The Washington herald., 1920-01-12
NEW YORK CITY
By o. o. Mcintyre

new fOrk, jan la page rum
the diary of a modern Samuel
Pepys: Lay late with heavy
thoughts and I do find everybody's
spirit full of woe, F. o'Malley,
heard this day. hath left the Sun
and will fashion drawer literature.
I deem him the best of all reporters.
with my wife, poor wretch, to
Washington market for a flrkin OF
butter and some head cheese.
/. Marcosson called and r. Long
and merry over a tayle we laughed
a full hour and I built a great fire
and sent the boy after some food
bits and 1t was brave and enough.
A neighbor came to say Mistress
Dean, a gentlewoman, goes to CHINA
by the next boat to nurse lepers
and has not the slightest fear So
ever of the disease, getting her
courage from the Bible.
l.. r. N. sent for me about his
boy, a >head-strong fellow, who has
taken to whisky and is the prey or
the bootleggers. running his chances
for a career. To the bank where I
put away ten pounds against the
fear of want yet I know I shall
fortnight.
The year ended with my having a
larger collection of prints and in
better bask, but l have little else
to show for my lobours. In the late
afternoon Harry Brown came and
for a walk through the town, And
ing it gay still with holiday attire.
In the evening to a playhouse
and Somerset Vaughan was in
box, interesting me more than the
play for ! would liefer have writ
ten his The Moon and Sxpence"
than any book of the year. Walked
home and so to bed.
The busiest railroad station win
dow in New York is one where they
sell round "trip tickle ts-good for
one year-to Reno. New. Several
shifts are needed to take care OF
the rush. Husbands accompany out
going wives to the train and even
bid them a rather fond farewell
They understand each other and,
too, they are looking forward to a
new happiness as soon as the pa
pers are signed" 1t is startling the
way the majority of New Yorkera
look upon divorce. In New Year
party the other week at one table
was a divorcee and three eX-hus-
bands together with the fourth VINO
was, according to Broadway stand
ards, a good sport and invited them.
During the holidays New York
newspaper wondered what owen Kill
| dare the Bowery Kipling, would have
thought had he seen the furs and stout
storm boots of the Bowery on CHRIST
mas Day. Kildare always prophesied
that when people were educated to
better things. poverty. disease and
slothfulness would disappear. To him
the fate Of one hungry-solded Stun
child, beating seemingly against in
generating walls of ignorance, indif-
ference and heartlessness, meant more
than anything else in the world.
From his widow. who is a convert
to Spiritism, the same newspaper
prints a statement from her which she
claims to have received from Mr.. Kill
dare from the silver Side" as he
calls it. He merely quotes a statement
from one of his books Kildare also
favors community singing. He once
wrote: "All classes and races sing at
their ceremonies, christenings. we'd
dings and funerals. l have often
wondered why, in the work Of re-
claiming the human driftwood. this
sentimentality has not been more
strongly appealed TO. Songs seem to
open the wellspring OF long dead emo
tons, and those about home, mother
and native land bring tears to the
eyes of some whom you would scarce
ly think capable of weeping. During
these periods of emotion their minds
and hearts are plastic to the slightest
suggestion for good"
1t is indeed a new Bowery. The
heavy demand for labor has driven
thousands of derelicts to work. and
because of the high wages they are
buying silk shirts, fur overcoats and
beaver hats with reckless abandon.
Some fuss has been made in New
York over the efforts to keep Shylock
of the stage and another fuss is be-
ing made by Scotch-Americans who
wish Macbeth KEEP int the hack
ground. These agitators it appears to
me are fighting windmills of their own
creation. No one in America has any
intention Of playIrg either of these
Shakespearean characters and no one
wishes to see them played until an ac-
tor OF the caliber of Henry Irving is
discovered. Such a player is not in
sight along the Rialto.