Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-25
Around the Citv

A big. empty church is silent place on
week days.
One woman, who likes big, empty
churches on week days, went through an
ever-open door and slipped in a pew far
down the aisle. There was one other per-
son in the church.
The other person knelt as rigidly up
right as if her white-robed figure had
been carved in stone. Her hands were
clasped, as a little child is taught to pray,
and her eyes were raised upward, as If,
somehow, they saw things not of this
world above the marble altar.
She was SO youthfully old that her gray
hair had the hy-away freedom of child
hood. The flag she wore was pinned
over a breast SO immature that it seemed
as if time had kidnapped the little creature
at play and kept her forever child.
When you are In big, empty church on
week day you have curious notions 1t
seemed TO the woman that though her
own earth, earthly eyes saw but a tiny
tabernacle, perhaps-just perhaps-to the
little figure, rigid and rapt, was being
vouchsafed soul glimpse of the choir in
visible-in compensation.
The woman saw her later in the day.
She was Scampering, nOisily joyous, down
the Avenue with a red wagon trailing be-
hind. In the wagon was batch of after
noon papers. That was her trade.
To every patron there was a merry-go-
lucky quip. That was because time was
keeping her child. In her face was the
purity of eyes that have looked upon the
choir invisible.
That was her immortal soul.
A man. his wife and their two children
a girl, young enough for half hose, and
a boy old enough for long trousers-were
going along 7th street yesterday after
noon.
woman nagged at him in voice off key.
The youngsters behind them strapped
every step of the way.
1t was not an ideal family party, but.
with all the sullenness. the nagging and
the scrapping. there was one bond that
gum.
And the one point to be got out the
party is: What has become Of the scientist
who told the world-in a magazine-that
gum chewing produces sweetness of dis
position?
She looked as If she had just escaped
from the frontispiece of fashion maya
zinc. Perhaps it was the swing of her
exquiSitely snowy skirts the faultless
angle of her hat. Perhaps. again, 1t was
just the young woman herself
AS she crossed the asphalt with plain
woman in black, she tip-toed, as il she
were lodging puddies, though the sun
was 4 merciless blaze.
Looks as If you had contracted the
rainy day habit commented the plain
woman.
Rain. Rain is clean. I'm trying to
avoid automobile grease. My clothes are
nearly ruined
The plain woman must have been Of an
anarchistic temperament, for her frown
was black as her frock.
That's what's the matter with the
hem OF my taffeta-and I've been worrying
myself sick over how the smears got
there. It's hard to have only the grease
spots while others do the riding"
ON, We have more than the spots re-
minded the frontispiece. airily. There
is always the exciting possibility of being
run over. and having the chauffeur run
in"
There are always compensations.
Holding a tray of notions, q man stood
in front of a government building the
other day at noon.
A rather dandified clerk came up and
proceeded to look over the peddler' s
wares. He said he wanted collar but
ton
After lingering the entire stock, he
finally made a selection-almost. The
spring OF the one he had about decided
on was all right. but he was afraid the
button didn't shine quite as bright as
Spltle oI TIE Otucis' ofu hS VIVIAN hhS "
know 1t it could be guaranteed. Maybe.
he'd better take that other one that had
more the look of the real thing.
The man with the tray was patheticaliy
patient, but there was nothing Job-like
about another customer, who without any
fussing had bought pair of suspenders
and two shirt sleeve fasteners.
Say. Blank! You don't want one of
these buttons. What you are after Is q
Tiffany stud with a diamond in it. And
YOU want II for ) cents"
The X,c.fed clerk pretended he took
it as a nike. But he bought button.
And his ears got red.