Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-07
TIE CITY IN sUMnER.
Richard W. Cider, {" The Old Cdbiast,") /
ScTfbHer's for Norembsr.I

freedom Of the city. I need not tell you that
we revived at once. There is really nothing
more refreshing than the city in midsum ner.
OF course, do not mean that life in the out
skirts has anything attractive; You must be
close 70 the throbbing heart of the town, If you
would be cherished by 1t, and love 1t well: Do
you remember what the North wind said to
Diamond?-thst you must be with il, and il
cannot harm you. There is rest on the heaV-
ing bosom of the ocean, but none in the Zap
ping edges of ITS garment
So we found a nook in the very center of the
city. II you should stretch telegraph wires
from each Of the principal points of interest TO
the enc on the opposite side of the town, we
could intercept all the messages. We are within
two blocks of eight hotels, six theaters, three
concert hals, three clubs, Two gas companies,
two public monuments, and one savings bank.
We are within crs door of the central square Of
the city; and within FIVE minutes walk Of the
great dry goods stores; i've minutes from some
OF the best snd not q few of the worst restau-
rants in the world. The most noted and noisy
sire eft in America is hardly a stones throw from
our front gate. ! suppose need not mention
such minor COnvenencts as butchers, bakers,
and CsLdlesticE makers; though really there is
little need for the latter, as there is a kind of
match box, in imitation bronze, somewhat in
the form OF q vase, and which, with a little
wadding, can be made to hold candle quite
steadily, and is much prettier and cheaper than
the ordinary market article.
(P. S. The base makes also, an excellent eX-
tDguisher-if you have another candle.l
So you see there is nothing to be desired in
the way of nesrness to anything, though for
e
and take you TO any Of the depots or steamboat
landings, without your having to walk block;
and there, Of course, are the OmnibUses; and,
by the by, there is cab-stand over yonder near
the monument; and the barber is actually next
door. In fact, there is a gate leading from his
hower.garden to ours, which, in some respects,
Is the greatest convenience of all, as YOU may
see from the following verses
Two people once lived in a loft,
Whose names were Confucius and Kitty,
And their friends, with anxiety, oft
fhnfr hanAa araA raTr ,.al a THnu~
pityl"
And they asked them such questions as "Can
You keep dry in your loft when it showers
The reply to which constantly ran:
1.-The barber takes care of the foweTs!'
Then their friends became sad and perplexed,
And declared 1t was really alarming;
But they smiled and they said, "Why, we're
next
To the moon and the stars, and it's charming,
For although when the weather is hot
We pass few tropical hours,
The toasting is quickly forgot
While the barber takes care of the flowers
Though we breakfast on marmalade tea,
And dine on whatever is handy,
Keeping house s no trouble, for we
Can live nicely on lemons and candy.
Though we boast neither camers-hair shs wi :,
Nor Goa hes, nor turrets, nor towers.
Meath our loft are five beautiful stalls,
And the barber takes care of the flOwers."
spoke of the great street as noisy; but al
though it is no near, 1t is a regularity of the
situation that the sound becomes soft and pleas
ant by the time il reaches our ears. 1t has
resemblance to the rOte of the sea, and agree
ably suggests the usual SMILES of the ocean of
humanity, etc; but IL has none of that name
less terror which is in the everlasting roar of
the breakers.
Ist all have to go back to the idea of centrali-
zation, II was afraid Sd ould forget something
new company had just opened its Office
around the corner; and if we want anything
done, all that we have to do is to 'send tor a
cOmmissiOnaire." We have never yet bad Oc-
cssiOn TO send for commissiOnare, but it is a
satisfaction to see him pushing hand-caTt
easily through the street with fine new
(empty?) trunk in II fresh from the shop; or TO
see him walking briskly along the sidewalk,
with spectacles on his nose, and general at
mosphere OF translation about him, and to
know that you can have him at any moment TO
polish your stove, or look up the proper quota
ton from the classics.
summer evening in the city is worth rid
ing long distance in the cars, every day, 10
enjoy. The people who come out of their
houses and sit on the front steps are so good
nstured ard happy; there air of enjoy
ment, a gOOd-fellOs ship and lack of restraint,
that y6u 90 not always ind in the country. The
front steps are thronged, and you SEQ groups
taking the air in queer, out of the-way terra
ces and balconies. You hear voices above you,
and looking up find that the fiat roof of the one
story wing of the bakery has railing around
1t, and the children are up there having good
time. Although even next-dCOr neighbOTs do
not know each others names, still 1t Is beautiful
to observe the subtle and decorOus companion
ship between the three young ladies in the bal
cony on the north side of the street and the
halt-dozen young gentlemen on the porch Of
the boarding house on the south side.
H. the square ii Is different. Mr.. LathrOp
says that Trollope has but one method of indi-
eating mans affection for a woman; that is,
by maxim & him put his arm around her waist.
Mr.. Lstbrop seems to think this superficial in
Mr.. TTollOpc; but, whether superficial or not,
can imagine an authors getting to very much
OF this opinion by frequentiDg unduly the
squares OF large cities. IL may be, however. the
other way; 1t is barely possible that this is what
comes of reading the works of a superficial au
thor Ike JrOllOpe. Really, when you once be-
come as unabashed in the contemplation, as
these young people are in the enjoyment, there
is something delightful in the simplicity and
sincerity of this method. They sit there for an
hour at time, saying little or nothing, either
with his arm around her waist, or else hand-in-
hand, and looking you serenel y in the eye, with
out the slightest self-consciOusness or fdistur-
bance, as you pass backward and forward be-
tween their bench and the fountain. There is
sort Of freemssonry among them; for you
Will observe that when couple became tired
Of walking, and sit down, the couple at the
other end of the bench not too pOintedly move
on and leave the coast clear. Happy children
life and death are not all atectation and brim-
stone after sll.
1t is a mistake to suppose that every one goes
out OF town in August. Mr.. McCarty is still in
town, L am sure, for i was talking with him at
the gate, this very evening. He looked fur
lively up and down the street; then turned TO
me and asked, hurriedly, and as If with
haunting sense of guilt
'Cen you tell me, sir, whether your neighb0r
over yonder is still alive?'
he seemed relieved and glad when told him
what the barber had told me; that the sick man
was much better, and there were hopes OF his
life.
''You have dope me a great kindness, sir, ;" he
said, turning ASIDE his face. elf you only knew
how have to go days and days without ever
asking after my dearest friends, when L know
that they are at the very door OF DEATH
l know Dir. McCarty very slightly; but [
think he is most worthy man. L had some
tarlatan fOunces pinked at his undertaking
shop.
sThen there Is the little old Normande, with
her white cap and gray hair, and her " Bon
jour, mon hls;" YOU ring the bell and she comes
down stairs and leans over the counter and
pushes back the catch with a stick; and you
step one side while Antoine leads the horse
through the baker-shop into the little stable in
the back yard. "Maais, la France est I'm beau
| payse, ma belle, ;" she says.
The squares are our summer theaterS; we 60
| every night. At the nearest we have such
| plays as "a Midsummer Nights Dream" but
| there ia one not far of where they play Ham
| let'' and "Othello" At the first, the basin Is
| shallow, and trimmed with heritage and flowers;
! the fountain is CHEEKY, fantastic, ghostly;
4 spreads Itself into exquisite white waving ia
| brics; sends out shining wings; is haunted by
| rainbows; falls with a musical, gentle, dreamy
] a fha tafT ffc eli, vfn