Litchfield enquirer., 1864-12-22
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WAsHrserou, Dec. 18th. 1884.

0u8 WA401uG1OW G0R12ESp0HUENCE WAsHIHGroH, Dec. 18th. 1884.
 Whoeye. has spent year at the North. o, above all has drank -lsalfh win draughts Q,
 Litchfield air, and grown It md rugged in the life giving cold of your winter, can never en. joy himself in tho lukevarm, uncertain tenn
 peratdre which is the inyariable companiou of this latitude. With you, the winter-king reigns indeed, but the shadow of his sccptre hardly falls upon us, and the result is an archy. Awise man has said that bad king IS better than none at all, and am sure il any man in an hour of discont sniment thinks
 tho rule office and snow despotism, he would
 congratulats himself on that rsgime if he should ever experience the state of things where the rival monarchs, summer and winter,
 embroil the domains with contention. aud
 vouchsafs to their subjects the healthful rule ofneither, but the monstrosities of their com. bined political systems. slush making. clouds above. ready-made slush below and everlasting mud-for which if there were ever Worlds Fair for such articles, Washington, believe
 me, would bear off the gold medals. But nc ill is an ill to all: even this war brings luxu.
 ries to the contractor, and in like manner this weather gives employment to far more es- timable body of fpeople,-in short Washington is She Paradise of boot blacks and crossing
 sweepers. The polished boot, which we may
 say symbelizes order and neatness and refine
 ment, wages war with mad which is not a bad
 metaphor for opposite qualities, and the boot
 black cries "havoc," and makes money out of
 the war,-which let him dc, and our blessing go with him, and with his compeer, the cross
 ing-sweepsr. Tho latter is not beggar he
 earns his wages, and contracts for them with
 tho sense of justice he gives passers by credi,
 for having. Tho man who pays one of these boys the pittance he happens to find loose in
 his pockets, and thinks it charity, and plumss
 himself oa his bcnevolence, oh eats himself.-
 He has given the boy what by contract he owed him, and if he does not know it the worse it is for him, for then be discharges a
 debt without knowing it, while he thinks he
 IS charitable without a right to such an opiu
 ion. In fact, stand up for the crossing.
 sweeper. He sweeps the flags of the crossing.
 otherwise three inches deep with clay DOT ridge, and enables you to get across without
 having to resort to boot-black for repara.
 ton of damages at a greater cost of money han
 the little sweeper ever thinks of putting YOU to. Then he stands by with half supplian air, as if indeed you did not owe him, and he
 does not lament if he gets nothing from YOU What if others use the poor wretchs good off
 ces for nothing, or even push him aside with
 curse for blockading the way, shall we?- Nay, my, come hithef thou little ragged Af l rican, ragged indeed ana slender-uot SO fa,
 as my landlady, not greasy like the stalv.r
 black who snatches my plate and pours gray,
 on my knees at dinner, but to me more i'm
 portant just now. for am in debt to thee ans
 that on trust. Here, take it and then h, goes how joyful! and yousgo too to return ane
 find him to morrow at his post again 10 well come you with grin of remembrance. Yes
 you find them all over the capital city, and it is well, for the city needs them. Mus
 pours over the streets, clogs up the sewers
 inundates the pavement and by Its very abun dance becomes an article of trade. for ever, one will give something to get rid of it. Mu:
 Is the grand enemy. mud is the only one VI
 can't whip. One sees so much mud that un
 consciously it begins to seem necessary to
 regular and quiet life. muddiness becomes ih
 normal state and coffee and sugar, without tk
 remainder of sand would be an enormit ty.-
 Inhabitants of longer residence here thai
 mine tell me that the present condition 0
 he streets is aryness compared with tLi l respect few years ago.. The thought it,el is simplifying, and prevents further disser- tation. TYRoY