The courier., 1896-04-18

it. The source Of his influence is the
strength and tenderness Of his own
character. Paisley dies regenerated and
the old mother in comforted.
Octave Thanet is a western woman.
that is, she lives in Iowa. When the
geography OF the country RECEIVERS from
the influence OF that landing OF the Pill
grims on Plymouth Rock. Iowa, Illinois
Nebraska and adjacent states will take
their own name OF middle states, and
the Rocky mountains will have some
thing to say about what is west and
what is not. Well, as / was saying, Oct
tave Thanet resides in Iowa, which is
neither west nor east nor north nor south.
The people who live there are difficult to
portray. The smart set have the fre e.
dom Of the west. The kind that sheriffs
and policemen are made OF manifest no
interesting border tendencies to be
served up to Bostonians and Englishmen
as venison and buffalo steaks are They
are men and women, no better. cleverer
or wilder than We are. Octave Thanet
has presented Iowans truthfully and
without commonplaceness. / know OF
no one in the same field except James
Whitcomb Riley and the author Of The
Circuit Rider" and neither has covered
the ground as well as Miss Thanet.
Mark Twain's "Reminiscences Of Joan
OF Arc" is finished in this number.
Blacks story Of "Briseis" and Mrs. Bur.
ton Harrison's serial gets on very slowly.
Black is another Of the billion promis-
ing young men who never fulfilled their
early promise.
1t seems to be impossible for even the
most perfect lady to resist wearing her
Spring hat, whatever the size, to the
theatre. To be sure the necks behind
her writhe like anacondas trying to see
the stage, and writhe in vain. But then
they can see her hat-Herpolsheimer's
best --and one can't have everything un.
til Heaven is attained.
Eleanor suggested last week that she
make out list OF the largest hats in the
audience at every performance. The
wearers might object to the publicity
altho' it is doubtful il the list itself
would excite more unfavorable comment
than the selfsatisfied big hat nuisances
cause while they are inflicting them
selves on an audience. 1t would be in
consistent for the list to reproach Flea
nor or the publishers Of THE COURIER
with imposing on other people rights
A person who will wear large hat to
the theatre, and keep it on, has no rights
any one is bound to respect. 1t is only
because the big hat is such a common
felony that it is tolerated.
This would be pleasant place il most
OF the people in it let his neighbor's.
view and air alone. But they don't
Half the men make all the women and
the rest of the men uncomfortable by
splitting tobacco juice everywhere
the sidewalks, on the steps Of the post
office-the most wrenching place know
in the street cars and in the opera
houses A few women deprive other
women and men OF sight Of stage
they have paid to look at.
Bad odors and sickening sights make
town life misery. 1t is impossible al
ways to look up, the feet stumble and
there is danger OF falling into what we
look up to forget.
Mrs. Peattie in the Omaha Herald
says on this subject:
What might be said with most justice
and temperance is, that the men actual
ly do not realize how offensive their
habit OF splitting is. No man in his right
sense would desire to make himself so
offensive to his kind as to be held in
loathing; nor would any man be com
Portable il he knew that any act Of his