Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-11-18
I STREET CAR RIDE.

B B Life WAS full Of care one afternoon last
week. i did not 60 and stand upon the
bridge and look down into the river; there
were several reasons. He who has seen the
Los Angeles river il the dry season knows
the Inconsistency Of such poetical pro
cedure. the fine thread Of the summer stream
having served 40 theme for local jokes ever
since the gringo came to the pueblo, expect
ing to see steamboats, thereon. No, the.
bridge and the reverie would never do, 80 q
sgnaled street car and crowded on board.
A street car ride not infrequently is PA
tience'' without the music, or lesson on
heroism from life's textbook; it is also good
for the blues. 49, a .~ r..
There was one vacant seat and gratefully
scrambled into it.. The other occupant was
u serious-eycd Chinaman, who carried his
car fare IN his ear. mechanically wondered
why this did not obtain among women. A
tors time in locating her poclset, and two
additional minutes are spent in Identifying
her nickel a;uong the collection of old jewell
~ and manicure articles which she carries
about with her in her purse. | was IN no
mood for talking, and was glad that my near
est nelghhor was not an intormatlon-seek-
ing tourist.
In the seat in front of US were youth and
maiden. The youth wore a towering collar,
and the maiden's hair was picturesquely d.
sheveled all about her ears and her eyes and
the nape OF her neck. They talked art. She
lust lived for art. Bits of important intor-
nation frequently drifted back to me. l
learned that the modern French school was
mere fad; that the Copeley prints were of
but ordinary merit; also, that Gibson had
done "some' good things. The young lady
with the couture of Will Bradley poster
said that her teacher said that Rembrandts
shadows were just full of bitumen. And
Whistler-Whistler is all the rage now, and
SO funny and picturesque and all that-just
| loads his brush with bitumen and drags it
over the canvas. She didn't use it, indeed
not! And she did wish'he would come out
real soon and see the picture she had just
fnished-everyone said it was just grand
and the frame alone cost over $47. A land
scape with figures. No, oh no, she did not
do it from nature. 1t was such bother to
paint out of doors. At the next street this
dazzling young artist and John Ruskin- ora
critic got off; the youth of the high collar
rolled cigarette and strobe to the rear plat
FORM closed my eyes and began to feel
cheerful.
The vacated seat was next occupied by
large lady, who carried basket, an assort-
ment of bundles and . bouquet of callas.
Her silence and her breadth were appre.
ciated.
But above the jingle and jolt Of the car
two voices from the seat behind me were
gradually heard. The car rushed on and the
two voices became positively distinct. Two
men were talking together, frankly, man to
man, little dreaming of q feminine listener.
A man is always interested when he is talk
ing to another man, so deliberately lis
tened. They were discussing most i'm
portant question, and it was not the re-
tention of the Philippines. The deep voice
said: "Well, you want to take fresh Ham
burg, nice, fresh one, and little salt, and
an onion-and just little garlic, just a
little, and cook it over gas burner--and
say!-Oh! certainly, you want bottle OF
beer; and some rye bread-well, it's out of
sight! Your brown breakfasts and your
pink dinners aren't in i'll" Then he of the
Deep, sweet voice made answer: :"Well,
that's all right-but give me plenty of
garlic, a plenty. I'm 6end for garlic"
Not having turned and looked at these two
self-confessed garlic eaters is now matter
of permanent regret. Their voices were so
deep, so impassioned, so enthralling! And
yet they were eaters of garlic! Their dis
appearance was sudden and their seat was
taken by two violet-perfumed ladies, who
exchanged descriptive catalogues of all the
servants who were, or ever had been, in
their employ. There is one thing vastly more
interesting than mistress idea of her serv-
ant; it is the servants idea Of her mistress.
The large lady, with her basket, her bou-
quet and her bundles, got off at the next
stop and gentleman and his son took her
seat. The gentleman was small, quiet man,
with STOPPING shoulders, and he carried a
large and dusty valise. The son was hand
some and vivacious and of about the age of
five. He will be lawyer. The father paid
his fare to the conductor, and was immedi-
ately required by his son to furnish answers
to a set of 10 direct questions in reference to
this act, Immediately followed by an ex-
haustive cross-examination The father was
patient and the son was enthusiastic. At
last, the son turned his eyes from the glo-
rious person Of the blue-coated conductor
and searchingly, unsmilingly looked each
occupant of the car directly in the eyes. He
then looked calmly out of the car window
for two end three-fourth minutes. Then q
lady, with Is feathers on her hat, entered
and took the seat in front of them. The son
saw the feathers, but did not happen to OBJ
serve the lady. The feathers aforesaid evil
IDENTIFY made him homesick and triAe
reminiscent. He pointed his chubby, dirty
finger directly at them, and, in an anxious
and distinctly audible voice, asked: PA,
is that my mas HAITI" Even the melan-
choly-looking Chinaman smiled. The en-
| barrassed father invited his son to be good
and look out of the window and see the
pretty houses. The son dutifully hushsd,
but he kept his eye on the feathers.
| And then there came woman in black.
/ Her very ani1earanna aside. frnm the mat.