Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-29
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
" Philadelphia Has Resemblance to
a Southern City, There Are South
erners Here Who Reconcile Us
to the Charge
BY SARAH ID. LOWRIE
WIOW cam ron cxnlain the differen

BY SARAH ID. LOWRIE
"HOW can you explain the difference be.
IL tween Philadelphia and New York -
carper from New Jersey asked me with
barbcd-w wire grin not long since. She shopped
in New York, which she felt gave her the
right to feel superior
One was settled by the Dutch and the
other by Quakers," | answered. ignoring the
grin.
But why does it look like a Southern
city, if the Quakcrs have so much to say
about it!'' she pursued.
Does itf'' said !.
1t does" said she. Every one notices
it, even the SouthCrners who come up here
tn TO i've k feel more at home You ought to
Perhaps it is our cooking, perhaps it is
our great Negro population, perhaps 1t is our
simplicity" hazardcd.
She gazed about her appraisingly. 1T is
more than likely il is the things you are not
than the things you are that makes them feel
contented," she observed And with wide
gesture she indicated row of little, shabby
houses that were strung along back OF some
big, opulent ones and row of ash cans
decorating a particularly busy corner, while
just in front of US n little victoria driven
by a man in handsome plum color livery
and high hat of an ancient vintage much
too big for him drew somewhat shakily up
10 the curb. and an elegant old lady aud her
udusultT were GCrCnOnlOUslN nelpCu out ny
n Negro serving man in n white jacket.
QUAINT was her word for the horse and
driver, the hand me down livery and dilapi-
dated hat. But the old lady and her daugh-
ter were not quaint they were that difficult
'hihg o'attain-clcgant.
T EXPLAINED TO her that the livery
stable whence that quaint" pleas
ure vehicle emanatcd was a Philadelphia
institution. If the Norriscs used 1t in the
morning, the CadwaladCrs hired it for the
afternoon and on Wednesday from 10 to l
it was the Biddles' day. while likely as not
the Parishes had 1t Tuesdays for the same
hours. The little man on the box with the
hat resting on his ears knew all their ways;
who took an airing in the Park, who
went down to the Philadelphia Library to
exchange books, stopping to order ice cream
for dinner at Sautter's on the way.
OF course, it is awfully nice and simple,
but 1t is very like the South, You must
admit was the final comment from the
lady from New Jersey, near New York.
T THOUGHT. with sudden impaticncc.
L why not admit it? Taken quality for
quality I'd rather live in town that was
like New Orleans than like New York. And
the South has sent us delightful people from
year to year; men and women who have
added greatly to our social life as well as to
our intellectual flavor.
hNNe tHOuBnt OF n gOOu many Ol tnOSp
adopted citizens of ours since then. and it
seemed to me there was not a stupid or
commonplace or unhumOrOuS one among
them. And | recalled n conversation | had
had month or so ago with one of them
about the great gift the South had to give
tn" North. O.. the charm of the Southern
manner. They have gift of cxprcssvcncss
and appreciation which is serene and un-
nervous, and cordial without being pressing.
One has sense of race in them without any
arrogance on their part.
WITH the South beginning to come intu
w its own once more in the matter of pros
perity. and therefore some of the old bitter
ness of the past being CaSirr To ignore be-
cause of the promising fuYrc. it strikes me
the North will more and morc benefit by the
easy and casual social Contact that such out
posts as Philadelphia begin already to feel
In the last years no S0uthcrnCr has meant
so much to Philadelphia perhaps, as that
lovely and lovable person, Miss Caroline
Susan Jones. of Louisiana and of Chestnut
Hill. the junior head mistress Of the Spring
side School. | never knew her name was
Caroline until l read it in her death notice.
Sh" was known to her friends as 'SuSy
Jones, and to some hundreds of her school
girls as Miss JONES' without further need
of Identification.
She had blessed sense of proportion con-
corning those schoolgirls. They were her
business, her responsibility but they were
not her life. The consequence was she never
seemed lk" teacher out of school or slave
to the immature in school. She had that
blessed caSnalncSS of manner that goes with
n philOsophtc temperament. And she had
plenty of wit to carry her through scene
with Just the right touch for the Imagination
Of youthful egoiSm T." grasp and assimilatc.
| remember on ono occasion when one of
tn" classes in her school had been tempo
rariy hayward TO the point of being disci-
nllDpd under