Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-08-13
monographs and widows.


Some enemy of the human race has
meanly put out statement that q great
many lawsuits may be avoided by car
rying phonograph when one calls on
a widow. A more insidious, sly, in
sinuating method of embroiling the
world i'll litigation has never been
conceived. Of all fools in the world,
the man who deliberately makes out
a transcript, and preserves the evi-
dence Tor his opponent in q future
lawsuit, is guilty of the most con-
summate folly. The man who slyly in
simulated such advice is q common bers-
tor, a stirer-up of strife and litigation
Some shyster has done this thing. Why,
the phonoSraph preserves the very ac-
cent, and we cannot conceive of more
dangerous record for man to preserve,
unless photographic copy of an even
ing could be taken. 1t is monstrous. A
man had better keep q keg Of dyna-
mite ID MS room than phonographic
record ofsuch an evenings conversation.
Dynamite don't always explode, but
when dynamite does explode, it does it
bad. The phonograph may never go
oil to the enemy with its terrible con,
tents, its deep, mellow, thrill-toues of
inquiry about the weather, its tender
commonpiaceS, its soft accents, melting
and rich; its trivialities and nothincs,
which would be harmless but for deli
cate tremor which the Internal instru-
ment produces but if it did 90 off the
poor victim would have his denial con-
Ironted BY himself, and stand convicted.
Mr. Plckwlck was confronted by his
own cold letters of inquiry about "the
warming pan, "the sause," and other
seeming commonplacas, but Mr.. P. was
simp!e-minded old gentleman, who
was foolish enough to write himself
down. Few ever DO that. Suppose, for
a moment, however, that the actual
conversation of quiet evening is pre-
served by the photograph with all the
accents, infections, emphasis-the tre-
mors and thrill of the voice, the tender
shadIngs, breathed by Il spirit within
into an inquiry about the warming pan,
reflection on watfles, with incidental
remarks about mullins, gentle obser-
yation concerning the slumbering TOM
cat ON the hearth rug, a softly-breathed
opinion about the weather-observa-
tons tTite in themselves, but full of deep
meanings when interpreted with all the
accent and infections which enclose
the spirit within. No jury would hesi-
tate moment. A tender and half timid
remark concerning the shovel and tongs,
or soft, but half-fearful observation
about the broom reposing, a slumbering
potency, in the corner, may disclose u
volume of intentions. We do not hesi-
tate to denounce this diabolical and un-
feeling effort to put new weapons in the
hands OF the widow and arm her with
irresistible ordinance against her fellow
creatures. Man is q poor worm, hope
less creature, at best victim proposed
for sacrifice, as IN the best he is, but this
suggestion, followed out, deprives him
OF the last vestige OF defense. He can
do as he pleases, but we advise him not
only to avoid arming the widow against
himself in this way, but to be very
careful that there is no concealed pho
nograph. Even while he was discuss
ing with tremulOus voice the paper
weighs, softly observing uDOn the work
basket, or dwelling with tender accents
upon the dOg-irons or the ash pan, the
seeming honest face of the mantel clock
as it marks these delicious hours about
the midnight, may 2}0rticeps cria1si'aiS,
be concealing the deadly phonOgraph
which IS keeping watch and ward and
making record for use i'll future law
suit: Somehow, as We progress in civil
llzatlon, new snares and pitfalls line
mans pathway, new perils environ and
escape is yearly becoming more and
more ditficuit-almost impossible. Let
us avoid the phonograph as we would
avoid a deadly serpent.-NdsltgiNe
american.