Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-03-19
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- A Preacher ~
= Among the People. ).
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A GRoWL..

lSnpIdllOu W SCOlu' III thS ulSl pid'c
went to an entertainment in which |
was deeply interested and which was
very anxious to hear and see. AS to
the hearing, / have no complaint to
make; but as to the seeing, the stage
was as completely hidden from my
view as it would have been had the
Rocky mountains been dropped down
in front of it. Occasionally by cram
ing my neck to the very utmost, |
could see the head of the speaker
moving about as if suspended in space,
but body, he seemd to have none. My
position was so uncomfortable, and the
impression made upon me by that
speaking head moving about in space,
was so weird tLat | could scarcely re-
frain from entering public protest
against the source of my discontinue.
Knowing, however, that if | did
my neck would be metaphorically both
craned and twisted. | acted upon the
theory that discretion is the better
part of valor and endured in silence.
1t was an old trouble in a very aggra-
waited and aggravating form. Instead
of one hat between me and the stage,
there were three, which in dimensions
are seldom surpassed. They were
things of beauty, but they were not
joys forever They seemed almost, but
not quite heavy enough 20 break the
necks of the wearerS, and when the
speaker became very interesting and
those who could see nim seemed to
ve as much impressed by his
manner as his matter, | could scarcely
strangle the wish that the milliner had
added the tabled last straw"
1t is not that | object to large hats,
for do not. As a rule they are, in ~ ~
Judgment, much more becoming than
small ones; but that does not prevent
their being very annoying under cir
cumstances such as l have indicated.
Millets Angelus is one of the most
artistic creations | ever saw, but
should not want it placed before me in
such a way as to obscure a speaker
whom | was very anxious to see as
well as hear
So much has been said about the an
noyance caused by large hats worn in
places of public entertainment that |
one finds it difficult to excuse the wear
ers on the ground that they are ignOT |
ant of the discomforts they compel !
others to endure. Their persistence |
must, | think, be attributed to a bit if |
feminine perversity which indicates
that, although angelic, a few women
are "a little lower than the angels
yet
Several days had passed and had |
about regained my equilibrium when |
attended another public meeting. The
speaker was just rounding his first
period when ! was startled and per-
turbed by what seemed to be the emp
tying of pail of swlll on the floor inn
mediately back of where | was sitting.
In about minute and half, and just
when the speaker was most intensely
the same thing occurred
again. At intervals varying in length
somewhat as the tobacco fiend sitting
behind me became more or less inter-
e5ted in what was being said, | was
to endure for three quarters
of an hour tnat disagree cable, creepy
superinduced by profuse
splitting upon the floor. AS far
as / was concerned, much of
the profit and enjoyment Of
the evening were destroyed be-
cause a thoughtless man persisted
in chewing and splitting in public
place with a freedom that indicated
supreme indifference to the rights and
of others whose right to be
there was as valid as his.
| do not intend now to hurl anathe-
mas at all who are given to the use of
tobacco. Although l do not use it my
self, | have some highly esteemed
friends who do. 1t is not the use of
the weed, but the manner of using it
against which | am protesting.
We're | to hurl a broadside into the
ranks of those who use tobacco, /
should probably be reminded that
whether a man chews or smokes is his
own business and not mine. After
pointing out more than enough eXcep-
tons to prove the rule. | should prob
ably assent to that statement provided
Jhe chewing and smoking were done in
such a manner and at such times as
not to interfere in public places with
the rights and comforts Of others. If
| were to make nuisance of myself
preaching the gospel in the street cars
and on the corners, somebody would
soon send the marshal to take charge
of me. should very quickly be in
formed that there are times and places
for preaching and that | must respect
the rights of others or take the conse-
quences, and / should admit the wis.
dOm Of suoh claim.
| would, however, set up the conten-
tion that inasmuch as | am compelled
TO take my religion in such a manner
as not to make either it or myself OBJ
nOxious to the general public, chat 9th
ers ought in justice to take their to-
bacco in the same way. And this is
Jle only thing for which | am now