Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 9, Number 49, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 7 June 1879 — Page 1
Vol. 9.—Not 49.
THE MAIL
A PAPER FOR THE PEOPLE.
SECOND EDITION.
Town-Talk.
"Because I know from past experience how gmu Indulgence is shown by an English audience to one who, however badly he may say It, says ail he has to say with out fear, without favor, as muoh as may be, without offense."—Max Muller.
It is not inuch credit to a man to be a martyr on account of bis own pigheadednees, and yet martyrdom from this cause is not entirely unknown, perhaps not very unoommon. It seems quite probable that when some people pass in their choeks, expecting great credit because they have endured so much on account of courage and independence, they will be informed that they get into trouble because they were not gentlemen. The man who is afraid to say all that be has to say is a 00ward. The man who refrains from saying what he has to say through favor to somebody or some claas, is a toady. The man who says all he has to say in an unneceesarily objectionable manner is no gentleman, Aud between cowards and toadies, and no gentleman, there isn't much to choose. Max Muller describes just the sort of independence and courage that Is needed, when he speaks of one "who says all he has to say without fear, without favor, and, as much as may be, without offense." The pigheaded man is the one who says all he has to say without fear, without favor, and as much as may be, with offense. He considers it a mark of courage and independence to offend as many and as muoh as possible, and a mark of cowardly training to seek to say all that he has to say in such a manner a« not to offend.
Now T. T. thinks that those who desire to instruct or influence others, either in public or private, have difficulties enough to overcome, without creating any unnecessary ones. There are men in this city, good men, well meaning, and capable of strong and wide influence, who are continually piling unnecessary obstacles In the way of their own success. Instead of putting forth their ideas with as little offense in manner and matter as possible, they seem to think it necessary to make the matter and manner as disagreeable as possible. They hate sugar coated pills 90 much that they boat theirs with some material thai is worse than the original pill. They bate coaxing so thoroughly that they attempt to ram the pill down the throat as roughly as they can. And because people object to the bitter ooating of the piil, and resent tbeir style of administering it, they bewail and denounce the depravity of the community, and take credit to themselves for their courage and independence. T. T. is not getting personal, and yet there are familiar names that will come involuntarily to mind when sncb seuteucesare written and read, and probably it is the same elsewhere as here. T. T. does not mean to charge that all opposition comes from an unnecessarily offensive mauner or spirit, nor does he think that a man can always say all he has to May, or all he ought to say, without otfruse. Truth, and right principle, and right action, are often bitter pills at the beat. Children's hands, and noses, too, iuuit »o cue tines be held to get the necessary dose down, but that is 110 reason for seising their hands, pinching the nose, aud laying them on their backs, to get down a bomeopatbiat's sugar pellet, or even an allopathic dose, when it is not necessary. It is sometimes necessary to say things that are very offensive, and in order that attention may be attracted and the desired results accomplished, it is sometimes necessary that offensive things be put in a manner to give offense. There are oases in which the only, or at least, most efficient method bj which to get men to thinking, is to make them mad. But these are the exceptions, and the man who governs his general practiee by that role will find that he has dona little else than make angry, and if he gets hard hits from some of these angry people, he hss bis own bad spirit or stupidity to thank for it, and need not take the flattering unction to his soul that it la his courage or independence. T. T. has noticed that generally a man may cay
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what he will without arousing anger if he says it in.a kind and gentlemanly spirit. Time and again has T.T. seen an audience go out mad and swearing when they would have taken all that was said patiently and profitably, if it had been given them In abetter spirit. And time and again has he beard public men commended for tbeir independence and 00urage by those who did not agree with them, becaase while bold and independent, they were also gentlemen. It is a good rule to say what one has to say "without fear, without favor, aad as much as may be, without offense."
