Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-25
THAT FOICE.
The Photograph and Other Things
I'm the Goth Century.
from Ha' per's Weekly

OF Leon FiShback, ESQ, a party of Young
people are playing " Follow follow follow me"
mothers and grandmothers tell them) an old
game called "Puss in the corner" played a
quarter OIL a century or more ago, only in
FOllOw-fOllOw - the players, instead of beck
onlng to each other, beckOn TO group of me-
tallic balls: around which they stand in a
Grc OF e T9G 0o TO nave most
while the remainder of the players rush as
Wildly in their efforts to secure the place left
vacant by the flying one.
At this moment the balls are rolling pell-
nell, helter-Skelter, knocking against each
other with pretty ringing sound. after a
pretty, fair haired maiden, whose little feet,
clad in slippers all cleaning with silver and
gold, flash i'll the sunshine beneath her blue
satin Turkish trOUSerletS as she springs lightly
over the green sward amid the exquisiteIy
mOdulated laughter-nO one shouts loudly in
this refined twentieth century-Of her merry
companions
In the back garden, on green cIoyer-sweet
gIdSS-plat, stands a broad, deep basket of
newly washed. snowy white linen, and hang
ing-Out machine, planted firmly in the middle
OF the plat, is induStriOuSly raising and lower
ing It's wooden arms, graSping the various
pieces in its wonderfully constructed hands,
and hanging them upon the stout nO-clOthes-
pins line, which IS slowly revolving around il,
and to which they adhere without farther
trouble.
In the dairy the rosy checked dairy maid is
reading love poem while the automatic
mixer is milking the beautiful white cow that
stands just outside the door; in the kitchen
the cook is indOlently rocking to and fro in
low rocking chair, watching the magic roll
ing pin" roll out the paste for her pies, ready
to stop its pendulum-like movement the mo-
ment the crust is smooth and thin enough:
and small servant boy, with his hands in his
pockets. lounges against the wall in one cor
ner near tall stool whistling softly to himself
as he waits until the pair of shoes the electric
backing brush is polishing thereon attain the
proper degree OF brillianey and mirror-like-
hess.
This is a prosperous place, this domain of
Leon F1shback. Esq, and Leon Fishback him.
self IS tall, handsome, energetic, positive
man of one -and-thirty-a bachelor, who gives
a home TO his widowed sister and her four
half orphaned children, and in return is taken
care of by her, with the assistance of the old
houSekeeper-tO tell the truth, with great
deal of assistance from the old hOuSekeeper-
as well as any brother was ever taken care of
by any sister.
Still, people, as people will-especially people
with grown up single daughters-wOndered
that he had never married. 1t was not for
want of opportunity he had not done sO-Oh,
no indeed!-fOr a dozen lovely girls, half a
dozen more or less charming widows, and sew
eral ladies of neither class, had, since his com
ing into the property of his uncle and god
solid gold casket stood in sort of shrine,
made of hundred rare woods, in the south
drawing ROOM. intimated to him, in every
way that the shrinking SenSitiyeness of WOm
al hood would allow, their perfect willingness
nay, anX1ety-tO assume the role of mistress
of the FiShback mansion.
But Leon had walked calmly among them
dispensing hospitality kind words and gra-
ciOus smiles with the strictest impartality
distinguishing none by the slightest prefer
ence, until a few weeks before this beautiful
june day when his young guests merrily call
cd, Follow follow follow me- to their highly
polished admirers on the closely Shayen lawn
Then came 10 visit his sister an old school
friend, Laura BeaIdsley by name, who had
been residing in far distant state, but with
whom the sister had kept up a warm CORES
pondenee ever since they parted at the college
a ,soI,n,
ed with loud acclsmatiOns as Mistress of
Arts"
Miss Beardsley is lovely woman of eight
and twenty summers, looking at least five
summers less, with an exceptionally sweet
voice, an exceptionally bright smile. an ex-
cfpti0nally graceful figure and exceptionally
winning ways And to this bewitching woman
has Leon FiShback, the hitherto apparently
unimpressible bachelor, devoted himself since
the moment he took her slender little hand In
his and babe her welcome to his home. And
II IS by her side he lOiters, interrupted by the
meTriment without, in the deep. pleasant
yine-enwreathed bay window of the library
as the fair-haired girl comes flying across the
garden, pursued by the tinkllng balls
Laura starts from her seat with blush and,
leaning from the window, entreats, Coax
them away, Bella dear. They are dancing on
the flower bed And as the girl Obedienty
turns and speeds in the opposite direction, she
draws back her pretty head, and, looking at
her companion, says, How much Bella is
like her sister Teresa-that is, when Teresa
was only sixteenI"
is She" asks Mr.. Fishback
why, don't you remember says the lady.
!" do not" replies Mr.. Fish5ack. with en-
Miss Laura makes two Interrogation points
OF her Silken eyebrows, opens her mouth to
speak, thinks better of il, closes her red lips
firmly, and turns to the window again as the
Follow fOllOw-fOllOw- me-ers stop playing and
gather in group, with their eyes fixed upon
small 2rial car, gayly decorated with flags,
which l. gently SWaying between heaven and
earth, as IT slowly deScendS toward the lawn.
In few moments it touches the ground, and
a handsome young fellow leaps out, and is
greeted with many EXPLANATIONS of pleasure
and surprise.
Your brother Reginald" says Miss Boards
ley. So soon returned from London? Why,
be only started a few days ago"
Yes; hIing ship American Eagle-faSteSt
OF the Ali Line. / heard Of her arrival just
after breakfast this morning, when 1t was
shouted by The telephone at the station be-
low"
Thirty miles away?"
oh! that's nothing We expect to be able
10 hear news from hundred miles away be-
lore MANY years are past"
May ] not be in the immediate vicinity
when that news is shOuted!' says the lady,
white hands toward her pretty rose-tipped
more ="
Never fear, my dear-I mean Miss Boards
ley. Such a misfortune as that shall never
occur, even though you should chance TO be at
The very side of the shOuter. Edison is at this
nlOlnent peflccJlnR an instrument tnat begins
10 deliver its messages in a moderately loud
Voice, which increases in volume as IL Is car
ned forward, until il reaches the most distant
point II II rtended TO reach, thus maintaining
an even tone all along the route. How giOri
Gus all these EdiSonian inventions are!' he
continues, with glow OF enthusiasm, and
Shat huIndrum times our ancestors must have
nad without them! Why, they are the very
NE OF the age. There's the monograph, for
ihstance-but l beg pardon you are looking
S'Ieu. cannot expect you to take as much
Interest IN these scientific subjects as do Is
not Reg maid coming this way"
ne Is not, answers Miss Laura, demure
y ne Is still holding Bella'S hand, and total
Ign9ring all the other welcoming hands ex
All. tie old, old story that is ever new"
quotes Nh. fishback, as he peeps over the
shouider OF his fair guest al the new arrival !;
ana then, suddenly rising and confronting her.
ne eAelaIms: " You must have heard that story
very, rery often, Laura,-forgive my calling
You so, but YOU used to permit il in the days
neWent bIackberrying together some ten years
ddgo; and forgive me again, but upon my word,
cannot help asking you, impelled as am by
, SOnle mysterious power, why have you never
:, blush rises TO her cheek, but she looks I'D
III MS lace calmly, and replies: II don't re-
naenDer The blackberry episodes, and have
remained unmarried because / vowed when a
3puhg girl never to marry unless convinced
mS 1 was the first and only love of the man
nLOSe Vile became