Evening star., 1905-10-21

perse a moment. their little forms sharply
outlined against q pink and purple sky.
Then they settle themselves as comfortably
as possible against the towering framework
of the bridge. where they can safely watch
the uncertain, creeping tourneyings OF their
smaller brothers and sisters, or Chamber
precariously up on the railings to get bet
ter view of the gray, sliding river. the fat
faced, somber houses on either side OF II.
the steamboats, with their vivid orange
colored smokestacks lying I'm dock. and the
fe1ryboats leaving behind them curling
white trails on the gray of the river.
Three little girls with black curis and gay
calico dresses, their arms affectionately
twined about one another's waists. saunter
along, singing America" with more zest
than harmony. They are entirely American
In their speech and actions. but they have
left at home fathers and mothers who know
and recognize no tongue but the Yiddish.
Two small boys. wildly pursuing hoops
over the level cement, leave several over
turned babies shrieking In their wake.
Their guardians. scarcely older than the
infants themselves, rebalance their charges
and offer what comfort they can. tiny.
weazen-faced girl with a distorted back
who Is peering down over the railing at the
roadway of the bridge calls eXcitedly to
group of her companions. They join her. to
watch with exaggerated interest the prog
ress of an ornate white hearse.
Me brudder died in one o. dose oncet"
asserts a very round little girl vainglo-
riously: but the others refuse to believe
such good fortune They even deny her
u
You was all girls" they say contempt
uously.
A fresh-faced. cleanly woman points out
tho small forest of tree tops rising from
the back yards OF Dutch houses. with
strar gely built sloping roofs and col
unred houses of an older time. As she
speaks she grasps in one hand the skirts
OF her plump. golden-haired baby. who, in
an effort to reach with pink. outstretched
hands the fascinating elusive river. has
managed completely TO invert himself.
His name is Louis" says the mother
gratuitously to the onlooker. with a proud
glance at the squirming combination of
blue skirts. pink bare legs and arms and
yellow curls.
"Oh, see: n French baby"
mo. no, He iss German" she protests,
almost dropping the wriggling Louis in her
desire to enforce her remarks with gesticu-
laticns.
With the darkness and the clouded moon
CT me the weary fathers and mothers, and
the lovers. Through the darkness OF the
bridge, the city and the river break a MIL
lion points of light. The angular unsightly
buildings along the river bank are trans
formed by n multitude of lights. hecking
the purple black water with uncertain
da1 chg dashes of gold. From the brightly
Illuminated recreation piers pours pale
lavender shower of reflections. Below the
bridge. ruled by fits intervals of light and
shadow, lie bands of alternate black and
silver.
Looking southwark, where only the para
bols of lights and the continual arched pa
re de of the tiny golden lines OF the cars in
dicate the great sweep of the Brooklyn
bridge rises a wonderful tower of light. 1t
is only an illuminated tower. but the illu-
sion of fairyland is complete.
Down below, the streets of the East Side
strike the eye like zigzags of lightning. At
intervals a burst of light from the oil tanks
throws dull red reflection across the sky.
OF most of this the habitues OF the bridge
seem unconscious. The mothers occupy
themselves with neighborly gossip and the
nursing Of babies. The fathers divert them
selves and their offspring by starting the
baby carriages rolling down the incline.
and then, with a proper handicap, racing
after them. To the casual observer this
may seem dangerous performance, but TO
the Ghetto father and baby 1t is nothing
more than a simple quiet little game.
Unnumbered lovers wander through the
crowd frankly embracing each other. or
ing. The love-making of these Romeos and
Juliets is not Shakespearian, but II is
cot ally to the point Here is sample
Romeo (tenderly)-See dat sign over dere?
Dat spells 'Sapolio.'
Juliet-Naw it don't.
Romeo (pained and surprised at the op-
position)-Well, wat does It spell, den?
Juliet (coyly)-It spells "DarlIn'."
Romeo tadoringly. grasping her hand In
a stubby fisD-Say it agin!
AS 1t grows later the little girls tire OF
dancing to the snatches of music that float
between the noisy passing of cars, from
the recreation piers; the madly racing
fathers and baby carriages come to halt;
the mothers start homeward with their
heavy, sleeping babies; the lovers tire of
watching the invisible sails blot out the
lights along the shore; and with the excep-
tion of a few lingering sleepers the bridge
becomes as silent and deserted as the night.