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♦
BELLEPONTE, PA.
Xks Largest, Cheapest and Best Paper
PUBLISHED IN CENTRE COUNTY.
ROBERT EMORY PATTISON.
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR OF
PENNSYLVANIA.
There is a current saying that of a
man it is asked in Boston, what does he
know ? in New York, what is he worth ?
in Philadelphia, who was his father ?
The personal character and official worth
of our candidate alike invite inspection
hy any one or all ot these tests.
ROBERT EMORY PATTISON, the only
Democratic candidate for governor in
Pennsylvania, and the one who pro
poses, when "chosen for the office by
the people, to perform its duties to
their satisfaction," was born on the Bth
day of December, A. D.,lßso,atQuantico,
[Somerset county, Md. For the place ot
his birth there is no apology needed
further than that he "had to be born
somewhere," as Andrew Jackson, of
Tennessee, said of himself, in answer to
the taunt that Waxhaw, North Caro
lina, was his own humble birth-place,
itself in name, like Pattison's, sugges
tive of aboriginal origin. Indian names
are numerous on the Eastern Shore ot
Maryland, which has also been called
by a recent writer in Harper''s Magazine.
"A Peninsula Canaan "a land ot rivers
of waters." One of these gives name
to the new county of Wicomico, set oil
from Somerset a few years ago, in which
is located the little town of Quantico.
That was the first place to which the
late Rev. Robert H. Pattison, D. I)., for
many years grand chaplain of the grand
lodge of Masons in Pennsylvania, was
appointed, after his marriage with Miss
Catharine Woolford, of Cambridge, by
the presiding bishop of the Philadel
phia M. E. conference, which at that
time included the peninsula within its
bounds. A short time thereafter the
father's appointment was to Odessa,
Delaware, and next to Philadelphia
when the first born son wa3 but six years
old.
IIIS EDUCATION.
Robert was at once started to school,
and entering the primary, passed during
the years following through the succes
sive grades of the common schools, the
glory of our commonwealth, on up to
and through the Penn grammar and
central high school. Ilereyoung Patti
son made his first speech, being called
upon to deliver the valedictory address,
and graduating with the highest honors
of the fifty-fifth class. In this way he
became known to Lewis C. Casaidy, esq.,
then a member of the board of educa
tion, in whose office he registered as a
law student in December, 1809, with the
recommendation of Professor George
Inman ltiche, the high school principal.
The elder Pattison had intended his
son should graduate also at Dickinson
college, where he himself hud been
educated, having named him in honor
of one of the most honored presidents
of that institution. Robert Emory was
a native of Philadelphia, afterward a
law student of Reverdy Johnson, in
Baltimore, and in the end a divine of
great learning and masterly in man
hood. Such a man, too, was the senior
Pattison, one whose knightly appear
ance and chivalric bearing coexisted
with great kindness of manner, that
made him friends in all classes of so
ciety, and caused him to be mourned in
death—which came to him in ]B7. r >
wherever his personal and social worth
were known. His solicitude for the
future of his only son may be best ex
pressed in words written by James Mill
to Jeremy Bentham, with reference to
his son, John Stuart Mill: "However,
if I were to , die anytime before this
poor boy is a man, one of the things
which would pinch me most sorely
would be the being obliged to leave bis
mind unmade to the degree of excel
lence I hope for."
A STUDENT OF LAW.
Fortunately Dr. Pattison did live to
Bee his son Robert apply himself not
only to the mastery of law books in the
office, but also after office hodTTat home,
to general literature, and especially to
the history of the old Feudal days; so
familiarizing himself with the ground
work of his chosen profession, and at
the same time keeping up with the
times in his general reading during half
holidays, and on his way to and fro.
The father lived to see him a good
student of human nature ns well, using
the ample opportunity Mr. Cassidy's
large criminal practice afforded lor this;
and in every way at his command thor
oughly qualifying himself for admission
to the Philadelphia bar, where he en
tered upon the practice of the law on
his own account in 1872. That year the
young lawyer was married to Anna,
daughter of Edwin A. Smith, of Phila
delphia, and settled down in the small
twostory house 3247 Hansom street,
where he has continued to reside ever
since, and where two children, a boy
and a girl, have been born to them in
their happy home.
