The Portland daily press., 1890-01-11


hounds was game much played In this
vicinity. The other replied that TO his
knowledge 1t was not played at ALL The
first speaker then went on to say that is was
a great pity, for said he, there is no better
game than hare and hounds. Some games
are excellent to develop special portions of
the body; but hare and hounds calls for the
exercise of more departments Of mind and
muscle than all others. To play the game
successfully. as have seen it played, he
said requires nerve and wind. Why, sir, l
have known hare to start off, fifteen
minutes ahead of the hounds and to travel
ten miles in rough country without being
even seen by his pursuers. II should think
he'd have to know the country pretty we'll"
suggested the other man. He does, re-
sponded the first. and that's where another
advantage OF the game comes in. Oh tell
you, Its grand good game for live boys to
play and 1t ought to be inaugurated here.
repeated the largest part of this CONVEX
sation at the. table afterward and at once
started Jack Flint and the Major out in a
train of "reminiscences The Majors recol-
AOStiOu WCul udCh 1uItucI tudu JdCk , ulu,
but Jack knew the most about hare and
hounds. From his story 1t would appear
that hare and hounds is by no means an
unknown game in this vicinity. He grew
eloquent as he described one particularly
famous run that he once assisted In, along
the old canal to Stroudwater and then
around the Reform school. He said that
run was famous as the scent stopped near
the,school, and when they saw the hare
few days afterward they could not make
him tell where he had disappeared TO. |
believe Jack said he had not split even to
the present day.
There is no question but that hare ana
hounds Is very fine game. On the part of
the hare it tends to educate wind and limb
and to train the dodgiug faculties of the
mind. On the part of the hounds it also
strengthens wind and limb and teaches more
or less Of wood-craft and the hunters lore.
1t may be said that the pursuit of a line of
paper scraps requires no especial talent, but
there is more in it than is dreamed of in our
PHILOSOPHERS. | we'll remember in my
younger days of playing harel and hounds,
when broken twig or a silver from sap
ling had to be taken as clue 1t used to be
the custom before Deering pasture was
built up, and while the Oaks was in state
of nature to start from what is now Long,
fellow Square, and crossing the pasture and
the Oaks. and the lot where filings wool
shop once was, across the fields to ST. John
street, and SO on out to the adjoining town.
Paper for scent was not net so plentiful
then as 1t 1t now, and about as the hare
reached the edge of Deering the scent STOP
ped and we had to follow footprints, broken
branches or whatever we could find, left
behind by our hare In his flight.
l am very well aware that the subject of
the so-called politeness of the employees of
retail stores is somewhat worn. doubt
however If people generally stop to notice
OF what this politness consists went into
store the other day to buy necktie. Hav-
ing reached that time of life when my new
neckties are only fresh copies of the old
ones it did not take long to select the one 1
wanted. In fact simply put my finger on it
aud said would take it. The young man
who had charge Of the counter slanted his
head to one side, squinted one eye. nnrsed
his lips up as II IS whistle, performed
: ng1tHlng change act by which the tie and
piece of paper were transformed into a
bundle, produced his check-book with a
grand flourish, scooped my money in and
sent 1t off to the cashiers desk. While it
was on the trip out and back he thrust his
thumbs in his waistcoat pockets and hum.
med a jaunty air. When the money came
back, he flung it down on the counter, to see
IL 1t was all there and then scOoped it up
again and bestowed it upon me as emperors
! bestow aims upon the poor in pictures
Then, and not till then did he seem to see
His face assumed beseeching look and as
he mechanically thanked me he tenderly in.
duired Anything else today" came out
of the store with weary feeling all over my
body. have no desire to be hard upon the
young man. He was probably doing the
best he knew. 1t was plain to me then as II
has been told to thank people who gave him
money and to inquire il they hadn't for
gotten something. That is all well as far as
goes, but manner that would tend to
show that the customer is human being
and visible on the earth would be better
appreciated. Less attention to hollow con.
ventionalities and more to genuine good
breeding would pay better in retail stores,
whatever may be said elsewhere.
Our young friend, Jack Flint, whom /
have mentioned once or twice, is In the in
surance business, and being young is full of
mt NJ - IT.
made flying trip to Lewiston the other
night to see the City Hall burn down, and
has talked of little else since. But that is NOT
what started in to say. Before he went to
Lewiston he had something to say about
fires in dwelling houses, being especially elo.
quent upon his side Of the question. There
is no greater calamity in the calendar, he
said, than a fire in a dwelling house. | never
saw house yet where there was the least
preparation for trouble. In store, or an
Office, or factory, or anywhere else under
the sun, things are gathered up and put away
at night, but In dwelling house everything
is the same yesterday and today and forever
{Jack was in life insurance short time, be-
fore he took hold of fire. Hence his &C.
guaintance with Scripture). never saw, he
said. a sitting room or iparlor yet where a
stream Of water wouldn't in two minutes do
more apparent damage than it would In half
an hour In business establishment. Jack
rose in his excitement and walked about the
room, pointing out the various household
gods which he said were all risk. There
ought to be, he said. in every house large
cupboard, or dresser, independent from the
walls In which all the pictures and limerick
cry could be stored at night. In that way
only could the household gods be assured of
protection in case Of fire. make no com.
ment on this suggestion, simply offering it
as it was made.
lwonder how many people here in town
were startled as was when the other night
the Park street church bell rang out upon
the air, after several years of silence. For a
brief second l thought was in a country
village instead of in Portland, for this bell
has that peculiar tone so common in the
country churches. For a moment, / say.
was startled, then
Fond memory brought the sounds of other days