Evening star., 1899-03-04


Smith stood near by. This eminent clergy
nan, as everybody knows, exercises the
grace of giving to a magnificent degree.
The generous salary he receives as pastor
of the most fashionable church in Wash
ington he donates in bulk to a charitable
| institution, and not only every institution
OF charity, but large part of all the indi-
vidual objects of charity In town are re-
cipients of his freely bestowed wealth. Nat
urally the poor have come to regard him as
an easy mark as l witnessed watching
him but a few moments the other day.
First woman of the professional mission
ary type accosted him, talked a few mo-
ments and l saw the reverend doctors hand
dig into his pocket and the woman walked
off wearing the smile which money applied
to an itching palm provokes. Scarcely had
she turned her back, when from another di-
rection came another woman, at whose ap-
proach the clergymans hand seemed in
voluntarily to move toward his purse once
more. l happened to know the story of this
woman--not proper to repeat in the pres
ence of the Young Person-not at all.
She looked hungry: doubtless was. At all
events, out came DIR. Mackay-Smith's purse
again, and this woman also went off smil-
ing. Then the distinguished divine stood
stroking his chin and seemed to be study
ing hard. A friend of his came along. a
woman who enjoys his confidence in the
freemasonry of a mutual altruistic aim, and
TO this woman, wise as himself in the mys-
terry of the blessing of giving, the doctor
said: 1T is a very great problem is it not,
MRS. -, very, very great problem"
* x
What" queried the woman, whether
giving good gifts is good for those who get
them?"
The doctor was cautious: he only repeat
ed: "A great, great problem truly But
the woman, more impulsive, declared she
honestly doubted sometimes whether, with
her whole life devoted to helping the needy,
she ever really helped anybody after all.
and then she asked the doctor if he could
toll how
had it.
The doctor, no less a scholar than phil
anthrophist, admitted he was puzzled and
the woman repeated an experience to the
point.
X x x X
81 had christening among my poor folks
not long ago., said the Lady Bountiful.
land l was quite set up about it. The
baby's mother was an awfully hardened
lot, and l was full of righteous vanity to
think 1 should have been able to bring
about the blessing for her child. We had a
genuinely happy time. thought, and a fine
christening. There was a white dress for
the black baby and myself stood sponsor.
YeSterday--two weeks since the christening
I saw the mother with my god-child COM
ing down the alley, and didn't she bolt to
the other side as fast as her feet could take
her the minute she saw me. What on
earth's the matter Lucy% 1 asked.
"'Deed'n you'd better tell yurself,' the
girl answered. This child's got the grow
backs-took 'em directly after you was con-
jurin' over him tother night
:" 'Growbacks, conjurin'i' / repeated in
blank amaZement.
"'Yes. indeed that's what I said, and
now Tse got to pay somebody to take the
spell off'n him.
Now. doctor, what do you think of that :?
And what is groWbackS?"
My came along just then, and wheth-
er DR.. Mackay-Smith had come to a con-
clusion about "growbacks" or the charity
problem 1 couldn't stop to hear.
Speaking of conjuration spells. though.
I'd like to know about sulphur in your
boots. There was a woman visiting me the
other day, and she asked me IL l had the
grip this winter. / answered no, and i'm
mediately struck wood three times, for l
know just how fast evil spirits are to take
advantage of human boaStfulness, unless
one is quick enough to put n stop to it.
The woman didn't seem to know what l
was knocking on the table for, and l ex-
planned that if failed to do this we would
all probably have the grip in twenty-four
hours. She kind of shifted at what she
called my superstition and said that if
l actually wanted to ward off grip, or even
smallpox, must put some sulphur in my
boots every time I go out. She tried to
demonstrate to me that this is all science
and not superstition. / didn't contradict
her. but I have asked a doctor about it,
who discreetly answered that he would
the subject before assuring me, but re-
minded me that anyhow, superstition is
nothing worse than science out of date.
One must admit. however some supersti-
tions smell worse than others. 1 sat in
street car recently next to a child who I
know was wearing a bag of asafoetfda
around her neck in place of sulphur in her
shoes. I don't mind telling what / wear,
and it's nicer than either Of those things
a lucky bone. This is a small white bone,
on which the letter plainly shows. and
it comes from the head Of a bull-head fish.
This is for luck in everything. Then to
luck that always comes, If you wear this
bone and just wait long enough, wear
string of corals around my neck. This is
not superstttion-it is science, for know;
I have learned the virtue of corals from
the ponderous tones of Paracelsus, where
1t is written:
"The wearing of red corals is recon-
mended as a remedy against melancholy.
moon and are disagreeable to Phanlasmata,
monsters, incubi, succubi and all other
evil spirits, which are afraid OF red
corals as dogs are afraid of whip"
1 sat in fashionable tea room Tuesday
afternoon about o'clock. At one table
adjoining mine was group of the ultra
smart set of Washington-three women ands
one man (really, Mrs. Grundys extremity
in Washington ought to make Mr.. Roberts
and his gospel acceptable in Congress). At
table on the other side were couple of
South Americans and three professionals
members of an opera company in town.
AS l looked on this picture and then on
that / wondered if it. is true as it ap-
peared, that the stage has more elevating
influence on women than smart society life
in Washington. Here were three stage
favorites and three favorites of society
The former were every one exquisitely
pretty, the latter every one, oh! so pain
fully plain; but, of course. that's to the
praise or blame of neither lot-"handsome
is as handsome does" The stage favorites
spoke in pleasantly modulated voices,
gently; they laughed inaudibly. The So
ciety favorites spoke so as to be heard in
any part of the room; they ha-haed until
one seemed to smell a barn or bar room.
Everybody-that is, everybody that is any
body-who passed up or down Connecticut
avenue, they either frantically signaled
from the window or made the subject of
sneering comment, vociferously uttered.
Finally the gentle stage women sitting by
seemed to get on their nerves-or their