicuons peg about half a yard long on whieh you ‘may bang your babili- LATEST WAR NEWS. Bat we must ledve the rest of Tacns and ‘spare space enough to tell you the war news, asnearly ascan be ascertained up to date. It is extremely difficult to obtain any reliable information in the different parts of even ‘so near as this to “to the seat of war;” because the policy of the government isto’ maintain the utmost secrecy. The president's sympa- thizers are instructed to make light of existing troubles and to declare that the few m accounts which have gone forth to. the world were grossly exaggerated. But thatis by no means true. So far from having been ex- aggerated, the half has not been told, and Probably ‘never will be. Soon as it be- came known that the navy had declared itself for the opposition (on uary last), the president shut up all the tal graph and telephone offices, and all the news- Paper establishments in Santingo except one, which is under his own immediate control; so that even the citizens of the capital know little of what is going on in other parts of the repub- lic, During the last fortnight neither side seems to have gained much advantage, and the muddle still remains in statu quo. All the Chilian ports are in possession of the rebels, and in the most important of them blockades have been established, thus ep? paralyz- ing business of every kind. Of course all for- had to leave at once, or take the consequences; and the same would be true of foreign residents and business houses in case of bombardment. SALOONS AND CAFES SRUT UP AT 10 O'CLOCK. By order of the president, all the clubs of Santiago are closed and the saloons and cafes must shut, their doors at10p.m. No coaches or street cars are allowed to run after midnight and more than half the railway trains have been stopped because, owing to the block- age, coalaare becoming scarce and scarcer. Unless some arrangement can shortly be made, no trains at all can run and Santiago will soon be without gas and in total darkness at night— ® nice state of affairs amid the dangers of war, with kerosene at $1.25 per gallon in cheapest time and not much of it to be had at any price. PRISONS CROWDED WITH BUSPECTS. Aletter, received today from an English friend who is engaged in business in Chili's capital, tells me that half Santiago is in hiding, and the prisons are crowded to overflowing, more than 600 reputable citizens being incarc- erated as suspected abettors of rebellion. Day and night the streets are patrolled by soldiers and armed policemen on horseback, and the bet tig desolate city, under strictest military ‘law, is virtually in a state of siege. There is no telling how long the present trying condition of affairs may continue, as neither the president nor the 0; ition know which way the remainder of the regular army ma; turn. The outcome of all this trouble practi- cally hinges on the will of a few commissioned officers, and that the president is somewhat doubtfu) about their remaining with him is shown in the extraordinary efforts he is mak- ing to raise new troops by force. Mails can no longer go northward from Chili by the usual route—up the Pacific to Panama, thence across the Isthmus and toNew York via the At- lantic; but on account of the blockade, they must be sent overland to Buenos Ayres, from Los Andes over the mountains and across the Argentine Republic, requiring at least ten days more time in transit from Santiage or Valpa- raiso to New York. 4 NARROW ESCAPE FROM IMPRISONMENT. My correspondent, who is the most quiet and fastidious of gentlemen, tells me how he barely escaped spending a night in jail himself. It happened in this way: The clubs being closed, one evening after dinner, accompanied by two other young Englishmen, he strolled into the Cafe Santiago to learn the latest war news. They remained perhaps half an hour, chatting with acquaintances and watching the crowd in the patio, where two or three hundred citizens were congregated, discussing (probably minus the first syllable uf the word) the deplorable situation. When the English trio started for home they were amazed to find the gates guarded by a squad of mounted policemen with drawn swords, who had orders to allow no one to depart. Though it went much aguinst the grain of loyal Britons, they were compelled to submit, and were kept there until midnight, uncertain as to what their fate might be, when, it having been proven that they were English subjects who wd taken no part in Chili's political affairs, they were at last permitted to depart in peace, but with dire threats as to what would happen to them if they were again caught in a crowd. As for the discussing citizens in the patio, they were all marched off en masse to San Pablo, the common prison for the lowest class of criminals, and kept there until morning as @ solemn warning not to do so any more. Fanwiz B. Warp. —— HOW THE EAR IS MADE. A Wonderful Apparatus and Why It Cannot Be Dissected. “The human ear,” said a scientist to a Stan