| Show THEIR LOVE OF FUN Stories of Mrs Harrison and Dr Scott SCOTT TRICKED THE PRESIDENT PRESIENT Mrs Harrison Paints a Pill Advertisement on Her Uncles DOE Washington Nurse Maids a Mashers WASHINGTON May13 1S91Special correspondence cor-respondence of THE HERALDJIn a city of such a cosmopolitan character as Washington Wash-ington there arise many opportunities for the indulgence of that sense of the ludicrous ludic-rous which in a greater or less degree abounds among individuals of every community com-munity This qualityis all themore marked in those of the higher ranks of society who I enjoy full scope for its encouragement upon all occasions of large public receptions Fortunately or unfortunately Mrs Harrison son inherits this gift of keen wit that in L her present exalted position often I ealed positon ofen proves most trying especially when obliged to C stand for hours at the entrance of the blue C room while hundreds of human beings I gathered from every state and condition of society pass in unbroken view before her DR SCOTTS DOUBLEEDGED THICK In proof of this family trait crops up an amusing anecdote in connection with a little joke perpetrated her by venerable father the Rev Dr Scott who though approaching approach-ing the advanced ago of ninety is a fine specimen of the grit and sinew that ren red our forefathers so strong to suffer and endure and who still possesses in undimmed un-dimmed enjoyment all that fund of appreciation appre-ciation for a good joke that must ever prove an unfailing source of youth to tho possessor posses-sor It was during the progress of I progress a i crowded public reception at the White House about a year since that the doctorin accordance with his favorite custom was wandering at leisure among the throng of strangers who had assembled to pay their respects to the President securo in his incognito in-cognito a fine looking gentleman I fne genteman approached ap-proached and noticing the interested spectator i spec-tator at his side courteously turned and entered L en-tered into conversation By chance th stranger remarked that the occasion marked his first visit to the White House since the early period in the history of the republic republc when he enjoyed tho honor of having shaken hands with Old Tippecanoe for whose election to the presidential chair he had figured conspicuously as an elector I therefore gives mo much pleasure to enjoy the present opportunity of meeting with his descendant and successor in office continued contin-ued the doctors new acquaintance This is a strange coincident remarked Dr Scott as I also enjoy the privilege and scarcely hoped to meet with one whoso vote had been cast in the same ballot The two contemporaries thus congenially balot thrown together grew quite riendlyand in the enthusiasm of the moment the stranger proposed that his companion permit him to present him t the President Appreciating Appreciat-ing the situation Dr Scott promptly consented L con-sented and the prompty two elbowed their way through the crowd until at length the two stood before Mr Harrison who absorbed in the more weighty affairs of office paid L little or no heed to the hundreds passing be fore him merely grasping the hand of each in turn as they were presentedand passing on to the next until the action almost became be-came mechanical The two presented them s selvesand the stranger assuming an ave ti a-ve approached and said Mr President I wish to introduce to you one who like myself enjoyed the honor of having cast a vote for illustrious your iustrious grandfather Mr Harrison promptly responded by a warm hand clasp and looking up to his no small amusement suddenly found himself face to face with his respected fatherinlaw This story the old gentleman never fal iso t is-o repeat with ever increasing enjoyment at the memory and the double edge of hers trick played I will thus be seen that he-rs Harrison comes truly by her end a e-nd her fondness for playing practical jokes often in her early youth led her into many > narrow escapes from punishment Even after her marriage Mrs Harrison seldom lost an opportunity of indulging her weakness weak-ness one illustration of which I will here quote and as it was told me by a member of the White House circle I will be willing to vouch for its truth sms HARBISONS ADVERTISEMENT Some twenty years ago during the child hood of Mrs McKee the family as was their wont went one summer to visit an uncle of Mrs Harrison one DrNewcomor a prominent practitioner who lived in a re tired village of Indiana The surgeon like many another man possessed of brains and genius was notedly averse to publicity of any kind and quietly pursued the oven tenor of his way undisturbed by the outward out-ward rush of science in the world around him and notwithstanding the fact that hn had given t medical science P valuable ad = dition in the shape of some wonderful pills pis whose curative powers bad been widely known and accepted ho yet with the old school aversion to advertising schemesper istently refused to publish his discovery to the world About this time there came to the village a fresh impetus in tho person of a progressive young tradesman who in emously advertised a new yeast powder by painting the brand on the smooth sides of a big mastiff and setting him loose in the streets of the town The idea caught Mrs Harrisons fancy and no sooner was the I thought conceived than she hastened home I to execute it After first visiting the kennel ken-nel of the huge yellow dog that guarded her uncles premises bv adroit coaxing she succeeded suc-ceeded in enticing him to follow her to the seclusion of the attic where she remembered to have noticed a pot of white paint with brushes lying ready at hand She set to work with a will and after an hour of considerable con-siderable difficulty in difculty persuading her sub jOct to remain quiet long enough for the ac complishment of her task she at length drew a sigh of