The Critic and record., 1891-04-17
CRITIC ABROAD.

he continued as the front wheels of the
carriage ran against the curb with q Jolt
that almost spilled its precious freight of
infant flesh on the pavement, "lf | were
the father OF children, I'd no more think
Of having girl like that to tend my
young than I'd think Of jumping from
the Washington Monument. les ludi-
crous as well as damnablv provoking,
the way some well-to-do people treat their
infants. They dress them in fine toggcry,
that is often as unsuitable as ID is good
looking, they secure them the best of
medical attendance when they are sick
enough 10 look sick and in other ways
show evidence of parental feeling.
But when it comes to the question of
nuIsemaids they would seem i'm many in
stances TO hire the first applicant with
very little reference TO moral, mental or
physical fitness. Now that girls face
alone would turn me against her however
capable she might be i'm other respects.
People don't consider, but they ought
to, that an infants mind must be inde-
scribably sensitive to objective impress
siousn
The curbstono philosophe', pausng
here that this heavyweight statement
might have time TO settle, disc )vcrcd that
his audience had dwindled from four
down TO two, with possible third in the
big policeman who loOmCd up few feet
off.
Now" he continued, "a face like that
girls, with the expression of stolid bru-
tality stamped i'm high relief upon it, can
not be constantly within eyesight of an
infant without producing some effect
upon. its tender and impressionable gray
matter. Can it2 And that effect will be
a bad one. Won't it?
81 would want child of mine sur
rounded by beautiful objects from its
birth. ! believe the effect i'm after life
would be seen in positive instructive love
of all beautiful acts and thoughts and
things. Doesn't it look reasonable? I
have often thought that what might be
called schools of Infant lmpressionism
would be good thing, In such n school
as ] have in mind, by means of objective
impressions the teacher would undertake
to give the budding infantile mind bias
in any direction the parent might desire
toward the law, medicine, theology or
what not, Perhaps the world may yet
see the accomplishment Of such q
scheme"
Here the curbstone philosophers last
auditor pleaded an important engagement
and mounted departing street car, aud
that whimsical individual corked up his
think-bottle and strolled up 4 street in
the direction of the Treasury.
"L-e-w.i-s.e-s celebrated d-o-u-
bile X P-h.i.la-d.e.l-p-h-ia cough h
drops. Cure coughs, COLDS,
sore t-h-r-o-a.t OR h-o-a- r-s-e.n-e-s.s--
FIVE cents p-a-c-k-a-g-e."
Is there resident of this city, old or
young, who has not, at some time, heard
this hammer and tongs cry from a little
old man, who perambulates the Avenue?
And this little old man has history not
altogether uninteresting.
lie is cockney, q Londoner and he is
Do years old. His name is John Seamans.
At one time he belonged to the Second
Battalion of the Sixtieth British In
lantry.
He has Travelled all over the world. He
served in Ceylon, in India, in South A f.
RIGA, at St. Helena, and in far-away Au-
stralia.
People who care to stop and talk with
the cough-drop man will find him as full
OF information as an egg is Of meat. He
is bright and clipper, quck.spoken, and
talks like good, honest Britain. HE has
lived in this country for years, and has q
little family of BARNS who are dependent
upon him for bread
If you have q nickel to chip away q
package of cough drops is n handy thin :
TO have about the house.
The late Robert c. Hewett, the presi-
dent of the old League Baseball Club was
one of the easiest men to adapt himself to
circumstances ever met. Nothing could
phase him, and have seen him put up
with things that would have put many a
man in a fighting humor. In the sum-
mer of IS the Washington Club was play
ing in Philadelphia. One morning Bob
as his familars called him, concluded to
run over to the Quaker City and see how
the boys were getting along, and invited
me to accompany him. Upon our arrival
We went Immediately from the depot to
the ball grounds, leaving our grips in q
| saloon near by. After the game we Joined
| the men and went to the hotel with them.
| The men were stopping at the Bingham
| House, corner Of Tenth and Market, and
| as the hotel was pretty well crowded we
| had to accept double room.
After supper we passed pleasant even.
| ing around town and showed up at the
| hotel about II O'clock All the players
had gone to bed except Billy O'Brien, the
| big, clever first baseman, and John Gaff'
| ney, now umpiring in the Western
League, but at that time manager of the
team. We talked until after midnight
| when o. 'Brien and CAR started for bed
1t was beautiful night and neither Hew
EFT nor felt sleepy
II was nearing2 o'clock when we con
| cluded that 1t was about time to WOO the
drowsy god, and walked up to the desk
and asked for the key.
| What keyp' demanded the clerk.
| Why, the key to our room, No, -"
"Oh, now, come OFF. You can't play
anything like that on me-" replied the
gentleman behind the counter. "rhere's
a man and his wife from Pittsburg in No
- and they've been in bed for hours"
Here was pretty kettle Of fish. OuI
| grips were in that room, and the clerk
thought we We're couple of confidence
| men, or perhaps worse. Hewett took q
hand and explained who we were, but the
clerk smil led snperciliously, nay, even in
credulously.
Then we asked for the register. When
had we arrived? Shortly before Z. Oh
yes, he'd let us work him, wouldn't he
We had the game down fine, of course
ana knew the day register was in the safe
Our names were neither in the rack noi
on the account book. Could we get an
| other room No, we couldn't, and The
best thing we could do was to get out
] never heard such a roasting" in my
life. That fellow was an adept, and thC
| way he scarilied us was a caution. ! wa
mad clear through. II was bad enough
10 be locked ont Of our room, let alone
being talked to as If we wanted 10 carry on
| me motel, But HeWett was lmperturb
able. He took all the abuse, and finally
after arguing with that chuckle-headeC
fool for an hour, managed 10 induce hin
10 send To No. -- and see If there wef,
two grips there answering the description
we gave. ] don't know whether thai
| Iittsburg man was pleased 10 have tn,
| sanCtity of "A room we had paid for, bul
which he was enjoying, invaded, but the
porter got those grips,
Hewett pulled out bunch OF keys that
would have made brakeman green with
envy. More suspicious glanCes from the
clerk. Nevertheless we opened our bag
| gage proved our property, asked to OC
directed TO another hotel, and left, The
old man fairly hugged himself II wa
the richest joke he had ever encountered
The more he laughed the madder / got
To my mind there was nothing funny In
getting "lred' out of hotel at that early
hour. However, we got room al
| DOmCrs,
As we subsequently learned, the clerk