reporter, ‘is an organ the true inwardness of which the physicians have never been able to getat. They can examine the interior of the eye with ease by throwing into ite dark cham- ber a ray of light reflected from a little mirror, and of Inte they have found it possible even to seo the gray matter of the brain by looking through the little canal by which the optic nerve enters. The cavity bebind the nose they inspect with the aid of a light placed far back in the,mouth. They have no difficulty in seeing into the stomach by an electric appa- D.C, SATURDAY, ratus; the intestines likewise are readily enough investigated and the bladder also. But the ear, as to its internal arrangements, is" unapproachable. It is even im: possible to - dissect it —_satisfactoril after death, for the reason that the col- lapse at once when tho vital spark leaves the body. The drum in aliving person bara the way to observation, and, even though it be jierced, the winding passages beyond cannot seen yoy On the other side of the drum are the three little bones—the mallet, the anvil and the stirrap—which act upon each other as levers. The drum acts as @ sort of buffer, and the mallet, immediately in contact with it, conveys the sound waves through the anvil and the stirrup to the ‘cochlea,’ a spiral shell-shaped chamber just behind and above the external ming of the ear. This shell is composed of filaments of the auditory nerve, coiled spirally and each one erect and waving tremulously in response to the slightest waves of sound. ‘They carry the sound impressions directly to the ‘brain, and so delicate is their sensitiveness that the hearer perceives not only the of loudness, but even the finest quality of s sound, the harmon, of tones, and the distance from which it comes. The moment — that becomes extinct, however, the spiral shell of nerves collay and the marvelous organ isa dead thing, unsatisfactory to the investigating anatomist. If only it had been found possible to examine the internal structure of the living eur aural surgery might perhaps amount to today. ‘The science of treating the when Helmholtz invented’ the le instrument called the ophthalm e for inspecting its interior. Thereure plenty of ear doctors, and people pay big prices for being treated by them for deafness, but did ever know of a case where the patient was Feally much benefited by anything he could do? “I have known dozens of who have persistently sought relief at. the hands of aural specialists, but not one of them has been cured or materially helped, simply because science has achieved hardly ing in that branch of knowledge.” one’s sleeping apartment e: xcept this Sah oon eres ation elo caret ‘garlic and sound of siasling Grease, aad the other three sides are set closely bright, the sun was shining serenely and the air was absolutely without motion. It wass | ti perfect morning. About 10 o'clock a strange roar could be heard afar off in the mountains. eben louder and louder, but not e breath of air stirred the dust on the streets of the town. Then there came ® rush of wind that almost took Stu eee aes rr) blinding cree was ly im- PXScphere clecred, and” ina iow somone stoopbore « an ins few moments the tains bad no manifestation of their Se em ton Be eee os the wind in the big end, as it were, and shoot ‘until you are used to it, t ° DISEASE FOLK LORE. cient and Modern, FUNNY CURES FOR PAINS. Surprising Remedies in the Old Wives’ Phar- macopoia—Beliefs Held Even to This Day in Miraculous Remedies—The Contents of the Witches’ Cauldron Only a Suggestion. the causos of disease, all ailments, of whatever description, were be- sioned by supernatural agencies. For such af- flictions evil spirits were sponsible. InCeylonthe great demon of disease 1s associated with a pe- culiar legend. His father was a king who, believing his queen tobe faithless, ordered her to be cut in two. Before the sentence was car- ried out she said: “If this charge be false may my child be born ademon and destroy the whole of this city.” When she had been ex- ecuted a wonder happened: The severed parts reunited and a child was born, who repaired to the burying place and fattened on the corpses, whereupon he proceeded to inflict mortal dis- e&ses upon the town and nearly depopulated it. This demon has eighteen attendance, the first of which is the Fiend of Madness. The ancient Assyrians believed that the world swarmed with noxious spirits, which might be swallowed in food or drink and eo cause disease. FATAL WORK OF THE RAINBOW. The Zulus of Africa believe that persons who die sudden or violent deaths have been killed of the by the rainbow. All individuals among them who lose their lives by falls, drowning or wild beasts perish because the rainbow has de- voured their ka-la, or spirit. In the New He- brides there is, or was, a colony of professional disease makers, who live by collecting such rubbish as the skin of @ banana which a man has eaten. The banana skin is rolled up and slowly burned, the result being that as