The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-04

Let your mind wander back to the dreamy
waltz, the scent of natural flowers, the 1.-THE
and graceful dancers whirling over the glisten-
ing floor, the far-away echo OF mirthful laugh
ter coming in from the veranda and the half
ethereal dream that swims before you when
eyes meet and tell that wordless tale OF love.
My dear boy, go back TO the ever calming and
placid influence of half-caught whispers that
mean so much to you and me, and recall if you
can the low pleading for some sweet girls SYM
pathy and devotion. Stop a moment and you
will hear her say, ooh, wot tell; let's go ana
take lemonade
land am blamed for that condition of af-
fairs. L am accused of such enervating situa-
tions. They are all laid at my door.
''Do you not know that there is something in
the Bowery or rather the east side OF New York
that is rs far away from the things that are
understood by the uninitiated as light is from
darkness?"
"What are they, Ned?"
pictures. Wonderful studies that men go
to Italy TO see, magnificent and dramatic COM
positions in real life that the student in Naples
thinks are around him and him only. On the
East Side there is little world of amazing and
startling human tablesux, and but lew artists
know OF them. Go into the alleys at midnight
when full moon is riding in clear sky and
feast your eyes on the sights that pass before
you like panorama. One may go into the
tenement courts and look upward into the
scenery that stands out in the pale light like
gigantic pictures with wealth of stars for a
background. The pathways are sprinkled
with drunken stragglers who have fallen
in the doorways and are sleeping with one
hand on stiletto while the other grasps the
arm OF a brother in crime who fell into dreams
with his friend. Over on the other side the
dim Kicker OF tallow candle marks the win
dow OF q little room occupied by sweater
one OF those unfortunate creatures who toll
away the night working on piece work for
some wholesale clothing-h house. These women
labor until the fingers weary of the struggle
and the mind and body give way to exhaus-
ton. Sometimes they fall asleep until the
cool OF the morning reminds them OF their
poverty and the absence of warmth.
"No artist can pass by these courts without
standing in wonder at the opportunity they
offer for wonderful pictures. The studies in
light and shadow, the glinting rays of moon
light that fall On the groups of men who sleep
on the fire escapes from the ground to the top
story, and the swarthy upturned faces of the
Italians, all add to the composition of the
whole unusual scene. There painters can get
atmospheres and color combined l have
taken artists into these squalid courts and
dark pathways who were amazed at the sights
they witnessed. 1t is thing, fearful and
sometimes inspiring. All, indeed, there is
something on the Bowery besides street gamins
and newsboys. There is a great unsolyed
problem, world of mystery and study of
humanity. Night aud day the struggle goes
on and the denizens wander to and fro as
though there was nothing beyond them-noth-
ing but poverty, bad air and crime.''
Mr.. Townsend crossed his legs, pulled at his
cigarette and with considerable skill drifted
away from the East Side, where Steve Brodie
calls him 'Ned" and the head barkeeper says
Hello, Townie."