Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-07-29
wAsHrreror IN rLY-rTMB.


A Oentsss with a Fly before and
Afssr $50 HAD HAD somr whisky.
Writing from Washington, Sunday, TO
the New York Times, II. q. O. says
Yestsrday, by an hour of exhaustlng toll, |
l succeeded In ejecting all the flies In my |
room but one, and sat down to my work |
with the cheerful knowledge that, even IL |
/ did lack fresh air, would be able to |
cope with that fly. In about half a |
minute, as l was deep In complex SEN |
tence, he took a fancy to swoop down |
from the ceiling, alight on my manuscript
and see what was doing. He was about
a quarter of an inch long, had drab
body, two rainbow wings, six black legs,
and a nut brown head, with two silver
stripes down the middle. II occurred TO
him first that ink might DO palatable, and
30 he took slight sip from fresh dot
placed over an |, then proceeded to dot
another which had overlooked. Then
he proceeded to polish his eyes and re-
move the dusty consequences Of our late
struggle. To do this he employed his
front legs and hind legs, balancing him.
self ON the two middle ones Having
coving collected the dust on the
calves OF his legs he spent a
few minutes in twisting and braid
ing those useful members, by
which variety of massage / suppose no
preserves tkeir activity, and then, being
clean and limbered up, he was ready for
business. Vaulting lightly into the air
he took a series of musical turns around
the room, using my left ear as mile
post, and seeing how close he could come
without touching il. Then he liz on the
top of my head and went through some
some complicated eyolutions with ap-
parent great relish, returning cheerfully
every time brushed him away. Then
he occupied his mind for few minutes
balancing on the butt Of my pom, with
evident enjoyment Of his slow ride across
the lines and the periodical excursions TO
the inkstand. When / paused for an
idea he would assist the flow Of thought
by standing on his head and fiourishing
his heels, in ribald manner, and on my
Directing to that threw several somer-
saults, and tried TO give me strabismus
by alighting on the summit OF my nose.
climb down the back of my neck and
dodge out again in the nick of time, then
sail over to the window and exchange
After an hour OF these pleasant diver
sions laid my literature aside and de-
clared war. The fly evidently thought
he could coax me into going ont for q
stepladder, for he took refuge on the CELL
ing, and expressed his contempt for my
hostile man9uvres by calmly polishing
his goggles and braiding his hind legs in
a double twist. got the broom and a
wet towel, but whenever made bulls,
eye he would fail to be ON hand. Then
he led me a circling chase around the
room, and tried TO induce me TO smash
| 80 worth Of glass by frolicking on the
upper sash. Finally he disappeared, and
settled down to work with enthusiasm,
but Just Ms l struck an unusually tangled
skein Of rhetoric he resumed his perch on
the end of my pen, fresher and more in
solent than ever. had heard that
tobacco and flies did not agree, so
lighted the blacklist pipe could find,
but that fly frolicked through the
fog as though no had at last
found something he could really
enjoy. then got lump of sugar and
soaked it in hotel whisky, which is some.
what less deadly than prussic acid, but
which | shrewdly conceived would at
least weaken that fly intellect and enable
me to capture him alive. ] set out the
sugar and pretended to he absorbed in
my subject For half an hour the fly re.
fused to notice 1t, but finally his curiosity
got the better Of his Judgment and he
went for il, His method of taking drink
was TO unfurl species of black hose with
sucker on the end of il, and insert thit
with great dexterity between the crystals.
kept perfectly still. He took one toddy
and braided his hind legs, took another
drink and braided his fore legs, took q
third drink and polished his eyes, took O
fourth drink and gave himself a rubbing
down all over, expected every minute TO
zee him curl up and die in great agony, for
know what Washington hotel whiskey is
but the more toddies he took the NOR,
frisky he grew. Finally thought wGult
wait until no got sleepy, and then l woulC
steal softly up and accomplish his ruin
waited in vain. Having filled himsel
up with the exhilarating beverage has
prepared TINT fly entere' upon a shnuH
loss course OF depragity which eclipse,
the w,ldeat efforts Of lis aober moments
He seemed TO view my having set up tn
drinks in the light of cordial approva
of all his previous actions, and now pro
ceeded TO whoop things up and show III
what he could really do. He threw somer
/ saults backward and forward, he tied hi
, legs up in hard knots and raveled thor
, again with amazing rapidity, execute,
T a pirouette on my pen and cracke
! his heels together, climbed owe
each particular hair OF my head
used my eyebrows as door mai
pretended to think my ear was telephon
and skated down the bridge of my nose
: have seen liquor bring out the deviltr
of cowboy and make an Apache delir
/ ously bloodthirsty and cruel, but neve
i have seen depravity break so utterl
a loose as it did in that intoxicated Wasl
> ington fly, The major came in and, afte
. had explained the situation, TODD han
' in the chase, and then Dick entered an
i superintended-Dick's specially is supe
l intending when there is any active labo
l on hand--and after one hour the nlajc
g succeeded in winging that fly with W,
: towel, and then forgot himself and thre'
A open the window and let in about 700 NOR,
g Fly time is not the proper season to ell
/ Joy Washington.