The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-12-21
AN EVENING IN CHURCH STREET.

ty, passing and repassing in a tangled
each individual intent upon
his own errand. Tired Workmen,
roughly clad, carrying dinner buckets,
the CRIME ana the strain OF the
strain of the days work still on theiI
faces. Girls and young women from
the publiSaiug houses Fastening
homeward, glad OF release from eN-
acting employment, Chat,egiDg gaily
among themselves of their small al
fairs. Be.ated housewives, burdeued
with bundles for the home, emerging
from market places to seek a place
in overcrowded street cars. Saucy
maidenS, their Threats guarded by
heavy furs and their feet and ankles,
daringly revealed by shortened skirts,
encased in silly shoes and gossamer
hose, inviting the glances of youth
full cavaliers. Weary, ill-clad moth
ers, the scars of the battle of life in
the lines of their sad faces, wheel
ing protesting babes in little cabs
through the hurrying throng. Gay,
fresh-faced young sprigs attired in
pinchback coats, hats on the backs of
their heads, tightly fitting trousers
shortened to expose an inch or two
of stocking above their shoetops. and
cigars tilted at a rakish angle from
the corners of their mouths, idling
here and there to ogle the passing
multitude and to pass youths imma-
ture but confident judgment upon
humanity. Leather lunged newsboys
shouting their Nashville Globe"
raucously, eager for the chance Gus
toner. Men and boys hurrying, obi
vious to the crowd, coat collars turned
high, hands plunged deep into peck
cts and huddled down into their
coats in their efforts to keep warm
until they resemble hunchbacks in
appearance. Rude rivers of big
motor trucks, rough and ready men,
pushing through crowded streets
crossings, noisily, and gazing down
upon the batfled pedestrians with
amused and lofty disdain. Comforta-
bic looking, sweet-faced matrons,
their bearing and garb speaking of
well-being, contentment and happy
firesides, fastening from belated err
rands to street cars and home, The
faces of the passing throng, kaleido-
scopic in their infinite variety-young
and old faces, pinched and sleek
faces, villianous and angelic faces,
smiling and scowling faces, ugly and
beautiful faces, friendly and repellant
faces, each telling plainly its own
story of life. Poverty rubbing ell
bows with Observation-Disclosures and
innocence, culture and ignorance,
high station and low station, the
we'll and the unfit, the influential and
the obscure, the black and the white,
all walking side by side and ming
ling together in the mass called hui
mainly. The reckless messenger
boy, astride his bicycle, threading his
way with light and airy nonchalance
through the maze of motor cars, de-
livery trucks, street cars and people.
The glare of electricity from signs
and store windows, from motor cars
and street car headlights. The glis-
tening street car rails, shining like
long silver ribbons down the street
as they are Illuminated by the
headlights. The show windows
of the stores made beautiful
and tempting by the art of the
window dresser, and Turing from
many pockets the reluctant dollars
The strident Changing of the street
car songs, the unmuscal but insis
tent warnings Of the automobile horns
and the stop" of the traffic officer
The boisterous wind whipping aroun'
the corners, its icy cold cutting bare
flesh as with a knife, taking playful
liberties with women's skirts, ant
now and then tossing the snow int
the pedestrians face. Huge Goa
wagons, drawn by great horses, thei
. drivers grim and black with Goa
dust, the packed snow on the pave
ment creaking shrilly and crisply un
/ der the grinding of the wheels. Tn
/ endless procession of motor cars, neN
and old, large and small well-eroome
and decrepit, Of every type and make
pleasure cars and delivery cars, hur
dreds of them going and coming cor
tinually. And above all, seen diml
! through the smoky atmosphere an
! the glare of the LIGHTS, the siler
stars, reminding the beholder OF tn
vanity Of all human things and til
immutabiliry of the infinite. Thu
last Saturday evening in Church
street.