The Louisiana Democrat., 1881-07-27
FROM FAIR FRIEND.
ALEXANDRIA,
July 25.I

July 25.] |
DEAR DEMoCRAT--
70 be at all fashionable or interest
ing Just now, y letter must begin like
this: "Thc President is still improv-
ing rapidly; and asks continually for
oat meal and heef-steak, smiles sc,
rcnel, knowing that he is an object
of interest to all the world. So much
money is now being donated to Mrs.
Garleld's fund there is serious talk
of making it mill.on--pcople OF all
classes and conditions are begging
and imploring to be allowed to DO
nate a few hundred" 10 such u
mighty eize has snobbery grown!
Lots Of real widows, poor and de-
serving, are perishing for bread or at
least LEFT 10 kind Providence to
provideit. Well it is, that not the
worthy alone are blessed, for how
mary of US would cross over to Pine
Vile, to enter eternal rest with any
hopes of enjoying Paradise. l am
cu:ious to see if Mrs. G. will accept
that money; if she does she evident
" values the damage done the Pres
idsnt at $3.50, 900, and, what would
lit have cost to kill him?
We have all heard of the man who
committed suicide when he arose one
morning, after thinking that no mat
ter low many years he might live,
be would have the same dull routine
of hily duties to perform, such as
washing his face, combiug his hair,
eating his breakfast, etc. I have
neer interviewed the oldest inhabi.
tart of Alexandria yet, but I am sure
tbt man was denizen Of this place.
Nov that DR.. St. John refuses to sell
tou for chewing purposes, saying
chat woman kind work their jaws
100 much anyway" life is not halt
80 bright and the suicidal wave may
pass this way again.
| You know that Col. Lane has re.
turned, and in his absence grown
h,rizontally; it is a pleasure to look
al the .Cololnel; he is the embodi-
pent of CONFERENCE.-The most CON-
brtable looking man. 1t you have
loticed the renewed vigor of the
|railroad men, you will understand
that they are looking for Major Ben
Greene and Col. Wheelock. Even
the gallant Capt. Greene, who was
suffering from rheumatism, is out TO-
day.
| There is one class of people on the
fair road to become milionaires,
that is the washerwomen of AIexan
andria. You send for one, she comes,
sends in her card, and after much
persuasion she takes your clothes,
charges you for the water, soap,
starch, time, heat and because the
man Who built the house where she
lives did not build a large cistern,
and because it won't rain, and be.
cause you haven't enough clothes,
and because you have too many, and
for the ruff1es and tucks, and for not
having any, and at last with tears
in your eyes, you beg her to accept
the clothes, and if, after they are
clean, there are any she would like
to dispose of, you'll try to buy them
back. May be she'll relent and send
them home Saturday night, with
loving messages like this, "she ain,
a horse" or you'll never ketch her
Fagain with all them Clothes" as il
you had spread snare for her. For
tunately it most always rains in No.
vember, and that will soon be here.
Two things Alexandria can boas,
of--that is watermelons and honesty
l never saw 80 many watermelons
and everybody sleeps with all the
doors and windows open, with nc
fears of being disturbed.
Yesterday I went on the levee to
watch the colored Baptists immerse
some converts. There were four
three sisters aud one brother. Down
Front street came the procession
with banners flying, singing some
wild weird hymn--they marched
.inging TO the brink of the river
The preacher, in rather faded robe,
vaded out to two poles that were
stuck up about four feet from the
ohore, here he was assisted by two
elders; the candidates were brought
out to him by two more brothers
be receiving and baptiziug them,
then handing them back, after good
wholesome dip in. the mud, to the
attendant sistars and brothers who
carried them to a tout on the bank
and assisted them to make their toi-
let, a white band was then tied
around their foreheads, and With
fsinglog they were escorted back to
church. One man among the con-
gregatlon had q magnificent voice.
fully as powerful and sweet as SAP
keys, and as he lined out and sang
one of the Moody Sankey hymns on
the rivers brink, it was reslly worth
standing in the hot sun to hear.
| hope the fire engine is 10 good
order, as the ladies on Front street
are threatening to set fire to that
scaffold that has been left standing
so long. 1t rather cools the ardor
of an evening walk to pass there and
have screech owl on the roof of the
Court House to ask "Whoo.o nowp'
Mr.. Editor, won't you write an ar
ticle opposing school vacations, and
in IL pxnresa what von thinL ia ~.