Evening Star Newspaper, December 12, 1891, Page 12

12 IN CATHEDRAL TOWNS A Washingtonian’s Impressions of Salisbury. THE OLD ENGLISH BUILDING. A Triumph of Gothic Art—A Disappointing Interior—The Great Close, With an Air of Perpetual Summer—A Ride to Stonehenge— Interesting Mysteries Monuments. ‘Written for The Evening Star. y THEN WE LOOK BACK UPON SALIS- bury it is with s pleasant memory of smooth lawns, emerald in the sunlight; of huge | trees glowing green against a summer sky; of warm tones of red brick and dark shadows of ciustering ivy; of the tender gleam of a shal-| low river, pale biue among its waving rushes, with above all the cold white spire of the great | cathedral dominating the landscape for miles agound. It stands, this vast church, the ex-| tremest triumph of Gothic art, in the midst of mgreen close a mile square, in which only the bishop's palace, with its beautiful garden, in- fringes upon the greensward sacred to the cathedral. The houses of the dean and canons and minor ecclesiastical dignitaries are grouped ata respectful distance from the huge white building and the whole is surrounded by a! meliow brick wall through whose quaint por-i tals with their turrets and gate houses people piiss all day, though they are rigorously shut | oyt at night. Even the dean himself must | Fing the porter’s bell after 11 o'clock. | | of the Sunday school library, GATEWAY To THE CLOSE. | ‘The close is acity within acity—an ancient deeorous town where the sunlit streets are by gardens flaming with geranium and lobelia. where nothing more mundane than @ tennis ground disturbs the clerical primness of the place. A stray grocer’s boy, ing his basket demurely and forbearing towhistle within the precincts, a rosy English child leading a fat pug dog and followed by a solemn nurse, an old invalided canon creeping along slowly in the shelter of a sunny trellised wall and an occasional tourist staring at the neat old houses with their latticed windows | and timbered gables go by from time to time. ‘THERE 18 AN AIR OF PERPETUAL stUuMER about the quiet place, a scent as of frait ripen- ing slowly upon espaliers within the walled Eaitiens. « whiff of afternoon tea stealing past haunted hollyhocks, « glimpse of placid gyre under the dark shadow of great cedars, coo] in the August heat. Once on turning sud- denly the corner of a street we came upon an open door in a garden wail, within which, in the sunny greenness of lawn and shrubbery. close to the footway, but calmly undisturbed by eur propinquity, sat a stout old gentleman eating gooseberries from a dish upon his knee. It was only secoud’s glimpse, but it impressed us as a little vignette of English life. THE CATHEDRAL From all this richness of color, of roseate brick and golden-green foliage. the pale, jagged outline of the cathedral stands apart in the midst of its grassy sweep. The chief spire towers high, higi into the dazzling sky above, ethereal in ite lightness and grace, as though made of lace rather than stone. There is some- thiag perhaps a little disappointing about Sal- isbury; it lacks the somber dignity of W chester, the size and richness of Wells or Can- seems more of a church than a ral in its careful symmetry, the absolute perfection of Gothic detail, which diminishes parent size. There is no look of age about it; all the white carvings and crevices and columns are as clean as though molded Yesterday. The chief spire, 450 fect high, ‘Seems much less, and the great length of nave and depth of choir are lost in the general effect. The ‘magnificent weet facade bas lost many of its images, but in most places the dece@ation has been carefully restored. ‘THE BARE INTERIOR. ‘We went in from the blinding sunlight and were again disappointed. The interior, almost destitute of tombs, seemed bare after the tmedjwval richness of Winchester. There was a clamic coldness about the long nave, whose innuperable pillars of black and white marble had & strangely new look. almost of the ni teenth century. It is said of Salisbury that it contains a pillar for every hour and a window for every day in the year. We did n ‘this assertion. Inthe nave lie a f Crusaders, sleeping through the age faithful dog or hare keeping watch at their feet, and there are some modern brasses on the walls. One we read with interest: it commem- hole family, young parents and tiny children, all butchered toxether in. th wautiny, concluding with the striking! iH Verse, “And they heard a gr: heaven saying ‘Come up hither. THE OLD ALABASTER TOMBS im the transepts and chapels are disfigured with ‘names cut into them, most of them two or three centuries old. A high brass rood screen forms buta slight barrier between the and the nave, separating them much Jess completely than in many old churches, and beyond it are clear!: carved ing and ded to the of modernness that when the daily even- large one) sat in the nave and heard the service distinctly, without being obliged to squeeze into tie choir, as in most other cathedrals. The singing was some- what Jost in the marvelous arches and vault- fags of the roof, but th. echoed from the “angel choir” or clot tered gallery rucning around the clerestor: We fancied that the faces of medieval choris- tere peered down at us from behind the little Pillars, joining their voices to the familiar chant of the Magnificat. INTERESTING TouDs. ‘There is a very interesting little tomb in the nave representing @ young boy dressed in bishop's robes. The choir, it seems, in the middle ages elected one of their number as their or master for a year, and this one had died during bis office. “Other and older lie solemnly in state near the chancel, oue of them with a painful likeness of himself seon, and produce # far more pleasing effect than muen of the 1s afflicted. ONE MAGMWICENT MEMORIAL WINDOW, however, blazoned all one side of the chancel With blots of gorgeous color. It was designed, | we were toldgby Burne Jones, the celebrated Bainter, and in defiance of bis usual pallid the last century glass with which | tints represented two angels clad one in flam- ing crimson, the other in vivid blue and green, @ mass of ruby, sapphire and emerald in the sunlight, glorifying the pale, black-striped pil- lars and arches. AALISBURY Towy. Outside the close walls lies the bustling, busy town of Salisbury, its streets ornamented by i imitations of medimval archi- tecture and a few genuinely old houses. There are many excellent shops, for Salisbury is the oniy large town for many miles around and the country is thickly populated, while there are also several historic country seats not far away. ‘The “White Hart” Hotel proved a ve pretentious hostelry indeed, with a rather ft Some statement that it had once harbored roy- alty printed and hanging in its hall, and @ good Geal more style than comfort in its general ar- rangementa. Wo were glad to leave ite stuffy | coffee room next morning, although the day | was dark and windy, and to drive across Salis- bury plain to Stonchenge. SALISBURY PLATS. We passed by the ruins of old Sarnia, fa- mous once as sending two members to parlia- ment, though withont a single inhabitant, and soon by « gradual ascent came out upon a vast tableland of yellow heep-cropped grass, with an occasional line of darker hedge or tree breaking the monotony of tho wind-swept fields—Salisbury plain—familiar to our cbild- hood through the well-remembered “Shepherd” STONERENGE. y, and to later Fears through various dismal tales of highway robbery and murder in the past. There war seldom a farm or house of any kind in sight as flock after flock of sheep, nt shepherd, his dog and his queer little house on wheels. Nowhere in Engiand is there » more desolate spot than this vast plain in the very heart of a rich and fertile country. Gloomy clouds rushed across the dull sky and cast flying purple shadows over the cheerless land; we were cold, and the fat mottled sheep were huddled together and crouching under the hedges as we passed— strange weather for August. After a drive that seemed longer, perhaps, in its monotony than it really was our coachman suddenly pointed ahead with his whip and there, close before us, gray against the gray the strange clumsy sh ‘There is xn outer and an inner circle of these inexplicable memorials of a forgotten past. ‘The great blocks, which, rough as’ they _n: seem, bear marks of skillful hewing. are of an almost uniform height of sixteen feet,and some of them still bey nm upper stone. Most of these, however, have fallen ages since and now lie half-imbedded in the grass.with the delicate harebells waving above their lichened sides. In the center of the great circle is the flat altar stone, nearly hidden by two huge blocks which fell down upon it in 1620. Ina direct line to the eastward from this altar, but outside the charmed circle, stands a single stone, so placed that it catches the first rays of the rising sun on amidsummer day, which thus thro shadow of the stone upon the altar. THE SLAUGHTERING STONE. Midway in the path of this shadow lies the “slaughtering stone,” in whose holes and crev- icesa rather vivid imagination saw bloody stains, probably the mere result of tims and weather, but horribly significant on that dread- ful butcher's block. The fancy flew back i stinctively to some fresh summer twilight long ago when the red dawn was flushing the ecast- ern sky, when the birds were chirping in their innocent joy of another day, when the dew la fresh and cool upon the grassy upland and mil- lions of small lives, beasts and birds and insects were happily awaking all through the peaceful country. Above the rustle of tiny wings and paws and of breeze-swept grass and wild flow- ers, rises the sound of suppressed breathing— the hushed, eager fespiration of a great multi- wude. dim forms crouching beneath Ts; this dark mass vaguely seen wning light crowded close in silent terrible expectation? There is not a sound of human life audible but that awful breathing. Against the pure morning sky the tops of the mes are ojearly visible, but the vast congregation at their feet remains a seething blackness of horror. The east grows bright, the little clouds ure dappled with pink and gold: the sun rises and the tallest of the stopes turns red in the sudden glory, but it flings along path of shadow across the ‘circle to oue dreadful spot where the crowd is gathered closest. A long quivering ery of death rings out to meet that shadow, and in an instant the silent multi- tude breaks into shrieks of horrid exultation, screams of heathen joy, and the sunlight falls upon wild faces and outstretched’frantic arms. No, @ mist fills our eyes, and then the summer glory and the red stain alike are gone,and there is only the windy plain and the dark blowing clouds and the mossy stones. THE MYSTERIOUS MONUMENTA, Stonehenge was standing in the days of the Romans, for Tacitus refers to it. Scientists now think that the contrivers of this strange’ pile had some knowledge of astronomy, and ‘y probably sun worshipers. English Of every age refer to its mystery fre- and there are many legends and stories dreary monuments in their desolate plain. believed that no man can count them twice and make the number the same, and that he who visits them at midnight and performs certain rites will behold a fright- fal apparition, and may even be stricken dead. It seemed natural to us that the superstitious English peasants should regard the spot as cursed, so strange was the contrast between the garden country whence we had come and this ragged moorland with its nameless blocks of tone. We turned our backs on Stonehenge and drove away again by the across the plain, and presently the white spire of Salisbury peered above the horizon wel- coming us back to the green fields ana blossom- ing gardens. Many Viere. —— A How Men Wear Their Cuffs. From the Buffalo Enquirer. It is quite interesting to study the different ways men have of wearing their cuffa. A cer- tain class of men always wear the largest size they can buy, and another class get those but little larger than their wristbands. Asa rule, the small, weazen-faced man_ wears the largest He generally gets No. 11 and alwa; jows them to come down over his hands. The fat man generally wears snpll cuffs and has them in siglit. Another conspicuous character is the man who always keeps hislittle finger sprawling around in the attempt to push \ | — THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C. SATURDAY. DECEMBER an A BILL IN CONGRESS. AST JANUARY A VALUED OORRE- spondent suggested in a communiertion to Tak Stam that space be provided in the new post office building for # Washington publie library. Tux Stam indorsed tho idea as a good one and said at that time: “It is discreditable that this need has not long ago been supplied. If suitable and convenient quarters are fur- nished, such as those suggested by this corre- spondent, the books ean readily be obtained. ‘The departmental libraries at the Capitol con- tain nearly 300,000 volumes, accessible only to few employes of the government. The vast wealth of reading matter in the Congressional Library is practically out of roach of the work- ingmen, owing to the hours of opening and closing, and the conditions placed upon the enjoyment of its priviieges. Viewing this ocean of books spread tantalizingly before him, the workingman, thirsty for the knowledge which comes from reading, might well exclaim with the ancient marine ‘+ *Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink! “Nearly every little New England and mid- dle states town has a library of this kind, not to. mention the well-supplied large cities of the republic. In some of these smaller towns the records show that as many as one out of every five inhabitants, counting men, women and children, is registered as a borrower of these books. ‘The statistics also show that at first fiction was most largely drawn upon by such readers, but that as the taste for reading was acquired and developed stronger food for the mind was demanded, and’ the ratio of serious reading steadily increased. ‘The reading room has proved a strong rival of the pool room and drinking saloon in claims upon the evenings of many, especially the young, and has served as & satisfactory substitute for nightly idleness in dreary lodgings or on the street. “There have been several local_movements toward securing such a library. In 1887 the labor organizations of the city gave some at- tention to the matter and a numberof citizens agreed to subscribe amounts for the purpose aggregating some $7,000. A library having a local character, installed in the new post office butiding, would certainly grow rapidly through private ‘donations of books and money, and it had demonstrated ite usefulness and it preciated by the public some one of Washington's