Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-14
AROUND THE CITY

The driver Of beer wagon was walking
his horses across the track near The Star
building and a gang Of colored laborers
had halted work to let a car pass. They
We're exchanging condolences as to what
would happen if they could get at a keg OF
beer. They chuckled with the joyousness
of the idea. and one tremendous black fell
low was believing out a guffaw that
80 much rich, unstudied melody when:
YOU lazy scamp! Get back to your
work there,"
The voice that gave the order belonged
to fat man In good clothes who had the
general appearance of owning the earth
and some over
That's a pretty business!' he went on
to the ordinary man with him. Here we
are taxed to death to pay for these i'm
provements. and this is the way the work
goes OH
The ordinary man must have loved the
ways of peace for he explained:
They had to get out of the ditch to let
the cars pass"
Don't talk to me like that! Haven't I
got eyes to see? I'm a public-spirited citi-
zen, sir, and l have right to protest
against this waste Of the peoples money.
Look at them sir Cabling and laughing
and talking about beer"
Il don't feel that way about it, old man.
Why. l never look out in this street that
l don't feel that these laborers can teach
me lesson in endurance and good nature
Think of their working. day after day, In
steaming weather like this"
Nonsense. / work in hot weather, sir,'
The man who loved peace interrupted
with laugh that had a streak of derision
in 1t.
You work!-I don't blame those chaps
for wanting drink. Let's go in and get
something cool ourselves"
The idea was promptly accepted and the
W n do OF he
1t wasn't much of an incident but 1t gave
woman who was waiting for a green
car the opportunity of noting how closely
a public-spirited citizen can resemble an i'll
natured man.
A spry, grayIhaired little woman was
scurrying along with a couple of brooms.
which she carried as unconcernedly as If
they had been-say. carnations.
AS she reached crossing another woman
stopped her to give an order for q dust
brush. When the transaction was over a
third woman accosted the customer in the
voice of one who is called on to bear the
worlds woes:
Isn't it dreadful to see that poor creature
having to work on the streets! Why don't
they take her up and put her in some good
institution"
The dust brush woman showed the cour-
age Of her convictions:
Because 1t would be a very outrageous
proceeding. She's nobody's pauper. You
ought to see the beautiful tombstone she's
had, set up for herself in blank cemetery
She's going to rest like fine lady some
day.
Bought a tombstone! Before she is
dead!"
The woe-burdened lady gasped out her
calculations as If 1t were quite the regular
thing for people to make such purchases af-
ter death.
why didn't she save that money for sick
ness and old age? I never should have
done thing like that!'
Maybe l wouldn't either. but you see she
did. And freedom to do, and even to suf-
fer is a glorious thing. This would be a
very monotonous world if we were all made
in the same mold, like tallow Dips
"Oh, l don't agree with you. 1 don't ap-
prove of an exposed life for women They
should stay at home and let men do the out
side work. 1t didn't seem to occur to her
that the census has settled 1t for us that
there are not men enough to go round
THE streets are no place for women in
these large, sinful cities. Think of the
Temptations
You are right hard on our men. madam"
laughed the dust-brush woman. I'm sorry
you don't know them better. Men are all
right, God bless them. and SO are the
streets. / work out in them, so 1 know
Then the dust-brush customer broke up
the OldlORue by gong OF without owning
up to her line of work and the other woman
looked after her with scandalized eyes
A white embroidered woman from Spot
less Town was waylaid by a microbe Of q
boy. He wanted her to buy shoestrings
A student of fashion could have seen by
her dress that she wasn't the sort of woman
to tolerate cotton shoe laces. but perhaps
the microbe possessed the instinct that
makes a street Arab know his friends.
Anyhow. he asked her to buy shoestrings,
and while she looked him over he rammed
his knuckles in his eyes.
He was very small even for a microbe
and the dirt that grimed him from bare
head to bare toes was Of a character that
Mr. Venus would have classified as wa
RUS"
You poor, dirty little boy" gasped the
woman from spotless Town. why don't
you wash yourself? If give you a nickel
will you buy cake of soap?'
Nome l won't buy no soap"
She must have recognized the honesty of
a microbe who could easily have deceived
her, for she put her hand on his head.
or course. child. the soap money would
have been extra. Here. this is for the laces.
Now tell me why you won't buy soap"
Cause I'm goin' to take my little kid
sister SIS. car ridin' to Chivvy Chase. We
kin go on one ticket. She's sick and she's
always wantin' lemons an car rides"
The white embroidered woman didn't wait
to verify statements. She went in her
trife Of silver-meshed purse, took out
the coins In 1t and handed them over to the
microbe.
.Thanky. lady. I'm goin to buy a cake
of soap Deed I am, honestr
1t was a sensational promise. but the
woman went off with a smiling conviction
that he would keep his word.
An old colored man who sells matches
was stationed at a corner while scrap of
brown boy acted barker for the
trade.
white man in passing had ignored the
boxes thrust at him by the irrepressible