Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-04
TRAVELS IN PHILADELPHIA
THE UNIVERSITY AND THE URCHIN
By Christopher Morley

lHE UNIV ENCll
CUNDAY AFTERNOON Is by old tradition
- dedicated to the taking of Urchins out to
taste the air. and indeed there is more
agreeable pastime. And so. as the Urchin
sat In his high chair and thoughtfully SHOW
'eled his spoon through meat chopped remark
ably small and potatoes mashed in that
curious fashion that produces a mass Of soft,
curly tendrils, his curators discussed the
question Of where he should be taken.
TT WAS the first Sunday in March--mild
i and soft and tinctured with spring.
There's the botanic garden at the Univer-
sity' suggested. The Urchin settled 1t by
rattling his spoon on the plate and sliding
several inches of potato into his lap. GO
see garden - he cried With the generous
tastes of twenty-seven months he cares very
little where he is taken: he can find fascna-
ton IN anything; but something about The
word garden" seemed to allure him. So
little later, when he had been duly habited
In brown leggings. his minute brown over
coat and white hat with ribbons behind 1t. he
and his curators set out The Urchin was
In excellent spirits. for he had been prom
ised ride on a trolley cara glorious ad-
venture. In one pocket he carried his private
collection Of talsmans. including a horse
chestnut and picture of mouse. Also.
against emergencies. a miniature handker-
chief with a teddy bear embroidered in one
corner and safety pin, The expedition
may be deemed to have been a success. as
none of these properties were called upon
or even remembered
YTNHE car we boarded did not take us Just
i where we expected TO go, but that made
little difference to the Urchin. who gazed
steadfasty out Of the window. at panorama
of shabby streets, and offered no comment
except one of extreme exultation when we
passed a large poster of COW. Admirably
docila he felt confident that the
conjunction of both arbiters of destiny and
an impressive trolley car would In the end
produce something extremely worth while,
We sped across Gray's Ferry bridge - it
seems strange to think that that region was
once so quiet. green and rustic-transferred
20 another car on Woodland avenue. past the
white medley OF tombstones in Woodlands
Cemetery and got on at the entrance to the
dormitory quadrangles at Thrty-seventh
street We entered through the srchway-
the Urchin's first Introduction to an academic
atmosphere. This is the University" I said
to him severely, and he was much impressed.
As is his way, he conducted himself with
extreme sobriety until he should get the
hang of this new experience and see what 1t
was all about. / knew from the serene gold
sparkle of his brown eyes that there was
plenty of larking spirit in him. waiting
until he knew whether It was safe to give
It play He held my hand punctilously while
waiting TO see what manner OF place this
A COLLEGE quadrangle on a Sunday
"A afternoon has a feeling all its own. Thin
tlnklings OF mandolins eddy from open win
dows in which young men may be seen
propped up against bright-colored cushions,
always smoking, and sometimes reading with
an apparent zeal which might deceive a few
onlookers. But the slightest sound of foot
falls on the pavement outside their rooms
causes these heads 10 turn and scan the
passersi There Is always a vague hope in
these youthful breasts that some damsel of
notable fairness may have strayed within
the bastons. Groups of ladies of youth and
beauty do often walk demurely through the
courts and may be sure of hearing admiring
whistles shrilled through the sunny air.
When a lady walks through college uuad-
rangle and hears no sibilation, let her know
sadly that first youth is past Even the Sc
date guardianship OF Scribe and IJrchin did
not forfeit one Lady of Destiny her proper
homage of tuneful testimonial. So be IL ever
ONE who inhabited college quadransles
" not 80 mmeasurably long ago, and re-
members with secret pain how massIyely old.
experienced and worldly wise he then
thought himself, can never resist a throb of
amazement at the entertaining youthfulness
Of these young monks. How quantity iuye-
nile they are, and how oddly that assump-
ton of grave superiority sits upon their
golden brows! With what an fnimitable air
Of wisdom. cynicism. ancientry, learned