Evening star., 1909-03-07
Around the City

Everybody was on the street Tuesday
night and everybody was eJacuiating al
the electric lights that rooted the avenue
in from end to end. To the calculations
were added all the other sounds that go
with a crowd tramp. tramping along
both sides of the tagging. with whizzins
cars. incoming bands and the endless
scuttling back and forth Of men and
women on the asphalt between.
In this human jam was a countrified
old colored woman who was being towed
by a custard yellow young girl and a
seal brown young man. each Of whom
held her by an arm. There was a daze
of rapt wonder on the old souls face.
and at every step she cried out her un-
trained emotions unnoticed by the Gus
tard young woman or the seal brown
young man. who were entirely taken up
with each other and with the hilarious
excitement of the night And this is
what the old woman was saying In every
tone of voice:
'Laud nheb'n. whar did dey all git 'em
fun? Whar did dey git all desc here
Hghts?-an' how did dey git up yander
clim? Looks like Gawd done let down
de stahs. 1t suttinly duz. How did dey
git dem little flames shet up in dem glass
bottles-an' make 'em burn 'thout no tall
itis uOT OIL, IuI Withss lOT lltc"OOO, IIOI
nuthin'. Look at dem lights runerroun'
dem poles. How you spose dey got
some of 'em to burn yaller. an sum blue
an some green-an, oh. my Lawd, dar s
flag all quivery an blood red in strips,
Look at dem blaZin' strings all over dem
houses, an amt nair one q cotchin' fire.
It's like We was Dan'ls in de fiery fur
mace. an 'scapin' 'thout gettin' burnt. It's
like Judgment day done come. an ev'y-
body bin saved. Hallylooyer. But he's
wuf eve'y copper dey all done paid foh
dis night. Nobody can't never spen'
'nough tighten up for de man what
gimmy muh freedom papahs-''
tin sn s1a@a fop Incon ohst w. II. for an1
"Ef you don't keep quiet. Miss Tawmp-
son." added the seal young man, 1o-
cosely. Miss Luce an nell run of an
leave you. Den how'll you fin yoh way
huh?"
I'm gwine keep my mouf shet all 1
kin. chilen. but Mr.. Taf' amt ,holdin' a
candle to Link'n. an. furthermo, I amt
ahead for dem shephd men amt gwine
leave a ole CONAN lax me to stumble
alone in de dark-not on a night all lit up
lax dis one. nohow. An furthermo ag'in.
mex summer an have yoh chick'n ev'y
day an duck of Sunday Oh Lawdie.
tes look at dat sun a fickerin' up yander
IN frontier dat store, sEinin' out in de
Dlack night, same as IL rlzzeS eV'y maWn-
in in de country. Look at dat baltimobeel
wiv de glass lights spinnin' roun' In de
wheels, Dem boys skeetin' out dar gwine
git trompled down an stomped onto fust
thing they know. Yander comes another
ahmy OF sojers marchin' todes us, with
their flags an their drums, same as wah
times. 1t sholy is a kingdom come night,
but 1t amt holding candle to the ever
lastin' mawnin' that's comm at the last
end OF de worl An all desc bushels er
people heah shoutin an laughin' an
trapesin' long everwhicherway an ain't
one OF 'em steddyin' whar dey gwine
when dey die-Gawd in helm hep us!'
Hardly worth writing about, was It?
Just the unrestrained babble of child
like old creature OF the pines and fields
Just darkest ignorance wanting to know
from science the why of electricity. Just
one simple soul asking God to bless its
kind
just one in the thousands that were or
the avenue Tuesday night.
small eating house on a side stree
near the Capitol was broken out In
rash by signs. Each was a smear o.
black letters on pastebOard. Each wa.
illustrated with a hand that was all
guiding finger and cuff. Each was dis
tinct and separate appeal to the visiting
public's desire for lunches at cut rates
Except one. This was a larger and NOR