Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-28

hills and has been proverb in all languages,
| bat it's not right You don't want TO choose
either Of two evils, do you? So I said. that of
two evils accept the lesser. That is better"
MI J. b. took out q notebook i'm which he
had jotted down some fresh condensed wisdom
an hour before The ink was not dry. The last
llne read kindness is an instinct; poteness
what is your definition of humor?" in
quired.
"Humor must be based on truth" he replied,
tapping me with his forefinger and drawing Ii
back. at is because q thing is ludicrous and
AT the same time true to nature that people
laugh at 1t. Now, Artemus Ward was not a
| humorist, but he was the drollest man the
country has ever produced. Writers who make
their effects by hyperbole are not humorists
Genuine humor lasts forever, because il is true.
You soon tire Of hearing q man tell stupendous
lies. Doesticks ran out because he got into
this vein entirely"
"what do you think of Bob Burdette and the
class OF writers to which he belongs"
"They can't last"
sis Mark Twain q humorst ?"
"His humor is genuine. / consider him the
best descriptive humorist in the country. He
can write as long as he lives"
"What Ia your estimation OF Bret Harte?"
"He'S more of an artist than a humorist."
"Why are humorsts such melancholy look
ing men3"
Because" said Josh. "what they say comes
from meditation and reasoning. man who
ings may be jolly good fellow, but he's only
/, jester"
The tall. stoop-shouldered. angular phloso
pher squeezed my hand i'm his big brown one,
dropped 1t abruptly, and he took strides like
the man who had on seven-league boots.
FEMALE GYMNAsTs.
The rage for physical development among
young women is increasing. Glasses are FORM
ing in gymnasiums where young ladies and girls
| are taught, and also small clubs which receive
instruction in private houses. One of the latest
phases of this mania is an Unsuitable desire on
the part of many young ladies to learn fencing
1t has become a fashionable accomplishment in
Europe, which is quite enough to make girls
here ambitious to acquire it, Last year there
were only few classes and they were small.
This year there will be scores Of young women
pOking swords at each other. One of the best
known gymnasiums in the city is within stones
thrown of the Windsor hotel. The young ladies
who go there for instruction and practice have
little retiring rooms similar to bath-nouses
When they emerge they have a costume consist
| ing of basque or jacket and trousers. The
agility, grace and Skill they show at the various
exercises is astonishing. They are quicker to
learn than boys, I am told. and much more
graceful at everything they undertake. At first
they are made to make certain movements with
| their fingers. hands and arms. Then they are
| taught to swing dumb bells and clubs, keeping
| time TO music. AS the average young lady does
the first stages of her training the wooden dumb
bells have little brass bells on them that Jingle
when the movements are made with proper
force One of the exercises they are put through
| is that OF marching with sticks for guns. They
| like this very much and carry their heads with
jaunty air. What young chap is there that
would not pay good fee at the door to see
| them going through evoutions But the Pro-
! lessor vigorously excludes spectators. The ad-
vanced classes are required to practice on the
1 al har Rn.rin of ho,-a
great difficulty in swinging their feet over, but
some OF the persevering ones go through great
variety OF movements with the grace of an aero
| bat. Swinging in rings suspended on long ropes
Is fayorte exercise: In one corner Of the
room there are several poles in an upright posi-
ton and Others inclined at an angle. 1t is al
| most incredible, but nevertheless fact that
young women will spend hours climbing those
poles. The most popular exercise is that OF
mounting and vaulting over wooden horse
1 They make rush at this and spring into q
wooden saddle, and after much practice they go
over almost without touching. The private
classes usually meet i'm garnet so many times q
| week for lessons and practice. When young
| lady who has the physical development craze is
| detained at home by rainy day she goes up to
| the garnet and develops her muscle.
| PRESIDENT OF THE LAMBS.
| That genial gentleman and popular actor, W.
j. Florence, was inaugurated last Sunday even
| ing with elaborate and impressive ceremonies
| as the new shepherd Of the lambs. Mr. Henry
Edwards retired in view of a long pending de-
sire to give the jolly comedian his place, and
| made a rafting good speech about the duties
Mr.. Florence would have to bear, ending with
the assertion that the sole value Of the post Of
| shepherd OF the lambs was embodied In the fact
| that it offered good and valid reason for re-
| naming out all night. The lambs are popularity
| suppOsed-particularly by their wves-never to
| go to bed on nights when they are called to the
| fold 1t is a club composed largely of actors Of
| the best class, with q solid contingent of law
| yers, journalists, and business men, The club
| house is very neat and cosy ranch In west 26th
street. near the Racket club. Everything is cal
| culated with view to comfort and the admir-
| able common sense Of the club Is shown in the
| arrangement of the dining-rOom. which is not
| only the largest and most attractive room in
| the house, but is also the most luxurious
easy chairs being present in large numbers
that the lambs, when brain weary. and suffering
i from the nervous exhaustion that always fol-
| lows their prolonged dinners may rest COM
| fortably while listening to the beautiful and
touching stories of Billy Florence. The craze Of
| this admirable actor, by the way, for consul
| ship is very remarkable. He still has hopes that
| the administration will appoint him to foreign
mission and talks of it constantly. A worse
| man might easily be chosen. but a more anxious
| one it would be difficult to find Florence says
| he has roamed around the world enough. and is
| anxious to settle down. Travelling abroad to a
consulate for two or three years term is an odd
| way OF settling down.
Helm DischarginE the Washington
Mechanics.
| To the Editor of The EVENING STAR.
A.. Ioc