The herald., 1896-07-12
| SPRING STREET NOTE BOOK
BY STANLEY E ROSS


stood ON the corner of Broadway ana
another street watching the antics OF a
long-haired individual mounted on
portable platform. This central hgure
was fair representative or the great
army of the unwashed and uncombed,
and he was endeavoring to impress upon
the group around him his opinions and
impressions upon n subject which, judg-
ing from his statements, he knew less
about than any one of his audience.
During the progress of the acute spasm
preluding the infallble admonition that
O small contribution in the current coin
of the realm would not be inconsistent
with the object of the meeting, a small
Jersey steer wearing a bride and q
white blanket lettered with an adver-
tising legend, turned the corner, carry
ing upon his back small boy who per-
formed the services of pilot. The boy
was not averse to the argument of the
orator, the bovine evidently experienced
"reminiscences of his earlier days in the
stentorian howl of the gutter lecturer
and so the outfit strolled up to the gath
ering and looked on, the steer thrusting
his short horns and head in q very
friendly manner into the circle. Some
smiled others didn't, and still others
nodded and took it under advisement
The steer, not thoroughly grasping the
handle of the discourse, after while
dropped his head and fell into siesta.
AT the orthodox period, as the eXhorter
was explaining the financial difficulties
which could easily be removed from the
road he was pursuing by a little pecun
iary assistance, a youth of fifteen or
thereabouts, whose bumps of reverence
were sadly deficient. tried to force a
knife blade through the flank of the pa
tient quadruped. The steer did not take
kindly to it; his rear heels rose up sud-
denly and he Joined in the noise in the
manner peculiar to his species, with such
effect that everything else subsided,
while q certain proportion of the audi
ence sat down in the road as the steer
rapidly backed up and made for the
open once again, a much abused ami
NAL Some of the multitude on the OPP
posite side of the street made merry and
drew unkind comparisons: the boy was
indignant. the disgruntled brushed of
the dust and those who had found their
pockets kept their hands in them. The
main feature of the meeting was fail
ure this afternoon, and the disciple Os
Absalom picked up his abridged pedes-
tai and looked once or twice at the re-
treating steer. with an expression of
hope that he might some day try his
teeth on sirloin from the inoffensive
creature. Then silence reigned supreme.
This couple had talked over the mat
ter before, and their minds naturally
QI1IlGQ lulO SuCIl CHdHllGlS as oOillt tllN
you and T. and when the clouds roll
by" and the like. They stood at the
window of jewelry establishment on
Spring street. and with the feminine
penchant for the pretty things therein
displayed, she selected few thousand
dollars worth of diamonds. clocks. or
naments, and so on, which would har-
monize with dress effects, mantel pieces,
sideboards. boudoir paraphernalia, etc,
in a certain little cottage out on-oh,
well. somewhere, anyway
Now, George. what will all that
amount to? You figure it up" she pratt
tied
George" did figure. and the longer
he mixed up with the mathematical
problem, the less he enthused.
How much, George?' she asked
"About three thousand, four hundred
dollars" said her knight errant, slowly.
"Oh. well. that's more than Tn worth,
isn't it, George" she said, looking CO.
quettishly up at him.
''Jm-m." responded George" as he
drew her away from the dazzling dis
play, buttoned up his coat and jammed
his hat down over his eyes; one thing
sure; it's more'n I'm worth"
The other day I sat beside man who
was talking; he was German, and err
gaged in conversation and the absorp-
The subject was the "Vaterland," ana
after a depression upon the various
points of superiority, inherent and ac-
quired, in Teutonic evolution in that
country, the theme drifted around to the
natural beauties of that land, its Hartz
mountains and Black forest with its leg
ends, the SWabian scenery, the powerful
attractions of Hanover Nuremberg ;
surroundings, the home of Saxony's tow
headed heroes. and other particulars.
uutil he reached the lode stone of every
"landsman's" affections. the Rhein, and
here his rapture completely carried him
away According to his rapidly mud
ding opinion, nothing in human lam
guage could adequately describe the
beauties of the immortal river, whose
associations and history contain so
much that is dear to the German heart.
| felt that I had word or two to say
in this matter. so I joined in Regardless
of the expense), and after he had settled