The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-06-13
SUBURBAN NOTES.
u uuC 4
MARTINS FERRY.
June II, 1874.

MARTINS FERRY.
PAesiNs down a street to-day we saw
a gang OF men who were talking angri-
ly together, one of them apparently
belonging to the lowest Wake Of lie
coarse in looks, manners and talk. He
seemed to want to fight, and laid his
hand heavily on the shoulder OF AM
other, while his language was so rough
and violent that we hurried by, think
ing him a very brute. AS we turned a
corner q few moments aiterward, we
saw the same man standing by a little
girl, almost baby. who was sitting on
the ground crying with hurt foot, and
unable 10 walk. This great, rough
man was trying 10 soothe her, ADD when
he found che could not get home be
took the child up in his arms as tender
" az her mother would, while SIZE laid
her head trustingly against his shoulder,
and carried her two or three squares to
her home where he left her and went
his way. OF course it was but triae,
but shows which way the wind blo~s,
and trifles make up the SUM OF human
lives. How Prone we are to consider
the evil in mankind and mol
the cool, never thinking that
"it man has devil he
has an angel too" that the germ OF
good is implanted in his nature az well
as that OF evil, aud whether he sinks
down through endless depths to lowest
hell, or rises through Hottest heights TO
highest heaven tis but humanity
brought forth and dramatizai. The
heart OF humanity throbs strorg and
warm beneath It's garb of cold seltishness
and rarely il ever do we see distress in
any form without effort being made to
relieve it. The only trouble is we are
always having the dark side held up be-
lore US. and we never think OF the fact
that a man may live COOL, upright
lie oil his days and never be heard OF,
but let him do one bad deed OF any
magnitude, aud it is blsz9ned to the
word end his name held up az by
word and reproscb.
TIE reading contert Of the pupils OF
the high school took place Yesterday
evening, at the Methodist Episcopal
church, Notwithstanding the fact that
we had a rain shower ct the time for
the people TO gather, tue house was
filled Excellent attention was paid
and every one experienced satisfaction
At the manner in which the exercises
were conducted. The exercises opened
with a short PRAYER by the Rev. Ed.
wards for the advancement Of educa-
tionsl interests in ell parts ofthe couu-
try and particularly in the section
10 which we live. Then the pupils who
have been under the training OF Pro.
fessor Wallace sang a chorus called
the april Sun Shower" Before pro-
ceeding in our criticism Of the reading
it will only be just 10 say that our APP
probation OF a piece depends entirely
upon the extent to which the reader en-
tiers into the sentiment OF the writer or
the feeling which. il intended to be por-
trayed. While the voice Of the reader
may be trained to perfection, the ariic-
ulation be clear and distinct. and the
manner unexcelled, we take no interest
whatever 10 a reader who merely reads
BY vote and has no idea whatever OF
what he is reading about. 1t is this
rick Of paying attention 10 mere
sound and Emphasis ard want OF
appreciation OF the sentiment that leads
10 the sing soug style in poetry, and
the equally detes.able monotone style
OF prose We do not wish TO be harsh
in our judgment and heartily commend
the exercises az q whole. Many OF the
readers were young and almost all had
some points OF excellence in their man
ner OF rendering their selections.
The frat piece that attracted our atten-
ton particularly was Mary Butler
Ride" by Ada Morrison. This is q
story OF q woman Of the Revolution,
who, alter one OF the great battles,
wishing to know to certainty whether
her husband was dead or alive, took
her babe on the horse before her and
rode seventy miles to learn his fate.
The reader gave the story in a good,
clear voice, and when she reached the
place where the husband and wife meet
it thrilled the audience, 80 natural was
her expression. The "Tbree Warnings"
which is familiar to almost every one,
being a relation OF how Death and
Neighbor Dobson parleyed concerning
the death OF the latter Death promis-
ing him three separate warnings, and
he not recognizing them when he be-
comes blind, deaf and lame, was given
by Jennie Armstrong, and was read in
creditaole manner, though In
some places the accent was faulty
Mark Twain edits an agricultural
paper" by WILDER B. Griffith, we con-
slider 80 second best if not best Of any
reading OF the reading. The reader was
little boy, and his relation OF how
Mark takes charge OF the paper on &C
count OF . short absence OF the man
aging editor, and his citation at the
possession Of the editorial chair and
wish that he would stay long while,
was perfect. When the paper comes
out and Mark takes tee glances and
whisperiDgs he hears concerning it 90
90 much praise for himself, WILDER
seems to forget himself and enters fully
into the spirit of the piece. When the
old gentleman calls and asks Mark
what he means by saying that turnips
should never be shook, 1t Injuries them;
it is much better TO send a boy up
the tree 10 pick them, and
Mark replies that he still thinks
80 and is willing to assert il again ;
everybody is laughing, the scere is 60
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