The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-08-30
September Magazines.
Scrilncr's.

Bret Harte's story, "An Episode of Fiddle
town." moves on, gaining strength. His
heroine Mrs. Trcthcrick, after vainly trying
to exc out sustcnancc with the pen and on
the stage eventually finds position in Sac
ramcnto church choir.
remember her quite distinctly at this time.
The light that santcd through the Oriel Of st.
Dives choir was wont to fall very ten
dcrly on her beautiful head with its stacked
masses of decrskin-colorcd hair, on the low
black arches of her brows, and to deepen the
pretty tringcs that shaded her eyes Of Genoa
velvet Very pleasant it was to watch the
opening and shutting of that small straight
mouth, with its quick revelation Of little
white teeth, and to see the foolish blood
family deepen her satin check as you watched
For Mrs. Tretherick was very sweetly con
sciouS of admiration, and like most pretty
women, gathered herself under your eye like
"A racer under the spur.
And then of course there came trouble.
have it from the soprano-a little lady who
possessed even more than the usual unprcju.
diced judgment Of her scX--that Mrs. Trcth-
cricks conduct was simply shameful; that
her ConCcit was unbcarablc; that if she con.
sidcrcd the rest of the choir as slaves, She
the SupranO, would like to know it, that her
conduct on Easter Sunday with the bassO had
attracted the attention of the whole COngrcga-
ton, and that she herself had noticed Doctor
Cope twice look up during the service That
her, the soprno', friends had objected to her
singing in the choir with a person who had
been on the stage, but she had waived this
Yet she had it from the best authority that
Mrs. frederick had run away from her hus,
band and that this red haired child who
sometimes came in the choir was not her own.
The tenor contdcd to me- behind the organ,
that Mrs. TrcthcriCk had way OF sustaining
a note at the end of line, in order that her
voice might lingcr longer with the congrcga-
'tiOn--an act that could be attributed only TO
Il defective moral nature. That as mamie
was a very popular dry-goods clerk on week
days, and sang a good deal from apparently
behind his eyebrows on the Sabbath-that as
II man, sir, he would put up with itno 'ongcr.
The basso alOnc--a short German with Il
heavy voice, for which he seemed reluctantly
responsible, and rather gricved at its posses.
sion-stood up for Mrs Trctherick and
avcrrcd that they were jealous of her because
she was pretty" The climax was AT last
reached in AN open quarrel, wherein Mrs
Trcthcrick used her tongue with such preciS
ion OF statement and cpithet that the soprano
ported from the choir by her husband and
! the tenor This act was marked Intentionally
To the congregation by the omission of the
lusual soprano solo. Mrs. Frederick went
home flushed with triumph but ON reaching
her room irlnnCally told Carrie that they
were bcggars hcncciorward that shc-hcr
molher--had just taken the very bread ont Of
lhcr darling's mouth, and ended by bursting
into Hood of pcnitcnt tears. They dld not
come 50 quickly AS in her old poetical DAYS
| but when they came they stung deeply. She
was rOuSe3 by "a formal visit from vcStry.
Han-onc of the music committee Mrs
| rrcthcrick dried her long lashcs, put ON a
new neck ribbon, and went down 10 the uarlor
She stayed there twohours-a fact that might
have oCcasiOncd some remark hu, that the
vestryman was married and had family of
grown.up daughters. When Mr., Trcthcrick
returned to her room, she sang 10 herself in
the glass and >coldcd Carrie. Blu, She re-.
tanned her place in the choir.
Noah Brooks contributes curious study
of japanese fans, tranSlating into Ineligible
vcrnacular the many grolcsquc and seemingly
meaningless figures one secs ON these queer
fans.
Many of these fan pictures, he tells Us, are
/ illustrations OF naive classics, ialTI tat'
and historic legends.
On this ncutraltintcd reverse, for instance
a curved line dashed across the disk is a slack
rope; on il is n nondcscript dancing, and be
low haltknccling figure represents the jug
glcr or Snowman. lie is gcSticulating wildly
with his fan, hi, mouth is wide open Will
well simulated establishment al the antics OF
the creature on the slackropc. This per
former is like Il badger; yet it resembles s
tca-kctlle Its body is the kettle; one Gun
iningly curved paw is the spout; another
which swings the inevitable umbrella is the
handle; and the tail and hind legs form the
tripod on which the kettle sits. The story oi
the Accomplished Tea kettle is very old, and
Inumbcrlcss versions of il form Il staple drama
/ tic, poetic or artistic diversion of the Japan
csc Briefly, it is related that Il company ol
/ priests. who dwelt by themselves in a temple
/ were aitrightcd 10y their teakettle suddenly