The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-19
THE WOMAN WITH THE STONY EYE
And Her Distress at Seeing Birds on
Hat She Couldn't Buy.
From The New York Journal

From the New York Journal
''Why, sir" exclaimed the thin woman
with stony eye, as she waylaid the head
fioor-walker in the big stores millinery
department. Even cats couldn't be equal
to it! Not all the cats there are, wild and
tame, could be equal to it. How can you
you, can you do it, SIR? How can you?"
The floor walker bowed and said:
IF you are referring to floor walking,
madam, Il
Floor walking, fddles ticks" said the
warblers from the face of the earth is
what | am referring to, sir The song
birds of the air, the song birds of the bush,
the song birds of the field, the song birds
of the forest, that you are wiplng from
the face of the earth! How can you, can
you do it, sir? How can you?''
Il give you my word, madam" said the
Ioor-waal!ker, II never in my life wiped a
Look about you, sirY' persisted the
woman with the stony eye, "and see 'em
IN IN your hats and IN your bonnets Hun
dreds and hundreds of fem, and every one
wiped from the face of the earth! See
TINS one, cold, cold in death; its sweet
voice forever hushed, perched in radiant
much did you say that hat was?"
The price of that hat said the floor
walker, is $50, madam, and
HahI exclaimed the stony-eyed wo-
man. Fifteen dollarsl Poor birdl Poor
bird. Once free as the roaming zephyr.
and 1lling your native eopse with tuneful-
ness; now tied to your roost SO to sneak
on yellow straw hat, with a price upon
your head! Sir How can YOU. can Won
do 1t? Would you not rather hear that
beauteous thing burst forth once more
in all the melody and gladness of its won
drous song than have ten-fold the price
you set upon it?"
Pardon, me madam" replied the floor
walker, but not on your life! That beau
teous thing is a jaybird. You NAV some
time have wandered by the woodsfde and
paused to wonder VINO it was that came
that way to file his saw. Since there is
no saw filler present TO hear me and feel
hurt, ] don't mind telling you thar il was
the melody and gladness of the taybird' :
wondrous song that you heard This very
danger now of it bursting forth I'd tell
you to grab the hat with it ON and hurry
homer
The stony-eyed woman paused as If for
a reply from the beauteous thing, but il
did not burst forth, and she resumed:
Alas. sweet birdH' said she. Wiped
from the face of the earth, twill never
wake to living song again. Ten dollars
would hardly take that hat, you Think"
"Flften dollars, madam said the floor
walker shaking his head, is the upset
price"
And here" continued the woman. cast
ing her stony eye around on the stock
are songbirds, Of the, air and Of the bush.
and Of the field ,9nd of the forest with
nothing left but Spreading tails and star
ing heads and flashing wings An
wiped
''Shrikes, madam" said the floor walker.
Eat bees by the million. Voice worse
than a SOng-and-dance woman. Catbirds
Step on your dogs tail and hear one sing.
Flickers, sapsuckers. woodpeekers War
BILE like a drum corps"
"All wiped from the face of the earthr'
declared the woman With the stony eve.
"Beauteous things. with tufeful Threats,
that you have wiped from the face of the
earth, sir, at the beck of fashion and be
cause my sex is vain Gone Is their swell
ing gush of song because my sex is slave
to fashionl That s15 hat--how much off
did you say. for cash2'
Net madam" said the floor walker.
The stony-eyed woman paused long
enough to say:
Even cats couldn't be equal to It! Not
all the cats there are wild and tame,
could be equal TO II.
Then she went out, and the floor walker
mopped his face and said:
"Ain't she a cuckOo2 Wouldn't she be
bird to trim hat within