Evening Star Newspaper, November 28, 1891, Page 9

FOR THE LITTLE ONES. How to Dress Children Prettily and Tastefully. EFFECT OF GOOD CLOTHES. Pretty Gowns and Stylish Hats for Young Girls—Why = Mother Should Keep Her Children Becomingly Attired—& Well- Dressed Lad—Fashion Notes. Special Correspondence of The Evening Star. New Youx, November 27, 1891. OTHERS EXTRACT A double pleasure from the task of dressing their children prettily and tastefully—they satisfy the maternal in- stinct which prompts = inem to shield the lit- flue forms from cold {estSand exposure, and they STaysratify their pride and 1}_——general desire of com- 1, Smendation at the hands of their fellow beings. ‘True, the world is ma- licious enongh at times to take advantage of this weakness, if it may be called such, and to warp the mother's bet- ter judgment by heaping undeserved praise Upon her child, but there is no doubt about the fact that there is an education in a well- dressed and well-behaved child which you can’t find in your phi phy that Hamlet sneered at so contemptuous! Good clothes have the same effect upon little folks that they do upon children of larger growth—they inspire self-respect and_refine the instincts and so! the manners. Whena sudden quiet hapy TW i drawing room sou it “Why, evegy one is looking at my new dress,” exclaimed little Lady Pinkandwhite, ally persuaded that her pretty gown must be no the cause of the sudden hush. “There particular harm in this petty di egotism. It is always much safer much afraid of what the world thinks and says about us than not to care at all about public opinion. A chat npon the subject of fashions for youth will be interesting, for, although many, Very many, of us never get any further than cutting out and making dresses for our dolls, yet there never comes a time when theso buds ‘of humanity haven't the power to set our heads nodding in friendly fashion. FOR A YOUNG GIRL. The initial illustration represents @ very pretty suit fora young girl. It may be made up in pearl gray amazon cloth, the corsage closing in th+ middle. and is trimmed with a pleated plastron of white surah, or, if you pre- fer. of the same slate as the cloth laid on the lining. The fronts of the corsage are double. They are both sewed to the sides, und with these are cut away from the shoulder seam. They are cut heart shape and meet at a peint atthe back. You would do well to cut them out first in muslin. They should be piped and not be fastened to the lining until the plastron has been adjusted. The little figaro is shaped as indicated, and is caught m the shoulder seams, in the arm holes, in the seams of the third side piece. It should be lined with silk and should be edged with black pearled bobbin. ‘The *-:rois shorter at the back than in fron _ The two narrow basque volants are cut away in front. These volants are gathered most at the back. The leg-o-mutton sleeves are ornamented with three rows of pearled gal- leon. The skirt foundation may be of silk or THE EVENING STAR:- WASHINGTON. I note still eontinae ee for young irl, ‘They are far more nt and dressy fran they Were last season, and are made up in combinations of cloth and velvet. One in particular which attracted my attention bad a brim of black velvet edged with jet beads and a crown of cream white cloth, surrounded by several folds of cloth, with a ap of white tte held by pair of small blackbirds. Another style has a velvet brim, wider than the sailor hat, and is smoothly overlaid with a piece of Irish point lace. At the back is a bow of black satin ribbon, mounted with a bunch of lyre bird feathers. Young girls also look extramely well in the little Heury II eapotes, with their pastry-cock crowns and nodding plumes at the back. For those who like to Wear something of the masculine mode the Tyrolese, the riding hat and the Brighton, all in soft felt, will be sure to find favor. p) ‘A STYLISH FELT. A very pretty hat is represented in my fourth illustration, a red felt for alittle girl. The trimming consists of two bows of cream woolen stuff with red dots and large cock’s feathers, held in place by a pleated band of the stuff. Felt turbans, too, are very popular. They are trimmed with silk ribbon and have one or two quill feathers, or are both trimmed and bound with ribbon. The soft heather felt runs in any shades and ean be made very dressy, ‘conical crown turban and the derby are also favorite forms. All, however, lies in trimming. This must be rich, original and full of style, eare being had to hit upon exactly the right shape to bring out all the good points of your face. DOUBLE-BREASTED PALETOT. With the approach of winter the careful mother bethinks herself to provide long warm wraps for the little ones, ang in this line noth- ing could be more serviceable than the double- breasted paletot, which may be mado up in a handsome French plaid in drab cloth or in a dark blue serge. It should be trimmed with far of some kind and the hat must match, of course. With such «long coat a Tam O’Shan- ter looks well, with a single quill feather set at the side, and a dainty little muff made up in the same material and trimmed with the same fur completes the costume. ‘The tailor- breasted reefer coat will continue to be popular for young people. They must be tailor made. alpaca, should be bordered with asmall pleated ruftle and there should be a drawing string midway in the back breadth. The bottom of the skirt is garnitured with two volants, both beaded with gallon. GIRLS CLOTH DRESS. The charming costume pictured in the sec- ond illustration is suitable both as a promenade and calling dress for a young girl, and may be made up either in a fawn ormarine blue vicuna oreloth. Itis partly lined with muslin and has an underskirt of the dresé material, for, as will be noticed, the dress skirt is caught up on the right side and hooked at the waist line. ‘The corsage is draped as indicated. The embroidered standing collar closes in front. ‘The skirt is trimmed with a broad bias band of embroidery. So also is there a band of em on the corsage and at the cuffs. A WELL-DRESSED LAD. Of late years a great deal of attention has been bestowed upon boys’ clothing, and the consequence is some altogether delightful Tesults have been attained—results combining style and picturesque effect to a high degree. The schoo! boy no longer as in Shakespeare's time, goes crawling along unwillingly to school, with a shiny face and stubborn hair projecting comely cloth cap. He steps along like a little gentleman: his natty student's cap set jauntily on the back of his head shows his carefully cut and :moothed Bair. while the most perfect taste is displayed im every detail of his toilet He looks the littie aristocrat. or at least the polished and well- bred little citizen, whose smiling face and laughing eyes will soon be overspread with the earnest expression of the collegian with thought upon the awful responsibilities of foot ball, the eight-oared barge or runuing high pe FRED Uttle man, most stylishly and fashion- ably clad, 18 shown im the third illustration. He wears a suit of biue cheviot The blouse opens on a blue and white plastron. A highty polished white Iihen collar has folded