THE NORTH PLATTE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
PRACTICAL JOKE
4
L$ w
OSTKIUTY sees a BtifTr formal pic
ture of Washington standing lit tho
bow of n boat crossing tho Doluwnro
amid floating blocks of Ico on that
memorable Christums night, to
light tho battlo which turned tho
tldf of the revolution in tho right
direction Hut no painter could
dellncato tlio heroism of tho actual
scene Ills men were ragged half
i .iked ItosIdoH tho running Ice In tho river, thero
was a blinding blizzard, nnd It was so bitter cold
that tho chief loss on the American sldo was of
tho men who, though Inuied to pioneer hardships,
froze to death that nwful night.
Did General Washington stand In his boat in
that clangorous current during a drllng storm
nnd staro pompously at the opposite shore? Not
he Instead of that, he "sat tight" nnd cajoled
tho men, using every device that might make them
forget their terrible situation; oven telling them
a facetious story, which, coming from him, star
tled them, sot their blood tingling and made them
oblivious to tho cold and dangers around them
That was tho grandest deed in tho military atrat
ugem which made Frederick tho Great of Prussia,
and, Indeed, tho whole world, wonder at tho
genius of Washington.
Nearly every ono knowB the outside of tho
Rtory of tho slego of Hoston by tho new com-mandcr-in-chlcf,
who had come to tho continental
congress as a wealthy Virginia colonel, nnd his
nondescript crowd of raw recruits, wholly unused
not only to military discipline, but jtven to mill
tnry jforms. Hut few know of the transcendent
bluff General Washington had to put up when he
discovered that thero wero but a few rounds of
gunpowder In tho possession of tho wholo Ameri
can army, whllo tho Hritlsh were amply supplied
with ammunition and might sally forth any hour
ngalnst tho American "Irregulars." J
"Some ono had blundered.', Many a com-'
mander would have shown up tho Improvident
oIllcerB who had that mattor In chargo and pco
vluhly thrown tip the command as ridiculously Im
possible. Hut General Wnbhlngton did not tell his
most trusted officers of the excruciating dllomma
he found himbolf In. He know tho awful secrot
would spread If known lo a few, and tho gront
causo of Justice might bo lo3t. Ho began quietly
to scour tho country for gunpowder. Ho soon
found that tho nearest place at which any quan
tity could bo had was in a magazlno on the island
of Hermudn. To got that required n secrot expe
dition, much hnzurd and many weeks; but Wash
ington's norvo was equal to tho fearful strain.
During that long, tense Interval tho American
troops wore working away upon tho fortifications,
proparlng for a grand attack. Meanwhile tho
young commander-in-chief was cntortnlnlng
hospitably at his headquarters, tho Cralgo man
sion, now best known as "Longfellow's Homo," in
Cambridge. Ab a pleasant diversion, "Lady"
Washington, then ono of tho wealthiest women in
America, canto to visit tho general, and all tho
countryBldo was agog ovor hor coach-nnd-four with
bIx black postllloiiB In whlto nnd scnrlet livery.
Even the Hritlsh, cooped up in Hoston, wero Im
pressed by tho resources nnd apparent confldenco
of tho American gonernllsslnto.
Whllo ono expedition was gono to Hormuda
for powder, General Knox, with a small forco.
Hticcoeded In bringing a number of cannon sev
eral hundred miles on ox sleds in midwinter
from Port Tlconderogn. In thoso "times that
tried men's souls" It was Washington's Iron
nerve, supported by his broad sense of humor,
sometimes scintillating with a radiance worthy
of a Franklin or a Lincoln, which saved the day.
This waB only ono of mnny occasions on which
Washington had to 'light out tho revolution alone.
A frlond of Lincoln's onco said of him, "Tho
president's laugh Is his life-preserver." This was
truer of Washington than any ono seems to have
realized in a day when strict gravity without
lovlty, was expoctod of public characters. To
laugh or to seo the humorous sldo of an Incident
was considered the sign of a frivolous dlsposl
tlon. Washington's early biographers wero soloinn
moil To have- told in their books how much tholr
ltero laughed would have- bcen.Jn tholr opinion,
wantonly exposing his weakness to public gaze.
