New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-09
CHANCES HERE AND THERE,

The writer heard characteristic story recently about
Mrs. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward. whose intense
nervousness is well known to her intimate friends
Some friends OF the novelist called to see her thls
summer at her place in East Gloucester. Mass. In
response their inquiries for Mrs Ward the servant
said that her mistress In great distress OF mlhu
and would be unable 10 see any one BY duesuohihs
the servant closely they learned that the pros
tration was due to painful incident OF which MIS-
Ward had been witness that day. From her room
overlooking the waters in which United STATES war
ship lay at anchor she had behed an unusual sight
that morning She had seen the dead body OF
sailor wrapped In the flag TO whose service he had de-
voted the years Of his manhood lowered over the sde
Of the of-war and she had watched his companions
with measured stroke and sweep Of oar bear nm III
their boat tendery to the shore. Lifting the body from
the boat the sailors paced slowly with their burden
through the village, and at last dlsap'
peaFed along quiet street leading to the
graveyard. This was the incident which had
so worked upon the sympathetic and tenner
nature of Mrs. Ward and the shock OF the experience
was so great that she had been obliged from sheer
exhaustion OF body and mind 10 deny herself that gay
TO her most intimate friends. These callers, aiuef
expressing their regret, departed with no sIgh'
feeling Of apprehension to the cottage OF another
friend, where lively company had gathered Tor an
informal tea. The story OF Mrs. Wards suiferineS
soon spread through the gathering, and at last came
to the OF young Naval officer who was con
nected with the command OF the man-ofwar lying III
the harbor. His face a study as he hearu uc
moving tale Of poor Jack tar the flag. the sorro"hB
companions and the sad funeral procession through
the streets OF the peaceful New ngland village with
burst OF laughter the whole thing was eApIalheui
and the friends Of Mrs. Ward saw what "A prom
nent part the Imagination had PLAYED in the lndlS
position sh3 suffered that day. The bundle Wh!Jh
she thought the dead form OF sailor was noun
ing more nor less than flag wrapped aIounu an
old flagstaff, the fastenings OF which had been I'M
paired by the high winds in the harbor. The sailors
had taken the big bundle into their boat, ana han
maker living at the other end Of the village MIS- MIS-,
Ward learned the real facts Of the incident soon
suffering which had made her perfectly miserable on
that day.
Some men were talking of dreams and peculiar
experiences Of kindred nature, around the dinner
table, when one Of the company said friend Of mine
had queer experience which think is rather inter
esting II happened while he at college, and made
a vivid impression him. He had been engaged on
a particularly difficult problem in higher mathematics
but unable to solve it. After exhausting every
at his command Of working the puzzle, cover
ing sheets Of paper with his Intellectual attempts. he
gave it up and went to bed. He slept heavily, and
awOke refreshed and bright with the chapel Del
Preparing to make his usual lightning connections for
chapel his eye lit upon the collection Of papers covered
with all sorts of figures and diagrams. lie gave
the top sheet lie looked the work over again and
again and could persuade himself that the problem
had really been solved lie was sure that no outsider
had entered his room that night and besides. the sou
ton done in his characters and figures and az
the end of it in his writing were those tiumplant
initials %. E. D. He had uncOnsciOusly solved tho
puzzle during the night and after the first surprise over
e %s TbebeT se had IN Re s TO help him in his
mysterious labors He found out, but he missed
chapel that morning.
"That recalls 10 me- said doctor who was
present. "a remarkable dream that Agassiz had once
after he had been working for time on tho
fossil of fish. Several parts Of the fossil were
missing and the problem before the great naturalist
was 10 supply them by the method known to science
Just a. owen once built a mastOdOn from single
bone which he had found. Agassiz. after much work
and worry, almost gave up the task, for he was
unable to determine what the missing portions were.
One night his sleep disturbed by a particularly
vivid dream, which made such impression upon
him that he at arose hastily made notes OF the
dream and dropped off 10 sleep again. In the morning
he consulted the notes which in his hafawake condition
fossil fish for which he had been %o tb 0T 1as
through the medium OF a vivid DREAM
81 am waiting for the time" said New-YOrk bust
ness man. "when / can live the west bank Of the
Hudson far enough north of the city 10 be practically
in the country. Then l come down the shore Of
the river on a real rapidtranslt road the river
Oh DflORe Udht an ttNdtoT anu uIOpPtu uo"H W
an underground railroad. which viii whir down TO
my business at the rate of twenty-five thirty miles
an hour the whole trip from my home TO my business
to take only few minutes. That will be genuine
rapid transit and think that If live as long as
expect l shall the day when this is no longer
theory, but IS fact
There IS vast difference between the ways and ideas
of amusement Of the small boy uptown and the small
boy downtown who makes his living By selling papers.
Losv L IN
stance the downtown newsboy scorns TO throw snow
balls as a usual thing. He will shake dice, match
coppers or smoke cigarettes and discuss some mclo-
drama playing in his favorte Bowery theatre but he
absolutely declines TO throw snOwballs. on the other
hand his more innocent brother. eight miles
higher nm on the island still cings TO the good old
fashioned sport OF FASTING everything and everybody
with a SNOWFALL. That's all association, OF course
Speaking of snow and snowbalng the Boston street
boy is not like his New-York rival Perhaps this IS
because Boston Is not so old in young things 1t Is
as much as a mans life is worth 10 walk through the
Common in Boston after the first good fall OF snow
Policemen there specially popular targets Inc
boys outside the Common SNOWFALL the policemen on the
Common for the park officers cannot arrest these
urchns outside of the Common. Just 30 the boys who
are on the Common fire volley after voey of moulded
snow and ice at the bluecoated policemen of the
regular force who cannot chase their prosecutors into
or through the Common. When the regular police
men are getting their their brothers of the Com
mon grin at them satiricaly and vice versa. Boston
people, by the way, little bit prond OF their
Youthful rebels who make merry with the police OF
both departments by turns. They profess to see In
this the same spirit that made the youngsters In
Cages time SNOWFALL the dignifed British soldier on
exactly the same spot.
There IS one thing about the Boston Common of
which Boston people very proud, and they may be
forgiven for telling strangers about 1t pretty frequently
and persistently. In you Will no signs OF
Keep of the grass the Common. People are
allowed to go wherever they please on that Common
everywhere, except in the little pond. Boys play ball
on the fields races, and In everything that thcl
do show that this is In verify commona playground
for the peOplenot pretty ornament only 10 be looked
at All credit Boston for this display of great com
on-sense and for this rich gift to her children.
When you fail 10 md what you want elsewhere,
look among the little advertisements of Tie Tribune.
They are the ninth page to-day.
DOCTORIgG HIS DEMIJOHy
A . D.