The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1870-12-17
Letter from NeqU York.

of charitable fermentation. Fairs in aid of
principles, institutions and individuals are
making themselves successfully prominent
among our amusements, and the ''rigidly righ-
teous" of the metropolis rejoice over the fact
Fairs have been, in times past, regarded rath-
er scornfully-hav in fact been tolerated but
scarcely appreciated. To-day the case is diff
ferent. Hon., we know-why, we do not care
to inquire. The merchants of the city COM
plain that the increasing popularity OF these
institutions" (can fair properly be called an
insttutionO is interfering materially with
their holiday trade, and truly they are deserv-
ing of sympathy. Albeit their position is lu-
dicrous from its very seriousness. To the He
brew charity fair, now being held here, all of
our principal Hebrew merchants (and Man
haitian Island is possessed OF not few,) have
donated elegant and expensive articles from
their various stocks. "Cast thy bread upon
the waters and it shall return to thee after
many days" The merchants above mention
ed begin to regard this statement dolefully.-
They have cast their bread upon the sea of
New York charity, but instead of showing any |
intention OF making return trip, it is swal-
lowed up in a maelstrom, into which the mer-
chants themselves bid fair to become entan- |
gled. While at the fair in behalf of the woun- |
ded French the same effects are perceptible.- |
The month of December has always been con- |
sidered the mercantile harvest time. This year |
so far has proven itself an exception to the |
general rule. The merchants sowed, and the
first of their sowing has fallen into strangers
hands. This may not be agreeable to the in
dividual sower, but to the outside needy, who
have nothing to plant and nowhere to plant it,
this deviation from general justice is delight
full in the extreme. 1t is an undoubted fact
that the business stagnation Of New York city
is owing to the success of charity fairs, and
some of our merchants discuss seriously the
advisability of setting aside so much every
year for the benefit of any cause which may
present itself to the public mind as worthy as
sistance. Of course, under such circumstan-
ces, none could desert them to patronize out
side charities, and really if this state ofthngs
continues much longer think they will be alb
solutely forced into some such magnanimous
role The fancy fair and Bazaar, in aid of our
soldiers and sailors orphans, is under the aus
pices of twenty major generals, six admit
rails, and more colonies and captains, &C., than
it would be safe to mention here. 1t begins
upon the 18th, and will in all probability prove
quite as destructive to outside trade as any of
it's predecessors.
Lady lecturers are now among the most pop
ular of our entertainers. We have already had
Lillian Edgarton, Olive Logan, Anna Dickin-
son and Kate Field, and will probably have
many others before the close of the season.
Miss Edgarton's last rostrum experience here
was strange one. She was victim of that
terrible malady, stage fright Miss Edgarton
dience we presume because New York is the
| seat of all the radicalisms which the young Ia
| dy has taken upon herself to oppose. She ia
ces Bostonans with the most perfect indifference
fears the critical Hub not at all-but comes
before good natured Gotham in most unfeigned
| dismay. Upon the night of her lecture she
prophesed defeat.
| "Mr. LIE Rou," said she to the head of the lit
| erary bureau under whose auspices she was to
speak, 81 feel sure I shall fail, and would
| give five hundred dollars need | not appear
| at Stenway Hall this evening""
| He tried to reassure her told her of the num-
| Der of tickets sold, and predicted the most I'M
| measured success, all to no purpose. Eight
| o'clock arrived. The immense hall was well
| filled with an audience whose faces showed
| anything but querelousness, or a desire to find
| fault Punctually Miss Lillian appeared and
| actually ran fro the door opening upon the
platform to the desk in the centre, as she af
| forwards expressed It: II felt that | should
sink to the floor in one seconds time, and di-
rected all my energies to reaching that sup
port as quickly as possible"
| She was Just as beautiful as ever; her voice
| had just as rich a cadence and her whole
| appearance was exactly as prepossessing as in
her most composed moments. But there was a
| a something lacking which her auditors felt yet
could not comprehend. She had an uncom-
Portable time keeping her place in manuscript,
and altogether imbued them with feeling of
| nervousness not at all agreeable. Several
| walked long before the lecture was COM
pleted, while those that remained showed a
squirming, bite-your finger-nail sort of unea-
siness which must have added to the fair speak
er's misery. Well, it is mercifully ordained
that some things have an end, and Miss E. and
her hearers were alike relieved at little after
nine. After concluding she entered the ante
room and Mr.. LIE Rou attempted some words OF
Of comment.
Don't speak to me-" said she dispairingly.
81 warned you how it would be. My limbs ac-
tually refused to support me. | know what
stage fright is now for the first time in my
life"
This is a little singular, as the lady has spo-
\ ken before the first audiences in this country
with the most pest~csss oi; Y5f s0cR ffsaKg
IL Is said that Forrest soon after he commenc-
ed to "star it' was one evening taken in the
same way. The play was Othello, aud just be-
he informed the manager that he could not
, think of such thing as appearing on the
boards that night.
"Are you sick? asked the manager.
"No, never was in better health"
"Then what is the matter with your"
81 shall fail if | attempt it, that's ALL" was
the stubborn rejoinder
: "FaH then, sir. My reputation is OF as much
account as yours, and must be preserved" and
then to encourage him said laughingly, "Des-
demona is looking beautifully this evening.
She will inspire vou'
"Desdemona !" said Forrest, and stalked from
, the ROOM Excuses and protestations awaited
nothing and the actor was compelled to appear,
and as his intuitions foretold was Kissed in the
places where he had before distinguished him
self.
81 cursed that night until morning the fate
that had made me an actor" said he, "and
went on to the boards the next night and re-
deemed myself thoroughly"
Anna Dickinson is our pet, and understand
ing the frmness of position isn't troubled by
any uncomfortable timidity. Her last lecture
on Joan dare has completely captvated the
masses. Even those who have before arragn-
ed her as vituperative and unladylike, confess
ing that in this lecture there is nothing which
even their sensitive souls may shrink FROM
: Everything is womanly and delicate and even
the men, of whom Anna has very unnatural
horror, are treated with Difference so unusual
as to be overwhelming. Many attribute this
gentleness to the intercession of Mr.. Wendell
Phillips whom Miss Anna makes no secret of
considering an exceptionally good masculine.
But others more acquainted with the young
lady insist that experience has taught her bet
ter things of the "male Sect" and thatsheowes
her reformation, or rather progression, to the
efforts OF no man under the sun.
Concerning Miss Logan few care to venture
words, and albeit there is no woman has more
bitter literary personal enemies, there is also
but one capable of securing larger audiences.
She has rare faculty of amusing persons
without being witty. remember one time in
that most conservative of cities-Brooklyn, she
spoke in equal rights convention. Her
theme was "Breeches," (pantaloons,) and she
really waxed eloquent over her unprepossess-
ing subject. The male portion of her audience
laughed long and loudly at her hits and dram
attic representations. The ladies curled their
lips and appeared nervously DESTROYS of put
ting in a disappearance Finally Lucretia
Mott, the venerable woman's rights Quaker
ess, arose. called the fair Olive to order and in
short, bitter speech, rebuked the levity with
which the lecturer had seasoned her grafton.
! Olive threw her silk train over her arm and
sailed from the patfym.
In the dry goods world the last and greatest
excitement is The opening OF a new silk de
partment at 4. T. Stewards. The magnifi-
cence and eostliness of this new branch is be-
yond anything ever attempted in this city,
London or Paris. Full particulars and des-
crptions will be given in our next. E. X.
SENATOR CAMERON Some time since Senator