Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 7, Number 40, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 31 March 1877 — Page 1

THE MAIL

^A PAPER

FOR THE

PEOPLE.®

SECOND EDITION.

Scotch clergyman. He

A UI

Town-Talk

let bis family

T. T. it will ba remembered, pencil run week before last on matters, and finds it taking the same direction this week, though what he has to say applies aa well to the great family called society, aa to the domestic circle. In society, as in the family, one of the duties which members owe to each other, is to aid in overcoming faults. Individual faults are cobble slenes over which the family carriage rattles on the journey of life much to the discomfort sof the oocnpants, the boulders oyer whioh first one wheel and then the other irolls, half upsetting the vehicle, and the stumps against which the horse stumbles, or the wheels strike breaking the traoos. The oobble atones ought to be raked out, the boulders rolled off the track, and the stumps dug up or cut down smooth, and in doing this work the members of the family and the members of society, ought to assist each other. And one of the most delicate du tie* ever falling to the lot of man, and the one whioh is often bungled the worst, is that of helping to correct faults.

Children in the family, and men and women in society, are often made worse by the very effort to make them better. And in referenoe to this matter, T. T. remembers to have beard, or oomo across in some way, the advice of

an

old

waa

preaching

from the passage whioh gives

an

account

of Christ washing the disciples' feet, and be made this act to represent the duty of oleansing eaeh other of faults. And be said that in doing this, as in washing feet, three thing* aire neoessary. First—

THE WATER MUST WOT BE TOO HOT.'

A great many efforts to cleanse people of their faults flail because too hot water is used, Who doe* not know old Mr. Faultfinder. He is a very good sort of a man, not so good as he thinks be is, bat abetter man than those who see his disagreable aide think him to be. lie makes It hia special mission in life to point out faults to|thoir possessor*. He goes for faults as speedily and with as great relish as a crew for carriou. But he soalds people in the effort to wash them. In faqft he don't seem to think that he has done bis duty unless be has made the water hot euough to burn. He seems to Uke real solid satisfaction in hearing his victim cry "Ouch!" It sometimes appears as if he had rather burn them, even if tbey pull their feet out of the water and rtin 'away in the dust and mud, than to wash them olean without giving pain. HIP principle is that, unless they are penitent enough for their faults to be willing to be scalded, tbey will not stay clean, and so he goes m«.snd the domestic circle, and out in%to sodtety, with his baeket of boiling ihot water trying to get every dirty foot ,he sees into it. Scolding and fretting are the hoi water with which people attempt to cleanse of faults. When talling children their faults and reproving them, when husband* and wires tell eaeh other their taulta, when seeing and attempting to rid friends of faults in society, have a care not to use too hot water.

The next point that the, quaint old Scotchman made was thit, in washing 4 1

HAVR CLEAN HAIUW.1"^*

And

this,

JBOOty

•I

to the Scotch, means a great

deal, bfaeanse it is a ouatom in that land, for tbv frionds of a young man who is ^about to be married, to waylay him the ^night

hefrre

his wedding, seise bim and

iwaah hh foot. But they leave the feet in a worse condition than they find them, because the party performing the pretended ablution have their hands covered with soot. Now there i* a goodly number of people in thia world *«Who, not In. sport, but in earnest, at^templ to wash one another's feet with

hands, and seem to expect to make

'{them clean. The husband flies into a ^passion and accrues hia wife of having a bad temper, and vice versa. The father flogs the boy tor going to a saloon and drinks himself. The mother reproves the children for falsehood, and practices deception in their presence continually.

