Year: 1875




seen so much that was new 10 me, ant


heard so much racket. that my heal ha


seemed full of whrling wheels. keep'n!


up snch din and csmmolion that cenl'


hardly tell which end was standing on


When | first walked out with cousi'


John all the people I met looked 50 pa''


and white that thought had never seer


such weak looking crowd 10 my lie.


thought they could not stand any work


and couldn't help wondering why all the


weak. sickly people lived in New York


and the strong, hearty ones should live


in the country and work so hard to get q
living; but since have been here long
enough TO become acquainted with some
of them, and travel round with them,
begin 10 think that booking weak and
pale Is only one Of the many ways these
New Yorkers have of taking strangers
in. Why, Sue, any ono OF these pale


looking chaps that YOU wouldn't think
could stand half an hours work, will
rush about all day over the hard pave
menls, and be fresh and gay when night
comes; while lind half day OF walk
ine will tire me more than to Plow or
hoe corn all day.


The way cousin John gets around
among the people and teams on Broad
way is mystery 20 me. | am always
running against some one, or stepping on
a lady's dress, or hitting my foot against
gentlemau's cane, or something oil the
kind whenever walk on Broadway and
can't get along as fast as our old oxen
will draw load OF hay, nh!ess cousin
John is with me. lie will take my arm
and pull me along sofisl he almost takes
my breath away, aud yet hudIy ever
touch anyone in all the crowd.


tell you, Sne. the gals here are just
stunnin, but they put on an orlul lot oil
airs. Any brigh, afternoon you can see
crowds OF 'em on Broadway. all dressed
up At to Kill, aud snirking, and bowing
and talking as il they was there for n
show. don; see how they manage TO
walk on these slippery payemenis. for
they wigsle and iisglc and shake all
over when they walk. John says that's
cause they don't swing their arms any,
but keep their hand 10 their mnfS all the
time. ! don't think cousin John likes
gals very we'll any how. The other
morning at the breakfast table. Fannie,
CHATS Johns cousin. and she's an orful
stuck up little thing, too) she said John
was brute. and ort TO be ashamed OF
himself, because he said all the differ
ence between the city and country gals
was in the dress; and If the city gals
wasn't dressed they woudn't be any bel.
ter looking than the country gals.
guess Fannie thinks there aint no good
looking folks anywhere except in New
York but John is always ready 10 take
her down q peg.


remember that old philosophy Pro-
lessor Liyre made me study 10 school.
said that there was less friction between
steel and ice than between any other two
things, which meant in common sense
talk that they would slip OH each other
nifty easy, easier nor any other two
things; bot I'll bet a quart OF cider aSln
a bad acorn, that if that ieller whot rote
that book ever tried TO walk on Broad
way when the paving stones was full OF
frost, he'd change that part OF his book.
Ice aint slippery a; all alongside OF these
burned hagstones. / got ugly fall
short time ago. and I'll tell you how it
happened. John had been laughing at
me cause he said always looked down
on the ground or across the street when
ever met woman OH the walk. lie
said they wanted TO be looked at, and il
YOU would look strait at em they'd smile
and show their teeth. lie said it WAS
real funny to notice the different ways OF
showing of in the crowds you would
meet in an hours walk on Broadway. !
thought I'd try and look at the next gals
| met; though hate to stare at woman
strate in the face. 1t don't seem rite
somehow. was walking along Broad.
way in the afternoon, and, seeing
couple oil smashing looking gals coming
toward me. looked EN- rite square in the
eyes. felt kinder mean about it, but |
determined 10 stick it ou,, and see il
John had only been making fun of me
and OF the gals, as Fannie said lie was.
Well. they did laugh and scream too.
For Just IS was lite in front OF EN-, my
feet slipped out from under me on this
pesky smooth sidewalk, and down ! sol
as naL rs you please. | sot down pretty
hard too, and my hat flew off like cork
out OF one of them bottles OF ginger pop.
wasn't hurt much, but you bet | was
mad; especially when one of them sassy


little boot blackers said: al say country,
you dropped something" ! didn't say
nothing, but | got up feeling pretty
streaked, and male bee line for cousin
Johns house.


Now just sec how them darned papers
lie The next morning at the breakfast
table, John said, "Hello Peter. they
have got you in the paper" Where, u


said L. why, rite here" says h, and
1 l. Al 81