The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
VOICES IN THE SHAFT.
Some Passages in Diplomacy and Comments
by the Tenants on the Absent.

by the tenants On tne <tDstht
AZ should never have known anything about
the spread Of information up and down the eleva-
tor shaft" said the top fat woman IF my house
keeper had not gone away on vacation and
had not been trying TO convince my small but
picturesque family that scrambled eggs and fried
potatoes contain all the hydro cartoons and pro-
teids and all the rest Of the really important feat
ures of square meal. l missed the begin
ming of the conversation but il seemed To be the
case that after the ashes had been sent down the
second floor lady improved the opportunity to
assure the first floor lady that she thought tina
the woman the third floor intended to be away
over September also, and here she was back at
the end Of August. and probably II was because
her money had run out II is an interesting con
tribution TO philoogy that seems TO have escaped
Prof Basil Gildersleeve and the other learned
lights at Johns Hopkins that in such air and ele
yator shafts conversations the person addressed
is always lady and the person under discussion
is always the woman of such and such fiat
"That's very likely reoined the first floor
lady And they say she drinks like fish, too
The janitor tells me that soon as il gets dark
she PUSHES the can something awful and he ought
TO know beca use she called him down for taking a
pull at il when il came in at the front door
What a shame it is said the sccond-hoor.'
| q always say II you can't have your grocer send
Won half a dozen bottles you ought TO bring the
GROWER in at the cellar and send it up the eeva-
tor You've no call TO bring II in the front way
| and give the apar tments a bad name You might
Just as well live in tenement house and be done
with il pity that poor girl of hers that she sends
out with the tin. It's shame, that what il isl
But here the shaft door of the third floor opened
| and the lady under discussion prepared to
take share in the debate
| GOOD morning to both OF you below she said.
| I'm Just back from the sea and I'm mighty glad
| to get back can tell you was at a place where
| you couldn't get any beer for love nor money.
| So I'm glad 10 be back in my own home again
| where can have what want and when want
| IT, and nobody's business And | was hearing
| what you was saying Just now about the woman
| that lives on top Of me. She must be getting
| worse didn't know it was that bad with her
| that she was in the way of chasing the duck up
| thefront stairs But then you ought To be charit
able Sure its more than once that both of yous
have sent up 10 me in the evening and never aake
whether the grocer had failed To bring ii whether
| yous had drunk II all up during the day and had
I none left though a dozen of beer Is pretty big
swig before dark comes and then ! never thought
| anything about sending out the can, Just SOS IN
| be ncighborly. But I'm sorry to hear what you
| do be saying about the woman above, such a
| decent woman in appearance too, and she docsn I
| put on any airs though she does have a
| cook and calls her housekeeper.
| Indeed we have much 10 thank you for said
| the second floor Excuse me, mann TO the first
| floor didn't notice that you was talking. Go on,
| please
"'Oh, never mind me, ma'am,' replied the FIRST
| floor WASN'T going To say anything particular
| only what you was saying, too. But it's shame
that the lady couldn't get her beer in the country
| after the doctor had told her that she must build
herself up II would be well II all folks was as
temperate in what they drink as she is She's an
| ornament to the apartments and not like some thai
would make you think they never had lived but in
tenements where theyrush the growlern at the from
door and never think anything Of it It's shame
and IL the janitor doesn't do something surely
one should speak to the agent about il l would
myself only don't want TO remind him that the
September rents due.
"'True for you ladies, said the third floor lady
I have to be very temperate in my condition NJ
health the doctor tells me must It's big stroke
Of fortune that can't get drunk; not bit Of IL
Sure the first pint that goes To my mouth it goes Il
my head, that II does Then I want more, n
course as who wouldn't? Then they give m,
buttcrmiIk or any old thing and never know tn,
differ; it's all one To me- It's great blessing, in
deed II is But the poor woman upstairs II
have to speak to her and she such lady and with
| a housekeepcr. too