Old Air. Faultfinder goes about- with

Art*** 4

bis bucket of scalding hot water trying to make people see and feel, their fanlts, and be washed, and flies mad himsalfon the slightest provocation, and shamefully abases anybody and everybody who incurs his wrath. Feet cannot be washed clean with sooty hands. Fanlts cannot be effectually pointed oat and removed by those who themselye*, do not correct their own faalte. ri

The third point in the advice of the Scotch parson was—you must submit to

HAVE "SOUR OWN FEET WASHED. Aye, there's the rub. Old Mr. Fault* finder thinks it a great pleasure to get other people's feet into his bucket of hot water, but he squeals fearfully if anybody attempts to get his feet into a bucket of water ever so mild, and rub them never so gently. His business seems to be to see that other people's feet are clean, but he is mighty ticklish about his own feet. Tell him his faults never so kindly and mildly, and he is "hurt," thinks he is abused, persecuted for righteousness sake. When husband or wife says to the other "we would be a great deal happier if you would do so and so, or not do this or that," and the response comes, "I know that I am at fault there and will try to mend," and then, by and by, when the tables are turned, the same spirit is manifested by the other party, there will be a pretty rapid cleansing from faults. But if either, or both claim the exclusive privilege of correcting the other, then there will not be much effective correcting done on either rflde. When all parties submit gracefully to have their own feet washed, their own faults pointed out when their turn comes, the cleansing and improving work will go bravely on.

T. T. DOES NOT CLAIM 1

that he has always lived up: to his 6bh preaching in all respects, but Le met»ns to do it, and is trying awfully hard to do so. He must plead guilty to having used pretty hot water sometimes, but the feet he had to deal with were in a pretty bad condition. Besides he was younger then and didn't know as much as he does now. Whatever has been hiB practice, bis preaching is right and be is sure it is not best to have the water too hot. As for keeping clean hands he has done the best he could. And as for submitting himself to the process which he has prescribed for others, he has been obliged to do so whether he would or not. And be flatters himself that he has submitted quite gracefully to some pretty bad scaldings and some .pretty hard rubbings sinoe he made the acquaintance of the readers of The Mail. And for all such favors he is duly grateful and hopes to pay for all he has had!

Husks and Nubbins.

No7w7.^'j{am

EASY PIiACBS.J f{ yl f_j I

The world has no need," says Charles Lever, in one'df his charming stories, "of the man of small .acquirements' and would rather have its shoes mouded by the veriest botoh of a professional than by the cleverest amateur that ever studied a Greek sandal." Nothing could be truer than this and yet men seem slow to learn it. It is really distressing to see old men, or those who have passed the meridian of life, sitting day after day in the court house and waiting patiently in the hope that they will be selected as jurors, and thus receive the paltry aum that they know not how else to earn and" M^ilcb their families are In such urgent need of, or ekelng out a soanty livelihood by somesuoh temporary and shifting methods,—men, too, of more than average talents and intelligence, who might have had independent places in some trade or (justness. If the lives of such persons were closely examined they tronld generally reveal a shifting mode of existence, a flying from one pursuit to another without any steadiness of purpose. They have changed frjm one occupation to another for no other reason than that the new thing seemed easier or promised better pay than the old or even for tne mere sake of the novelty which the change would bring. With a similar nomadi3 propensity, aa to locality they have wandered from plaoe to place and never remained long enough in one spot to become rooted and Axed. Such persons are little better than the amateur aboemakers of whom Charles Lever speaks. They attain to no considerable skill on thoroughness in anything simply because they dont stick to ene thing long enough to master it. Such lives are always and necessarily virtual failures, for wf "Art Is Ion* and time Is fleeting," and a man cannot do many things well. In fact a life-time, as life, times go now, is none too long for the thorough mas tery of any trade or profession.

Fortunate Is the young man who, when he strikes out intotba busy world, steps the very first day into the place which is to hold him during all the rest of his life, doubly fortunate, indeed, if he has chosen the sphere beat suited to hia inclinations and abilities, but after hia hand has been put to the plow, it were generally well if he never looked back. There aredlfflcult!**, discouragements, and disagreeable things connected with every pursuit and it is easy for

VOR^7*—No. 40.iu^ TERRE HAUTE, IND^SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 31,1877.

