Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-01-24
Vireinia free gress.
". n. b. GALLAHER, Editor.
Aar,csto,on..JeJerson County, Vest Va.
January "a. 1894.
4 Spinsters Leaflets.

"The Reveries of Bachelor" are not
more delightful reading than these dainty
word pictures of spinsterhood, which have
mach of the enduring charm Of Miss Nit
ford's or Mrs Gaskell's sketches of village
life. The interior of the old house where
this CHEEKY old maid lives, the quaint cor
ner cupboard with its array of family china
and silver. the well whose sweet, cold water
tempts the wayiarer of a moonlight night,
are put before US with Photographic clear
ness the two cats have their idiosyncrasies
described with droll humor; and the viii
lago folks live and move as if they were our
actual ueighbors, they are so thoroughly
natural and typical. Absent-minded ex'
parson Timloe, "whose wig, like his creed,
was little rusty with service" his large,
energetic wife, whose mental activity sur
vived her enforced confinement to one room.
room which "had compound flavor Of
liniment, camphor, dead air hot hannels
and herbs" and to which with hen care.
which had no real wing brooding," she
nightly summoned her unfortunate grand
son, Jimmy, and dosed him with boneset
tea made from herbs of his own gathering,
if there was the remotest suspicion of damp
feet; Deacon Thad and his live son Joe,
whom the good deacon called "his rowen
CROP" visionary Mr.. Craig, the minister,
and his intense little daughter, Jessie, who
wishes God was mother, since his father
hood, alas, does not appeal to her-these
and other characters are drawn with felici-
tous touches.
There is thread of tender romance run
ming through the book, the strong instinct
Of motherhood which makes the generous
spinister heart yearn to pear out its repress
ed affection on some abandoned child, some
doorstep baby" that she might make her
own. The fancy becomes fact at last,
though in a different way than she had
planned; and thenceforth the story is even
more attractive. Taken as a whole, the
book is charming in text and illustration,
and being dainlily bound and printed on
superfne paper, it will make choice holi-
day volume, while suitable for other sea
sons, as WE'LL
A Spnister's Leaflets, by Allyn Yates
Keith. Boston; Lee and Shepard. Price
S125.
The bane of the life of the Reading Clerk
of the House of Representatives, Mr.
Honghtaling, bobs up every morning al
ll:45 O'clock. At that hour the Clerk goes
to his reading desk and announces
Il am instructed by the Doorkeeper tC
notify all persons not entitled to the floor oi
the House to leave. The rules of the House
require the same"
There is nothing about this little speech
that is especially obnoxious except that
those identical words have to be repeated
every day. They have been gone over in.
Vulnerable times in the past and unless the
House sees fit to bring in an innovation
they may be repeated for century.
In order to encourage the Clerk in hi;
task, it has OF late gotten to be custom for
every one in the chamber to affect the strict
est attention to what he says, as if they
had never before heard the important an
nouucement, and at its conclusion applause
long and loud resOunds through The cham
Der. Clerk Houghtsling wants the House tC
buy phonograph to make the announce
ment, and this may be done if Holman put
in no objections.- Washington Post.