wealthy men might be moved by local pride or other good motive to endow it and give it a name. “Last year the commissioner of labor sug: gested that arrangements might be mado to use e the library connected with its department as nucleus of a free library and reading room, for the benefit of the general public, and the bill was introduced to accomplish this purpose. In another part of today's paper are collected interesting facts concerning all of the dey mental libraries. It appears that outside of the technical books and works of reference which have a direct bearing upon the work of various departments these libraries con- tain many thousands of volumes which are of the kind whieh are found in the ordinary circulating library. The circulating books are aiso massed in certain departments and are not accessible to the employes in other departments. If the heads of all the de- partments affected were of the same mind as the commissioner of labor. and Congress and the President should approve, this class of books might be se) rated from the technical and reference books and placed in the post office building as the nucleus of a public and departmental library. The books would thus become accessible, not only to the general public, but to the clerks in all of the depart- ments, instead of to those only who are em- eed in the department with circulating libraries. To facilitate the drawing of books by the clerks the use of Aacoredited messengers them might rmitted for this purpose. The government would. prot” bys checking of the duplication of circulat- ing books in the various departments and the money might be applied upon this general departmental library. Many serviceable books might also be obtained from among the dupli- cates in the Congressional Library without the slightest injury to that collection. Indeed, it might be a benefit, by increasing shelfroom, to remove such superfiuous volumes as could’ be utilized to advantage in the new library. If the District government quarters in the | == office building its municipal library might | 2, merged in this collection and some contribu- tion toward the support of the new library might well be made in the District appropria- jons. “The project of a public and departmental circulating library and reading rocts, open in the evenings, is worthy of the strongest and most enthusiastic labors in its behalf. It will doubtless receive the hearty support of all friends of the capital and its people, who ap- reciate that a city of = quarter-million of in- bitants contains men to be considered, not merely buildings, trees, statues and monu- ments.” ‘THE DEPARTMENT LifRantEs. ‘The statement concerning the department libraries, to which reference is made, shows that the State Department library contains 52,600 volumes, including a valuable collection of’ international law, history, biography, travels and state law, and about 400 volumes of fiction and other literature that are used mostly by the lady clerks; that the Navy De- partment library contains 23,812 volumes, almost exclusively on technical and profes sional topics, containing little if anything of value for general circulating library; that the War Department library contains about 28,500 volumes, reference books, works pertaining to military’ science, American history and litera- ture of the war of the rebellion and about 5,000 suitable for « general circulating library; that the Treasury library of its 21,000 volumes has about 5,000 miscellaneous in character, not of special use for reference in the depart- mental work; that the patent office library of 60,000 volumes is a scientific reference brary purely; that tho bureau of “edu. cation library of 20,000 volumes is of the same description; that the Interior Department library of 10,000 volumes is wholly a circulating library. a valuable, well-selected and much-used collection of booke, sustained by an annual appropriation of €£00 for new books, cramped and jammed into a badly lighted room that is not half large enough; that the Post Office Department library ha about 10,000 reference volumes and 1, miscellaneous circulating books; it the geological survey library of about 23,107 books as strictly a work- ing library; that the library of the Department of Justice contains 20,000 ‘law books; that the Agricultural Department library contains 22,000 volumes almost entirely of # scientific char- acter; and that the labor bureau has about 5,000’ volumes, which Col. Wright, the com- missioner, is in favor of making available for public usc. It thus appeared that there were Grassy cart track | in the neighborhood of 30,000 volumes of a miscellaneous circulating ‘character in the department libraries, but in this number there were doubtless many duplicates. ‘Tur Stan persistently advocated the free- library project and it was seconded on all sides with a heartiness that showed how popular the movement is. It was readily seen that not only the clerks but the workingmen, the schools and the public generally would begreatly bonefited by the library. ‘MR. SPOFFORD'S VIEWS. Librarian Spotford, who is, as a matter of course, an eminent authority on = subject of this kind, said to a Sta reporter: “There is no city where it would be easier to establish such a library and none that needs it moze. The importance of having a lib upon which the citizens can draw and which will extend and broaden the © is a monument as the library would be erected to himeelf his dispense Booman small alec at very gen ex- his willingness to serve with a commis- sion to prepare and revise the catalogue and aid all in bis power in the establishment of » public library. IXDORSING THE PROJECT. ‘Those interested in educational matters were quick toindorse the project. Prof. Wm. T. Harris, the commissioner of education, said: “I consider a public library in a city a necessity, ‘The library ranks next to the school in educa- tive power. The school, for the most part, finds its formation in teaching how to read. ‘The library furnishes what to read. Tho school gives the preliminary preparations and the library gives the means by which the indivi ual completes and accomplishes his education. What there isin the American school system pointe toward the preparation of the pupil for dependent study. * © You can always count on me to use my efforts to udvance any movement which will bring books within the reach of the people gencrally.” Dr. F. R. Lane, principal of the Washington High Scbool, spoke strongly and intelligently of the part’ that the ian plays as the natural ally of the teacher. The school board has taken a lively interest in the move- ment. The various school buildings have books now to tne number of nearly 30,000 in all, but | they are scattered over the city in small collec- tions and contain numerous duplicates. Col. Carroll D. Wright, who was as the head of the department of labor, was already on record in favor of such a library and heartily indorsed the project. The workingmen of the city, who had shown their appreciation of the need of such an institution by the effort to secure one several years before, were of course strongly in its favor. On January 21 the local Federation of Labor formally commended and indorsed the proposal. Postmaster General Wanamaker commended the idea warmly. Senator Dawes took a deep interest in the roposition, and thought that while it was too te in