over ends and the laced shoes have patent leather tips. The overcoat, made in thoroughly fash- ionable style, with a velvet collar, is thrown back with an easy to show ‘the handsome checked lining. It must be confessed that the Little man thus completely ready to show him- self in public presents a very intelligent and attractive appearance—possibly not quite #0 quaint and picturesque a figure as the little princes in the Tower of London, but, all in all, screditable specimen of that refinement and g00d breeding so often met with among the boys of this practical and matter-of-fact age HEADGEAR FOR CHILDEES. Thave noticed many charming bits of head- gear for children this season. They are plain For ordinary crisp weather the cloth mantle is a seasonable garment for a young girl,adjusted to the figure at the back, loose fronts and double sleeves, the outer being loose and full and set bigh on the shoulder. And here we must end our talk about what little men and women should wear indoors and out. Of course much depends upon the taste and ingenuity of the mothers, and, I should add, theit’ pation too, for quite as mueli patienes and good jud ment are required in dressing @ trio of little girls as in working outa problem in state craft or higher mathematics. But after the task is done comes the full and deep satis- faction. The mother, as sho gazes upon her work, has good reason to be satisfied. She has added largely to the happiness of those dear to her, which is her mission in life. The last illus- tration portrays the mother in her pose of ma- ternal complacency and dignity. She presents & very sweet and gentle picture as she follows the movements of her children in the joyous throng of little ones. a TAKE FIRST RIDE. The Old Man Insisted Upon Having Jim Smith Alovg With Him. From the Atlant. Constitution. “When I was up in Murphy, N. C., last sum- mer,” said a well-known railroad man, “I saw an old man ninety years old who had never ridden on a train in his life. He came into the ticket office and bought a ticket and then went into the waiting room and sat down. His grand- sonhad come wits him to the train, but as train time drew nigh the old man got shaky about the kuees and was aboui to back out. Friends gried to nerve him up, but he said at last: “‘Lain't a gwineastep unless Jim Smith goes with me and hol’s my han’. “Jim Smith was a well-known business man, and he finally agreed that he would ride out to the frst siation with the old man and hold i nd ‘All right,” said the old man, ‘and if it's too I'll jest come back.’ they boarded the train together, and Jim Smith held the old man by the hand.’ The old fellow trembied and shook in every limb at first, his eves bulged out fearfully, and he would groan in his misery. “After a mile his groanings became more frequent, and when the tirst station was reached he reluctantly released the hand of the faithful Jim Smith and for the rest of the journey held on to his seat for dear life.” ————_-eo - Honest Sprinting. From the Chicago Mail. Col. John Griggs, age sixty-eight, weight that is plus 200, was the “‘fust settler in Tom Green county, Texas, and the only man now livin’ who helped scoop out the place where the river runs” The colonel 1s the hero of an exciting bear story, which deals with the remote an- tiqnity of ‘Tom Green county, which he tells on himself in great gusto, as follows: “Twas right smart younger then than Iam now. but purty nigh as hefty. I was livin’ in a cabin near the edge of the timber. One day 1 went out hoss buntin’ on foot, and like “tarnal fool I just clean neglected to tak along. ‘The b’ar and I met about a mile half from the cabin I started for home, and the b'ar loped along in the same direction. The faster 1 run the more determined that b'ar was to see that I didn’t get lost away from him. I was considerable of a leg shaker then, like Iam now. but I couldn't shake that b’ar off. When I got in sight 0” the cabin the b’ar warn't four rods behind. Icould hear him a- | pafin’ and mortin’ and my hair stood up so igh it just seemed like I couldn't make no headway ag’in the wind. My wife threw o; the door of the cabin and yelled: ‘Run, Joun, run! and you bet that’s what I was doin’. i | thought I was a good-by and gone John Griggs | and Trun. The wind was all on the outside of | j me, but I kept on a-runnin’, and all the time my wife stood there in that doorway and yelled: *Run, John, run!’ “Well, I got there fust,” and the colonel wiped from his brow the clammy perspiration | which the recollection of his marrow escape had caused to accumulate there. “I got there | fust, and fell ina heap on the floor, while my | wife barred aud barricaded the door. I was clean goue, teetotally tackered out, but bime by I got my breath, and I said ‘wife,’ sard I, givin’ her @ reproachful look, ‘wife do you think I'm a born fool?’ ‘Why, ‘no. John,’ says | she’ but sort 0” lookin’ as though sbe mo’a half did. ‘course I don’t; why should I? - Well,’ said I, ‘you stood there in that door a-holierin’ to me’to “run, John, run!” Now, do you think I'd play off in u race like that?’ * pantalla {and the Wallacks shone in those brief, enjoy- ——— OLD-TIME ACTORS. Some Memories Awakened by the Death of Comedian Florence, PROMINENT STAGE LIGHTS. ‘When Mra Florence Danced Between Acts— Charles Burke's Inimitable Performances— The Little Box of a Theater on the Avenue— ‘The Effect of Society Drama. Written for The Evening Star. [© DEATH OF THE ACTOR FLORENCE, notices of which filled the New York papers for several days, recalls the comparatively early days of the drama, before the actor be- came such an important part of social life as to require columns of obituary and to absorb the attention of thecountry. I can recall par- ticularly one character which Mt. Florence made his own, that of Obenreizer, in the drama- tization of Charles Dickens’ “No Thorough- fare.” Itwasa performance in which dra- matic talent was displayed. Charles Fechter played the character, as he did everything, admirably, but not as well as Florence. The characters of Captain Cutile and Sir Lucwus O Trigger were first appropriated by Burton and John Brougham, but those of the present generation cannot remember those actors. The days when Mr. Florence made his ap- pearance on the stage was at the close of that theatrical epoch when the elder Wallach, the elder Booth, Edwin Forrest, James E. Mur- dock, Macready, the Vanderhoifs, Burton, Jobn Brougham, Charlotte Cushman, Julia Dean, the lights of the stage of that era were illumi- nating it, To have seen and acted with such illustrious histrionic genius was of itself an inspiration and an edncation. irs. Florence, as M'Ue Maivina, appeared in Washington as early as 1846, when she was the wife of the leading “‘old man” of the company Mr. Littell. She danced between the play and farce under that name. In those days there was always some formance, usually dancing, between the play and the farce, which was generally a very on- fertaining operetta (as the “Loan of a Lover"), or some such capital farce as “Box and Cox,” &c., and to the theater goers of that day that portion of the performance was looked for as anxiously as the first piece; for the comedianof