The Indianapolis journal., 1889-12-01

time presented. ae ecuriosities, nineteenth
century paintings. representing a crowd
of people In the rain, each one holding
his umbrella over himself and wife, and
giving his neighbor the benefit of the
drippirgs. In the twentieth century,
progressive municipalities will put one
umbrella over thousands of heads, in
stead of thousands of umbrellas over as
many heads. Surely so ecstatic pict-
ure is worthy of more detailed atten-
ton than is given it in the trifling page
and half from the pen of Bellamy.
With this umbrella of the future,
studied carefully in all its bearings.
what an unending era of reformation
shall open. From moral standpoint
only what myriad of humanizing, civ
ilizing, Outstanding influences shall
arise. Akin to his heathen brother
is the damp man on the rainy
day under present conditions.
He wakes inwardly unregenerate
and wicked concerning the submerged
crossings and the fitting bricks on the
sloppy pavements. He grows violently
aggressive over the wet wOmanly water
proof that comes into the street-car and
nestles dripping!y and confdingly be-
side him; and genuine profanity-not
loud, perhaps, but deep-circles about
the neighbOr's umbrella that sheds its
"dem, damp, moist, unpleasant" tears
over his neatly arrayed and particular
person. AS means of grace to such a
one surely the evolution of the umbrella
that is to be is priceless. In intellectual
fields, too, the new wrinkle will work
wonders. Compute, If you can, the val
liable time now given to hunting um
brellas that are not, and chasing to their
haunts of, wickedness umbrellas that
have vanished; or the mental wear and
tear involved in the important decision
as to whether or not the umbrella shall
accompany the walk abroad-the soul
scuf1ing regret if it does, and the un-
availing remorse if it does not. But
few years saved by Americans from such
resultless and unnecessary mental
operations and applied to themes
of solid Importance would make
this Nation stand proudly fore
most in literature, music and art.
On physical lines, the benefits follow
ing the great all-protecting umbrella of
the future must be regarded with the
most eager impatience. When the man,
the woman, the child of the future, shall
walk dry-shod through the year, shall
snap their fingers at April and Novem-
ber, the physicians occupation shall be
gone, drug stores may 60 into bank
ruptcy, and proprietary medicines be
plunged into perennial gloom. Elimi-
nate the "bad cold" from the ills that
flesh is heir to, and evolved man shall
approach the perfect being of the Greek
conception -"the sound mind in the
sound body"
Pending these benumbing and flatter-
ing visions, however, man shall still
cling, for time, to the old umbrella;
and as its disappearance is contem-
plated, its graces of character and con-
duct shine out radiantly. Tears shall
bedim its vacant chair, for what can
take its place? No other of mans be-
longings can so persistently be uptown
when wanted downtown, and cice
rersa, or can so mischievously linger
behind on counters, in street cars, and
in Railways. Nothing born of invention
can SO Unexpectedly collapse when most
needed, or look so provokingly ugly and
disreptuable on occasions when its ap-
pearance should be CONNIE IL .taut. Never
theless, in rain and shine, it has been
useful; it has served to push refractory
windows up and down, to prod cans
from the pavement and unobservapt
street-car drivers to their duties, and
whatever may be advanced or Wanted
of Bellamy's improved invention, in a
spirited chase under the bureau for an
elOping lar-button, or for sparkling
purposes. the old, old umbrella, the um-
brella of our grandfathers, will always
come out ahead.