Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-01
The Tragedy of Washington Square
By CHRISTOPHER MORLEY

age enough to tell him the truth? That is
the tragedy of Washington square
TT WAS a dark rainy night when we bi.
Il cycled into Basel. We had been riding
all day long, coming down from the dark
cletts of the Black Forest, and we and our
knapsack were wet through We had been
bicycling for six weeks with no more lug.
gage than rucksack could hold. We never
saw such rain as fell that day we slithered
ana sloshed on the rugged slopes tina. tumble
down to the Rhine at Basel CThe annual
rainfall in Switzerland is y When we
got to the little hotel at Basel we sat in
the dining room with water running off MS
IN trlckles until the head waiter glared And
so all we saw of Switzerland was the in
terror of the tobacconist's where we tried
unsuccessfuly to get some English baccy
Then we went to bed while our garments
were dried We stayed in bed for ten hours
reading fairy tales and smoking and answer
ing modestly through the transom when anv
one asked us questions.
Inc next morning we overhauled our
wardrobe, We will not particularlze, but we
decided that one change of duds after six
weeks bicycling, was not enough of ward.
robe to face the Jungfrau and the national
debt and the child-labor problem not 10
speak or the anonymous President and the
other sights that matter (such as the Matter
norm. Also, our stock of tobacco had run
out, and German or French tobacco we sim.
ply cannot smoke. Even If we could get
along on substitute fumigants the issue of
garments was imperative. The nearest pIace
where we could get any clothes of the kind
mat we are accustomed to, the kind Of
clothes that are familarly symbolized by
three well-known initials was London. And
the only way we had TO get to London was
on our bicycle. We thought we had better
get busy. It's long bike ride from BASEL
to London. So we just went as far as the
Basel Cathedral, SO as not to seem too un-
apprecative of all the treasures that Switzer-
land had been saving for us for countless cen.
turtles; then we got on board our patient
steed and trundled of through Alsace
THAT was In August, 1912, and we firmly
i intended to go back to Switzerland the
next year TO have another look at the rain.
fall and the rest of the statistics and status
quos But the opportunity has not come.
GO THAT is why we wander diseonsolately
- about Washington square. trying TO mako
up our mind to unburden our bosom to the
SWISS consul and tell him the worst But
now can one go and nterrl pit a consul to tell
him that sort OF thing? Perhaps he wouldn,t
understand it at all he would misunderstand
our pathetic little story and be angry thai
we took up his time. He wouldn't think thai
a shortage OF tobacco gand clothing was a
and the Jungfrau. He wouldn't appreciate
the frusUated emotion and longing vvItb
which we watch the little red cross AT his
front door and think Of all 1t means 10 us
and all It might have meant
IXTE TOOK another turn around Wash,ns.
w ton square trying TO emboldep o,,r-
self enough TO so in and tell the consul All
this. And then our heart failed us we ~.
cided 70 write a piece for the paper about n
and u The consul ever sees II he win be gen.
erous and understand. lie viii know WIN
behind the humble facade Of his Consulate az
Washington square. we see the heaven-nierc'
ing submits OF Switzerland rising ike
dream, blue and silvery and tantallzing.