The sun., 1889-03-05

granted that it must be clear to-day, but there
was no installing what was before the peoples
eyes-a leaden sky, with heavy clouds chasing
one another overhead Il leaden shaft piercing
the leaden clouds where the snow-white shaft
to Washington's memory used to stand and in
the distance.a n curving leaden hand where used
TO roll tho white Potomac. Over all fell Il slant
Ing sheet of chilling rain. 1t was certain to bo q
cold and nasty day for Harrison as well as for
Cleveland.
The very air Of Washington Was so full of
music that it may he said that the people
breathcd melody with the mir rs men breathe
sulphur ut the boiling springs 1t was an in
tercsting meteorological study to see how such
a vast thing rs the atmosphere became charged
with notes and d"nli-notes and quavers First
the air was assailed with the shrii. quick notes
and blows of u fife and drum corps. and then
the music Of aq,Iartct OF cornets wdened the
breach and helped form foundation for tho
tidal wave of harmony that began with tho
strong ilool OF Cappas. and followed
and swrei by the tuInu,uous clash
1rg ard Nocifa,aton Of a dozen march
ing brass or"hestras from Philadelphia and
Baltimore. by O'clock In the morning the
capital oi the United States was as literally
saturated with music n FOR four days it had
been drenchcd with rain. Music ascended to
the heavens from every corncrof the town. 1t
invaLr d the aeywavs it searched the public
buildings. II permeatod tho hotels. IL dOnl-
natedthe atmosphere. IT took on every form.
except, possibly, the minstrel and Salvation
Army form Of tanlbourinc5 ami hanjos. Tho
very bcs, band, in the United Ntntes were its
allies. The very worst bands that man ever
heard were its a"comnlcas.
AT that carly hour in tho morning hore were
men and women idle enough TO nnd time to
4.
OF PEOPLE which distinguished tho occasion. for
It was an enormous assembaso. Tho fact
that the grand pr0grumme lzzcd out COM
pletely does not conflict with tho other fact
that there naver was such n crowd in Washing
ten as 1t compassed to-day. To be
moro explicit, no city. comparatively
speaEing ever entertained in this country
body of mon and women like this.
Which doubled the population of the capital.
Waslingtons residents number 100000. yet
Washington to-dny sheltered 100000 souls
Mos Of these strangers, who were in the hotels
and BOARDING. houses. were awakened by the
music in the air. Nine-tentha of them could
no; resist rolling out OF bed and looking out OF
tho wndow,anA IL was interesting to observe the
different manner in which the two sexes per-
formed this homage 10 curiosity. Both sexes
were, as they ALWAYS are AZ night time0n II por-
feet equality, wearing only their night dresses.
The men paid no hcod to those old-iashionod
institutions called nodosty and decor
um. They lung up their blinds and
stood boldly in the Windows. or else
flung M their windows ana leaned out into
the streets. Tho IlUtoons Of men marching
by spied them on every hand, and Guycd them
with mockng chorrs and appropriate sallies of
wit. Although tho women are supposed to
have more curiosity than tho men, it was no.
tcei that each ono Of thcm caught the edges
OF the lacc window curtains close together
and then poked her head out bctweon tho two
curtains. They made very pretty pictures all
along tho streets. partly because so many of
them wero protty themselves, and more be-
cause they were also Greadlully anxious not to
BE- seen themselves and yet TO be witnesses Of
everything that WAS going on.
At about 1880 o'cloci; there began most
welcome luIl in the long Ave days stretch of
bad weather 1t actually stoplod raining.
There wero thin spots in the sky through which
the sun appeared 10 bo struggling, Tho wind
freshcned up from tho northeast, TO he sure.
with strength enough u lit the dripping.
sodden flags and ponnants so that they took
on n somblanco OF Gayoty, and snapped
and waved and seemed 10 be driving
themselves. For two hours this phase OF the
Wosther was kept Up. aud the house.udden