The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-06-17
MATTER WORTH READING.

and of the relative beauties of certain
masterpieces, Watterson struck the keys
of the piano and delighted Thackeray
so that he got the young Kentuckian TO
play all night .t
Commencing upon this. entertaining
story, the New York Sun says that
Thackeray was in this country in 1852
and again In 1868, at which time Wat
terson was aged twelve and fifteen years
respectively. Therefore the Sun doubts
whether at this early age Watterson's
playing was developed sufficiently to
entertain through whole night such
an old stager and critic as Thackeray
was.
Tho Suns doubt arises apparently
from ignorance of the Kentucky propo
sition that players are born, not made
Watterson was born player, although
constant practice has given him
n wondrous facility and his style most
beautiful finish, still the genius which
his art now evinces was nobly apparent
in his youthful work.
This genius Is not Of the Vognerian
school; it recognizes no system Of
motives and IL has no out-and.dried
methods. 1t takes any theme, from the
pretentious three aces down to the
meekest and LOWEST pair, and, by ingo-
nious processes known only to the
adept, Il amplifies and elaborates that
theme through brilliant variations to an
imposing finale Chicago News.
English Tips.
The complaint of tho traveller
against the English system of tips
wakes every year more bitter. 1t has
become impossible for persons of mod.
crate means TO visit at large establish
| ments, no matter upon what footing
they stand with the owners, because II
costs so much to fec the servants.
II came away from England with
| out going to see my sister," gentle
man said recently, because will not
submit to the tipping. Her husband
| has big establishment, and II would
make all the servants think she had
| shabby relatives for me to go there and
not do the conventional thing, and that
| ] will not submit to. When they were
here last year they stayed with me
| three weeks and when they were going
away he wanted to fee the servants and
] told him that that was an insult to
me. ] said that II was an intimation
| that could not or would not have him
| properly served without his paying for
! IL; and that in America IL was a point of
| honor with us to see that our hospital
ity was not paid for by the guest. /
don't think he liked the way / put it,
but he could not think of anything to
| say - Boston Courier
Some Coming Wonders.
If half of what the inventors of the
phonograph claim for 1t comes true,
| The children of the near future are go
ing TO have some wonderful toys. In
ventors are now ut work on long list
of nursery wonders, in all of which the
new mechanism is to be the main fea-
turc. The Photographic doll will talk,
laugh, cry and sing like human be.
ing. Noah's ark will contain drove
of neighing, braying, roaring, lowing,
barking, mewing. Kissing, cackling
creatures that will rival menagerie.
The song.notes of the fine singing
birds have been preserved on the metal
slips and the results combined, so that
one may have a papier mache canary
which will require no attention and
will sing with many times the volume
and at many times the length of any
bird that ever lived. Mothers, too,
have the promise Of a Photographic
cradle, at the head of which the won
derful mechanism is placed that will
sing sweet lullabys by the hour to the
fretful infant, soothing 1t and its tired
parent to sleep at the same time.-:lN.
Y Tribune.
He Met the Right Man.
The other day an importantlooking
gentleman took seat beside quiet
man in an Arkansas railway carriage
and began q conversation.
I'm going up TO Little Rock" he
said, 'to get pardon for convicted
thief. Pm not personally acquainted
with the Governor, but he can't afford
to refuse me.
"Is the fellow guilty 2" nsked the
man. ' n
"Of course he is; but that makes nc
difference. His friends have agreed to
give me $500 If i get him out, and the
thermometer Is very low when cam
traveling?"
rGoing to Little Rock"
"Do you live there?"
"Yes.t
Perhaps you might be Of some
| ocINiCc W Hic' w bot uuoihcos dIc you
in?" ,,
"I'm the Governor.
He wasn't Of the least service to him
-[Philadelphia Ledger.
j The Difference.
"'Ow did It work ?' said one small
boy on the street to the other. 81.
| low did you do II? ?" ,r ,l b,
"Seel The old man he dropped q
dime, an ] picked 1t up and runned
after him, an says: Mister, 'ere's O
dime as yon dropped, an he puts 'is
hand in his pocket an he says, You're
an honest little boy; here's a quarter
for you. ri
Wal, dropped the dime right In
front of the old woman, wen she had
'er purse open, an picked IL up w'er
she walks along, an follows her an
says; Here, Missis, is dime yor
dropwped1',''" spws1,'
"Wal, she takes il an says: Thanh
you. little boy, an puts IL in hel
pocket, an I'm ten cents out - [Sar
Francisco Chronicle.
A Monkeys Suicide.
A correspondent writing TO Pari,
| contemporary iIOHi niOHtriCutTuj III III,
department of Loir Cher, says: "a
learned monkey named Bertram wa
deeply attached to Its owner, who
among other tricks, had taught it L
fire pistol while galloping on the bacl
of dog. The master of the animal
it seems, lately met with certain do
mestic troubles, and, in detected
frame of mind few days ago, he sen
bullet through his head, death bein,
instantaneous. The monkey was pre-
sent at the death of his master ant
probably took in every particular. Ii
any case, when doctor was called il