From the age of seventeen, when he
was already developed beyond his years,
following in tho footsteps of his grand
father on his mother's side, Col. Thomas
Woolford, who commanded in the Mary
land line in the Revolutionary war,*
Pattison had been a popular member of
the Fourth Regiment Pennsylvania
Militia, known as the Fire Zouaves, and
he was subsequently identified with tho
reorganization of the State Fencibles.
LAWYER, ORATOR AND MILITIAMAN.
There he formed the friendship of
that good old Democrat, "a man with
out fear and without reproach," Col.
James Page, whom Pattison succeeded
as president of the organization. He
won bis first laurels as a lawyer in an
able argument in defense of some thirty
militiamen of the 4th Regiment Penn
*Qatre •ccordlngly detached Col. Woolford, of tho
Maryland Hue, with l(*i regulars, a party of artillery
aud two brawl field pieces. On the same evening lie
moved with hla main forre to take post at a deep
stream about seven miles from Camden, Intending to
attack Lord Rawdon or his redoubt should he march
out In force to repel Hitmter."—Page 04, Vol. IV, Irv
ing'e Life of Washington.
. During the war of tho Revolution the "Maryland
Dine" was famous for Its valor, taking an active part
In most of the great battles of the war. 001. Wiail
ford was in active service throughout tho entire war.
sylvania Volunteers, before a court as
sembled by General Prevost, and ac-
quitted them on apleaas to jurisdiction.
After this he was ever the chosen orator
of the command, and never without
clients. Among the cases which after
wards came to him and were prepared
with the thoroughness which distin
guished all of his professional ami politi
cal work, were those of Orr vs. Hydrau
lic Works and Kehoe vs. same, leading
cases in determining the law of negli
gence and the duties of property owners
to the public.
Thus far the father lived to see the
success of his son, who, with strong
filial devotion, refusing to bask in other
people's sunshine by acceptance of in
vitations to membership in the richer
churches, has of preference rigidly ad
hered to a kind of "little church around
the corner," wherein was his father's
last ministry.
RECOLLECTIONS OF DICKINSON.
Previous mention of Dr. Pattison's
earlier education in Dickinson College
recalls a fact or two that may as well he
put down right here in refutation of the
assertion made here and there in stal
wart organs, that "hitherto Pennsyl
vania has invariably elected governors
born in the State." Now, to begin with,
without hunting up the baptismal re
cord of thein all, John Dickinson, whose
name that college bears, according to
Jefferson "one of the most accomplish
ed scholars the country ever produced,"
was himself a native of Maryland, lived
for a long time in Delaware, and was in
1782 elected executive of Pennsylvania.
And he was succeeded in the office of
governor of Pennsylvania by Benjamin
Franklin, who, until now when ol jec
tion is made to the Providence that
gave Pattison his birth in Maryland,
was always supposed to have been horn
in Massachusetts, and to have walked
from Boston to Philadelphia, whoreunto
Pattison was brought when barely old
enough to walk to school, ami where,
ever since he was six years old lie has
been aliko by his education, profession
and public service a Pennsylvanian.
Surely the men who worked " like
Beavers" to put Grant in nomination
for a tided term at a time when he had
been altogether out of the country for
four years, and who applauded to the
echo Conkling's exclamation "if it
be asked whence comes our candidate,
he hails from Appomattox" should not
now make serious objection to the like
Indian but less savage sounding Quan
tico, which Pattison bade " hviii and
farewell " by proxy, if at all, since he
was removed from there before he could
cleverly articulate. Nor is the Gamer
onian cry of "foreigner" against the
city controller of Pbialdelphia, alto
gether consistent with even the old
straight out-and-out Know Notliingism,
which is sought to be rehashed, it seems
in the coming campaign, und to be serv
ed up with an altogether new infusion
of a peculiar kind of states - rights.
And, what is more remarkable than this,
the whole and sole objection that lias
been raised against Controller Pattison
as a man, originates at and is sent out
from tho headquarters of the Cameron
State Central Committee, the chairman
of which, and wouid-iike to-have-been
candidate for governor, was himself
born " out west " in Ohio.
