Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
Around the City

curb.
Indeed I do want my pavement clean
ed. WhyT'
Because want tho Job
"You? A little girl like your Why do
you want to do it?'
II want to do it for 16 cents"
But, child. you don't know what you
are asking. Every man and boy I've tried
to engage refused because the ice 10 too
packed to move with a shovel"
| i've got q hatchet, and the other girls
been cleaning pavements of all morning:
| Well cut you path clear cross for 10
cents. Do we get tho jobT'
| She was q small girl. but she was
| sturdy; her cheeks had tho red OF roses
and her eyes the sparkle OF wine. More
| over, her Ratchet looked equal to the
| business and the shovel and broom that
| overweighted the two smaller girls wait
ing outside had tho proper professional
| air.
They got the job.
They chopped and scraped and swept,
not as children having fun. but as work
men earning wages. and when tne Joo
was finished they went in and got their
pay.
girls were Just happy Riddles doing an
unusual thing, but to the deep tnlnker-out
| Of problems who has the posterity OF the
| human race to worry over 1t was another
dreadful instance Of woman invading tho
| field Of man.
It was q foggy dusk outside. but the
little cafe was cheerful with its bright
lights and shining china
Maybe it was the shining cheerfulnese
| that encouraged a man to enter ana
! whisper to the pretty girl who stood near
the door. He was an old man. and there
was something in his manner to create
the impression that he was asking q "a
vor. The pretty girl directed him to the
| proprietor in the next room, and as the
man passed through the arch woman at
one Of the tables beckoned to her.
II didn't hear word he said, but
wasn't he asking for help?'
| She had guessed right tho very hrSt
time The man had said he was without
money, and wanted to know II he could
have a cup OF coffee.
| Poor old fellow! VIII you please tell
Mr., Blank that will be glad to pay for
| his dinner!'
The pretty girl went through tho arch.
and Mrs. Blank came to the woman.
MY husband is giving him something
to eat" she said, with a bright cheerful
ness that some way matched the lights
and shining china. 1--WE have people
come in nearly every night. generally
about the time we close. and he never
| turns any one away"
! Then, as you help SO many, won't you
| let me pay for this poor soul?'
But Mrs Blank wouldn't accept the
| money. and that part Of the incident
| ended AS the man passed through the
room on his way to the door, however,
| another woman at another table extend
| ed her hand toward him with a quiet
kindliness that was really beautiful. and
he took the coin with a bow that would
| have done credit to the diplomatic corps.
| All of which was very tiny happen
| ing not worth considering, except that 1t
helps, in its way, to answer the question
scientists asked each other last week In
| London:
why is 1t that in q world SO full Of
poverty-stricken people SO few OF them
| starvey'
She is in the fair. fat and something
dreadful over fifty class, and her photo
graphs In the out-of-town Sunday supple
ments show a pudgy neck. an fncurable
insane pompadour and three chins. And
she was turning down a space-rate re-
porter whose special stunt Is woman
mo, cannot let you have an advance
copy of my address. 1t Is merely mes
sage to the organization, and If you take
notes at the meeting I shall write to your
| paper about it 1t Is my inviolable rule to
give to tho world only that which Is most
beautiful and uplifting. and which tends
to the ennobling OF woman and the
| rotherhood OF man.
And the reporter wondered how she
reconciled 1t to her rule to give to the
| world a pudgy neck. an incurably insane
pompadour and three chins.
A spinster person blew around tho mar
ket house in Mondays gale of wind. AS
she turned corner she fairly bolted into
an ancient colored woman who was sit
ting behind a plank stand under the shell
| tered caves. On the stand were some
badly frosted cabbage heads. twist OF
| tobacco and q few nameless brown
switches wra pped with Bingham strips The
woman behind the layout was huddled in
| what had been a blanket shawl In Its
heyday, and a red woolly something was
wound around her head.
Mice cabbage, lady?'
They were abnormal cabbages, but
who minds a professional hb7
out t here" said the spinster person;
you must be nearly frozen
"Yas'm, It's tollable cold, but I got
NAH laigs kivvered wiv quilt. an. my
shawIs right smart comfable. Some
nice t'bacca twisses. lady?"
What does genteel splnster person
want with tibacca twisses?
why don't you go home auntyf
There are no other hucksters around"
Nome. Dey amt one nigh but
me. OATS kase amt sold out. Got
some nice verbs, lady"
But you ought to have cup Of hot
coffee You'll catch your death Of cold
out here. The wind has an edge like
razor
"Yas'm. Cawfee is suttinley warmin'
like but I amt sold nothin yit. Time
sells a little sumpin' l gwine inside
de mahket house an git me a cup"
The spinster person opened her purse
and laid coin on the stand. The old
woman beamed and chuckled with
lopen, chldlike delight. Then her voice
deepened into the mystic melody that
seems to be the general heritage OF her
race, and she chanted out with seerlike
solemnity-or maybe it was just plain
jollying:
"GaWd'nheb'n bless you. chile, an
hopes you gifts fine husb'n bineby, an
a whole passler children, single an
twins
Then the spinster person blew away.
It was time.
He was tourist man with three
tourist women attached. He wore q
blue badge with gilt fringe. And the
women looked at him with eyes OF
faith.
Here you see the famous Treasury,
where Uncle Sam keeps his cash. Think
, it mighty big building, don't you?
Struck me that way, too the first time
saw it, but you soon get used to a
thing"
1t happened to be the patent office.
| ATT NTTN NITV