New-York tribune., 1921-01-05

The moment, now, had arrived for
a Daiquiri," writes Joseph Hergeshei
NOR in his San Cristobal de Ia Ha-
bana (Knopf). Seated near the cool
drip of the fountain, where slight stir
Of air seemed to ruffic the fringed man
tone of a bronze dancing Andalusian
girl fingered over the frigid mixture
vivid green lime.
ct was q delicate compound. not so
good as l was to discover later st the
TELEGRAPH, but still revelation, and I
was devoutly thankful to be sitting at
that hour in the Inglaterra with such
a drink 1t elevated my contentmcnt
to an even higher pitch, and, with
a detached amusement, I recalled the
fact that farther north prohibition
was now in effect. UnQuestionably
the cocktail on my table was dan
gerous agent. for il held in its shall
low glass bowl slightly incrustcd with
undissolVed sugar the power of con-
tcmptuous Indifference 70 fate; it set
Grating both memory and tomorrow, it
gave the heart an adventitious feeling
Of superiority and momentarily van
quished all the celebrated, the eternal,
fears"
We wonder what they put into Mr..
Hergesheimers Daiqiiri. 1t seems to
US rather optimistic and romantic ac-
count Of the effect Of q single cock
tail. One of the reasons why we were
reconcilcd to prohibition was the fact
that we invariably felt cheated when
ever We read any loving essay about
rum. In the theater, too, again and
again we saw some character raise q
glass to his lips and Immediately be-
gin TO sing about young lovo in May
Il he happened to be the hero, or fall
down a flight Of steps if he were cast
as the low comedian. We tried earnest
ly enough, but these experiences were
never duplicated for US. No songs
came to our lips. nor comic tumbles to
our feet. Nor did we ever participate
IN Mr.. Hergesheimer "contemptuous
US in one cocktail; no, not in many,
Occasionally, it was possible to
reach stage where we became acutely
conscious of the fact that Armenians
were being massacred and that Ireland
was not yet free. And later we have
known very persuasive drowsiness.
But as for contempt and feeling OF
superiority and a freedom from the
eternal fears, we never found the right
bottle. There was none which opened
for US any door OF adventure. Once.
we remember, while on our way from
the Office to Seventy Street, we
rode in the subway TO Van Cortlandt
Park and, upon being told about it, trav-
eled back to Atlantic Avenue. 1t was &
long ride for nickel, but it hardly
satisfied us as authentic adventure.
Even the romantic stories Of our
friends generally seem to us made
Quate. Only to-day A. W. said, "You
should have come to the party. We
You send somebody out of the room
and choose an adverb, and when she
comes back you've got to answer all
the questions in the spirit of that ad-
verb. You know rudely, quickly, crypt
cally, or anything like that. And then
Art did a burlesque of the second act Of
Samson and Delilah' and Elaine passed
out completely, and every time any
body woke her up she'd say, Call me
black and white ambulance You had
ought to have come"
We couldn't have added anything to
that party. When it came our turn to
answer the questions in the adverb
game it would be just our luck to have
the chosen word gracefully" or "sc-
ductively' or something like that, and
probably the burlesquc was no good
anyhow unless ono could get into tho