IN POLITICAL LIFE.
Upon Pattison's introduction into pol
itical life, at the first brought forward
t>y his friends for clerk of the court of
quarter sessions, he gracefully gave way
to an older and more experienced law
yer, Henry S. Hagert, Esq., whose nom
ination he helped Insecure. Afterward
when his name was presented to the
•State Convention in 1877, for Auditor
General, although then but little known
outside the city, Mr. I'attison received
the next highest vote to thai by which
Mr. Schell was placed in nomination.
A little later in the same year, 1877,
Robert Emory Pattison was nominated
(or City Controller of Philadelphia, and
wis elected by 1.952 majority. He was
re elected in JBBO by a majority of 13,-
593 in a Presidential campaign that gave
General Garfield 20,883 majority in the
cit v.
Byway of explanation of this rapid
rise, it pa s;ed into history that at the
time of Mr. Pattison's first election, the
business men, property holders, woik
ingmen, and the people of Philadel
phia generally, were first waking up to
the fact that for years they had been
going In-hind in their municipal affairs.
There had been a steady and alarming
increase in tho t*x ran- the depart ment
expenses, and for ten yeais thorn had
been on annual averagn add tion to the
city debt of jjs.'l (122 40(5. Unparalled
municipal extravagance pievniled.
There was reckless waste in (he appro
print ions, criminal neglect in the col
lection of taxes and hideous and open
corruption in disbursement.
THE RKVEIJ OF THE KINO.
While the population of Philadcl
phia increased only one fifth anil the
value ot its property scarcely one-third,
its debt was ilouhleii and the interest on
its obligations required no annual levy
of one per cent, on the property. On
January Ist, 1878, the annual deficien
cies, counting the deficiency loan of
$.0,193,877, had reached $10,087,687. It
cost the city of Philadelphia hundreds
of thousands of dollars annual interest
on its unpaid and overdue warrants.
One fifth of the city taxes were uncol
lected and went into the hands of the
delinquent collectors, where enormous
expenses were added for the profit of
speculating politicians, who at the same
time allowed political friends entirely to
escape their municipal obligations. The
poor and unfortunate were plundered
for the enrichment of rapacious parti
sans ; with millions of taxes collected
from the people thero was complaint of
mal-adpiinistration in nearly every de
partment and the city seemed to be at
the mercy of the spoilsman. The re
form movement which has since been
organized bad not yet crystallized into
the committee of One Ilundred, nor
any other well-defined scheme. Caven
was defeated for mayor and the Reform
ers had scarcely yet been able to effect
an entrance of the wedge.
A RECORD OF OFFICIAL INTEORITV,
Almost from his first induotion into
the offioijof Controller, Pattison invested
it with a degree of importance which
the law had given to it but with which
none of his predesoesso's bad measured
it. He adopted and maintained a wide
view of the obligations of the office and
declined to hide behind the technical
ities that brought disgiace upon his
predecessor. JJe refused to consider
OUR NEXT GOVERNOR.
ROBERT E. PATTISON.
The man who possesses tlio courage of his convictions, and
to whom roform is not an unmeaning, an idle platitude.
the office merely clerical, but investiga
ted claims and enraged partisans by re
fusing to be a mere machine to deplete
the city treasury, in this inflexible
purpose he recognized no claimant as
Democrat or Republican. How the
whole atmosphere of that ofiice chang
ed tinder his vigorous, vigilant and
healthy administration and what com
plimentary enmity he won from many
whoso schemes have been rendered
hopeless hy his relentless scrutiny and
determination, is a mutter of public no
toriety.
IJe unsealed records, opened doors
that had been clo-ed, ferreted out
abuses, checked fraud and stopped rob
bery. He determined to do the one
thing that nobody else seemed able or
todo—toseethat the city of Philadel
phia got a fair consideration for evpry
dollar of the money which he spent.