the y$dng man of limited experience to penva^ himself that the particular pursuit be has selected la the very worst one of them all. On the heels of this auppoqdd discovery oomes disoontent and a desire te change, and when the change']* made, anew truth dawns upon the vision of the young man, namely, that the new path, is, if possible, more thorny than the old. The folly of fellies is to seek an easy way through life. Doubtless some men do live more easily than other*, but it is by luck, accident, or what you will, but not by seeking. The easiest way to fell a tree is to give it some strong licks with a sharp axe, and it is much the same way with living. The men who get the easy places (If there really are any easy places) are very frequently the fellows who have rolled up their sleeve* and gone might and main to work, iivtU

But It's a mistake to want 4n easy plaoe at all. The exercise and development of one's faculties constitutes the best enjoyment in life, and this is reached, not through sloth but through industry. I knew not whether the lawyer or pieacber, or doctor has practically the easier mode of life, but I do know that either ought to work just as hard and no harder than the others, and, to reach an equal eminence, he will be compelled to. I suppose that every person ought to be of some use to the world and of as much use as he can otherwise it is difficult to see what we live for. To be most useful he must make the most of himself and this means honest, faithful work. It is useless to deny that the busy man is the happy man. It is only in hours of idleness that we mope and complain that things are not as they ought to. be. The occupied man sings at his work the idler suffers from attacks of ennui and "the blues."

Not that we should become hacks and drudges either. It is a sorry sight, when a man always reminds you of a mule In the tread-mill when you see him, because you never see him anjwhere else than plodding along on the endless belt of business. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. There must be reat, recreation, social enjoyment, intelligent exercise, esthetic culture. And by following but one pursuit, "for years and years" all theae will be possible and attainable, for long experience bring* skill and knowledge, these, reputation and reputation, competency. There are few men indeed so poorly favored of nature that, by patient and constant effort in a single direction for along period of time, they could not have a comfortable heme and income to lighten the labors of their de dining years, And those who have not, see the error of their way at last, but, when they see it, the time to cure the evil has long gone by. There isnethlng left them but to driit on through the rest of It as best they can.

Shows and Show Folksy

They made much better music than a negro minstrel troupe, but they didnt blacken their faces—consequently the receipts fell short of the expenditures. This was on.Wednesday evening when the Boston Philharmonic Club played at the Opera House. As a club, although there are some remarkably fine soloists, there is not that perfect discipline and smoothuess of execution, that oneness of seal and harmony which characterize the Boston Quintette Club. Miss Dora Wiley fairly captivated the audi enoe with her sweet, flexible and we cultivated voice. Altogether It was a musical entertainment deserving a muoh more liberal patronage.

Again we have the men of th& plains with us, for a short season, with their mock troubles with the Indian* and desperadoes of the Far West. They are beaded, as heretofore, by "Buffalo Bill," who, since his last appearance here on the stage, has had some real work in the wild fighting line. He oomes back fresh from the scenes that culminated in the terrible fate of Custer and his boys in blue, with the scalp of at least one celebrated brave at his belt. The troupe have not the beautlfal MORLAOCHI this time to give grace to their rude mimicry bnt they include some rather olever people. In the farce last night, that opened the entertainment. Miss Marie Wellesly and Mr. T. Z. Graham were very amusing/ The play In which Buffalo Bill and Captain Jaek, and the rest of the party, raise the hair of the gallery, has the startling title of "The Red Right Hand or, Buffalo Bill's first Scalp for Custer." It Is represented in five acts, and is, of oou»c, full of blood-curdling scenes, the culminating one showing bow Bill took the scalp of Yellow-hand. A matinee i* being given thia afternoon and the last performance will be given this evening.

There are few communities that can afcow a larger per cantage, of admirers of negro minstrels, in proportion of population than this, and uowhere, we venture to say, have the Haverly Minstrels more sincere admirers. They come often, and are always greeted with large audiences. They come again next Thursday evening, under the management as usual of that prince of that prinse of good fallows, Harry J. Clap-

ham. Some change* for the better-have been mate in the troupe ainoe it* last visit here, and an entire change of programme ha* been .made from that of former visit*. ,•: r- w-ij

Lawrence Barrett comes next Friday evening with hia' great impersonation of Hamlet. Perhaps Mr. Barrett is not aware that the melancholy Dane haa been pretty well "played" by home talent to this long suffering community else be would have given us something elsefrom his list. Still he may play the character somewhat better than it has recently been done—in fact we feel quite sure that be will. Seriously, while ^re had rather see him in a less familiar performance, those who wish to see a fine personation of this great oharacter should make It a poipt to be at the Opera House Friday evening.

