Litchfield enquirer., 1880-01-08
A CHARADE AND ITS CONSE-
 QUENCES. @
BY JAMES PAIN.
THE SMALL END OF THE WEDGE.

l BY JAMES PAWN.
 1.-THE SMALL END OF THE WEDGE. l Proverbs, like people, are sometimes so l familiar that they only excite contempt. There is one connected with ''the small end of 1 q wedge" which, from it's constant appear ance upon platforms in connection with the | British lion," used to form subject of mirth 1 with dear Charles Dickens, and I confess (un- ! til lately) with me also. I had heard of it so | many times, always spoken of in tones of warning, and yet seen no sort of harm result | from it's application, that did not believe it, even as metaphor. It had become mere l vague and shadowy menace, like ''the beast" ID Revelations, only, of course, smaller. It was always used when we in England adopted any improvement in our affairs borrowed from the United States-such as sherry coolers, for ] example, or goioshcs. It was the first step toward "AmericaniZing our institutions '-and all the rest of it. Now, have been much the better for sherry .cobbers, (and very seldom the worse) and believe goloshes to have been | the first step (although rather slippery one) to my enfranchisement from colds. The Re form bill, vote by ballot table ice, Nepaul pepper, and arbitration have all been ''small ends of the wedge" in their time, as doubtless | at an earlier period of the worlds history were clothes combs, cooked food, and sobriety. I had known no harm come of these things, and 1 ridiculed those who thought that harm would come of them, and who quoted the above words of warning. Therefore, when certain loving daughter of mine whispered to me after dinner one, Papa. let us have charades," and my brother, the lawyer, who overheard her, remarked, ''Take care what you are about, Jim, ,charades are the small end of the wedge. !"
 said, Well, we'll see abou. It, darling, Ito the one, and Why hot, Jack ?" to the other.
 "Well, I'll tell you why not,'" said Jack, who didn't look like Jack at all-only we had always called each other by cur boyish names-being bald and fat, and also Recorder of Maryborough, land if you are wise you'll themselves, except for their stupidity; but if by some unlucky accident they chance to suc- ceed, they are as certain as D. T. is the end of drinking, to be followed by ps'iUGte theGtrS- cals." .... ..0--. .-t "Oh, nothing would induce me, said with confidence 'to have my house turned upside down by the performance of private theatri- calls"
 That girl, there, Jenny, will induce you, D was Jacks oracular reply, delivered in the se- were tone with which he addressed prisoners in the dock. ''Once convicted of weakness in allowing them to act charades, you will be uoiIiCO uy yOuI WllC duu uduSuIeTS lutU Luc vortex of the amateur drama, and" Here Jacks mouth was stopped by pink plump hand, about an inch long, which belonged to our baby, and had been dexterously applied to the offending mouth by his favorite sister, Grace. She had picked him up and cast him into her uncle's lap-who dotted on the child with the quickness of fireman who sees at once the point where confagration is making head, and turns the hose on. In ''Baba's" clutch, Uncle John, who was also his god father, was powerless; his judicial lips could then only kiss and purr.
 'But what ore these charades ?" inquired I, more alarmed than cared to show at the loss of my ally; for Jack, though not himself p0terJ Jamilias had fellow feeling for me, knew. "I thought charades were the same as riddles. Of course, you may ask as many rid dles-"
 'Oh, you wicked story!" cried Jenny
 "Oh, MT. Innocence !" cried Grace.
 It was hopeless to stem the tide of juvenile Sadduceism, and the more so as Iielt convict ed of being Pharisee myself, for knew per fectly well what charades were. In this strait, looked toward my wife for help, with, "What do yox think, Julia?" Julia was work ing at some embroidery, from which she had never raised her eyes, though perfectly con- scious of the siege that was being laid to me, and she only raised them now to say, "The girls seem to have set their hearts upon it. Jim but, of course, you will do as you please" which was equivalent to going over to the enemy. When wife tells her husband that ''of course, he will do as he 'pleases, he is, if l may use the expression, 'd1ne for" There is no mpulsion-only he must. It was not necessary for Jack to laugh contempt uously (which he did) and to inform me that the affair was settled from that moment as to the charades. . .. .as-.-.
 ''You see, Grace. being tall and stately" explained Jenny, lis 10 be Thatestrys, Queen of the Amazons; and 1, being good deal shorter, though much more beautiful and &C., complished, am to be her daughter LGmpeto Cousin Tom has written the lovelest verses for us to recite in character and Baba is to appear with gilt all round his frock as the grandchild of AIe1ander. My dear old papa knows the story, of course. . .,I 'Oh, yes," said l, coldly, for it was the first time had ever heard of it. 'But hope Baba will not have much to say, because his vocabulary is rather limited" f ..
 "What nonsense you talk papa! He is to be my baby, of course, and Thalestris wants to kill him, because he is not girl, such be- ing the custom among the Amazons."g s
 'And very good notion. too," observed Jack, judicially. ''If we had only one crimi- udi CiaoS, UT dt Fdo6 ScA, cFcu LNOugH that were the most troublesome one, to deal with in this country, it would immensely simplify matters"
 ''There, you see," cried Jenny triumphant ly though not understanding in the least.) Uncle John is already converted to our opn- ion. He sees that it will be an excellent: charade." t- '. May, my dear, only sad it would have a good moral" observed the Recorder gravely. X ''The moral is everything" said Grace con- fdently; 'That is, if we can hire the proper dresses. Mamma thinks that for five
 Julia shook her head
 ''Well, then. for six pounds
 '1 never said one word about the matter, Grace, as you know very well," said my wife reprovingly; II simply referred you to your father" ,.-G fsa @lE-
 "Well, then. let us say six pounds, papa. That will procure the armOr-"
 .Armor !" cried l. 1"You're not going to appear in armor, surely!" vice a
 ''Oh, yes, and on horseback" put in Uncle John. 'sY ou can hire trained horses from the Hippodrome. ?. 4.cs esa ta4 r-..l
 Don't believe him. papa We wish for nothing out of the way norextravagant Just little body armor, with silver sandals instead of shoes" s o5 e 6.E l...s ,s. -l,....l 'The well-greaved Grecians," observed the Recorder, who prided himself on his classical attachments. CF%fkFD
 Just so," continued Grace, whose way it is to take not only silence for consent to any of her. propositions, but also all remarks not absolutely of an antagonistic character "And