Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-03-23
4 STREET CAR RIDS:

week. l 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 poeticaj pro-
cedure, the fine thread OF che summer stream
having served as thenle for local jokes ever
since the gringo came to the pueblo, expect
ing to see steamboats, thereon. No, the
bridge and the reverie would never do, so l
signaled street car and crowded on board.
A street car ride not infrequently is "Pa-
.tience' without the music, or lesson on
heroism from life's textbook; it is also good
for the blues.
There was one vacant seat and gratefully
scrambled into it. The other occupant was
serious-eyed Chinaman, who carried his
car fare IN bis car. mechanically wondered
why this did not obtain among women. A
woman takes three minutes of the conduc-
TORS time in locating her pocket, and two
additional minutes are spent in identifying
nv and manicure articles which she carries
about with her in her purse. l was in no
mood for talking, and was glad that my near
est nelghhor was not an informatlon-seek-
ing tourist.
In the seat in front Of us were youth and
q maiden. The youth wore towering collar
and the maiden's hair was picturesquely d.
sheveled all about her ears and her eyes and
the napc of her neck They talked art. She
Just lived for art. Bits of important infor.
nation free uently 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 Gibson hac
done "some' good things. The young LADY
with the couture of Will Bradley poster
said that her teacher said that Rembrandt>s
shadows were just full Of bitumen. And
Observation-Disclosures is all the rage now, and
SO funny and picturesque and all that-just
loads his brush with bitumen and drags 1t
over the canvas. She didn't use it, indeed
not! And she did wish he wouldto out
real soon and see the picture she had just
fnished-everyone said il was just grand
and the frame alone cos. over 81. A land
scape with figures. No, oh no, she did not
do it from nature It was such bother to
paint out of doors. At the next street this
dazzling young artist and John-Ruslsin- ola
critic got off; the youth of the high collar
rolled cigarette and strobe to the rear plat
form. I closed my eyes and began to feel
cheerful.
The vacated seat was next occupied by a
large lady, who carried basket, an assort-
ment of bundles and a bouquet of cailas,
Her silence and her breadth were appre.
ciated.
But above the jingle 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 together, frankly, man to
man, little dreaming of feminine listener.
A man is always interested when he is talk
ing to another man, SO | deliberately lis
tened. They were discussing most I'M
portant question, and it was not the re-.
sention of the Philippines. The deep voice
said: swell, you want to take fresh Ham.
burg, nice, fresh one, and little salt, and
an onion-and just a little garlic, just Z
little, and cook it over gas burner-and
sayl--Oh! certainly, you want bottle of
beer and some rye bread-well, it's out Of
sight! Your brown breakfasts and your
pink dinners aren't in It'll" Then he Of the
Deep, sweet voice made answer: "Wel1,
that's ali right-but give me plenty Of
garlic, plenty. I'm a fend for garlic"
Not having turned and looked at these two
,elf-confessed garlic eaters is now mattes
of permanent regret. Their voices were sc
deep, SO impassioned, SO enthralling! And
yet they were eaters of garlic! Their dis.
appearance 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 bcen,, in
their employ. There is one thing vastly mort
interesting than a mistress idea of her serv.
ant; it is the servants idea Of her mistress.
The large lady, with her basket, her bou-
quet and her bundles got off at the next
seat. The gentleman was small, quiet man,
with STOPPING shoulders, and he carried
large and dusty valise. The son was hand
some and vivacious and Of about the age Of
five. He will be a lawyer. The father paid
his fare to the conductor, and was immedi-
ately required by his son to furnish answers
to set of 10 direct questions in reference to
this act, Immediately followed by an ex-
haustive cross-examination. The father was
patient and the son was enthusiastic. At
last, the son turned his eyes from the glo-
rious person of the blue-coated conductor
and searchingly, unsmilingly looked each
occupant of the car directly in the eyes. lie
then looked calmly out of the car window
for two and three-fourth minutes. Then &
lady, with Is feathers on her hat, entered
and took the seat in front of them. The son
saw the feathers, but did not happen to OBJ
serve the lady. The feathers aforesaid evt
IDENTIFY made him homesick and trifr
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 melah.
choly-looking Chinaman smiled. The EN-.
barrassed 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.
And then there came woman in black.
Her very appearance, aside from the mat
ter of clothes, proclaimed her widow, and
she was so much occupied with her grief
that she gave but slight attention to tho
child, wee bit of a girl, with her. The
child Immediately made friends with tho
small 10y and expressed by actions her wish
to get her chubby fingers into his hair. The
boy must have had baby sister at home for
he understood the little ones motions and
Immediately consented to romp. He
raced up and down the aisle, steppinq on