relief as her brush put the finishing touches to the glaring white letters of the advertisement Try Newcomers Pills that stood forth in such bold relief from the animals sleeK sides and silently descending the stairs opened wide the front door through which she released the animal which sped forth in happy freedom through the quiet streets of the little town whose inhabitants viewed with surprise and I amusement so unexpected an apparition from their beloved physicians appariton During the morning many visitors drop ped into the doctors ofnceand each of them before leaving made some congratulatory remark that greatly mystified the greaty mystifed uncon scious victim of the practical victm practca joke At length 8 patient entered and seizing Dr Newcomer by the hand exclaimed Well doctor this is a fine advertising scheme of I yours and will be highly appreciated by your neighbors Seeing the doctors look of blank amazement tbe expression amazemet of whose countenance appeared to convey u doubt of the sanity of his companion ho hastened to add Have you not seen your i dog dogWhy no replied the I repled doctor He ran into i the office a while ago but I did not no I tice him and I believe that at the present moment he is under the table tble Calling him forth the good doctor saw to his horror K hor-ror the glaring white letters painted on his sides and filled with righteous wrath has tened home to dinner s rearing dire venge Con ance C-on the unknown perpetrator When once in the bosom of his family his indigne I indira tion at the trick burst forth burst afresh and the sympathy of the members of his household proved his greatest comfort There was one person at the table however who preserved I pre-served a discreet silence and her sience guilty guity expression ex-pression of countenance only relieved bj an occasional wink of amusement in he reyes r-eyes during the height of her uncles con L damnation of the offender led demnaton ofender at least om member of the family to famiy suspect that the aggressor was notso far from sight as might be imagined A few days after the doctors i son suddenly astonished the assembled fan ily by bursting into their midst with tho exclamation ex-clamation Father I think Cousin Carri can tell you who is the guilty party for I just j made the discovery that my pot of pain has been entirely used up and in looking for my brush found it all covered with yel low hairs thrown out of sight in one corner of tho attic I The physicians wrath was not yet entirely en-tirely cooled and it may well be imagined that it was many days before the unrepent delinquent received absolution at the I bands of her irate relative MRS MANDERSONS OYSTER FORK In a city where so many handsome dinners din-ners and lunches are civen the mistakes which occur are comparatively few in comparison com-parison with the large percentag of indifferent indif-ferent servants congregated owing to the mass of untrained negroes set loose in the district and left by their irresponsible parts ent par-ts to grow up Topsylike unrestrained and untutored in the important branch of domestic avocation for which fate has ordained or-dained the race occasionally there occurs oc-curs an instance even with the most carefully care-fully tutored domestics that renders the position of the hostess one wherein the virtue vir-tue of patience and smiling unconsciousness during moments of most trying embarrassment embarrass-ment is called forth in no stinted measurers Mi measure-rs Manderson wife of Nebraska S nor att n-or was recently called upon to exercise this virtue of forbearance upon the occasion of a dinner party given in honor of ex Minister Palmer during his last visit to durin5 Washington Just as the guests were seated at tho table and the oysters on the halfshell were served the hostess discovered that tho wbe beautiful set of silver forks upon which she had prided herself had been forgotten by the waiter As it was too late to rectify the omission no allusion was made to the want and the course was concluded by the substitution of the ordinary forks which in assorted sizes were placed at each cover No further cause for embarrassment arISing arIS-ing the dinner passed off enjoyably Mrs anderson as she afterwards confided tome to-me consoling herself with the thought that as there were only gentlemen present the omission would according to a popular theory pass unnoticed Not so however as the sequel proved and not long afterwards after-wards Mrs Manderson was made the recipient re-cipient upon Christmas day of a handsome case containing two dozen beautifully designed de-signed silver oyster forks the gift accompanied accom-panied by a card from General Palmer wishing her all the joys of the season and probably the donor will never know until perchance this article reaches his eye the true explanation of theabsence of the usual table setting upon one memorable dinner at the homo of his valued friend and former associate in Congress MRS viOl KWO TIN AND ERR LADIES One of the most entertaining sights in Washington is to be seen each Sunday afternoon by the strollers in the neighbor hood of Dupont circle when upon auy sunshiny sun-shiny day of the early spring weather the ladies of the Chinese embassy always accompanied ac-companied by their respective lords and masters come forth for an airing Time was when these dainty wives of the Orient were so carefully secluded from tho gaze oman f a o-man that when upon the rare occasions that permission was given by the minister to his wife and female attendants to issue forth from the seclusion of their chambers for an hours exercise in the enclosure back of the legation due notice was invariably given in order that the members of the embassy might withdraw from view and behind closed doors await the permission of their minister to once more resume their various avocations undisturbed by the beauty of the gentler sex This rule however how-ever no longer