Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-10-25
THE FLEETING SHOW.
Some of Its Facts and Fancies.

Among other interesting antiques and
curios to be seen in the old state house at
Boston a few years ago, and probable to
be found there to-day, is small framed
piece of needlework, wrought by Mary
Powers of Gloucester in 1740. In spite
of its one hundred and fifty years the de-
sign is very distinct and the colors but
little faded The embroidery was beauti-
fully worked with silk upon a background
of satin, in what is now known as Ken
sington stitch. Very faithfully and care
fully did Mary Powers set her dainty
stitches, as lady should, and the toll of
many an hour is trimmed about by that
tarnished frame, but from what source she
obtained this remarkable design, with its
astonishing proportions and surprising
costumes, will probably always remain a
mystery.
The subject is undoubtedly Adam and
Eve in the garden of Eden. Under an
apple tree with conveniently dropping
boughs sits "our general mother" in the
act of plucking an enormous apple, of
which the tree bears just fifteen. A tur-
ban is twisted about her head in oriental
fashion, her full-skirted dress is bordered
with what was evidently intended for
band of fur, her bishop sleeves are volum-
inous and the decollete corsage is laced
across the front between fur bands which
pass around the shoulders and meet in
point below the waist. Upon her right
hand perches a green parrot; her other
pets, cat and pug dog, sit close beside
her. Near her stands Adam, magnificent
fur, and trunk hose; his collar and cuffs
are white, as are his stockings, while his
black shoes are adorned with large buckles;
the tasselled cane in his left hand adds
just touch of dudishness to his otherwise
dignified aspect.
An oak tree on Adams left bears twelve
acorns quite as large as the apples, while
at the left of Eve is another tree with just
eleven specimens of unidentified and still
larger fruit upon its branches. 1t is i'm
possible to avoid counting these fruits of
Eden, as their size and prominence chal-
lenge you to the task. Near Adam stand
dog, horse, and two COWS; q butterfly
of nearly the size of the horse hovers
above him, eagles and other fowls of the
air exhibit the same amazing proportions,
and beside these there is nondescript
animal with cloven hoofs and bushy tail.
The foreground is a succession of mossy
banks or pillows of grass, where are grow
ing flowers and Strawberries, while fallen
acorns lie strewn about. 1t is quite worth
while to hunt up this venerable bit of
needlework, and having found it in its
obscure corner, to sit down before it and let
the wonder and the queerness of it dawn
| and grow upon you. But even as you
smile, and the smile breaks into laughter,
there rises a vision of Mary Powers, fair
and shy, and prim, and-ignorant, bend.
ing over her embroidery frame and running
her sweet eyes as she scrupulously sets
each fairy like stitch, and you feel so sure
that she must have died Immediately after
completing this extraordinary production
that you forbear to scoff for thinking of
the girl who passed away so long, long ago.
THE IRREPREssIBLE NUMBER NINE.
A late number of the Illustrated Ameri-
can contains chapter on the 'Freaks OF
Figures" which those who like little
romance even in arithmetic will find very
attractive. Yet the title of the article, Al
least as far as it refers to the figure nine
is hardly an appropriate one, for instead
of being freakish it is the most immova
BILE and headstrong of numbers, never il
any way to be overthrown where
once it has obtained foothold
Many young student of the multi
plication table has experienced the
rage and despair so vigorously expressed
by Marjorie Fleming when she wrote: 'l
am now going to tell you the horrible ant
wretched plaege that my multiplication
gives me you cant conceive it the mos
Dovilish thing is 8 times and 2 times Z i
is what nature itself cant endure" Blu
Marjorie had no such spiteful remarks Il
make about times 8, and possibly she hat
discovered, as many another observing
child has done, the secret of memorizinl
the column of mines. One has but to re
member that with each multiplication tn
figure in the units place loses one, Will
the figure in the tens place gains one, thus
18, 81, SO, As, "a and SO on indefinitely, a
may be seen by experimenting. The sun
of the digits also will invariably add up t
nine, fact to which attention was frs
called by Mr.. w. Green, who died in 1894
Thus twice o is 1S and one and eight max
nine; 8 times 46 are 414, and 4, 1 and
make 9; 8 times 8, ,462 gives a product o
rs, 1853; these digits being added make 81
and 2 and make 8.
1t was o French mathematician VIII
discovered that if you take any row O
figures and reversing their order make u
with them a sum in subtraction the fins
result of adding up the digits of tn
answer will always be nine. For example