The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-26
IN A LUNCH ROOM.
Reminders That Lower Manhattan Is
No Longer q Mans World.

To THE EnIroR OF THE SuN-sir: Just
of Of Broadway, near Bowling Green, Is
quick lunch eating place that is q
good school for the study OF types Its
tiled floor. circular tables and black oak
chairs are in the perpetual glare OF white
painted walls and ceilings lighted by
electricity under ground glass shades
1t Is a theatre Of cosmopolitan New York
for six days OF the week. At midday II
IL the misc en- scene for a comedy where
many actors play their little parts quite
unconscious OF the fact that here and
there In the mobile throng Is a spectator
who watches the shifting Of the scenes
Behind the marble counter are the bar
maids, drink singers with broken Eng
lish speech. who serve the coffee ard
milk to thirsty men and women-mostly
women. Combinations OF cornmeal and
wheat -four piled high await the eager
reach Of voracity. Presiding over this
feast like a master OF ceremonies Is the
ever watchful detective.
In the centre Of the room is a bent
form. No one TO look at It. would guess
that under the hat that shades an anx-
ious face are many OF the problems that
vex In the collection OF the impost at a
major port Of entry. over by the win
dow sits n Greek with Jet black hair.
keen eyes and brown visage. TIE sun
and wind OF the Fgean may have sea-
soned that swarthy skin, and the pos
SCISSOR OF It may be patriot or pirate.
And the women! They swarm around
you like flies, buzzing their tattlIng mes
- 49, ,.la
the vibrant music of jangling bells.
At the table next to you is clean cut
profile. Whence came II and whittier does
Il go? The cheeks have the pink flush OF
health under a violet velvet hat OF queer
construction with n visor like Jockeys
The full features and plump form. the
luminous black eyes of the one in front
OF you are OF Semitic orisin--her remote
ancestors once went with the biblical
Rebecca TO the well
There Just beyond is one tossing n vi
vacious head on which IL a red turban.
topped with knot Of red worsted. Ike
the pompon on the cap OF a French
sailor. Tucked under this headGear is a
heavy growth OF red hair, and gray eyes
which look daunt!cssly from a plquant
ana saucy race.
AZ the next table Is girl in a white
fur turban and tippet-a polar bear /!
No, you are wrong. for when she turns
and looks at you Il Is with the mild eyes
OF a gazelle. The protean instinct OF
womanhood selected her disguise.
And the bus girl-give her a title, for
she has earned it-as she passes you
with her load OF stoneware dlshes--is
she a southern mulatto2 Ask her and
she will answer with n flowing tropical
list. "Hispaniole. Ku-ba." She has not
aped the manneV OF New York In the
matter OF head dressing, but has stuck
closely to habit. and instead o. the rolls
OF hair that mufTie sound by excluding It
from a free passage to the tympanum she
has twisted two crinkly black curls that
stick out straight from her temples and
show her small ears set back like those
OF a thoroughbred.
Young wenches. daughters OF Ham.
gather soiled dishes and wipe spilled cof-
fee from the white table tops.
And so the passing show flows on as
you sit back and muse. remembering the
days when New York below Chambers
street was a mans world.
FINpLAY sAcKErr.
NEW York. November rs.