New-York tribune., 1908-01-20
TLEANINGS.

.yyben l was in Porto Rico" said a man who
recently resigned from government position there
to go into business in New York. 4 had one man
in my office who extremely enthusiastic about
everything American. He was a Spaniard too
sort Of HfdaIgo type. and rather wondered at his
great and avowed contentment with the re-
gfme. There was reason. though, and found
it out one day.
1T seems the old man had twelve daughters
twelve buds which or whom. no one had showed
signs of wanting to pluck from the parent stem
In the state of society which existed under Span
ish rule marriage the only career open TO
women and in the absence of suitors for his
twelve daughters the father in despair, for
his income was limited. But with the coming Of
the Americans new ideas filtered through the Old
Spanish crust. and the people living underneath
learned that IT not absolutely necessary tor
a woman to starve at home when no husband
presented himself They learned that she could
work for a living, and no disgrace to her.
The twelve daughters Of my old clerk had taken
to the new ways promptly. Three or four OF them
studied stenography and got positions; the others
became teachers. bookkeepers. or what not. No
wonder the father liked American ways The
Americans had lifted grievous load eff his Shout
ders."
.sF,,,bIic service commissions may investigate.
c1,bs NAV engross resolutions and legislatures may
pass laws" said the woman in the severe hat but
well never have clean streetcars TIL the lndiViduaI
woman does her duty
"Py- rebuLing the individual offender-the man
who smokes and the who spts on the floor
Hardly a dav passes that don't do it.. said the
woman in the severe hat. Don't expect the con-
dactors to speak OF their own accord to the men
who do those disgusting things As one conductor
exnaired to me il is their interest to get their
cars to the end of the quickly and as quietly
as nossfble Naturally, they're not going 10 invite
rlInpuses with passengers. But if a woman calls
their attention 20 an offence they've got to take
notice"
well sighed the third woman OF the group. II
was a reformer only this morning. and I'm free to
saw don't like 1t A big. we'll dressed man was
smoking a cigar in the elevated. don't object 10
smoke but l know some people do, and thought.
Here's = chance to help on reform l beckoned
the guard and said. Ought this man to be smoking?
Fortunately the guard a nice fellow. He
locked severely at the smoker. No. ma'am he
said he can't smoke here The smoker instantly
became very angry. He jerked the cigar out Of
his nonth and got ashes all over himself. which
made him angrier IN have you arrested for this
he said to the guard Arrested yourself said the
guard. don't you know smoking is forbidden in
these cars2
..rbat lasted till We got to the next station. with
some side remarks from the to the effect that
v,as-velI. never mind, but it quite spicy.
And Of course. every one in the was looking
AT me who had started the fuss. l got of as soon
as / cduld with my face burning and firm
solve I'm my heart let reforming alone.
Talk about filthy streetcars' said another wom-
an II was at the Philharmonic not long ago and
the man VINO next me kept splitting on the floor.
And he looked consumptive. too
And you didn't speak to him or 10 the usher?'
asked the woman in the severe hat
NM. dear it would have made me conspicuous"
.You lack moral courage" said the other