Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-18
IRA VELS IN PHILADELPHIA
Bv Christopher Morley
EDGAR ALLAN POE FREQUENT DONALDSON CEMETERY?

WHENEVER feel weary OF life, liberty
w and the pursuit of some one else's happi-
ness. whenever some tells me that the
league of nations is sure to be a failure or
reminds me that the American press humor-
lists are going TO hold their convention here
next June and we shall all have to fog our
lethargic brains into competition with all the
twenty -one karat drolls of this hemisphere
whenever, in short, life is wholly gray and
oblique. resort to Verandas for lunch.
Verandas, of course, is not its name
nor shall tell you where it Is. Eighteen
months of faithful lunching, and perhaps
half a ton of spaghetti consumed. have given
me a certain prestige in the bright eyes OF
Rosa, the demurest and most innocently
charming waitress in Philadelphia. / do not
wish to send competitors in her regard flock
ing TO that quiet little Italian restaurant
where the table cloths are so white, the
coffee SO fragrant and where the liver and
kidneys come to the board swimming in
rich brown gravy the reality of which no
words can approach And that Italian bread,
so crisply crusted. SO soft and absorbent
within! A slab of Veranda's bread dipped
in that kidney gravy atones for. three
SDepCDeS
when Rosa brings on the tall pot OF MARINA
lade, which another devotee and keep
there for dessert, and We light up our ciga-
rettes and watch the restaurant cat sprawl
ing in Oriental luxury by the steam pipes
then we come somewhere near the throne
of human felicity mentioned by Doctor
johnson. ,, ,..,.
Veranda's Is an outpost of Little Italy.
hAU
south of Lombard. And the other day. after
lowering the level of the marmalade by
several inches It occurred 10 me 10 renew
nv acquaintance with Little Italy proper
NINTH STREET is the best channei Oh
N approach to Philadelphia's Mediter-
ranean colony. There is a good deal to dis
tract attention before you cross the Alps
of South street. II you nave taste LOT
alleys YOU will be likely to take a SIDE tour
Of few versts In the quaint seeuon OF s,a.
bies and little brick houses that hes Just
below Locust street and between Ninth ana
Tenth. Just now you will fnd that region
literally placarded with small neat NOTICES
announcing the loss Ton January o OF
large yellow and white Angora cat having
white face, breast and feet and answering
10 the name of Taffy This struck at my
heart for once owned q yehow Ahsora Oh
the same name. which smuggied nome from
BOSTON one Christmas Eve In Pullman
sIeener against all railway rules, and hope
and trust that by this time Taffy has re-
turned to his home at ESQ South Ninth
street, and to Mrs. Walter NJ James, MS
bereaved mistress.
yr,tJr little notice about the recreant Master
/ Taffy was strangely appropriate for this
oueer little district OF HUTCHINSON peihi'
Irving and Manning streets TOT IL ID Just
what in London would be known as
.'mews." 1t is a strange huddie OF ola prlck
| houses full of stables and carpenters work.
shops. with agreeable vistas or chimneys,
attic windows, and every now ana then a
| gentleman of color leisurely bestraddiing a
horse and dumping along the quiet pave
ments. Small brown dogs OF miscellaneous
heritage sit summing themselves on doorsteps
ON Hutchinson street large cart was re-
ceiving steaming forkloads OF stable straw
| In the leisureiy brightness OF midafternoon
u.ith occasional old clo' men chanting their
| litanv down the devious alieyways, II Seems
almost yillage-like In its repose. A great
| MACE TO lead a fat detective chase The
| nsxt time George Gibbs or John Rfclntyrs
| writes a tale OF mystery and sleuthing,
| none he will use the local color OF Delh
| street why do our native authors love tc
| Law the scenes of their yarns In Venice
| Madrid, Brooklyn or almost anywhere excep
Philadelphia?
| an NINTH STREET below Pine one Gomez
| " upon a poem In a window which inter
| ested me because the author' MI GUS Gam
Ylefcher. has evidently had almeui!y VIII
fkors banning wordg ~fe and Thou" whicl