the company was favorite, and some of the old farces I can recall with pleasure. Miss Reynolds, who was for some seasons a favorite at the old National, made a great success in a musical farce, ‘‘The Fair Maid of Munster,” in which she sang and danced, and those who remember Mrs. FitzWilliams in that style of Performance can recall her charming voice and lelightful acting, and with her was Buckstone, who ranked very high on the English siage. How few remember THAT REALLY EMINENT ACTOR, CHARLES BURKE, Eminent, I ude the word in all its meaning, "8 applied to his profession. The actor who could move his audience to tears and sobs in “Grandfather Whitchead”—Farren’s great part —and convulse them with laughter at the farce of the “Illustrious Stranger,” had indeed reached an eminence which entitled him to the appellation. I once asked Joseph Jefferson when he playing in farces like “Claude Meddle and “Mazeppa” why he never played “The Ilustrious Stranger,” and he said never while Charley 1s remembered. Who is there today on the American boards that can play “Grandfather Whitehead?” that beauti- ful domestic, pathos ,which gained renown for Placide and 'Farren’ and Burke. That and THE DAYS OF FARCE. Iwas intending only to speak of the days when the farce was tome and to many others as entertaining as the play where the tragic muse presided. The great Junius Brutus Booth—the only Booth—thought he had missed his vocation in assuming tragic roles; that his forte was low comedy, and he would occasion- a Forney and myself and some one else, whom I canmot recall just now, were waiting for Mr. Forrest to go with Us 0 Gen. Armstrong’s to a party such as used to be given in those and when he came into the box office » ould have been a Joy, @ tragedi yy of your Forrest in one of fis moods may form some idea of his manner. Poor Fenno, all smiles and it by his manner to Mr. Forrest. argument,.in which Forney felt authorized to indulge with a good deal of vigor, we got under way for the residence of Gen. Armstrong, but Forrest was a wet blanket to all enjoyment, and to the remonstrance of Col. Forney, who talked very plainly to him, he would answer: “What did’ you bring me here for?” And poor Fenno, the unconscious cause of the anger of Forrest, rather aggravated it by trying to soothe him. Fenno and Forrest, and now Florence, have passed to their long home, and these incidents Serve to recall their peculiar traits. ‘The next night, however, after this one in which For- Test was so utterly unfit to — the bro circle he appeared at a party at Marshal Hoover's ‘yas tbe life ‘and light of the ovening. He told inimitably, as only he could tell them, some quaint French stories, recited poetry. and made himself, in fact, the entertainer of the large crowd who in those days filled the parlors of our genial entertainers. The contrast was so marked between this night and the night before that the enjoyment was enhanced. ‘MEMORIES. One of the attractions of Washington in the days of which I write were the members of the theatrical companies which wintered here. I can recall so many of them that their names would fill acolunin of Tux Stan, now, alas, passed off the stage of life, leaving in the mem- ory of but very few the incidents which made us cherish their memories long after the grave had closed above them. Florence's compeer, Joseph Jefferson, re- mains a veteran who does not “lag su over the stage,” but as full of life and vi or as when, years ago, he graced the boards of the old “National” and officiated as stage manager for that other veteran, John T. Ford. These two theatrical magnates are the coanecting lin! between today the long ago. Amid poe storm of last Monday Florence was la’ in the vault ugtil the return of Mrs. Florence, who is familiar to some of our old play goers, THE CAPTURE OF SLIDELL AND MASON. Thad occasion while in New York to visit my old haunt, the Astor library, and while there my eyes struck upon the headlines of a New York paper of November 22, 1861. Thirty years ago! "These display lines announced with the most cheering exclamations the capture of Slidell and Mason by Capt. Wilkes of the San Jacinto. It was hailed as the most stupendous success and its importance was deemed equal toa great victory. Itollowed up the file and varying editorials of boasting and a dotcermina- tion to do something—they did not seem to see what they would do—but the usual parade of cap- | p itals und dashes and exclamation points were used; but at last, not until December 17, did the English news come, and then there was achange. ‘There was great excitement in Liverpool and London, consols and cotton fell, mass meetings wero called and the peremptory demand was made on the United States to place Messrs. Mason and Slidell again under the British flag. ‘The de- mand was an unconditional one. Artillery was sent to Canada, and reinforcements, so the papers of that day announced,und there came a more quiet time in the daily press—perhaps, it was said, Capt. Walker committed a breach of international law, &c., &c., bute change had come. In the meanwhile Capt. Wilkes was not dis- Posed to remain silent under this change of opinion, and he wrote a very lengthy and ad- mirable letter to the National Intelligencer ask- ing to be heard. I took the letter to Gov. Sew- ard, as we did all matter referring to the State or War department, and the governor desired we should withhold it from publication for a few days, and in the meanwhile the confederate commissioners had been transferred to the pro- tection of the British flag. How tamely it all reads now, but at the time the capture of the commissioners, and with them their secretary, the Hon George Eustis, was regarded as great thing, and Capt. Wilkes was extolled to ¢ skies. Mr. Eustis is most agreeably remembered here as a member of Congress before the war, andon his marriage to Miss Corcoran, sol heiress to the benevolent banker, abroad for the last years of his life, and - cidents which recall him have passed out of the memory of many of his countrymen. Not ally, when the management failed to move hia purpose, appear as Jerry Sneak in “The Road To Hath. "Paw it onco-and it bas remained my memory as one of the most atrocious bits of so-called comic acting I ever saw, and because I didn’t say it was most laughable he regarded me as a very dull listener. Those old days of the farce come back to me from the far-off time when the elder Jefferson and the present one of that name and Burton and Charles Matthews and Buckstoneand Brougham able plays that send the audience away laugh- ing. Whoever can recall Tyrone Power will remember him best as Paudeen O' Rafferty or Corporat Connor and other farcical plays. These served as foils to his Sir Patrick O Plenipo. Barney Williams first made his reputation, and no better Irishman ever trod the boards, as Paddy Miles and those other pieces of Irish humor in which he left no successor. It is use- less nowadays to talk of that past, which I re- gard as the golden age of the draina, with any hope of secing it renewed. It has gone, never toreturn. ‘The society drama and its kindred monstrosities block the way. THE LITTLE THEATER ON THE AVENUE. The little