Won like- "Parson" Wcoms, ronegndo prencher and
tramp fiddler though ho was, had beon brought
up to think that laughing was "worse than wick
ed It was vnlgnr!" In strnlnlng to make their
ltero appear to have been n demigod, thoso pedan
tic biographers related not what Georgo Wash
ington really did, but what they Imagined such n
boy or man ought to hnvo done undor glvon con
ditions. Wnshlngton would have laughod heartily at
"Wooins" hotchet-and-cherry-troo story If ho had
evor heard It which he never did, for It was not
invented till u lutor edition of tho erring rector's
Juvonllo history, six yents after Washington's
death. Yet tho real hero of tho chorry-troo fic
tion would hnvo found it the occasion of gravity
jib well as mirth. In tho stilted story of "Llttlo
Cloorgo nnd His Pa," Weems was only carrying
'out tho ldon of his time; to tell not what tho small
boy actually did, but what the consummate llttlo
prig ho conceived little George Wnshlngton to
have boon would hnvo done If ho had cut down hla
father's favorlto cherry troo
If llttlo Georgo Washington had been tho Insuf
ferable llttlo prig described by Mr. Wooiiib, his
half-brothers would not hnvo loved hltn hotter
than tholr own brothers, or tholr own children,
for Hint matter. His early life was fuller of oy
cltlng experiences than any fiction. Vol the llfo
of young Washington Is yet to bo told as an ad
vonturo story Even In his quaint llttlo dlarlos
ho early discloses a lively sense of humor -sav-ago
humor sometimes, but broad uud boyish. Ho
uhowod this by telling only tho Jokoa ngalnst him
Holf. When ho wns a lad of Blxteen ho led a Bur
joying party o lay out the lands of his old frlond,
Lord Fairfax, In tho wlldorness of tho Shonan
doah. Hero Is one of his own experiences us n
'tonderfoot," recorded on Tuesday, Murch 1C,
3717-8:
"We got our Suppers & wns lighted Into a
ltoom, and 1, not bolttg so good a Woodsman as
yo rest of my company, stripped mysolf vory or
derly, & went Into yo Hed, as they callod It,
when to my surprlso 1 found It to bo nothing but
a Jlttlo straw matted togothor without sheets or
anything else- but ono threadbare blanket, with
doublo Its weight of Vermin, such nH Lice, Fleus,
&c.
"I wub glad to got up (as soon as yo light was
eurrlod from us) I put ou my Clothes und lay as
AS km
M Jiff rwf"f jrSjGj&Cu, Jg&t mPmy
jflf- J mf A h
my Coinpnnlons. Ilad wo not been very tired, I
am suro we should not have slept much that
night."
Tho next night ho related that they "had a good
dinner & a good Feather Hed, which was a very
agreeablo regale."
In describing an Indian war dance, he went, on,
"Some liquor elevating their Spirits put them In
yo Humor of Dnunclng. Yo bcBt Dnuncer Jumped
about yo ring In a most cornicle Mnnnor!"
Othors ol that wilderness gang told a story of
tho boy surveyor which ho was too modest to
rela e about himself how young Georgo turned
tho tables on Dig Hoar, the wily chief, who wits in
the hnbit of holding out his sinewy hand with
seeming friendly Intent nnd snylng, Indian fash
ion, "How?" Won to the unsuspecting white man
whoso hand Hlg Hoar seized la his torrlbto grasp,
while ho laughed In savage glco at the pale
faco's angulshod contortions.
Young Wnshlngton had boon warned In tlmo.
Ho had a huge, strong hand of his own nnd know
a trick or two that ltd thought ho would llko to
try on that Indian's wiry claw It ho could Just got
the right hold. His nhnnco came soon enough for
Hlg Heat, who presented a seotningly nmlcablo
paw with an Innocent "How?"
Tho young surveyor solzod the Indian's hand
with such friondly enthslusm thnt Hlg Hear did nit
. agonizing llttlo dance "In a vory comical manner,"
whllo the spectators, both whlto and roil, stood by
and shouted with gleo to seo the cruel savngo
caught In his own trap. Never again did Hlg
Hear show such sollcltudB for tho honltlfbf Geoigo
Washington.
