The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-03-26
SOCIAL HALL SKETCH.

moved a. cork from the edge OF an earth
lenwares book which had been sent hin
from Boston-it was :. very curious crock
cry volume, and was used in the ceremon
of swearing in the new members-'gentle
',,en--the Committee ON Gaslight are read
with their questions.
Better call it Committee on the aca,,
of Gas Lights" quoth Starlight chat i
lif our street are to furnish the sub
Ijex.n
There was a sad solemnity, and tn
breeze whistled mournfully in and out
and about and the smoke rose around a
the Colonel hegan.
"Why are the City Gas Lights like run
away niggers?p
Answer by Smoothly because the,
are dark, and keep dark"
Why should the City Gas Lights be
put in Moyamensing Prison?"
Answer by .Meister Karl-"Becaus,
they're a miserable set of burners"
by the way" Interrupted Starlight
talking of lights, what's the difference
between candle in the Mammoth Cave
and d dance in a public house? Yor
don't see any, 'sposc. OF course yor
don't! WeH-I'll' tell you The one is
a taper in cavern aud the other capel
in a tavern
Then there was wild laugh and a
chorus of cigar pufi's--broken by an in
9uiry from Brickdust:
"Why are the men at work on the ice
and snow in Chestnut street, privileged
characters?"
"Beeausc," cried ghostly voice in spec
tral tones, ''because they can take their
puck and clear osst !"
+ go it, ghost!" quoth Brick 'And
why are the laborers in question like re-
turned Caiifornians?"
Because" replied Phantom, "they have
their pile y
"Then," commented Meister Kerl, ..they
are no gentlemen. for Rabelais says in his
first book, that gentleman never has
cross nor pile to bless himself with--mean-
ing thereby, money"
''Why are the piles in Chestnut street
like a green-horn amoag gamblers?" pur-
sued Brick
Because replied the Colonel, .'they
stand 4 chance OF being cleaned cut =
s.Ana what is the popular view of all
this snow and ice?n quoth Smoothly.
( 4 dissoluiag ristc,r cried Starlight
with terrible energy And gradually sin
king his tone, he repeated-A dis--sol--
ying--v view. y
'Did any Of yeu ever hear what the
little news5oys holler of a morning at the
corner of Third and Chesnut," suddenly
cried the Colonel.
"Yes" growled Old Hurricane, 'they
holler Ledgeet Ladgee7" q
Sometimes they boiler Iaqairer,"
screamed Phantom, yehemently, in an aw-
full rage.
z ''Well i meant penny paper Now
do you know that same Ledger fourished
in days Of antiquity, in Babylon, and such
like?''
"How do you know that?" cried all
hands, greatly amazed. And first in the
cry was Meister Karl. who was desiroas
of collecting a fact for his great essay
''on the Slang of Ancient Babylon. 'a
Because last night in Semirarnide, I
noticed that when 0roe went upto Arsace,
he held up a paper to him and said
'Leggitn
That means read it, in Italian, y
quoth Smoothly. "And what did Arsace
io?', =
.sHe' took the Iedgee,n replied the
Colonel, 'and after while he handed it
to the Queen, renlarking, 'misera Leggin'
.Well-it'simproved since then,n nquoth
Meister Karl, with sigh at the nature of
-he information acquired. That's one
,omfortn
( And solemn tsilence stole over the par
y, and one bytone the cigar lights came
cleaning bright and red, and a smoke
spread out so mistily, like curtain
over head. Like the curtain of misty eve
hing iitrose on every hand. .--Phila Satar-
lay Baletsn.
{. ~ ~ -sa