The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10


Phyllis says she doesn't see the use of
our always going around together and try
ing to learn how to do the same kinds of
things. She says that after awhile she
might make up her mind to be a police
man, and might not be able to be any
thing but schoolmarm.
Phyllis would make a beautiful police
man, now wouldn't she?
If she should put on one Of those big
helmets they all wear you wouldn't be
able to see anything more of her head
than the ends OF her yellow curls that
hang down her back.
The tails of those big long coats would
drag on the ground, SO 1 suppose Phyllis
would think she was just fixed. But
who would mind anything about what
girl said and what could Phyllis do with
club anyway?
Our policeman took US walking with
him so long as we could stand 1t, and
taught US all about how to behave when
you are on a beat. 1t wasn't anywhere
near so exciting as | expected.
First we went down to the police station,
and when it was time for the other officers
that had been working to go home to
supper, we marched out in squads to take
their places.
We marched eight abreast at first, hold
ing our backs up stiff and straight, all just
exactly alike, and keeping step all the
time.
1t was pretty hard work for Phyllis and
me, but our policeman gave me one OF his
hands to hold on to and gave the other to
Phyllis.
That's the way we managed to get to be
a part of the squad of policemen that
marched along just as If it was machine.
The most important part of being a
policeman is wearing your rubbers all the
time you are on duty.
l guess that's the way you remember
whether or not you are on duty anyway.
II you have your rubbers on you are an
officer, and when you take them off you
are just plain man.
You see if you have your rubbers on
you can go where nobody wants you with
out being heard, and you can just slip
away from where you don't want to be
without anybody knowing you were there.
There is another thing about rubbers.
If you loom up suddenly through the fog
or the dark without anybody hearing you
you look as big as giant. OF course a
thing like thatis great help to an officer 4.
The first place we went was up hill
that is so hard to climb that only very
rlch people can afford to live on it.
There is an awful great big dark house
up there that looks as if it ought to stand
in the middle of a graveyard.
Ugh L wouldn't like to be SO rich had
to live in place like that. When we were
looking at the house woman came out at
a side door and walked into a garden
where some stiff-looking rose bushes were
growing i'll an ugly row.
The woman was brown and old, and she
had on dress that looked about the same
color as the house she came out of.
Phyllis said it made her think of the kind
r htro, hot m he iT1c+
the same color as the places where they
live and the things they have to eat.
The woman walked in among the plants
and she picked up a trowel and dug in the
dirt little. Two men, gardeners guess
they were stood back and watched her,
hanging down their arms.
They looked as if they didn't think the
woman would do anything they couldn't
fix all right again, and as if they felt so
sorry.for her they. would just let her 60
around doing anything that amused her
little.
Phyllis felt sorry too, and she is such
funny girl that she thought a whole lot
about that. She told it to mamma when
we were going to bed, and mamma seemed
to think good deal about it, too.
She said it reminded her of story about
an old Scotch woman who was dying.
The minister talked to the woman and
told her she was going away to beautiful
city, all paved with gold.
He told her there were gates of pearl up
there where she was going, and shining
walls of jasper, and she wouldn't have any
more toll or trouble, but could lust
twang on golden harp and sing psalms
all day.
The poor old woman didn't look very
glad, and so the minister asked her if she
wasn't thankful 10 think she was going to
such a fine place.
The woman Just cried one or two little
tears, and she said no, she wasn't glad.
She said she'd ever SO much rather go to
some kind of place where she could "iust
dig round bit"
A few people asked our policeman how
to go to some street, and when it was night
We had to tell a few boys to go home.
But most of the time it was just walk,
walk, walk, and no talking at all. 1t
seems to be most 'everybody's business not
to talk-most every mans. The bankers