The Washington critic., 1886-10-18
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

OF the V0rtd: Calii0rn1anS nave an al-
most general habit of walking with
their hands In their pockets. Various
reasons have been given for It. Some
critics say that II is an inherited habit,
arising from the fashion that the pill
grim forefathers had of wearing their
hands that way in their long journeys
across the deserts. 1t rested their heavy
shoulders Others say that 1t arises
from an incentive to keep their money
in their pockets. Even judges and Sen.
ators have the habit. | have seen
United States Justice Field going along
fashionable street with his hands
thrust deeply into his undignified
pockets. The same with Senators
Stanford, Farley, Miller. Sargent and
Fair.
~
The three daughters of the late
left about $1,000. 900 each and ara un-
married. The eldestis less than thirty
and the other two respectively twenty
six and twenty two. They have city
home on Walnut street, Philadelphia,
and fine old country seat at Torres
uulCI olhtSCh illCo Outs ho piCoCht
" I ey are in Europe investigating plans
and methods for the Protectory for
Boys, of which they have already
commenced the construction at Ed
dington, near Torresdale. Their chart
ties are very large. Speaking of these
girls q Philadelphia correspondent of
the New York World says The only
dissipation INDUCED in by the young
ladies, who never went much into so.
ciety, and who have gone into 1t still
less since they lost their parents, is a
qualification of their love of horses. In
the stable, which is fitted up with all
the modern improvements, are kept, in
addition to the carriage horses and
those used for working the
farm, three splendid Arabian steeds
of rare beauty and speed. These
are called into use daily by
their mistresses, who are all three ad-
mirablc horsewomen. Totally without
fear while in the saddle, they dash
about the country, making visits to
their pensioners, Of which they have
hundreds in the vicinity, going on er-
rands to the village and occasionally
making calls on friends who live within
riding distance. 1t is no unusual thing
for all three to be out on horseback
together as early as o'clock in the
morning, breathing new life and vigor
in the fresh air of the breaking day
and galloping along the ill.kept roads
and over the stubble Of fields newly
harvested Home they come at length,
their cheeks aglow with the excitement
of the run and their horses covered
with foam and dust And they are not
only skilled riders, but they are skilled
grooms as we'll Nothing they enjoy
more than rubbing down their equine
pets with their own fair hands and cur
rying them until they come clean aud
sleek from under their vigorous
manipulation. Brave girls they
are, too, living here in this great
country house, mile from any other
dwelling save those of their tenants,
and with no man nearer than the stable
TO afford them protection. Six women
servants sleep beneath the roof of the
old brick mansion and four Spltz dogs
and great Newfoundland keep guard
without its time.furrowed walls. They
employ one coachman only and an as.
sistant. These wear no livery, and the
carriages in which they ride are as
plain as the typical pipestem. No
crest or coat. .of.arms or even mono
gram is upon the panels Of any of their
vehicles, and there is nothing whatever
in the appearance of the Drexel equip.
age Of Sunday morning as IL rolls
over to Eden Hall, convent situated
mile and three.quarters from the
homestead, to indicate that it belongs
TO other than a modest country family
in ordinary circumstances.
~"#
There Is grimness at times In the
humor of Eugene Field of the Chicago
Ne,cS, as witness the following We
hasten 10 repeat the welcome announce
ment of the Eastern papers that Mile.
Rhea is shortly to play her farewell
engagement in this country, and we
hope that we have seen the last of
Rhea or any other cheap foreigner who
comes to our stage with the idea tha
success depends upon an inability to
speak the English language. Rhea is
only type of u long line of such
people who have been imported into
this country, and we devoutly wish
that the Am erican people would awaken
to the extent to which they are being
duped by those who are bold enough
and shrewd enough to take advantage
of the prevailing toadyism to anything
foreign. There is not town with 4
theatre in this country that does not
contain twenty girls the betters OF
these broken English stars In beauty
intelligence, dramatic instinct, and
command over the prevailing tongue
and yet we are ready to fall down a
the feet of every adventures who
lands in New York aud announces
herself as an actress. General Gram
was in favor of drawing the line oi
suffrage at the voters ability to reat
and write. Let the line of dramatic
acceptability be drawn ut an ability Il
speak our language inteligibly.
w.
Said Professor Collins Of this city
the other day to the Washington cor
respondent of the Nashville Union: 81
can give you the names of good many
people in public life who are verJ
handy with their fists. There is Ad
milal Porter, for instance, who is
fine boxer and swordsman, though II
the oXing line he used the old methods
lie himself admits II Is not to be com
pared with the new. l put on glove
with him one time and found him
very expert boxer. There are n goot
many of army and navy people who ar,
very well up in the manly art. " GLOW
about the statesmenY' "Oh, there ar,
plenty of them who have some knowl
edge of the art. There Is growing feel