Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28

toga-of an art era that symboli1ed
rather than featured the genius Of its day
and on its pedestal was lettered.
Marcus Valerius Martialis. AID. 80
1922"
This isn't any little barbed arrow let
fly at a present day university for wear
ing a laurel that belongs to year one
because this unit isn't in the barbed arrow
class. But you can see for yourself the
curiousness of an assertion and its con-
tradiction. coming together. haphazard-
like that.
Within a stones throw OF the Capt..
tol-if one be a good hand at throwing
stones-there is a side street of close
and stores.
The stores sell tea in little fasots
tied with silk and packed in glass
topped boxes. and there are curious
lacquered things. and china decorated
with pagodas and junks. and maidens
who have no existence outside of plate
they may be on visiting
terms with the ladies who inhabit
French fans. But that. Of course, is too
deeply serious a problem for amateur
discussion.
There is no need to say a word about
the laundries. because absolutely every
body knows how a laundry looks-and
smells-and how tirelessly the small
yellow man irons and irons. and
Nobody bothers about the 1umbledy
buildings above the stores. being Just
one shabby upstairs after another
time-eaten frames and senile bricks
that sag against each other for mutual
upholdings or for the somber comfort
who knows-of reminding each other
Of the glamourous days before-before
they were laundries and stores.
One woman. in passing. always looks
up at certain house. because Of a
handed-down memory of laughter and
tears. But the old house has always
kept ats eyes closed and took no notice.
until the other day she caught it cele-
brating with wide-open shutters and
flags. And down on the pavement Q
Iaundries were looking up at the hags
and saying in their tongues of Babel
come again:
Our flag is red because It has been
China has slain. And the sunrise typi-
fies the dawn Of China's freedom. We
know we shall be free because the
Stars and Stripes have sworn it"
might not have been saying q word Of
all that. 1t is just what they looked
as the American nag waved close
friends with the flag Of the orient. But,
the old house was saying to the pass
ing woman. as plain as any old house
my dear. I went out with the old
regime reg but: you see. I am figuring in
That sounds foolish. naturally-un.
less you know about old houses that,
are handed-down memories; but here's
something you will have to consider
worth tabbing:
A jolly man breezed along. fiared q
social hand toward the group Of yellow
men and called out:
Hello, fellow patriotsw
You can't go back on a greeting like
that. because i means the brotherhood
of man-and that means:
Everything.
The rain was cold and exceedingly
wet. And the awning leaked.
1t didn't matter hill of beans to
the woman who had on a raincoat and
kept her umbrella up. but-you ought
to have seen the other one!
She was too old for juvenile jaunti-
ness, poor soul. but she didn't know It.
which. after all. might be just as well.
if only there was time to talk it over,
which there isn't-and a daffy little
parasol being only fair weather
friend. had driUen her under cover.
The tag-new coat-cream wool with
an allied ribbon on the breast pocket
was soppy enough to go in the mermaid
business. but held out hope of regener-
alton if judiciously pressed. But you
couldn't say the same for her hat. Tho
gold-lace brim of it had furnished be-
yond redemption and the plume that
tipsied over the crown had every ap-
pearance Of being soaked with some-
thing not SO dry as water. But the
shoes were the tragediest of all. They
SO delicately laced-befng in a couple
of eyelets above dignitys deadline-
but the rain had turned them the color
Of dishwater after the pots and pans
are through with. and they had
misery always did and forever will love
company. the waterlogged lady voiced
informal anguish to her neighbor. like
this:
I'm most crazy-Dressed me up in
my best to hunt up my congressman
and look at me- told that clerk that
I wanted boots imperious to the wealth.
er-Seven-ninety-eight. cash-Ain't 1t
hades?'
It sure was. So many things are.
X *
Faith-in her official character|s q
seraph with heaven-lift.
ed eyes. But she sometimes masouer.
AIDES.
In one case she has for some years
been impersonatfng very old man who
lives at one end of the city and works
at the other. Midway between his
home and his working place is an In
stitution for the poor.
Having passed his Bible limit and
started on a new record, one might
consider the long car ride something of
4 tax. But the man does not ride.
He walks, SO that he may stop At
that midway place and drop q nickel in
! box labeled For the poor"
His reason is that the people inside
The institution pray for those who help
them. And the old man believes In
prayer.
And this Is faith.
NANN1E LANCASTER