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

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 merriest of all, and
nothing damped their gay enthusiasm
They danced their native dances on the
deck-untiring. unfatisued a conccrtina.
sadly out of tune, was their sole or
Chestra. ! loved to watch the pretty
nolleens dance, shawls round their
heads, and Irish eyes aelow. Each gos-
soon led his colleen to the floor. and in
clogEed feet they tripped the happiest
measures.
But in the dance Galicians 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
10 their dance Strange cries they some
times gave, but musical-the Eondoliers
of Venice give the same when plotting
quiet gondolas along. | almost heard
the splashing Of the oars in their strange
cries, and saw the logsas sparkling in
Italian sun.
IlthA ilI'.NLN - N'sN 'osNANA's
When the dance was over each single
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-
certina wheezilv begHr o~r.
man would rush to find his own male
partner.
Among the second class above. who
oF.a I,. Io,, Ia1,t
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 noated down TO
me, for I had claimed one solitary spot
as mne-a coil of ROPE beside the rail
and there l nearly always sat.
II think you are a topping girl!' I'd
hear him murmur to his early-morning
partner on the upper deck. I'm really
1rightfully Keen you know-you look so
lovely in this cold. clear wind l love a
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 a different
type. The Boy would place two deck
chairs in the sun. I Glimpsed a fluffy,
pretty face amidst a cloud of wraps.
81 hate the sea- a petulant voice would
eXclatm. Il never will get UP till after
noon, though mcmma says I'm lazy
You're all a woman ought to be, and
that is simply perfect" Cooed the Boy
oh. base deceiver! u hate the strong
athletic type-a man likes 10 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 arst-cIass
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 commiseraton and of pity. He
Is unhappi!y married-so the rumor has
Il. Poor fellow" says the Prettiest Girl
on board. Il 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 sad and strange"
1t did seem strange. For Just a day or
two before l saw him almost weeping
as he fondly kissed his pretty wife fare
well upon Southampton dock Good
heavens I hate to think Of this beastlv
voyage without You Mary" I had heard
him say, with frankly red-rimmed ewes
Drop noe a postcard every dav to let
me know how all the k!ddies are. This
touF "teh lIlp Is just a hlt too long
Yes, it was strange, Perhaps the sea
had given the Prettiest Girl halucina-
tions!
The voyage drew at length to It's last
day. That final morning l rose early
ana watched till New York Harbor and
the great Statue Of Liberty appeared. I
was deeply impressed by the lovely
statue with the beautiful strong face and
nigh imperious arm. She seemed TO
beckon lonely cmigrants onward, onward
TO peace and prosperity.
We slowly sailed up the North River
and the swarminE river-craft looked
strangely foreign to my English eyes
The landing al New York was a long
and tedious business, Protracted inter-
views took place with doctors, immigra-
lion authorities, customs men. I began
10 wonder and to doubt II America could
really be the land Of freedom and OF
liberty after all. When all formalities
had been gone through. and they do not
make 1t easy for "A girl 10 land alone
] scanned the faces on that great wide
dock. 7 s""r.rn t'..rr f-..
tiIas. No uncle .as II sight THE timo
ol Lusl--..H t..Il. ...l ....... ....
own" said I 10 myself iu q 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. I thought / must be back in
dear Saint Pauls Cathedral once again
No sign of smoke or trains was there,
and yet its name was PENNSYLVANIA
Railroad Station. In the hush of its vast