theater I am writing about, and where Mra. Florence danced as Mile. Malvina, was on the avenuc near 434 street, now oc- cupied, as it had been previous, as a coach shop by Mr. Young,was altered into a very neat little Box" of atheater by Mr. Cartlidge, who was the original Mazeppa when played in Cook's Circus in London, in company with George F. Browne, who married the sister of Mrs. Florence, the theater he occupied for several years, and there Booth, Murdoch, Davenport, Charley Burke, Barney Williams ‘and ail the great actors of ‘the day appeared. Over Joe Shillington’s store a little English- man named Kilmeste, with some very talented children, fitted up that hall and there George Jordan made his first apperrance on the stage, and there Charley Burke played “Grandfather Whitehead.” I cannot now realize how small the stage was, but the performance remains in amy memory as one of the most beautiful I ever saw. Jobn Owen made @ good deal of his reputa- tion in farces, and, by-the-by, he left no one behind to take bis place in some of those char- acters he made his own. His John Unit, in “Self,” was an admirable performance, and for ‘thos and tenderness the stage not seen Ei superior in Caleb Plummer. Jetierson comes nearest, but he does not give the char- sympathetic touches which won for Owen's personation tears and smiles. In farce his Wooden Injun was like Burton's Madame Vanderpants and Touiles. FOR THAT LONG AG0. In recalling these personations I am pleading for the menfory of that long ago, when the afterpiece was welcomed after a heavy tragedy or gloomy melodrama and when it was a most evening’s enjoyment. ‘The dancing between the pieces was a loug-tol- lowed custom. At the National, when it was rebuilt, Annie Walters, who murried George Jordan, performed pas seul before the farce and it was always greeted with applause. As I look back at the little box of a theater in Young’s coach shop I wonder how they man- aged to produce the plays as wellas they did, and the wonder increases as I recall the fact that George Browne played “Putnam” thero and gave ‘he famous “run” from the top of the theater on his very beautiful horse and at- tracted crowded houses. Very pleasant memo- ries cluster round the little box, where Booth, Murdoch and all the “stars,” who then indeed illuminated the stage,came to give us the intel- Jectual enjoyment we yo eagerly sought. Tam just reminded that E. L. Davenport, then at the National Theater, sang between the pieces, “A Yaukeo Ship and a Yankee Sovm ana Soe after playing a leading part in vy oF play.’ What'a beautiful Actor he was! His edict, Hamiet, Rover and other parts made him truly eminent. BURTON'S WARDROBE. On the death of Burton of course all of his effects were sold, and among other purchases Florence bought some of the wardrobe, and, costume of Cuttie, a hook and all, and succeeded Burton in the part. One oe eatgel seaee ee ee was at when lorence peared al Prompter's table he found Se Denes hens who, by the by, has become # confirmed be- “You must honor your parents,” the am sure you obey your mother.” “Yes, sir!" came the reply with an emphasis | that rather startled the questioner. sngAnd you and your little brother here always ber don"t you?” aera ge she kin. ‘by, she kin lick dad, felt or beaver and are most tastefully trimmed; also im rough felt and soft {elt Sailor hats, yey | Bur school superintendent said to the new boy. “I “What did say?” asked Florence. Fenno replied: “He says, “Tell that fellow to take off my clothes.’” Florence declined to do so, however, and wore | Out again without much tronble to herself. ularly int to this he | breakfast more, particularly interesting story, it, one of the actors in that exciting period of our country’s history whose name I can recall re- mains among us. Joux F. Corie. gee eects ROAR OF THE NEWSEOY, Nothing in Human Vocalization so Impress- five as His Practiced Cry. From the Chicago Herald. What will be the vocal possibilities of these young men who sell newspapers when they come to manhood? Take a young fellow of seventeen or s0, who began ten years ago with a little bundle and sold it in the side streets where the veterans of the trade would permit him. Imagine the training he must have Lad in the hot mornings of summer and the chill evenings of winter. Eancy him driven from his bed before dawn with a conscious necessity, sort of sense of duty such asa grown man might possess, See him wailing out the names of half adozen papers, all pretty much the same in news, all radically—frantically—diverse as to policy; see him call over that list time and again, a score of times for each single copy sold; “Courpute what his profit must be when lus whol , aay twenty papers, in disposed of, Is there any oue else who would work so hard for so little ? And then as he becomes hardened to the street, as he learns what a gang of shameless, laughing plunderers his fellow craftemen are, as he comes to know and checkmate their at- tacks upon him, as he comes to see that every man possesses what he can capture and hold, as he grows physically stronger’ vee bim walk boldly on the busy streetgwith a flattened bun- dle of sheets with a lduder, livelier, more strident voice of advertisement. See him finully occupy a stated place on a busy corner, his papers by the many score ranged beside him, weighted down with a bit of marble or a fragment of granite, with one side polished, from the nearest building. Hear him lift u his voice till it amazes the people.» Waik slowly past him and catch the irritant roar of sound ‘as it rends the air and beats upon your ear like a blow. It seems he has smitten that sound with clanking metal in & prisoned space. It roars in your ear for hours afterward. It teaches you a lesson and you shun him, ar buy two papers to keep him’ still, ‘There is nothing in human voculi- zation that can equal a grown newsboy’s trum- peting for trade. Professional auctioneers are weak and wearying imitators. Profane first mates on river steamboats are vain and empty strivers after excellence. The big newsboy alone can point hisparted lips down street and force a message into a thousand ears. He asks no walls to iem in the frightened air. He wants no sounding board. He only turns from a paper sold and proves his training by a cry so fierce and forcetul that custom has to come. If his voice might keep on growing till he comes of age the nations of the earth could hear his threatenings. —_——$r- —____ A GOOD PARROT sTORY. The Result of Polly's Attempted Practical Joke on a Busy Hen. “Speaking of parrots, our next door neigh- bor,” writes a correspondent of the Ashland Item, “owns an amusing parrot which is alwaye getting into mischief, but usually gets When she has done anything for which she knows she ought to be punished she holds her head to one side, and, eyeing her mistress, says in a sing song tone: ‘Polly is a good girl,’ until she sees her mistress smile; then she flaps her wings and cries out: ‘Hurrah! Polly is a good girl!” She has been allowed to go free in the ‘Written for The Evening Star. ANTS AND THEIR QUEER WAYS. Insects Which Rival Human Beings in Point of Intelligence. ‘SOW THEY LIVE AND MAKE THEIR NESTS—WEAT