Evening star., 1901-06-29
DISCUSSING-THE WEATHER

morning. ''it is pretky4hot for a fact: and
it's going to be hotJ Jer day. Funny" he
went on musing. 'YoS we all like to talk
about the weatherl ahere's the chap, for
instance. who all the funny writers main
tain Is the most hated of all mankind-the
fellow who asks you II it's hot enough for
you. Now, I dofpt believe that mans
hated at all. I never objected to having
anybody ask me hat''question. I always
liked to have my own opinion on the SUBJ
ject confirmed. think I shall spend the
greater part of today downtown asking
| folks I meet that know If it's hot enough
for them Good ideaii It'll give me some
| thlng to study over. don't care whether
| they get mad or not. I'll ask 'em all, any
how"
Which he did from the hour that he
| started out in the morning for his office
| until he got home late in the afternoon
| WheW! Is it hot enough for you?" he
INQUIRED OF very fat friend on the rear
seat of the 14th street car, when he swung
| aboard on his way to his office.
HIS very fat friend put down his paper,
removed his big straw hat, wiped his fore
hsa head with the handkerchief he found in
| his hat and bestowed a greasy smile upon
| the eccentric man Of N street
On l don't know replied the very fat
man. I've seen 1t hotter. Fact is. enjoy
! miserable rainy spell we had, don't your
and again he grinned amiably.
My theory holds good, even in the case
| OF man weighing nearly 800 pounds"
marked the eccentric man of N street unto
hlmself. Thought it would. When step
on the car I'll try the reverse of the situa-
ton by putting the question to that
over the sultriness of the weather"
Ho, there, Mr. Pinkfeet,'' cheerily ex-
claimed the eccentric man of N street.
clapping the thin. nervous-looking indi-
vidual who stepped off the front seat at
10th street. Hot enough for your"
rsn,i.d Mei NJ Just about Just about" shortly
from it. though. Let's drop in here and
have long, TALL cool one hey?"
NOW, he can't have got very mad over
the question. seeing that he asks me to
tion to him." mused the eccentric man.
'Fraid that theory of the funny mems
got to be revised
He separated from the thin Mr. Pinkfeet
after they had had the tall one, and the
first person of his acquaintance he met
was stout old lady employed in one of
the departments. who bestowed a perspiry
smile upon him as she made her way to-
ward the steps Of her building.
"Ah. good morning, Mrs. Drawpay." said
the eccentric man, mopping his forehead
and making great display Of suffering
under the temperature. Don't you find
this 1nsufferably hot?"
Deed it is.'' replied Mrs. Drawpay,
but. my. it's not half so hot as it will be
later on, do you think?'
She didn't look SO angry either" re-
Hected the eccentric man as he went his
way. haven't struck one of EN- yet that
looked like he resented that question. Don't
| know where the deuce these funny fellows
| on the papers get their information
He reached his office, and as he went in
he addressed the old watchman at the
| door.
Hello. there sitdown." he said. ''hot
| enough for your
The old watchman pondered the matter
gravely for an instant as he shifted his
| quid and then he replied with deiberation:
| We'll, 1t may be hot enough for me- but
| | remember time down around Chancel
| lorsville when" ~
He wasn't so angry oyer the question"
muSed the eccentric man as he lodged out
| of earshot, that he wasn't going to make
me listen to that one interminable story OF
| the war of his"
| All that day did the eccentric man keep
| on with his experiments and not time
! did he find any wrath on the countenance
| OF victim of his lis 1t hot enough for
your question.
was pretty warm, for fact, he decided to
vary the question a bit.
he met burly chief of a departmental
division, whom he had known for a good
| many years The chief of division was pant
| Ing and mopping his forehead and looking
| the picture of general suffocation as he
| plodded along. The eccentric man decided
| to try the new form of his question upon
| this victim. ~
! why, Paunchvest," he explained, facing
the burly chief of division, with an alarmed
and become invisible! Never saw a man
| look so bloomingly overcome by the tenn
| perature in my life. Is it hot enough for
your and he ciapped his man soundly on
| the back.
None O. your business!' gruff1y replied
| the burly chief Of division, glowering upon
| the eccentric man. Haven't you found
| out yet that the idiot who asks that ques-
| haG h0 oh ha6 oil h,,v,,
| ciety? is 1t hot enough for your man
| that asks that question ought to be keel
| hauled! And as for my looking so hot.
| why. there are others!' Whereupon the
| chief Of division went his way, still glow
| ering.
| II have traced this matter to it's source"
| reflected the eccentric man Of N street
when he reached his home. IT'S not the
| question is 1t hot enough for you" that
makes 'em sore. but it's being told that
| they look hot! Never saw a human being
| yet that didn't object to being informed
| that he looked in state Of swe1ter. They
| take it a sort Of reflection upon their
| personal characters. They like to suppose
| that, even If it is so hot that the plaster's
| melting between the bricks they themselves
| look as cool as cucumbers. 1 have done a
good days work in tracing this point down
| to it's final solution. Henceforth and for
| ever I'll feel absolutely safe in hurting the
| Is it hot enough for you?' question even
| at the iceman, but I'll know enough never
| again to tell anybody that he or she looks
| hot; and then the eccentric man consulted
| his thermometer, read the weather report.
| and devoted the remainder of the evening
| to the consideration in his own person Of
| how hot 1t was.
Anecdotes of Turner.
| From the London Chronicle.
Mr. R. c. Leslie (elder brother of the
| academician), whose death has just been
announced, had some interesting reminis-
| cences of Turner. Leslie. when a youth
used to go with his father &C. r. Leslie,
RAJ to the academy on vanishing days
and there he watched the great landscape
! painter at work. Turner used to arrive at
| 6 o'clock in the morning, and to work all
| day at canvases which were sometimes
nearly blank when he began. There were
| always" said Mr.. r. G. Leslie. "a number
| of mysterious little gallipots and cups of
colors ranged upon drawing stools in front
| Of his pictures; and, among other bright
colors, recollect one that must have been
| simple red lead. He used short brushes.