it burns the consumer’ of the fruit becomes more and more sick until he makes up his mind to pro- Pitiate the wizards by presents. But even the Wizards are not secure against such influences, and at times they themselves discover that somebody is, burning their rubbish and so are driven to appeal for mercy. The custom of ringing the “passing bell” took its rise from the notion that its sound would drive away the evil spirits that stood waiting at the bed of a sick man for his soul. Abyssinian sorcerers sttach tothe image of a person whom they wish to torture by inflicting injuries upon his likeness the name of the victim, and to pre- vent this the people conceal their baptismal names. DISEASES CAUSED BY THE DEAD. ‘The belief that diseases are caused by the dead is of great antiquity. It was applied in the case of vampires, which were supposed in the middle ages to be the spirits of deceased individuals, which left their graves at night and sucked the blood of the living. The most horrible pet of the fancy, whichset all Euroj pante stricken e few centuries ago, was the lheory that the victims were obliged themselves to become vampires after death. To prevent this thousands of suspected corpses were dug up in order that their hearts might be trans- fixed with stakes to prevent the fiends from going abroad: In 1875 the body of a woman in Chicago who had died of consumption was exhumed and her lungs burned, under the persuasion that she was drawing others after her into the grave. Passing i thoughtin some parts of rash, whilein New Jersey ings about incurable cramps in the foot. In China and Scotland also people are reluctant to save a drowning man for fear that the latter, if his life is preserved, will do some dreadful injury to his savior. The Scotch believe that the spirit of the last person buried has to keep watch in the churchyard until an- other is entombed there, to whom he delivers his charges. The duty of the latest interred to stand sentry at the graveyard gate every night until relieved often gives much uneasiness to the deceased's surviving friends in thinly in- habited parts of the country. THE TRANSFER OF DISEASE. ‘The various interesting superstitions relate to the cure of diseases by transferring them to puppies, ducks or other animals. To inhale the cold breath of a duck is still recommended in England. In Devonshire, when a child has whooping cough, a hair is taken from its head. put between two slices of bread and butter and given to a dog: and if in eating it the dog cough ‘the ailment will be transferred. An old remedy for toothache was for the patient to spit ina frog's mouth and request him to make off with the trouble. In Pennsylvania and elsewhere in this country it is imagined that a child may be cured of whooping cough by holding the a live fish in its mouth for « minute or two. An old and guaranteed remedy for warts is to touch each wart with a pebble and put the pebble ina bag, which should be lost on the way to church; whoever finds the bagand opens it gets as many warts as there are stones in it. A curious mode of getting rid of disease is by taking the hand of a corpse and requesting the dead body to carry the complaint with bi grave. In China the figure of a man, cut out Of paper, is carried out into the street and is supposed to convey the disease with it. In folk tales there are traces of children bei put to death as a cure for leprosy in others,an the ancient authority Xenokrates speaks with confidence of the good effects to be obtained from eating human brains and flesh. HOW To CURE FITS. In parts of England it is believed that fits may be cured by fetehing a handful of earth from the grave most recently made inachureh- yard when the clock is striking twelve mid- night. Churchyard grass is thought in South Wales to be an antidote to mad dog poison. In Scotland the powder froma man's skull, burned, is erteemed w remedy for ept- lepsy. For nose bleed there is nothing so good as dried moss found growing upon « human skull. An Irish love charm is made from @ iece of skin taken with a black-handled knife From a male corpse that hasbeen nine days buried. Those who steal the bones of people that have been burned to death for the pur- pose of compounding medicines are looked upon with such horror in China that it is said that when they are bora again they will have no ears, eyes, hands, feet, mouth or nose. In the same country, after an’ execution, large balls of pith are steeped in the blood of the criminal and sold tothe people ass cure f consumption, under the name of “blood broad.” The touch of a dead — has been widely believed to possess healing powers, and at life | Northampton formerly numbers of sufferers used to congregate around the wa after an ee piviagies nasa ct = the “dead stroke” by appl ni corpse to the part vaieted. “Bees obtained for the priy- sn. MEDICINAL VIRTUES OF COLORS. Colors have been considered to possess many virtues in medicinal practice. Red flowers ‘used to be given for disorders