For the following week John E. Owens is booked for Thursday, and Boucicault's "Forbidden Fruit" company on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Simmons and Slocum'e minstrels, who made such a favorable impression on the occasion of their recent visit ,"vy ill return on the 16th. •.£ •imet

Joseph Jefferson will remain abroad another year. Fox, the clown, has had a second attack of paralysis.

Lucca has wasted $&,000 on divorce lawyers, and still has two husbands on band.

Buffalo BUI h§s signed the temperance pledge, says a current newspaper paragraph. 1

Mis* Julia Hanohett, who has many friends and admirers in this city, comes next Friday with the Lawrence Barrett party.

Florence has introduced anew type of nose in bis play, and no sooner does it begin to shed its glow on the stage than the gods shout "Cronin."

Ex-United States Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy of Kansas, has gone upvnthe stage, and Is playing in Missouri with Miss Jane Coombs, as Matthew Stand ish, the mill-owner, in "Pique."

Mrs. Florence's elegant costumes for the stage, when she appears as Mrs. Gen. Gilflory, in the "Mighty Dollar," have given plaoe to five new dresses, each one a marvel of instruction, which were made by Worth. The new costumes are valued at 915,000. 'Shade of General G.I'

ANew York critic says that Clara Morris studies her death scenes at the hospitals. If she wants to get up a real genuine gilt edged, cream laid, diamond pointed expression of agony azid apprehension, she should study the face of a man reaching for a soft corn with the heel of his razor."

1

In a play-laiU dated Dec. 22, 1&55, eleven years ago, are the names of Miss Lotta, John Ellsler, J. E. Irving, Miss Belle Hewitt, and Miss Clara Morris. Debutantes who feel hurt that they don't spring at once to the topmost perch will find balm In this reoerd. Even Clara Morris was on the stage a young lifetime before she had a chance in "Man and Wife."

Some of the papers have noticed that a young man from St. Louis, desperately smitten with Mrs. Alice Oates, the piquant actress and singer, followed her about from plaoe te plaoe, pressing his attentions and presents upon the fair lady. It seems that the young man has been successful in hia suit, as it is announced that Mrs. Oates is soon to be married to the son of the Hon. Henry T. Blow, formerly member of Congress and subsequently Minister to one of the South American States.

NSW PAPERS. Rk ©1.

Our city is threatened to be inundated with new weekly newspapers, but the only one about which there is any abaolute oertainty is the removal of the Patriot from Rockville to this city. Mr. ColllBgs, the proprietor, suspended Issue In Rockville last week, and intends to start a democratic paper here aa soon as the material can be removed and set up.

Another Democratic weekly with Mayor Edmunds at the head, is talked of, and would without doubt be" a success from the starts but Mr, Edmnnds says the report is' prematnre. We presume that the venture depends upon the re-election of fiis Honor to the Chief Magistracy of the city.

Mr. Hardesty is also spoken of as about tor launch a Republican weekly, but we beUeve no steps have yet been taken to put it on its feet.

There is also some talk yet of a daily paper in the Interest of the administration.

S

These are all we have heard of up to the time of going to press. The Mall, from its weU entrenched position can—without fear of being charged with crying down oppositionafford to give one word of good advice. It is—" Do*'t!" Our city Is just reoov ering from along season of overdone journalism. Our business men, especially, are glad to have a rest from the rapacious solicitor of advertisements. Tbey oan now, without fear, put an ad vertisemant in one of the papers without finding at their doors, in an hour after it

iassued, half a doaen pencil sbovwm with the eager question: "Can't we copy that advertisement in onr paper?" Terre Haute has now one morning daily, one evening daily, a Saturday evening paper and the German tri-weekly— enough to supply the reading and commercial wants untU the dawn of that good time coming." Nevertheless, it may be that we are mistaken. Perhaps there are some aching voida, some long felt wants to be filled. So gentlemen, pitch in and flU them. You have the cordial greeting of The MaU.