At tho ago of twenty Georgo wns the chosen
envoy to carry a "notice to quit" front tho gov
ernor of Virginia to tho Fronch commnndor on
camped In tho Ohio roglou. Ho wrote In his Jour
nal of that expedition concerning tho supper given
him by tho Fronch and Indlnns nt tho fort at Ven
ango: "The wlno, as thoy dosed themselves pretty
plentifully with It, soon banished tho rostralnt
which at first appeared In tho conversation, and
gave a llconso to tholr tongues to roveal tholr
sentiments tnoro freely. They told mo that It was
their absolute design to tako possession of the
Ohio and by O they would do It!"
At the Fronch fort, while nwnltlng the com
mandant's roply, tho young onvoy from Virginia
played a diplomatic gatno for tho friendship of tho
Indian's When tho French piled tho Indians with
liquor, joting Washington promised them guns;
and the gatno of diplomacy, seasonod with snvugo
siuico, went on botweon tho grlzzlod chevalier, old
In the arts of war und duplicity, and the young
Virginia major, who possessed common sonso and
humor withal
After tho awful slaughtor or Fort Dtiquesno,
Into which ho hnd ruBhert lront a bed of fovor, In
a vain nttonipt to save Hraddock and his nrmy,
Mnjor Washington was loft In commnnd of the
scattered forces. At this tlmo ho wrote to his
brother "Jack" n lottor, which at least suggests
Mark Twain's attitude toward the "grossly exag
gerated" story of his own donth:
"Forth Cumberland, 18 July, 1755
"Dear Hrothor; As I havo hoard, since my ar
rival at this placo, a clrcumstnntlnl account of my
death and dying speech, I tnko this enily oppor
tunity of contradicting tho first, and of assuring
you that I havo not as yet composed the latter.
HAIR ORNAMENTS
OF RICH DESIGN
IN FAVOR TODAY
Hut by the all-powerful dispensations of Provl
"donee I have been protected beyond all human
probability and expectation, for 1 had four bullets
through my coat nnd two horses shot under mo,
yet escaped unhurt, altho' death was leveling my
companions on every sldo of me!
"Wo havo beon most scandalously beaten by a
trifling body of men, but fatlguo and want of
tlmo will prevent mo from giving you tho details,
until I have tho hnppiness of seeing jou at Mount
Vernon. GEORGE."
War Is not supposed to develop tho latent sense
of humor In a commanding general, but Washing
ton's wit never forsook him His successful strata
gems wero llttlo tnoro than practical Jokes' raised
to tho highest power. Thoy always "worked,"
and then ho waited, laughing in his military
sleove, while his fat-witted enemies tried to play
his own tricks back on hint. Even In hla retreats
and escnpes from the Hritish as at Long Island
and before Princeton ho laughed and kicked up
nimblo heels In the face of tho sursulng enemy.
It wna whllo his headquattets wero In Jersey
that Washington perpetrated tho gront Jersey
Joke still perpetuated by so many millions. Ho
told an English travoler named Weld that he
"was never so much annoyed by mosquitoes, for
thoy used to bito through tho thickest boot."
When the war was over tho victorious com
mnnder entertained the vanquished gonernl, Lord
Cornwnllis, at dinner, with some of tho loaders
among tho French allies. Washington presided.
In calling for toaBts, Cornwallis, with an oblivi
ousness of tho changed conditions that was truly
English, proposed "Tho King of England" as a
subject for high praise.
Tho other guestB wore In consternation Would
tho presiding gonlus, on whose very head King
George had set a prlco, resent this as an insult?
"The King of England," announced the toast
mnster general, raising his glass. The guests
gazed at hltn, transfixed with astonishment.
"Lone may ho,"contlnuod Wnshlngton. "Long
may ho stay there1'
Ho pronounced tho last two words in a stage
whisper, with a Bhrug and a rueful grimace which
mado all the company, Including Lorn Cornwnllis,
who now saw his mlstnke, applaud with hearty
laughter: and Washington's ready humor had
prevented a disagreeable complication.
