The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-24
| ) elights Of Being
cor in Bohemia
, GEOGRAPHICALLY speaking, we

hcmia, New YORK city. We
have three rooms and bath IN
"a I.l tenement on the upper East
Half block to the west Of us is
... \ with it's lining of Hungarian
a. ..1cmian shops. within a stones
u...y II our windows Blackwel's Is
la, IyIdes the rushing tides of tho
T.. ;lver.
month ago we were suburbanites-
u i've minutes out on the New
Haven. Like most commuters, our
kr. edge Of the city was limited to the
tv e railroad stations, a few blocks
II t.l avenue, the Woolworth Build
inl uy wife the department stores and
r.. .wenty blocks or so between the
Gr..d central and my office.
THIS Nat with two spring cots, rug,
n, hairs, table. a desk, a quarter
su' .tS meter, a gas stove and two
stunt, feet Of standing place in the
bath ..um was offered to us for $500 a
wee. payable in advance. Here was
IN .rpurtunity for y vacation without
-.a,t..l. work. "a chance to learn some
ln- about New York by becoming
part ~ 1t. We accepted-for five
week.
Moving into this nelghborhood was
Ike sitting the kind of city one reads
about in travel magazines. We arrived
ur. u the early evening. on both
h. gtrn tAtts Cd hn "a
many pcopled tenements. The rows
md ruNs of lighted windows rising one
.I,r truyc the other seemed to bespeak
som, medieval communistic mode of
afc
TNruuGh low. wide passage in the
ST." ut one Of these cliff houses We en-
tered 10, court Of our tenement We
were IN a hollow square about which
the great building had been shaped. At
each corner was staircase much like
an enclosed fire escape except that the
side toward the court was open. this be-
ing nnc IT the so-caled open stair tene-
m,nts
our Nat was on the fourth of six
stories. Through the windows of the
sitting room as We entered after our
climb We saw the yellow lights of
Sound steamer moving up the river.
Th.n came the green and red lights OF
a tug towing a line Of barges. In the
BACKGROUND glimmered the windows on
BmDkwcll's Island. \ little later the
moonlight came ripping down the mys-
ter.uus soft green water. We had never
dreamed New York could he like this.
There was not enough room in the
Hat ?" warrant the unpacking of our
trunk. So we started at once to explore
The n"ighborhood. Little more than just
around the corner from us was the
library. There we were introduced Ia
the best and largest collection of Bo-
iom.an books in the United States. To
20 sure we could not read Bohemian.
'ut IL was good deal of an inspira-
ion 20 realize hat right around us in
'hi, part of New York there were hun
lrrds Of people to whom this library
Vas q linguistic oasis in the desert of a
strange language.
uhntanre with the librarians, who told
is proudly how much more substantial
han the books read on the West Side
we're those chosen by the people of the
East side. incidentally they advised us
what delicatcssen shops to patrOnize
md Invited us to the public lectures in
NE library and in the school across the
way. People who are lonely in New
sal, e.. ri N
lind f."uds,
So far. however We have not found
inc 20 attend any Of the lectures.
There have been So many other interest
~ things. For instance. the streets.
Every evening for blocks and blocks
20, broad asphal, surface of Avenue A
: packed with roller skaters. Children
md older boys and girls dash up and
Down AT hreakneck speed, lodging
through the crowd. jumping from street
20 sidewalk and from sidewalk back Ia
street with undminished momentum
'h,n upping Shorthand never falling
II is wonderful Here at least the city
hoy has an advantage over the children
In The country whose dusty roads per-
nit ru roller skates.
Perhaps. also. because he cannot roam
me open fields he plays harder, Games
II tag and a. general yelling and jump
lnp and running about are carried on
with the greatest whrl and dash. Even
'hc marble experts cease to be leisurely
Her, ana there along the curbs chill
drr' hazard clothing and lives by build
's norhres; and unforti nately in the
uNcyNnHs some Of them match pennies
ANA shoot craps.
Shopping is the principal amusemen
NJ The older people. one buys little AM
therefor" buys often. To-day for in
stance We purchased pound Of sweet
potatoes for two cents. "a quarter of
' pound If sugar and an equal amount o
COFFEE.
w have discovered many new kind
If wfrn~ For three cents one may oh
'lin mix. A mix consists of half {
rarI' "a sprlg Of parsley, a leak, ;
piece u: celery and slice of turnip, al
W"Wfl by the grocer while you wal
ana '''arward used for soup. Here ais
may y, had smoked bacon covered wit
''d upper an incredible variety o
beans and mysterious pickles Of a.
sorts
u 'hc shops we have found alread.
rr.Hrj our much talked Of right @
women to work. The wives tend stor
hour t1r hour as long as their husband
ana .FD apparently in many cases tn