Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-13
Mediterranean Meditations
By William McFee
Engineer Sub.Lieutenant, r. N. r.
Part III

engineer SuD.lIieutendnt, H. N X.
Part III
7 WISH you could step aboard and 1ojn
= us some evening at dinner. There's no
beer but we have the Old Stuff and gin
and benedictine. Or better still would it be
II you could accompany US to place within
the meaning Of the act which 7, even /,
have had the honor of discovering For
some time we followed the lead of the
others and sat on the veranda of the
hotel and were robbed. It was like drink
ing liquid gold, for beer and stout were 2 6
a pint. I said Look here, I'm going to
stay aboard. shall be a pauper at the
end Of the war and the dago who owns
this joint will be buying London at Token.
house Yard. Let's quit" WELL they
wouldn't They sat on and continued to
be robbed.
AND one day went for a walk along the
"A Sweet Water canal, and 1t came to
pass that happened upon a house set IL
a garden, and inscribed upon the walls OF
that house read the word Rcstorante. And
when I had come round to the front OF
that house saw yet another magic word:
Beer. And the tongue OF me was cleaviny
to the shingles OF my mouth. So entered
and found no one. The halls were deserted
save for a yellow cat with a prominent
chin which made her look like spinster
of good family but poor income. l de-
bouched upon Vinecovered dooryard and
peered into the cool gloom of an immense
kitchen. A little old woman in black
dress came skipping out and I asked her
in my very hest Entente II she hal any
beer. Yes, she had beer. Then I said,
Bring me some, for I perish of drcuth.
And l walked forth into the garden.
Nov this garden was a series of inter.
" secting tunnels, the roof of which was
vine leaves, and grapes not yet ripe hung
like clusters of Jade beads in the shadow.
And between the tunnels were squares Of
cultivation whereon stood fig trees and
peach and apple and apricot and Qutncc
and orange. And young lambs gamboled
before me. Ut is true one turned and made
as though to charge at me head down, but
| held my stick in front and showed him
my fingers crossed whereupon he fed in
dsorder) And then I came upon sreen
tables with high legs. for they were used
for grape-cuttng. and chairs and IA notice
beseechlng the stranger to refrain from
destroying the flowers and trees. And,
pursuing my way onward through the tun-
mel Of vines, I came upon a stairway lead
ing upward to kind of arbor which |
ascended and found myself in a pleaGarnce
so cool and charming that l gave thanks
and sat down to look across the sea of
green foliage at the many-colored domes
Of Hub.el-Bubl in the distance. and a g eat
bird sitting a little way off upon palm
tree gave me wink Of welcome.
CURELY. | thought, this is the Garden
~ Of Eden and the Serpent has moved on.
And I became aware of the old lady run
ming about the garden seeking for me, for
I could hear the glass and the bottle jingle
on the tray. So clapped my hands loudly,
the great bird took offense and sailed away.
and the old lady hastened up the steps and
las the story writer's say knew no more.
In a moment I had plunged my features
into a foaming edition of what you call
book only this was what the French
call "un book formidable" and the sound
of the old ladys voice as she told ne the
price of pint bottle was only eight pasters
was like the voice of an angel.
WTE GO there every night now. There's
w the Doc, a shrewd London Irishman
who loves to make caustic comments.
There's the Chief disillusioned fisherman
who exists in deep gloom. There's the
Third Officer, who is in love. We form a
small select society for the assimilation of
malt liuuOr. It's such treat to get away
from the ship and from the hot huLilc OF
khaki on the hotel veranda.
Excuse me. We're Just going up there
low!
The End