Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-03-12
NEW YORK LETTER.
4 Candidate for the Mayorduy--Le"t
Not What Il Used to Bed Pa
thetic Incident.
NEW York, March s, 1890.

At this early day the mayoralty contest
begins to loom up on the political horizon.
That champion of all hypocrites, the semi
Reverend Elliot Followmee Shepard, the
son-in-law of VIM. H. Vanderbilt, presided
at a love feast of the Republican machine
runners, held at the Union League Club.
The aforesaid Shepard, after the banquet,
was nominated for mayor by colored
"gentman" who occupied a seat at the end
of the hall. It was generally understood
that the banquet was perpetrated for the
purpose of bringing about sort of gather
ing of the clans in order to discuss Repub-
lican politics. The semi-reverend gentle
man "put upp the dinner and the drinks for
the boys, and in time they were bound to
nominate him for something. The idea OF
this town being under the control of Elliot
+. Shepard is enough to make a hog laugh.
We can picture him reading to the board of
aldermen passages from the book of Reve-
lation in the same voice with which he in
timidates the Union League Club walters,
and the picture would make one shed tears.
Fortunately for us the city of New York is
too solidly Democratic for any such misfor-
tune to come upon it.
This is Lent. l announce the fact, be-
cause no one would suspect it from the big
crowds that attend the theatres and the num-
Der Of fashionable entertainments daily an
nounced in the newspapers. Lent is really
no longer sad, though there is an attempt to
give the penitential season the appearance
of sombreness. 1t is true there is partial
cessation of the great social functions, but
all the rest of the amusements of society
are participated in. The Lenten theatre
club is the innovation of the season, and
clearly indicates the tendency of society.
One form of excitement may be found
these dull Lenten days by looking in some
fashionable church, the Mecca of all society
sinners, where at o'clock precisely, these
fashionable devotees are in their devotiOns
rapt. Thither also come the society men
in large numbers to join in the devotions Of
the hour, and to cleanse their hearts from
all earthly thoughts. This would be beau
tiful and inspiring sight were it not for the
| fact that it is done because it is eminently
the proper thing and is awfully English,
"don tcher know" 1t is said that the lead
ing society women go to the churches at .
a. m. each day to sweep out the church and
| do other mental but consecrated service. 1t
is touching sight to see them drive up
Fifth avenue in their luxurious carriages,
they being clothed in long apron over a
black serge frock. How much more faith
we could have in their penitence if they
would but go down in the Sums among the
sick and the poor, and show some practical
christianity. These criticisms may seem
harsh, but they are not when one knows of
the dancing and frivolity INDUCED in out of
the hearing of the rector, where pew RENTS
paid. The sewing-class fad is the latest
thing to take the place of the afternoon tea
during Lent. The work of this society is
supposed to be charitable This is another
case where charity is made to cover multi
tude of sins These alleged thread and nee
die symposiums afford the most confirmed
chatterboxes among the feminine portion of
the gay world forum for the exchange of
the smart and salacious morsels of title
tatte. As society leader said recently
"If you want to praise God by the round
about method of defiling man and woman,
Just get yourself incorporated into the inner
circles of a fashionable Lenten sewing
class
Already few of the gas lamps had been
lighted and darkness was fast throwing q
black curtain over the great city. The
crowds were hurrying home from their days
work. Horse. cars were filled to overlooking
and steady stream Of human forms passed
up the stairways leading to the elevated
roads The snow came down in big flakes,
falling almost in binding sheet A half
dozen shop girls, emerging from one of the
big stores, stoOp OYER and snatching up
handsful of the white snow, which, with
merry laughter, they throwat each other as
they hurry toward the elevated station.
Leaning against the gas post at the corner
of Thirtieth street and Sixth avenue was a
man of the variety vulgarly called tramp.
He was the very picture of detection as he
reused himself and started across the street.
Just as he reached the centre big express
wagon, drawn by two heavy horses, being
driven at furious rate, whirled around the
corner. Before the man could do more than
utter one piercing cry he was knocked down
and the wagon prssed over him the driver,
whipping up his horses, escaped before a
policeman put in an appearance. A crowd
quickly gathered around the fallen man and
he was carried, none too gently, to the side
walk Scarcely had they laid their burden
down when a trio of fast young men, &C
companied by three of Gotham's unfortu-
mates threw open the swinging doors of the
Haymarket and Joined the group They
paused on the edge of the crowd, and then
one of the young women, pushing her way
through, knelt in the snow and rested the
wounded mans head in her lap. She took
from her pocket sOiled handkerchief with