Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
ELLEN ADAIR SEES
STEERAGE FOLKS
IN MERRY DANCES
Enjoys Her Days Aboard
Boat Watching Happy
Homeseekers as t h e y
While Away the Time.
VIII.


The days flew by on the Atlantic
liner, seven in all. l think those quiet
days were happy ones. Among the
steerage crowd were kindly folk. The
Irish were the merriest of all, and
nothing damped their gay enthusiasm.
They danced their native dances on the
deck-untring, unfatigued A concertina,
sadly out of tune. was their sole or
chestra. 1 loved to watch the pretty
colleens dance. shawls round their
heads. and Irish eyes aglow. Each gos-
soon led his colleen to the floor, and in
clogged feet they tripped the happiest
measures.
But in the dance Galcians took the
palm. Strangely enough the men would
dance together scorning woman part
ner. / have never seen more graceful
dancers than these men, Galician and
italian. The rhythm of the music
spurred their feet. and lent imagination
TO their dance. Strange cries they some-
times gave. but musical-the gondoliers
of Venice give the same when plotting
quiet gondolas along. l almost heard
the splashing of the oars in their strange
cries and saw the logsias sparkling in
italian sun.
HAPPY HEARTS ON BOARD.
When the dance was over each single
man would seek his girl again, who. too
with the Italian girls had danced To-
Eether they would share an orange or
a kiss. But when that dreadful con-
certina wheezily began once more each
man would rush to find his own male
partner.
Among the second class above, who
often watched the steerage dance below
I saw the merry, humorous youth who
had Travelled in my railway carriage
down to Southampton. Each day that
boy was with a different girl. Stray
scraps OF conversation rioated down to
me- for | had claimed one solitary spot
as mine-a coil of rop. beside the rail-
and there I nearly always sat
81 think you are a topping Girl!' I'd
hear him murmur to his early-morning
partner on the upper deck. I'm really
frightfully keen, you know-you look so
lovely in this cold, clear wind! love
strong athletic girl the best-in fact. just
you!''
BY afternoon his Early-Morning Girl
would disappear I think she spent long
hours in that great swimming pool the
White Star liner carried.
So In her stead would come different
type. The Boy would place two deck
chairs in the sun. 1 glimpsed fluffy,
pretty face amidst cloud of wraps.
81 hate the sea- a petulant voice would
exclalm. II never will get up till after
: noon, though momma saws I'm lazy
You're all woman ought to be. and
that is simply perfect" cooed the Boy
athletic type-a man likes to protect a
girl"
ILLUSIONS OF THE SEA.
The pure ozone of the Atlantic breeze
most truly breeds Irritation in its train.
An ocean voyage brings such strange
hallucinations, too Up in the first-class
set the Married Man. jolly in the gay
deck-sports, so gallant in his manner
toward the girls, has now become an
object of commiseration and of pity. He
Is unhappily married-so the rumor has
1t. Poor fellow" says the Prettiest Girl
on board. II feel so sorry for that man,
AT last nights dance he really hinted that
he cared for me-and there he's tied up TO
a wife he cannot love! Poor fellow! II
is so sad and strange"
1t did seem strange. For Just day or
two before I saw him almost weeping
as he fondly kissed his pretty wife fare
well upon Southar> pton dock Good
heavens! l hate TO think of this beastly
''S"bN "ASi4DAI sbIt MARY naQ heard
him say, with frankly red-rimmed ewes
Drop ne postcard every day to let
me know how all the kiddies are This
four weeks trip is just bit too long"
Yes 1t was strange Perhaps the sea
had given the Prettiest Girl hallucina-
tions!
The voyage drew at length 10 tts last
day. That final morning / ros. .srIv
and watched till New York Harbor and
the great statue OF Liberty appeared
was deeply impressed by the lovely
statue with the beautiful strong face and
high imperious arm She seemed 20
beckon lonely emigrants onward onward
10 peace and prosperity
We slowly sailed up the North River
and the swarmins river-craft looked
strangely foreign to my English eyes.
The landing at New York was a long
& %ha tealous business. Protracted inter-
views took place with doctors, immiRra-
ton authorities, customs men / began
TO wonder and 10 doubt IL America could
really be the land of freedom and Of
liberty after all. When all tormalities
mad been gone through and they do not
make It easy for girl 10 land alone.
/ scanned the faces on that great wids
dock, I scanned them for a long. long
time. No uncle was In sight The time
OF a business man is never really his
own" said I to myself in a wouId-be
optimistic spirit, "he will certainly be AT
the Philadelphia terminus"
THE RETURN TRIP.
In half an hour my luggage was trans
ferred, and stood awed within the
portals OF the finest railway station in
the world. I thought l must be back In
dear Saint Paul's Cathedral once again.
No sign of smoke or trains was there,
and yet It's name was Pennsylyania
Railroad Station. In the hush OF its vast
spaces. men and women moved so
silently that one scarcely heard a sound.
The prevalent air was one OF method.
beauty and a silent quick dispatch Our
English stations would do well to copy
this magnificent New York building.
Dom some long steps 1 went, and