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

DOY HELTON has lent us a copy OF
~ Domestic Manners of the Americans
in which Mrs. Trollope, the mother Of An.
thony, recorded her numerous chagrins
during three-year tour among the bar
barians in 1827.3O.
She visited Philadelphia in the summer
of 1880, and remarks as follows upon some
scenes familiar to us:
"The State House has nothing exter-
nally to recommend 1t there Is
a very pretty inclosurc before the wal
nut street entrance, with good W~eli-kepe ~
is another Of much the same description,
called Washington Square. Here there was
an excellent crop Of clover; but as the
trees are numerous, and hig My peautilui,
and several commodious seats are placeu
beneath their shade, it is, in spite or the
long grass, very agreeable retreat lroHh
heat and dust. 1t was rarely, however
that saw any of these seats occupied
the Americans have either no leisure or
no inclination for those moments OF
dclassement that all other people, De-
lieve indulge in Even their drams, 80
universally taken by rich and poor are
swallowed standing. and, excepting at
church. they never have the air OF leisure
or repose This pretty Washington Square
ia surrounded by houses on three sides,
but Oasso y has a prison on the fourth;
it is, nevertheless, the nearest approach
to London square that Is 10 De Iouhd
in Philadelphia
L1vEN after nearly ninety years there is
T. a certain pang in learning that while
Madam Trollope found nothing comely
about the exterior of Independence Hall,
she proclaimed New York's City Hall as
noble
TRYING to imagine that we were Mrs
i Trollope, we took a stroll up Ninth
street in the bright April sun. 1t was
chilly and the burly sandwich-man OF Mar
ket street, the long haired, hatless philoso-
pher so we'll known by sight, was leaning
shiyering in his shirt-sleeves against an
arc light standard trying to wrap MS ad-
vertising boards around him like an over
coat. "Why don't you walk up and down
a bit ?" we asked him, after he had rebuked
the thermometer with a robust adjective
which would have caused Mrs. Trollope to
call for hartshorn and ammonia
Cant do it," he said. i've got bum
iob TODAY. Got to stand on this corner,
advertising a new drug store; 73o TO
1880 and 80 to $3.50. It's long day,
III say So"
NINTH STREET above Market is a de-
N lightful and varied world in itself. At
the corner of Fibert we found the follow
ing chalked on a modest blackboard:
Irish Stew
Pot Roast
2 Vegetables
I5c
Within, a number of citizens were taking
those standing drams Mrs, Trollope depre-
Gated, We were reminded b. these social
phenomena that we had not lunched. In
a neighboring beanery We dealt with de-
L Iehtful rhubarb pie, admiring the perfec-
| tion of the waitress's demeanor. Neither
too condescending nor too friendly, she laid
| the units Of our repast upon the marble
| table with a firm clank which seemed to
imply that our eating there meant nothing
10 her; vet she hoped we might find nour-
| ishment enough not to die on her hands
TIME assorted attractions of North Ninth
street never fail the affectionate stroller
Novelty shops where mysterious electric
| buzzers yibrate and rattle on the plate.
| glass names, and safety razors reach bot
tomless prices that would tempt even 6
| Russian statesman to unbush. Picture
shops. where such really delightful senti'
mentsl engravings as THE End Of tn,
| skein" cause soft-hearted bystanders Il
/ ev home and write to dear old grand
mother. wine shops where electric bulb
simmer ali day long within pyramids o
gia bottles. stsek ~ bsfere Suly FIrst