Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-04

aloofness and desire to be observed do they
stroll to and fro across the quads keenly
aware In their inmost bosoms of he pres
ence of visitors and determined 20 grant an
appearance of mingled wisdom great age
and sad doggishness What a devi-may care
swing to the stride. what a nonchaance in
the perpetual wreath of cigare tie smoke.
what carefully assumed bearing of
carrying great wisdom lightly and easily
casting 1t aside for the moment in the pur-
suit OF some waggish trihe. Here" those
very self-conscious young vsages seem to
Detray, is one who might tell you all about
the Holy Roman Empire and yet is for the
moment diverting himself with a mere
mandolin And yet ms the Lady Of Destiny
shrewdly observed, it is pity they should
mar their beautiful quadrangles with orange
peel and scraps of paper
VNIE WALKED for some time through those
w stately courts of Tudor brick and then
passed down the little inclined path TO the
botanic garden. where irises and fresh green
spikes are already pushing up through the
damp earth. pale mellow sunlight lay
upon the gravel walks and the Urchin re-
sumed his customary zeal He ran here and
there along the byways, examined the rock
borders with an air Of scientific questioning
and watched the other children playing by
the muddy pond We found shrubbery SWELL
Ing with buds, also fiappers walking hatless
and blanched with talcum, accompanied by
Urchins Of larger growth. Both these
phenomena we took to be sign of the
coming equinox.
ID ETURNING to the dormitory quad
1e rangles, we sat down a wooden bench
to rest. while the Urchn. now convinced that
university is nothing to be awed by.
scampered about on the turf His eye was a
bright jewel uof ROBUSTNESS, for he thought
that In trottng about the grass he was doing
something supremely wicked. He has been
carefully trained not to err on the grass Of
the city square to which he is best accus-
toned, so this surprising and unchecked
revelry quite went to his head. Across and
about those wide plots of sodden turf he
trotted and chuckled, small quaint mortal
with his hat ribbons iuttering Cheering
whistles hailed him from open windows
above and he smiled to himself with grave
dignity. Apparently, like a distinguished
statesman. he regarded these tributes not as
meant for himself, but for the great body
of childhood he innocently represents, and
indeed from which his applauders are not so
inextricably. severed. With the placid and
unconscious happiness of puppy he careered
and meandered. without motive or method
Perhaps his underlying thought of a univer-
sity, IL he has any. is that II is place
where no one says Keep on the Grass"
and, intellectually speaking. that would not
be such bad motto for an institution of
learning Here. however, we trespass on the
Gownsman's preserve,
/ Do.N hHO" Iau Mckenzie
i so intended II, but his appealing and
beautiful statue Of Young Franklin in front
OF the University gymnasium is admirably
devised for the delight OF small Urchins
While their curators take pleasure in the
bronze itself, the Urchin may chamber on
the different levels OF the base, which IS
nicely adapted for the mountaineering ca
pacity OF twenty-seven months. The low
brick walls before the gymnasium and the
University Museum are also just right for
an Urchin who has recently learned the fas-
cinatons Of walking on something raised
above the ground. provided there Is a
curator nearby TO hold his hand. And then.
one walks away toward the South street
bridge an observant Urchin may spy the de-
lghtfu spectacle of a freight trsin travel
ing apparently In midair. Some day, one
hopes, all that fine tract of open space
leading from the museum down to the rail-
road tracks may perhaps be beautiled as a
park or an addition to the University's quad
rangle system. l don't know who owns IL,
but It's architectural possibilities must surely
make the city-planner's mouth water
DY THIS time the Urchin was beginning
ID to feel a bit weary, and was glad of a
lift on a parental shoulder. Then Lombard
street car came along and took us up half
way across the bridge So ended the
Urchins first introduction to a university
education.