The Washington critic., 1889-04-20
MATTER WORTH READING.

MA 4 iINS WOiNAll ANnfhhiNOs
One OF the most popular changes affected
by Peter the Great was the regulation that
no couple should be married without the
consent Of both parties aud that they should
be allowed TO meet for at least six weeks
before marriage. The intending bridegroom
sent his future wife such symbolical pres
ents as needles and thread, raislns aud
fruit, aud u whip. Gu the wedding day
there ives always the show of resistance on
the part Of the bride so common every
where; the bride would resist to the utter
most leaving her house to 20 TO the church
and would sob and make great noise all the
way thither. In the church u was etiquette
for her to fall down ut her husbands feet,
and TO knock her head on his shoe In token
Of her suhioction. II is said that for three
days after marriage she risked her character
II she spoke more than few words at meal
time with great manners and reverence"
TO her husband. IL was customary for hus-
bands to make their wives and daughters an
allowance for paint, and so fond were the
ladies Of this mode Of adornment that
Jeukinson compared them to millers
wives, who looked as II they Ind been
beaten about the face with bags of NEAL
Philadelphia Record.
Running No Risks.
Some time ago would-be bridegroom
consulted lawyer In this city in order to
ascertain before marriage what the actual
value of his intended's fortune amounted
to. lie told the lawyer he had his doubts
that the lady was as rich rs made out. The
lawyer got to work and found out that the
lady's fortune amounted to 100000, II not
more. This was enough to satisfy his
client, and he left, promising to pay liber-
ally. Some time later a check for what the
lawyer considered very small amount ar
rived. The lawyer accordingly sent in
lii for fees, which the man refused to pay.
Hence follows a lawsuit. Montreal Wit
ness.
A Snake for n Doll.
In Richland Mrs. Majors little boy about
9 years old has very large cat that he
plays horse with. They found the other
day near the house snake over three feet
long. The cat tried to kill the snake, but
the little boy took it away from the cat and
| carried IL In his arms to his mother, telling
her he had found doll. His mother was
so excited she could do nothing but scream,
| which scared the child and caused IL to
drop the snake and go to his mother. The
snake was killed and found to he what is
called coachwhip. The little fellow did
not want to give up his doll, but his mother
promised him another, and he was salts
fed Dawson, Ga, News.
Shipping Cats to Dakota.
DuBuQuR, IA, April ia new and de-
cidedly novel industry has sprung up in
this city. A man is here buying cats, for
which lie pays from 80 cents to 81 each ac-
cording to the age and size, and ships them
to Dakota, where he sells them for SO each.
They are in great demand there, where they
are wanted to destroy mice, which swarm
| by thousands around the corn and wheat
bins, doing great damage. Thus far two
car loads OF cats have been shipped from
this city and another load is being secured.
| They are put in separate boxes to prevent
hostilities, but the noise they make in the
car is simply hideous.-[N. Y. Evening
Sun.
A Tramp Suing for $4,000.
John Brown was stealing ride In box
car on the Narrow Gauge Road on Novem-
Der last When near Charleston, ILL.,, o
brakeman opened the car door and fired
into the corner where Brown and another
tramp were sitting. The bullet whizzed
unpleasantly close to them; so close, In
fact, did the ball come to Browns head that
his sight was destroyed and portion of his
nose was carried away. His home is at
Terra Haute, and, since the occurrence, he
has had to have'an attendant constantly at
his side. He brought suit against the COM
pany for $4,000 damages and 1t is now
occupying the attention of the Circuit
Count Pittsburg Dispatch
| No Sin to Steal Tobacco.
In the largest iewelry shop in New York,
where $1,000 worth of gold is used day,
the gold is not weighed out to the work.
men, and nothing but the honesty Of the
employees prevents loss. But while the gold
is allowed to be thus exposed, tobacco has
TO be locked up, because 1t has been found
that the man who would not steal grain
of his employers gold would not hesitate
to appropriate his neighbours tobacco
[Ohio State journal.