A Woman's Opinions,
WB AND OCR GRANDMOTHERS. Perhaps you think it would have been better to have put the grandmothers first in the above heading, bat, as it happens, I do not choose to grant to these nice old ladies the immense superiority that is usually awarded to tbem. I am willing to admit their numeroaa good qualities, but claim just as many for the present generation. It is bard to understand why the men of to-day are so free to make comparisons, when they know nothing whatever of the drees or customs of these same grandmothers. "O, yes, we do," they exclaim. "Why, we remember them very distinctly." Of course you do. You recollect them as old ladies who sat in the chimney corner and knit stockings, and petted and humored tbeir grandchildren, and waited patiently for the evening of life, when they might lay aside the burdens they bad borne so long and find the sweet rest which this world had ever denied tbem. And, taking tbese worn and weary women, whose days are numbered, you offer them as models to the generation of to-day with the warm, vigorous blood of youth pulsating through their veins, and life, with all Its rich promises, rising up so invitingly before their eyes. Wait till we find our strength ebbing away, and our eyes growing dim, and you will see that what you denounce as our follies will depart witb our youth. It is an utter and absolute impossibility to make a just comparison between us and our grandmothers, because the surroundings, which are indeed the controlling power of our lives, were so different then from now. What we would do if we had been situated exactly as they were, or what would be their habits if they occupied our plaoes, can never be determined. Let us consider for a moment the points of superiority claimed for our reepected ancestors. First, their excellent constitutions, and consequently their great physical eadnrance second, their devotion to maternal and domestic duties third, their economy and good sense in matters of dress. These are the chief characteristics in which we are supposed to be wofully deficient. A good constitution is something for which we are not personally responsible. We must depend upon our parents for it. If this generation of women is born with an enfeebled system, the fault lies with our sncestors and not with cs. A woman whs is continually overworked, and whose strength is in constant demand, as was the case with our grandmothers, can have very little to bestow upon hsr children and when these children are an annual or a biennial occurrence, as tbey were in the olden time, it is not ressonable to expect any great degree of vigor. They may be stout, healthy children, but the growing years will develop msny a weakness, for which the blame must rest with the parents. As to the physical enduranoe, no woman knows what she is capable of doing until the time for action somes. Our grandmothers had to work there was no escape. From early dawn to deepening twilight they could know no rest, and it availed nothing to complain. In those days it was impossible to obtain help, and the wife had no choloe but to struggle along and accomplish by herself work sufficient for two or three. If the women of to-day were obliged to do this they would be found equal to the task but being able to obtain assistance, they very wisely do so and economise their strength.
But how foolish it ia to compare tbese grandmothers who, for the most part, lived upon farms or in pioneer settlement^ with the residents of oar cities apdhurg* towns. If those men who are »6 dissatisfied with the present class of wives and mothers will go to the frontier or to the backwoods they will find women who work just as hard as did those of the olden times and if they will look among the poorer classes in our cities they will see them performing labors under which even their grandmothers would falter and fall. But since they insist upon making the comparison with the woman who live ia cities, they ought to have some idea of the work it is to keep house in a city the constant war against coal dost and dirt the carpets and curtains and piotures and ornaments to be kept clean. In the oountry the housekeeper goes out in the garden and gets the vegetables for dinner: in the city she most make bar toilet and go a mile to order them. In the eitv a lady most dress herself
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and her children at least twice a day in the olden time the family was arrayed in clean garmenta on Sunday and tbese were expected to be worn till the next Sunday. In the olden times our grandmothers, perhaps once a month, donned a olean calioo apron and spent the day with a distant neighbor this, with church or Sunday school, oonstituted their entire round oj amusements and left the rest of the time fordomestio duties. Tfce city lady keeps up a large list of calling acquaintances, gives and attends balls, parties, receptions, dinners and high teas goes to the opera, oonoert and theater, rushes .off on excursions, finds time for charitable enterprises and performs wonders witb her needle of which her feminine ancestors never dreamed. Our grandmothers read the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress and Baxter's Saints' Rest the woman of to-day reads the daily papers, all the latest novels, the fashion magazines, «and very often works of science and art. All these occupations are just as necessary to civilized life and just as useful in their way as cooking and scrubbing and washing and droning. With all due respect to our grandmothers, with admiration for their faithful and uncomplaining labors, with reverence for their pure and uBselfish lives, I do not hesitate to make the assertion that there never was a more Industrious, energetic and intelligent race of women lived than the present.
