Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-16
Our Neishborhood

OUR neighborhood is very genteel. l doubt
" il any one who has not lived in Philadel-
phia can imagine how gentce it is Visitors
from out of town are wont to sigh with rap
ture when they see our trim blocks of tall
brick dwellings-that even cornice running
in a smooth line for several hundred yards
really is quite sight-and excaim, "Oh
wish we had something like this in New
York; But our gentility is n little self
conscious, for we live on the very frontier
of region. darker in complexion, which is
very far from scrupulous in department. Up
roarious and naive are the humors of South
street, lying just behind us. Stanleys have
gone exploring thither and come back with
merry tales. South street on bright eve
ming, its myriad barber shops cleaning with
lathered dusky cheeks, waiting the essence
of innumerable pomades and lotions, that
were Travel indeed. On South street the
veins of life run close to the surface.
ITTE ARE no less human on our street, but
Wit takes bit more study to get at the
secret. There is a certain rcticence about u.s.
1t would take an earthquake to cause much
determination along our street. Perhaps it is
because three houses out of every four bear
the tablets of doctors. The average layman
fears to stop and speak to his neghbor for
fear it will develop into professional mat
ter. We board up our front windows, at
night with heavy wooden shutters. We have
no druggists, only "apothecaries.' These
apothecaries are closed on Sundays. They
sell stamps in little isinglass capsules, to be
quite sanitary, two twos in capsule for five
cents. In their. shops you can still get soda
water with 'plain cream and shaved ice
such as was customary twenty-five years
ago. When our doctors go away for the
summer some one comes twice week from
June to October to polish up the little silver
name plate 1t is the custom in our neigh
borhood ESQ one observes through drawing
room windows) to have reading lamps with
rosy pink shades, and at least two beauti-
full daughters of debutante age. hope am
not unjust, but our street looks to me like
the kind of place where people take warm
baths. in roomy old china tub, on Sunday
afternoons. After that, they go downstairs
and play hymn on the piano, at twilight
THERE are a number of very odd features
i about our neighborhood. There is a large
schoolhouse at the next corner, but as far as
/ can see, it is not used as school, not for
children. at any rate. Sometimes, about
8 O'Clock in the evening, / see the building
gloriously illuminated, and lonely lady
STONED and assiduous at a table. She seems
quite solitary. Perhaps her researches are
so poignant that the school board has pre-
scribed entire silence. But midway down the
block is a very jolly little private school, to
which very genteel children may be seen ap-
preaching early in the morning. The little
girls come with hustle of starch on foot,
accompanied by goyernesses; the small boys
arrive in limousines. They are small boys
dressed very much in the English manner,
with heavy wooden stockings ending just be-
low the knee. They probably do not realize
that their tailor has carefully planned them
to look like dear little English boys. Then
there is q very mysterious small theatre,
near by. If it were a movie theatre, what
a boon it would be But no, it is devoted to
a strange cult called the religion of business,
which meets there on Sundays. Before that,
there was Korean congress there. There
is a lovely green room in this theatre, but
not much long green in the box office. Phila-
! delphia prefers AL Jolson to Hank 1bsen.
XLIR HAVE our tincture of vie de boheme,
| w though, in our little French table d'hote,
thoroughly atmospheric place. Delightful
Madame b., with her racy philosophy of life,
! what delicious soups and salads she serves !