The age-herald., 1898-02-05
STORIES OF THE TOWN.

Don't be scared if you see a great cloud coming up. It may remind you of the cyclone funnel-shaped affair, but to me 1t looks more hse a soap bubble No need Tor alarm, it ds only that wave of moral sentiment that had formed itself into A cloud and draped the city council while in executive session 1t may come again and 1t may not Possibly politics are mixed up in that cloud. This will hardly be consid- cred though, when the picture of a lot of great strong men bcarshing and hiding their faces while a few brazen females nEd dance, that is labeled for men only, is drawn. I think the aldermen are unfair. In executive session they condemned the cotchee-coucalee, and afterwards went to see it. That was not the first time eome of the aldermen had been there, for I re- member very distinctly sitting beside one at & pea6ormamce He was very much ticlSled and heard no utterances of dis- gust issue from his lips. The coalcIee- conohee has been a feature of every ex- position. 1t is not an appropriate place for ladies or boys and neither are allowed! The grown man is supposed to have sense enough to take care of himself.
 There must be rIoise ito such a show More noise than anything else. The spieler and some kind of contrivance of brass and a negro to propel it furnish this You get on the inside for 10 cents You see lot of cheap curtains and an improvised stage A common everyday looking negro blows a harp, plays a guitar and clangs a bell with afis foot. He plays an over ture and the curtain goes up. IA dressed up little fellow, with BoweTy hump, acts as master of cerTnonles He asks that hats be removed and smoking cease. A funny speech about "don't tell your wife," and the performance is on. There is dried- up looking boy with burnt cork smeared over his face who does something to a song and damages tine floor in an effort to dance. Three girls women or females. who denomGnated the London gaiety girls are next announced With taGnborine accompaniment they do tine dance, or a wrdggling motion that is called the tri- unlph of Oriental art. The buying of paint Is not am inconsiderable expense to these females, who are dressed in all sorts of co1ored boomers. Generally a pinched- faced female mumbies the words of some ancient song. devoid of tune, and the mas ter of ceremonies says the performance is over. You go out You've been hum bugged. But you rather fancy being
 
 again.
 In Christmas times it is customary to have parties and entertainments suitable to the occasion. Birmingham had them and there was one given on the South Highlands which has caused end of talk among the "chappies and some smothered laughs from the maids they discussed it when men folk were far away. A Christmas party was planned and, of course the ehappies had to send each girl a gift. They got together and planned to send them all in stockings. One young lady of buxom form whom all admired fer her good humor, received a stocking. No one knows whether it fit or not, but it was big enough for two ordinary limbs. There was very wee little mite of the feminine gender present at the party. Dainty little creature. not much of her, but very coquetish. She received an um- brella case filled with sticks of candy. Nobody knows whether the young lady had a new umbrella, but the supposition is she must have had. The matter has been variously discussed and it is possible that on account of the Birmingham fad among the ladies of being vaccinated on their limbs there was extra demand for hosiery. Possibly the chappies could not get any more and had to fill in with a sack and an umbrella case. This will let them out of bad fix
 ''I tells you. boss, I thought Johnson was a good nigger befor' the udder day said the barber e"Johnson squared himself up wid de Lord every night. He'd say, Lord, dis nigger has committed no sin but fur
 f1f dp Tn- son,s wife cum to me and say. does my husband git to de shop of a mornings at s o'ciockg No, teis her. Johnson does well to git there by o'clock in de even ings.' She said Johnson lied to her. Dat nigger Johnson say to do Lawd he bad lied tells you, boss I ain't got no more use for religious niggers.'
 SIDNEY YOUNG-