The Republican journal., 1876-09-28

enormous prices; but close by it a hu ckser
drives an equally thriving trade, where hun
CRY humanity regales itself after its own fash
ion. One man had half watermelon whose
diameter was ut least fourteen inches. lie sat
down carefully, gazed at the rose colored
temptation atlectionatcly, >macked his lips
while he thoughtfuly wiped huge clasp knife
on his pantaloons, and then ''waded in" l
know that's slang, but no other expression de-
scribes his action. 1t didn't seem possible that
lie could eat it all but he did, and then he held
the great vacant rind il reluctant TO part with
it. Finally, remembering that
Its better to have loved and lost.
Than never to have loved at ALL
he threw it away, licked the last lingering drop
from his knife, heaved sigh and moved on.
Three men met me; each had piece of the
same entcing fruit, and one had buried his en-
tire countenance in the crimson pulp, gnaWing
out huge mouthfus with disgusting gnsto.
While the others were putting into equally cav
ernous receptacles such great pieces that you
wondered how they did it. People who take
their own luncheon are wise in their genera
ton: but it is comcal to see an army of jaws
all at work in as perfect unison as if some in
visible Corlss engine furnished the motive
power at so many strokes per minute
THE LARGEST OPAL IN THE WORLD.
| had heard of this great gem, so l bent my
steps toward the Austrian section, where !
found it lying, AS so royal Il stone ought, on
little throne Of purple velvet is about three
inches long and nearly two inches wide; but
its marvellous beauty failed to impress lie with
| any desire to offer its owner the 50 600 at
which he values it, A bit of opal set with
cleaning diamonds, disclosing its evanesccnt
flames that come and go with every changing
| light. has Ms own fascinating charm, but here
where you may see the lambent coors quietly
lying at rest in such Il mass, the spell is broken.
There is no other jewel about which so much
| superstition exists. Stones of fate and despair,
they are often deemed stones Of love and
| hope, they have been called. An old rhyme
runs that where given as a love token the gem
Red while he loyes-a crimson red,
| And when he loves not, pale and blue"
| So the maiden would watch the ring with beat
| ing heart. Mrs. Jewell has Il beautiful set en-
| circled with diamonds, and one evening last
winter, repeating the old womans fable that
they We're unIucky, | said, How dare you
| Wear them" She laughed lightly, looking
round her elegant parlors, then up at the por-
trait of her handsome husband, and declared
that opalS had brought her no disaster; she
had worn them for years, and loved them for
their changeful glory l confess her assertion
went far 10 shake my own sncakin@ supersti-
tion but think that Roman Senator no vol
UNFAIRLY endured exile rather than yield his
opal to Mark Antony was quite as much of an
worn the toga of political distinction
! Having moralized TO this extent, let me add
droll commentary en- all such pomps and
Vanties which was perpetrated the other day
| III the pavilion of Starr and Marcus A Pur-
| tanical individual rushed in. leading by the
hand a half grown lad, whom he was pulling
through the exhibition ut such speed that the
poor chlld's mind must have been gasping for
mental breath. The case of exquisite canoes
only held his attention an instant. lie plucked
an attendant by the Sleeve enchanting ''Where
is them diamonds:' lie was courteously shown
to the far famed necklace whose links of living
light dazzle the eye. "IIumph." he growed
GLOW much is that thing worth:' 81 ifty
thousand dollars, sir!'' You ought to have
seen the holy horror i'll his facet His skinny
finger pointed vicously toward the flashing
stones and i'll solemn tones he preached IL short
sermon to his bor-"Look there my son Look
Fifty thousand dollars for them bits of stones
Money enough to keep hundred home mis-
sionaries comfortably. Folks that spend money
on such things won't Hecer get to heaven.
Come along" and he jerked the poor child
away with yindictye violence.
SOMETHING CUTE.
Every day am finding something which has
hitherto escaped my glance, and this morning
noting bright faced lady explaining some bit of
furniture | drew near for to see" 1t was a
game table. When not in use. its legs could be
as neatly folded away as those Of any eat, or if
allowed still to be a table its pretty top was as
innocent surface is if ''chips," or dice. or
cards had never touched it. On the under side
sliding nicely in and out Of its grooves, one
finds an inaid backgammon and draught
board; crbbage board with its pegs has its
niche; little drawer holds the checkers and
chess-men; another keeps ,lice-boxes cards
and, ''chips' in sacred seclusion till called for,
and when ones apartments are limited or a
visiting mother-in-law objects to games, the in
VI ntion becomes valuable.
The next folding arrangement was something
so simple yet so valuable that | wonder every
household does not possess one. 1t was Il fold
ing bed. The gorgeous things resembling cabi-
nets. slde-boards and Wart-vobes are all very
well; only you see, it isn't the thing for either
health or neatness to shut up i'll a close box the
bed and bedding which is yet warm from use
This Doremus lounge looks only like a roomv
comfortable sofa whose back is as amply cusll-
toned as the seat. At touch that same back
gracefully drops down to II bed level, showing
double mattrass, soft and springy as one could
wish. Another touch and the end is raised at
slight angle, while lifting the front discloses il
place for blankets and sheets where the air may
reach them with the utmost freedom. The
mattrass making the back and seat of the sofa
is never shut up, and The whole thing is admir- |
able i'll every way. The prices range from $50
up to $3.50.
FROM THE GROUNDS TO TIE THEATERS.
One would imagine that after the fatigue and
confusion of IL day at the exposition farther ex-
ertion would be altogether intolerabe; but this
everlasting Yankee nation is as tireless rs the |
cork les of the Rotterdam merchant so the |
streets i'll the evening are thronged with hurry
ing crowds who cram every place of amuse-
ment Strakosch is giving IL taste of Italian
opera in its worst phase, for the prompter does
the greater part of the work. '.Our BOYS" is |
still at the Chestnut street theater;
that abomnabe mass Of stuff called ''The Two |
Orphans" has its admirers at the Museum; and |
at the Walnut that really good drama of Bori-
cicaut's "The Shaughraun" is receiving the |
emphatic endorsement it deserves. l can't see |
why Boricicaults ''Conn" should not be as
famous and immortal as Lord Dundreary.v
Conn Is infinitely whittier; the situations are
more novel; the acting more spirited and the !
scenic effects superb. The author himself takes
the hero's part. AS Il school girl would say
''He is just Splendid Lazy and thriftless;
quite too fond of his potteen and his pipe; an
incorrigible poacher and daring vagabond.