The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-01
AN OLD ALBUM
AND
SPRING WEATHER
BY THE IDIOT.

| c..o.t.,o. rvben / am alone with only
| 49,, doo and thoughts for company
| grow very reminiscent. and as oid ny -sone,
| balf-forgotten days and scenes coiiio
a''..dt,e, in on memories realm, / give
,,,,self nm 10 their influence and Tor tfle
! time lose the present and us reaity }"
the deluslonary and yet confess H. nap
nv pasta past too blissful eer 10 last
pe~bans Won think | am an idle dream
er. oyeT-sentimental, because at times
fondlv turn the much-bethumbed leaves OF
| that old picturc-album that lies on the
| shelf wonder covered with dust some
how. / cant explain II, but sense
| Of innate pleasure arises as Wanuer
through It's gallery of faces, and ] some
times grow bold In daring to think what
might have been" until ] come to one
! face. then the deiirium fades ana am
nv happy old cynical self again.
The face before which | often linger,
an absorbed until my fire goes out and
warns me that | have been guilty OF
dreams. is that Of girl / used TO know.
She was at times. / yet admit she IS
a friend as TO the rest ''n'iuporte.' The
picture is a cabinet, with large white
border Three quarters length IS all /
see of the figure. that is standing by an
antidue old table on which rests a jar
of roses; she holds one in her shapely
hand.
tween the blonde and brunette, covers
her head. which is delicately poised upon
a perfect neck, while a lock that has es-
caped hangs in careless grace across her
brow.
TO me il seems the sunbeams have been
caught no unwilling slaves amor 9 those
tresses.
What eves A nlmy blue, yet deep and
wonderfully strong in that adamanune
power of woman. otis treason TO tell''
Of such Hps-and yet how often have l
sat and listened to those same lins sir~'
ana wondered while the deep, rich con-
traito rose and fell how tremendously
sweet and powerful in its exquisite har-
mony is the voice of womah.
NV dog yawns and looks up in in
ouiry at me. then at the ash-covered
hearthst0nes, for the fire has died down
and the room has grown cold. / start
from my reverie; in a moment l am my
old self again. Tossing the album careless
~ on the shelf l apologize 10 my dog for
my foOishness, rekindle the fire for him,
then seek my couch TO sleep away the
misty recollections Of long-past, idle
folly.
What a world of mixed miseries and
Joys. hopes and fears. comforts and dis
comforts. come 10 long-suffering humani-
ty annually with the juvenile and budding
season Of spring l often wish | were an
humble grounding that | might crawl
into some hole and pull IL I'm after me
and escape this bugbear Of the year.
Some poet with more truth than poetry
in his composition tells us about "winter
lingering in the lap of spring" How much
nearer he would have come TO being cor
oil inf 20 eli d
the knee Of summer. Ny mother is for
some unaccountable reason seized with
a great desire 10 clean our house every
spring During the process Of scrubbing
floors and windows. washing paint and
dustipg and taking up carpets 10 replace
them with mating, my poor earthly eX-
istence is an unending source Of re-
greet to myself and friends.
1 shudder when | think Of the period
Of disinfecting my home goes through
with every year. IL frets me worse than
flies do a horse in summer time; to tell
the truth. | had rather go to a negro
church funeral on a hot day in July than
go through one day Of housekeeping.
Then again there is no relying on spring
weather; its Whims are as numerous,
| diversified and uncertain as are those
of women.
You awake some bright March morn
/ ing TO find the sun shining, the bees buzz
| zing, while the feathered songsters carol
their lays from the budding trees Before
| night-of course YOU put on your spring
| cOthes-the mercury is II degrees be-
| low the congeaing point, the wind IS
| blowing straight in your face at the rate
Of forty miles an hour while six inches
of snow covers old pother earth. Spring
may be a charming season to those who
enjoy it, but my frame that has gone
through some sixty years Of this mundane
| existence does not relish the season that
belongs to fools and the festive long
bearded goat of Harlem who dotes on the
inclemency Of the elements.
| Everybody knows what "foolscap" pa
per is, but everybody does not know how
it came to bear that name. In order TO
increase his revenue. Charles |. granted
certain privileges amounting to monopo-
lies; and among these was the manufac-
ture OF paper, the exclusive right Of
which was sold TO certain parties, who
! grew rich and enriched the government at
the expense oS those who We're obliged 90
use the paper. At that time all English
paper bore the royal arms in water
| marks. The Parliament under Cromwell
made sport Of this law In every posi-
BILE manner, and, among other indgnities
TO the memory Of Charles, IT was ordered
that the royal arms be removed from
the paper. and that the fools cap and
bells should b. used as a substitute.
When the Rump Parliament was pro-
| rogued. these were also removed; but
paper of the size Of the Parliamentary
journals, which is usually about seven.
teen by fourteen inches still bears the
name OF "foolscap. Selected.
Queen VictOria's conservative fondness
for the things she is used 10 is shown in
the fact that the little ivory paper knife
with which to this day she cuts the pages
| of her new books was I'm her possession
when she was little princess. Inc cab
ms OF the royal yacht are still frightened
with the same Cld-fashioned rosebud
chintz which her dead husband liked.
The Queen has particular love for fresh
| air and sits in rooms so cold that no
American woman could endure them. \
| fortnight ago she had her summer gar
den tent taken out of its winter quarters
and sat in il in the garden for two hours
or more for several consecutive DAYS
signing official documents Exchange.
Miss Margot Tenant. sister Of Mrs
II. NJ. Stanley. whose engagement TO MIR
Asquith Is announced, is a great favor
tie In London society and a noted beauty,
Her hance is the youngest member of the
British Cabinet.
The statistics Of Congregational churches
III Massachusetts show that there are IS,
members. net increase OF ISL: add
members. net Increase OF l.5Sl; add.
TONS on confession of faith, $3.50: III. 20;