The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-27
WOMAN ABOUT TOWN.
washington Post0

Speaking of angels makes me think or
Il small damsel who lives in Georgetown,
She is only three years Old, or there
about, and her mother took her to Il
matinee once this season to see Jack and
the Beanstalk." A week or so after
ward she was discovered pirouetting and
lifting her petticoats before cheval
glass. Her father reproved her and told
her it wasn't pretty way to do.
why" said the child, II saw the an
gels do it,
'"Thc angels" exclaimed the father,
why, whcreT'
When mamma and | went TO heaven
that day" said the child.
The father explained that the fancied
heaven was only the theatre. The little
girls face fell.
And wasn't dem angels" she asked.
mo" said the father, they were just
girls"
The child put on an air of intense dis
gust.
'Well,' She said. Il fink they ought to
be taxed home and spanked. cause they
wasn't dressed any more than angels"
1t is a little late in the year for New
Years stories. but this is one | heard
only yesterday. The heroine of it. is Il
Washington woman, and her husband
who has an Irish name. is theatrical
manager. They were in Boston at the
end of one year. and Mrs. O'Neill-l
might just as well tell you her name and
be done with it--spent the last evening Of
December in meditation. Just opposite
the hotel where she was staying she
could see the lights of n chapel, and as
midnight drew near she heard voices
singing. Her husband. coming in before
the new year had drawn half a dozen
breaths. found her on her knees.
HUSH she said. Don't you hear
the priests chanting"
'Where? asked Mr.. O'Neill.
'In the chapel across the street"
Mr.. O'Neil went to the window and
looked out. Then he was rude enough
to laugh.
That's not a chapel" said he. That's
the Press Club, and they're singing We
Won't Go Home Until Morning.
They were standing near me Mt the
COUNTER and l couldn't help but hear.
Talk about hard luck" said the girl
with the hot chocolate, II know a wo
man who had an awful thing happen toI
her over in New York
20 do tell me about it." gurgled the
girl with the ice-cream soda.
We'll" went on the chocolate girl
'she's not wealthy at ali, you know, and
She doesn't keep n nurse. so one day.
when she had to so down town shop
ping, she took her baby and left it at one
of these day nursery creche places.
They gave her check for it. and she
went off shopping. She didn't come
back to the creche till late in the after
noon. and when she went to take out
the check it was gone"
Good gracious!' said the girl with
the ice-cream soda, looking shocked
What did she do?''
WELL" went on the chocolate girl,
they told her she couldn't take the
baby without a check, and she'd have no
wait till all the other babies were taken
away, and then she could have what
was left So She waited for hours and
hours, till all the babies were gone but
one. and when she went TO get that
well, the only baby left was colored
baby
20. how perfectly awful exclaimed
the girl with the ice-cream soda, in ac-
cents of horror. What did she do?
Wasn't she perfectly frantic? My good
ness, how horrible! Didn't she ever get
her baby back again? | should think
shed have been perfectly crazy. What
did she do?"
o. said the chocolate GIRL coOlly,
''she took the colored b.Aby. 1t was
hers. She was colored, you know"
And in the silence which followed, I
could hear the swapping of the bonds of
a tender and lifelong friendship.