New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-04-28

immense. They amount to millions OF
dollars each year. Has the law right
to perpetuate this burden and this
waste, unless both are absolutely ne
cessities?-Rural Neav Yorker.
The Mistaken Kindness Of Philan.
thropic Father.
WHEELING wind sent it whirling and
gyrating through the air, apparently
through the open window in the upper
story of some building in the neighbor-
hood. 1t was difficult to tell what it
was as it foated overhead. 1t might
be handkerchief, sheet of paper, q
night-cap, a lady's collar or any other
light thing of that kind. At length it
came down, and the reporter ran and
put his foot on it to keep it from being
picked up by the wind and again whirl-
ed away. 1t proved to be few sheets
of paper, crumpled so that they stuck
together, and the reporter, on smooth
ing them out, found them to be covered
with writing, as follows:
September l, 1879.-We have just
moved into our new house, and this is
q good time to start the diary that l
have been so long contemplating. No
one, think, ever starts diary except
at some epoch, however trifling.
September 5.-Our new house is Just
lovely. That is to say, it has q large
recess front door, with no end of wide
steps, where several couples can sit of
an evening and not crowd each other.
There is crook in the street close by,
and the street light over the way is
thus brought behind an outrageous
tree, making everything light around,
whilst our front is thrown completely
in the shade. Lucy and Nellie and I
have been comparing notes about this
popularity, and we agree that it IS more
than satisfactory.
Septembcr6. -Whatsp splendid weather
we are having and what delightful
evenings we spend on those front steps!
The dim, religious light makes every
thing so cozy, and Fred always seems
to feel happier out there than anywhere
else. But the moon will soon be lit
tie troublesome by lighting up the
scene too wildly. But no matter for
that, if Fred is here alone, as we can
sit in the recess. and the moon cannot
shine in there.
September 17.-How provoking! l
was out shopping this afternoon, and
when got home found the gas-fitter
at work putting huge lantern in the
recess of the doorway. asked them
what that was for, and they said papa
had ordered it. I bounced him about
it when he got home, and he said that
he had noticed that we all sat out in
front good deal and thought he would
make it as nice as he could for US.
Poor, dear, innocent old papa! He is
so good and kind and always means so
well. But then he knows 50 little about
things. OF course, could not explain
to him why it was so undesirable to
have so much light on the subject; but
I suggested to him that our gas bills
were already pretty large. But he re-
piled that we could turn down the gas
in the back parlor while we were sit
ting out there, and that would make it
all right: There is one comfort, howev-
er: We don't need to light the lantern,
and we won't.
September 20.--Last night Fred, and
Gsu, and Harry were all here, and we
were about on the front steps having such
q good time, when papa came home.
With his hearty ways, there was of
course great hubbub Of hand-shak-
ing, welcoming, and all that sort of
thing, which was the fashion, I sup
pose, when he was youngster. BY
the way, it seems drol to think that he
ever was youngster; but suppose he
was. When the performance was
through with, papa, exclaimed, in his
bluff way, ''Why bless me! what are
you all sitting in the dark for, when it
is SO easy to have light?'' With that
he ran and got match, and in an
instant everything was in a blaze of
glory, with what we girls nickname his
''calcuim light The effect was just
what any one but papa would have an
ticipated. In the language of Scripture
Il think it is Scripture, or is it iris
tam Shandy? But it reads, "And i'm
mediately there was great calm" In
a few minutes, when the silence was
beginning to become painful, Fred sug.
gested that we 60 in and have some
music. think that IS what they call
cutting the Gordian knot. We went in
and in a few minutes all the rest fol-
lowed after us. watched my chance,
and slipped and turned the calcium
light off, thinking that perhaps we
would all go out again. But it is some
times difficult to take up the thread of
anything just where it was broken off,
and the evening was completely spoiled.
September 24.-Papa keeps on light
Ing his calcium every night whenever
he sees any one sitting out in front, just
as if he were doing the kindest thing in
the world, as no doubt he thinks he is.
But good often comes out of evil. as
heard a preacher say once, and it has
turned out so in this case. The second
night of papa's illumination saw that
Fred was growing restless. poor fellow;
knew just what was the matter with
him, and l would have grown restless,
too, if had been man. but we wom-
en- have more control of ourselves.
tried to be as interesting as I could, but
it was no use. Fred would not get in
terested, and directly he said, quite alb
ruptly: 8 Let's go and get some ice
cream. It was the same way the next
night and the next, and last night we
went Oft to the theater and tomorrow
night we ore going to q concert.
don't know that the calcium is as bad
as thought it was and papa builded
better than he knew, unless he was
deeper than l ever gave him credit for.
September 30.-The evenings are
now too cold to set out in front and
Fred and l have got into such q habit
of going to theaters, concerts and
dances that I am seldom home Of an
evening.
December 4. 1t is now more than
two months since j have written 8 line
in my diary. I am getting tired Of it
any way, and what with Fred being
here every night and me being taken
up every day planning things, i don't
get any time-so here IS an end Of the
business. asssoss,i Republsca,,,