In the courageous, impartial and inflex
ible execution of that purpose he rec
ognized neither political friend or foe,
and he was daunted by no responsibility
which confronted hint, lie left unused
no privilege, he failed to exert no au
thority that could contribute to the re
sult which lie kept steadily in view. He
discovered thet money was being paid
to persons for work not done, and he
stopped it. Ho found that work actual
ly done and materials really furnished
were grossly overcharged and he ended
the robbery and made the robbers dis
gorge. He put a stop to the illegal pay
ment of bills and the unlawful issue of
warrants, lie exposed and put and end
to the petty pilferings and unblushing
larcenies under the guie of " contin
gents" and "incidentals." He found
favorites given the privilege of furnish
ing supplies at exorbitant figures, and
he insisted upon legal advertisements
for competitive bids. Ho called public
attention to the fact that appropriations
to'public institutions were exhausted
long before the year for which they
were made, had ended, lie found that
fees were thievishly drawn for jurors
that had not served. He unearthed
frauds committed by means of bogus
jury lists, ami compelled a detected of
ficer of the court to flee the jurisdiction.
He ascertained that large sums of mon
ey had been paid for work never per
formed and materials never furnished.
By stern and timely measures lie was
instrumental in destroying the evils ol
the custom of collecting claims against
the city by mandamus—asystem, which
by its abuses had grown to lie a mighty
evil, fruitful of con option and loi-s. In
one one instance he refused credit to
the city treasurer for over $.)0,t00, not
certified hy the city solicitor.
He exposed the iniquities and enor
mities ot the delinquent tax office, bv
which the honest collection of ihoityV
revenues teas purposely obstructed ami
tax-payers were remorselessly plundered
to make gain for the city ting, who car
ried of $100,(MX) annually to divide ]
among themselves, to debauch the elee
tions and to let their party friends
escape entirely from the payment ot
their taxes. He strenuously sought to
reduce the number of the city officials
and to lop off all supernumeraries, to
abolish sinecures and cut down extrav
agant salaries, lie exposed abuses o I
the almsliou! • management and called
its managers to rigid accountability.
His innumerable ami manly efforts to
stand between the people's money and
those who sought to take it illegally are
part of the history of the times. His
controversies with the guardians of the
poor, the building commission, and
the water department and the benefi
cial results emanating therefrom are
freshly ami gratefully remembered by
the people of Philadelphia. It is Paul
son's paculiar glory that he did not tear
to offend members of his own party in
the fulfillment of what he believed to
be his duty,"
Wherever he discovered irregularities
be exposed them; wherever he found
extravagances and unlawful expendi
tures he refused to allow them. That
conservative journal, the Ledger , declar
ed : "He has been attentive, vigilant
and faithful, and since bis installation
in the office the ORGANIZED PLUNDER nv
THE DEPARTMENTS, which formerly patted
there, and in some instances was carried
on by collusion, hat wholly ceased so far
as his power extends."
A UROAD VIEW OF 1118 DUTIES.
Had he done no more than thus
guard the treasury, had ho been simply
the passive obstruction to greed and
corruption, he would yet have been en
titled to the regard of all honest men.
But he was much more than this. His
conduct discloses a broad and compre
hensive view of his duties. He did not
content himself with keeping vigilant
watch over the money. He strove to
lower the high salaries of the city's em
ployees. He was full of intelligent and
economical suggestions upon the man
agement of the municipal finances. He
suggested to tlie boat'l of revision of
taxes the wisdom of a more correct as
sessment of the real estate. By a letter
dated October 1878, he advocated the
payment of 4 per cent, interest on the
city warrants after January 1, ]B7O,
seeing that upwards of $70,000 a year
would be saved. " I can not see any
good reason," he wrote, " why tlie city
of Philadelphia, with its warrants 1 j
percent, above par should continue to
pay a greater interest than the general
government." Many of the municipal
reforms from winch Philadelphia now
reaps advantage were the results of his
suggestions.
His first balance sheet was tlie first
clear statement that Philadelphia had
had for many years of its financial af
fairs. He awoke the citizens to a knowl
edge of the actual condition their mu
nicipality. He exhibited the frightful
tendency toward bankruptcy and dis
closed to them that a false and mislead
ing exhibit had been annually placed
before them by carrying along worthless
or uprofitabje assets as cash.
It was these reforms which enabled
the controller to say in his last annual
report: "l'he burdens of the tax pay
ers aie being lightened, encouragement
is given for the employment of capital
within its limits, and an auspicious
beginning has been made in freeing the
second city of the Union in population,
and the first in industrial enterprise,
from taxation for indebtedness."