People and Things.

Five members of the cabinet are Free Masons. .Gen. Grant is the only surviving expresident. -Postmaster-General Key has thirteen children.

One barber's shop in Springfield, Mass. contains the notice:"No talking with a customer unless be begins the conversation.^ -t

The Boston reporters steal into Mr. Moody's inquiry meetings in the disguise of sinners, and the good man doesn't discover the deception.

A conundrum for the social scientist— Which is the most to be pitied, the poor man with a rich mother-in-law or the rich man with a poor mother-in-law.

Ruskin has just said a pretty thing. "I am getting old," he says, "and oan not look with the old enjoyment at the setting sun. It seems to sink so fast."

The wealthy citiaens of Boston are to be massacred, and their property divided among the people, unless a society of radical reformers have resolved in vain.

Pretty nearly all men are benevolent when it doesn't cost much. Tom Jones never sees poor John Smith suffer but he thinks Sam Rogers ought to help him.

The' "gentlemen' in waiting"J at the ante-rooms of the White House, are now saying to each other, in whispers, "Have you ten dollara you can lend me to get home with?" "None but tboee willing to pay 91,000 a month need apply," is the remark of a New York real estate agent in advertising a house to let, "located in the finest street in the city."

A temperanoe convert at Pitcaburg opened his remark* as follows: "Ladies and gentlemen, to bring my nose to this state of blooming perfection has cost me at least 910,000."

Many of our religious exchanges present a happy combination of puffs of quack medicines to kill people, and editorials on the propriety of accepting death with cheerful resignation.

One year in congress, according to Grace Greenwood, is simply time given a man to realize what a fool he is. A second term is sometimes given to show what fools his constituents are

The fact that Forrest founded an asylum for superannuated actors, and Yanderbilt has made provision for disabled railway men, causes an exchange to suggest that Mr. Tilden make a provision in his will for a retreat for Democratic office-hunters.

Norrlstown Herald: A naturalist says the weight of a flea is about five hundredths of a grain, and yet it can draw about twelve hundred times its own weight. We don't suppose a man who makes two hundred and fifty ineffectual slaps at a flea, ever thinks of this.

Elder Lard preaches in Louisville. He has been tried and not found wanting.—New York Herald. As a matter of course. He's one of the anointed.— St. Louis Republican. Strained and a-porcine-d for the heads of his congregation.—Chicago Post. Hope he's not a pork iud of a man to ingrease his flock.—Terre Haute MaU.

An aged man atoee ln on* of Mr. Moody's prayer meetings in Boston and asked for prayers for an unconverted wife, "How long have you been a christian?" asked the evangelist. "Thirtyfive years," was the reply. "And she not converted in all that time?" was the quiet remark of Mr. Moody. The man was touched with the reply, and before the meeting closed asked for prayers for himself.

N

In a late Philadelphia daily the foUow ing were some of the subjects advertised for Sunday discourses: "How to Slide." "The Bright Side," "Brick-Making and Worship." A minister who has to descend to thia kind of clap-trap bad better seek another calling. The people are not ail fools, and if they are led by such methods to attend the church which thus advertises, it is too often to see the clergyman make a fool of himself.

Various'aid ufl^aaihg are the advantages of advertising. A Doctor of Di vinity in Richmond, Va., sought a place for a lady friend as a teacher, commend ing her good points highly. An old North Carolinian, wealthy withal, read the advertisement. He wanted no teacher, but did want a wife badly. The Doctor's reecommendation jmt .filled the bill. He went straight to Richmond, ooorted the lady, and they were recenta $

a

"iv price Five Ceatt

Feminitems.

Mia* Susan B. Anthony keeps a scrapbook, and likes to be paragraphed.

1

Mr*. Beecher roasts her own coffee, and puts a pinch of butter in the pan. A Virginia woman of 28 is a grandmother. She was married at the age 13 yeara.

