Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-26

NtNTEH ttAss-Autuhs
spirsd by the Great Master. Teachings.
Imported and Domestic Etiquette.
An should interest BY tho True
Ar should move BY the beautiful
An should persuade by the good
An should interest," by tho true 20 nlumins the IN
teltgeDee
Move by the beautiful 10 reEenerats the lifa
Persuade by the goo1 to perfect the heart.
-DelSarts
One beautiful day in july last / floated
along down the bosom Of the Thames in
a brows study. also in a canoe that had
tried the sunlit waters Of nearly every
American river before il came to visit
this quiet but rather noted English
stream. Harry Welcome padded and
smoked an American cigar. | did not
paddle for the reason that do not know
how. I enjoy industry. but there are
lines Of industry with which | am no,
familiar This is one Of them. 20 pad.
die birch bark canoe SO tina; IL will run
straight is not an industry, .S>ever. Ii
h an art. Punting seemeAsts be more
in my line. Punting looks more simple.
Punting on the Thames is conducted by
means Of long pole and fiat bottomed
gondola.
The puntist rams this pole into the bot
tom Of the river. and by a dextrous push
sends the boat along at an even and de-
hghtful gait. had poled n raft on the
upper Mississippi. broken jam and been
director on rope ferry, twenty-five
years ago, 50 | knew enough Of aqua
tics to punt, | should say. Mr.. Fisher
said might punt awhile. 50 he Welded
his place TO me. IrUse To my full height,
and as did 80, barring NV brow TO the
soft kiss Of tine clover scented afternoon,
Twas recognized by other Americans who
were assisting me last summer in max
ing times easy i'm Paris and also In bring
ing about an era Of prosperity in London.
A round Of applause greeted me from
along the river bank also, for am al
most az well known abroad as ! am in
my own country. and in fact all sum
mer long IL was nip and tuck between
me and old Bouillon jay 10 see which
would get the most press notices.
So / bowed a Delsarte bow and spat
on my hands in a langui1 way. An.
other burst Of applause that echoed
down past the lock and out toward
Hampton court swelled my heart with
spardonable pride as raised the punt
pole high in air aud socked il into the
brunette bosom Of the historical stream.
The swift and rather slick craft shot
away with its CAV and well dressed bur
den, but / did not join them. Remained.
The punt pole has a tendency TO stick
in the clay bottom Of the Thames, but
did not know this. Clinging 20 the pole.
Of course ! missed NV connection with
the boat. and loud PUNK. followed by
a merry peal Of laughter. closed the sad
scene. / did not furnish the laughter. |
supplied the PUNK.
A beautiful but rather impulsive dog
belonging to Mrs. Sheldon plunged in
and saved my life. he dragged me out
on the bank by my clothing, as he
thought, no doubt, but my clothing was
not 20 thick as he had supposed. That
Is II dog ever supposes. So will al
ways carry the marks Of that rescue
even 70 my grave. Dogs are very intel
hgent animals, but they do not know al
ways to a dead moral certainty whether
one has his winter or summer fan
nels on.
Punting is very heslthful exercise,
but one should have set Of dry clothing
at hand, 90 that he NAV change as soon
as he gots his puuting done.
But started out 10 say that among
the faces / seemed TO recognize was one
that was very English, and yet thought
bad seen it in America. 1t was the
face Of a man Of forty odd, would say.
II was the face of very homely woman
on the shoulders and body Of a man.
The features were as plain a. those Of a
hippopotamus in repose, but when light
ed up with a smile they were as beauti-
full as those Of a pariah. The hair was
abundant and about the color Of maple
caramel that has been exposed to the
elements all summer. It had evidently
been worn long, but had been cut off at
the neck by means Of pinking iron and
q set Of burglars tools. His complexion
was Opaque and his teeth hung in rich
clusters on the outside Of his mouth when
he smiled. He wore an Eton cap and
lolled back in the canoe while talented
hired man - three bob a day and a
shandy gait padded the frail bark along
the Thames and exhibited this gifted
curiosity to the wondering crowd. The
gifted curiosity was Oscar Wilde.