Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-19
ExILEs IN A&AR kND

fcient size for them. Likewise, they mutual
| ly concluded that Washington was slow.
Furthermore, it struck them both at one
and the same time that there didn't seem
| to be anything doing in Washington.
and the male person of the couple referred
to the capital of the nation as burg of no
speed whatsoever worth mentioning and al
luded to 1t in caustic terms as being all
right in its way. but a Sleepy Hollow at
that-in all of which the wife of his bosom
conceded with him.
"All of which," said the male person of
| the couple. naturally leads up to
New York. of course replied the wife
of his bosom.
Whereupon, after patronizing their Wash
ington friends whole lot, indeed, and tell
ing their Washington friends that they
were sorry to leave them behind in a pokey
old place that didn't know it was alive like
Washington, and declaring in loud and spe-
cific terms. subject to no misconstruction
whatsoever. that New York would be good
enough for them for the remainder Of their
natural lives, they departed for New York
AS they sped out of the station on the train
they reviled Washington unto each other
and remarked that Washington wouldn't
do. and that they were tickled almost fool
ish al the prospect of arriving within a
matter of five hours at point where
they would have every opportunity to get
a run for their money.
Arrived in New York. this pair of Wash
iHS toiiidHS, man ana "lIe, neSll tleu ubl 10
express themselves as being delriously
happy.
Its the only town, amt it?' said the
male person. beaming upon the wife of his
BOSOM
The only town." she echoed
Look at this blaze of lights said the
male person, pointing his cane at the bulb
electric sign over the Broadway pugilists
saloons and the Broadway reStaurateurs
polite-robbery establishments; don't see
blaze of lights like this down in little old
Washington. do you? Real thing, this,
isn't it? Plenty of action here, isn't
there"
oh lots replied the wife Of his bosom.
Great to be in the madding crowd. once
again, isn't it," he went on. pointing out
the surging throngs of beautifully dressed
ing hither and yon in their anxiety to nail
good things in advance of each other.
Don't see people like this in the littlc9old
place down below do you?"
NO she replied. with so much convic
tion as it We're. that he had to look at her
closely to see if she were really enjoying
herself.
Clever bunch, aren't they?" said the
male person of the couple when they took
their first table d'hote dinner at the Blue
Dog restaurant. pointing out the disheveled
artists. the gay and gladstone shoe clerks,
the ladies with great sorrows and futures
behind them mot to speak of their pris
matte hair and their ineradicable complex
ions). the imaginative and imaginary writ
ers. who toll not. neither do they spin: the
pale versifiers with T. Chatterton make
ups, against whom Ito hear the T. Chatter
tons all publishers are leagued in one
vast, cruel conspiracy; the "alienist' physi-
Clans whose practice consists in the writ
ing of LombrnSoistic vaporings for the
New York Sunday saffrons, and all the
rest of the merry, m!rthful, int-of-Linfan-
del-red-ink- ont he-side "Bohemians tor-
tured world. Free. flowing, unconven-
tional natures they have, haven't they?
They put away the petty restraints OF civil
liZation as if the restraints We're not, you
perceive. Childish. bland. brilliant lot,
hey? Don't see folks like them down in
the little old place on the Potomac, do
you?"
No" replied the wife of his bosom. with
an accent so clear and distinct that he had
to look at her again in order to ascertain.
If possible, if she really entering into
the jovial. happy go-lucky spirit of the oc-
casion.
Il wouldn't be back in Washington for
big money would your" he inquired. in or
der to force her to put herself on record
once more.
"Er-no." she replied, In a tone that
didn't seem 20 have any vast amount of
heartiness behind it
"Of course though" she said. after a
while with a forefinger placed bit visit
fully to her lip. washington looks beauti
full at this season. doesn't it,"
"Oh. yes said he, deprecatingly; its
pretty enough little old place-around this
time Of year particularly: it'll do to spend
week or so in-trees all in foliage, lilacs
and snowballs and things in boom-all that
sort o. thing. We never said Washington
wasn't pretty, did We? But it's slow
wonder how we managed to live there con-
tentedly as long as we did. don't you?"
.Ye-er-ye-es.'' answered the wife of his
bosom, but her eyes seemed to be far away.
Look at this zoo. now said the male
person of the couple to the wife of his
bosom when he took her to the Central
Park menagerie the other Sunday; some
thing like 200. isn't it?''
rod of hos; =;
II don't think the scenery's pretty as
the Washington Geological Park do your"
she inquired in sort of mufiied tone.
Emo. blamed if / think it is come to
think of it, said he, scratching his chin
reiiectfvely. That's right-it isn't. But
this is over in New York. you see! Now.
If the Washington Zoo-1 mean the park.
and the situation and all that-were over
here. instead Of adjacent to pokey old
Washington. why
He didn't mention just what the advan-
tage would be. perhaps for an obvious rea-
son.
Thus they went on. Three or four times a
day the male person of the couple would
dwell with great Gf carefully worked-up)
enthusiasm upon the real thingness Uhus
to phrase it, Of existence in New York
as compared with life-"nothing morn hi
bernaton. I'd call it, said he-in Wash
ington. and on each occasion she would
fall in line with a ''ye-es that really APP
peared to proceed from a point not much
nearer her heart than her throat.
1t so happened that one evening not long
ago. as they sat by the front windows Of
their abiding places in New York-he dwell
ing with his usual insistence UPON the
joys of life on Manhattan Island as COM
pared with trusting away" in Washington
and she replying with only an occasional
ye-es''-a band of six or eight colored men,
some of them with guitars and banjos and
mouth organs. went by. singing and play
ing The two young persons from Wash
ington. man and wife. remained very quiet
until the last echo of the music had died
away far no the street.
Sounds like" the man started to say
turning sheepishly to the wife of his BOSOM
and then he observed that she had her
handkerchief folded up into a wad about
an inch in diameter. and that she was dab
bling first one eye and then the other with
the wad.
Sounds like Washington on summer
nights. doesn't it?' said the male person.
with sort Of vacuous grin on his face
kind O. restful and familiar eh?''
Very. replied the wife of his bosom.
continuing to dab at her eyes with her wad
of a handkerchief.
Then they were silent for little while.
Come to think of it. Washington isn't
such bad old place. after all. Is it?" said
he. pulling at reflectivey.
mo. 1t isn't" she replied, decisively.
Dear old Washington
That's right" said he. Dear old Wash
ingtOn'S what | say too"