Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1918-01-08
A Night in a
Metropolis
BY ALAN rnNspALE

. (<ocxf< knt. 1911. Western Newspaper unlon.l
4 1n the great city Of New York there
~ no night. There is darkness In
pots; there IL artificial illumination;
~ the great living current does not
nse to fiow.
X One night lay awake listening 10
3 clock In a church tower strike the
4 hours. There was also confusion OF
sounds, the principal one being the
Passing of elevated trains some dis
tance from me at intervals OF few
minuteA
- Vhen thes clock struck two I rose,
dressed myself and went out on the
sfrect The ongolng was the same as
nt MONDAY. In my wnnderings |
reached an embankment of the Hudson
fiver-that had been made Into a park.
< Sitting on a bench I gave myself up
TO meditation. Years ago savages had
looked down on the black stream as /
was now doing. A time would come
when not one OF those who made up
the stream Of life behind me would be
y alive. And yet the human current
Would roll on. Where? Who knows7
The day may come when the waves of
IN ocean may roll over Manhattan is
land as IL rolled ages ago.
wns conscious Of someone sitting
n the other end OF the bench on which
rested. and turning my head saw n
woman. There was lamplight enough
for me TO tell that she was n girl.
--eomewhere between seventeen and
<Wcnty years old. l did not like the
1lo>e proximity with a woman at that
Dur and was about 90 arise and move
Dn when she addressed me.
"Don't CO." she said. II haven't a
fiend In the world. / have come from
1he center OF that city OF sin and sor-
rov.. of good and evil, to find rest from
suffering. l find you here alone, and
you fear me-"
She bent her head down. concealed
.er face with her hands aud moancd.
nero was no acting In what she did
n said Such grief as hers was not TO
& counterfelted, l asked her to tell
I|c her troubles. She said that she
hs one Of the many tributaries TO
~ great human stream ever moving
~ the island. The flow of country
.rIs to the city like the current IL
eds qeyur ceases. despite the count
rs wV{ecks. She had wandered all
~ looking for work and found none.
~ wns tired and hungry and when
|Rhf came she had no money with
EIeh 10 buy food or place to sleep.
~ had come to the river far from
mad throng. where she could at
n suffer alone.
ou mean" said shuddering, that
have come 20 the park embank-
b where you may find a bench to
on"
be made no other reply than means
Nr< took money from my
ket ~ handed it TO her. She re-
"a II.
<It will avail nothing now" she
Nd. 'It would have availed nothing
had II come sooner. when day comes
would have been doomed 10 20 from
11ore 20 store, from factory to factory,
jooking for work. nm not able Co
<ontinue the dreadful tramp. Besides,
& have reached point where anything
- flow Of humanity"
with this she leaned back on the
mel and was Silent, motlonless. II
t<nrred 20 sie that the most practical
NJ thing to DO would be 90 go for one
~ the city's men appointed for such
'I0rk. Rising / told her tO remain
>b~re she was and I would return
Nth someone who WOULD take care OF
NJ during the night. and on the NOR
W would interest myself on her be-
left her aud going n short distance
IND n policeman whom l told that
q found despairing woman who
Ned the clty's care.
fhe towns full OF 'em." he said. 81
nldn't advise you % get mixed up
IN one Of them. YOu'll only get
1rself in trouble"
<rll lookout for that" replied. tits
1r duty as a policeman when l call
on You for aid In such case To
H."
b reluctantly came with me. We
mot far 20 go. l had kept my eye
~ figure ON the bench, and when
&farted for IL saw II plainly.
Is we advanced II seemed less
ID Instead Of clearer.
Aere are you golngi" asked the
man.
THU SS<hch," pointing.
a AshcsusSV'ou were taking me to a
b l am. don't You see her leaning
k]nst the hack Of the benchT
.erhere's no woman there"
j hooked again. The policeman was
Md: the bench was vacant.
Ia was too astonished 10 reply. 1
bod staring at the point where had
Ri the girl.
eShe's given you the slip" said the
"It's the old story. As soon ns
saw yop come for me, she III out.
BE not the first young innocent
has b<Ep fooled that way"
Ind ~ nng to say, hut was not