The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-18
IN A DIME MUSEUM.
A CHICAGO WRITER lkOHCeS IN
A FEW QUAINT FANCtES.

what Curio.ities We May See In the
other worad--issiics OF Our Foregons
Exist ence-- Memories Of ChiidhOod.
wondrous Panorama Chambers.
wandered into dime museum the other
day, and enough had Of the place, too, be-
fore an hour even had ended. To one who
hates . crowd and abhors promiscuou COO
tiguties. place Of this kind, where the great
unwashed are prone 10 congregate, is region
Of torment. The ono thing In all the world
necessary TO keep harmony and peace among
men IL plenty Of room! Shoulder Ia shoulder,
breath u breath contacts create antago-
nisns Ii q man and wife can't get along
without constant disagreements, let them try
putting the breadth OF the house betwixt them,
and marital chickering's will die for lack OF
nourshment, as flies loose their power to in
fiict torment when the spaces OF the room
wherein they swarm are kept dark and
crumbless. Take these unwashed, onion.
breathed, whisky and bad tobacco-soaked
crowds out OF our street cars and of OF our
thoroughfares, and scatter them at wide dis
tances over u prairie, and the peculiar inilic-
tion of their presence will diSsipate itself
through space and become comparatively
harmless While | stood face to face with a
woman around at the museum. the other day,
u whom IA cake of soap or tooth brush
would have been far greater curiositieS than
any Aztec children or glass eating men, l
wondered if good old Cowper had not been
caught in such place when he dashed of
those eloquent lines, "Oh, for lodge in
some vast wilderness"
RELICS OF FORMER DAYS.
wonder if, when we get to the other world,
we shall not occasionally stroll into some sort
OF heavenly museum where the relics OF our
foregone existence, its wasted days and
broken years, may stare back at Ills from
glass cases where the angels have ticketed
them and put them on exhibition. There will
be strands of misspent moments, like the
faded jewels dug out from old Pompeii
broken hopes and life histories, misshapen al
monstrosities There will be odd little freaks
like the what is itr' and foolish deeds OF
vain daring. There will be those tendencies
which kept us heavy footed, like the fat wo-
man, and others that made US blind, although
the world was full of light. There will be
the dsloyal deeds that made us the wonder.
ment of the angels, and the cowartice that
bound us like dual body to unworthy prac-
tees. There will be shelves full of the fOOl-
ish little white lies" we have told, and fTag-
mcnts of blighted lives ruined with gossip
ing tongues and tea table scandals Thore
will be fabrics of deceit wherein we mas
uueraded, and the tlimsy wells OF conformity
behiud which we hid our true character.
There will be, now and then, n broken heart,
broken unthinkingly by our stupid bung-
ling. as cattle hOofs break of violet roots.
There viii I've the memories Of little children
we might have kept had we been wiser, and
snatches of hushed lullaby songs.
Theirs will be- jars full Of forgotten kisses,
and vows made of straw There will he
whole bales ot mistakes and stacks OF cut and
dried ''might have beens." There will he
peacocll feathers of pride tied together with
faded ribbons of regret, and great cabinets
full of skeletons and horrors. There will bf
curtained corners full of nightmares, and
peslestals whereon stand tue fair white
days. we never can forget. There will h
wondrous panorama chambers wherein are
unroled the scroll of our journeyings heaven
ward, and in cunningly devised musical boxes
we shall hear again the melodies OF youthful
laughter. and tine patter of lifes later tears
: I think the shelves of that heavenly museum
will Weld some surprises, too, like finding q
bauble We counted worthless and threw away
differing in the diadem Of crown, or the
prize we bartered honor for, turned to tinse
glitter and worthless paste. Amber" In
Chicago Journal.