Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-02-25
Please do not ask for groceries
on Sunday. The Bell Store.
Among the Capitalists.
LITTLE Rock. Feb. 20. 1901.

LITTLE Rock, Feb. 20, 1904.
When | left home, it was with
the understanding that | would not
take the return trail until after
Mardi Gras. That festival was
celebrated last Tuesday afternoon
and night, and-behold l yet linger,
reluctant to close the very pleas
ant sojourn. But duty calls, and !
expect, ere to-morrow's descend
ing sun has gilded the cloven tor
of Pilot Knob, to be again in as
we'll as of the Valley.
Mardi Gras was quiet, not to say
tame, during the day, and the
revels of the night were greatly
toned down from former years, so
| am told. The "French Ball" was
interdicted by the authorities, and
only a few Society events marked
the passing of the occasion. In
the afternoon, though, the bust
ness streets were crowded by
maskers and those who came to
see them. Up and down the streets
they surged with no apparent pur-
pose, except to be moving. The
crowds were orderly and good
humored, and the spirit of excite
ment was mild as a church lemon
ade-that is, as a rule. But a de-
plorable occurrence in one of the
saloons caused quite a cOmmotion
in it's locality. Two women,
masked, and in inflammable cos
tunes, were in the place taking a
drink with their escorts. Some
wretch threw a lighted match
against the dress of one of the wo-
men, and in an instant she was en-
veloped in flames. Her female
companion, disregarding her own
peril, sprang to her rescue only to
have the fire communicated to her
self. Finally, n or two men
came to their assistance and, en-
veloping the women in their over
coats, smothered the flames-but
not until one of the victims was
fatally and the other seriously
burned. The match-tbrower was
not identified and he will probably
go scott-free of human law: but,
for all that, l would not lay my
head upon his pillow for the wealth
of the Indies. One victim lies in
her grave most honored in being
quickly forgotten, and the other
will probably so we'll do we
Christians pave the easy way to
Avernus-accelerate her pace from
day to day hellward. Yet is she a
heroine more, true than him who
cages life on the field of honor.
No reward awaits her in return for
her sacrifice; that she did was done
from the only worthy motive that
can actuate men or women-from
the unseltish love which angels
know and devils hate. Would
that there were a palpable Jesus of
Nazareth to take her by the hand
and lead her into the path of virtue
and peace!
Last Saturday night l went to
the theater and saw "The Wizard
of o." There we're in the play a
plenty of shapely women scantily
dressed and the stage setting was
good. The Tin Man and the Scare
crow are excellent comedians-of
their kind-and the singing and
dancing were ~passable. l had my
laugh and enjoyed the play" after
a manner. So weary do we be-
come of the tedium of every day
life and so do we long for relief
from it's year and tear, the mimic
substitute, be it ever SO unreal and
flimsy, is for the time gratefully
received. 1.-THE Wizard of Or" is
such a tacky production-so utterly
devoid of sequence or merit-that
! am amazed that any human could
have had the brazenness of cheek
and adamantineness of conscience
necessary to put it before Gan au-
dience of intelligent grown-up men
and women. Yet I say we laughed
at it's hot-house drollery and took
interest in the inanities of it's at
tenuated plot for three hours!
Truly Fairy Land belongs not ex-
clusively to children of tender
years.
I leave to-day for home, but will
take a day at Newport to see the
kinfolks and friends in that town.
When | was there four years ago,
l made acquaintance with some
people whose memory has been
kept green, and / hope to meet
them again. But may be doomed
to some disappointment; this is a
world of change and men are
moved from here to there as pawns
upon a1chess board, with about as
much self-volition, for "there is a
divinity which shapes our ends"
to its own purposes. Here in
Little Rock, besides the immediate
family, | have had the pleasure OF
meeting William G. Dilts, Esq,
and his daughters Misses Minnie
and Edna. The son is now in
Kansas City, having flown from
the home nest to seek his fortune,
after the manner Of aspiring Young
America. | trust that only the
best of fortune may attend him.
These youngsters make old men OF
some Of us, and begin to make us
feel our superfluity on the stage OF
life. We look about us and see
the leading roles enacted by those
we but yesterday held as petulant
children, to be caressed, cajoled,
corrected, and sent be times to
bed! But won't maunder, though
the spirit Of garrulity is strong on
me this morning.
/ met and had a long talk and a
long walk over the city with ''Jim-