Evening star., 1897-03-06


Virginia is a state of contradictions in
more than one way. remarked a school
teacher from that state. Though there is
no doubt that the memory of George
Washington is revered by the people of
that state there is but little no evidence
of it in the laws of the state. While Wash
iDgton's birthday is national holiday. 1t
is by no means celebrated as such through
out the state. and strange as 1t may SEEM
il Is one of the southern states where the
public schools are not given holiday on
February - / do not know why this is
SO. but it is fact that the public schools
throughout the state. and especially the
country public schools. are not given
holiday Washington's birthday. 1t is
rather difficult task TO teach patriotism
to children under the circumstances. In
many parts of the state the schools
closed On Gen. Lees birthday. but there
Is no attention given TO the birthday of
WGShii- & ton.
1T happens that own a few houses in
this city remarked well known gentle
man, and they furnish me with consider
able amusement. The demands of tenants
are beyond anything that / ever imagined.
The ordinary demand for repairs is thing
/ can stand. and do stand. but when il
comes to sending to me late at night to
have the lCck on an inside door fixed it is
downright funny. 1 had such an expert
ence recently. l rent a house out on 18th
street to a young man who is employed in
a railroad office. He sublets a portion of
the house to a maiden lady, who is a clerk
in one of the departments. 1t appears that
the maiden lady besides other things owns
a big black cat. Her ambition in this life
seems to be to make the cat comfort
able possible even If she makes every
the cat a hearty meal before she goes to
work every day and then arranges a nice
lunch for the cat to enjoy at midday.
When she returns in the evening she gives
the cat a hearty dinner. This she thinks
is as much as the cat should eat, and in
that l corc1r with her. The cat, however,
is not satisfied with 1t and has way dur
ing the night of going about the lower
part of the house and getting another
meal or ore or two meals.
THE lady lives in constant fear that the
cat will overfeed itself. Besides being a
well-fed. il is a rather tricky cat and man
ages get into rooms and devour food
that the lady thinks under the circum-
stances is not good for it. The lock the
door leading to the kitchen, it appears. got
out of order. and the cat had picnic
every night 1t never struck the lady that
the food should be put out of the cats way
and thus remove the danger from over
feeding. if there was any danger from that
landlord. and threatened TO leave the house
If the lock was not fixed so securely that
the cat could not Cverfeed itself and he
came up after me late at night with his
trouble. 1t was so funny that l ordered a
new lock for the door. for the thought of
the eat overfeeding itself was terrible one
to me-
Another of my tenants in a house on
9th street. is 4 temperance society Jiner.
He has -Jined' about every temperance or
ganizatiGn he has been able to find His
wife is a 'jiner' also. to please him, but on
the quiet has = way of indulging in beer.
To keep the husband from finding it out
she disposed of the bottles by sticking
them down the sewer. 1t went along beau
tiful1y until the seventeenth empty bottle
was pushed in. Then the sewer choked up.
and a complaint came to me that the sewer
out of order. I sent plumber there
TO investigate He did. and in the job was
assisted by the husband. When the bot
ties came to light II all of a sudden got
hard-heartei house owner. i really was moi
to tlame. But. just the same. had to pay
the plumbers bill. which was also very
funny to me
Il have lived abroad during a great par
OF rly hfe. observed lady who takes
much delight in works of art, land, o.
course. have become used to art gallere:
being opened on Sundays. and have seer
the famous galleries in Europe crowded or
Sundays by persons who are unable to visi
them other days. 1 was. therefore
much interested in the opening of the Cor
coran Gallery on Sunday last and was a
the door as soon as II was opened. I re
mained in the gallery until the clock rant
out the hour for closing / am free to sa,
never saw a more interested and refinet
Sunday gathering anywhere. The mos
perfect order prevailed. and though tn
crowd was too large for real pleasure,
all present enjoyed the innova
ton. though they made a more careful
study OF the many famed and preciou
works there on other occasions, when tn
opportunities are more favorable. My sug
ges-ion now is that all should not rush &
the gallery on Sundays, and particularly tha
residents should refrain from going ther
Whlle there are so many visitors in the city
There will be plenty of time and opportu
mites for residents who have never beel
able tc visit the gallery heretofore to do g
In the future. and am sure II will be NOR
gracious not to crowd until after the viSl
tors have left the city Last Sunday after
Moons experience having been such a sue
cess from every point of view II guaran
tees plsasurable Sunday afternoons ther
Washington's many attractions. will he 4
existence
X 4 X r
All of US remember the white horse an,
feu-hdifeu girl theory which had such
run a few years ago. and many Of us still
notice that the combination holds good
said philosophical wheelman, "but di
you ever observe that the same thing /
true of red-haired girls and white bicycles
IL you have not. do so and you will b
surprised at the result The matter wa
under discussion among a party Of youn
fellows at the Arlington Hotel last Sun
day. and they all rgreed to make obserya
ticns and report results three days Later
There were seven in the party and each @
the seven agreed to get three others, max
ing twenty-one In all, to carry out the es
pertinent They were all surprised at tn
conclusions. fer all except one reported o
bis honor that every time he a rec
hs!Ied girl he saw a white bicycle in tn
immediate neighborhood- The red-haire
girls seemed to enjoy the white horse CON
bir ations. and do not think they will $,
rtoIsly object to this new one. for 1t is q
tire In every particular"