The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-04-16
JACK HARRIS LETTER.

I ELLOW IILGRAMS.-
Since Il wrote you last there has
been change in the weather No
longer does Winter shock the sensi-
bilities of modest people by linger-
ing in the lap of Spring, but has got
down and faded away. 1t didn't
want to 60, but the lap got too hot
to hold it. Summer has taken its
place in the lap, and beams warmly
on everybody in range. When real
spring-which is mostly summer
hits this section, it hits it sudden
and hard. There are no advance
notices in the papers, and of course
the dear old grandmothers at the
weather bureau are awfully as
tonished. They looked for Spring
over a month ago, and because it
didn't show up then they had ce.s-
ed looking and have since been look
ing for an early fall. The change
from cold to hot weather here is eff
fected in about seven minutes, and
the consequences are frequently dis
astrC us, Not to say painful.
1t happens that an old lady will
call her carriage and drive down
street shopping in the forenoon, en-
cased in furs, driver in a bearskin
cap, blankets on the horses and the
poodle packed around a hot water
bottle, and while the ancient relic is
spending time and the old mans
savings inside the wind will 90 down
and the sun will come out for eX-
ercise. Almost instantly it is early
summer. Under the blistering rays
the coachman under the bearskin
begins to melt like a snow statue in
dog days, the pup and his bottle
begin to simmer and pur with emo
ton, a policeman orders the blank
cts taken off the horses to prevent
sunstroke, and the old lady has to
buy a parasol in order to reach
home without decomposition setting
in. People drop into drug store
to thaw out by means of a hot
beef tea. Then they began to feel
funny, look startled and change the
order to an ice cream soda. Child
rem shoulder their skates and start
for the cove down behind the White
House, but half way there are hit
by the weather and start for the
base ball grounds with howl of Joy.
In thirty seconds the iceman's cart
begins to leak a stream, and he
lashes his team to hurry the delivery
before his goods all melt. The out
door beer gardens open so quickly
that the English spaTows don't
have time to get out of the way,
and many are trampled to death in
the mad rush. The Willy Boy goes
to his office in the morning in ulster
and ear tabs, and comes home to
lunch in pajamas and an ambulance
These are a few of the signs of
Spring. 1t is here. Or is it summer?
AilNly Nv TIC llllC y Oi lCdI Ollo II /
nay be last or next winter.
Over across the river on the ole .
shore and out yonder in
Maryland they are hoeing their gar
lens and listening to things growing
n a few short weeks tho all weeks
eemed the same length to me-the .
esidents of the country districts
will be bringing in the string beans
md Strawberries, and carrying home |
n exchange a package of hayseed .
obacco, a half pound of tea and a
,allon of dollar whiskey under the
eat. Possibly there won't be quite
nough truck to buy so much tea.
irass is looking well, tho not having
yes it cannot see >as well as the
,otato crop. But eggs are bringing
cent and a half each out in the
ural sections, and sweet potatoes
nd peanuts have a fine start. Like
wise the grocery store politicians.
'hese latter are saying that if Taft
ont sit on the South he'll break it.
his last looks like a paradox, but |
may be true. Occasionally some
hing is. In any event, and for
many good and sufficient reasons
he South is booming and waxing in
as never before.
One large and noisy element here
ontends that base ball is the lead
ng issue before the local public.
)nce more Washingtons American
eague team is going to capture the
,ennant. 1t is always goi z to un-
il somebody else does. Like the
party, it always wins its
ictories several mon tbs before cleo
ion. You will remember that the
mall boy who was always at the
DOT of his class in school came home 4
ne night and told his mother that
e was now at the head because ( {
hey had turned the class around Il
n this way the Washington may
,in-unless the Boston team is
resent.
In certain other large and vocif-
rous respects spring hats are the
question. Ladies hats, not
mems. Ths latter are about the
anne style, and except those which
re faded about the same color as
asst year. Yesterday was the grand (
'arade day of the year. Every
lew hat in the city was at church,
nd after the services the mob as
sual paraded the two or three
most fashionable streets