The record-union., 1899-05-29
BESELEAA'S PRATTLE.

Especial Correspondence Record -Union.)
PORTLAND (Or), May 23.-It's be-
ginning to be a serious question in my
mind whether the shirt waist girl is
going to get the ghost of a chance 70
flourish up this way or not. So far old
Jupiter Pluvius has reigned supreme
in more ways than one and summer
clothes have nbeen looked at with re-
gretful sighs, for who would have the
moral courage to don a beautifully
starched shirt waist and ruthlessly
crush it out of shape into the sleeves
of jacket? Perish the thought; it is
iniquitious.
The shirt waist girl is thing of
beauty and a joy forever in her neat
waist and immaculate collar. Ten to
one the said collar is making horrid
red ring about her neck and chatting
her into state of ritability. but she
rises superior to such petty annoy
ance and smiles upon you in a slow,
calm, superior kind of way and even
if you know all about the collar, you
cannot help but think in spite of your
self how cool she looks.
That is the way she appears
throughout the day, but it is in the
evening that the shirt waist girl is
infinitely alluring. Then she casts aside
her stiffness and appears in some soft,
singing diaphanous draperies, suggest
i've of moonlight strolls on sandy
beaches or of tete tetes on secluded
porch corners. The men all bow before
her shrine and the fathers smile ap-
provingly, because after all is said and
ho hoc bpr of 6,oI1 h tQy,c
clinging to the parent vine, he knows
from experience that there is nothing
so alluring to masculinity as beauty
combined with simplicity. Personally
my eyes ache to behold her once more
and I pray daily that the gods may
grant cession of this weather that
she may again gladden. our sight.
Everybody went to see the elephant
last week. Even the aristocracy of
Chinatown did not scorn, to gaze upon
this huge monstrosity of the African
plains. There were bears, too, and lions
and tigers and monkeys, for the circus
was in town. 1t was a gala time for
the youngsters. For weeks and weeks
beforehand they had been saving their
nickels in anticipation of this event
There is something indescrbably fas-
cinating to young and old alike in the
sight of the big canvas tents, the blare
of the music. the gaudily painted
wagons and above all the roar of the
animals. And the ponies! Dear little
Shetland fellows with long silken names
and tails. And the boys who drove
them, how they We're envied! I'll wager
anything I possess that there wasn't a
boy in town who wouldn't have cheer
fully given up his most cherished pos
session to have been in one of those
chariots flourishing a long be-ribboned
whip over the back of one of those fiery
chariots, and ladies in pink tights, not
to forget to mention the pink lemon
ade, which is as much part of the
circus as the clown in the baggy cos
tune or the trick elephant.
There has been much complaint of late
because the modern, up-to-date circus
now has three rings instead of one, as
formerly, I don't believe there is so
much difference after all, there's only
more to be seen, and who would object
to getting more for their money? In
side the tent the music is playing wild
ly. madly, furiously. while all the time
three separate and distinctively neck
breaking acts are going on at one and
the same time Then, all at once the
music stops in order to give the vast