of the blood and yellow blossoms for jaundice, while scarlet bed coverings were wrapped ‘around smallpox tients to bring the pustules out. In Japan lormeriy the children of the royal house, when attacked by smallpox, were in chambers where bed and walls were alike covered with red, and all who a} scarlet. APRIL 4, 1891-SIXTEEN PAGES. SRETREEZES F Hite lieved to be ocos-| seathern mon held to be chiefly re-| Sd A young woman in Chelseahad « sealed paper guard her against toothac! railed on ber to open it and all inside was t0 be: And abe her tor your pains." stanadas? coucluens ‘The Thirsty Tramps’ Successfal Expediest. THE MINT JULEP. ‘Ita Inventor ts Unknown, but Two Famous One of your correspondents aake for the his- tory of mint julep. Alas! the name of the in- ventor, like that of many another benefactor of humanity, has been lost to the coming gen- erations; the date of its discovery goes back to the early colonial days of Maryland and Vir- Ginia, which two states dispute the honor. Without venturing to decide the question Positively, I am inclined to award the credit to that part of the Qld Dominion included in the peninsular formed by the Poto- mac and Rappahannock, known to old timers ss “Jotank,” where, in the olden days, the ato- matic julep was as familiar, even to infants, as Somer ph hs Sra a “ uses” to uy e children Detore breakfast and ‘cdminister to each—babies included—a proper modicum of the blessed anti-malaria julep. The taste for the grew with their growth and today it may be looked upon as the national tipple of = XJ tide-water counties of the southern T have known in the course of a life but two men who have achieved a national reputa- tion as compounders of this most delicate tip- ‘The first was the late John Townsend of Albion, on the south side of the Poto- ‘mac, and the other Mr. Guy, founder of the Guy House in Baltimore, and for some years landlord of the National Hotel in Washington. known to his many friends as “Jack Dade,” was a gentleman of ancient familv, and once of great ions, noted even among the free-living Jotankers for his amiable eccen- tricities and jovial temper. Notwithstanding bis affability, the old fellow was a great aristo- erat, and all who did not belong to the F.F.V. families “‘scopankers.” He was very app t “his British sen yy & crop,” but prouder still of his skill in mixing ‘s Jolep.. When the circumstances rmit he would never to another delicate task of gathering the mint; he walked out to where the plant was growing and selected for himself with the utmost care the youngest and tenderest shoots, insisting ‘upon it that upon this telection the delicacy of the brew depended. Vulgar ecopankers, he ‘was wont to remark, with palates blunted the abuse of bad liquor, might use the tough and bitter stalks of the mint, but gentle- men, never! He would then reverently take from the inner sanctuary of an antique side- board a large silver-gilt goblet, an heirloom, a Felic of the past grandeur of the house of Dade, which he cherished with great pride and called, vd some reason no one find out, the ip. ‘This massive vessel would hold probably two quarts. Then the loaf sugar (crushed sugar he held to be a vulgar adulteration) was brought forth and then the brandy—none of your cheap pee French brandy, but the grand old London ‘k brandy, of which the port of Norfolk seemed to have the monopoly. With the decanter of brandy was uriously jug containing: ram in Ji ; used to =. before Gen. bape va ington was born, and ‘as precious as ixir of life. Finally, a servant brought in a os of ice, carefully cracked into lumps of the size of nutmegs. _ The materials being now at hand, the bre ing commenced, onl it was attended witha certain degree of solemni old gentle- man’s manner assumed the earnest gravity of oS ‘ancient slchemist in search of the phil a stone—his loquacious tongue was silent, the ees lost its kindly smile, and he lookedas if the fate of mankind de- nded on his success. He measured out each —— the scrupulous care. — apoth- ecary making out a prescription of potent Gruge on which ‘debended the life of & patient. The sugar was put in first in ‘carefully counted lumps, then the ice, also carefully measured, and these two ii dients were stirred together with « musical rattle that would have made ever. a fish thirsty, until the sugar was dissolved. This done the dark brandy was poured in with a liberal hand, and then the rum, but with a most gingerly hand, a teaspoonful ata time, as if every drop was as precious as molten gold; this Havoring extract of the sugar cane cel ‘A most potent qualit; immediately on withdrawing the stoppe from the jug the atmosphere was pervaded with a most delicious aroma and the thirst of the bystanders became intolerable. An last came the mint. This was tak up ‘twixt finger and thumb, sprig, with the dainty care of ‘ing the anatomy of a microscopic insect, and bunched and gradually submerged in the fluid, leaving a crowning bouquet above the rim of the great goblet