172 THE I^OGY DAYS AND NOW : 



AN OLDEN TIME FOX CHASE. 



T 



HE people of to day have a greater variety of amusements, 

 than in the olden times, and I suppose their amusements 

 must be attractive to them ; but I wouldn't give one good old 

 time fox hunt for all of theirs bunched up into one big show. 



As to their germans, I can't form an opinion, for I never 

 saw one. The base ball I dont understand ; think the old town 

 ball is good enough. As to their clubs and secret societies, 

 I care nothing about them ; I dont like the secret business. 

 When I get hold of anything good, I want everybody to know 

 all about it. The modern circus has got so many rings running 

 at the same time, I can't see what is going on in one, for being 

 bothered with the others; and even music is now so adulter- 

 ated and diluted with cranky preludes, and foreign variations, 

 innovations, combinations and complications that it is hard 

 to detect a bit of the old simon-pure in it. And now they have 

 o-ot to having canine exhibitions on the stage. (The theater 

 has gone to the dogs sooner than I expected.) Recently a 

 dog-gone professor introduced a parcel of imported whelps on 

 the stage in Atlanta. He had along with him a vagabond Irish 

 dog he calls Barney, that stood on his head, and the people 

 thought it wonderful. I would like to know what use, or com- 

 mon sense, or skill there is in a dog standing on his head. A 

 good sensible dog, in our day, would have refused to have 

 made such a fool of himself. Then this professor of dogs had 

 these dude poodles dressed up in silks and streaming ribbons, 

 parading the streets, drawn by splendid spans of horses, in 



