The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-14
SIGNS or THE TIM Es,
AZ Collected and Registered q. n Bulky
voiume by = Youss Woman.

AZ Collected s.s Registered Il. n Bulky
voiumo by = Youss Woman.
There are 30 many new inventions In the line
OF fads that no person of an ordinary range Of
acquaintance can begin TO keep abreast of the
march Of progress In this direction. II 10 the
proper thing nowadays to invent ones own fad.
not to follow slavishly In the footsteps Of
others. As soon as imitators begin 10 offer you
the sincere compliment Of adopting your par
ticular fad. you must abandon II TO their slower
instincts and evolve another ono for yourself.
A young woman who has a long list OF original
fads In her record has recently adopted an
Other. which she says she means to cling TO-. even
though the number OF her followers should be-
come legion. This fad Is tho collection OF what
she calls signs Of the times" she has a very
imposing leather-bound volume In which she
inscribes signs which she las noticed and
which seem to her to reflect some important
tendency Of this day and Generation. or even OF
the season. She includes business signs, street
advertisements and placards. Tney are Of the
most catholic variety business. political. musi-
cal. theatrical. artistic. literary. and what she
calls accidental. She always carries q notebook
with her, Ia which she lots down anything
which seems TO her 10 Ill the bill. Then she
copies II In the imposing volume. adding the
date. the locality. and any general pertinent
or Observation-Disclosures which at her mood.
In the department Of business she copies only
sigma which show . radical departure from
ordinary lines, or those which indicate the
failure Of. or some change In. q famous estab.
lshment such as the closing OF a celebrated
hotel. the failure OF . big bank. or the orRanIza-
ton Of . company for the development of n new
industry or invention. In the political line she
has the campaign banners and transparoncies
the bulletins which were shown on election
night, some extracts frotn the daily bulletins
which are posted In trent Of the newspaper
matters she uses only announcements Of un-
usual importauce, tho first appearance OF
an actor or singer In this country. tho
ises to be OF unusual interest, the closing or
opening Of n theatre. the announcement OF u
phenomenal run. q beneht for some famous per-
son or striking object tho death Of an actor or
manager, and the change of name or OF manage
ment OF . theatre; Tor the artistic "contribu-
tions to her record abe uses the announcements
OF important exhibitions. These are almost tho
only signs which she can, lcgitimately use, but
Under this head she puts the names OF the prize
winners and notes any important occurrences
She says she could easily Ill her whole vol
ums with the plAcard announcements Of q lit
erary character. but she weeds these very rig
orously, taking only those which are important
exactly from the point OF Wow Of her fad prin-
ciple; that 10. they must DO signs of the times.
pNisn. some annoancements relative to Ian
MaoLaren's recent visit, something which
showed the extent of the interest taken recently
In Japan. tho announcement OF The WomAn's
Bible" and things of that sort were the only ones
admitted. The placards relative to the dehnitive
editions of various authors were Included those
which announced the publication Of the unfn-
ished novel of Robert Louis Stevenson and the
frst volume Of Morris's ChAucer were accepted.
No announcement of q book WAS admitted sim
ply on the ground that the book Was = good ono.
That Is not the idea of the fad. Il must have
some reference TO current events or tendencies.
For instance, tho announcements OF tho maya
Einolsts which came and lived their little worth.
less day and died in such number. curing the
last year or two were duly chroniclcd. because
they were signs. OF the times. not because they
general remarks under these headings were ex-
p!icit enough In their irony.
In the " accidental" class Is n great variety of
Isolated signs which might strictly be inclnd.d
under one of the above heads, but which -.eIn,-t
to the young woman To demand "a separate rlas-
sihcation. Among theso WAS tie sign which
Adorns the window OF . restaurant near Twenty
third street and Sixth avenue. IL reads: seats
Reserved Tor Gentlemen" IL Is accompanied
BY another similar Rlacard; "Gent-men's Own
ture of the general remarks whic, accom- palny
the~~ Two. The young woman has aim st filed
one bulky volume, and has become more ana
more interested In her fad. She says that IL ID
the best method imaginable Of informing one
self on the movement Of events and ideas: that
Il 10 one of the most valuable books of reference
she ever saw, and that she expect, that future
generations will regard IL with a. much interest.
II not more. than We do "Pspys's Diary"