APPROVED JtV TIIE PEOPLE.
It is no wonder, then, that his hrn*
orahle and intelligent course disarmed
prejudice, swept away the barriers of
political feeling and evoked universal
approbation. The common council, on
December 18, 1879, passed a resolution
of compliment to tlie controller. The
tax-payers of the Twentieth ward, in
meeting assembled, adopted a resolu
tion of th inks. Mr. (Jeorge 11. Karle,
the distinguished lawyer, who for years
iiad labored with a single hearted pur
pose in the cause of political reform,
wrote him: "For yourself, I meet no
honest man who does not wish to take
you by the hand and thank you." The
press of the city were unanimous and
outspoken in then'commendation. The
Evening Telegraph said : "Hubert JJ. Put
tison is a man t.f the people, for the peo
ple, and in the end they will sustain
him il they are worthy such a re pre Ben
tntivp." The Timea ctiled on the He
publicans to indorse l'attison and not
make a nomination against him. The
Ledger told Mr. McMancs that if, as he
aid, lie really wished a candidate who
was the equal of Control!- r Pattison in
ability, integrity and courage, to nomi
nate l'attison himself.
In short, alti r lour year* of experi
ence with hint as controller the people
re-elected Lira by 13..V.10 inaj >rity,
though he was simply the Democratic
candidate, there having her n at that
time no Committee of rine Hundred
organized for independent political ac
tion.
THE OEFICE OF CONTROLLER.
Tire year and a half of his second
term that has thus far passed has been
replete with similar evidences of his
comprehensive grasp of the duties ol
his position. The Philadelphia iS'ar
(Ind.), recently referring to his official
career, thus sums up his services to
Philadelphia:
"There wns a time, and not ve y long
since, either, when a great many people
entertained the idea that the functions
of the controller were of the simplest
character—that he was, in fact, nothing
more than a mere clerk, whose princi
pal duty consisted in approving war
rants drawn against the city treasury,
which approval was given without in
vestigation. When the present con
troller was renominated it was boldly
declared by some of those opposed to
him that tberewere.no duties connec e i
with the office that could not he dis
charged by any one possessed with com
mon intelligence, and that, therefore,
the general popular demand for Mr.
Pattison's re-election, was not warrant
ed by the facts of the case. These dec
larations, strange as it may seem, were
made by prominent lawyers and other
citizens, supposed to be familiar with the
work of the office, and from whom bet
ter things were expected. Since then
the people have learned how absolutely
essential to honest and economical gov
ernment a capable and fearless control
lership is. As at present administered,
the office is a constant check, not only
to dishonesty, but upon hasty or il) ad
vised legislation which involves the ex
penditures of public money, flow many
dollars of the public funds have been
saved by the conscientiously careful in
vestigation of the legal claim of every
warrant to the controller's approval,
cannot B he [told, but it is safe to say
that they approximate to millions. The law
has been maintained with rigid impar
tiality, while favoritism has not in a sin
gle instanco been charged. It may
therefore be said with truth that as iar
as the outgo of public money is con
cerned, the controller is the most im
portant olhcer connected with our mu
nicipal government, provided always he
is the right man for the place. The
wrong man there—and there have hcen
wrong controllers—is an evil, the mag
nitude of which can be comprehended
only by a comparison of the present
management with that of five or six
years ago."
The Philadelphia Times said that mil
lions of dollars were stolen from the
city treasury under l'attison's predeces
sors because they conducted the office
of controller with the idea that the con
troller "does nothing more than approve
oily warrants, if they are drawn legally."
because l'attison took the higher view
millions were saved to Philadelphia.
NOMINATED FOR GOVERNOR.
