The Washington herald., 1919-01-06

Special Correspondent Of The Washington Herald.
New York. Jan. 5.-As Samuel
Pepys might record in his diary: Up
early. stirred by the hand maiden's
singing of a monody, she being a
moon-struck wench, albeit my wife,
poor wretch, fears to dismiss her.
/ did give her a guinny in gold for
Christmas and she spent 1t all for
horrendous perfume, most sick
ening.
For a walk. and at my booksellers
l did buy twelve French romances,
neatly gilt. against the coming of
cold weather which incites me to
great reading and then to Mr.. Dill
ling hams playhouse and heard the
Brown Brothers practice on saxo-
phones, the greatest wind -musick
ever l heard.
Home on an omnibus, 1t being
my delight to watch the great
crowds along the avenue and study
expressions and wonder what man
ner of lives they lead. Came Chief
Charles De Woody and Mrs. De
Woody, OF Sir woodrow's Depart
ment of Justice, to say good byes,
he having a fine new place which
takes him to Japan for five years
and a noble and contentful talk.
This day l did receive a very
comick drawing from Mr.. Webster
the limner, over the buying of my
fur-collared coat, he being old
fashioned and set against any os-
tentatious sartoriaI display. In the
afternoon to call on Morgan Kings
ton. the singer. and we had tea IA
China drink) anG iced cakes and
there came Miss Flora Revalles, the
dancer. who has the most beautu-
| GUS eyes ever 1 saw and could
do nothing but look at her my
tongue it seemed being paralyZed
And she told OF having a pet alliga-
tor, which struck me as a foolish
kind of pet.
In the dusk | walked with my
wife in the park and through the
Mall and came upon a drunken lout
who had fallen beside a pool and
his money had split out beside him.
In the evening to a dinner and
dance at the st. Regis that Mr..
LillIbridge gave, it being the first
time in many months that people
were gay and wore evening clothes
and Mr.. Ray ROhn. the artist, was
the honor guest, he having returned
from military service and is in fine
fettle and bespoke entertainingly of
his experiences. Home very late and
so to bed.
/ suspect shrewd press agency In
the sudden popularity of the book
The Four Horsemen of the pop
alypSe." l have rot read it, but l
have read so many blurbs and free
puffs about it that l will have to read
1t in self-defense. Speaking for my
self l am prejudced before I read it,
being the uneducated whelp that l
am. I artlessiy asked a book-worm
friend the other day, after she had
raved over the tome. this question:
What are the four horsemen OF the
ReVela tions?' She replied without a
flicker: War, Plague, Famine and
Death. Perhaps my mind has COM
pletely unraveled, but shall have to
wait until it snaps back in place
again before l can become interested
In such grewsome ideas for a novel
And that is remindful of an argu-
ment l had the other day. It was
my unqualified assertion that most
men prefer mystery stories to any
other kind. Tie other man in the ar
| gument was book publisher.
agreed as an experiment to say
something about it in my New York
| gossip and those who like fiction mys =
terry and those who do not might
drop me line. can be reached at
No. . West Seventy-third street
Women are invited to write their
views. too. l shall tell later of the
result. which l suspect will be that
l am as usual-wrong.
The Broadway Association is fight
ing for a Brighter Broadway. For
five years Broadway has been a torn
up street, unfit for traffic. How it
has survived is one of the traffic
mysteries of the day. Broadway is
the sOUbTette of the avenues 1t needs
n complete cleanup. The neo-pastry
style of architecture has jostled vio-
lent attempts to unite Italian Rom
anesque with German Gothic and
two-story shacks have nestled at the
elbows OF fifteen story hotels. and Of
flee buildings. The street has been
ruined by subway excavations. Now
the owners and shop-keepers are go
, ing to make it all new again.