The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-09-20
ETCHINGS,
BY EVA EDEN.

Derby Day" for school folks, fashionable
promensders and store-keepers, and the
streets are crowded. especially in the after
noon time. And how very crowded our
psvements can get, entirely too much so
for pedestrians simply out for pleasant
walk, and rather toe inconvenient for
sight-seers, but just right for the school
children enjoying their freedom. and for
the merchants who hail every
hour of sunshine and bright
ress as so much cash capital
They watch with lowering brow the rainy,
gloomy mornings, and put down with
"loss" the clouds and muddy strests.
Though il we have no better crossings
nor cleaner streets than we did last fall
and winter, 1 fear that the profit side OF
the balance will not be heavily figured.
There are some subjects that when ali
others tail, will d. TO grumb BILE about, but /
do not intend to be q chronic fsult-hnder
/ Just declare, It is a shame TO disgrace a
city like Indianapolis with such filthy
streets. or course to-day they will psas
muster, but Tomorrow or next week we
shall be ankle deep in mud, and it will be
"tco late to mend tbem." 1 guess our
street commissioner is very much like the
Arkansas "squstter." "When il rains
he can't mend the ROOF, and
when it don't rain, it don't leak"
But dirty streets have one advantsge-|
they increase tie business at the boot and
shoe stor 9, and at the counters where
stockings sre sold. II q woman does not
have TO hold up he, dress as she steps over
dirty crossings, she can do without pair
OF new shoes more than once a month, bat II
Ii Is muddy, they have to come great deal
ofJeper. Aud striped stockings in propor-
tiob? Well, YES. that used to be the stsl
but stripes are declared "old," aud the 1t
est agony is tor something TAR less de- cided.
In a couple OF weeks IL will be 'Cff with the
old love and on with the new"
What will then become of Charles Au
gustus and his brown and blue strip d
socks. With the glory of his del cate
necktiss and kids, they have felt the frost
of fashion and must fade away. But these
youug gents will have stock Tor their SELL
lsudstion for the next five years, talking
about the Centennial. They have bsen,
and have seen, ana have returned, and
now they srs ready to put on. sirs. l was
amused st some conversations overheard
yesterday in an Illinois street car. Two
young people, gentleman and lady, met
as If they had been separated Tor q year.
she opened the campaign with "Bsen
Esst?" "Oo, yes; Just returned. Have
you?" eyes; spent week in Philsdel
ohis AWFUL crowd" "Etorrid! Such sc-
| commodstions! was feariully tired"
$50 Was l." The conversation lag e1 un-
Til be said, 'What did you think of the
show?" 'Ob, just splendid. But
such awful hotels!" and he re-
piled with that pet little Riggle OF
young iolks talking in the cars. "mon-
strous." fhey Kept IL up, not q word from
either this average young woman or aver
81
Sonders, the excellencies of this worlds
fair, not a note OF comparison a. to t0e ar
collection, machinery or agricultural hall,
net a word of criticism friendly or sharp
oi al aDything they have seen or heard, out
the ali absorbing adie"tives, splendid"
and "monsIrous." And then he pulled
his brown silk handkerchief one-sixteeDsh
OF an inch farther out OF his breast pocket,
| and she settled her fi0unces, pstted dowo
her hustle TO keep II in shape, and left u
| TO mediate on the results of an EAstern
trip. I'll cannot go aad see for my self
like to listen to those who have been more
fortunate, but do not think 1 am much
| improved by such conversations as these.
But l was quite interested in one short
time ago. IL Is too good to be lost, and
while / give no names there is many
"John" 10 town VINO will remember 1t, or
something very much like it. Two coup
| les, husbands and wives met, and after
warm greetings Madam Blonde says to
| Madam Brunette, "I WIS real sorry Tor
Jonn while you were away, aud we went
over to get him 10 60 to church with us,
| but he was not at home" 20, yesW re-
| plies the confidiDg wi Q, "He said he never
went out OF the house on Sunday while /
wss gone." "Well we went three or f0ur
times and never could fnd him." Toe
gentlemen had been having qu.et cha, i,
but one of them began to be nlerested In
Snat was going on, on this side OF the car.
"Mr. =, were you at nome last Sunday :?
| We called tn take sou to church but could
not fiad your swell, no, yes, that IL, /
stepped out to get a cigar, but was only
/ gone minute before church Time" "rhal
Is strange" replied the lady, not seeing
her husbands warning glance. "We called
IN the af ernooD to geS you TO axe tea
with Us, and oh! yes, quite early, too, iD
the morning, becaus9 IL was too SOON for
service" He looked blank; he had writ
| ten something sDOut solitude and drag
giDg hours" TO his wife, and he could tell
by her eyes she remembered it. She took
up the cross examination here. "Wuy,
| John, where were your" He was desper-
ate. There was no defense, and be just re-
piled, "rBst's the que estion. 1 wasn't al
nome, 1 admit; wnere was I?" That sell
tied the question. Maisme blonde was
Triumphant, Madame brunette wrathy,
the busb4r symps hiziDg, aud I-well, L
| wondered If that was the way they all die
aud what would be the curtain lecture.
| some of the ministers would Just prHacn
| aoout fashionable, domestic aud social iy-
ing, he would hit somebody every time,
and about three times out OF tour ne would
| be safe in aiming at the secure bald-headed
| sleePers in che front pews.
A prominent lawyer OF Indiansp )li.
said last winter, There are some men
and women 1 know who are SO us ed to So
ciety gossips and gossiplDgs that they
won't believe you unless you are on oath.
| and then they would rather go and see for
themselves. But it Is nearly time TOR the
crowd tnst always herslds the reform
torchlight pr ,cession, and L can be ,r the
d and drum all around JowD, ana L wan
In aaa I'D naar what IA ooinO oo ton