Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-30
AROUND THE CITY.

| One of the big magnolia trees in the
| White House grounds stands SO near the
| avenue ratings that its creamy leaves drift
| through to the tagging. The other morn
| ing a woman picked up one of the petals
and called attention to its beauty.
| Pretty enough admitted the man with
! her, but you notice the ground looks like
| a convention Of banana skin stains. Every
smear shows where some one has slipped
| up on the pulpy things. Old tree ought to
| be cut down. That's what!'
"Well, Bob! 1 should think these glorious
| blossoms would give you nobler thoughts"
'Ill be satisfied If they don't give me
game leg
And the woman behind them, who had
| slipped a leaf the day before and was
still limping, rather agreed with Robert.
A dignifed, prosperous looking elderly
lady, dressed in mourning and carrying a
gay little basket filled with dyed eggs, was
waiting outside of the White House grounds
Easter Monday morning. Evidently she
was expecting a family party, for she
strolled upIand down for a while, and final
ly sat down on the fence coping. AS she
sat there another woman, plotting flock
Of youngsters to the grounds, stopped and
asked:
How do you sell your eggs?"
The lady on the coping smiled indulgently
as she answered: My good woman, you
have made a mistake"
And the person who overheard felt that
the honors were easy. 1t is annoying to b.
mistaken for a dago, but to be called my
good woman" would simply madden saint.
"Sassyfras-sassyfras lady-only five
cents a bunch"
The small and very black boy piped out
his wares in voice that had no hope of
6lS In rha CIT,
| of wild flowers at the bottom of his basket
with dirty strings.
The woman had no earthly use for sassa-
fras. butt is always we'll to encourage the
infant Industries.
Sold much this morning?"
MAR bunch, lady"
Your things fresh?'
"Yas'm. Gathered em yesty In de
woods
What woods?" '-
"Out yander In Nun gom'ry county, where
we all lives" avto IA
IAN right. Give me a bunch of sassa-
| fras. Like to come to the city, don't your
Nome. l hates IL. l has to tromp round
de streets all day an weah holes In nah
| shoes CANT hardly never sell nothin',
| cause folks buys dere sassyfras down in
| de mahket. l tells nanny every time
CANT have no luck, but she keeps on git
| tin disappointed ever time 1 goes home
'thout takin' her no money. l likes to work
| in the country, does.
Il think L want bunch Of those flowers,
| too. Why don't you work in the country?'
Il am. Soon as de grass grows long
| nough In de yahds for de ladies to gimme
! to drive cows, too. an churn butter, an
everything"
We'll, keep up your courage; the grass
will soon need sweeping. l think / want an
other bunch of sassafras-"
The boy darted off spry as a lizard,
and the woman went her way with her
| two rolls of brown bark wound around
with grimy cord and a bunch of withered
something that only the day before had
been dewy blue things in the Montgomery
county woods.
In front of the post office:
The older 1 get the more Disguised I be-
come with these new-fangled ways of doing
things" remarked a man whose counte-
nance had the careworn look that comes
from too close application to other peoples
business. Now, look at those street clean
ers. See any sense in those bags on wheels?
Simply another scheme to get money out of
the District. Now, in the old times
You couldn't go down town a muddy
day without being waylaid at every cross
Ing by a sweep who f1icked his sloppy broom
at you If you didn't give him money.
There's your Maybe you wish it was
a nice, poky. old-time horse affair.""
And to the one who overheard it seemed
as IL the second man particularly enjoyed
his mission of rubbing the old times In.
A woman and several young people were
waiting at the junction at 18th street to
| catch a suburban ear. While they walt
ed boy Of about fourteen and his elder
| sister-a pretty young thing in blue cam
brio and with red beribboned hat set
back on mop Of yellow hair-amused
themselves pitching ball. The tossing and
catching was deity done, but once when
the girl missed, she followed the ball to the
crowded street, cleverly evaded the cars,
automobiles and other flying things, swoop-
| ed down on the rubber. picked it UP and
went on pitching until the car came-as UNI
conscious of the attention she was attract-
Ing as though the game were being played
on country common.
In what part of the country is a car con-
ductor called an usher?
Two women boarded an avenue car the
other morning. ard, after consulting a
guide book between them, one asked the
conductor:
Usher, we want to go to the Capitol Is
this the right carp"