The Washington critic., 1889-05-01
MATTER WORTH READING


Had Never Heard OF the Devil
The age Is one in which theology is |
so mixed that II Is extremely delicate |
business attempting to adapt ones sur
roumdings to the prciudices Of anybody, |
and when II comes to anybody's chill
dren the stoutest heart may be excused
for shrinking from the task In dis
may.
The case in point which the editor
has in mind is that Of a lady who re-
Gently gave Punch and Judy party
for her little nephew When the invi
tations were being made out the boys
mother said:
"Of course you will ask Trent West2"
"Oh, no." was the immediate re.
sponsc, II can't, his mother is so par
ticular that shouldn't dare to-"
"What do you mcan2" was asked.
II am sure that Mrs. West wouldn't
think Punch and Judy party was any
harm.
"Not the Punch and Judy, my dear;
but you see, Mrs. West Is awfully lib
cral In her ideas, and little Trent has
never been to Sunday-school, so he
can't come TO the Punch and Judy"
why, what has that got TO do with
itY"
Everything, my stupid sister Don't
you see that Trent has never heard of
the devil, apd | wouldn't take the re-
sponsiblity of introducing him for the
world Mrs. Trent would never forgive
me"
And so the unfortunate Trent, because
his theological education had been
neglected was deprived of an invita-
tion to the Punch aud Judy party, an
instance of the strange workings Of re-
ligious differences of opinion upon
which he may moralize who will. =
| Boston Courier.
The Glover Clubs Pass.
The Philadelphia Glover Club gave a
railroad dinner, which was distin-
guished for its fine decorations. Around
the clovor-shaped table was train of
cars. engine, tender and all, composed
of rare flowers. The tender, which
bore the name of Frank Thomson, the
guest of the evening, was filed with
real coal, which formed striking
back ground to the white flowers around
it. The card set before each guest was
facsimile of Pennsylvania Railroad
pass, with the name of the recipient
printed upon it. A pass "To Glover"
SO read the lines. No one present at
the dinner could dispute the assertion.
Robbed of Her Hair by Lightning.
A strange electric freak occurred near
Elizabeth, Writ County, w. Va, n day
or two ago. A heavy thunderstorm
passed over the residence of Mr. S. p.
Barnes. A terrific flash of lightning
followed, striking the house and scat.
tering the building in every direction.
Mrs. Barnes was standing In the middle
of the floor at the time with q glass jai
Of canned fruit in her hand. The iaI
was broken and scattered and the
.woman's hair burned close to her head
Still neither Mrs Barnes nor her two
children, both of whom were present
were otherwise injured. New York
World
Hypnotism.
Hypnotism has become very con
spicuous in Europe of late. 1t has beer
used in the place of chloroform fol
some time in surgical operations a
Paris, and when, in recent murde
case there, il was charged that the mur
der had hypnotized the victim an,
forced her to kill herself, public opin
ion accepted the possibility of the fac
in a way quite remarkable
They Find IL Profitable.
In certain town in California tn
} doors of the calabooses are left open al
t night In the morning the constable
= goes to the jail and closes the door, an,
I as general thing has from six to tel
4 vagrants inside. Then the men have
/: farcical trial, are found guilty and or
dered TO leave the town, while the jus
a. Sc ,..1 tIA Oh