The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-24
A SEARCH FOR A CABIN.
written for the Indianapolis Journal.


social value. That is to say. if one is nobody IN
particular, and condemned to that peculiarly
miserable form Of existence popularity known as
boarding" IL we must aboard, then it is as
well to do it on Fl street. FL street is to Wash
ington what Beacon street is to Boston-a sort
OF residuum of glory past and state present
There are no red pressed brick mansions on it
with stained glass windows, and the general
Queen Anne attractions so dear to the heart OF
the mult-millionaire of this and other cities The
houses are tall and firm, and almost austere
But in and out of them trips the creme de Ia
creme of that Washington society which is per-
manent and valuable. From ones boarding
house windows, if one is FIRST floor 'front.'
and rot a fourth floor back" one can contem-
plate ard criticise the belle of the last season
as she is assisted into her carriage by the very
same admirer her father gave her $4,000 and q
European tour to renounce. She renowned him
-perfdious girl-but, in some inexplicable man
ner, he is still devoted and so is she.
Even the unhappy fourth floor back" has
his-probably disadvantages of view. just
next door live the family of a European minis
ter. The European minister's wife's cook is a
diabolical person, with a small fat. brown baby.
And when that plenipotertiary, the tall diplo-
mate his wife and the baby have their inevitable
little differences in the back yard of their official
retirement. the fourth floor back has the free
and ecstatic contemplation of that infant in the
capacity of foot ball. All this. with the excep-
tionally beneficial atmospheric effect of such a
neighborhood, and the White House around the
corner. makes Ell street most desirable place Of
residence.
Herdics pass the door, too. got into one of
them the other day with Dorothy. Dorothy is
one OF those exceptionally inquisitive people
who have got to see everything, even if they are
compelled to go in a herdic to get the view.
She is small. newly married New Yorker. and
very desirable person to know, with the fore
going exception We got into the herdic, which
is sort of packing box, with four wheels, at
tached to one horse and almost filled with straw.
when the passenger complement is entire it is
quite filed. It is usually painted dingy red.
Its driver belongs to social grade much lower
than that of a streetcar Jehu, or even of a
congressman, and it is decidedly damaging to
ones elf-respect to get into it. However as
have stated, we did get in, and were soon bowl
ing, II such luxurious mode of motion may be
applied to a herdic, along on our way, to the
qualification of Dorothys curiosity. She wanted
to see joaquin Millers cabin. So did /, but
having seen wood-cuts of it / could restrain my
self. The pilgrimage, or the herdicage, was
made solely on Dorothys account
She had heard much that was weird and aw-
full about the poet of the Sierras-of his elfn
locks, of his top boots, Of his soft felt hat and
his complicated matrimonial relations. Her
simple Gothamitish soul was wildly exhilarated
49, h0, Nf Fon fon -
California curiosity who encabins himself upon
Meridian hill. of shaking, perchance, the hand
that shook the Queens. The authenticity of
that statement of hers / think proper to doubt
but so she certainly expressed herself, and in
Washington one writes everything one hears
The herdic stopped and we alighted. So did a
considerable quantity of the dried vegetation l
have referred to, which occurrence, at all sorts
ofintervals, gives the capital a truly rural air
We looked to the right and to the left; above
behind beyond and everywhere but we saw
nothing that could by any stretch of ina gina
ton be denominated a cabin. We explored. We
climbed the hill and looked inquiringly into sew
eral barns. Dorothy was sure she had it once
and led the way triumphantly to disused frame
building in the middle of field. A large guam
tity of live stock has been recently advertised
for, and still untrammeled roams the District of
Columbia. Dorothy left the door open.
sence of discrimination characteristic of
Ethiopian, Dutch and Irish inquiries
Dorothy is an accomplished linguist and
the neighborhood demanded all her powers. At
last we stumbled upon small architectural eff
feet in logs under several oak trees, with per-
son in his shirt sleeves, standing in the back
yard and hammering. There was evident
front way. So we saluted him with such dig
nifty as is compatible with a back fence and
shirt sleeves. If we expected him to be discom-
posed we were disappointed. The Western poet
is never discomposed. He babe us heartily well
come. and drew US Hospitality in through the
kitchen
Here let all levity cease joaquin Millers
cabin has been called an advertisement and an
affectation | believe it is neither.
In the middle of one rough little wall snaps
great fire on a wide hearth. On the other hang
skins of bird and beast, curios, pictures of
whimsical sort, all sorts OF newspaper Oddities
trifes with history. Skins on the floor on the
wide settee, on the wooden bed in the tiny room
partitioned off for the poets daughter. over
which hang her crucifx and beads. And in the
midst a strange, overrated and moderated man
whose irrepressible vanity and und quilted gen
ius make him the object of very diverse opin-
IONS
There is no book in the house but the Bible;
and every night when the work of
of the day is ended he reads chapter-at least
he solemnly said SOTO his "black people" as he
calls them. and expounds it till they roll over on
the floor, asleep with the heat and the exposition
and the general bliss of inaction. This does
seem little difficult to aSSlmllate, but it certain
ly happens occasionally. And when the wind
blows through the big oak trees, and the acorns
drop on the roof, and the rain-drops dance on
the brown, fallen leaves then music gathers in
the poet soul under the blue cap with the red
tassel, and by and by the world hears it.
II own all Washington" he said as we stepped
out again into the dying light of the afternoon.
Truly he does. They have marvellous sunsets
here. One of them faded behind the western
pines as we looked. The whole city at our feet.
the grandly outlined Capitol rising away to the
left the great gray shaft of the Washington
Monument striking the faint sky to the right,
and beyond all the evening light on the Potomac.
Our skirts attached quite as much straw going
back, but without the previous discomposng re-
suit. We had been among such primitive con-
ditons that the straw idea seemed considerable
advance toward the methods of civilization.
GARTH GRAFTON
WASHINGTON, Jan. II.