Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-16
ELLEN ADAIR GETS
HER FIRST PEEP AT
REAL LONDON LIFE
On Way to America After
Her Mothers Death, Sad
English Girl Is Amazed by
Sights.

fiction. EGt no trnnprt hcralds the tell
ing OF e common tale. no glaring foot
lights iitumiue the vital happiness of
life. For the human soul 4hrmks from the
nmclgh,. aud oven to itself will scarce
admit its iumost secrets. And vet this
story or my life will show the worry heart
OF me.
\ week after mothers death, tho kind
I ly it'll" lawyer who was negotiating af-
| fairs for me. had obtained my passage
! to America, and accompanied me IN to
| London to complete the inal winding M
OF business matters. With sad heart.
| I bade a long farewell to the humhe
folks in the little English village, and
to the cottage on the dear Sussex Downs
| In two hours time W" We're in London.
! and on the morrow ! was TO sail for
America. II had all been arranged so
swiftly. SO suddenly, but in that crowded
! week | was glad that | had to work So
hard-glad that | had had but little
! breathing space for thought ana rcmem-
brancc' Tho hurry and the hustle duIled
the first sharp pain of my Joss and took
the .irst keen sting of bitterness away.
INVITED TO DRIVE
"Came come Miss Adair," said the
/ little old lawyer fussily as together We
stood at the edge of the pavement at
oxford Circus, that great corner, whore
/ in roar and a very whirlpool OF traffic
! the great Regent street and oxford street
| unite Come. come; you must h" hungry.
! Since aur business Is concluded wish
to take you 20 dine" and he beamcd
! aftablv upon me.
But above the roar Of the traffic his
thin and rcedy voice quaVered uncertain
| ly ami my thoughts were with the crowds
around stared transtiXed and fas-
! cinatcd, 4 veritable country cousin. y
young. tall, helmeted policeman stood
| alone amidst that seething mob, and with
! one upiifted hand kept back a hundred
flying taXis, wagons and motorbuses
! Alone he stood there as with the divine
| right of kings; for rich and poor
cOronetcd carriage and careerinE lorry
ohcy"d his slightest sign. And then at
last the uplfted hand was lowered. and
the trafrc, like some wild Gagged thinE
that can i'll brook restraint, leapt forward
with n great. dull roar again.
! ELLEN Adair." said the little lawyer
testify Il am not young, and ! never
was patient We have stood her for ten
minutes exactly. Behind us are the Win
dows Of Jays establishment just cram
med with hats, and gowns, and womens
fal-de-rals. And If you will turn around
and gaze right there l can excuse you
being a woman and necessarily foolish.
But We cannot continue right here, gaz-
| ing in space and obstructing the King
! highway
could not but smile, and come to earth
| again. Across that awful street we must
| co." said the little man, If we are to get
to Piccadilly tonight by Tube or bus or
| taxi--or any way at all And to trust my
/ life to the whims of that lanky Irish
boy in the polceman's uniform IS a poor
legal proposition! But need must" and
seizing my arm he plunged us recklessly
into the traffic. What might have hap
pened | do not know, but | cast one de-
spairing glance on the young policeman,
and Gallantly ne responded to the oc-
casion. At wave Of his hand, the traffic
/ halted to let us cross.
AMAZED AT CROWDS.
We reached the entrance to the Oxford
street tube, and paused once more II
! was 6 O'Clock on q ilne July evening, and
/ the tall-hatted, froCk-coated London bust
ness men were hurrying 10 their trains.
The passages TO the Underground, these
strange subterranean passages which
wind far below the London streets, were
full ot hurrying men-to me they seemed
liks SO many frightened rabbits scurrying
I'm their warren,
1T would he pity to so down thor"
this glorious summer evening said !,
even Tor a short time, 1t is only e
o'clock and We have still NOR" than three
hours Of daylight, I would love 10 ride
OF a London motorbus,'
The little lawyer waved a frantic cane
10 the first Of long line Of great flying
motorbuses, which, like huge Jugger-
nauts, we're careerinE down Regent
street The red-faced driver wheeled
sharply into the pavement, and without
even stopping the vehicle. the conductor
at the rear leaned out and tished us both
up while they were stiI moving. |
thought II amusing. but my companions
at- arms than
"Preposterous behavior" he stOlIurd
aloud Il have never yet known a London
notorious TO really stop for man or
beast, one is literally picked up by the
scruff OF the neck, heaVed in, and later
on gently deposited in the same manner
upon the pavement, while the bus keeps
up the theory of perpetual motion, !
shall report this to the London County
Council, just see II 1 don't. sir.
ENJOYS SIGHTS
We scrambled on toy, Cliuru- tightly
20 the railing Of the narrow winding
staircase. But once aloft the view was
glorious and the pace cNht!Hrati,.. For
we went as fast as any taxi or private
| car we daFted in and out Of iluE spaces
in the traffic with eal-likC energy: We
/ wheeled ahead Of many. smaller car
with hair-raising rapidity The roof yas
packed with people, and projected far
/ out over the main body Of the big Teh-
Z
and out curvetting ana wheeling gaiIv
in the crowd | felt that We wer2 Ies-
perately top-heavy, and must certainly
overturn But nothing of the sort &C.
CURED. and we turned sharply into Pic
cadilly.
Around the great fountain in the centre
, OF tho circus were bright splashcs Of
! crimson, gold, pink and heliotrope, For
the cid curious custom still obtains, and
the old market women from Covent Gar
, der or the country still sit peacefully
I knitting and gossiping around tho foun-
tain. their big baskets Of flowers in front
! of them, their scarlet ami yellow shaWls
around them, and the densesI traffic i'm
. the universe swiTling at their feet. one
would think that a nervous break down
must inevitably result-but what calc
they for fashionable fancies. Roses,
T sweet roses" they cry, between the I'M
teryals Of gossip, Lovely roses. only six
= pence the bunch, A rose for the pretty
lydy, Sir? God bless you, SIR
. Tonight, when / think Of these queer
: Old-fashiOned London hower-wumcn, a
u hOmesick longing comes over me for Just
: one glimpse Of England
I Newest Dances Quickly Taught
), Be one OF the good dane
AE ars this YEAR Correct