Year: 1872

For The Cecil Wing


DIOGENESE XIX.


At the beginning, l suppose 1 ought to
tell you how ! came into the possession of
this title. Perhaps you have not heard
that since Diogenese the ii died, the man
who next entered the cynic's tub with the
intention of making his life like that of
Diogcnese received the name ~ about
sixty years ago, while l was in Athens,
Diogenese the XVIII died and by this cir
cumstance the renowned tub was left va
cant. For long time had admired the
idea of separating ones self from the
world, and looking down upon it's actions
with the unlimited right to criticise every
this strange home, which was henceforth
to carry about with me as the snail carries
its shell. AS approached the tub, no
ticed another man walking towards it; l
quickened my pace, he quickened his; l
commenced to run, he ran also. At a
glance / saw that he had the advantage of
me, for the tub was standing on one of its
sides, with the open part towards him. l
was within about two steps Of it when he
jumped in; but he went against it with
such force that it turned over, rolling him
out on the ground. Before he knew he
WIS out Of it, was in the much coveted
house.


For the past two years I have been So
journing in the United States, moving
around from place to place after sundown,
which accounts for my seldom being in the
busy haunts of men. l devote most of my
time to reflection and care not to have the
tenor of my thoughts disturbed; but the
many foolish customs of this country often
interrupt my meditations. l intend to
criticise some of the things I see going
wrong; but alas! they are SO many know
not where to begin. The evils of this age.
are like a circle, without beginning or end.
Everything is wrong-nothing is as it used
to be Except my old hat and that is a lit
tie the worse for wear. When | was
young, boys were kept at work in the fields
in summer and in the school-room in win
ter. Now cannot walk square without
seeing half 4 dozen or more boys rolling
around little pieces of mud about the color
of their hands, which they call marbles"
Pretty looking marble! In olden times
that was generally white.


And almost every house is built right out
on the pavement. Some porches are SO
near the road that the people can almost
step from their door to their carriages.-
And even if they have a little grass around
their doors though it be only few yards
square, you are sure to sec party of young
ladies and gentlemen busily engaged in
knocking balls around each others feet in
a very idotic manner. "Croquet," be-
lieve they call it; but didn't understand
what that meant until l happened to hear
young man with his face covered with
hair like baboon, call out to young Miss
with a distressing hump on her back,
Blue it is your turn now." Then the
| thought struck me that the long sticks
might be needles and the balls wool, and
this new style of knitting. 1 have since
| learned that the balls and sticks are both
made of wood and that the people who use
! them, do it for amusement; but where the
! pleasure comes in | have yet to learn.


The young ladies when they do remain
at home, instead of knitting substantial
yarn stockings and making shirts, manu-
facture little white cloths with deer and
dogs worked on them, to pin on arm chairs
for lazy people to loll in. Then sometimes
for a change they pound on fcur-legged
instrument called the "pianner;;" but in
stead of singing the sweet old hymns that
once filled pleasant homes with melody,
scale with the most astonishing rapidity.
Their faces usually become very red from
the exertion aud their chignons almost bob
off when lower c. is reached. Then in
stead of studying the cookbook, they read
novels-a wretched kind of literature that
teaches them how to get husbands. It is
my opinion (private of course) that they
| had better study how to do without them.
Then all that their little sisters think
about, instead of playing with their dolls
and studying their Sunday school lessons,
is of the time when they too can trail their
dresses in the mud and have beaux To
! give an example of the vanity of these
Misses, | will here record what little girl
said to me a few days since when found
her crying, because her big sister could go
to concert in tho Tonn Hall and she had
to stay at home, and study her geography
for the next days recitations.


81 think it must be the incest thing in
the world to be young lady. For when a
person is grown up, they don't have to go
to bed at nine o'clock and study old Peter
Farley after supper until that time. My
sister Minnie considers herself young
lady. She is zeal pretty and people say
that | am Just like her. | am so glad
Mamma gets her all the nice things. She
has lots of hats and buttoned shoes and all
colors of kid gloves and ribbons. Then
she goes to parties and concerts, when