Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-11

During the administration Of President
Harrison the father Of an Illinois siri had the
good fortune 20 be appointed to an official
position under the government in this city. 1t
modest Office but il took the family to
Washington and changed the whole tenor of
their lives. This young girl had just gralu-
Gted from a country high school near Chicago
and had wonderfully serious views about what
life is and what i. liz TO live as all girl gradua es
are supposed to have. and thought very
earnestly of what she might take up for her life
work.
Then she went TO Washington and was per-
fectly happy in the beautiful gay CITY, She
found cut somehow that it wasn't absolutely
necessary to have life work-not Just then,
anyway. l can't imagine where she got this
bit of philosophy that your work would come
along fast enough and when you didn't have to
work you miSEt just az well play. So she
played and Was happy for three years. Every
body knows how happy one can be in Washing
ton. especially when they come from small
western towns.
When she thought Of the ntte suburban
village it was with a kind of sentiments long
ing 20 see the old place, to so to the little Old
stone church where the boys oil stood in line
just outside the door to see the girls home.
and then the old school houae--she can re.
nieml er the very hooks she hung her sun bon
net on when she frs, started to school. and. Of
course. she had favorile walks and drives--all
these she used to scntime taliZe over ard
cheri.h a longing to revisit them.
In an evil hour she allowed herself to be will
ing to leave the beloved city. These are just
few OF her discoveries: She will never be happy
until she's back in Washington: that there's no
place in the world ike il. no CITY can compare
m hat all m,
imagine all sorts of things about old stone
churches and favorite walks and drives, but
when you have gone back TO the scenes OF your
youth you find that the old stone church is
little and ding and even the boys don't
awaken any enthusiasm. the school house does
no; bring up pleasant reflections and the walks
and drives arc so tame When size rem mbers the
delightful outings she took in the city of many
carriages.
Every individual she meets has the same re-
mark to make about arlington broad streets.
1T Is common lace oh ;ervation enough. but it
leads up to many things. 1t ALWAYS made
nv poor friend homesick. From the streets
and avenues her thoughts go to the horses and
carriages. the people, then the pictures of
gaye;y, wealth and luxury, contentment. pride
fame and almost everything else that you can
see IT Carriages. From ;hese recoections her
thoughts wander to he general idea of happi-
ness and good cheer which characterizes the
place. and the leisUrelv atmosphere which en-
abies people to be lazy quito comfortably
withou; any little twinges of conscience.
She's homesick for it all. She's tired OF doing
her duty. Shes weary of being so busy and in
such hurry. She is Gui. e ready 10 for get that
she ever had any indie endent id as. She
wonders il its because shes woman that she
gets homesics and longs for the old sights and
sounds.
Really, her case is quite pathetic. 1t is
pathetic enough to think of the number Of
really fine and good people who viii turn their
Fad faces from Washington to less bright and
invi ing scenes OF labor so very soon. but it 8
almost stddening to think of her-so lonely and
horeiess.
She realizes so keenly that she will never re-
turn 50 the same place. Ii will all be differ
ent and she would be just As home-ick as she is
now. She thinks about all these things in the
dark after she has read letter from her father
te Ing OF his plans after HE '.resionat ton"
She has dreams and reveries and memories and
rctrospections over Register in boarding
house. Her one comfortable thought is a phil
an .hropic one. She hores thai her fathers
successor will Lave a daughter who will enjoy
life a. much as she did. But that isn't 20 very
phi,an;hroric after all. for in four years she
viii have to leave and she will be homesick.