The other points will have to be very hastily considered, as se much space has slready been consumed. Maternal love was no stronger fifty years ago than it is to-day, but a mother would necessarily be obliged to stay at home more olosely with thirteen children than with two or three, and after a woman has spent thirty years of her life raising a family she has not much taste le/t for any other kind of amusement. Lastly, in regard to dress, I am willing to concede that they were much more economical and sensible, if you insist upon keeping up the comparison between us and our ancestors of the rural districts, but if you will take the town fashions of the olden times then I still refuse to recognize the superiority. Compare the immense structures for the head half a century ago with the cottage bonnet or neat walking hat of to-day contrast the low necked, short waisted dress of that time, with its "mutton leg" sleeves and scant skirts, to the high necked, long sleeved, graceful princess dresses now almost universally worn. There is not a garment used by the stylish lady of the present age but that is superior to that worn' by our fashionable grandmothers.
We had speoimens of antique clothes at our recent loan exhibition, and more awkward and unbecoming dresses it would be bard to imagine yet, with the material that is in one of those, almost any of our tasty and skillful ladies could fashion a pretty and stylish garment so that they cannot even plead economy as an exouse for their ugliness. As for dressing like our rustio grandmothers, there is not a man would consent to it. If he should see his wife or daughter coming down street with a homespun dress, calfskin shoes and a sunbonnet, be would rush into the nearest saloon to hide his blushes and drown his mortification. And now, brethren, when yon are counseling us to pattern after our grandmothers, consider how mush yon resemble your grandfathers. Did they come home when the rosy dawn was approaching, and assure their wives that tbey had been sitting up with a sick member of the Lodge? Did they spend half their income for fast horses? Were they unable to pass a friend on the street without dragging him into the nearest saloon and filling him up with beer Did they have one pocket full of cigars and the other full of whiskey killers, and then grumble when their wives wanted a new dress? Did they used to flirt witb the pretty girls on the street corner while the mother watched a sick baby at home? After yon have answered these questions pat on a checked shirt and broad-brimmed hat, get yourself a pair of jeans pantaloons, let your wife make tbem up with a hem around the bottom, and let us all return to the days of Auld Lang Syne.
STATE SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION. I desire through your psper to call attention to the Indiana State Sunday School Convention, to be held at Richmond June 25, 2Mb. The hoepitable people of Richmond propose to entertain free all who attend the Convention. The Vandalla and Pan Handle Railways have agreed to make a rate of H00 for the roand trip, Terre Haute to Richmond. providing as many as fifty go. The ticket to be issued at Terre Haute good going on the 2&th and good returning until the 29th inclusive. From leports already received there is very little doubt that the requisite party of 50 will be made up. Those wishing to join the party will confer a favor by notifying either E. 8. Petiijohn, W. W. dyers or the undersigned aa soon practicable, so that we may know bow many to depend upon, and also that the local committee at Richmond may be informed how many to provide entertainment for. Tours Truly,
a 1 '^111
TERRE HAUTE, IND., SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 7, 1879.
H. C.
Bona.
Susan Perkins' Letter.
Tkrbb Hautb, June 4,1879.
