Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-19
Around the Civ

A hunk or man was going up 7th
street. One hand was in his pocket The
other rested behind his back the half
open fingers crumplng what looked to
be greenback. The woman behind was
near enough, however. to see that. the
green was too grassy and the paper toe
| limp to be anything more valuable than
an advertisement masquerading as a dol
lar bill. Presently the hunk of a man
noticed a small, brown old dago, who
| was peddling something on the curb In
passing, he reached out the hand that
| held the counterfeit note and laid it on
the crook of the peddler's arm. Then he
hurried on for few yards. Then he
stopped and looked back to see whether
or not he had fooled the dago Then he
chuckled until he got red in the face and
his fat shook. Because
Because the poor foreign soul-old and
world-beaten and hin-clothed-was star
ing at the note as If he were absolutely
stunned at the blessing that had come
his way.
He was fooled. all right.
A small, rag-tag colored boy was haul
Ing a wagon on wobbly, homemade
wheels. His bare toes scrambled out OF
along with the wind. and a grown-up
hat was damned down to his eyes, But
the eyes were happy and on the pouched
out lips was the merry whistle OF black
bird
passing woman, touched at the pow
erty and gayety' of the small boy and at
his evident usefulness. as suggested by
the paper bag in the wagon. which was
lettered to fairly yell Cooke" paused to
say, encouragingly:
What a good little boy! You are buy
| ing coke for your mother aren't your
And the boy clipped back, with airy
sarcasm:
Nav, I'm stealin' coal"
| He was up to the foolish questions
going around the press.
Good morning."
| The boys greeting was given with a
| smile of such friendly spontaneousness
| that the woman smiled and saluted In
| turn, though the two were meeting for
| the first time that frosty morning in the
Library grounds.
II think you must be a brother of one
| Of my pupils" began the woman, with
the comradeship that comes from Ions
association with girls and boys But the
boy shook his head
mo, l just got to Washington yester-
| day. I've come from marlborough. I'm
| going to be a page"
Then the woman knew that the lad had
| the gracious old custom that bestows
! word and smile on every passing stran-
| ger met along the road.
Two women stood before a desk ledge
| at the city post Office. One looked on
while the other took from her bag a
| torn envelope and penknife. Then the
knife woman said:
Il got q letter from Mary this morning
| It had this Red Cross stamp on 1t and
as don't believe in paying for what you
| can get for nothing. I'm going to stick 1t
| on my letter to J.m-wonder where l can
get some mucilage?"
| She got the mucilage by taking her
| letter and the secondhand Christmas
stamp to the registry Office down the
main corridor and around the corner to
| another corridor at the far end Of the
building. Then she came back and posted
Jim's letter opposite table where two
helpful women had Red Cross stamps for
sale. Then she took her parcels from the
other woman and started for the door
with the relieved air Of one who has just
done the right thing and got 1t off her
| mind.
| And the bulls eye of this truly-true
story is that the woman who faxed that
! stamp had the appearance of one who
is going to die some day Of tuberculosis.