surpassing in perfume all the roses of Araby, the blessed. Allowing sufticient time for all the ingredients to com- mingle and blend into a harmonious whole, the proud compounder gravely handed the vessel to each of his gusts in the order of precedence, fathering. in as he proceeded the reward for is skill and hospitality from the ecstatic ex- clamations of delight of his guests as, they im: bibed the Jotank nectar, whick the gods of Olympus would bave envied them. My good old friend Dade's local celebrity asa jule; TSS ‘become national until he went to W: e Was appointed warden of the penitentiary by his life-long friend, President Tyler, and here the first and only falling out that ever occurred between them was caused bya julep. The renown of the Dade beverage had spread far and wide over the land and strangers of eminence visit- ing the capital eagerly sought for an oppor- tunity to get a sip from the famous ship. Among these was a staid New Englander, brother to an illustrious Senator, and « model of ali the Puritanical virtues, who called with Mr. Crittenden and other friends of the warden at the penitentiary, and was in- duced to ‘8, alas! too freely of the cup that cheers but certainly does inebriate, and the result was thet the gossips of Capitol Hill were treated to the rare spectacle of a gen- Ueman bearing an illustrious name vomiting from a hack window like a seasick landsman on ‘* rough sea. ‘The President, on its coming to his ears, was greatly disturbed at this untoward event, and sending for his old friend lectured him upon the impropriety of one of his ofti- cials being the cause of such a public scandal, but he could not resist the bonhomie of his old schoolmate, and the lecture was mitiguted by a jorum of honest rye whisky toddy, which he und old Jack took together. Nexs to Townsend Dade ase scientific com- pounder vine beverage was “old man Guy,” as he was called by his disciples, a Peun- sylvanian, I believe. by birth, who took a house in the incom, host of the great hotel py a host is in the humor and puts forth all his ‘there is nothing obtuse or dense about the Foster family,” Mr. Mahlon Chance said the ago, when the new Secretary was a boy and lived with his father in their Ohio home. dispute had arisen over the location of a stretch of county road. Some wanted it laid out in one place, others favored « different route, and a few wanted s third line. After « good deal of > 11 | Character Reading Through Many Miles of Tntervening Wire. i From the Philadelphia Record. i operators of this city ate noted the world over as expert. Not only are’ they masters of their art asa class, but mans of them have developed the wonderful faculty: of reading character by the sbarp ticks thal emanate from the little brass instruments For, instance, any old-time operator who ranks as ® first-rater can tell by the tick of the machine is. Philadelphia what manner of man is at thé other end of the wire, no matter whether be be in Chicago, New York or any other distant city+ Just as bank cashiers recognize the signat of old customers, so do teingraphers ident friends by their “sending” or writing. ; ‘The fast, Jerky sender who stops every few minutes to tighten this screw or loosen that spring, or to talk with his deskmate easilt tells the receiver that he is # nervous, irre- sponsibie yome' man of little experience and less judgment: he warns the receiver to be on constant watch for errors for which he will shirk any responsibility. Without having defi- nite reason to aay eo the receiver will not heal tate to assert that such @ sender would le bim- self out of any difficul at might arice. The fearless, manly telegrapher is the man who sends even, well-apaced Morse, fast, of conrse, but steady withal, and sends “all thé time.” seldom bas “cases.” He im* erat once that he is invariabl¢ correct. He never stops for bed copy. becawr he always reads a message abead of the one d returns any he cannot deciphet before starting it, This sort of man has a friend in every office. All the students and operators in way stations knot him. recognize his sendi . to him as would achild toan older bro! This man's character is well known to every ‘one with whom bi The sneak is q) overed and promy “roasted.” He se and wh mye § gravating drag. He never rs on the wire, which, by the way, is certain to be rewarded by dismivsal if reported, although « majority of operators are more or less profane. While this man may not have been in the business @d the time of any «trike, be is certain to be called a “weab’ all the out-of-town men with whom he has frequent «pate. Practical jokers and wit indifferent opera have s rept~ tation, reaching from San Francisco to Boston which always secures them work at good ries. Their characteristics are denoted by th small amount of business they handle, now withstanding the fact that they seem to work every minute. They make all sorts of blanderS and Worry the receiver sick, depending pom their good humor and new stories