Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-01
A New haven Sunday Eighty Years
Ago.

Thus a sense Of duty induced them
to violate the law themselves in order
to compel It's observance by others.
The Geath-lIke dullness and absolute
privatlon of sound which prevailed
throughout the day can hardly be
imagined. The labor of eating dinners,
prepared on The previous Saturday,
seemed to be looked on as lamentabIe
necessity, and though such noises as
coughing and sneeZlng were excused
if quite spontaneous, 1t was directly
forbidden to induce them by taking
snuff, or carelessly letting your liquor
so the wrong way. | know not
whether the chattering of a mans
teeth in an ague fit would have been
considered reprehensible, but III the
case of your hands becoming dirty l
ann persuaded that it would have been
held more correct to let them remain
SO than to resort to the labor of using
soap, water ard towel. Under the ia
| fluence of this mournful contrast to
the plcasurable tranquility or the
light hearted, innocent gaiety of a
European Sunday | really conceive
myself distracted from the world, or
rather like tie parsonage IN one of
| the Arabian Tales who wandered into
petritied city and IN the midst of
human habitations beheld no sign of
life. But while every noise was total
ly suppressed indoors, what do2s my
reader suppose he would hear or
observe were he to take his seat
with me at one of the inn windows
and survey the streets! For the
most part he would hear nothing, for
when the inhabitants were allowed to
issue from their doors they stole
about the highways like so many
/ sprites or like the mysterious heroes
/ IN Mrs. Radclitf'S romances, so light
were their movements and their steps
so inaudible. The principal OBJECT IN
sight would be those guardians of
/ the peace already mentioned, locking
like a detachment of Cromwell's body
/ guard as they marched to and fro
/ with the utmost precision and solem-
/ nifty. arrayed in the square,cut gar
ments which betokeued their office
! Perhaps, at last, some luckless pig
/ would waddle forth from an avenue
upon a muddy research. Alas, his
/ first grunt OF triumph, as he lighted
upon some spoil, would serve as a
/ signal to his enemies, one of whom
would secure him on the instant,
drive him ANONYMOUSLY home to his
/ sly and there execute retrlbutlve Jus
tice for his pagan disregard of sacred
ordinances by forthwith dispatching
him Or should some caitif dog or
even thoughtless puppy, in profiigate
contempt of the law, begin frolicking
and barking in the road, he would be
summarily SHIT upon the spot. Or
/ perhaps some gentleman cat, amor
! ously disposed, would be so unfortu-
nate as to commence an ill-timed fell
inc serenade under the gutter of his
adored tabby, the vigilant street
keepers, attracted by the sound,
would rush to the place, ard at the
moment perhaps when a tender res
porse was awakening in the bosom
ard the throat of Grimalkin, and the
passionate duetto of the hapiess pair
rising to climax, both would be as
sailed with a battery of staff and
stones, TO the interruption of .feir
loves and great peril of their lives. -
tRetrospections OF the American
Stage" IN the Manhattan for 4u-
gust.