The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-02
CHAPTER XIV.

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CHAPTER XIV. +
Some Eiaht with Few Side Lights.
The real spring in New, York comes
when laundering nature has painted the
outer wilderness for autumn. what IS
called T.. Spring. in the city by unfefie :
ing users Of the word is tame. IN sipid
season yawning into not more than nah
wakefulness at best. The trees In the
gas-poisoned soil are slow in their green
ing the grass has but pallid city VI I
tality, and the rows of gaudy tulips set out +
primly about the fountains in the squares
are palpably forced and alien.
For the sumtuous blending and flaunt
of colors, the spontaneous awakening OF
warm. ~ throbbing new life, and all those
inspiring miracles of regeneration which
are performed elsewhere in April and May,
the city-pent must wait until mid October.
This is the spring Of the city's year
There be those to hint cautiously that
they find it an affair Of false seeming;
that the gorgeous coloring is mere trlch
of shop window cunning; that the tlnle
is iuiceless and devoid of all but the spe-
cious delights of surface. Yet these, per-
haps, are unduly ina inative for a world
where any satisfaction is held by tenure
precarious at best.
And even these carpers, pc ties ie'et
so analytical, can at least ina no iach VI
springtime fervor in the eager tnrohss
that pass entranced before the window
show They the free-swinglng, quick
moving men'a and women-the pest oresseu
of all throngs in this young World-Suls-
Drowned. sun enlivened, recreated 10 q
fine mettle for enjoyment by their months
of mountain ocean sport-these are, ~
deed the ones for whom this aftersprn%
is made to bloom. And, since they IND II
to be shifting miracle of perfectlons'
how are they to be quarreled with?
In the big polished windows waxen eff
oS,,l1x tipJ1f
play the latest dinner gowns from Paris
or the creamiest of beribboned tea gowns.
Or they pose in attitudes of polite adleuN
and greeting, all but smothered In KING $
ransom of sable and ermine. Or, to the
other extreme they complacently permit
themselves to be observed in the intimate
revelations of Partisan lingerie, with its
misty froth of embroideries, its fine spun
webs of foamy lace. ..
In another window. behold a sprightly
and enlivening ballet of shapely silken
hosiery fitting it's scuptured models to
perfection, ranging in tints from the hrst
tender green Of spring foliage to the rose
pink of the spring suns afterglow
A.few steps beyond we may study a WIN
dow where the waxen ladies have beer
dismembered. Yet second glance SHOWS
the retained portions to be all that woman
herself considers important when she tries
on the bird toque or the picture hat, OF
the gauze CONNECTION for afternoons. The
satisfied smiles of the waXen counterfeit'
feits show them to have ben amply recon
pensed, with the headgear, for thel
physical incompleteness
But if these terraces of color and grac
that line the sides of this narrow spring
valley be said to contain only the DIR.
husks of adornment, surely there may b
found others more technically spring
like. -.-. --....- -s -.s
Here in this broad window. foregathere
a.
tise. are the ripe fruits Of every CLINE an
every season.; the Southern pOmegranat
beside the hardy northern apple, scarle
and yellow; the early strawberry and tn
late ruddy peach; figs from the orient an
pines from the Antilles; dates. from Tun
and taWny persimmons from Japan; mist
sea green grapes and those from the ht
house-tasteless, it is true, but so lord
in their girth and royal purple; port
golden oranges and fat plums; pears
mellow blondness and pink skinned apr
cots. Here at least is the veritabe stu
and essence of spring with all its attent
ing aromas--of more integrity, perhap
than the same colorings simulated by IL
confectioner's craft, in the nearby vii
dow display of impossible sweets.
And still more of this belated spring w
gladden. the eye in the florists window.
June the florists shop is a poor place sed
lousy to be summed Nothing of no
blooms there then. The florist hir
self Is patiently ashamed of himself T
burden of sustaining his traditions
puts upon few detected shrubs call
'hardy perennials'' that have to labor t
year around. All summer it is as If
place feared to compete with nature VIII
color and grace flower so cheaply on eve
southern hillside. But now it's glOr
bloom anew, and it's superiority over n
ture becomes again manifest. Now it {
sembles the blossoms of whole long We
TO nu or11 oil ire win nyUS 8
shaded glens, vine embowered, whe
spring, summer and autumn blend in
their regal and diverse abundance, and |
closing door of the shop fans out od
as from a thousand Persian gardens.
But spring is not all of life, nor wi
at once chiefly concerns u.s. There
people to be noted, little series Of M
or less related phenomena to be Observ
One Of the people, young man, star
conveniently before this same floris
window, at that hour when the sun bri
ly hushes this narrow canyon of Bro;
way from wall to wall.
He had loitered along the lively his
way an hour or more, his nerves tingl
responsibility to all it's stimuli And n
he unused as he stared at the tang
tracery of ferns against the high bank
wine-red autumn foliage, the royal clus
of white chrysanthemums and the big
of American Beauties.
He had looked forward to this nome
too--when he should enter that same d
and order at least an armful of til
same naughty roses sent to an address
memory cherished. Yet now, the t
having come. the zest for the feat
gone. 1t would be done; it were ungra
full not to do it, after certain expressic
but it would be done with no heart
cause of the certain knowledge that
one--at least no one to be desired-ce
possibly care for him, or consider him e
with into nct fny. 1irocrt Int tic
the same kind of money Higbee made
purveying hams-"and she wouldn't
in the least whether it was mine or
bees, so there was a lot of it."
~ N m 60