the session to do anything in that Con- gress that there would be no difficulty about getting the permission of Congress for the oc- cupancy of a part of the new city post office building, and deciared that he was in favor of consolidating the department libraries and such books as could be spared from the Con- Gressional Library to furnish a foundation for the new library. REPRESENTATIVE HEMPHILL'S VIEWS. Representative Hemphill proposed in the House # measure for the establishmont of the library. In an interview published in Tur Stan he said: “It is only fair that in thie city, 9s in other cities, a free public library, sit- uated in @ central position and open at reason- able hours, should be establish Especially should this be done, as with little expense the nucleus of such a library can be formed here in this city. The several departmental libraries could furnisha large number of books to such an institution without in any way cripph the usefulness of the especial library of refer ence books needed in each department. Th Plan would work no injustice to the clerks in the departments, as only a few of the depart- ments have libraries of any extent. With the system proposed of allowing clerks to send for books, much more would be gained by the gov- ment than lost. * * * I have found in dis- cussing the matter with bers that there is ® very general feeling in favor of the measure. In fact, [have found no opposition, and only the Iateness of the season and the increased difficulty of obtaining time for the District will prevent the passage of the bill before adjourn- ment. The establishment of thid library isa matter of great importance to the District, and Thope sincerely the agitation will be kept up in favor of the proposal.” THE BILL INTRODUCED. In his bill Mr. Hemphill seeks to present the easiest and most practical solution of each question that may arise in connection with it. It opéns by providing for the establishment of free public and departmental library and reading room for the use of citizens of the District of Columbia and employes of the several departments. Section 2 provides that the library shall be located in the ‘new post office building, and ‘plans directs the architect to provide in his specifications rooms in the second story of and 6 the building suitabie for and adapted to thess Purposes, and adequate to the accommodation of not less than 50, volumes. The circulating libraries of the various de- Partmente are to be turned over to the free oy and no other library shall be main- tained in the offices except such as may be re- quired for their especial use. Duplicate copies are to be turned over to the new library by the librarian of Congress. All citizens of the Di trict of Columbia and all officers, clerks and other employes of the government on duty in Washington are to be entitled to its privileges. It is to be kept open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, excepting Sundays and holidays. ‘The President is to appoint a librarian at 500 per annum, who is to appoint two as- sistant librarians st $1,500 per year, two at 9800 per year anda janitor at @600 Half the expenses of the librat by the United States and half i of Columbia, and it is to be the duty of the Commissioners to includo these expenses in their annual estimates submitted to Congress. FREE LIBRARY PROJECTS IN OTHER CITIES. The subject of a free library is one that has been agitating some of Washington's sister cities considerably of late. Men of philan- thropic dispositions and intellectual attain- ments, men who have made the mental and phrsical needs of their fellow men a stud; ve in several cases made an effort to havea portion of their fortunes go to the establishment of @ free library to [= their memori: in the public mind. But in the case of the Pepper estate in Philadelphia and the Tilden estate in New York the heirs have stepped in with vigorous legal etforte to annul the portion of the will that made this generous but wise provision. strong cases which the liti- gant made in both instances show that itis by no means the best method of establishing such an institution. In the Pepper case the court de- cided that the money might be used for the purpose intended by the testator only after some hg Goce discussion, and in the Til case.the library bequest was annulled, and was carried out in spirit only through the generos- ity of Mrs. Wm. A. Hazard, ‘lilden’s grand- niece, who set aside $2,000,000 of her share of the « estate for the purpose. ington is fortunate in having to depend Si “cocertain processer if ine cope : e can rightfully claim is shown he: No city in the country is a repository of 80 many interesting and valuable books. And yet no city of her size provides so few facilities for putting reading matter within the reach of the general public. A free library for Washington is a matter that may reasonably be expected to command the attention of the legislators now assembled. goad LIVED HAPPILY AFTERWARD. Romantic Ending of a Very Common and Val- gar Deception. From the Chicago Herald. “About a year ago,” says a Brooklyn clergy- man, “‘a woman who had been deceived by her lover by means of s ‘mock marriage’ and who had discovered the fraud came to me with her tale of woe and asked my advice. She was living with the man she supposed to be her husband, but believed that he was about to de- serther. I thought the matter over and told her to arrange a little party at her house and to invite me asa friend, but not as « minister of the gospel, and at an opportune time pro- pose to tlie lover that they show their friends |how they were married ‘in fun.’ She was bright “little woman and carried out my instructions to tho letter. The peo- le in the house when I" went there new of existing conditions and readily entered into the scheme, prompted by curiosity to see how a ‘mock ‘marriage’ was performed. I was pressed into service by the woman on the plea that I had a brother in the ebureh. I took a Bible she provided and mar- riod them fast and made out the certificate in dueform. Then I had an interview with the man. He was very angry at first, but came reading of acom-| man! H his cuff up where it belon e t be timated. It is aston- | around all right, and he and the little woman Examine land closely and rou will nd a inking and ina grea its that city like Wash Sere tho nee Cette a: att Small callous on the oute: eof ingto: it] it i t ” Why doce hep Persiat i) wearing them livery. ‘The ational ‘it “ is got rallabis it would be » good way to do it ay? le realizes: looks unt fo it ° and that they are an annoyance to him, yet | not praqtcuble to: have the booker tee is “Coming to 2 Hed Bea.” You could not induce him to have his sbirt | taken out by ys rem Lite. sleeves made any shorter or to wear sleeve | and character it is too gereral in ite'store of supporters. Ther again you meet the man | literature for such a pi who always wears the “cuff machine,” an_in- | ipa library composed ont genious contrivance that attaches the cuff to| every branch of litera irt slecve and may be raised or lowered | tific’ subjects. and HLmIL, Nerf comes tte man rho eaves his | should” contain the ry reversing his ¢ man the subj | who has them joined to his shirt eleven, Compe wene oe H of Don’t Like to Admit It, the national library. From the Pittsburg Chronicle. iu) t might be | Squildig—“I see by the papers that