Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

|
| like John Gilpin."
For my part" said the woman with a
| past, Il don't see any objection to consid-
ering any poem which has lesson In II.
| Now the moral Of John Gilpin is that the
| shoemaker should stick to his last Gilpin
ought to have known linen draper
| couldn't ride, and ride a borrowed horse
| at that"
| .Ah yes" remarked the literary member,
| but if he had known it, there would have
| been nothing to write. 1t is peoples mis-
| takes that makes literature possible. Com
| mon sense Is the death OF romance.
The Tailor and His Gun.
Touching this topic Of sticking to ones
| last" said Mrs. Georgetown Heights.
| Mother Goose has so admirably covered
the ground in one of he: own poems that
we need not go aside after John G!lpin.
| A carrion crow sat on an oak,
| Fol de rol, de rol de rol, de ri do,
| Watching a tailor cutting a cloak:
| Sing h.igh no! the carton Glow,
| Fol de rol, de rol, de rol, de ri do.
THE next verse goes on to say-and by
your leave I'll omit the refrain
wife, wife, bring me my bow,
| That / may shoot yon carrion crow"
| The tailor shot and missed his mark,
| And shot his pig quite through the heart"
Now, that goes to show that while a
man may succeed admirably in one BUSH
ness he will fail utterly If he leaves it,
The tailor, for example, may mean an hon
carIion crow represents the riches which
may be attained by specializing. The tailor
I never for a moment doubts his ability to
succeed in anything he undertakes. He
shoots and he brings ruin on his family.
for the pig, fattening for the winters
lard and bacon, means that"
THE worst about the business and the
moral of the whole poem" said Mrs. West
End. lis expressed in the last verse:
"Oh. wife. some brandy in a spoon.
For our poor pig is in a swoon."
THAT shows that the tailor has not
learned a lesson. He will not admit that
his poor Workmanship was the cause of
the pigs death, and he will go on specu-
lating so long he has cent left"
Experience does not teach" remarked
the hostess, glancmg down at her copy of
Mother Goose which she had fitted into
q white and gold brocade cover. lone sees
that every day. But il seems to me that
the poem admits of an altogether different
Interpretation. 1t seems to me that the
oarrion crow might very well stand for
scandal monger, and the accident TO the
pig merely signifies that while one ignores
the things that are said of one they are
only the empty cawing OF a crow, but IL
one attempts to Geny them, mischief re-
suits. Explanations always make things
worse, you know"
"Oh. as to that" remarked the woman
with a past, people never deny stories
of the poem, though, for the reason that
the object of a scandal is always the last
person III the world TO hear or it.
She ought to know" whispered the
bride to the cerise collar George says
there have been enough things said about
her. goodness knows"
Il am not so sure of that" objected the
tailor made woman. There is always some
well-meaning friend, who comes and tells
you for your own good-whencver your
friend begins to tell you anything for your
own good, you may be sure it's something
unpleasant"
Some Ideas of Marriage,
There are people. too" put in Mrs.
Georgetown Heights. "who simply refuse
to hear anything unpleasant.
"'Old woman, old woman. will you go a
shearing?
Speak a little louder, sir. I'm very hard
of hearing.
Old woman, old woman, shall kiss YOU
dearyP
Thank you very kindly. sir. hear quite
clearly
Those are the People"
THAT shows. too, doesn't :t?" suggested
the literary member, that nothing is so
dear to woman as fattery. woman is
never so old that she doesn't consider her
self capabie OF inspiring love"
she never is too DID," said the woman
with the past. And the woman never We,
lived who honestly believed that a man
was marrying her for anything but love"
This sweeping statement met with a
great deal of opposition. and every woman
mad chapter and verse TO uphold her opin-
ion. The woman with the past was how
ever, not to be moved from her position.
Il suppose you'll all cry me down" said
the tailor-made woman, hesitatingly "but
l can't for the life of me see why a woman
wants to be married for love. The han
piest marriages are those prompted by
common sense, or purely worldly motives
If woman marries for money. she stands
a very good chance of being happy, for
she will get what she bargained for. If
she marries for love-well she'll wish she
hadn't that's all She may keep the love,
ana she may not Even If she does, II
won't satisfy her. Love is chocolate bon
bons and one needs good meat and bread
to live on. Love is merely one OF the en-
bellishments of life. and you know that
nothing that is beautiful is indispensable
TO life"
Everybody looked aghast at this The lit
tie bride at the end OF the piano fairly
quivered with excitement. The tailor-made
woman went on boldly:
THE average yong man proposes mar
rlage somewhat after this fashion:
Curly locks. curly locks. wilt thou be
mine?
| Thou shalt not wash the dishes, nor yet
feed the swine:
But sit on cushion and sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries, sugar and
cream
He doesn't say: L have three thousand
year. We can keep a cook and a nursery
maid. VIII you keep my clothes In good