Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-17
ELLEN ADAIR SEES
BOTH SIDES OF LIFE
ON LONDON NIGHT
She Gets Glimpse of Dere-
licts by T h a me S En-
bankment and Witnesses a
Romance in Restaurant.

have carried these to lUnE-drawn happy
evenings on the hundred golf links which
surround the great city-to say little ten
his Clubs--to dui"t haCkwaters, where
rows OF gaill decorated houscboats lin"
the old river Thames The punts and
slifs at Hampton Court arc nIlcd vita
happy drifting couples. ard moored be-
1nutn the o"orhanElng willows the white
fauuelei riv"r youth Is counting the
vhite-clad English river girl. oh. happy
youth! Dear Hampton Court The old
red palace In It's stately EliEaDetuun
b.auty every summer witnesses tho same
old scenes as in those stately days 500
,.ars az, when Anne BoleEu cuQuctteJ
with tho amorous King Henry and idly
Grtftod. happy t!uo"n, I'm her snort loN'
q cam ON tho river Thames.
That July evening, tho night before
sailed for America, is still so fresh with
iu my mind We drove around the Lon
uou streets. the little old lawyer man
aud t. pcrrhed high ON the great motor
bus And mingled with the pain OF my
recent loss my lonely present ana my
vague uncertain future. ! felt strange
elation. FOR was setting forth ON the
Great Adventure.
Miss Adair said my companion sud
denly you're a fine little girl. and l hate
TO think OF YOU clearing off like this.
with no one to help YOU. | hope that
uncle OF yours over in Philadelphia IS
safe proposltion You wrote him last
week didn't YOU? He'll probably come
TO New York to meet you, l wish coulu
stay here in town to sec YOU to your
train tomorrow morning-but l can't
Two rung up "a good clearinghouse in
1<ensinaton and they've got a room for
YOU there tonight. And tomorrow just
taxi over to Waterloo Station, and por-
ter will book you and your luggage rlsht
through to Southampton on the early
boat-train. Got your ticket all right
'.y,s indeed" said hurriedly, for /
did not like to mediate on the fact that
] vas travelling steerage-tt was all
cout afford.
LIFE'S pERELTCTS IN LONDON.
NVc iourneyed many miles in silence, out
bv The Thames EmSankment, when the
sky was reddening in the west-past those
uuIe. Embankmcnt seats which hold life
tcreliCts cast up from God knows where
the rnclancholy army of the Might-HaNe-
1iecns.
see those poor souls sitting yonder,"
SAID the little lawyer huskily, "life's
fotsam. drifting rudderless. AND many
O. them better men than !.
Put these are down and out l SAID,
"and look like tramps and beggars.
Ne matter" said the little man, they
once were great, they once were me. oh
wonder lonely seats have often sat the
greatest geniuses Of the age-shabby-
,hungry-neElect northumberland. ne
brnmortal DR.. johnson often came here
s-s-tsi S1@lllt-Sa copper in his pocket mere
under the shadow Of Westminster ana the
Houses OF Parliament he sat alone ana
gazing on the old Thames, meditateo on
the vanity Of all earthly hopes. o. Faniias
varitutum-how true that is
''r don't believe it's true, cried l
va!:antly, "for life is surely what We
mako L. hate that dull philosopnizins
-th. path of glory leads beyond the
Era,o and anyhow should include very
sp this world. mean 10
mako the very most Of my life.
"You have the courage OF youth, sara
thc ,ittle lawyer in his kindly voice, "and
now that the hours are slipping by, shall
We return to dinner? Frascaus IN the
Strand is a famous place.
And later we arrived there, IN 'front.' o.
the great restaurant long line of taXis'
Isndaulettes. electric broughams was as
sembcd II was now nine o'clock ana
still daylight. And We walked IN to-
Eethcr, through the cheerful entrance
hall. to a veritable Aladdins Cave be-
yond. In my country ineXperience,
thought a new heaven and a new earth
had opened-it was all 80 magnificent
Great banks Of hot-hOuse flowers ming
led sweet odors with exotic perfumes OF
the East, great palms lowered far above
our heads 20 the vaulted root, the glitter
of a thousand lights spanked in one great
Chandelier beneath the dome
INFLUENCE OF MUSIC.
And the people, At softy-shaded, lamp
lit tables there they sat-snd oh. the
beauty OF the women. know ! saw
them all through rose-colored glasses
that night, to me It was all Couleur-de-
Rose-and the strains OF a dear Hun
sarian melody were drifting from foor to
gallery and dome. pompous waiter
waved us TO a tiny table, se-wreataed,
Tose-llt-mirrors, mirrors everywhere, and
] looked strangely shabby In that gag
crowd.
And then the relocated ,ealer % the
orchestra stepped forward and the music
changed. u began with a yasue sigh
Ing OF the embellishments like tie
early STRINGS in a WOOD n autumn.
when four-rooted furry little creatures
are steelthilv stslkiu= over the fallen
leaves-I could smell the pines and the
hog-myrtle, and feel the fresh keen tang
Of autumn N the air-and then the
cadence deepened as the 'cel.0s softly
caught the melody. 70 was al. breath,
shadow so softly did they start. Ana
then my heart leaped strangely, for the
violin obngato swelled louder. II was the
great "Barcarolle' Of Offeubach, that
Wild sweet melody tlat holds the tears
the heart-thrObs OF a universe. A. first
II softly rose and fell rose and FELL, w.,h
tender lifting cadence that refused 10
plunge beneath the surface Of tGiugs, but
that held that gay crowd, in the hush
OF a sudden silence. ! could still hear the
autumn STRINGS IN my English forest.
and see the quiet unfolding of the little
wood-sorrel as It raised It's pink face and
tender foliage TO the morning sun.
And then, on a sudden sobhng breath,
the music rose on a higher key-no words
OF mine could give its passion and It's
pain-nor yet its wild exultaUt beauty,
Up through the glittering gallery, up
through the lofty palm trees and tine
great arched roof it drlfted, / think 10
the very gates OF heaven! It filled ne
with a yearning and a pain and yet a
strange new ecstacy could not fathOm.
Beside us at the nearest table sat q
slender lovely girl iH a rose-pink gown.
and by her side an eager boy, typical
London youth. with a keen, clever face
and fne dark eyes. AS the melody rose
and fell. rose and fell saw him sud
denly grasp her slim hand in his big
strong, sunburnt one. Higher and higher
the cadence rose, and in it was the love
that many waters cannot quench, and
many floods can never hope TO drown
Then suddenly, on one breathless note
vibrating with a tender passion, the mu-
sic paused--and on that passionate note
the boy lsant forward. 'Leonora
Leonoral'' said he breathlessly.