Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08

pitiation fee would be wiped from the
limb of a Chinese family tree.
Lee Hing is always cheerful. He 10
never too busy to stop to balance kite
for some of the urchins from the big
neighboring homes. whose respect for his
skill in kite building overcomes their fear
Of the uplifted iatiron. which menaces
too familiar intruder into the space set
apart for spotless linen.
In sharper architectural contrast arc
some OF the tiny buildings parasitically At
tached to some Of the modern apartment
houses. In one case, after all attempts
to purchase failed. the owners Of the
apartment agreed to furnish its neighbor
with heat If no fire were made to send
it's smoke into the window of a second
story apartment. The chimney of the lit
tie castle, like the crater OF an extinct
volcano, serves as a rest in summer for
pots of growing and blossoming plants
| Ike the glowing hollyhock, lady slipper
and golden glow. which deck the minia-
ture front yard below.
Two signs hang out from this two
room cot. one for embarrassing the
other for plain Sewing" On the slate
hung out for orders. in the absence of the
homesteaders. was a note requesting that
search be made for a lost dog. In an
! other instance the request was for "a
good, honest girl" which goes to prove
that to these people, whose life is made
I'D of odds and ends of service, is left
many details and small matters which in
the overfull daily routine of the big houses
cannot be attended to.
II Il
In another section a sign reads ''Shoes
Made and Mended,' and within the dimly
lighted one.room shop the cobbler bends
over his task day after day. A glimpse
through the one-sash window showed
him, a white paper spread over his leath-
er apron, while he replaced a heel on
delicate lavender slipper belonging to one
of the debutante residents of the huge
pile of brick and stone beside him. So
absorbed was he in his task that he did
not pause for moment to see who was
taking the trouble to watch him at his
work. No name gave the slightest clue
to his nationality, but If judged by his
work-painstaking. deliberate and skillfuI
| in a degree rarely seen in so poor an en-
! vironment-he is destined to become better
known.
IN Sllll Olner instances NnOQesI uIli6
| homes standing far back from their rich
er neighbors have endeavored to make up
for their lack Of architectural dignity by
the number and beauty of the plants that
deck their tiny grass plots. Though frost
has nipped the less hardy plants. one still
finds an exquisite rose. the starry cosmos
and hardy chrysanthemum, in sharp con-
trast to the almost leafess trees. In the
kitchen garden at the back of the house
only few radishes and head or two Of
lettuce are left to tell of fresh vegetables
to be gathered right here in Washington.
Though unimposing in appearance these
little homes have many advantages which
the more pretentious houses do not pos
sess. During the heated season their
vine-draped porches are as cool as a
mountain cottage, and the screen of grow
ing plants shuts off the dust of the street,
so that one can live almost in the heart
of the town and still have the best things
of suburban life. There is. too. an air Of
rest and home-lkeness not to be found
in the huge masses of brick and stone
A spirit of neighborliness and mutual
dependence seems to exist. No envy on
the part of the cottage dweller of his
neXt-door neighbor, or contempt OF the
occupant of the tiny home beside him
from the owner Of the mansion disturbs
relations.
| When the subject was under discussion
in the court Of a livery stable one old
negro was heard to say:
"'Tain't the size of yo' house, It's the
clarness of yo head, and de steadiness
of yo' han, and politeness of yo' man.
nerS, dat takes yo' whar yo' want tn
go att