The Critic and record., 1891-04-18
CRITIC ABROAD.

newspaper men off the Row taking a hur-
riCd lunch before the last wire" TIE
CRITIC drifted into the quaint old place
last night, ordered q bottle of Bavarian
brewing and q iellied pig'sfoot. At q
table close by sat three men, reporters
and young ones at that. They were dis
cussing pathetic incidents in their brief
rCportOral existence. One of the trio, a
young fellow with q face round and
chubby as q Cherub's, with black hair
brushed forward at the temples after the
style affected by concert hall artists, took
q long pull at his cigar, puffed the blue
smoke IN great curling clouds upward 20
the blackenod ceiling and begun his
story in dreamy, caressiug fashion that
was especially fetching to the listener.
He said:
Last summer ] had an assignment one
Sunday to travel with the Gospel Wagon.
You chaps know what refer to, the big
van with four horses organ, no end of
enthusiastic old boys, benevolent middle
aged ladies, with a happy sprinkling of
devout young women, who visit all pOr-
iions of town and attract large crowds Of
the curious with their open-air services.
This particular day the place booked for
the wagon was the toughest portion Of the
city, that deleotable section which is
wholly given up 10 vice. was seated in
the vehicle beside q mighty pretty girl,
with q face like q Mndona, who changed
color slightly when the horses turned
down q certain street below the Avenue.
The vehicle halted i'm front of q big house
with Venetian blinds and rich lace cur
taius.
by the time the choir had sung one
hymn, the outfit was surrounded by
mob that suppose represented the worst
elements in the city. Women, bloated,
irowsy and almost unseXed from dissipa-
tom men, leary-eyed and eyil-counten-
anCed; puny children, with the curse of
inherent crime marked on faces pinched
with priyation and hunger young women
gaudy and bedizened Yet when the
leader Of the Christian band asked this
nondescript motley assemblage of de-
based humanity to Join him in the Lords
prayer they showed respect that was
marvellous. In clear, deep voice the
good man began the words of that invOca-
tion known in all four quarters of the
globe,
AS he proceeded ! saw lips soiled with
sin, unconscously move in unison with
the speaker. a great hush fell over the
multitude. Some men, who had sullenly
kept their hats on, removed them and
moved nearer to the wagon. Down the
painted cheeks Of one woman tears ran
making big furrows in the rouge. She
sObbed cOnvusively. Those sweet simple
lines carried her back to the days of in
AANNNuN NillANlAbt'lf NhNll III NllN hNlohJ
twilight she knet at mothers knee and
lisped, with sweet baby lips, an appeal to
the Almighty for His divine protection.
The final amen was spoken, and a gentle
man opposite me arose and said;
My friends, IS there any one in the
sound Of my voice who desires MS at our
meeting tonight to pray for him ? |
would that my voice could reach the in
most recesses OF every house in this vi
cinity. II might find some poor, weary
soul longing for q different life, but lack
ing the courage to make the first effort.
If there be any, let them signify in some
manner their desire to be helped by us in
prayer"
A moments pause. Then from the
| house opposite q woman came, who ad.
| Yanced to the wagon. she was hand
some in spite Of the nroads of a fast life.
| She had evidently been weeping bitterly.
In tone of great agitation, she said:
please pray for my sister and myself,
that We may lead better life.
"A fresh burst of tears and the door of
| the palace Of sin closed behind her.
| This incident affected every one who
| witnessed il, Christian and Pariah alike.
| The pretty girl next me struggled
| brayely TO keep the tears back, but failed.
| They trickled down her soft cheeks and
splashed on her lavender gloves. In the
| crowd there was much unnecessary cough
ing and great many people were afflicted
with dust in their eyes y red-nosed
man in soiled shirt relieved his over
taxed feelings by swearing in scientific
manner. He was Immediately jumped
| upon by two tough individual with slob-
| berry faces, taken around the corner and
pounded vigorously, after which they re-
turned TO the religious atmosphere and
relapsed into devout quiet.
'As for myself the scene that had oc-
| IVnnnlFaH ma ~ al
bered over the side Of the wagon, hunted
up whisky and water to wash the lump
| out of my throat, sent note to the office
| informing them of q sudden illness and
went home to bed. The story was never
written.h
What became of the repentant fe-
male" inquired one of the three. "Did
she renounce the cakes and ale of iniquity
and become o new Magdalen?n
Hardly. The last heard of her she
had taken to drinking absinthe and hit
ting the pipe, which, ] believe, is out of
the real Magdalen line"
There was the usual large gathering of
lovers of good pictures at the Corcoran
Gallery of Art last night. The rooms
were thronged, uncomfortably so, in fact
and when one stepped back to get better
view of some favOrite canvas he was sure
| to 1ostle some one. Only one more night
exhibition will be held before the gallery
is closed for the summer months. This
will be sincerely regretted by every one in
the habit of frequenting the place on Fri
day evenings, for, during the winter, these
evenings have been source of continual
pleasure TO those who like to spend an
hour with the painters.
The people who attend the night eXhi-
btions are as interesting and as well worth
studying as are the canVases that hang on
the walls Andmany of the habitues like
TO take their attention for awhile from
the pictures and watch the various types
that throng the place. OF course, the
lovers are there and they furnish great
deal OF amusement to the observer. They
don't seem to care particularly for the
pictures unless they treat in some way of
the lives and sorrows and pleasures of
Cupid's devotees. They stand and gaze at
these for minutes at time and impart
their ideas only to themselves.
In this they are very different from
the critic of the gallery. He is nearly
always big, with domineering manner,
and voice that can be heard from one
end of the hall to another. He was there
lost night as usual, and what he didn't
know about art, in his own estimation,
wasn't worth knowing, He wanted
and il was not his fault if they didn't
know how he thought One man like
this can spoil the pleasure of an entire
crowd. But the lovers didn't mind him.
They didn't see him. They didn't even
hear him. hut kept right ON looking at
Paul and Virginia. Then there IS the
workingman, with his family, out for
little recreation that doesn't cost him
ANYTHING. He touches elbows with q
Senator, perhaps, and perhaps again he
gets more real pleasure out of the even
ing,