11l view of all this and of the fact that
during his term a complete administra
tive reform had been inaugurated in the
second city of the Union and the first
in Pennsylvania, it was not strange that
the Democratic State Convetion found
in him its nominee for governor. Year
by year the political issue of adminis
trative reform has become the supreme
concern of intelligent men. Kecogniz
itig Iti.s special fitness to embody this
issue, the. convention gravitated towatd
him on the sixth ballot and without any
adjournment alter it began to ballot,
llts nomination was no personal nor
factional triumph or defeat. It was ac
complished without " management " or
"trade." It was the well considered
action of an unusually earnest and in
telligent body and that no mistake was
made :s assured by the universal appro
bation with which it has been received,
not only by the party press of the State
but by all independent journals of any
standing, while it has challenged the
opposition press, and for seven weeks
has been almost absolutely free from
unfavorable criticism from any source.
Possibly never before in the history
of the Democratic party of Pennsylva
nia was a nomination ratified with such
unanimity. Prom every quarter of the
State litis is the unvarying report, anil
present indications point to its ratifica
tion at the polls, not only by the largest
vote ever polled for any candidate of
the party in this .State, but also by an
increase upon that cast fer Gen. llan
eock by tlie addition of the suffrages of
tens of thousands of Independent lie
publicans and conservative citizens who
tie willing to aid the election of an
honest and capable man for governor,
pledged by a platform which declares
•gainst the spoils system and bossism.
for good government and an honest ap
portionment.
The Baby's Hand.
Mrs. Arnold was showing a frieud
through her pretty new house which
was undergoing a second and final
coat of inside paint, and gave promise
of being as aesthetically beautiful as
the decorative fervor of the age de
manded, the color being a delicate
shell pink like the inside of a rose.
"Isn't it lovely." said Mrs. Arnold
admiringly to her friend. "You see
thut is an east room, and so it is to have
the tints of the morning. ,Some might
think it too delicate for every day use,
but I shall make that very delicacy a
means of education. I have taught
baby already that she cannot touch it.
'Come here dimple' to the little one
toddling behind her. 'Baby wop't
touch the pretty paint,"
"Baby won't," cooed the little one
in its sweet idiom, and giving it a kiss
and admiring caress, the young
mother pninteu out to Iter frieud the
beauty of the window embrasure and
the view it commanded.
"I shall sit here Summer afternoons
with baby. Won't it be lovely? Lace
curtains within and green vines with
out. It will he a picture and a poem
both."
And they strolled on, leaving the
two-year-old baby looking with far
seeing eves through the pretty window,
and it was not the rosy tint of the
paint, nor the flush of healthy child
hood that spread slowly over the little
face, and sent a tired little head to
seek iu vain for rest on its mother's
bosom. All thought of the tributaries
of beauty or art passed from the mind of
the young mother as she saw her dar
ling's lever flushed face, and she lock
ed the beautiful eust room and left it
to the gloom and solitude until the
crisis was past!
MAud titc dviir ljttl Jinndf, llkr row leap*!
hrfpifd from A ro*e, lay Mill,
to minti-h at the minahitio
That crtpt to tli shrouded •ill."
Yes, it came to that I ami an awful
emptiness of all life, and then a hard,
rebellious acquiescence in the decree
of fate, and one bright day the mother
went into the nretty east room, and
with her friend lived over that day
when they had last stood there, and
looked with exceeding bitterness on
the tinted color that was to k<we made
all her Summer bright. And what
could brighten it now ?
Ah, me 1 how strange that when the
voico of redeeming love says) "My
peace I give unto you," we will have
utne of it. If Mrs. Arnold had read
ou the walls iu letters of light. "Let
not your heart be troubled" she would
never heeded,and when her friend point
ing through the window to the blue
sky beyond said tenderly, trustingly,
"she is safe," the mother oast down
her heavy tear-dimmed eyes, and with
a cry of joy kissed again and again one
single blemish in the smooth paintiug
of the window sill. What was it?
Only the dear, dear hand of her baby
imprinted there—the little hand, which
had been laid one moment on the wet
paint that had moulded it into this
perfect shape, and that now seemed to
point and beckon the way she hud
gone; a baby's sinless hand tliut would
some day be reached out to welcome
her —
ith the light of Heaven tlifrfton."
A Header's Complaint.
