The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-05


you" he said deferentially.
"And have you any sons yet to go with
those nine daughters" inquired.
Mary boy in the entire outfit" he
said, as he laid outlet of star tobacco
about the size of a kippered herring in
side his jowl. "Nine girls and no boy
on the place"
And how is your wife's health?"
"Oh, she's moderately well, l thank
you, moderately So" Then, sort Of
thinking aloud to himself: mice, likely
old lady, too, she is, as ever lived. Tried
and true through evil as well as good re-
port, poverty or prosperity, it has been
all the same to her Welcoming with a
hysterical sobby laugh the first tremu-
lous cry of our earliest baby, or weeping
into her poor old rusty veil at the funer-
al of our last, she is always the same to
me, the same dear good wife and mother.
.'She's a grand old character, Bill-a
grand old character. A little tautologi-
cal, perhaps, but a grand, grand char
acter."
Then his vestibuled cable train came
along, and he left me there to think it
over.
Speaking of the veil, must say that
it has seemed barbarous to me. never
wore veil at funeral, but it has al
WAYS seemed to me that / would rather
be excused. 1t occurs to me that to
weep into a crepe-pronounced Grape,
not creepy, as might be supposed-veil
would if it were my case, almost rob
me of the JOY of becoming the widow OF
wife beater.
Think of riding a mile or two very
slowly to the grave, with your cold, dank
nose tied down like a storm beaten bud
of asparagus in the reluctant spring by
a cold, wet veil drawn tightly across
your frost bitten eyeballs, and feeling
| like an escaped hat rack with this SOM
Der drapery hanging overit, and smelling
of the black dye and the salt of your
own tears. 1t would take all the pleas
ure for me out of the funeral of hus-
! band who had eaten the tenderloln
| himself for ten years, or put cord OF
| stove wood on the Christmas tree fol
me each year, or barrel of flour.
The Worlds fair is getting on first
rate A nice little building is being
| erected now in which to store the plans.
This is a great stride. The plans are
valued at $50O,0OO / would not give
that for them, of course, but that is be-
cause l am not a plan collector. Ny
fancy does not run in that direction.
The flying machine, or air ship. is al
the old exposition building. 1t is quite
buoyant, and hobs around at great rate
1t is about as liable to be successful
aerial navigation, according to the gen
eral opinion, as the old Comstock mine
of Virginia is to crawl out Of its hole
some night and climb upon moon
beam by means of pair of roller skates
But we shall see.
On Sunday / went to Central Music
| hall to hear Professor Swing. He Is {
plain man. with iron gray hair Gu
straight across at the neck, ike Mr.
Beecher's and John the Baptist's. He Il
tall and serious looking, but able, oh
! how able he is!
The day was very rainy, and ploddet
through the mud feeling that was do
| ing a noble thing to act as Professor
Swings audience on such a day. Blu
| others were there. Slowly the audience
room filled up, and when the organ
struck up nocturne with cuckoo inter
lude. and the organist was feeling arount
over the features of his instrument 70
some new stops to pull out, the seats wer'
comfortably filled, and remained so III
the service was over. There was M
choir. The organist sat by himself n
in the loft, and toyed with the valve
and things, unmoved and unvexed b,
the young people who generally eat but
terscotch and talk like theater part.
while not vocalizing. A slender youn:
nan with far away and penslve looi
led the congregation in song by means
of a small baton which he waved to anC
fro, but which he did not offer to pla.
on.
burst forth into song. / could no
help it. People near me looked around
struck by my strange, wild melody
Some seemed startled. Others were vlsi
bly, affected, and would have repented
thew had been encouraged. think. Con
viction could be seen on their faces; ais
remorse and sorrow for the past.
One man read a newspaper during n
early part Of the service. | could hea