The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-07
Copyright t.

Copyright.
 r T was all the fault of pinheaded
 philanthropist in the first place. x Holding rampant ideas about the civilizing effect of flowers and plants upon the working classes, he had taken in hand a wretched alley of dwellings, and had sown lawns set out shade trees, planted flowers, and had re- christened the frowsy thoroughfare Garden avenue. Then he had died; and 1t was time.
 Of course in less than a year. reso- -lute hens and unfaltering goats had destroyed the grass, obliterating even It's confines; children had pulled up the plants, leaving not even the holes which had held them; and the adults with rare foresight had guarded against winter scarcity of fuel by chopping down the shade trees, leaving not even the roots. The new name unfortunately remained.
 Garden avenue was a world In itself. Almost every house bore the sign "Lodgers Taken" The terrific number of these signs was outdone only by the more terrific number of streaky chil- dren tumbling about. The alley teemed with them. They were all of about the same age-that age when they seem happiest under the feet of something, horse or human. Apparently they be- longed to no one. All day long they played about, falling off of things with howls and into things with splashes, without disturbing the serenity of soul, in sight or out. Oh, the hordes of them.
 Children and lodgers were the recrea- ton of Garden avenue; its burden of sorrow was Miss Galloway's house. Miss Galloway of temper even more funcertain than her age, had kept her <grass Her house was so clean that it Virtually slapped the avenue in the %face She had sweet peas in her back Nyard and a geranium bush in her <front yard, and she refused to harbor 3hens. goats or children in either. Also, she had a fat cat. The cat proper to Fthe avenue was skinny, moth eaten as to fur, tattered as to ears, was con fined strictly to the fence tops, and was always in madly accelerated flight at that. Miss Galloway conformed to the vicinity solely in the circumstance of displaying the usual little encourage \ Ament-"Lodgers Taken.'
 'Ah the long day that's been up,' once {viciousy sighed a neighbor. She had *come out upon her front step to shake . piece of rag carpet and Miss Galloway had come out upon her front step to shake a rug. Perhaps the rug hurt the feelings of the rag carpet. q sh'd think you'd be takin' down that sign be now?'
 And why?" asked Miss Galloway, bit ingly. She showed up her spectacies. She w ha needed
 "On account sure, of it's bein' unlikely you'll ever git lodger to your taste. An your room that pleasant, too!'
 Why unlikely" The glasses went notch higher on her forehead When they reached hair, war was always on.
 Well Nam, you say you wunt take married folk7 N-
 Always quafreling. And they have children. hate children. Won't tolerate them. Particularly on my back fence.'
 This shot was aimed directly at the neighbor. and hit; for among her other Jewels that neighbor owned small pair of blue jean pants named Bartholomew with sandy ~hair on one end and sandy feet on the other, and oftener than not the pants were dangling on Miss Gallo ways forbidden fence, whence they were prone to tumble. head-end first into Miss Galloway's sweet peas.
 The mother of the blue jeans hurried with her arraignment, and you wunt take single men,
 Always going to bed drunk with their boots on the quilt"
 nor single women--"
 Always ironing out shirtwaists in your kitchen and having beaus in your parlor.''
 Then what's left? Tell me that?'
 "Widows!' Miss Galloway closed the discussion by banging her door
 "Qf all tn quare divils she is,'' com nented Mrs. Riordan mournfully, retreat ng with the rag carpet.
 1 Faith In the ideal lodger went long un- Nwerded, but not forever so. Miss Gal-