After tho Revolution, Washington wns permit
ted tho long-coveted happiness of living peacefully
under his "own vino und figtroo." as ho callod it
hundreds of times In ns many letters. It Is a great
mistake to think thnt his llfo at Mount Vernon
was either stnlo or stilted Nelly Custls, his adopt
ed dnughter, Is authority for the statement that
retired gonernl was alwnys full of gaoty and
good spirits, surrounding himself with young peo
ple's company, enpoylng their lively conversation,
"particularly the Jokes," as ho once said. Nolly
wont bo far as to claim that she found no ono
quite so willing to keop paco with hot- own ex
trnvagant spirits as hor dear, delightful old fos
ter father
How Washington did enjoy his homo when he
was finally permitted to .stay there! Mount Vor
non wna a Meqca for pilgrims, front nil over tho
world. Ho onco wrote to Tobias Lear, "UnloBs
some one pops in unexpected- Mrs. Washington
and myself will do what I bellovo has not within
tho last 20 years been dono by us thnt Is, to sit
down to dinner by ourselveal"
THEItE Is no abatement in tho lik
ing for ornaments for the hair
Thero is a good deal of talk about the
return of the high coiffure, but tho last
fow years have shown women tho beau
ty of well-chosen, and weli-doBlgned
hnlr ornaments, nnd no colffuro can
put them in the background without a
good deal of a struggle.
The famous French dressmakers,
realizing tho scope their genius might
have in hair ornaments, havo turned
their attention to designing some of
much beauty.
One ornament that makes use of tho
butterfly is mado of tiny black Jet
disks mounted on black wire. Tho
butterfly measures about four inches
front tip to tip of his half-opcnod
wings. Ho Is perched on a bnndeau
made of the little Jet disks strung to
gether solidly n bandeau about two
Inches wide. Tho butterfly Is perched
at tho base .of a full back aigrette
made up of halt a dozen tall, slender
spikes
Another buttertly Is mndc If Irides
cent pink sequins This butterfly Is
bigger thnn the black ono described.
Each wing measures a couple of
Inches. Hut It Is so graceful In color
and form that it is In no way too
heavy for tho hair it adprns. It Is
fastened to a twisted ribbon bandeau
studded with the pink sequins.
Abovo the butterfly riso threo tiny
pink plumes, deeper at the tips than
at the base shading from pale bluish
pink to deep rose. Whether plumes
ns hat trimming gain grent favor or
not tills season and Paris hns been
trying to reintroduce their use on hats
they doubtless will bo much used
for hair ornaments.
Tho American shops show their hair
ornaments of good design and little
cost their appeal to tho average wom
an's sense of economy, as well ao to
her sense of beauty. The most ef
fectlvo of these ornaments are doubt
less either black, white or black and
white combincdJ-rhinestones for tho
ornaments. Nowhere in women's
dress does it look so graceful and
suitable as on her hair. Its lightness
and delicacy make It a fitting crown
to a dainty coiffure.
Jet and rhinestones combined are
brilliant in effect. One especially
good ornament shows good-sized
rhinestones arranged alternately with
cut Jet beads of the same size. They
are set In a platinum band, in three
tiers, and the band is made to extend
all around the head. Where it fastens
on the left side thero is a soft, fluffy
group of whlto feathers of almost
downy appearance and texture.
A dainty ornament for a young girl
is made of silk apple blossoms and
pink aigrettes. The ornament Is
thrust Into the hair at a smart angle
by means of a tortoise shell hairpin.
Tho apple blossoms, in natural colors
somo dozen of thorn aro grouped
about the baso of some soft pink,
waving feathers. Tho contrast be
tween tho somewhat stiff blossoms
nnd tho soft, waving feathers is good.
TAKE CARE OF THE GLOVES
Length of Service and General Pre
sentablllty Depend on Way They
Are Handled.
Too much cannot be said about tho
necessity for proper caro In removing
gloves from the hands, for upon this
more than anything else doponds tho
length of tlmo a pair of gloves will
wear. After unfastening the glovo it
should bo turned back over the hand
as far as tho fingers, and then should
bo pushed off without pulling on the
fingers of tho glove at all, as when
this Is dono the threads of tho sowing
aro broken, and in n short time bogln
to rip.
