The Evening critic., 1881-12-30


New Workers seem to havea rather crude
idea of what constitutes q musician. The
papers of that city, in speaking of the muir
der of two women by an Italian on Friday,
say that the malefactor was "a musician"
and In almost the same breath state that
he had lost all the fingers of his right hand.
Curiosity to discover what sort Of intru-
ment man thus MANNED could play upon
impelled to full reading of the accounts
of the murder, when it was learned that he
was one of those desperadoes who travel
about the country with bass drum, GYM
balls, etc.. on their back, n tambourinc in
one hand and o fife or some other distress
ing wind-instrument in the other, and who
mako q living by the acquisition of money
which people pay them if they will 60
somewhere else to play. The New York
reporters evidently need a few missiona-
ries.
Children often bring singular ideas into
combination. A little four-years-old in
this city, having recently been sick, was
much interested in having the doctor feel
her pulse whenever he called. Having re-
covered, and after breakfast the other
morning, she put her mother through the
following course of examination Mamma,
what did the doctor feel my pulse for when
was sick 2" "To find out whether your
heart was beating too fast not And
what is the heart, mammal 1.-THE heart
is Que of the vital organs" "Oh is it /! and
what are the vital organs2" "Thcy are
things which are inside of YOU us 1t
meat and potato, mamma?" At this point
the previous question was moved, and the
dolls were brought out to be dressed for the
day.
An interesting incident was noted at
Cincinnati at Thanksgiving time. There
are two poor widows In that city, one of
whom supports by washing clothes both
herself and u step-daughter in the last
paralyzed and entirely blind, and also has a
daughter very near death from lung dis
ease. The first widow, who may be desig-
mated Mrs. A., having heard Of the great
distress of the other, q Mrs. b., whom she
never knew personally, and comparing her
situation with that of Mrs. b., felt that
she had considerable reason to be thankful,
and as an offering ofThanksgiving she sent,
through third party, 25 cents of her hard
earned money. On the other hand, Mrs.
b., hearing of the circumstances of Mrs. A.,
felt that this was too much of sacrifice,
and persuaded friend to purchase some.
thing suitable for the % cents and send 1t
to Mrs. A., but without letting her know
where it came from.
The mosaic wood floors in Russia are
often of extraordinary beauty. One in the
Summer Palace is of small squares of ebony
inlaid with mother-of-pearl. A consider
able trade is done in Dantzig and Riga by
exporting small blocks of oak for parquet
floors.
The largest steam boiler in the world was
recently finished at Weisenthal, Baden.
The proprietor of the works gave his work.
men q lunch inside the boiler, which was
brilliantly lighted up and in which there
was n staging with table set for thirty
people
Some men are Inconsistent creatures.
They will get up in the middle of the night
and throw their boots ut n dog because he
is bowling ut the moon and the next night
pay five dollars a seat to hear Italian opera
Middleton (Del.) Transcript.