Dbar Josrphwb—From my earliest infanoy I have always confided my troubles in you. We made mud pies together, played "hookey" together, and when the teacher scolded Sussn for writing love-letters to Tommy Green, it was Josephine who took the part of outraged innocence, and made faces behind her back. As then, so now, I bring to you the story of my woes, for I am sad, —very Bad. Uncle.Ezra says I am bullous, and recommends quinine, but I know that trouble is bringing my red hairs witb sorrow to an untimely end! People say bad things about Susan Perkins—cross, cruel things. Only yesterday a lady said that Susan Perkin's letters had no point to them! For all I know, a dozen others may have said the same. Then a young gentleman said most emphatically that Susan P. was fsr from smart. He did not say it to me, but did tell some one, who told another pereoB, that told a friend of mine, and it seems more cutting from the fact that this same youth often writes for the papers himself. After this, perhaps I had better label the different parts of my letters as they do the wares in a shop, to avoid mistakes, as: beginning point funny part, moral, Ac.
Sunday was a cold, damp, drizzling day, and even I, inveterate church-goer that I am, preferred to stay at home. Monday was still cold and disagreeable, but Tuesday dawned bright and beautiful, a lovely June day. I have an idea that Prof. Tice and the other weather prophets knew there was to be a wedding that day, and had it clear up on purpose. At any rate, if there is any truth in the old saying, "Happy is the bride whom the sun shines upon,"then Miss Emma Bell will be one of the happiest of mortals, for the sun rose most gloriously on her wedding day. All of the many friends of Mr. Cookerly and his fair bride wish them a pleasant journey through life, and among other congratulations accept those of Susan Perkins.
Speaking of weddings reminds me that I know a secret and, being a woman, cannot keep it. But, Josephine, you must not tell it! Do not even breathe it to a living mortal, and when you think about it, do so in the privacy of your own apartment, with the door locked, the curtains down, and your eyes shut. A certain handsome young officer is soon to take away from Terre Haute one of our most charming young ladies. But there! I promised not to tell her name, and tortures cannot drag It from me. Suffice It to say that society will be completely stunned with surprise. For fear the shock might reaah as far as Okaw, I thought it best to warn you. •.
Yesterday I met Mr. Wm. Zobel, who hss just returned from Europe, where he has been to perfect his musical education. He looks the picture of health, and evidently has enjoyed his foreign trip. How fortunate that I am to be here during the great musical festival, the Swngerfest! Although I am not conceited enough to fancy myself a fine performer, still I can appreciate and enjoy good music and am always delighted to meet and oonverse with musical people. It has been my good fortune to meet Miss Ssga, one of Terre Haute's most gifted pianists also Miss Milllgan, who Is 'visiting here, and Mrs. Haberly. I am told that Mr. Shlde, director of the Snngerfest, takes the lead among the professors.
The young ladles here Indulge In an amusement which is said to be quite fascinating. Croquet is nowhere in comparison, and it even throws archery into the shade. It is called flirting. When I say the young ladies, I do not mrfan all of the young ladies here! Fsr from it. In fact, the number who play this game arS really In the minority, but It Is Indulged In so publicly, and occasions so much gossip—you know tongues will wag where there Is the slightest excose—that a stranger might be excused for thinking that nearly ail of the young ladies occupied themselves In this manner. Some of these ladles belong to families of the highest respectability, whose fathers and mothers have always been considered the salt of the earth (or rather the salt of Terre Haute society). Others who do not stand quite so high also engage in it, for anything so fascinating is apt to beoome common. I even heard it whispered that two or three of the Normal students had been lared away from their algebra and history, their theories and practice, and other brain-splitting problems, and had rested their over-burdened Intellects with a little harmless flirtation. Not long ago I noticed two fair maidens sauntering down the street, Miss Simple and Miss Sweet tbey belong to the first ftninjitaa. Presently one of tbem looked behind her in a mlnuta the other one looked back then they both turned around and looked across and op the street. At first I—ignoramus that I am—thought tbey had lost something bat they hadn't, unless it was their senses! Soon I discovered that just across the street was a man! real,
live man! A stranger apparently, and enjoying himself too. After several more glances backward and forward the stranger raises his hst thsn.Miss Simple giggles and Miss S*veet smiles. And so the game continues until all three are walking together and conversing, to all appearances, as though acquainted for years. And yet these same girls would be highly indignant if any one should suggest that their conduct was improper enough to excite oomment I am told that some carry the game so far as to answer newspaper advertisements and carry on correspondences with unknown persons, and that in one instance the young lady was writing to a married gentleman, although unaware of it herself. This is all I have learned about the game of flirtation,but I shall keep on the lookout and perhaps some time I can tell you the names of those who play It the moet skillfully.
