Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-08-06
mIsCELLAHE0US.
sPRINKLING THE STREETS.

Mr.. Trevelyan, who livos on court street,
hns had trouble already with his garden hose.
Since the introduction of the Holly water
system it has been the delight Of Mr. Treve-
lyan to turn himself into n pipeman at sun
set, and with his garden hose sprinkle the
thirsty street with the clear, cool waters of
the mighty Mississippi. Miss Norah Dono>
van, young lady who is connected with the
culinary department of Mr. Trevelyans
house, and is also superintendent of dorma-
tories and general .overscer of carpets, had
often watched, as her duties would permit,
this process of cooling down the streets at
eventide, and she had been heard to wish
that this duty might be ntrusted to her
She finally framed her wish in a direct pc.
tition, and last evening she entered upon the
active duties of her new office.
When Miss Donovan took the nozzle from
the hands of her master, it was pointed al
most directly at the middle of the street, and
Miss Donovan conscieutiouSly retained it in
this position, while her whole frame was
convulsed with delight. Presently there
came dashing down street, in light pk;ctuu,
two happy young people. Iu vain the male
young person shouted, "Hi, there, l say !;
turn her of p and in vain the famaIe young
person shrieEed and essayed to hide behind
n parasOl no longer than a water lily. Miss
Donovan ouly stared at them and wondered
if peradvcnture they might be crazy, and
when they passed through tho torrent they
came out on the other side, very sad, very
silent and very damp, not to say limp
Then tho gentleman who lives next door
came out and called to her as he approached.
intending to instruct her how to shut off the
delugipg stream or turn it aside when any
one approached. But Miss Donovan, hear
iOn bor Nd
| turned about and faced him with the nozzle
doing its level best, wide open and n fine
pressure on. He turned with the first sko.
and fed for his own door, the cooling stream
following him every inch of the way, like
an angel of mercy in disguise. But by the
| time he reached his own door no was SO
| thoroughly drenched that his snspenders
mildewed. Then a North Hill street. car
came rattling down, an opcn, summer car,
| just crowded with people coming in from a
| picnic at Suanyside, and when they heard
the driver shout and then dodge, and then
swear, they saw their fate and Miss Donovan,
and just howled and walled and screamed,
and tried to get behind each other, and
| crept under the seats, and some of them even
| jumped off the car, aud all of them, By their
frantic gestures, wild shrieks aud singular
behavior, impressed Miss Donovan with the
! the luea tnat Lney were QTeadIuIiy Crunk.-
| The street car passed on, and when it was
beyond the line of Mr.. Trevelyau's garden
stream, the dryest man in that car could have
put out confagration by simply leaning
back against the house that was burning,
and before tho car reached the next corner
there were four well defined suits for dam
ages fixed up against Mr.. Trevolyan.
By this time Miss Donovan was pretty
thoroughly convinced that the manipulation
of garden hose required that broad judg-
ment and liberal education and shrewd in
| sight into men and motives that belong only
to the aristocratic classes, and she dcterm-
iped to resign her position forthwith. She
went into the hall, carrying the nozzle with
her and spreading desolation and dismay
wherever she went. "Whist !" she shouted,
as the torrent drenched the hat rack
'Murther" she howled, when il knocked
the globe off the hall lamp. "Misther
Trevelyan ~ she shrieked, "whero on the
wide world is the sthopper?" And then
she bent over the irrcpressible nozzle aud es-
ssyed to stop it with her finger The howl
of dismay that followed this attempt broug.
the startled family up into the hall, and in
less than three minutes every seat in the
house was taken, standing room all gone, and
the play declared success.