THEY FEED UPON—THEIR COWS AND OTHER Do- HOSE WHO HAVE STUDIED THE WAYS of ants have often asserted their claim to rank next to man in the scale of intelligence. Nothing can well be more interesting than the contemplation of the habits of these little in- sects, their social organization, their elaborate habitations, their artfully constructed road- ways and their large communities, some of them rivaling London or Peking in numbers. More than 1,000 species are known and no two kinds are the same in their manner of life. Ants come into the world from eggs, which are hatched froma month to six weeks after they are laid. When newly out of the shell they are small white grubs, helpless, of course, and for thirty days or so they are carefully nursed and fed by the worker ants. Usually the little ones are assorted by their nurses ac- cording to age for convenience in caring for them, being divided like @ school into five or six classes. At the end of a few weeks they ae silken cocoons about themselves, from which they subsequently emerge perfect in- sects and as big as they will ever be. SOME OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS. Ordinarily an ants’ nest contains an army of workers, which are females undeveloped sex- ually, 8 certain number of males and a few perfoct females or “queens. ere are often several queens in one colony. They are pro- vided with wings, but, after a single flight for the purpose of mating, they tear them off and do not again quit the nest. In the habitations of a species found in Mexico certain individ- uals are found which serve es living honey jara. They move about very little, and seem to have no other purpose in life than to contain in their enormously swollen abdomens stores of honey for the benefit of their com: panions.._ Among certai i» common in southern Europe some of the workers havi hnge heads with very large and powerful jawa. These are the soldiers and do the fighting. ‘The very young insects ina nest devote their attention to taking care of the little grubs, not doing any out-door labor until they are some days old. Some species of ants make their nests out of conical masses of sticks and leaves which they heap up forthe purpose. Others dwell en- tirely under ground, while others still burrow into the trunks of old trees. Sometimes the habitations are very extensive, that occupied by a single community extending perhaps for undreds of feet. THEIR FOOD AND HOW THEY GET IT. Ants depend for food largely upon other in- sects, which they destroy in great numbers. They also eat honey and fruit. Many species keep insects of the aphis kind for cows, which they milk by stroking them, thus causing them to emit a sweet fluid. This fluid the ants drink. Also they gather from plants the e; of these cows and keep them until they hatch, thus making sure of the stock. If a nest is disturbed the ants will carry off these eggs to the lower chambers with the utmost haste. Having been kept through the winter the eggs are hatched in early spring, and the little aphides are brought out and placed on @ young shoots of plants so that they may thrive and grow. Other sorts of in- sects seem likewise to live with the ants. With certain of the larger species smaller kinds dwell, apparently being regarded as pets. Sir John Lubbock, to whose book on this subject the writer is indebted, suggests that these may be called the dogs and cats of the bigger ants. Another small species, which makes its cham- bers and galleries in the walls of the nests of a larger kind, is the bitter enemy of its hosts. The latter cannot gé@t at them, because they are too big to enter the galleries. Thus the little fellows are quite safe, and from their holes they make raids into the nurseries of the larger ants and carry off the youthful grubs for food. It is as if human beings had smail dwarfs about two feet long, living in the walls of their houses and every now and then carrying off some of their children to devour in their dens. Ants appear to have many different games which they play together. BENEFICIAL TO PLANTS. Ants are very beneficial to plants by killing off many small caterpillars and other injurious insects. The inhabitants of one large nest have been observed to bring in an average of twenty- eight dead bugs of different kinds per minute, which would make more than 100,000 destroyed ina day by that colony alone. Some ants for- age alone, while others hunt in packs ur even in armies. There are species which store up seeds for food and many kinds are believed to actually cultivate certain plints for their seeds, permitting nothing eise to grow within a given area about the nest and carefully harvesting the crop. There are at least two kinds of plants which cannot grow well without the as- sistance of ants. As soon as the young plants develop a stem the ants gnaw at the base and the irritation causes the stem to swell. The in- sects continuing to irritate and excavate the swelling, it assumes a globular form and may become even larger than a man’s head. ‘This globular mass contains alabaryuth of chambers and passages, which are occupied by the ants as their nest. The mass ‘increases in e with growth, and from its rounded surface are given off small twigs bearing leaves and flowers. This tumor on the stem has become a normal con- dition of the plants, which do not grow health- ily without the insects. Of the various species of ants which travel in armies for purposes of forage probably the most remarkable are the “drivers” of West Africa. ‘They are apt to appear wherever there is dead and decaying matter to be consumed, and the dread of them often compels the people of that torrid latitude to keep their towns and dwellings comparatively clean. Their en- trance intoa house is immedixtely tollowed by @ simultaneous exodus of all rats, mice, cock roaches und other vermin, which promptly run away. They will de- stroy the largest animals if they get a chance at them, and they have been known to gobbie up gigantic snakes when the latter were gorged with food and powerless. The maraud- ing troops of another species may fairly be compared in their movements and discipline to orgunized armies. Wherever they go all other creatures try to get out of their way. ANT SLAVE! One of the most interesting subjects of study | ex] in ants is the habit which many species have of keeping other kinds of ants as slaves. Appar- ently through having been long unaccustomed todo any work they have become unable to take care of themselves. Accordingly they attack the nests of weaker ants and carry o the young ones, both those in the chrysalis and the little grubs. Theso they take to their own dwellings and bring up as ser- vants. Some of them may Le eaten, if there is need of food, but the others are fedand trained to lnbor tor their captors. An army of ants will sometimes be seen to assail a nest, taking possession of it after a sharp fight and finally emerging, each soldier bearing forth in its mouth a grub or a chrysalis. Some species of siave-keeping ants afford a striking lesson of the degrading tendency of slavery. They have become entirely dependent on their slaves, no longer knowing how to build or to do anything else that