Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-22
. EAREST DAD:
The great adventure has be-
gun!

The great adventure has be-
Yesterday when the porter
pushed back the gates of that inn
mense white station, Washingtons
beautiful welcome to her beautiful
city, he did not hear a little girl in
blue suit whisper open Sesame"
Dad. l doubt if even out of the tail
of his eye he saw me pass in the
crowd on my way to my City O.
Dreams. but I'm here all right, and
l haven't caught my breath yet over
the thought Of 1t. =
Tell you my first Impressions: I
can't. anymore than,I can pick out
the colors that make up a sunbeam.
But I'll name the sunbeam; it's life.
Oh. such a big, glorious, useful life!
Here we are. all of us, giving back to
the world. in the form of efficiency,
the best that its training has given
i us. or course, Dad. we aren't all
blue ribbon winners. but there is
something in each of us that Uncle
Sam can be proud Gifts something
that is essential in balancing the old
earth right side up again.
l suppose that should describe my
journey on the cars. but there isn't
a single thing to tell. The less said
about that Arizona desert the better,
and leaving the Rockies on this side,
it was all trees and cabbage patches
along the right of way. At first the
trees were exciting. especially the
pines. but they kept staying too near
the train. l think that | would have
appreciat ed them more, and the West
Virginia mountains. too, IL they had
kept a little farther Off. so l could
have had better view Of them. And
after the first tunnel l was satisfied
not to pass through any more. 1t was
a perfectly thrilling trip, though. aud
my chicken salad lasted until after I
met Alphonsine and her lieutenant.
X
She is the dearest little girl. Dad.
She is from New Orleans. When you
say Alphonsine. cant you just smell
magnolias and cape jessamines" But
l call her Allie for short. She has
black curls and big. trusting eyes.
| and all the men on the car thought
that we had to look after her. 1
knew that Nan would adore her i'm
mediately, so took her with me. and
now we are all staying together.
The very first thing l saw. after
Nan, of course, was the dome of the
m,ssioners Thank you for putting
the station In such a lovely place. If
one should come to Washington and
learn suddenly that he had to turn
around and go home he would have
that view of the Capitol to take back
with him, and so the trip could not
have been all in vain. Then. too. just
as soon as you walk out of the sta
ton, 1t seems, when you glance up
and see the Capitol. that the city Is
greeting you in its dignified sena-
torial manner. Just to be polite.
had to give a little nod in that di
rccti and return the salutation.
Nah took us out via street car to
her room to get some of the travel
feelings washed away. ] saw from
the cars that Washington Is the same
as all the big eastern cities when II
comes to building homes. 1t just
puts up two walls, a front one and
a back one. between two houses and
says: There you are" Allie was
shocked at the rows and rows of
them When Nan stopped before the
door Of one Of the red-b fronts
Allie declared that she was not goins
inside. She imagined musty smells
and mice, old dark stairways and all
sorts OF ghosty things. Yet, really.
II isn't 40 bad. Nan has q room with
only one window. but q window Is q