Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-01
WOMAN, ME EWOMAN,
PROUD OF HER MUMMER
Smiles Happily as He Reverts to
Barbaric Gayety on An nual
Fun Spree
gPlR1T is CATCHING"
Great Pageant. Silly, Some Say, but
Spectacular Thriller All the
Same
Rv M,I,ISS

Womau's place on New Years morn IN
Philadelphia red-nosed, rheumN-eyed
little thing voiced IT, is IN the sidelnes. She
held in her ungloved hand gorgeous bou-
ouet for her man. who this one day out ot
tuc three hundred and siNty-hve achieves
paradox. lie IS q hero and n lobster at
one and the same time.
The rheumy-eyed little thing took her en-
ioyment vicariously For months aud
months she has been stitching. along with
thousands or other women. to make the
fantastic costumes for the spectacle that
places Philadelphia in history IA one Or tile
pageant cities. Household accounts have
been shaved. selt-denials have been made,
nidn!tsl, oil has been burned so that the
lord or the home could 90 forth and cavort
even as his ancient ancestors must nave
Cayortod
once more the Mummers parade ias
demonstrated the colorful barbarism That
lies beneath the civilization which merely
crusts man. doubt II a holiday celebla-
ton in an African village could show
more elemental grotcsquerie than todays
spectacle.
DIGNITY AGONE
Hundreds OF men who ordinarily fear t.
wear q red uechtie or change the style Of
their hats because o. the ilbing tendency
OF their brothers today cas-; conservatism
to the winds and became ukelele maidenr,
ballroom bellies, clowns or cn1perors, as
their fancy dictated. And hundreds of
"
shame al the sight of their spouses making
plain fools Of themselves today swell with
pride when the men they call their own
grmace up Broad street--a Creditable part
Of the wonderfully picturesque whole.
And If YOU are inclined TO be bit
snobbish about his parade if YOU feel that
there Is something about It offensive to that
seventh sense which Is your esthetiv sense
keep an irtrospcctive eye OF your own sem
sations as the bizarre and garish silver
4 pt Lob Or klaipg
Did you feel no thrl at all as Joe Cham
bers doughty captain of the IIobsters cap
arisoned i'm gigantic robe requiring ITO
pages TO negotiate, swept, or ather crest
up Broad street inch by inch with n tor
turous majesty induced somewhat By the
weight of the costume.
Did not the blaze Of solor, softensd
and made more beautiful by the confetti
which nature sent down in the form of
downy snowfakes. make something respond
within you?
Did YOU not feel that you. too. even
though YOU are fond of your Henry James
and George Meredith in your normal mo-
ments, given such apparel might be the
fool or the king for Il day?
Did you not grin a broad grin as Walter
Davis. in costume that would have done
Lillian Russell or Valeska Suratt credit,
made his sweeping bow before the judges
stand?
GROTESQUE GRACEFGLNESS
And could you keep your feet quite still
as the mummers. some OF them who have
never danced a ballroom dance in their
lives achieved primitive grotesque grace
as they came bouncing, balluon-like, UP
the broad avenue, performing the almost
animaish dance that has become char
aCterstiC of their pageant?
There was man in the side-lines who
came from New York to see the PHilade-
phia show for the first time. lie is making
a study OF pagcants lie spoke superiorly
of the early Florentine spectaces and quoted
Synonds. the italian historian lie felt
that hec omics were mistake and yet he
laughed the loudcst and clapped the hardest
as the MorrlstOwn man with the trained
goose went by. lie evn essayed Joke
about that not being the only goosefesh
in line today.
He succumbed as we all did. 1t was
good parade