is useful. ‘They can fight, but that is all. If the colony changes the situation of its nest the masters are all carried by the slaves on their backs to the new dwelling. They have even lost the habit of feeding, 90 that they will starve unless they have servants to put food into their mouths, The naturalist Huber on one occasion placed thirty great Amazof ants in a box with a supply of honey some young grubs of their own offepring. “At first,” he says, “they appeared to pay some little attention to the grabs, they c th | retreated to her own quarters, running as fast | ashe could, followed by Poll, at every step. “A few days later Poll extended her morning walk into the chicken yard. Here, with her usual curiosity, she went into every corner, till she ‘The hen made came to the old hen on her nest. them, with a good deal of success reflected on them’ by him. ‘Tho mention of Feano, who for years was a conspicuous character on Tecalls an incident at Wa Played Damon to Fenno’s FORREST DISGRUNTLED. It was in the last days of poor Fenno, and he had not improved with age, and his mannerisms told on Forgest’s nervousness fearfully. At the selves. § 2 i? fs; ‘ D.C. SATURDAY. NoWEMBER 8, 1891-SIXTEEN PAGES. Awindled away in idleness until they sank to their present miserable condition, weak in body and mind and few in numbers,’ maintain- ing ® precarious existence as parasites of their former slaves. The i i f E i 3 j H ——____+e2______ HOW BRUNO GAVE A Paw. Disastrous Result of the Act to an Unhappy Victim of Stimulants. 66Q)H, HELP YOURSELF TO LUNCH!” The bartender spoke sarcastically. His remark was addressed toa person in advanced stage of inebriety, who tottered un- steadily about the free-lunch table in the cor- ner. This over-stimulated individual was rapidly emptying plate of bologna sausage in ices, throwing them one by one to a huge St. Bernard dog, which had come into the saloon with a fashionably dressed customer. “Goo’ boy, Bruno! goo’ boy!” cried the tipsy one, failing to remark the sarcasm and tossing another slice. ‘The bartender grinned savagely. “Gi paw, Bruno? Goo’ dog! I say—hic— can't you gi’ pretty paw, eh?” Four or five more slices went the same way, and the bartender began fingering his bung- starter nervously. “Bruno,” said the bummer, “I mush havea pretty paw. Here's a—hic—anuzzer piece. Now, gimmetpaw.” To this last appeal Brano responded with more emphasis than had been ex In his eagerness to secure the bite he suddenly Tose —e his hind legs and planted both fore feet full upon the intoxicated person's chest. The latter gave utterance to a brief and astonished hiccup and sat down precipitately in a cuspidor that stood convenient. The occurrence appeared to arouse widely different emotions in the bartender and the tipsy man. The latter, continuing to sit in the cuspidor asif he did not care to arise immedi- ately, burst into tears, while the former gave utterance to several loud whoops expressive of delight and proceeded at once to perform a complicated pas de clog behind the bar. The fashionably,dressed customer looked disgusted, whistled to the St. Bernard, and the two walked out, < When the bartender had finished executing his pas seul the over-stimulated person was still in statu quo, uttering the most lugubrious howls and moistening the sawdust on the floor with his tears. “Hully gee! Wot's de matter wid yer?” asked the bartender “Bov-hoo !” wailed the man in the cuspidor. “Tm a family man.” “The doose you say!” replied the bartender. “Then why don’t you get up and go home?” “I'm a family man,” repeated the un- fortunate, not regarding the interruption and shedding more tears. ‘Glass is my line—that is, it used to be.” “Before you took to bathing in rum?” sug- gested the bartender. “Glass. and—boo-hoo—paints and putty— hic—and so on,” added the sorrowful one. “Family man, to: ’ here I am.” The bartender went around the end of his counter and jerked the tipsy person to his feet. ‘Then he'wiped the mourner’s eyes with the bar towel, grasped him firml the collar and gently kicked him into the street. Returning therefrom, he cut a fresh batch of bologna sausage, briefly combed out his mustache be- fore the mirror and resumed his pleasant busi- ness expression in time to welcome the next customer just as though nothing unusual had happened. g a RAISING VEGETABLES BY ELECTRICITY The Interesting Discovery Made by # Boston Track Gardener. From the Boston Journal. Experiments upon electricity as affecting plant growth have been going on for some time at the Massachusetts Agricultural College at Amherst, and Prof. Warner, who is giving great attention to the matter, is preparing « paper for an agricultural bulletin which will not only embody the results of his own expe- rience, but will give the investigations lately made in foreign countries. Ixtense interest has been aroused among Massachusetts farmers and agriculturists by the recent publication of a bulletin from the agricultural station of Cornell University in which the declaration is made that experi- ments show that tie electric light can be profitably used in the growing of plants. In the light of this annonncement the publication of Prof. Warner's experiments will be looked forward to with considerable interest. Prof. Warner has conducted his investigations with great care and thoroughness, and few persons Outside the college stuff have been aware that experiments were going on. It is understood that important experiments have also been made at the college with electric currents, with the end in view of verifying th i ments of foreign scientists which go that the action of electric currents upon plants and vegetables seems to consist in the active dissolution of the organic principles existing in the soil, which are thereby brought within the reach’ of the roots, thus causing a more rapid growth in a shorter period. Independent of the experiments at the agri- cultural college only one private individual in the state is known to have experimented with the electric light, and that is W. W. Rawson, an extensive market gardener in Arlington. ‘Mr. Rawson had his attention drawn to the effect of the electric light on plant growth in a singular manner and by accident. As far as he is concerned, therefore, his experiments were original with himself and were made long be- fore he heard any attention was being paid to the subject by foreign or American scientists. In the fall of 1889 it 60 happened that an elec- tric light was erected by the town of Arlington for street lighting purposes at a point in close proximity to one side of his residence. On that side of his house were a number of flower beds which never thrived until the rays of the electric light began to fall upon them. The ants soon began to show an unusual change. Finally they exhibited such a lively and inc creased growth that they could not fail to| the vero attract attention, and no reason could be as- signed for the phenomena but the effect of the electric light. Determined to push the riment further, Mr. Rawson introduced lights into bis extensive hot houses, devoted to the winter raising mainly of cucumbers and lettuce. The marked effect on his crop be- came at once very