How kind it was for the author of "Woman's Opinions" to welcome me so cordially. I saw her on the street several days afterward and was tempted to thank her personally, but fearing she would not be so willing to embrace me in reality as shs did In theory, I restrained my feelings and prudently passed on unrecognised as, yoar friend,
Susan Perkins.
Feminitems.
Eve was the first woman who went to the devil. A woman under 50 should have eight hours of sleep.
Clocked stockings should never be allowed to ran down. One girl In the kitchen is worth two at the front gate.—Modern Argo.
Woman's sphere—That she will never get married.—Detroit Free Press. One of the novelties with Allen's Great Eastern Circus Is a female clown, Adah Isaacs.'
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"I like to make sponge cake," she said, Innocently, "It makee my hands so clean."
Eve's court dress "would have tlokled the Princess Louise half to death.— Buffalo Exyress.
A Davenport lady is about to sue for a divorce on the ground that her husband "has no style about him."
A fellow who fell in love with a school ma'am called her "Experience," because to him she was a dear teacher.
There's no special style of engraving engagement rings. A Bplder's web with a fly in It Is a very pretty device.
A French widow is bewailing the recent loss of her husband. "I have at least one oonsolation," she sobs out, dryins her tears. "At all events, I know where he spends his nights now."
A Michigan girl ooaxed her lover to take her carriage riding, and the horse ran away and killed her. Showing this paragraph to the girls will be thousands of dollars in the pookets of our young men. 1, fA# "Did yon know, Ada', that this wss the longest day in the year?" asked a gentleman of a young lady with whom he had been passing a \py in the oountry. "I did know," answered she, "but vou had made me forget." f.fw?
A newly married lady was telling another hew nicely her husband oould write. "Oh, yoa should just see some of his love letters." "Yes, I know," was the freezing reply, "I've got a bufhel of 'em In my trunk." Tableau.
At last a witty woman has built a "God bless 'em" toast to the men. Mrs. Dun way, at a literary reunion at Salem, Oregon, toasted them in these words: "God bless 'em! They halve our joys, tbey double our sorrows, tbey treble our expenses, they quadruple our cares, they excite our magnanimity, they lncrease our self respect, they awaken our enthusiasm, they arouse our affections, they control our property, and outmanoauver us la everything."
Mrs. S. Myra Hall, in a lecture in Brooklyn, declared that in the year 2000 the mlllenlum will oome, and "all the wonders of electricity and magnetism will be as nothing when compared to the blaze of light in which the inhabitants of the earth will bask." There is a kind of blaze in which it is impossible to bask with any comfort. We desire an immediate and more definite explanation by Mrs. Hall. If It Is going to be necessary to secede the public cannot know it too soon.
The Chicago Tribune says that young wife of that city who is anxious to keep her husband at home evenings flatten him aboat the exquisitely dainty proportions of his feet, and induces him to wear boots aboat two sizes too small for him. He is on his feet ell day long in town, and when be comes home at night aha hss a soft chair and a pair of loose oool slippers for him, and by the time he, with great drops of agony pearling on his brow, has got off his boots he oomss to the conclusion that there is no place like home after all, and has no desire to go down town to lodge, or to sit ap with a sick friend.
Ninth Year
Gospel Gleanings
An Episcopalian church at Hartford] Conn., has votod that hereafter on'y baptized persons shall be employed (o sing in tbe choir.
The Unitarian churoh in Newburyport recently celebrated the Lord's Supper "without material bread or wine, as a purely spiritual rite."
