The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-27
A GHOST ON BROADWAY


A GHOST ON BROADWAY.
"What street is this?" asked a thin,
piping voice at my elbow.
What street, indeed white and shiv-
ering with snow and ice; hemmed in by
brown stone and marble piles; fiaring,
crowded, and roaring; mighty artery,
trembling and quakIng with the life
current OF the city continually pouring
through it-gorgeous, terrible, pitiless
Broadway.
turned, and eyed my questioner in
amaZement. Immediately she (tor 1T
was a woman) dropped me courtesy
none of your modern bows, or even a
"Lancer's dip," but genuine, old-fash-
ioned, spreading courtesy; foot brought
out to the right, head bent forward, body
lincliped almost TO the ground, in the
stately reverence of the days of the Rev.
olution.
Fancy the effect of such a salutation on
the corner Of Broadway ana Fourteenth
street, at the hour when the fashionable
tlde was at its fullest, on the modest and
somewhat shametaced man; and then
imultiply (the effect l mean) by the cir
cumstance that this unaccountable
woman wore a trail, an odd hoop, an
undress of embroidered satin, stOmacher
and ruffles Of point-lace, high-heeled
| shoes with buckles, clicked stockings,
| hair white as snow, drawn back from d
somewha wrinkled but pleasing face
under an astounding and impossible
cap, and think you nave it represented
| by x, as the unknown quantity reduced
| TO little more than ciphsr.
| NV hat did you say Was the name, sir p
repeated the antique and unique crino-
| line.
"Trail, clockedts dtstockings-0l beg your
pardon, ma'am. Name, did you say !?
| Broadway, ma'am."
| To my horror, down went the old lady
| in another of those courtesies.
| "Tnank you, Sir. l am Mrs. Adams,
who wrote the letters, you knOW-Mrs.
| Adams, OF the time OF the Revolution.
| I understand there are many and great
changes since my death. l have come
back TO assure myself GU the point, and
would be happy II you would walk down
Broadway with me-
mink of thatl Walk down with that
trail, and those high heels and buckles !!
what would people say to such figure,
even II sae ne was sAos'' n"' "oulu
| Polly say"
"Well, sr," she repeated, 81 am wait.
ing. Is this modern gallantry2
| / offered her my arm.
| She bridled at once:
"Sirl am L parcel OF dTy-goods:
Your hand, II you please"
| OF course, l couldn't gainsay ghost
least OF all, Revolutionary glost-and,
without murmur, took the tips of her
hand Cor ratler, hef mltteh IN nine, ana
started-she holdlng her trail and click
ing her heels as she walked; L bluShing
and terrof-sGIicheh iese we snould meet
Barnum, OF tolly, tlll discovered, TO
my greaV iehcii 'naU LII companion was
Invisible W az o5es Du' hiHe-peopie
passing h1 nH mt.n n1 noAe notiee ,;s, enah ems -
| generaily peeto"Uu ~ iisUte, oalu'
hook-noseu, 9"Fuy fott naieu, h seeuy mah.
| ouudenI! hond ,U;th nn',Hn ,t,.n+ O,ehtple n1'
and eaten NY n1nu s,, WIN d VlsuIer nolo.
"W hats tpa'' "sAeo MFs' ADAMS
breath essly. C,,;o. ..-
1t was ohiJ JounE Cuiooiy, Jul junior
partneri puC MS eloe-M nlsheie, Pee-Iops .
and pateht'leaInels efiueh'5 puZz'eo
Mrs. Adams, Wno sVoou III oouoI as 10
his Species oeclns ne' ne stoppeo
short, quite UNCONSCIOUS that poth MS
patent-4eathers were Oh MIS- ADAMS
! trail.
GLOW do, George! Why, you look
down in the mouth lnls morning. Oid
| woman cave you dose OIL Caudle last
nlElIE Olau W oeS Son9 ohe Sloo III
| tight place beside myself. Governor
| blew me up sky-hlgh; told me in his time
| Young men did something, instead Of
Ioafng around Broadway; and. what
ever the something was, went at it like
n thousanu of BRICK; had more brains
and used less band0line. Fact is, the
naternal is crusty lately. Always is
when he's short. DON'T need to run my
eyesight over the new paper, since can
aiwnys tell when it's hard times by his
nhiz, Meant to ask MIN to she'll out the
dust, as Pm deuced hard up; but alter
Ibis doubling me up in that way hadn't
the pluck. rred the maternal institu-
lion. found itno 90, She's a trump. she
lis but she hadn't tne rocks, jules been
SPREADING herself lately on an India
shawl. and all the old lady's cash went