The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-05-03
MArrER MoRrH REAp1Na

let avenue, tnlS morning. N gcnlleinNn
came hurriedly around the corner from
Ninth street, when gust of wind struck
the back of his neck and savagely lifted
the new spring derby from. his head.
The hat went bosbing across the street
at lively gait, with the owner as close
utter 1t as he could get A young
woman with rosy cheeks and carrying a
lunch basket in her right hand was an
observer Of the hat incident, and she
smiled tantollzingly at the efforts of its
owner. II pleased her so much that she
turned her head to watch hisungraceful
antics just as she reached the crossing
II was a great mistake on her part. She
made misstep and fell forward almost
on her face. Her grip on her lunch
basket was looscncd, and away IL went
into the street. Some Of the contents
rolled out, and big gusrof wind took
unwarranted liberties with her skirts.
The man picked up his hat just In time
to catch n glimpse of the little affair on
the corner. He hastcned to the young
woman's side and helped her to arise
Calamity he picked up her lunch
basket and other trinkets
Are you hurt p he asked, as he re.
turned the young lady's property.
Not bit" came the reply, 'but |
am ashamed, for laughed heartily ut
your discontinue. However, was
well paid for 1t. thank you ever so
much for your assistance.
Then they parted. Minneapolis
Journal
John Chinnman as n Linguist.
Our Chinese population are said to be
making more rapid progress in their
| knowledge Of English than few years
| ago, but though the Chinese have eX-
cellent capacity for languages, their
atiainments In our tongue are hardly
equal to their opportunities. The rea-
son seems to be John does not expect to
live here permanently, and he cares for
English only so far rs II aids him in his
quest of the mighty dollar. When John
settles In some of the Pacific islands he
expects TO be n permanent resident, as u
rule, and he assiduously applies himself
to the task of mastering the dominant
tongue. In all the Spanish colonies
for instance, John talks Spanish even
with his own people. On his arrival he
sets about learning Spanish with all the
gets q deep and thorough insight into
| tUt "JOHn MOubl
improve his chances in this country II
he would take more kindly to the study
of the vernacular New York Sun.
An Eccentric Hen.
Judge G. G.. Garrison of Merchant.
vile, n j., is the owner of a remark
able hen, whose puculiarity consists in
the fact that from the time she began to
lay her first egg she selected the little
angle of the hall behind the front door
of the house as the place of her choice.
AS regularly rs the family seated them
selves at the breakfast table she would
fly up to the window-sill Of the dining
room, repeat the 'gentle tapping of
Poa's raven, and when the window was
raised betakc herself with cluck to her
favorite nest. When the egg was laid
she would caclSle until she was fairly
out of the house. She then invariably
ran as hard as her legs would carry her
to the barnyard and awaken the echoes
with her triumphant notes.
| a Bear In IA Barrel.
Some maine lumbermen who were an
noyed by bear stealing their molasses
out of the camp store room, put up Il
job ON Bruin. They got an empty
molasses keg, filed the sides of it full
of sharp pointed nails, inclined toward
the bottom, poured q little molasses into
il and set tile whole Arrangement out in
the bushes. near the pigpen. The
novel trap worked nicely. The next
morning il was found some distance
from the camp The bears head was
inside lie had stuck il in and couldn'
draw it out. A rifle ball ended his
misery and his thicving,
A ToothIess Wolf.
AT Reshford, Mimi, the harvest OF
the wolf crop has Just commenced. II
Is reported that a Norwegian living on
a forty-acre bluff farm on the Badgers
in Houston County, took in forty -foul
wolf scalps, for which the county oi
Houston paid $30S. On Saturday Lit
tie Gunderson took some young wolves
to Preston and obtained $40. 1t 1:
said that at Pilot Mound the boys hav,
an old she wolf that have bred one oi
two litters year till she is SO old thai
her claws are nothing but stubs and she
has not a tooth In her head The boys
feed her, and she is SO tame that sh,
goes for her food.
A Homesick Dog.
A colored woman at Birmingham
Ala, removed to Memphis last fall. Sh
determined TO leave her dog behind
Just as she was starting the faithful
animal came bounding into the ca
where she sat. When she returned t,
Birmingham she did not feel able to in
cur the. expense of dog fare again ant
SO left the animal in Memphis. Las
month the dog, footsore and hal
starved, came bounding into his oil,
home. He had travelled PSI miles to re
join his old mistress
Baseball and Snakes.
A game of baseball at Long Brancl
was suddenly terminated on Thursda,
by the centre fielder, in fielding ball
falling headforemost into nest o
thirty-two garter snakes. lie picket
himself up, but again sank TO TIL
ground almost prostiated by fright, ant
il was fully half an hour before he re
covered sufficiently to walk. His com
panions, with their bats, succeeded II
killing twenty-six of the ugly reptiles
some of which measured three feet II
length.
Almost Five Feet of Beard.
Mr.. Samuel Fries, residing nea
Steinsville, Lehigh County, Pa, i
happy in the possession of a bear'
measuring four feet nine inches il
length--the same extending consider
ably below his knees. He is a man z
years of age, well built, weighing %
pounds, and has been cultivating hi
whisker crop for twenty eight year
straight along with success that prob
ably stands unsurpassed.
Where Opium Comes From.
Opium is got by cutting the capsul
of the poppy flower with notcheC
iron iusi,rtmant Mt sunriep and hv tbl