San Francisco bride made her wedding trip upon a vessel on which she was born 20 years ago.

Mrs. E. A. G. Ross, of Paducah, called Mr. Keeth, a hotel clerk, a "thieving, woolly dog," and he has sued for 95,000 damages.

A fashion item ssys "Paris has suppressed all linen undergarments." The act of suppression was eminently right and proper. They ought to be kept under.

A young lady who died at Toledo,* a few days ago, was Yassar's brightest graduate. She carried off three prizes in the class of1875 and destroyed her health indoingit. Is*

A happy Chicago maiden affirms thht by placing a lover in the rays of a Mue glass window he oan be made to propose at one sitting. She has tried and proved it herself,

4

An old lady of Attica, this State,Must to show what she could do, filled a goblet with rioh cream and with a teas£bon churned butter enough for the breakfast of a family of six.

It is a little singular how much valuable time a woman will take up in studying the postmark of a letter to see where it oomes from, when she can open tye letter and find out at once.

Julia Ward Howe was not always a strong minded woman, grasping after the ungraspable, and diving for the.undivable. She named one of her daughters "Maude."—[Baltimore News.

Anne Brewster tells of a Spanish lady who went to a ball in Rome arrayed*in a costume composed of roses. That isn't quite so deeollette as Mrs. Eve's wardrobe, but perhaps they don't raito'fig trees in Rome.

1

xl

r!

When a young man encircles his partner's waist for a dance, he will do wisely to keep his fingers still. Nothing aggravates a young lady more than to im-, agine you are trying to count the whalebones In her dress. 11 He stood beside her turning the music tenderly, lovingly be whispered:

Your fingering is exquisite." With a^ soft blush she lifted her azure orbs, and said: "Yes, John gave 9150 for it." He departed he went he don't go* there now. ^tn

Wt,

"Celia Thaxter," states The Literary World, is writing a novel baaed on her own life, which bas been a very romantic one. She was brought up on one of the Isle of shoals, seeing no one but her own family, and married one of the first men who came to the Island for shooting and fishing."

The wife of a literary man should be intelligent enough to share in her husband's highest joys. She should not only be able to get up early in the morn-» ing to make the fires and pick up the stray pages of manuscript with which he bas paved the floor, but sbe should* also be glad to get down on her knees with a rag and a basin of hot milk to scrub the ink out of the carpet.

Olive Logan does not approve of the training of English husbands. "In spirit," sbe says, "the lazy and obstinate 'gentleman' who flings himself into an easy chair and bids bis wife get up out of hers and bring him his boots, is the same narrow-minded, ungenerous tyrant the Digger Indian is when he packs the load on his squaw and tramps himself untrammeled by her side. Under no circumstances do the laws of analogy anatomy, physiology or phlebotomy prove that a physically lenfirior wife should take twenty steps to save a strong husband one."

The way women of the West have of expressing their desire for a kiss is told by the Brunswlcker: "When a Brunswick girl wants a kiss, she says, 'Dar*| ling,' gives her fellow a look that goesj through him like a galvanic shock, leanst. a little closer—and the work ia done* Over in Monroe county the girl* are. very high toned, and their way is thus:: 'If you have not been drinking, and will promise not to drink any more, I'U let you press your Upe to mine, which as yet are unprofined by a kiss.' A Mx* berly girl says: 'Pucker up your mug, Jim, and let me copper it.' The Dtvitt girl murmurs: 'Deah Gauge, smear me on the goo.' A Carrolton girl sighs: 'How pnffectly delightful it woald be, Chawles, if you and I were to indulge in a little osculatory exercise.' The hgetysvUle, girls do aU their talking with their eyes. Most any one can fuvterstajMl them. The Chillicotbe girl whisper*} 'Old Allemagoozleum, lick my abops^or I'U think you are real moaja.' A Saline county girl yells: 'Piaster rae a good one, Jake, right under the snoot.' A Marie.ta girl says: 'Am I the first that you ever kissed?" and don't believ* what you answer. A Columbia girl says: 'No, ye dfr-on'tr and encourages him." ..

J( a*#