manifest, and the experi- ment was seemingly so successful during the winter of 1889 and 1890 that he fully demon- strated to his own satisfaction that he could raise a larger crop of lettuce or cucumbers of better quality in a shor time than he could before; mnvinced himself that the electric light enabled him toincrease his profits 25 per cent over what they had been before. Last winter he was disappointed in obtaining electric power and could not make further in- vestigations. Meanw! he corresponded with scientists at home and abroad and im; to them the results he had obtained. this winter to recently his mother had a young lady guest at their home on the Back Bay, and when he came & Hl i i t i i & i £ Ht i i H i i : i UE uu HH 4 if é : | F i i i ir t 8 i £ rf i is nize AFTER THANKSGIVING ‘How Several People Felt on the Following Day. ‘THOSE WITH 4 GOOD DIGESTION FELT ALL RIGHT, ‘TRE DYSPEPTIC WAS UNCOMFORTABLE, WHILE THE YOUNG FELLOW WHO DRAKE TOO MUCH Was IN 4 BAD STATE ‘OF MIXD. N FRIDAY A WRITER OF THE STAR started out to learn how Thanksgiving day had affected the good people of Washington. The first person he met was a substantial citi- zen of middie age, who has a slightly curious Paunch that at once suggests to your mind the idea of « good cook and « careful housekeeper. His complexion is ruddy, bis eye is bright, his Step is springy. He is not an athlete, but he is not one of those poor city men who walks at a ‘snail's pace when they don't ride in street cars | or backs. This man whose experience is | about to be related is a city production, and would not be able to tell the difference between | ‘® tomato vine andhh fig tree if you put him in the country, but he knows all about street pave- ‘ments and gas-light companies. He never goes into the country. He was born in the city, ed Ueated in the city, has always lived in the city ‘and will die in the city he likes best of all—i. ., the capita of the United Beaten “What you do igivi xl was aaked this man.) °" “enbetiving day? A PHILOSOPHER'S THANKSGIVING. “Why,” he answered, “I did as I usually do ona holiday. You must know, my dear fellow, that « holiday isa thing which few men know how toenjoy. Imay say, so far as my exper- ience goes, that not one young man out of « hundred Knows how to spend a holiday. What | does he do? Why, he plans so musaal Rleasure, and, of course, fe has some unusval isappointment. Or, wishing for something unusual, and having perforce to pass the day in a commonplace manner, he finds it dull and disagreeable. One of the greatest arts of Gay life ia the art of passing a holiday pleas Ir, “What is necessary for that?” This excellent citizen paused a moment, and, Pasting his hand caressingly over the gratify: | iG Convex arch alluded to above, said with th air of a philosopher who has solved the prob- dom of lite: “A good temper, a good appetite and a good dinner.” He proccelea ta, Yoxplain how be himself had put these essentials into play. He had arisen about the usual hour, bad taken « fair breakfast, had read the newspaper and smoked a cigar, had taken a walk, had chatted with his friends, had read more newspapers, taken a light lunch, «moked another cigar, chatted some more with his friends, taken an- other cigar, read Tux Stax, which was out by that time, taken anather walk and then had dined sumptuously. Why he was so proud of the manner in which he had passed his Thanks- firing day was due simply to this fact—he got | just exactly what he expected, and he was asa consequence not disappointed. He was con- tent, you see, and a man who is content is happy. TALK, WITH A DISPEPTIC. The next person whose Thanksgiving day was investigated is quite a contrast to the genial philosopher who has just been described. Whereas the latter has a convexity of paunch the former is concave in that direction. His complexion is sallow, his eye is sad, he walke lazily and he never stands up if he can get a chair to sit down in. He is constantly com- pisining of his liver and if he acts according to is lights he must be dull indeed, for he wheezes like a broken winded cart horse. Thankegiving day, or indeed any other day, cannot be much of a comfort to such aman. He may have a good dinner, but how can a man with a deranged liver be’ expected to either a good temper or a good appetite? There is only one way to accost a person of this kind and that is to ignore his physical ailments en- tirely and greet him heartily, as though you thought him an unusually healthy man. if you make the mistake of showing him y sym- pathy, you are done for. He will pour into your ear such a tale of physical woe, mental depression and” diaghosis of disease es give you the blucs for a week. He is at best a mere walking medical dictionary. Now. it may be a sort of paradox, but it is true. nevertheless, that these chronic invalids are never 0 happy as when they are sick. They demand sympathy, and they get it from nearly everybody. They’ are allowed to talk about themselves, and that is a great pleasure. ‘They are objects of distinguished commiseration and rank above other men. When one of these men can crawl about the street, pale is tolerably happy; when he sits in his room unable to go out he ix happier; when he takes to his bed he is delighted with himself, and when finally his illness approaches a fatal stage his gratification is simply immense. To one of these individuals on Friday morning the writer addressed himself cheerily as though he was speaking tos Johu L. Sullivan. SOME OF HIS TRIALS. “Well, old man, how did you pass Thanks- giving?” ‘The gentleman groaned. “Nonsense, old chap, did you have a jolly day? Again the gentleman of the congested liver groaned. “Ah! you went to the foot ball game—fine, ‘wasn't it?” “My friend,” snid the dyspeptic, “if I sat out in the cold and. witnessed’ foot ball game I should certainly die. ‘ou took a walk?” ‘No, said the invalid. ~The condition of my jangs is such that I cannot walk.” ubtiess ypu had a fine dinner—turkey, nh plum pudding, and all that sort of thing?” No,” said’ the victim of gastritis, “my stomach is insuch adelicatestato that I only drink milk and do not eat.” “You must have hada truly delightful day, and I wish you many happy returns. You ha: indeed, good cause to give thanks,” and be wa left to the sweet contemplation of hiscongested liver and solidified lungs. Now, there is yet another type that is worth looking into, and that is the “young fellow.” How did he pass his Thanksgiving? Well, weil, the “young fellow” is more abused than he ought to be. Men who have grown beyond the age of “young fellowhood,” if the term may be are impatient of the very offenses that they themselves used to commit, and Women, ‘of course, find fault because they never were and never can be “young fellows,” or enjoy the liberty to roam the strects and do various things which “young fellows” do. TRIALS OF THE DAY AFTER. The day after Thankegiving day is notapttobe pleasant to anybody. There is the reaction, if ‘the holiday has been an unusual pleasure, and the depression and dissatisfaction with the working day world which always follow a holi- day. There is the office to go to, the business to attend to, the debts to pay or the