The herald., 1898-10-02

s...sssee...s.......:

Life was full Of care one afternoon last
week. I did not go and stand upon the
bridge and look down into the river:
there were several reasons. He who has
seen the Los Angeles river in the dry
season knows the Inconsistency of such
a poetical procedure, the fine thread Of
the summer stream having served a. q
theme for local jokes ever since the
gringo came to the pueblo. expecting to
see steamboats, thereon. No. the bridge
and the reverie would never do, 80
signaled street-car and crowded on
board. A street-car ride not infrequent-
ly is Patience" without the music, or
a lesson on heroism from life's text
book; it is also good for the blues.
There was one vacant seat and
gratefully scrambled into 1t. The other
occupant was serious-eyed China
man, who carried his carfare In his ear.
1 mechanically wondered why this did
not obtain among women. A woman
takes three minutes Of the conductors
time in locating her pocket, and two
additional minutes are spent in identi-
flying her nickel among the collection Of
old jewelry and manicure articles which
she carries about with her in her purse.
I was in no mood for talking. and was
glad that my nearest neighbor was not
an misunderstanding tourist.
In the seat in front of US were youth
and a maiden. The youth wore tower
ing collar, and the maiden's hair was
picturesquely disheveled all about her
ears and her eyes and the nape Of her
neck. They talked Art. She just lived
for Art. Bits of important information
frequently drifted back to me. Learned
that the modern French school was q
mere fad; that the Copeley prints were
Of but ordinary merit; also. that Glib
son had done ''some" good things. The
young lady with the couture Of win
Bradley poster said that her teacher
said that Rembrandt's shadows were
just full of bitumen. And Whistler
Whistler is all the rage now, and 70
funny and picturesque and all that
just loads his brush with bitumen and
drags 1t over the canvas. She didn't
use 1t, indeed not! And she did wish he
would come out real soon and see the
picture she had Just f1nished-everyone
said 1t was just grand-and the frame
alone cost over $47. A landscape with
from nature. 1t was such a bother to
paint out Of doors. At the next street
this dazzling young artist and john
Ruskin- f-a-critic got off; the youth Of
the high collar rolled a cigarette and
strobe to the rear platform. closed
my eyes and began to feel cheerful.
The vacated seat was next occupied
by large lady, who carried basket, an
assortment of bundles and a bouquet
of callas. Her silence and her breadth
were appreciated.
But above the jangle 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 to-
gether, frankly, man to man. little
dreaming OF a feminine listener. A
man is always interesting when he Is
talking to another man, so deliberately
listened. They were discussing q most
important question, and 1t was not the
retention of the Philippines. The Deep
Voice said: "Well. you want to take q
fresh Hamburg. nice, fresh one. and 8
little salt, and an onion-and just q
l-i-t-t-l-e garlic, just little, and cook it
| over a gas burner-and say!-Oh! GER
tainly, you want a bottle Of beer and
some rye bread-well, it's out Of sight!
Your brown breakfasts and your pink
dinners aren't in it! Then he of the
Deep, Sweet Voice made answer: well,
that's all right-but give me a plenty
of garlic, plenty. I'm flend for gar
lic." Not having turned and looked at
these two self-confessed garlic eaters
is now a matter Of permanent regret.
Their voices were so deep, SO impas-
stoned, so enthralling! And yet they
were eaters Of garlic! Their disap-
pearance 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 10
one thing vastly more interesting than
mistress idea Of her servant; 1t Is the
servants idea of her mistress.
The large lady, with her basket, her
bouquet and her bundles, got off at the
next stop and gentleman and his son
took her seat. The gentleman was a
small, quiet man, with STOPPING Shout
ders, and he carried large and dusty
valise. The son was handsome and vi
vacious and Of about the age of five.
TIe will be lawyer. The father paid
his fare to the conductor, and was i'm
mediately required by his son to furnish
answers to a set Of nineteen direct Ques-
lions in reference to this act. immdi-
ately followed by an exhaustive cross
examination. The father was patient
and the son was enthusiastic. At last.
the son turned his eyes from the glorious
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 and three-fourths min
utes. Then lady, with fifteen feathers
on her hat, entered and took the seat
in front of them The son saw the
feathers, but did not happen to observe
the lady, The feathers aforesaid evil
IDENTIFY made him homesick and trifis
reminiscent. He pointed his chubby,
dirty finger directly at them, and, In an
anxious and a distinctly audible voice,
asked: PA, Is that my mas hat!"
Even the acknowledgement China-
man smiled. The embarrassed father
invited his son to be good and look out
| of the window and see the pretty houses.
The son dutifully hushed, but he kept
his eye on the feathers.
At the next crossing the car was
boarded and the aisles blocked by a mob
Of transfer passengers. The conductor
industriously and cheerfully ran the
blockade, from the back of the car to
the front, and then from the front back
| q gain Each time he passed in my vi.