"Who's your psstor, my dear asked a good old lady from the oountry, addressing her daughter, who has been living in the city a half a year or so. "Really, mother, I hardly know. I never saw him. He was away on a vacation last sammer, and now be has started on his lecture tour for the winter. I may get acquainted with him next spring."
The pastor of the African Methodist church at Mlddletown, Conn., visited the museum and menagerie part of a tent show, and was pained to see members of bis church going| In to see the circus performance. On the following Sunday be refused the communion to these offenders, and all but|four persons In tbe congregationJwere found to be disqualified.
Prof. Swing says that sermons should be written with ink rather than with penoil, and that a man who will rise and make his toilet In a satisfactory manner will make abetter sermon than thelaty man who writes in bed, sad apsetehia inkstsnd over the pillow. He also wishes it understood that ministers oaa do better work after breakfast tbau if tbey begin very early In tbe morning on an empty stomach.
The Protestant clergymen of Trey, N. Y., have passed resolutions to limit burial services as far as pessiblo to scrips tore reading, Binging and prayer. One of the reasons for omitting sermons on such occasions is thus stated "Ministers are often embarrassed and brought to a degree of discredit by inappropriateness of remarks, by ignorance of peculiar features of the life or family of tbe decesed person, by saying too little or too much In the view of biased and prejudiced minds and fear of giving offense."
Mr. Froude compares Julius Csesar with Jesus Christ. His lateBt work, "Cffisar," closes as follows: "Strange and startling resemblance between the fate of the founder of the kingdom of this world, and of the founder of the kingdom not of this world, for which the first was a preparation. Each was denounoed for making himself a king. Each was maligned as a friend of publicans and sinners each was betrayed by those whom he had loved and cared for each was put to death and Csesar also was believed to have risen again and ascended into heaven, and beoome a divine being."
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The Alllanoe intimates that'many of tbe brethren who attended the Presbyterian General Assembly at Saratoga are dyspeptics. This accounts for the Assembly's thunderbolts against the opera, against the secular papers which must not be read on Sunday, and against the Roman Catholic Church. Not even the free run of the springs, or the copious draughts from barrels of spring water placed In tbe vestibule of the church, bad the effect of relieving the aoidity of the stomachs of these venerable Invalids.
The Baptists hsd lively times at their anniversaries in Saratoga last week. One Incident occurred In this wise: venerable clergyman from tbe West had expatiated for three-quarters of an hoar on his section of the country as a miasionary field. Much of his manuscript was evidently unread, and the patience of tbe clergy being exhausted, they took to tbe unholy device of cheering until be was compelled to sit down. Just as tbls ruse succeeded, the chairman invited the congregation to sing "Rescue the Perishing." Immediately the sacred edifice rang with laughter, and several minutes elapsed before tbe bymn could be sung. t*
PARAGRAPHS ON COOK. From the Boston Times. According to the Terre Haute Mail, Joseph Cook's discourse in that town was too long. Tbe Mail says: "He caused a stampede In his audience to escape being talked to death."
Tbe ire of tbe Indiana paper was also aroused by Cook's assertion that there were not more than a dozen good newspapers in tbe United States. It is assumed that snob a computation leaves Terre Haute out In tbe cold. It would be interesting, bv the wsy, to know whst journals Cook includes in his dozen. "One thing the western people will not stand," according to The Mall, is
Cook'scomparisons
between tbe Estt
and Wert, to the disadvantage of tbe latter. We are astonished to learn that Cook's language "was so clear aad simple tint a child could understand Mm." are not at all surprised hearths*
MbJa
advocacy of an Anglo-Amertoaa allW ance was liot enthusiastically received.* Bat it Is painful to observe the want of respect in tbe dosing words of the west* era journal's criticism, where it speaks of "Mr. Cook's rather ungraceful figure, and his not altogether pleasing style of 1 oratory."