debts to collect. There is the feeling, perhaps, that you | have not had sleep enough the night before, and especially after Thanksgiving day there so often the sense of a disarranged digestive | apparatus. It was only natural that you should | have overeaten yourself, and it is only natural | | morning's work, commenced toeat ra a eq meal by In the south ‘dined at 8 of 4 o'clock and had no supper. that matter it is difficnlt to sce what houra and only tog sften tho geatiomen wise too were in no condition to do anything ry hy or, more correctly, be carried to a s it Hi i el 1 3 ma “C eburch, Pil play nieces and Mill.” Much obliged to you for coming to see me, I'm sure, bot have an engagement this morning with Col. KB. Morse and so I hope you'll excuse me.” P'LL DO IT OVER aoa! Poor “young fellow!” Why on earth doce he #0 persistently make « fool of himecl{? Doesn't he know he is going to do just therame sort of thing on Christmas, « Now Year's day? In iis hear! feliows” are usinble to decline invitath kind—indeed they shoul take exary, young girls and learn to say “no” of Wreck, a mere semblance of . Hearty philosophers, miserable i nd illy fellows” are all, nevertheless, sorry Thanksgiving i# passed, and already they are beginning to plan how they will spend Christmas. — VEGETABLES OF THE FUTURE, “Uncle Jerry's” © tined Some Day 66] TNCLE JERRY" Book Plants Dee Be Useful. RUSK HAS JUST published @ very interesting picture book. It is called ‘agricultural album,” and the plates in it are designed to show the comparative values per acre of the various Stains grown in the United States, as well as of certam other staple crops. On might be surprised to learn ge acre of corm Was worth four times as much in one siate as tn another, and that with other products there was nearly as greats variation according to locality; but it is explained that these differences arise not so much from the varying quality of soils as from the fact that in some parts of the country farmers get much more out of their land than in others. In New England, for ex= ample, although the soil is for the most part comparatively poor, careful manuring and other methods of what is called “intensive” farming bring Yorth crops many times as great as are raised on corresponding areas of the rich lands of the west, which the agriculturiste Merely tickle with the by mated that the number of a: le Would support dred million of people af all they are worth. ation of one hun- ey were armed for any, exp eventually a vast 1 exist in the world, 3,000 are known, forage pl cabinet Yet a list including all the its, those grow . rubber, perfumes and medicines would barely number all together three hun- dred quitivated species. Many may be added Which’are utilized in a wild #tate and not cul- tivated, but even thus the total does not reach 1 per cent of the whole, In other words, not one plant in over one hundred is of value, From the beginning of civilization man bas explored theearth for plants to serve him for various purposes, chiefly for food and medi- cines. From age to age the stock of vegetable treasures bax been slowly and cautiously added to. So it will continue in the fature, and there is every reason to believe that the time will come when vegetables, fruits and cereais now unknown will figure upoa the bill-of-fare, when new fibres will supplement or replace those whith now are woven or spun, and when new remedial agents from the field and the forest will find a place in the dispensatory. Take the case of the cereals, for example. ‘There are hundreds of #eed-bearing grasses in the world; yet ouly six of them have ever obtained employment in this country as foods, namely, corn, wheat, rice, barley, onts and rye. Wheat and barley have been cultivated for four thousand years. Corn is of American origin. Suppose that all the above-mentioned cereals were wiped eutirely out of existence by @ blight. What would happen? ,Why, the human Face would begin at ouce to investigate the Possibilities of other grasses, Prof. estimates that acceptable new cereals could be provided by merely improving aud develop= ing the wild stocks within half # century, Why would it not be well worth while to in- vestigate the possibilities of these littie-known grasses how! Even though they may not be absolutively needed, they might supply grate- fui additions to the food on mankind For instance, experiments might be made with the wiid rice of the lakes, There are two seu- shore grasses which have excellent though’ of small yield, but. the latter could be improved. ‘The wheat and barley of today are much larger and finer grains than the wheat and barley which have been found im ancient Egyptian sarcophagi and iu the buried cities of Greece. Parsuips, the oyster plant, parsley, the arti- oke aud spinach are ali of comparatively ent discovery. ‘ibe tomato was nob sold in northern markets until 182%, end for a long time that it was deemed poisonous in New Englaud. No ‘one who secs the wild cabbage ou the sca coast of Europe will imagine that a vegetable could be made of it by cultivation. Similariy thers are Plants everywhere which are suscepude of development into usefulness, Unfortunawly, people are always reluctant to adopt a new edible, and so it comes about that this brane of uiscovery as of slow growth, ain econ saat AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES, ‘The White Man Killed Them Of With Pol eon and Bullets. From the Chicago Heraid. ‘The aborigines of Australia were extermi- nated by poison #s well as by bullets. I can well remember when a child listening to an old Moreton bay settler giving an accoun, to » number of admiring auditors of the manner in which be had “dosed” a number of the savages. They had been the cause of a good deal of trouble among his sheep and cattle and of con- stant alarm to the whites residing on his sta- tion. So he determined to teach them @ lesson, Under pretense of a desire to renew friendly to have unlimited supply of damper and beet. The place of mecting was appointed in the neighborhood of a stringy bark mountain, He would himself take out the flour and bake the damper. ‘The time had come, the blacks had arrived ‘and the good white man (as they now thought) had brought a sack of flour with other provis- ions. In anticipation of the feast the blacks scat- tered about and commenced their work of Sigg while their good white man baked. Not the slightest suspicion of poisom entered the minds of the blacks. They ered up for the great feast, after putting ¢ e . U and the white man, anxious that they eat so much that they should never want to again, urged them to eat more and more. the effects told. One jumped speed away. how, « few days after, upon the soons all. around scene was horrors. ‘The damper bad only done its work. In traveling about the bush I have seen skeletons, skulls and the scattered of dead blacks who had fallen victims to anger of the white man. “If I ever got back to London again,” said @ Premiere danseuse, “I'll never go abroad as. understudy, anyhow. You don't know what i# ® girlwho has been used to who hae the F 4 Hi i i i | | ft a i ett i tbe HL i i u f i i f sf it Hi t i 8 § 5 i H j i ! if i fi 4 i i : --.