to squar® matters, 5 Dude operators, like their fancy brethred, sre poor artiste, but they are not f the way of acquiring “reputations.” never need tell the receiver that they love cs aud think of little else. Their frequent sto} and silly chatter between messages tell it f them. After six months’ working with operator of this sort the receiver could dé- scribe him almost to a positive exactness witt out ever having seen hiw or heard him scribed. characters are well d and they are distinguished by bits of informat dropped from day to tell their story when covered in the addresses of mesnages reste from one city to another suggesti some word to take the place of one badly w ten by some newspaper man whose “cop they have “handled. ia Lady operators are identified by the ligh}- ness of their wending, few of them being alve to work on long-distance wires. On. this o- count “Clara” ise favorite name for light send ers of either sex, and their character as well 8 their sex is revealed by their constant anxiety and ever-faithfulness, as well us by their disp®- sition to talk. , ‘ew people understand why tolegraphers so mach aud such a variety of «lan Thee easily accounted for. The men in New Yotk and San Francisco communicate all the latet phrases to Chicago, from which point Galvés- ton, Denver, New Orieans and Ogden recei © the'“new talk,” and the forces at Philadel) Pittsburg, Richmond and Boston acquire thd stock from New York. In this way a bri saying heard by an operator in New ¥ repeated the world over the sume day, as cavle operators are quite as slangy as the fest of the craft. bs is wy toe ATHLETICS BY ARBITRATION. A University Boat Race on Scientific, Metal and Friendly Principles. From Punch. The crews were met together on the day fired for the event in the council room of the cdu- bined universities’ barge moored at Putwey. ifteen of the atnletes wore the usual trainiig mufti, which contrasted strongly with the garb of the sixteenth—a complete suit of flanntls, “To quote our ancestors, “Why this thas ness?” asked the Camford stroke as be recognized one of bis own men in this strange apparel. “Why not?” replied the other; “surely we are not going to rl twoeds.”” “We are not goi ull at all,” explai:e@ the leader of the Oxbridge Eight,” curteou: “I think we can manage the matter in a mere satistactory fashion. It was all very well in the nineties to race in real earnest, but now that we have reached the twentieth century cur civilization teaches something better.” “Certainly !” returned the Camford strot; “and I think we had better get at once to boki- ness, Who has the sworn information of vur respective coaches?” “I have,” replied the honorable solicitor ;to the rival boating clubs; “‘and if you will allyw me I will produce them—or rather it, for the couches have aftirmed jointly.” All present bowing acquiescence, the man of law, patting on his spectacles and opening @ brief bag, produced a document and read: “It is’ our opinion that Oxbridge, as (ue heavier crew, bas an advantage over Camfotd, which is only lessened and certainly not gu- tirely removed, by the better training of the latter. Moreover, the steering of the Oxbriize coxswain is infinitely preferubie to the stecr: ag of his rival. ‘he times of the various tré is, too, have in every instance given a distinct ~4- vantage to Oxbridge. Again, they have a tét- ter boat. 80, given fine weather, the resulf is a foregone conclusion. Oxbridge must sm, although no doubt Camford would maby s good fight for it and come in a respecwole second.” , “L suppose we may add, barring accident?” suggested the Camford stroke, with rethe” @ forced laugh. “sir!” exclaimed the honorable soliciSer, with some severity. “Ina company of geu men like those present accidents always barred.” “Quite 40,” admitted the Camford in, “end 1 suppose our committee of the lalest Senior Wrangler and the youngest Double First have considered what I may call the atujos- pheric conditions under which the race would bave taken place ' “Yes, sir, we have, and those conditions «re all unfavorable to the success of Camfor4,” was the ready reply. “Then 1 think we have but one more thing to do—to give three hearty cheers Zor our opponents,” suid the Oxbridge stroke, énd 4 minute later the rafters rang with plause. “Bat why shouldn't we have rowed it ok?” asked the gentleman in flannels—be wab o Freshman—a little later. “Surely that would have been more satistactory.” “Not at all,” was the reply. “The plar-te merely a survival of the fittest!” and his ansWer afforded general satista: saat ocean Looked Far Ahead. From the London Truth. A man of very sanguine temperament, L/ rd Beauchamp, was always planning some proftet for the future. A characteristic anecdoté ia wold of him. A week or two betore his deathfbe ‘wns in the gardens at Madresfield, and be asted his gardener how long # handsome pices would last, | “Fifty years,” was the 4 “Then we must emp to the as cae goes fe fr ‘fifty to Pp lor 4 He devised little for the