a wealthy aoe , - wi citizen of Philadelptia persists in regarding | * Public library if it were | LAA LTS | himeeif as a dead man.” pp y FA: ‘Mr. Emerson (of Boston)—‘‘How rapidly Cly- Meswil “That of all the books seerees cad works ot te temnestra grows!” ne” eee Sy Likely wo be sought after the Pall er the wosts connect Tee. The hey got teg ildig—v6o it is. Usually Philadelphians “the new national ‘ilto ‘select walt eolbouiedge hk : aumber of books that | bor, st ‘ pata 12 ATTRACTIVE HOMES. Interest Gravitating Toward the Christmas Season. HOLIDAY GIFT PLANS. Remembrances of the Occasion That Can be ‘Made at Home—Presents Suitable for Young Girls, Such as Sachets for Lingerie, Cro- chetted Lace, Trimmed Towels, &c. Written for The Evening Star. ESTS OF ALL KINDS ARE STEAD- ily and swiftly gravitating toward the grest festival of the year. Plans for the holidays are being made on overy hand, while thougitts of Christmas gifts, consultations as to Christmas wishes fill most minds and hearts. Where young folks are away at school or college the anticipation of home is the absorbing idea, while the housekoepers are also looking forward with equal pleasure to the reunion. Home parties of friends and families separated through the year are among the best things that the holidays bring. Wise is the woman who is doing her Christmas shopping while the shops are comparatively empty; it is only com- paratively, for already one is obliged to wait often some time before being served in the places where there is most to attract womankind. Even the idea that the after- noon, and a rainy ono at that, might make shopping easier was dispelied when on going to one of these popular shops it was evident the same bright thought had occurred toa score of other people as well. Patience, and @ oodly stock of needed to carry one suc- fully through the campaign of holiday ppiug. To buy presents out and out or to get materials for manufacturing them requires much thought and time, for year by year one’s Niet enlarges for gift making, and the burden of it is felt moro than the pleasure or blessed- ness in some cases, I fancy. Then is the time to stop for sensible people, to shorten the list and curtail the expenditure of time, thought and money, until with care-lightened minds one may begin the annual gift making with a fecling of pleasure again. THE SACHET FOR LINGERIE. Now that such a fancy for dainty belongings of every kind prevails the sachet for lingerie makes « pretty gift for young girls, or older ones, too, for that-matter. This is a square sachet, large enough to hold a set of under- clothes, and may be in constant use at home, as well a8 ® pretty article to take on « short journey when little extra clothing will be needod. it may be made of lavender silk with lavender flowers for perfume, tufted and tied with lav- ender ribbons, or with this color heliotrope or violet orris may be used, though lavender has come down from old times as tho appropriate scent to associate with tunderwear. Val silk, blue or yellow, with any sweet powder, may suit better some tastes, but the idea is a Pretty one and makes a novelty for the per- Plexing question of “What shall I give for hhristmus presents?” A more elaborate form is fan-shaped, with ruffies of lace and rosettes of ribbon among them, but the plain, large Square is more tasteful and easier to use. always keeping it filled oneis surer of having the clothes more permeated with the sweet, deli- cate perfume than by merely laying small sachets among them. CROCHETED LACE-TRIMMED TOWELS. A handsome present has been made for a housekeeper whose lovely house and furnish- ings justify elaborate accessories. Six large towels of fine huckaback, with edge and inser- tion of handsome crocheted lace, have been the outcome 6f the leisure moments of the summer by skiliful fingers. Last spring the idea was read of by a young Indy and at once she deter- mined to make a similar set for this friend, ci who hasa “house beautiful” and for whom it | Tax is rather difficult to find presents, all her wants being more than supplied already. The towels are really elegans in their way and something that will for years be of service. An addition, if one is fond of initials on towels, would be to crochet a square in open stitch and in the cen- ter, in closest work, crochet the initial. This I have seen described, any initial in cross stitch or letters for canvas embroidery being used as k should be cut out initial may show in its lace like transparency. The crocheted squaro may first be basted to the towel, then closely but- tonholed down, or the buttonhole may be in the shallow points, as the Fayal embroidery is finished, as this style of initial suggests that work, and I know the pointed edge has been successfully copied by amateur workers here. DUTCH LINEN FOR EMBROIDERY. Dutch linen is much used for embroidery in scarf and cover. It looks much like homespun linens which have descended to some of us from our grandmothers. It is only partly bleached and has a round thread, and in tea cloths and scarfs is often edged with ecru lace, either hand-crocheted or of guipure. On this creamy linen pale gold-colored silk looks pret- tier than 7 fpr else, though old blue silk in the leaf scroll designs of Delft pottery is also very effective. re is no abatement in the rage for em- broidery on linen, as visit to the special places where materials and stamped linen are sold will testify—the counters are thronged with people buying what they find ready to work, or iving orders for having any special ideas car- ried out. All embroiderers of taste -have reached the same conclusion—that nothing is so dainty, nothing suitable tor so many uses or 60 serviceable as silk embroidery on linen of all grades. The washing of such articies docs not change the stiks one atom in color if the printed directions which come with them are carried out. ‘Thus it follows that articles in- numerable of this kind of work will be made for holiday offerings, and one can never go amiss in giving such a thing. A PRETTY BOUILLON BET. ‘When one wishes to buy or paint china for a present the selection is almost infinite. One of the comparatively few things that an invalid may beable touse is a pretty bouillon set, which come in the daintiest possible forme. A small platter holds the cup with two handles and cover, the toast rack and little pepper box and open salt dish, all decorated, with quite » variety in the colors and designs. If one is buying the favorite of the hour, Dresden china, ie eel to understand themackshich signify its standing in the world of china. ‘The royal factory has the crossed swords as its distin- guishing mark and its decorated pieces have this sign alone if they are of perfect quality. If, however, they are inferior, one, two, three and even four scratches in the porcelain above the erossed swords indicate the grade of that defectivenoss. The royal factory, too, sells its own porcelain undecorated, but with the mark upon it of the crossed swords. When this is done, however, it always has «mark in the glaze across the swords. The other factories often buy the china in this way and decorate it and sometimes sell it as the royai Dresden, but this mark will show whether it was decorated outside of the royal factory or not. It may be just as pretty, but it is not entitled to the jonor of the royal name. CALENDARS FoR 92. The