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 think those quiet
days were happy ones. Among the
steerage crowd were kindly folk. The
Irish were the merrest of all. and
nothing damped their gay enthusiasm.
i They danced their native dances on the
N deck-untiring. unfatigued. corcertiua,
sadly out of tune, was their sole or.
chestra. I loved TO watch the pretty
N colleens dance. shavs round their
heads. and Irish eyes aglow. Each gos-
soon led his colleen to the floor and in
c'ogged feet they tripped the happest
measures.
III But in the dance Galicians took the
W palm. Strangely enough, the men would
dance together scornirg a woman part
" ner. I have never seen more graceful
IL dancers than these men, Galician and
te Italian. The rhythm OF the music
4, spurred their feet, and lent imagination
"A to their dance. Strange cries they soine-
times gave, but musical-the gondoliers
N 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 loSgas sparkling in
X Italian sun
HAPPY HEARTS ON BOARD.
y When the dance was over each single
J man would seek his girl again, who. too,
with the Italian girls had danced. To-
] gether they would share an orange or
kiss. But when that dreadful con-
certna wheezily began oroo NO. '''-'
man would rush to find his own male
partner.
,1>a .l..,
/. 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
2 boy was with a different girl. Stray
|, scraps of conversation roated down to
. me, for ! had claimed one solitary spot
as minea coil of roor beside the rail
and there I nearly always sat.
81 think YOU are n topping girl
hear him murmur TO his ear y-Inornins
partner on the upper deck. 'l m really
frightfully keen. YOU know-you look so
lovely in this cold. clear wind! I love a
strong athletic girl the best-in fact, just
your
BY afternoon his Early-Morning Cir
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. I Glmpsed nuffy
pretty face amidst A cloud of wraps
Il hate the sea-. petulant voice would
Sexclain. 81 never will get up till aite"-
noon, though mcmma SAYS I'm lazy
You're all woman ought TO be- and
that is simply perfect" cooed the Boy
oh, base deceiver! ~ hate the strong.
athletic type-a man likes to protect a
girl
ILLUSIONS OF THE SEA.
most truly breeds Irritation in its train.
An ocean voyage brings such strange
hallucinations, too! Up in the frst-class
set the Married Man. so jolly in the gay
deck-sports, so gallant in his manner
toward the girls, has now become an
object of commseratlon and OF pity. He
Is unhappily married-so the rumor has
1t. Poor fellow says the Prettiest Girl
on board. IT 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
wife he cannot love, Poor fellow II
is so sad and strange
1t did seem strange. For just a day or
two before ! saw him almost weeping
as he fondly kissed his pretty wife fare
well upon Southampton dock. Good
heavens! I hate to think OF this beastIy
voyage without you Mary" had heard
him say, with frankly red-rimmed eyes.
Drop me a postcard every dav to let
me know how all the kiidies are This
four weeks trip is Just bit too long"
Yes, it was strange, Perhaps the sea
had given the Prettiest Girl hallucina-
tlons
The voyage drew at length to its last
day. That final morning I rose early
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 10
beckon lonely emigrants onward onward
to peace and prosperity.
We slowly sailed up the North River
and the swarmlns riyer-craft looked
strangely foreign 10 my English ewes
The landing at New York was a long
and tedious business. Protracted inter-
views took place with doctors. immiera-
tion authorities, customs men. 7 began
TO wonder and to doubt if Anne rica could
really be the land OF freedom and of
liberty after all. When all formalitles
had been gone through, and they do not
make It easy for girl to land alone.
/ scanned the faces on that great wide
dock. 7 Canncd thr~r f--- I-..-,
time. No uncle sas il sight Tine tlma
OF d Eusluuss iug.l &C. .,.. t.-- ,
own" said l 10 my self in would-be
optimistic spirit. "he will certainly be at
the Philadelphia terminus"
THE RETURN TRIP.
In half an hour my luggage was trans-
ferred. and I stood awed within the
portals OF the finest railway station in
the world. ] thought I must he back in
dear Saint Pauls Cathedral once again.
No sign Of smoke or trains was there,
and vet its name was Pennsylvania /
Railroad Station. In the hush of its vast /