The Washington herald., 1918-05-09
Nssm.A:;s'

New York. May s.-Another bennett
Nassau street closed its doors the
other day and now there is only one
survivor Of the New York chain OF
religious eating houses founded years
ago by the late A. W. bennett. who
put scriptural notices on the wall.
began each days business with
prayer and allowed each patron to Sc
lect his own food and took the pa
irons word as to how much he owed.
A rather distressed public gazed at
the locked portals and windows made
opaque by a coat of washing powder.
Dennett's was the only restaurant in
Park Row district where old-fashioned
doughnuts could be had. Moreover.
many persons had grown accustomed
to grabbing food from the marble
counter. carrying it to wide-armed
mahogany chairs and having the
beautiful cashier accept without
skepticism whatever money was prof
fered
bennett came from a little town i'm
Maine and opened the first religious
restaurant" in New York. At one
time he had fourteen here and others
in Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago.
Losing his fortune in mining. he went
to California and opened a big lunch
room in San Francisco. He went in
sane and died in 1906.
Biblical texts. Prepare to Meet
Thy Cod" and others. were on the
walls. There were Bibles for those
Who wished to read. Mattresses were
called TO prayer before each meal. 1t
was Dennett's claim that he never
lost penny by trusting the public
The only man he ever suspected OF
cheating him sent him a conscience
check" three years later. covering the
amount with interest
There are many Quick-lunch res
taurants that permit the public to
tell the cashier what they owe. but
they bulwark their trust by having
spoilers" who see to it that no one
makes a mistake twice.
She was very fat. passably blonde
and superlatiyely upholstered Before
her lay an I'm Hooverized luncheon
array. And she had just finished her
second whisky sour.
"Dearie,", she said, leaning across
S"N eoSAS oAN aOOhIlS 10 Illd NJ
sure that her dictum would carry.
you simply gotta see that there
Shakespearean play on Broadway. It's
more than the best play I ever seen.
It's the best play that ever was wrote
And you'd go crazy over it. because
you're just naturally full of eddica-
tion."
There was an earthquake while she
IlNNN -.
in Western California instead OF
Stratford-on-Avon.
Strange things happen. even in the
prosaic depths of the subway. Once
in awhile the curtain OF convention
draws away and for an instant one
looks deep into life itself.
He was an artillery private His
boyish face held lines of weariness
As he slumped into a corner seat his
hat fell OF, revealing that his hair
was yellow and curly. He did not
stoop to pick 1t up. for he fell asleep.
Few noticed the gray-haired woman
who sat opposite watching him. She
was gaunt and shabby. One wondered
what she was doing abroad at that
early morning hour. She never took
her eyes on the sleeping lad. Present
ly she rose to leave as the train jolted
into the station.
As she passed the boy she bent
lifted the battered campaign hat. laid
1t on his lap and then kissed him
softly on his tumbling yellow hair
He did not stir and she almost ran
from the car. The curtain that lifted
for brief moment fell again and one
sat watching the sprawled figure of
the soldier, wondering,