After tho glovo is off the hands the
fingers should bo gently straightened
put, tho gloves smoothed into shape,
nnd put Into a box to keop them from
the air as much as possible, as it is
the air and the moisture In it that rot
the fine thread with which a glovo is
sown.
Elaborate Fichus.
Fichus aro worn either inside or ottt-t
side the dress. They are mado of
shadow laco or plain whlto net. One,
In black net, Is trimmed with a black;
satin bow run through a pearl bucklo
at the bottom. Another hns a plain)
white Medici collnr and Jabot trlmmedj
with white ball buttons. A more elab-1
orate fichu is made of Bilk shadow"
lace with standing collar.
The newest ruff is worn either
standing or flat. Thero aro threerows
of plaited net on a ribbon band, the:
ends of which are tied in four-ln-hand.
A chic looking ruff is made of black I
net and white mallno; tho black Is'
edged with picot and the ribbon ends,
aro plain. Tho moro extreme styles
ate very full and stand high. Ono is
of white mallne with black picot edge,
a molro bow in black and long molro
ends in front.
Fur Chin Straps.
The modo for wearing chin straps
of silk or velvet with tho small hats
of the present day has been In voguo
for some tlmo, but among the latest
arrivals In the millinery world aro
wide brimmed velvet hats trimmed
with bands of fur, other narrow bands
of fur being brought down from tho
sides to fasten beneath tho chin. One
model, for Instance, was of brick red
velvet trimmed with skunk, with a
skunk chin strap attached to the brim
beneath a knot of brick red velvet rib
bon. Ermine is also being used for
the purpose, but its peculiar yellow
white color is not particularly becom
ing to even tho mo3t perfect of com-
plexlons.
Modes for Demi-Season Wear
IF ever thero was a season in which
millinery modes wero more becom
ing than, thoso recently designed (for
present wear), the memory of It lin
gers not in the mind of the oldest In
habitant. These lovely "between sen
sons" hats promise well for tho later
designs und are so captivating and so
inexpensho that almost anyone may
indulge in them for the sako of
variety In headwear if for nothing
else.
"Variety 1? tho spice of life" more
truly in tho matter of headwear than
In any other apparel The hat is the
keynoto of tho toilette. It is tho most
important finishing touch', and finish
ing touches aro to bo rolled upon to
givo character and distinction in the
matters of dress 'j he between-sea-sons
hat lends an Inspiration to its
wenrer, who has grown tired of her
winter millinery and finds it too early
to buy a strictly spring hat.
The deml-scason hat3 (as milfinera
call them) are made of silk, satin,
moire, mallno and fancy braldB most
ly There Is novor any telling what
will bo evolved next by tho clover
people who think out our headwbar.
Just now they aro exploiting tho fab
rics just mentioned, with Jet am
Bmall flowers and Bmart feathera for
trimming. Heads and tho metal laces,
llttlo bunches of small fruits, and
many jot ornaments, such ub are in
tho shops in profusion, come In fot
much consideration also.
The threo hats shown hero aro fine
examples of the newest modes. They
are rather small, but are not worn as
low on the head as our winter hats.
They fit snugly and may bo kept in
placo without a pin
Among the now models are shapes
that are worn at qulto a tilt to tho
right. Others set almost squarely on
tho head, but drooping, close-fitting
brims at the right, which curve up
ward at tho loft, glvo them tho ap
pearance of being posed at a rakish
angle. This pose carried to tho ex
treme, almost covers the right eyo.
Thoso who aro inclined to bo face
tious declare that tho right eyo Is not
being worn at present. Tho poise of
the lint is a thing to bo decided by
individuals for themselves There aro
hats for those who liko the straight,
pose and hat3 for those who llko tho
tilted pose In selecting one the Idea
of its designer should be considered.
If it was mado to bo worn tilted it
will not look well placed In nny other
way.
In choosing a hat for wear now
and during the early spring (that is
during that period whon we nro wait
ing for spring) one cannot go wrong
if hats of the same materials as those
shown hero aro selected.
-IULIA BOTTOMLEY.
