The age-herald., 1901-01-07
SKETCHES FROM
 EVERYDAY LIFE

2 'odd incidents happen in travelling" re- marked drummer at the hotel last night. For instance, I was on a boat coming down the Mississippi River not long ago and among the other passengers was a young bridal couple who got aboard at some lit- tie landing. They were very much in love and with the instinct peculiar to lovers sought out retired place to bill and coo. The place selected by them was on the upper deck by the smokestacks. They placed the backs of their chairs against these and remained there for several hours enjoying the scenery and each others com pany. About dark the young groom became thirsty and went below to get a drink. The sQot from the smokestack had made him as black as a minstrel and the bartender mis. took him for a coon and refused to serve him, he returned to his bride very in- dignant. Some who happened to be stand ing near remembered to have seen him earlier in the day and insisted that he was white then. A bet ensued and to decide 1t the captain was persuaded to go up and tell the happy pair it was after hours and they would have to retire. They were com pelled to walk through the dining room in order to reach their stateroom, and the captain, the two men who had made the bet and several others who were inter- ested in the outcome were in the dining room so that they could obtain good look at the pair. Both were black in the face, but the girl had white spots on her cheek that spoke eloquently of kissing. The bar keeper lost his bet"
 Learning is universal in the new world said clergyman, that the man who cannot read and write Is the excep- ton. In some of the eastern countries it is just the reverse. The multitude can neither read write and there are large number of scribes who make their living as public writers. They have little stands on the streets where people go when they wish to have a letter written, just as you occasionally see man on our streets who ds a particularly expert pen man of the Spencerian order, and who makes a living by writing visiting cards for people who cannot afford to have them engraved, or who perhaps are ignorant that such things as engraved cards exist. These foreign letter writers have nothing to do with a Typewriter, fountain pen any other time saving device. They still use the old fashioned quill pens and ink of their own manufacture. Here is one of their inkstands," he continued, taking a brass case from a cabinet. Tt was entire ly hand made and in general appearance looked like the of bull dog pipe. At one end was the ink stand with a Httle brass lid which fit perfectly, although it was irregular in shape and hand made. Attached to the ink stand was long brass tube in which the pens were carried.
 '',The scribes stick these in their belts," continued the clergyman. Some of them might be called tramp scribes, as they go from house to house in the eastern cities soliciting business. I don't know whether people in the modern world are any hap pier than those in the ancient by reason of their ability to write, but they certainly are far better equipped with writing in struments when they undertake to do this kind of work
 ''The average negro has little idea of value" said a man who has lived in the south all his life,'' and what idea they have is very much like child's have one of them as an office boy, and he invariably saves all of the empty tin tobacco boxes II sibly may be of some use or value to him, but I tried for a month without success to get rid of some old year books which were out of date and of no value whatever to any person on earth. Just because 1t was a book however, and good-sized one, the office boy invariably took it out of the trash basket and replaced it on my desk. For about a month I would throw it in the trash basket every day, thinking that in course of time the idea would occur to the boy that I wanted to get rid of 1t, and that he would carry it off with the other litter. Such an idea however, never occurred to him. In justice to him I should say that don't think any idea based on observation ever occurred to him. Finally I grew tired of playing this game With the office boy, and one morning l took him and the book to the back window, threw the book out of 1t and told him If I ever it again I would discharge him. Since then I have never seen It. though am satisfied it would have returned from the trash basket to my desk every day for years if I had not re- sorted to such drastic measures to get rid of 1t.