Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-10-12
A REVERE.

One warm summer evening / came
up the steps from the basement supper
room Of my boarding house, and sat on
the curb-stone. The building, like every
other for block up and block down,
was one Of a row, and raised lis three
browRsione stories. as the others did
theirs, upon one Of Chicago north-side
avenues--one that is common eno6gh,
where il leaves the river. to boast DR.
Pnce's Baking Powder Factory, aud
choice enough, where lis asphalt pave
merit rolls into Lincoln Park two miles
further north, to be accounted a
thoroughfare of dignity and splondor.
The neighborhood of 139, where lived,
was about half way from the river to
the Park; and while it was eminently Of
"a boarding house character, still il felt
UNNECESSARILY superior in appearance
and respeetabilty to Chuck Street,
as the lower part of the avenue was
called. The stone steps and balustrades
leading to front doors in the vicinity of
1879 were always secured with pumice-
stone on Wednesday and Saturday
afternoons, whatever the weather The
patrician manaions few blocks TO the
north might have marble porte coeberes
and plate-glass Conservatives, bur they
didn't have whittier stone steps than we
| have no doubt this was comfortable
reelection 10 many Of US.
As the neighboihood Gpisbed lis
supper it came out on the street as l
had dopo, ard iounged on steps and
curbings and area-railings. while the
twilight lasted. The early evening hour
is the pleasantest in the day for dwell
lers in boarding house districts. Then
the grind Of work is over, and the city
has roared itselfto comparative Stiffness
in the distance; so the boarding house
I person, especially the young boarding
/ house person, smootas his brow for an
interval of relaxation. What ripping
! laughs, what quiet condolences, what
tariff arguments, One might feel al
most al home there then. Anyway, the
lump in ones throat that references to
q real, distant home brought, wouldn't
be SO big then as at other times. Per-
! Laps some gentle angel has made it her
task TO visit the boarding-hou district
just as the day is dying, that the
sojourners therein may be soothed with
the quiet breathing OF her wings
Presently the band walked in from
Ontario street, and began the skirt
Dance from fast. There was COM
mon feeling Of proprietorship between
our band and the neighborhood Of 1885,
The neighborhood thought it owned the
band, and the band thought it owned
the neighborhood Another band used
to come in sometimes from Superior
street, a block above. but il wasn't en-
couraged to come often We didn't like
to encourage bands other than our own,
for then ours got jealous, and would
stay away for week. The second
fiddle was played by little Italian boy
with whom some spinal disease had left
painfully distorted body; perhaps that
was what gave his dark eyes such a
shy, pleading look. 1t was the swarthy,
thick set fellow that played the harp
who came with his hat for nickels at
the concerts end; he could speak a
little English, and at such times would
CALAMITY say: "Goota eve neeng,
Meeses an Signors, he ees vsr'a fin a
day tonight. yes?" In all there were
/ four or FIVE in the band, good natured.
smiling fellows that sold fruit all day
and twanged and sang half the night:
not over clean nor well-clothed. and
often smelling strdhg of garlic. When
the diverting strains of the skirt
Dance" or Comrades began. a great
many children would suddenly turn up
from nowhere in particular, as if a pied
piper had sounded his reed; aud then
the laughing and dancing and chasing
and playing All but sister and little
brother from over the bakery round the
Clark street corner they sat on the
sidewalk and watched and listened
Little brother head was large and apt
to sag, and his face always wore the
same duh look am afraid he WASH
very bright When one tune ended,
sister would wipe little brothers nose
and wait cheerfully for another to begin.
When the neghborhood had enjoyed
the cool Of the street front for hall
/ hour or SO. darkness was creeping IN,
aud lines Of lights We're seSiuning t
wink and glitter along the streets. The
groups On the areas ard doo,steps Were
, thinning. as the boarders driftcd apar
for NE night. The good looking yoang