The Saint Paul globe., 1898-11-13
An Evening in LONDON.

article. 1t win contain not even anything
new There ara many phases of life that
are the same the world over, OF course. but
In some parts of the world there are some
! particular phases that perhaps are more so
| than in others
At any rate, to an American, London by
night presents the familiar old scenes and
incidents" in light possibly not seen else
wnere To start cut from ones chambers
Tor dinner In thick wet, dirty night, with
no more company that the faithful umbrella.
ana with no deinite plan for dining or pass
ing away the evening. surely gives me. al
least. more of a sense of loneliness in Lon
aen than in any city l have ever been in
except Liverpool
In London one feels powerless to throw OF
this feeling. Nature herself seems to show
/ her lack OF sympathy. She throws great
Jumps OF SCOT at you and most OF 1t sticks.
She drizzles a nasty moisture clear through
you She withholds any refreshing stir OF
air and says you will have to get through
| the best way you can. The passing horses
spatter mud all over you. The fickering.
aim street lamps barely shed light enough to
| save your life at street crossings. and their
taint reflection in the sea Of mud on al
the pavements only deepens the gloom all
round YOU
Where shall l dine tonight" you ask
yourself as you skate along humping UNI
breilas with more sad serious people trying.
like yourself, to keep the inside Of the side
walk where there is less chance OF getting
! large doses of flying muck.
Shall il be the Princess, the Royal. Cri-
| terion. Trocadero. HolboEn. or where?'
It is the same old story and usually ends
the same way. "h matters little. anyway. q"
you think. Guess I'll turn in here" anA
\ so you land anywhere and are thankful to
| be In any place except the street.
Waiter I almost shouted IS / got a
/ table. Bring me a newspaper. pleaser'
| SO / locked through the "tonights enter
tainments' and TO my joy found new bal
let on at the Empire. R. C. Knowles TIE
American who is supposed by Londoners TO
! be very funny. was also on the list. Where
| Knowles halls from l know not. but he made
hit here come time ago because he is an
American posing as saying funny things. and
| the American who says things intended to
| be funny surely goes" here. We have a
/ great reputation. OF course. for being clever.
! Well we are clever. but the German funny
men who at present surpsss us in wit have
not yet the reputation so in London they
could not be expected TO go"
Notwithstanding the many times here o.o-e
I have been disappointed IN anticipat. ng
something really fresh from Knowles, l was
glad he was to appear tonight, for / c5u'd
have the pleasuree OF anticipating again. So
my dinner went down as so many have gone.
In mechanical sort Of a way, and began
skating again toward Leicester square.
Hello. dear. have you dned2"
1t was a petite blonde who had stepped up
to my side and looking straight at nae.
Yes, thank you," answered
so have T. she said. and I told her
hoped she enjoyed It.
Can I 90 with your" was the next uucs-
ton
mo. thank YOU" answered again.
Got a rendezvous2"
yes"
Sure you'll have pleasant EVENING""
Hope so, surely"
mot certain of It? Better break itSff and
come with me-"
No, thank you. Good night"
Wont you comet
Good night"
Good night. dear Some other time per-
haps''
Good night"
By this time I was nearly to the theater
Good evening. darling. Going to the En-
pire?'
This time another blonde. 1 tried to swerye
out and get around her. but she was under
my umbrella before I could do 1t.
Going to the Empire?"
Yes"
Must you go7"
Yes. Must"
Won't you change your mind?''
Nope. can't. Got an appointment. Good
night"
Good night"
and went into the promenade What Amerl-
can. or rather what American OF my seq
does not know the Emr Ire before he leaves
London7 II is called variety theater. II
Is quite varied. II you pay seven shillings
you can get a reserved seat down stairs,
and either sit in 1t or walk all over the
house II you pay five shilhngs you can
take any vacant seat the first balcony or
30 anywhere higher up. And so on, until
you come to the masses" who start the
applause up in the heaven. They-the masses
have 10 remain in the heaven. And / do
believe their perch has more Of the heaven
ly atmosphere about It, even with its smoke
than the first balcony. for example For be-
hind the first balcony seats is the promenade.
whore sit and stand only one kind Of women
and many kinds OF men.
These women do not belong to England a
noble lords and gentlemen. You find that
very select kind Of property In the boxes
You also find in the boxes mothers and
daughters who have good homes and much
10 live for. But it is better taste for them
TO take seven shilling seats where Il ia
quite comfortable for anybody to see them
and bow TO them. Ladies in the boxes are
too apt TO be stared at. as at the opera in
Paris, and this is sometimes uncomfortable
Besides. there are the costly establishments
In the next box, and there might possibly be
some confusion between the two boxes IN the
mind OF somebody who does not know YOU
and this is always trying So it is best TO
take your wife or daughter down into ordi-
nary seven shilling stalls
OF course, II you 90 alvne II makes little
difference where you sit, that Is, IL you
have Travelled about the world little. II
you haven't travelled. and sre quite new to
things. | advise by all means the promenade
Nobody viii speak TO you there unless you
invite II. and you will find only politeness.
fna dresses. and a general regard for your
particular fanciss. whatever they may be.
And IL you wish 10 talk to any Of the un-
happy faces above the stylish dresses you
will End you will scarcely strike theme that
viii not apparently stir responsive chord
For they have learned a great deal and for
gotten little.
Several years ago I crossed in a Cunard
with q demHre young woman from Phila-
deIphia who said she was coming to London
70 visit relatiOns- II was evident she knew
London. but all her fellow passengers learned
OF her was that she was travelling alone and
coming TO friends. She was not over twenty
with rosy cheeks and pretty face. The first
evening in London (xs Landed Saturday I
saw her walking about IN the Empire
theater She dsdn't seem quite at home. bat
still had been there before
Tonight l saw the same young woman in
the same place again. and Ehat was healthy
blood In the cheeks q few years ago was
tonight paint and cosmetics What was then
troubled face is bow a sad and unhappy
one.
Tbe Anglo-saxon woman seams siFa-a,,