The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
A FRENCH OASIS In TOWN.
PRESENT STATE OF SOME OH CITr
MERCHANTS HOUSE.
a hare sandcd Floor Below ana Solid MaheE-
any FittinEs Above-A Little Hotel whose
Guests Arc Chiefly view Arrivals from

Ernucs-Contrnsts OF Ih surrOunotnEs.
There arc parts OF Now York curiously In
tcrestlng, places far away from the ordinary life
Of tho town, and yet significant Of Its growth.
In such n district. over In tho lowcr west side,
among tenements and cellar shops. there Is
a hotel Of fresh, attractive exterior that seems
oddly out Of place. Tho whole front is bright
and shining new. There arc curtains Of white
dotted muslin gathered evenly across the win
dows, and the cheerful glow and color of tho
holiday wreaths have not yet been taken down.
Lunch, with wine, 40 cents" is lettered In
white on the left-hand window, and the CORE
spending easement bears enlightenment as to
the charge for dinner. Above, across the front
of tho house, tho name of tho hotol is inscribed.
Tho lettering is dono in neat, simple characters.
Nothing else In the entire ncighborhood. take
1t which way you will. shows the least sign OF
any money having been spent on 1t within the
last quarter Of o century. Tho saloons on the
corners look prosperous, Of course. with their
Uaudy signs and red and yellow curtains. but
there is rather the suggestion Of shut.up wick
edness and mystery than of comfort or good
cheer. Further along on the block a disusod
stable occupies. much space Of street front.
The glasses arc hnlf out of the bullseye win
dows In tho upper story, and the masonry about
tho framing Of the wide door and tho windows
below is cracked. and in many places the bricks
have been punched out, three or four together.
Directly opposite the hotel Is q long row OF
houses with iron nligreo work on tho balus-
trades that run along the piazza fronts. Rust
is thick on the iron work and Q general air Of an
tiquity and dingincss pervades them. In the
midst Of these surroundings the outlay Of fresh
muslin, shining paint, and new-style lettering
on the little hotel makes It look like q show place,
and;really homelike and inviting.
The outside of IL ia not moro neat. hut only
more up.to-date than tho inside. When one
gets inside tho low.ceiled dining room one finds
n homely simplicity that savors Of the country.
Whether it Is the big stove standing we'll out
from the fireplace in the centre Of the room, the
long glass doors opening down to the ground
at the back and showing the framing OF an
arbor beyond. or the bare. implanted floor.
fresh from recent scrubbing, that conveys this
impression, it is hard to say. but 1t seems more
like the interior Of some stopping place in the
main square of an old.time country village
than any city establishment. But for the fact
that the men and women who are having a late
luncheon over at one Of the corner tables are
habited in the dress of to-day, and because of a
very modern-looking china skirt dancer on the
mantcl shelf, one might fancy they were In
another age and country. With some sand on
the floor and a peasant or two in wooden shoes
and appropriate dress the picture would DO
COuplClt. lHutCu, liz pllChtTb
on some of the table lock as though other relics
of a former generation Of foreign shores might
the tables is Of Coarse weave. but Clean. and
the tumblers and tableware are of like descrip;,
ton. One or two colored prints on the wall
keep the roguish skirt dancer company.
What patronage keeps this place upi" you
ask, as soon as Opportunity offers, for IL seems
hardly likely that the tenants in the neighbor-
hood would be profitable customers,
ers :" Answers sss the sbee n mistsess Of of tss b ngsneh w lln,
stnut and ahle-handed- has hustled ahOut gery-
They are glad to have a place to come to
They 70 not Know New York, You know.
and they have, not much money. They do not
oTfS an M4Serft t speaks ssAy up pA a i friend end o. Of the the 'p pro.
pristor. who is presumed to understand English.
ue sRs s shsy ,sssy a lG pesr. o 4be1 sG @es iarx h sTo
Some are, much better off than they make out.
I can tell by their manners and the way, they
s S;HS 1 %nSsj,I their people gon sn sTs w ysms Sh; @a : @a in
might be So fixed he must get away from his
mus get away. Here he finds some Comfort.
not so much puddings and pics and sweets as
the the E Esan1s Ii use and TSer MT ak tea fs put te meals s such u M,' as
a little black butter sauce. and parsley, and
vegetables that are good, and then some cheese
gives them good. food for the money they pay
or u rd MEYER ask s1ts what ia w wSss my people }sr 49, t men
them Well, 1 come to find it out, maybe, but 1
never ask. II they do well and have money they
pay me: II they are poor and can't pay, after
hard time with the glass people. the glass blow,
ers and all that; they are put on half time and
too, at This house" she adds. "who stayed for
months and there came no message from their
Pefp aay S S9t at epf this lstf Soase ihf { might If: th nSt PnUSE
their real name ever, but all my people have to
be quiet, orderly people. or they, must go. Ten
out, as a rule; of course, ! Judge how 1t is. They
play cards when the tables are cleared after
dinner. and maybe some one has a violin and
plays for the others. but We have no bar, and no
confusion in this house."
In the summer They eat ont Of doors in the
wine and coffee out there. Coffee is charged for
| extra, but wine is always served with lunch and
here, too-an artist who likes madam's cooking.
and a lawyer; then the agents for these
their meals for a month or so at a time"
IF | went regularly for emigrants to the
steamers could be crowded full all the time.
with people i don't want, maybe" says mad
am. but those who know about this house
tell the right sort about IT and that and the no.
from the, German, part of Lorraine; SO I am of
mixed blood, half one country. half the other.
good black 81 butter sauce for my ash and meats"
sni td bright ali df is ws EYES T FRs r listsp frt to her tSe 9 99ssr.
parent front OF the stove. the homely comfort of
the tables, and the clean.swept bare floor. the
make a pleasant. picture. Yon even get inter
csted in the skirt dancer with that careless
swish OF her petticoats. but the outlook, or rath-
er the nplook from the back windows and from
the arbor outside dispels illusion; The fronts
OF the tall houses In the street b ,ck Of the hotel
are in full view, and surely any foreigner ar
irving at madam's after dark and getting his
first view from one of her back windows in the
morning must feel his heart sink. within him.
There is scarcely an unpatchcd window pane
in sight in all the four tiers Of windows facing
him, and every porch and balustrade. formerly
meant as an ornament to the house 1t belonged
to, is barred and barricaded into a bullying
monstrosity. Even the fire escapes. that may
not be 80 boarded up, are turned into holders
for such household ,appurtonances as may not be
dated bleareyed looking row of dwelling
81 always tell my people not to look out of
the windows" says madame good naturally:
tits apt to give them low spirits. although
she added, II believe in my soul the back OF
this house looks almost as bad. what with tho
blinds hanging by a thread and some OF tho
windows all ratified loose and cracked. TSe
had the front all done over new this spring, but
j haven't got round to the back yet. In sum-
mer. when tho vine is green and that little tree
in the corner puts out. and there's a good crowd
In the arbor, II isn't 80 bad. II they Just don't