calendars for "92 are what will be given in many cases for Christmas remembrances, and they make good ones, too. A calendar is what every one must have to begin the new year properly, and as there are so many really ornamental ones they make a good addition to ‘a desk’s appointments. In point of expensiveness those in silver frames lead, but it always seems to me the silver setting is wasted on a plain record of dates and should hold a photograph instead, while the calendars which are in water color paper, with the charming water color prints upon them, are much more artistic and attrac tive. Last year the McTickar calendar led in point of prettiness, and the same re- appear with the dates of 1802 attached; a new one by the same artist is here, too, but the drawings are not as pretty, whil titles to the pictures decidedly detract from its good taste. Some charnting calendars have children’s heads as the motif, one ha Baus f 1891—SIXTEEN PAGES. le pink | ask tering or aley battery perched on thes Of or iy on them. couree, there are numberiess ones printed on flower’ or booklet, but the assortment is soon ‘over and the choice of them gone, for oso who liko them gonerally Login their search early in the season. ae Se AY BIRED TO DO CHORES, Strange Adventure Which = Washington Housewife Had With a Boy. WAS ONCE A BOY. He was hired two weeks ago by a Wash- ingtou housewife to do chores. Among other Guties of a miscellaneous description he was expected to attend to the furnace, help the cook and rou errands. In short, he was to make himself generally useful. So he did. For the first twenty-four hours of hisengagement his performance was ad- mirable. Then things began togo wrong. He fell out with the cook, and set a series of booby traps over the doors for her benefit. To ap- pease her for this outrage he offered her a gift neatly done up in white paper. She opened it ; 8nd, finding a live mouse inside, went into a fit {of bystorics which alarmed the houschold. Finally, being sent out with a baby carriage, he did not return, and the innocent infant was found in Dupont Circle deserted. The boy came back later and admitted that he had for- gotten all about his charge, being led away by & game of progressive marbles, which took him down to Farragut Square. Probably the idea suggested itself to him thereupon that he was likely to be discharged, Any way, at about 6 o'clock that evening— the second day after his engagement—the mistress of the house was startled by a nowe as of breaking crockery below. She tripped.softly down stairs and, looking into the dining room, beheld a spectacle which froze her with horri- fied amazement. The youthful apprentice, wo had been ordered by the cook to set the table, was performing the task after his own peculiar fashion. Standing at a little distance from one end of the table, with a dozen plates under his left he was distributing them upon the board by shooting them across like quoite. Just as the mistress looked in a plate, thrown with slightly too much force, went off the end of the table and fell to the floor with a smash, break- ing into fragments. “That's one off!” said the boy. The next plate landed safely, but the follow- ing one was broken on the floor. “That's another one off!” said the boy. Presumably this would have continued until the armful of plates was exhausted bad not the lady rushed in and grabbed the young rep- robate by the collar. “It's only a game I was playin’,” plained, in response to « vigorous ‘ou Outrageous little rascal!” she said. “Leave my house at once, and never let me see you again!” She told the cook to give him his dinner and send him up for the money due him. An hour and a half later he had not appeared, and she rang the bell. He came clumping up the stairs, chewing violently. “Haven't you finished your dinner yet?” she ced. “I'm just trying to get a mouthful, ma'am,” TAs bens ses gaseral ech csssd Mabel n hour more , and she rang agnin. The boy came upstairs, still chewing en- ergetically. “Haven't you got through dinner yet?" she inquired. “Just trying to get a bite, ma'am,” he an- swered. Another hour and a half went by and again the rang the bell. He came up munching as fore, “You don't mean to say that you haven't finished your dinner yet?” she exclaimed. “Only'a mouthful, ma'am." ‘The lady handed ‘him his money and bade him be gone. To make sure that he obeyed she escorted him herself to the door. nm she spoke to the cook and learned that the Youth had been skating on the front sidewalk for the past four hours, coming into the kitchen at intervals to ask for more bread and butter. The next day she put an advertisement in Stax, but it was for a girl this time. ———+e-—___ FOR EVERY MAN TO READ, Some Modest Hints as to What Many ‘Woinen Want for Christmas. From the New York Sun. As Christmas comos on the faces of the mas- culine half of the human race are shadowed with perplexity. They don't know the shops, and the clerks in theshops pity their ignorance because they do not know what a woman wants. Of some things a woman never has enough— fine handkerchiefs, curious bits of jewelry, silk stockings and kid gloves. Neither does her soul grow weary of dainty bits of bric-a- brac, of quaint silver teaspoons, nor of curious brass candlesticks and lamps, no matter how thiek they may stand about. Women always like etchings, too, or a good print, no matter how small they may be. So, also, with a bit of a statuette in bronze or marble, or in plaster. Even if a woman doesn't know about these things she is flattered that you think she does. Ifshe be your mother or your sister or your wife you will not have to keep up any of these flattering little fictions, but can just give her a sensible, useful gift. Give your mother a new lizard or seal pocket book, or give her an eiderdown cover for her own bed, or a pair of fur-lined dressing shoes for the feet. Then there's a bit of real lace for the little gentle- woman, who will lay it away in rose sachets and think up a dozen ways to wear itand be happy in it. Perhaps your sister's lesthor card case isa little worn at the edges, or she's lost her visit- ing list book. If she has set up ber afternoon tea table give her a copper kettle or a wrought- iron crane. If she hasn't set up the tea table give her one in bamboo, with the cunning little tea stool that goes with it. If she hasn't a triple dressing mirror give her that by all means; there's nothing in all the world that comforts and sustains a woman's soul like be- ing able to see her back hair and her eyey and her profile all at once. Or there’s s party fan —an ostrich feather one if you can, a gauze one if you can't—or a big black Spanish lace scarf towear about her head of an evening. You can give your sister or your wife a Dres- den china box for her dressing table, with a big powdery puff inside of it, or a blue deft tray for hairpins or @ little china night lamp that will burn ten hours and has scréen be- fore the flame. If your wife spends your money anxionsl and thriftily just go and buy her what she wil call a “foolish gift,” that is “too fine for her. She will like it all the better because it’s fine because you thought to give it to her. One man brought tears of joy 40 the eyes of his little wife by giving her the prettiest, most ex- ensive pair of house shoes he could find in New Fork. ‘Sie had not had sucha pair since she bought her wedding shoes, because they were "For your sweetheart aveld bnying perfum ‘or your swe! because any girl knows what she wont best herself; things to wear, because her father has the right to provide them. for he: because she has her own distinctir Make the gift useful, but not too usefal; pretty, but not expensive; impersonal, yet deli- cately ‘personal. ——-—+e-—___ ‘To Restore Our Foreign Carrying Trade. From the Forum. Commerce has its “strategy” no less than war. In war strategy depends on lines of operation and communication. At this time we possess neither, for either commerce or war. Our great rival controls both in every sense of the word. This pitiable condition on yphasized by the contrast of our the mos: enlightened, most ambitious, most energetic, most productive and internally most powerful nation on the globe should be ex- ternall weakest, most helpless and DUNS AND THEIR VARIED WAYS. Different Types of Debt Collectors and How Each Should Be Treated. 