prevails and owing to the rapid advance of progress in the emancipa tion 01 women which has penetrated oven the walls of the Stewart castle for so long the residence of the Representatives from China for many months past the ladies have enjoyed unprecedented privileges in an extended promenade in an around the numerous public walks of the neighbor hood Their favorite hour being the period preceding the early twilight their picturesque pictur-esque appearance as arrayed in their national na-tional costume so faithfully depicted upon every tea chest with their abundant jetty locks artistically piled high on the top of their head and stuck throuuh with a variety vari-ety of long jeweled pins attracts universal attention Their tnyfeet scarcely larger than a childs of three years of age shod with highheeled slippers with wih slppers difficulty carry them over the smooth asphalt of the avenue Difficult as the effort appears the delighted little women seem never to weary of their new accomplishment or notice the marked attention which their unusual appearance attracts CHINESE OFFICIALS 1I WASHINGTON NDKSE MAIDS I must confess that my sense of propriety at the eternal fitness of things was rudely shocked a short time since to discover that tho cause of a dense and motley crowd assembled as-sembled around the rail of the legation originated in nothing more serious than the presence of the resident ladies quietly seated upon the iron benches beneath the broad porte cochere surrounding the entrance en-trance Certainly thesituation must have been anything but pleasant for the innocent objects of such uncultured rudeness and doubtless the minister at length lost patience pa-tience and ordered that the annoyance had lasted long enough for he suddenly aro send I from his seat by the side of his wife a se-nd i with some difficulty made his way through I the gaping throng surrounding the gate i toro the limit of the court yard and sought to-ro I lief for his feelings in the greater room of the blooming park opposite while his companions gradually withdrew within doors literally stared out of countonance That such a state of things could be om-encour encouraged or even permitted in a civilized aged-com community Is a national shame and proper means should be adopted to stop it even if he services of the police are required I to rotect the strangers within our gates but t hat cultivated people continue to swell tanks he t-anks of the rude crowd regardless of tho f eelings of those whose freedom they thus hamper and the example of discourtesy they set in the opinion of these foreigners i s truly astonishing and makes one blush for the good name of his countrymen Yet o n the other hand Americans have much to complain of in the un lushing manner in which members o f the legation fraternize with he nurse maids who in large numbers frequent fre-quent the park each afternoon and early morning in charge of the little ones who visit the spot for enjoyment One seldom f ails to come across these illassor ted c seated in couples cozy chat upon some re ired bench beneath the hade of a leafy tree or protecting bush whenever tempted t o take a short cut through the park often t o the embarrassment of the individual Doubtless these little flirtations individual of the men of the Orient may be regarded by them as a perfectly harmless amusement amuse-ment and scarcely worth serious thought utall the same the wide distinction which exists in the cast among foreign nations would tempt one to wonder at such flagrant disregard of the proprieties though doubt less they misinterpret the rule of greater equality in a free land and know not where to draw the line of distinction JEAN IE WINSTONS JACK Like every other artist the popular prima donna Jeannie Winston has her pet Un lake the great tragedienne Sara Bern hardt whose fickle fancy turns ever to something new and novel until at present her most treasured creature is the ugly asp that nightly plays a conspicuous part in the performance of Cleopatra Miss Winstons taste turns ever to the fond and faithfu 1 poodle whose devotion fully repays his mistress for all tho affection and care lav ished upon him A soft silky little mite of a Skye terrier the terrer object of her care is as carefully guarded as the most pampered child of fortune and his daily toilet is per formed with all the daintinesss and atten tion that a tender mother gives to her baby Jack let me tell you is a canine of considerable con-siderable importance having been forwarded for-warded to his mistress by a friend and ad miner in the midst of a basket of fruit when scarcely larger than the palm of your hand He has naturally crept into a warm spot of a very tender heart and is seldom left long lout l-out of his inistrQBs sight Every morning Jack must go regularly through his band ath b-and the operation proves a lengthy one in its careful attention to the details of the toilet equal to the beautifying process of vainest belle First comes the refreshing plunge in a tub of tepid water during which he Is vigorously rubbed with sweet scented Ikea soap and a stiff brush After this his sil I-kea coat is freed of lather In a second plunge into fresh clear water and well rubbed and dried with a rough bath towel Then the Wire brush Is used with glossy effect upon his fluffy coat until it shines like spun Land L-and a plentlfulsupply of violet powder ap plied by a puff After this his mug and tiny tooth brush como into play and his tare t-are well rubbed with fragrant dentifrice until they glisten like pearls A soft linen cloth dipped ia clear water is then applied i j to his eyes under their shaggy overhanging fringe of hair and Mr Doggie is fit to lick the face of a queen and his grateful ap pro I cia tion of the trouble taken for his comfort is generally shown in this canine expression of affection that never fails to fall to the share of his mistress upon the conclusion of the task Miss GRUNDY JR |
