New Britain herald., 1925-07-18

They talk about the gay eos" Boshl They talk about the days befo' the wah." Another liberal top dressing of bosh About all we re- member of the gay 9O's Is atroclous designs In everything from wall pa per 10 clothes. and strange musy smell emanating from little used front rooms" aired only when q wedding or a funeral called for the opening of them.
 And the "leg O mutton" sleeves and the wasp-like waists and the long dresses and the gas lamps and everything else connected with that awkward age preceding the Span ish-America war Where are the bamboo chairs, the, bric-a- -brac, the thousands of soft pillows, the muatache cups? They've gone: out with full boards red flannels, Con- sress gaiters and the other insults to artistic taste which fourished in that age. The "gay sos" make us sliNer.
 Then, let's take look at the days "befo' the Wah," True, people of to- day are inclined to regard those days through veil of sentiment. Every thing connected with them is touch- cd by soft. silver, romantic moon- light and the imagination sees a pushing maiden in clinoline listen- ing with downcast eyes, whle an ar- dent and highly perfumed swain with curly hair sideboards and peach Colored trousers with straps under the insteps whispers words of love in the garden amid the sweet Williams, the holly-hocks and other old fashioned flowers.
 ! Why not look at those days as they were? Think of the unpaved streets, the mud. the wood burning locomotives which belched showers of sparks all over the countryside. the 'blue" Sundays, the whale oil lampsh the chaperon system. Think Of the horse cars and the difficulties encountered on them when the hoop skirts were all the rage. Think Of the daEuerreotypes wrich consum- cd an entire day in the making and made everyone look the same unless ms Whlskers were cut different. It's great to get that picture of the bash ful swain, but don't forget, mamma was lowering somewhere in the background. And anyway, said ar- dent swain couldn't stay late, be- cause there were not automobiles in those days and the horse would propably take his time in getting nome. Distances were greater in those days. If a person rode three miles he had done something to be proud Of. Now if person rides only three miles he's piker.
 oh' there are so many things we'd Ike to remark about We'd like to prove conclusively that today is just as good as any other day. Think of all the things those people didn't have and never imagined could eY. lst. They were happy in their own unlnt1ated way. They thrived on the theory that ignorance is bliss and accepted their lot because they dldnt know any better,
 We do the same thing. We think that things can't be improved, that eVerything's been invented that can ne invented. Didn't those peonIa think the same thing? Weren't thev sure when the steamboat proved successful, that the peak o$ oap;,, ,l"0 been reached? Still, were happy We have everything and those poor souls had nothing.
 All we have to bother US is bad liquor the fear of being run over bv some autoombile, earthquakes, ap- nendlcltis and g few other Utt,s things They had one thing on us. hey never heard of appendicitis even though they died from it.