6S]QEW PERSONS HAVE HAD SO EX- tended an experience of duns as my- self,” said Noodles last night atthe Platypus Club, “In my bachelor days I was more than ordinarily reckless in my expenditures, and so it came about that I was forever over head and earsin debt, Naturally I became very expert in the dificult art of ‘standing off” a creditor. To the novice in financial embarrassment « dun of any sort is most distressing, but custom hardens. My theory used to be that a gentle- man should under no circumstances be remiss in meeting money obligations to his friends, but to owe tradesmen was not at all discredit- able. That view of the case is widely held, I believe. “There are many different kinds of duns, for each of which a peculiar method of treatment should be practiced. Most readily dealt with is He wants the the humble and beseeching dun. money badly for some particular begs that you will let him have asim on wccount, at all events. This is ne judicious way to extort cash trom a quent and you find it easy to ask him to call again | another day. “More difticult to handle is the dun severe. He wants his money also, and he means to have it. Ifyou are not ready with it, he would like toknow why not. He is full of suggestive threats, and not infrequently he is so rude as to utter them. He even gors so far as to say that jegal measures will be invoked. if you are sufficiently experienced, nize all this as mostly bluff,and you p with promises of the customary frag: “Another type ix @ variation on th he one have just described. He may be termed the dun sarcastic. His manner ix mild and he looks you coldly in the asks impertinent questions. You fecling rather withered by this style of pro- ceeding, but the important thing is to hold your nerve, When he demands if you suppose e has a year's time to spend calling upon | yourself to settle that little account you should reply coolly that you are quite willing that he shail not bother himself any further in the matter. Finally, if you retain your presence of mind, you may defeat him at his own gam and make bim so ungry that be will give up the pursuit. “One of the most effective sorts of duns is the patient bore. He comes around every day and looks unutterably sad when you tell bin that you have nothing for him.” This sort of thing becomes so annoying after a while that you are apt to pay up merely for the sake of Betting rid of tie persecution, Besides, it haa & tendency to advertise the fact of your in- debtedness unpleasantly. Your employer may inquire who the visitor is, if, as is likely, be turns up at the office. “That leads me to consider another type— namely, the conspicuous dun. His role is to make you ashamed. At one time in Chicago ® concern engaged in pursuing backward creditors dressed its agents in distinetive cos tumes, and the latter drove around in vehicles on which a big was painted, reading: ‘Agency for the Collection of Bad Debts.’ It Was not pleasant to have a wagon of this sort standing in front of one’s door. I have known a dun here in Washington to sit upon the front nnot help steps of house on the reception day of the mistress and make some re- mark about his little claim to every guest who came in. Another instance I was told of by the victim, where a collector actually introduced himsclf ‘to a private residence on such occasions, took a cup of tea in the draw- ing room, and after some conversation with the uzzled hostess, drew outa bill and presented it to her. “There is a more dignified kind of dun than any of those Ihave mentioned. He does not come to you, but you are expected to go to him. You receive a letter from a firm of ‘law: Yers’ asking you to call and see them respect- ing a matter of importance. If you have been caught that way two or three times before you are likely todo the wise thing and fail to re- spond. At most you will send a line in reply, re- uesting toknow what the business is. Of course they have anything of moment to communi- cate, it is properly their affair to say what it is about. But in forty-nine cases out of fifty the re- cipient of such a communication falls into t trap. The unexplanatory character of the missive makes him — nervous, and he considers that for all he knows there may be “something to his advantage’ in it. So he visite the lawyers and then they have him. They know thata debtor can be much more effec- tively bullied in their own office than anywhere else. Sometimes they will so phrase their letter as to indicate that they have ‘a claim’ against the person to whom it is ad , not mentioning what cl aroused. itis all a play on buman, nature, They are apt to say, ‘call and avoid trouble.’ It is wonderful how solicitous these fellows al- ways are lest their victims be put to trouble. ‘Dunning letters usually frighten the un- sophisticated. That is what they are intended todo. But experienced creditors simply tear them up and thik no moreabout them, “They fre mere formulas, ag a rule, and the threats they convey are verbiage and nothing more. In fact they are to be justly regarded an cheer- ing evidences of weakness on the part of the creditor, since appeals by mail only cost the writer postage stamps and need not injuri -usly affect the recipient. As a rule, they are not even read. Megas “Once upon a time, when I was particularly desirous of avoiding two or thres persistent duns, I gave notico in the reception room of the office where I was employed to the effect that any unknown person who called should be informed that I was out. In this way I man- aged to stand them off for some time, but not without arousing their suspicion somewhat. ‘This I was given to understand by letters which they wrote me, but I did not thoroughly com- prehend until iteame to my knowledge that the boy in the reception room, whenever he denied me to acaller, wasinvariably so overcome by his sense of the ludicrous in the situation as to immediately turn a number of handsprings in the presence of the stranger. This was nat- trally calculated to excite incredulity. inally I hit upon desperate expedient. I bribed the office boy, and when next the dun called the ingenious youth shook his head solemnly in response tos re- qld you give Mr. Noodles my card * ‘Did you give Mr. my yester- day?” asked the creditor. , $i “What did be say?” — to tell you that he was dead, sir.’ “Yes. sir. And what's more, he's going to stay dead until you quit coming here.” “Did he say what he died of?” ‘es, sir. He mentioned your name, sir.” ‘Thank’you!" said the dun, and walked out. I never saw him afterward.” hasan asl s AFRAID OF BEING RESCUED. Why a Female Would-Be Suicide Balled to Seek a Watery Grave. ‘The other day @ plain-looking young woman wearing calfskin shoes, was seen by the ligh house keeper at Hickoryhurst wandering along the shores of Lake Erie looking fora place deep enough to drown herself, says the Brad- ford Era. The water, however, was very shal- low, and she could not do more than wet her ankles. Finally she found a spot by the side of some big rocks where the water was three or four feet deep, and the light house man, fearing she might drown herself, came down. “What are you doing there?” he asked. “why,” said the woman, “I'm going to drown myself.’ “No, you ain't—not here.* “What business is that of yours?” “Nothing; only I'm here to save people's lives, and if you jump in there you can't do thai wetting, because I'll ttinganxious fora little excitement.” won't do it,” said the woman sulkily. ‘do.” won't.” Thus his auxiety is | Ceremony Attending the Preparation ef the Bride for the Ceremony. From the London Grayhie, It was evening when we started off toa Moor- ish wedding. The gentlemen bad to remain ontside the house, as no man is permitted to look on a Moorish lady. We found ourselves in a short pesmge leading into the “patio,” « square bali around which the rooms are built. On one of the beds of the apartment sat the bride, tailor fashion, with a veil of checked muslin entirely enveloping her. This was pres- ently raised, and disclosed the lady to our view. She was a girl of fourteen, and being very fet was considered a beauty. Indeed. when nearing © marriageable age it is common for girls to lie for weeks covered With warm blankets, passing their time in dor- feeding on the fatiening diet of milk \ peas, of «certain bean, ple as a fat producer. Her face presented the most extractdinary , being painted white, with a delicate nin pale blue, yellow and black on « patch of crimson on each cheek The eyebrows were indicated by a thick line of dense black, and from the corners of the eyes, which were blackened, extended @ fon-shaped design in black to the top of the carn the tips of her fingers and toes were dyed terra cotta with henna. Ayesha (so she was calved) was clad ina gorgeous khaftan of red silk and gold brocade, embroidered in goldand Teaching to her ankles. Her undergarments d brocade. and her waistcoat reu velvet and gold. Over the khaftan bung alight gauze garment, open down the front, | And coutined by aband of gold and silk te | n. many colors, + headdress was composed of silk hand- kerchicts, pinned around #0 a8 to show @ mar- | row edge of ench on the forehead Above these | came a band of black ve of sed pearls aud emer encireted by many | strings of amethysts. | While we were gazing st her we beard acry in the which was quickly taken up by | the women in the bridal chamber. ‘The bridal Veli was immediately dropped and the women ssumed their helas—a long white woolen shawl, ‘The reason of the commotion was the entrance ot Ayesha’s brother, a tall Moor in dark blue cloth djellabea nud white turbam Draperics weredropped over the opening and Ayesha, in her cage, was hoisted on» mule at the door of her house. y" with their long brass or silver- mounted guns. Then more candles and « long array of friends. In this way wae the bride borne to her husband's house. — ONE OF WASHINGTON'’S FOIBLES First in War, First in Peace, but One of thc Last to Pay His Taxes. From the Kansas City Times. Fairfax county, Va., is one of the fairest and most fatly rich of all the Old Dominion counties. George Washington dwelt there afore- time and the moccasin tracks of the father of his country in the mud of Fairfax county was a familiar spectacle a hundred years ago. I believe in hero worship—that is, if one has 4 valid, sure enough hero and none of your pinchbeck. Hero worship, at least, invites the buman eye outward and upward, which ise good thing in itself. For all of which George Washington has ever enjoyed considerable re- pute with me as an every-day solid-silver bero, who deserved every foot of his monument. I have never been able to look at the pale, plain | obelisk which towers to his memory without emotion. Whether the turmoil which fills my breast on these occasions arises from a recol- [lection of his deeds or the reflection that the j huge gravestone cost €1,130,000, and that some one was infallibly skinned therein, { bave been too busy to determine. I trust it is the momory of Washington's deeds, and incline to nk it is, but this is not, after all, what I'set out to chronicle. To me was permitted the sight of « funny old book the other day. It is one of the very old-time court records of F: pages ployed is of a dull, leaden color, and Paper employs * . the writing is as legible ns on the rovincial day when Daniel McCarthy and Joba Vout first made the entries, and took thelr fees therefor in broad-ieafed tobacco. I was somewhat shocked in looking over this tome to learn that George W: our George, mind you—was forever being indicted nd tried for failing to pay hie taxes.” I had never contemplated Washington usa taxpayer, but supposed he met his state and county af- flictions with the rest of his neighbors. But it scoms he did not, The sheriff would bear clasps and sewn with catgut. The with a dismaying frequency, as the old record shows, and then, when it’ did happen, the | nation’s parent, realizing fate, would step in and settle up. ‘So, after all, George Weshing- ton always paid his taxes, but be made officials weary before they got them. record describes a time from 1756 to 1763. seman ere Equal to the Occasion. From the Youth's Companion. Professor Green of Brown University was one of the best teachers in New England, but he sometimes became so much interested in his lecture that when the noon bell rang be kept the class five or ten minutes over the hour. Certain restless spirits in the class thought they would give the professor « gentle bint, so they bought @ small alarm go off precisely at noon and rofessur's deuk when they cams in to the next Kecture. ‘They know that be wes minded and expected that he would not a ‘As the noon honr struck the alarm with a rattling crash and those of hot in the sccret started and took in at once. ere Was a round plause. Tuo profesor waited until the alarm applause were over and then said, de- oY tlemen, I thank for this little “Young I for sift. T hd forgotten it was ‘ny birthday. A clock is something my wife has also needed in the kitchen for some time. It isa very kind remembrance on your part.” The professor then went on to finish « demonstration interrupted by the alarm and it was ten minutes later than when he diswissed the class! He also took the clock home with bim vs whether be lk i ——— Fast Literary Work. From the Nashville American, A friend of mine happened tobe with Marion Crawford recently in England, and during the conversation happened to tell a “club” story te the novelist. “I would like to work that into a short story, if you Aon’t mind,” said the novelist. iy friend told Crawford that one of the ob- jects of his visit was to secure if possible ashort story from him. “Very well,” said the author. yourself with my books and I'll let story. 6,000 words, ‘And within two hours’ to “y, you bave the i eH ‘a H EB i i if