Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-11

WHO can describe the endless fascination.
w allucement and magic of the city? 1t
is like a great forest. full of enchantment
for the eye and ear. What groves and
aisles and vistas there. are for wandering,
what thlckets and underbrush to explore.
And how curious it is, that most Of us who
frequent the city follow only little beaten
paths of our own, rarely looking round the
corner or Investigating lin the literal sense)
unfamiliar byways. We tread our own
routine, from terminal or trolley to office,
to the customary lunching place, back to
the office, and home. Year after year we
do this, until the city is for us nothing but
a few tedious streets we know by heart.
DCT how dull it is to be confined to one
- life, one habit, one groove of conduct.
Do you ever pine to shed the garment of
well-worn behavior, to wander off into the
side-paths of the city, to lose yourself in its
great teeming life? The thought is fasci-
mating to me. l like to imagine myself
disappearing one day from my accustomed
haunts, slipping away into some other
quarter of the town, taking up entirely new
habits and environment. All, that would
be an adventure!
r THINK | would emigrate to Franklin
L Square. which, after all, is only a few
blocks north of the territory where l oscil-
late every day: but it seems almost like a
different continent. l would go UP to
Franklin Square, take a room at one OF
those theatrical lodging houses on the west
ern side of the square. grow a beard, wear
hot anl Eaan' nv nnrkptS
| full of sweetmeats for the children of the
square. In the course OF a rev months
cutie a legend would accumulate about me.
I would be pointed out as one of the char
acters of the neighborhood. Newspaper re-
porters would be sent to interview me-
Then would shave and move on to some
other home.
FRANKLIN SQUARE is a jolly place on
l. a warm day. There are red and pink
geraniums round the pool in the middle.
There is the drowsy whirr and hum of lawn
mowers. There is a sweet, dull air moving
gently across the wide grass plots; the
flag waves heavily on the tall stan. There
is a whole posse of baby carriages gathered
together in a shady patch of pavement,
with usually one small girl left to mind
them while the other little guardians are
sprinkling themselves with water at the
stand-pipe, or playing hopscotch in the sun.
You mind my baby and I'll mind yours, is
the tacit understanding Of these ragged
little damsels. But, really, 1t is surprising
how little minding the Franklin Square
babies seem to need. They lie in their car
riages furling and unfurling their toes
-,i.k - Lind NJ spartap restraint They re-
fuse to bawl or to hurl themselves upon
the paving below, because they know that
their young nurses are having a good time.
FRANKLIN SQUARE policemen are
A'stout and very jovial. An Italian
woman was sitting on a bench opposite
mine; she had a baby on her lap. one lean
ing against her knee, three sitting on the
bench with her, and two in the carriage.
Seven in all, and | gathered from her re-
marks that six of them were boys. quite
an ARMY" said the stout policeman,
passing by. Her face cleaned with the
quick pleasure of the Latin race. "Ah,
yes" she said, italians good for boys"
~ THE west side of the square are the
theatrical boarding houses. where
ladies with very short skirts and silk stock,
ten6 ar ltttIs fuszy white 6egykthet 1pst
~ M1yh&6 =