The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-04-19
From the 5. F. Chronicle !
Saturday Night.

Saturday Night.
The long routine of the weeks work
is over, and the weary hands and brain
that have toiled without lntermission
during the six allotted days find a dear
rest in the cessation at evening.
The markets are crowded-the dealers
are reaping a rich harvest in supplying
the material for the Sunday dinner-ta-
BILE; the early Spring viOlets from the
flower stands are in demand to breathe
of the sweet country i'm those city homes.
The calm of the Saturday night is an
old theme and withal 4 strange period
of contradiction. For though while
some are drinking in the peace of the
fireside, the cellar and the drinking sa-
loon are also the scenes of orgies and
revels.
There are so many loveless lives; so
much of driftwood and so little of home
attractions; so many havenless vessels
and so few strong anchors of domestic
affections I'm this feverish city, that the
boil and bubble Of dissipation is kept
well alive.
Passing into the lighted streets and
taking up our position in the shadow of
doorway the other evening, we watched
the stream go by us and wove links and
lulCltS IOulu euCu uCtlOll vi lllG tuEItll
The first we chose was a tall
LONG-BEARDED MAN,
With a singularly' placid expression, at
! tired in shabby genteel costume, and
with an air and carriage that suggested
at once Thaekeray's Colonel Newcomb.
He was evidently widOwer or an old
bachelor. Did wOman's hand hover
over his household, that rent in the coat
sleeve and that frayed collar would never
be n blot on the venerable garment.
The old gentleman, after long stare at
a comfortable OvercOat in a tailor's win
dow, turned with sigh to the shelter
of a friendly awning, for the rain began
to fall heavily. Takinga cigarette from
his pocket, he rolled it carefully, and
after many efforts with a damp match
he succeeded in lighting it.
Immediately we wOve warp and
wOOf of Southern life around him, saw
4him dallying with pine apples in shaded
porches on sultry afternoons and sip
ping sherbets from silver goblets.
Jointly ruined by n Mexican revolution
or in the "late lamented fatricidal."
That neat turn of the fingers was never
learned under northern sky. He ex'
amined his memorandum book for 9
ear-ticket, holds it up to the light, halls
a passing car and is gone, leaving his
history book TO us under the doorway
/ perhaps one that might be as blacl
as LIack-edged letter, long delayed
! from u waiting friend.
y newsboy shouting his full account
of the horrible something or other,
family man with a well-filled basket,
young clerk clapper, and Others shell
tered beneath a silk umbrella go by, an
we wonder how many will be receives
, into comfortable homes; and how man.
will pass into the dim cheer of bachel
ors' quarters.
FLOATING DOWN THE BosPHoRUs.
Some twenty years ago othere lived in
great city, silent, dreamy man of grea
talent, but objectless life-a poet, trans
lator, essayist, scholar; but withal
, dreamer, without energy or purpose
His daily haunts were the rooms of
library; his only companions the book
: that stored the shelves; his only ambi
tion the needs of the hour. Like hun
dreds of his kind he never knew hi
power. His sole pleasure was the opium
5 dream-his only ambition the grave an
Lethe. When lie died in neglect am
poverty, among his writings appeared
poem, grand, rythmical and tender. j
was entitled, boating down the BOs
D phOrus,n and told of the sad reflection
: of the gray and worn vOtaries of pleas
= ure who had ever striven after the gloV
and glitter Of life, and whose old ag
was nothing but saddened memories.
From our corner we look at thes
r boatmen of the Bosphorus, full of vigo
and hope, whose only creed is carp
dienl-grasp every fruit, Needless of tn
c ashes at the core. But the sad lesson {
r the poem,
}; "All we've learned amounts TO this,
LIES a sad experiment"
: 1t is not always the experiment of til
e mariners of the BOsphorus.
d "I think you might settle that littl
n account, sir; four months standing, an
:, only a single deposit"
IL Heavensl that train Of reflection
i like these should be broken in on thu