Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-24
THE LOTUS LAND ADS

There's a man In this town WHO wishes
that the newspapers and magazines
wouldn't publish such aliurtng advertise
ments. The other evening he was doing
that day-before- payday sizing up of the
financial situation with pad and pencil. His
wife was looking over a batch OF the March
magazines. That is to say, she Uas looking
at the hind" pages. where the ads. are
Women quickly find out that about the
most interesting pages of modern maya
zines are those same advertising pages.
The man had got the rent ard the gas
and the instailment mans account down
on his pad. when his wife observed:
They have field glasses in the observa-
ton cars and guides to point out the spots
OF particular scenic beauty the Tur-
quoise Sky limited for California, 1t says in
this advertisement
'Uh-huh.' he replied. looking out at the
gray. drear streets.
Then he went ahead and tried to figure
out on the pad how he could trim the list
down-by ducking the installment man or
something-so that he could get his wife
the pair OF shoes that she obviously needed.
They must be splendid affairs those
winter tours of the Mediterranean. on those
yacht-like steamers-chartered you know
for winter touring parties. three months
in the Mediterranean and in the waters OF
the near east, it says here. and-um-froIn
his wife, after pause.
THAT alp said he. beginning to touse
his hair, he suddenly remembered that
his lodge dues had to come out of the
half-month'S pay. That's d mere bag o
shells isn't ito" and he went on putting
down sordid little figures-sordid, but all
too necessary.
Land of the always afternoon-why not
take a winter trip to the dreamy louisiana
of Hawaii? - his wife quoted from an ad-
vertisement after a while. How lovely
that must be = temperature during the
winter months never goes below G5-
tropical fruits the year round-palms
me. how perfectly lovely!'
The man wriggled some in his chair. He
had little line of thinks OF his own How
he would have enjoyed saying to her. as an
enormous s'priSe, Get ready. little girl.
and We'll take a spin down to the dream
country-its all right about the coin-ld
just picked up a bundle.
But, as ii was. he had to slice 81 off the
grocer's bill to allow for the monthly in
stallment on the piano which they were
huying on the excitement plan.
is this OrmOnde Beach. where they had
those lovely automobile races. anywhere
near that delightful Palm Beach where
they go in sea-bathing all during the WIN
ter and where the girls wear such lovely
tennis suits, and the men such fetching
golf ciothes-mercy, just look at these pic
lures, and the waving palms and things
She went on after having picked up an
other magazine and looked at the rear
pages.
ooh. It's not so far from Palm Beach"
he replied, rejecting that the land of Flor
ida enchantment was only about twenty
four hours from Washington. but that II
might just as well be As oOoon miles
There was another little pause during
which the man gnawed at the end of his
pencil and thought of how shabby his
wife's gloves had looked when they mad
been walking that afternoon
Winter excursions to Bermuda-saD-
phire seas and turquoise skies-one of the
spicy Isles of the Blest"-she was quoting
from another rear-of-the- magazine adver-
tiSement which had caught her attention.
The man tossed down his pencil and
stood up and thrust his hands into his
pockets and crossed over to the window
with its outlook on the dripping street, and
the dismal-looking vacant lot across the
way. He gave a sigh that seemed to pro-
coed from his boots
My dear little girl" he said to her.
"Cut it out won't you? Read 'em to your
self, If you don't want your man to jump
headong into the porch-climber's or safe
crackers professioni I'd take you to all
OF those places II l could-if it We're in the
cards. Huly gee, I'd give ten years Off
the latter end of my life it, tomorrow. l
could load you on board a white yacht
and take you all over the Seven Seas a
dozen times! But I'm trying to find out,
now, If we can be at home this month to
the milk collector when he drops around
with his little bill. Couldn't you just as
well read those Irritating blamed things
to yOurSelf?'
las If | didn't know that you'd take me
If you could" she replied but She did not
read any more OF those enticing lotus
land ads. aloud