Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-21
TRYING APRIL WEEK.
The Weather Is Responsible for 1ore
Real Sin Than q Coquetto.
AN AMATEUR IKE WALTON.
one That II In Great Demand, snA
He Catches Ffsh-The Annual
House-cIesning and Its Results
Getting Ready.
fcorr.,pondence OF the Dispatch.)

fCorrespondence OF the Dispatch)
ALTON, VA, April 2o.-Country people
have a way OF saying that March Will
search you. April try you. and May see
whether you will live or die" We have
been tried this April week. and have been
found greatly wanting In patience. we
have been tried by the weather. As an
ea,y and prolific theme for dull CONVEX
satIonalists. the weather is unrivalled. as
an actual fact, Is Is responsible ior more
real sin than coquette. And. In other
way.. this figure Is not so inapt. LOOK
abroad at nature 1t has been cold anu
clustering since Easter. with faint
suspicion Of snow in the atmosphere anu
a light layer OF crystal on the higher
mountains. Nature, the coquette' Is oea"-
tiful. She may seemingly neglect some
OF her commonplace duties; may forget
IN dispense sunshine to our early peas
and lettuce. and let her potato crop
thirst for water, but she Is never care
less about her adornment. Always, III
some cline, she wears flowers and dew
drops on her bosom. and, in whatever
garb. insists upon looking lovely. 10 DC
plain now Is to be out or tune ana mar
mony with your surroundings; ana YET.
in this holiday week We hNe ,ried 10
don our new and brighter robes, and. per-
sorca we cannot. So we are yet clinging
10 our winter toys, while nature smiles
back her defiance.
FISHING.
But we can fish. Happily, the water
Is more complainant. and we nave a
tn a
than any guide-book. and surer OF success
I'm our fishing trips than all the ways
warranted to teach one how TO eaten
fish in any water" 1t Is the small darky
with a bent-pin- hook. and willow pole.
Our amateur Ike Walton Is In great de-
mand during the Easter fishing season.
though he usually goes out for day
snort alone He finds It's just as effective,
10 the taking of fish. lying at full length
on the bank or stretched face DOWNWARD
on big log, and waiting. Anyway, ne Is
there to catch fish, and-he catches en-
Hornet-chub. sucker, catfish, sun-percn
silyer-perch-its all the same-they come
A TRUE STUDY.
Talk about hypnotism-nere' true
study in metaphysics. When the season
Is at its height the small fisherman
meets up with anglers from the cities
who come to throw line In the pei,
lucid mountain streams. These bring ou'
costly fishing paraphernalia. OF brass
reels and linen lines. alluring spoon
bats, trout-iiies. and tops on the outii'
with patent fish-stringer for the
.catch" Little .kink- head watches these
preparations with open-eyed admiration
| but he never let's up on business lie JUS,
! pulls them in zone OF. and one on" and
! strings them on forked sticks. The cit,
angler watches. and grows restless. IA,
tries his luck higher up the stream am
| lower down the stream. ana NnaiS
catches something also-he catches
very bad cold and a cramp In his limos
| Sometimes. when the day Is done, tbs
silver perch and the silver quarters
, change owners. and each sportsman
J trudges his way. marvelllng at the other
A WEEKS AGONY.
! Notwithstanding that last week
balmy breezes suddenly changed IL
this locality TO cold northeastern. IN
annual house-cleanings are well unde
way. More than one husband is mental
| ly singing,
II am going away to leave thee, littl
wife;
With your sweeping-cap and duster 10
the strife"
and gladly taxes nIhlSeit " 'he "''
or the store until his home IL sweet an'
new for another year. Not that maj
ever notices the difference. Bother,
said one but the other day. "the house 4
| clean as a whistle now. Do let 1t alone!
J The careful wife, while she knows bet
/ ter. and is but too well aware that eel
| lars. garrets, and closets must be looked
! into. and the grim invaders of the win
| ter's dust and smoke wiped from paints
! and windows, is anxious TO Keep mel
| house-cleaning well out OF her husband
way. This can be easily done. and should
| be a woman's first duty. even IL th'
weeks agony Is prolonged into two OF
| three. Men sometimes realize the neces
slty Of a thing, but they are keenly sen
| sitive TO what pleases the eye. lneS
| don't like the looks OF thing undergoihi
renovation, and the old, faded calico
gown and Tapping sunbonnet, ina
/ have done service in untold years
Of preyious housekeeping does no
| increase a mans admiration-or mis- love
when the busy housewife shrouds herself
! I'm them. No barricade has more horror
for the average man than pile OF chair!
and tables fianked by pail OF SUBS.
LIKE. "A CHRISTIAN.
And yet cleanliness IS next to godlt
ness" and so a man appreciates IL wher
| the strife is over. Now, l feel mor'
like a Christian" is the expressed
thought OF many a farmer when NJ
puts on his Sunday clothes, freed IRON
| the Crime OF hts weekday toll. And
vet. essential as housekeeping Is, Il
might be simplhed. The times are to-
hard Co attempt revolution in ethel
city or country homes. but a little I'M
proyement each year would lessen labor
| Did any one ever notice what clean
fresh odor clings about a room afte
the spring cleaning, and before IL Il
| furnished; and the sanitary benefits
physicians claim from bare, washabl'
hospitals? We want iron bedsteads 70
wooden ohes-even single exchange
annually would help; and TO replace tn
heavy germ-breeding window hanging
for shades and simple sash curtains.
At the hotels they are busily putting
things In order for the summer season
which opens the 1st OF June. This weel
letters of inquiry have been pouring In
and the prospects are good.
IN TERROR.
We are divided here In terror between
the mumps and stray mad-dog. tn
mumps interfered seriously with the at
tendance In Hebron public school. Tn
mad-dog bit several OF the farmers dog
! Chat were afterwards shoD. but go
away, and was last seen In the neighbor
| hood OF Enin's.
Mr. and Mrs. Newton Dickson. OF Yves
Virginia, who have been visiting thei
daughter. Mrs. William II. McCul. re
turned home Wednesday.
Mrs. George NJ. Mckenzie. OF 81. Louis
has arrived. and taken charge OF IN
renovation. etc. OF the Mountaln-To
Hotel.
Alton is waking UP. Our postmaste
Is exchanging four mails daily with tn
Chesapeake and Ohio railway. and ono
day with the Great Southern. and
preparing for the prompt issuing an
paying Of money orders for the summe
| season.
Mr.. Cloudy Goodwin. OF Huntington
was In to visit his parents this week.
The largest acreage Of corn is bein
prepared. than has been attempted her
since the war.