Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-02

800 ~
~ cially on payday evening. is a somewhat
more cheerful business than getting out to
Eddystone in the morning. One usually has
to sit down on the train platform, IL he has
been honest with his job. and has not dressed
up till the bell sounded at ~"quittln' time"
But on pay day the platform seat has its
compensations
n FAMILIAR run of takers, statesmen and
"A mendicants throngs the neighborhood OF
the big works on Friday afternoon.
The dapper little salesman of a pocket
secretary, gentlemen, which comprises in It's
small bulk a pair Of compasses, a steel
square, a footrule, a manicure knife, a pen.
a pencil and a cigar cutter; for advertising
purposes this evening only we throw in this
patent self-sharpening pencil with four Hun
garian leads. all for the small sum Of a
quarter Of a dollar"
The blind beggar who makes change for
you out OF a capacious and juggling pocket.
The apoplectic, fat-faced rapid calculator,
with his portable blackboard: "Forty-six
cents an hour-thirty-nine hours-how much.
gentlemen? ! write down the answer with
out a thought. va can all do it. In my little
He's fast" remarks one man.
He Is that" observes another. Hes
wrong"
The orator continues his long speech:
N'Nh W. 'N' N~
state OF New Jersey are Woodrow Wilson.
Thomas Edison-and myself" Shades OF
Staunton. Va.
Thomas Edison and myself,
Come over here and we'll hang you"
sings out a jovial blade from the day coach
window.
Nav. wait a minute - bawls out a second
gruft voice. Give him a chanel and he'll
bust a bloodvessel! Then the law can't
touch u.s."
With a boot and a slang the train heaves
out Of the siding. and the rapid calculator
talks on to a diminishing audience.
GO FINALLY we gasp in to Woodland ave-
~ nue. again, pass through the hands Of the
evangelical car starter who smoothAs down
the crowds with such kindly observations as
mo need to hurry. All we good folks are
going to find a place is more cheer
full than convincing
But at length. by power and prayer. we
edge into the car and proceed northward.
TT is an old story that the battles Of this
i war are being fought at home that one
man at the front needs five behind him at
forge and on farm and in factory to keep
the mills Of the gods still grinding.
Like many another apostle of romance, I
was one time accustomed to think lightly of
this well-worn gag. I am not ashamed to
admit that I was wrong. I cannot now feel,
for instance, that the splendid-thewed Yer
monter in the Remington wood shop could
JIG W u6Nhul " hhS oohtNi III u NUN
or in fuselage than he IL right down on his
job. There are more men able to shoulder
q rife and to march VIGOROUSLY through
the bloody fields of Flanders than there are
to- profile 500 walnut rife stocks in a ten
hour day. It is more glorious to go. but
there are some for whom 1t is a serious duty
to stay home.
TEAR GIRLS, with your nne valorous
- dreams-you splendid women whose
sons are In the blue or the brown. and you
staiwart old gentlemen who heard the call
in 61-whenever you feel a bit FESTIVE at the
sight of a fine. broad-shouldered fellow down.
town in 'civvies' on Saturday night, and
the word Stacker" comes close to your lips,
I beg Of you to remember to look at that
strong mans hands.
For. believe me. there is still grilling. soul
searching labor fer courageous strong men
right here at your very elbows: labor that
none but such men can ever rightly perform
dirty, sweating. uneventful. deadening toll
for every yard won in Picardy.
" obscure small street in West Philadel-
phia. I was conscious Of a smudse or two on
my face and Of perhaps more than a smudge
on my hands. Halfway down the block Of
little houses there was a fine. manly looking
boy In q sailor suit. He was playing with
a boat on his doorstep. The boat and the
boy and the doorstep formed a delightful
picture. At the clump of my heavy shoes
the lad glanced up, and I smiled at him as
I passed.
Not being a lady, ! have no special pride
in owning a smile. But a long experience
has shown me that among all sorts of people
a smile has a certain c~urrency-value per-
haps small-but at the passing moment I'M
questioned - certainly never questioned
among small children.
But this little boy on the doorstep did not
answer my smile. I was curious and tried
again on another well-dressed little boy a
hit fnrfhar lpWp the sfreef Ha q1cn did mot
return my smile, but seemed to look a bit
puzzled at my resumption.
locked more critically about meat the
neatly trimmed lawns, at the immaculate
doorsteps. the evenly drawn shades. and far
within the houses the chance glitter or two
of glass from the sideboards, and perhaps a
hint of a display Of finger bowls.
| THEN I think I came to understand what
/ was the matter. I realized that I was in
a rising neighborhood, and that, having
worked all day with my arms and my hands,
I was by no means class.
| NLEAN streets of small houses everywhere,
~ you cannot afrront me by not answering
my smiles! I know how hard you have
been struggling to keep your men and women
clean-fngered at 8 in the evening-as clean
fingered as the folk of Melrose Park and
| Bryn Mawr and Chestnut Hill.
It is a hard battle to establish class in a
| street CT SINAI houses-to upnoio a trduitioH
| of finger bowls. But, alas! dear people,. on
your immaculate porchfronts you are up
against a bigger game than any game that
was ever played by big or little houses In all
the long days of the world.
One year more of battle and I venture
that in even the most persistently rising OF
rising neighborhoods the clean-raced children
will scarcely look askance at a smile from
a smudgy man. coming home in old clothes
on a midsummer evening.
For the world Is running short OF clean
hand Jobs. In battleline, In powder plant,
in gunshop. the clean, smooth fingers of the
Young men of half cur world are broadening
and growing ever more. skillful and strong
and useful. And we shall all, ! think. be
wiser and perhaps far happier for our ad'
.--.t.Hos In Labor and for aur returns 10 re-.