The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-05

| A literary critic has recently said that
boarding house life is too great and too
! vitality American to be treated merely in
caricature. and that the man who can de-
scribe it truly will come near TO giving
US the great American novel.
| This seems to be rather a sweeping
statement. II Is true that nearly every
| adult American has had some experience
in boarding house life. and that a certain
! percentage Of our population lives and dies
I in this environment. But, after ALL IT
| can hardly be permanent part of Ameri-
can life. because the American is a home
/ loving man. and il has been well said that
the boarding house has all the discomforts
of home without its freedom. II this type
OF human habitation is 10 survive it will
have to be perfected and refined into more
than makeshift accepted because nothing
better is at hand. In certain cities. nota-
bly, Washington. the restaurant and the
cheap lunchroom have made serious in
roads on the old-fashioned landlady's bust
ness. This is good and likely to be an in
cressing reform.
The boarding house per Sc is always
more or less demoralizing. There are petty
ambitions and annoying gossip, discord
loneliness, and more or less untidiness and
bad cooking. This comes OF the attempt
TO mix dozen or more people of varying
traditions and temperaments together in an
imitation home. The result is the bicler-
ing and intimate acquaintance OF home,
without the affection and habit which made
these things endurable in family life. The
iandlady is called upon to do dozen things
at once. and cannot give her attention to
any one thing long enough to see that 1t
is done well. The consequence is that
there is no daintiness in serving no per-
lection in cooking. and no punctuality any
where. It is impossible that any other
condition of things should exist in the
great majority of such establishments.
Here and there a woman of rare tact,
ability. and force of character may recon-
ellie Earring elements and direct multitudi-
aous occupations successfully, and there
may be few households, made up of peo-
pie naturally congeniai. in which this
casual association will be delightful. But
these are the exceptions.
OF course. comfortable home is the
most desirable thing to everyone. But 20
long as the world stands there viii be a
big floating population which cannot have |
a home. What Is TO be done with This pop
uiation? VIII it continue to support the |
boarding house or devise something else? |
The probabilities are in favor of the lat |
ter outcome Already there are signs OF |
II ia the air. The young man or woman, |
coming alone TO the city. the elderly widow |
o. unmarried business man, had formerly |
no resource but the boarding house unless |
rich enough TO go to hotel, or posse 5sod |
of friends in town. or able TO furnish a |
separate establishment 1t Is not so nova
days The solitary mortal OF today ear |
hire 2 room. furnished OF UNFINISHED. and |
make Is as much or as little OF home as
seems desirable. Meals may be cooked in |
the ROOM over a gas stove, or taken In a
restaurant Just around the corner more
cheaply than any landlady could furnish I
them. The keeper OF the lodging house,
relieved OF the care Of preparing meals for
a dozen people and the responsibilities OF
catering. can keep all the rooms fresh and
clean. The household, not coming in close
contact three times a dsy at table, can
afford but little materiil for the chronic
scandal monger. and the prisacy of those
who wish to be let alone can be guarded.
For young married couples who are not
able TO afford a house there is the tiny
apartment of Two or three rooms. in which
a real home can be made: and fortunately
these apartments become yearly more num-
erous. II is safe tn say that in our large
cities today any one who wishes can avoid
the boarding house; and IL was not always
thus.
The restaurant. though nomlnally more
public. really affords more privacy than
the old-time boarding house table, because
the individual passes unnotIced. 4 COM