The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-11

We have always had an admiration for A
clear, shrill, tuneful whistler. A belated podes-
trian, ploddlng along OF frosty winters night,
beRuiling his way with cheerful variations on
some popular song, has often unkuowngly
given us pleasurable thrill as we listened to
bis keen staccato notes cutting through the
sharp air up to our chamber, whom we were
wasting the midnight gas over somo never-to-
be-appreciated editorial When we were an
urchin, we too delighted 10 whistle, and were
no mean performer in that way.
| We orce walked mile through \ bog, and
past a country graveyard, after dark, 10 hear
a colored amateur, who was said to possess
| the faculty of whstlng out of both corners of
his mouth at once; and we did hear him, but
he had so much mouth that we could not, for
| the life fus, keep our eyes on more than one
corner at time, and therefore cannot vouch
for the truth Of his fame, One Of the sweetest
musical treats we ever enjoyed was listing to
gentleman In Washington, who whistled
wonderful bird-organ-ish melodies, and
accompanied himself on the piano
We like 10 hear tho laborer whistle at his
work, the school-boy whistle at his play; nay,
at safe distance-and the whistle Of the
wind has peculiar charm for us whom VIC are
by the fire. But there is a time for all things,
and also time in which things should not be
done. So there are occasions upon which
even we, with all our partially, are Obliged
to admit that whisllng is improper and i'm
pertinent.
One Of these occasions is that of a public
entertainment, more especially Of an enter
tanment wherein the ears Of the audience
play the most important part, such as a read
ing, recitation, or oratorical efforts of any kind;
and this brings us to the point. We recently
attended lecture given by an instructive and
entertaining speaker. The audience Yves
large and attentive, and his remarks were
enthusiastically received.
But there were few youngsters overstocked
with carbonic acid gas, which they felt 1t a
duty to discharge from their lungs from time
to time, in series Of vibrations through the
entire whistling gamut, very much to the
speakers discontinue and the annoyance ofthe
"larger children" among his hearers. In espe-
cial, there was one iuveniscent piper imme-
diately in front OF us, whose mouth assumed
the most excruciating pucker every few
minutes, and gave vent to short, sharp trills.
He whistled when the gas was turned Off
and when 1t was flaming; when the lecturer
joked and when he was in the midst OF sclen-
tifc explanations. In fact. we feared that boy
would get the locljaw, with his lips fixed in
a stony pucker forever. But he did not, for
he went out at last in one long, triumphant
note, and when we reached the door the
echoes Of his whistle were dying away up tho
street in variations upon Rally round the
Flag"
The speaker was once obliged to stop in the
midst OF sentence and request that the whis-
| tie oblgato might be dispensed with. Bat he
locked right at the wrong boy, an innocent
little fellow, who had sat as still as a mouse,
all eyes and ears; while the chief cuiprit
quickly prepared TO renew his efforts with
gleeful exultation.
Boys, If you must really exercise your lungs
in this manner, either take a good long whs-
tie, or choke Vt down till the entertainment is
over, and then let 1t come with a will, till you
fairly whistle yourselves home and into bed
We shall not propose to you third rem3dT :,
viz, TO stay away from the entertainment
altogether. We are not so selfish as to wis,
this. But we do earnestly beg of you no. to
"Whet your whistle" upon the nerves OF
audiences at public places oi amusement or
instruction.