Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-01-25

souvenirs of as many cities rs many
widely removed quarters OF the globe
and the epochS of rs many moldering
kings and ancient patrons of art as
ones purse, or ones luck or ones travels
will provide. At a little breakfast
given To Mrs. Charles Dudley Warner
before the family Of the genial humor-
ist left for the sunny shores OF Italy one
bright little woman stirred her coffee
and her wit with tiny. strengthening.
discolored spoon shaped like the leaf OF
the willow tree, and said to have served
some love-lorn maid or weeping matron
to empty pcrfumed liquors into the ZACH
rvmatory into which also fell her tears.
Next this classic relic the fingers OF a
dark. pale. clear-Skinnued woman who
writes verses closed about bright spoon
hardly cold from the mint. a witch
spoon gotten out in this faddish year
of our Lord 1891 in the old town OF Sa-
lem. in commemoration OF the events OF
the year 1892. Beyond the witch spoon
was a beauty made OF the lovely old sill
yer of Bernc. with a pear shapcd-bowl
and bear affixed 10 the handle. and be-
yond this plain-gold spoon OF simple
modern design and no especial interest
beyond the fact that IL was bought In
Glasgow in one OF those driving rains
the natives call kindly mists, in mem
orv of an aurora borcaliS display wit
messed in the Scotch Highlands. A
spoon that looked as If a fairy's lace
handkerchief had been folded about the
end of its handle had tagged TO II
pretty bit of NienncSc romance OF love
and sorrow, while a spoon with short
straight stem cut off obliquely aS by one
blow of knife was attributed TO that
popular landmark of history, che time OF
/ oliver Cromwell. All the spoons APP
proyimated the regular coffee size.
though even here considerable latitude
was allowed and in other particulars the
only lawwaS diversity.
The object Of the woman who gives
herself over 10 spOon-collecting Is TO MI
out harlequin set, quaint character
/ istic of the places from which its mem
hers come. antique if possible and suited
/ TO some other purpose: she then proceeds
| to "A different size and so forward. IL Is
of course evident 70 the meanest under
standing that there j. something queer
in this rich supply OF the plate of our
forebears suddenly springing up TO an
swer the demands Of their descendants,
and II may a. well be- confessed IN con-
idencc that not one ancient spoon In
Thousand is genuinely old. An apostle
spoon. for example. is worth not less
than two hundred aud seventy-iive dol
lars. and the number OF them in exist
ence can be reckoned on the fingers; yet
any antiquities man in Nuremberg or
Amsterdam will offer you half dozen
10 choose from at three or four dollars.
The only real one in all probability
which has lately changed hands was be-
slowed Al little christening party at
which | was present in London last
September. in unique revival OF an an
cient custom by Ellen Terry on sturdy,
/ kicking little god-son.
This was a genuine spoon OF the time
Of Elizebeth. and we turned away from
the white-robed baby To look at the bail
mark Of the leopard's head and the date
l5s7 stamped inside the bowl. The
vonngster should grow into an upright,
downright sort 81 individual. for his
christening spoon was heavy and honest
looking. with round handle firm and
solid as pillar ending in a figure OF
81 Peter identified by his key.
Spoon collections are new Ideas. and
vet there are already several that con
tain noteworthy curlosities. Atan after