Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-28
Around the City.

The words were printed above box
with slit in the top. and the box was
in church near the door.
A church is q silent place on week
day, but a woman who likes silent places
stopped in the other morning to say a
prayer and get warm.
1t was so silent that the stained glass
saints In their high windows cast shafts
of colored lights over empty pews, and a
sanctuary lamp glowed crimson before
the white baroness of the altar.
When the woman had finished her
prayer and was leaving Z man entered
the church. went to the box. dropped in a
greenback in the direct way that one
mails a letter. and went out again.
There is nothing remarkable in any
man, of any church. stepping inside to
streets are ice glazed AM. the wind stings
like a whip lash. but this especial man
showed no sign of belonging to the faith
the church stood for. He lifted his hat.
Of course, and stepped lightly. as all good
hammered men do when they enter a
house. but the place might have been
bank where he was assured of safe IN
vestment.
For the instant that the man stood at
the box a purplish radiance slanting
from a near window touched him with
the vividness of a spotlight, but he paid
no attention. 1t was su.n softly beauti-
full light that the woman looked up to see
what colors could have combined to pro-
duce Ii.
Perhaps it was the silence. You think
odd things in big, empty church on a
week day-but Ii seemed to the woman
that the blue and crimson robed figure
looking down from stained glass remote
ness was Saying-again--
THAT which We do unto the least of
My little ones We do it unto Me.
A small girl was reading car ads. aloud.
She was SO small that her thin bits
of shanks dangled inches above the floor.
and the loudness of her reading at racted
every passenger around except her moth
err, who was talking Atlantic lily 10
man on her other side.
The child could read. all right. Each
ad was shrilled out with stilled precision
but her star work was done ON an ultra
stylish card that had q rooster In one
corner and some red letters on the end.
Fat Fourteenth-fat four-say, mom-
ma. what makes 14th street fatter than
any other street?-Momma-sa momma.
what makes.
Momma consented to turn; saw the in
terest Of the passengers expressed In
smiles that ranged from grins to chuckles
and at once explained with that charming
sprightliness we all take on before audi
ences:
You have not pronounced properly.
II have SO. 1t says Fat Fourteenth
plain as anything. What makes IT fat.
momma?"
"Well the letters read that way. il
you insist upon being wrong. but it means
Fl at 14th street = don't you see.
dear
Darling did not and wouldn't.
Then why don't they put a pe-yud
after +? Miss Ella says that when
capital letter stands all by itself it must
have pe-y,d to it-and she knows better
than-everybody-.
Then the small child went after the
next ad.
And momma-went after the man.
man stood at 9TH story window
and looked down on the Avenue and
beyond 1t to every roof. spire and
smokestack. from the heart of the city
to the CapitoIs dome.
After minutes and minutes he took
a long breath and said--as If it were
all he could say:
when 1 left Washington Alec Shep-
herd was just taking hold"
And that seemed to take in every
thing.
4 girl and n young man got on
car the other evening. Anybody could
tell by the opera glass bag he carried
duQ the Cap sHe WOTc lHdl lHts WCEC
bound for the theater. Especially the
cap. It was made of gilt gauze. ruffied
with gilt lace with psi, pink buds over
the ears. Through the gauze one could
see ripples of the blond hair that
frizzled over her forehead and pulled
out at the back. With the cap went a
blue chiffon dress. cut neck. with
whole lot Of lace on II and necklace
Of pearls. Her silk stockings were
black. and the dear little slippers had
buckles on them You could see every
stitch of her finery, because her long
pony was unbuttoned from start to fin- |
Ish And. Of course. she snuffied. They
always do.
The young man was comfy in a rough |
mixture overcoat, and. Of course. stout |
shoes but the only thing he seemed to |
be considering in tl-c matter of raiment |
was how dandy hi ri looked In COM |
parison to every young woman
round. You could tell it by the way he |
know that smile.
She was a pretty girl and she tried her |
best not to shuttle. Every time the young |
man looked another way she dabbed her |
nose surreptitiously. And when he caught |
her at 1t she would pretend to be just 1
holding the handkerchief while she drew
The back OF her hand over her hair, the
way girls do.
The two were so like as peas to other
wos that the incident wouldn't have been