The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-05
MATTERS AND THINGS.

1t Is John BurroughS-iS 1t nott-who pro-
nounces upon the folly of people gadding up
and down the world seeking novelty and excite
| ment, when if they will only sit patiently on
| their own door steps the procession will pass.
| This theory certainly holds good in regard to
eminent foreigners; if the average American
only waits philosophically, in due time the de-
| sired party drifts into his field of vision. The
latest expectation in this direction is addressed
towards =. Browning, of the poet, who, it is
| said. purports visit TO this country early in
the spring. 1t is to be hoped that the gentle
man is thoroughly grounded in his fathers
poetry, for, if be is not, by the time he has
| faced all the Browning clubs in this country,
and attempted the calculation of AL the double
andtwisted extracts from his slre'S writings that
they Will doubtless present to him. he will wish
himself OF obscure parentage or safely back in
England. 1t IS not stated whether Mr.. Brown
ing has any accomplishments which he is bring
ing over to exchange for the mighty dollar which
renders US so precious to our English brethren.
butt from our stand point, it ought surely be
worth something To behold the son of Elizabeth
Barrett and Robert Browning.
Complains is registered not only that the pres
ent two-cent postage stamp is an undesirable
color, but that it is large by about one-third.
This last objection is very we'll founded Any
stamp is too large that requires two lcks OF the
tongue to prepare it for adherence. Life 10
short, many interests press upon everybodys
time, and the tongue has other more i'm
portant offices to fill. By all MEANS let Ne have
the one-llck postage stamp.
Even the man who seldom laughs had to laugh
when he read that the Pope had $4,000 pairs Of
slippers sent to him as jubilee gifts. Then q
little bit of discussion took place He said that
those slippers represented $4,000 fool-wonen
adoring constituents of the Pope-tbat women
were always too lavish with their sentimental
ty, which generally found expression in slip
pers. She said 1t was no such thing; that the
reason women gave men slippers was because
mon were such queer things that very few
presents were acceptable-handkerchiefs gloves.
embroidered suspenders, and slippers were
about all that could be given them. unless it
were AN easy chair. or q foot-rest One woman
was quoted who had evolved the wise scheme Of
regulating her presents to her husband to suit
her own demands and those of the household:
so on birthdays, wedding anniversaries and
Christmas the poor fellow was made the CRATE
full recipient of student-lamps, table-scarfs,
vases, glass bowls. rugs. crazy quilts. and other
things that he couldn't carry around with
him very conveniently. If he felt abused.
he was wise enough hot to say so; but his wife
awaits tremblingly the day of his enlghten-
ment. when he will begin retaliatory presents
her In the shape of stove-pipe hats, canes cigar
holders. blacking cases and the like. In regard
to the Pope. however, it was agreed that it
very handsome thing in him TO give his 900
pairs of slippers to hospitals, but that he should
have been wise enough to keep reserve store
for future emergencies Popes may be out of
fashion some day, and nice little slipper shop
would not be bad start IN commercial life for
his Exceilency.
Ellen Terry must be funny old girl in her
"hours of ease" II is told of her that on one
occasion she amused hersef, one dull day. in the
Lyceum, in London, with sliding down the ban
listers leading TO the dressing rooms The COM
pany shocked. and when they Irving
coming expected scene would take place.
But Miss Terry approached Irving with
clasped hands. IF you please" she
said in penitsns tones, II could
not help it, the place is SO gloomy" and Irving
o1;ol H., III.
it perhaps the public would like it. A sliding
down-the- banister scene would come in hand
somely in Merchant of Venice" where Ellen
is the stately Portia. At any rate the contrast
would be striking, and the innovation, beyond
all question, entirely novel
The red-headed- girl white horse. theory has as
sumed the proportions of q public nuisance
Even the sacreduess of the church has been in
vaded by this wretched joke, for, last Sunday
evening, when of city ministers read
from Revelations a passage mentioning "ths
white horse" little litter was observed 20 cir
culate among some of the young people.
and, enough. there the red
headed girl However, red hair is not
to be sneezed at, for first and last, some very
distinguished people have walked about under
thatches of this tint The ancient bust over
Shakspeares grave at Stratford. which has long
been considered the most authentic likeness of
the poet. Is painted with hazel eyes and auburn
hair and beard Milton is described by Prof.
Mason as having light auburn hair" Schiller
was pale, with auburn hair" George Eliot had
''rich auburn hair Carlyle had shaggy red
dish hair" OF Keats it is said. Ibis eyes were
large and blue, his hair auburn" Heine had
''lone auburn hair" DR.. Johnsons hair
''carroty." Cervantes had 'taquiline features
and chestnut hair" Alieri was tail, thin, pal
lid, with red hair" says Rossetti, and Rossetti
himself ''auburn-tnted" James Russell
Lowslrs beard and hair were auburn in his
younger days. Swinburne has auburn hair.
Two American Presidents, Jefferson and Tyler,
had auburn hair.
Well! well! Is there anything in the world
that gastronomy will not lay debasing hands
uponl Canded sweet volets and rose-leaves
the latest thing in CONNECTIONS No self
respecting person will encourage this reprehen-
sible fashion by partakipg Of such sweetmeats.
What, eat q sweet violet! Munich a rose-leaf! 1t
is worse than cannibalism, and the being who
would coolly perform such an act would be gull
ty. if opportunity offered. of eating roasted
baby's little pink ear, cunning eyeIid. Thank
heaven for the world of intangibilities! There
yet few things that cooks and confecton-
ers cannot degrade to their mercenary purposes.
The perfumes of the and violet, for in
stance, cannot be pressed into fantastic shapes
and served with whipped The sweet
south wind, too canno: be flattened a platter,
and tricked out with parsley or celery. Our sun
sets and sunrises, also, not to be dipped UP
with spoon, and garnished with potato rufflss.
Let all true lovers of the beautiful brand
barbarous, and refuse recognition to those who
eat, candied violets and rose-leaves.
Trying to tell tother from which is to be reck-
oned chiefest among the little trials of life. and
this is especially annoying in the of individ-
uals. A writer in the Boston Transcript points
ont as two types of troublesome men, the man
who never knows people and the man who LOOKS
like SO many other people that
knows him In fact. however, the man who
looks like many other people, and is therefore
stamped definitely as thoroughly place
and unrecognizabie, ia not by any
troublesome a customer as the man who resem-
bes but one other man and who takes diaboli-
cal delight in bobbing before the vision fire.
quently. to the utter confusion and humiliation
of the individual who is trying to do the prop
erly polite thing in the way of recognition.
This is about the way it operates: You meet a
man whom you confidently recognize at once
Mr.. Edwards. 'tOh, yes. there's Mr.. Edwards.
Good morning. Mr. Edwards" But Mr.. Ed
wards looks puzzled, and his belated bow points
strongly to the fact that he is not Mr. Edwards