The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-01


vannah. 1t had not occurred TO us
that this was any of our business, out
at Waycross and Jesup and all along
the line men and women were BOARD
ing the car like there was carnlVai
on hand. and by the time we arrived
we could hardly get into the depot for
the people. In the course OF time we
got the leavings of dinner and took
a car for the Central depot, which
was to be our headquarters until . p.
m. From there we radiated down to-
ward the De Soto, following the
crowds that were gravitating that
way. Seeing how they were massing
on the broad sidewalk just opposite
the hotel my wife said: "Let us stop
here by this telegraph pole" 1t was
a fortunate selection, for with the big
pole behind her and the curbstone be-
fore her she couldn't be crowded to
any extent. In half an hour the crowd
was immense and would have moved
her from her moorings but for the
pole. / braced her on one side with
two solid feet and firm corporosity.
Expansion was the word and | eX-
banded. All sorts and sizes and col
ors swarmed around us, but my wife
stood solid to her post. Another half
hour passed, but still there was no
Dewey sign and / began to feel little
tired in my legs, and to draw a long
breath once or twice in Whlle.
Sometimes [ would bend one knee a
little for rest and then change TO
the other The street was kept clear
by the mounted police, so that the
military could have distance to march
in platoons. but the military did not
appear Another half hour passed
and we heard the solemn beats OF a
drum far away, so / braced up my
knees for another effort. In the
meantime fine carriages adorned with
flags and bunting and beautiful LADIES'
and swell gentlemen passed and re-
passed, but no soldiers. | was nearly
ready to drop to the marble flagstone
on which we stood, but my wife stood
as firm to the telegraph pole as Cas-
sabianca did to the mast. About this
time a little heather Chinee appeared
at the big plate glass bay window and
the small boys cheered him, for he
was Dewey's pet that he brought from
Manila-a lad about twelve years old
and as good looking as Chinee ever
gets to be. Ny wife said that was a
sign, forerunner, and sure enough
Mrs. Dewey soon appeared and parted
the lace curtain and gaZed upon the
crowd and smiled. I was not looking
that way, and my wife nudged me
with her elbow and said there she was.
hut she had disappeared and | saw
another lady in another window
drinking cup of tea. and remarked,
''She is older than | thought she was
and more thirsty" and was then in
formed that / was looking at the
wrong window. Still there was no
sign that the show was about to begin
and / drew another long breath and
sighed. Cant you stand it little
longer?" said she. Il am almost dead"
said j. 81 would give so to be out of
this and sit down somewhere" 1t
was then s o'clock and we had stood
there three solid hours. Ny wife en-
deavored to distract my attention
from myself to the flags and to the
small boys who had climbed to the
copings of the windows and up in the
trees. but / felt like ] was at fun
eral and / was the corpse in the cot
fin. At last, at last, Mrs. Dewey came
again to the window and removed the
lace curtains, and the Admiral came
outside multitude, and everybody
shouted. The important crisis which
were to have arriven had arroven.
There was the great Admiral in full
regalia and there was his wife, radi-
ant and smiling-dressed in a silver
satin waist that was modestly low cut
in the breastworks, and my wife could
see diamonds sparkling and jewels
shining from her hair to her waist.
but [ couldn't, for the window was
not raised and all that we saw was
through a glass darl<ly. and my eyes
were never strained much by dia-
monds. The Admiral was sick and
the doctors said the air must not blow
on him. About this time the thrilling
notes of the brass band came over the
east wind and cheered the multitude
and my wife nudged me again and
said, isn't that beautifully ''Toler
able" said I. for my knees were in a
tremble and 1 was considering how |
could stand up any longer. I 'had not
realized the difference in our ages un-
til then, nor how it was possible for
her to outstand me, but she never fall
tered for a moment, nor complained
of anything She came there to see
and she saw.
Well, the military followed the
band, and that took another half an
hour, for there were thirty companies.
including infantry and the marines
and the cadets and the artillery and
the cavalry and so forth. / suppose
the artillery are the fellows that
made the punch that made the Adj
miral so sick. The artillery was
drawn by the biggest mules [ ever
saw, and on each mule was a big dar-
key, and the guns were little long
things about as big as my arm-look-
ed like toys compared with the guns
we had in the Civil War. I still do not
understand what they want with such
big mules to pull such little guns. But
at last, the show was over and my
wife said she was willing to depart
those coasts if it was possible to get
away. AS the grand parade of the
military was going on and the brass
bands were floating music in the air
she nudged me and said: 81 feel just
like shouting. don't you?" Oh, my
country. How we have lived together
for over fifty years, and we are no
more alike about some things than
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