I have never wished that I had
been borisiu some other century than
the nineteenth. Our age, if not a
picturesque one—and I think it has
ils picturesque aspects—is without
doubt the most comfortable to live in,
take it on the whole, the world has
yet known. It seems to me that per
sons of rational mind and humane
disposition cannot he too thankful to
belong to it, for it is hard to see how
such persons could ever have enjoyed
life in earlier times as we of the latest
days can. The world has certainly
gone forward, and the feature of it's
progress that I chiefly rejoice in is its
advance in humanity. The elder
world—the world hut a very little el
der than our own—was such aterribly
cruel one! The only objection to liv
ing in the present time that I know
of, is the increased quantity of things
one must know or would like to know.
Eighteenth-century people didn't have
to read Lecky's history of their times
in four volumes, or a hundred thous
and other books it now seems obliga
tory upon all cultivated persons to ac
quaint themselves with. Nowadays
one is required to read a small library
every year, if one would have even a
smattering of knowledge on the vari
ous subjects that invite an intelligent
man's interest. The specialists in the
abundance of whom we glory, carry
investigation so far forward, each in
his own line, that the general reader
can not hope to do more than accept a
number of things at second hand, or
be content to have no understanding
ol them at all, It is hard to resign
one's self to ignorance of so many in
teresting matters, and yet that is what
one seems driven to. One finds that
' the first thing to learn is " how much
' need not be known," which is perhaps
a sort of sour grapes wisdom, hut ap
parently the only wisdom attainable.
A (ross Legged (Question.
The neatest way to modestly display
a foot is to cross the leg which it be
longs to over the other. This lifts the
foot about six inches from the floor,
and lets it hang in easy, graceful sus
pension.
The lower edge of the skirt should
lie across the instep, so that not only
the front half of the foot is shown,
hut that is sufficient in the present
fragmentary state of slippers and san
dals, to show a good hit of the fiuely
embroidered or delicately woven stock
ing.
The position is a common one to the
most elegant and refined girls in the
politest society, not only here, but in
London and Paris. It is not in the
least hold, nor is it at all awkward.
Still, my grandmother—dear old
lady—says it is vulgar for a woman
to cross her knees. She was taught so
when she was young, and she stoutly
maintains that the law on the subject
has never yet been changed. She
well remembers a week spent in the
same house with Mrup. Jerome Bona
parte in Baltimore, than whom she
believes no more ladylike person ever
lived j and she recalls that inadam ah
ways sat with her kuees two inches
apurt —no more and no less. She de
clares that no girl with pretentions to
delicacy should sit cross-legged. I
have thus stated both sides of the sub
ject, leaving my readers to decide
whether they will practice a pose that
is both comfortable and artful, or
avoid it because there is a tradition
that it is impolite. I suppose that the
sticklers will pretty soon object to
women crossing one foot over the other.
Even that feminine habit of sitting on
one foot, to the peril of getting it
caught in the hustle and making the
owner go hop scotch on rising, will
next he assailed. — From Clara Jicflt'x
Letter.
Muiiagiug 11 Husliuml.
The next best thing to pleasing u
| man's stomach is for his wife to dress
jup a bit, for his especial benefit; lie is
so hungry that it would need but a
spark to kindle a flume, but when he
enters aud sees the appetising dinner
in the act of being dished, his little
woman smiling, neat and tidy, it acts
upon him like a dose of soothing syrup.
The dust might be an inch thick on
the mantel piece—he would not gee it;
broken crockery aud cobwebs might
fill every corner—he would look upou
them with all the complacency imagin
able. While washing, he tells his wife
how pretty she is, how becoming her
hair is arranged in that fashion, says
po other man ever had such a dear
little love of a woman for a wife, asks
what she has for dinner that smells so
good, and though he is literally starv
ing waits upon the table with all the
grace and politeuess of a Chestei field,
and selects the best of everything for
his little wife's plate. During i>u>al
time he tells her all about his
asks her advice in regard to his plans,■
tells funny stories, propouuds couun-V
drums, cracks jokes, and renders the
dinner hour a very enjoyahle affair.
After it is over he makes love to bis
wife, plays with the children, sings
comic songs, then goes off to his work,
whistling merrily, at peace with all
the world, thinkiug he has the hap
piest home in the land, while his wife
follows him to the dxr, saying within
herself, "What a blessing it is to have
such a dear, good, oheerful, loving
husband."