Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-28

| good old times there must have been.
And how popular in the ruling circles must
have been the chief inventors Of these ''hell
machines" In these degenerate DAYS we are
barbsrous enough to consider the comfort even
punishment, and indeed, an ex-hangman il now
stumping this country with that end in view.
FOR MINOR oFFENsEs.
Many things these wicked old-time rulers did,
however, which some people would not CONSIDER
amiss If they were in operation today. They
| took no uncertain measures with scoldng
women, drunkards, 'ight-weight" bakers and
| similar people who are not blessings TO any age
os this collection Of the Earl of Shrewsbury and
Talbot will show. They had all sorts of devices
for the punishment of scolds such as a .'shame
mask" with movable tongue to be worn in
public places. wooden collars with holes at
tached to hold the hands as high as the head
and double collars for scolding husbands and
| wives or for two scoding women, in which they
| were placed, neck and hands. and forced TO
| stand facing each other until they were or pre-
tended to be, friends again. A large iron mask,
with google eyes and large open mouth was
worn by blasphemers of the milder type. An
| iron shame mask with long asses ears was
put upon drunkards or lazy ne'er-do-wells.
and confirmed topper was condemned to stand
| exposed for perhaps week wearing shame
mask with long. straight protruding ears, long
snout and overlapping lip "a sign Of drunken
ness), two curious round raised and blotched
ornaments under each eve and deeply fur
| rowed forehead. Dishonest children were made
to wear curious wooden DEVILS head mask
with real goats horns; and DEVILS bead was
| also the shape Of the mask used for the punish
ment OF eavesdroppers and backbiters. Gu
| rtous yoke was worn by the father
| and mother of a child born out of
wedlock, and thus yoked together thew
he
of hill. The baker who gave short weight
was locked up in an oak cage about six feet
high. which was then hung to chains and drawn
up and down in the water until the occupant
was nearly drowned. The entire collection is
most interesting but the selections have made
will give the reader general idea of its char
| acter.
AGGRAvATISe CUSTOMS.
There are many oppressive institutions which
her majesty's subjects tolerate with the patience
OF cameis, particularly one gigantic fraud which
meets you everywhere and which. it seems to
me, healthy public sentiment, such as rears
Its head repeatedly in the United States, could
very quickly abolish. 1t is the fee system or
abominable scheme of extras" which makes
the advertised price of thing deception and
| the advertiser person trading under false pre-
| lenses. Ii you go to hotel and take room at
a certain price you find you are charged in the
Dill nearly as much again for attendance which
may have been conspicuous by its absence. and
thus the hotels find even their menials a con-
siderable source of profit. Should you venture
| INTO boarding house you may bargain with
| your landlady for, say, guineas per week but
when you come to pay your bill anywhere from
half sovereign to another guinea will have
been added. You are charged in many places
Tor using the bath room, for gas you did not
burn or candles you did not light and
| you are fined for the man servant
VINO was never within call. Inc the
swell restaurants sum is added to
the DItl for attendance, but you do not mind
thafso mnch. for the attendant will very often
be really pretty girl. Here. too, YOU NAV
have enjoyed the luxury of a napkin. Napkins
seem to be classed as Injuries and not as neces-
slties Tor even In otherwise excellent hotels and
restaurants they do not seem to be at all used. I
have found this to be the case in places i'm the
immediate nelghborhood of the house of COM
mons. Ii you should demand and procure a
napkin an item is tackled on to your bill reading:
"Servlettes, penny, or perhaps more. In an
oyster saloon YOU will be charged extra for the
bread or crackers and for the necessary piece
of lemon.
IN THE THEATERs.
In the theaters so extensive is the fee system
that If you make yourself and your lady any
way comfortable you will find your evenings
entertainment costing double the advertised
price OF seats. This is true of nearly every
.e't,ci III tHe LISusu provinces ana In Scot
land and Ireland and of all those in London
except the Lycsum, the Gaiety, the Savoy. the
st. James, the Haymarket and one or two
| others. Iou are charged from a penny to a
shilling, according to your seats. for a program,
generally poorly printed and clumsy affair.
with few inches of space given up to the pro-
gram proper. the rest being occupied by badly
displayed, ugly-faced advertisements Manag-
ers are not always to blame for this, as was
SHOWN IN the case OF the pretty and popular
Avenue Theater, where Mr.. Henry Arthur
Jones attempted to give his patrons free and
well-printed programs.
stanch Church Of England clergyman.
Rev. Wray Hunt. vicar of Wilnecote. does not
altogether believe in Puritanical observance of
the Sabbath. He is lover of the manly sports
and declares that while he should like TO see
more men at church on Sunday mornings he
believes they might do much worse than play
cricket in the afternoon. He wants to see the
day when men will participate in both, for he
sees In the game of cricket not only means of
physical development. but great moral force.
so he told his friends at the annual dinner of
the Wilnecote Cricket Club and added that
perhaps many of those present did not know
that over 200 years ago the clergy were bound
after Sunday morning service to tell their con-
gregatlons to join in sports the village green's
Ii cricket. why not base ball?
The fashionable part of London like that Of
other cities in the united kingdom, is adorned
with beautiful squares. which the plebeian NAV
look at, but must not touch. None but the elect
may enter them How such system of reser-
vations would delight the society leaders of
Washington who were SO anxious to have a
flower market where the privilege of purchasing
would be coincident with high social position.
Here Is sign. for example, which confronts
the stranger at the gates of Russell Square:
:, By the Russell Square act It is enacted that the
Duie OF Bedford his heirs and assigns and the occl-
piers Of the honss that is the square) shall have
the exclusive OF the incosure and no other
ht hal 1a stlaa
thereto.
Strangers and non-residents applying at the Qatcs
not 10 be admitted - wv ''~
Persons entering the garden with keys Improperly
obtained will he prosecuted.
Cricket. trap ball. archery any other game which
may hurt persons walking or iniure the grounds on
no account ad ntted.
Do 3 not admitted.
The square keeper to report the names of any nor.
sons or children who shall behave rudely or innre
the walks, seats shrubs flowers
The gates on no account to be left open.
FRANCIS j. O'NEILL.
Harry Park Files His Answer,
In the divorce suit of Minnie Agnes Park (nee