The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-08
ETCHED AND
SKETCHED.

The season OF the year is fast approach.
ing when the small boy begins TO feeI 'iias
he is an especially important 1ac.o' -
the body polite. Every time oih 'oi
puts on his frli-dress suit. and brings us
genuine spring day, the youngster Nno
sometimes goes TO sunday school, H'h-
giles his legs over the bench, sticks pms
in his fellow Biblical student ana slssisS
out loud while the pious young leiha''
teacher is trying to impress upon MN .ne
| details Of Jonah's experience during uia'
| gentleman's sojourn In his plscatory III
| generation. begins to manufacture III no
| youthful mind visions OF Sunday sehooi
| picnics. For the next two or three months
the average ten-year-old. who has hitheilo
| made a speciality OF playing truan' Oh
! Sunday morning. will be In his seat d.
! the roll call. Perhaps he hasn't Deeh ~
| Sunday school since the last annual pit
| ME: but that doesn't keep him from an
| swering In an emphatic tone OF voice.
| Here" when his name is reached. Ills
dreams of pink lemonade. free rae Oh
| the railroad TO Providence Forge. anu d
| dav with the unsuspecting perch coun-
teracts all sense Of modesty when IN,
census OF the Sunday school is taken ana
he wants it fully understood that he's not
missing. when the secretary hgure5 UP
the number of tickets to be purchased.
|
There Is only one feature about an out
! door picnic calculated TO mar the pleasure
/ Of the occasion. IT Is the chlgre' III
ninutive specimen OF the geological king
! dom which takes special delight in FEAST
| ing upon the human anatomy. The chigre
is a very influential citizen among the
bug community. lie IS small to be sure.
| but his tastes are Of an aesthetic charac-
teristic. Indeed, he may be said to be
| sort Of epicure, and he is very particular
| about his menu. / do not think there Is
| any animal with less consideration Tor
| human comfort than the chigre. lie
doesn't worry himself about the effect he
has upon his victims. In fact. l think ne
might be properly termed tyrant in
his line. The chigre is said to be quite
scientist. For his size he could leave
| Columbus in the shade. He is an expert
discovorer. and rever fails to look orr Tor
! his own individual comfort whe1 wander
| ing about upon tours OF explorations There
is scarcely a small boy in this city VINO
| has not an intimate Acquaintance with the
| -h,are He is one Of the mos. widely
known species Of all the bug genus. When
! | was a small boy 1 had very intimate
acquaintance with the chigre From the
| first OF MAY until the latter part or sep
| TENDER. Of each year he ana | were a.
most inseparable. OF late years. however,
| have taken a solemn oath never TO at
tend an outdoor picnic. The pleasure
derived does not compensate one Tor the
after effect.
But IT is believed that the pleasure trip
10 be given next Wednesday, to Mount
Vernon. under the auspices Of the ladies'
of Moore Memorial (Holy Trinity church
will be a delightful feature OF the early
spring season. Mount Vernon, as every
| body knows. was the home OF the Nus
| trious George, who has been written up
so often in the newspapers that little
| remains TO be said of him. one point in
| his eventfui career. however, has mover
| been satisfactorily brought out, MS fond
ness for reporters. 1t is said that George
never would refuse to set 'em up TO
| half a dozen reporters at one time, and
| even ND TO the day of his death. when
| a number Of enterprsing scribes were
! collecting pointers for his obituary, he
would take rest after every twentieth
interrogatlve and ask the quill-drlvers 10
take something.
shall never forget the time when /
| stood in front of Georges vault and
viewed the sarcophagus with a feeling of
! pleasure and regret-pleasure that IL
! wasn't me instead of the great advocate
| or truth, and regret that there weren't
a few more individuals these days With
the courage 20 shame the devil. whether
they sold a vial Of cough medicine or not.
1 thought Of the time when the patriotic
knights Of the fiint-lock tramped day and
night. up to their necks in snow, and
never made a murnur Of complaint. be-
| cause their heroic deeds weren't described
in detail, under flaming head lines, in the
| morning Liberty or Death" and marked
Special And then when the guide took
us through the mansion. and pointed out
the chair in which the Father Of his
Country used to sit while drawing TO
two pair, the long line Of visitors saunter-
| ed down the narrow passage-way, one AT
a. time, and took seats in the antiquatel
slpit-bottom. just TO say that they had
sat in Washingtons poker chair. 1t was
I a valuable feature Of the day. for the
little blue-eyed girl that went with me
had been telling fbs all day long. The
influence derived from this source reversed
matters ana when we boarded the boat.
two hours later. she said she'd have to
confess that she'd been flirting all along,
for she Couldn't tell a lie
The guard. however, didn't seem 70
! come under the influence Of Georges ex-
| ample for he exhibited the seif-same
hatchet, he said with which the cherry
tree was mutilated and rehearsed the
little story with a dignity that dehed
| some of the more credulous of the party
TO doubt the truth Of his remarks. The
| Ratchet was a small rusty implement
of ante-revolutionary appearance. He af-
forwards pointed out place in the Poto-
mac river where George once threw q
dollar across. The distance was. perhaps,
half q mile He explained this remark
able feat, however upon the ground that
dollar went farther in those days
| Chestnuts.
The trip next Wednesday offers an op-
| portunity 70 visit the old Christ Church.
| in Alexandra, in which Washington used
to worship. The pew is preserved in tact
There is considerable speculation among
the sporting elements just at present as
TO which of the clubs in the Virginia
Amateur Oarsmen's Association will carry
| off the French cup this season. In the
last three races the Richmond College
crew easily captured the laureis There
was some dispute as 10 whether they Were
| entitled 20 the cup at the contest last
! summer. The college boys, however
| gained heir point. and for three years
| the handsome trophy has been acorning
the library hall az that institution.
! In conversation with an enthusiastic