Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1921-01-13
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! AMID rLomDA's FLOWERS

AsteAA4esee-&tsss
lThe following letter written to
the Ladies' Literary League by Mrs.
Karl Riddle tells Of their new life
~ palm Beach, Florida, where Mr..
Riddle Is city manager and Is max
ing n distinguished success.)
am wishing l could slip into the
pages Of the arabian Nights" and
borrow a magic carpet or the iron
horse with the wooden pegs behind
his ears and with a fipe. disregard
for time and space, be. whisked into
your meeting this afternoon to APP
pear on the program In person. But
/ must be content to salute you with
this very balky and scratchy pen.
You will know though that miss
YOU all and want very much to be
with you. Every day we appre-
ciate more fully that the novelty OF
our new and delightful surroundings
does not recompense us for the loss
of that nearness which we felt for
Abilene and for the Abilene people.
The subject this afternoon l be-
lieye, Is Thrift" VIII you pardon
me II I dismiss it with a blush and
the remark the farmer made when
he gazed upon the camel? Truly on
the bringe Of "millionaire's play
ground" In county whose only
crops is tourists dollars there amt
no such critter." With milk about
to be advanced to so cents quart
and eggs at $1.20 a dozen let us
take a whiff Of fresh salt air ana
rave about the landscape. Besides
have been asked to write "all about
everything"
West Palm Beach Is prosperous
little city Of 10000 souls during the
season:) About 1900 remain the
year around-mostly retired from
business, worth knowing folks from
all over the United States. There
is an energetic coterie of young bus
mess men also from all over the I'm
tied States. Every one has given
MS a most cordial welcome. We con-
slider this more desirable place
in which to live than Palm Beach
itself for all Of its few stores and
nine tenths of the houses are closed
and boarded up during nine months
Of the year and the villas and estates
of the wealthy northerners are Otter
separated by tropical jungles that
afford one of the great charms Of the
place they harbor many things thai
make life disagreeable on the
island.
Pleasures and Palaces
To reach Palm Beach from oul
city one crosses Lake Worth, love
ly body Of water which extends TO
miles both north and south OF us
It is a constant delight to us to loi
ter on the bridges Of this lake ant
watch the great fiocks of wild duck
rocking on the quiet tinted water
and stare at the yachts and sal
boats. launches and house poars AM
all the other seacraft yet unname'
to me drifting dreamily at anchor o
shedding majestically about. To m,
landlubbery, Jayhawker eyes ther
is nothing more fascinating thai
the ships we see-skiffs. sloops
schooners. Oh I know why boy
ran away to sea in the good old stor
books! After leaving the bridge W
drive through four blocks Of stately
palm lined avenue and before u
lies the glorious purple ana gree
ocean. Usually two or three grea
ships are in sight, often a gracefr
four masted schooner with all sail
set looking like painted ship upo
a painted ocean. Southbound ship
come very near our shore to escap
the north flowing current of the Gul
stream. Occasionally the Gul
stream (which, as you know,
many miles wide) is very much dis
turbed when the ocean is placid
causing a most curious phenomena
like mirage. One can easily. i'm
agine he is seeing trees, lakes, build
ings, cities, out on the rolling main
But the impressive thing about tn
ocean is its marvellous coloring, al
the tones of blue, lavender, purpl
and green fringed with the eve
lovely f1eecy white breakers. On
can drive along the shore for NOR
than thirty miles over perfect road
with the ocean always in sight. Ii
many places the island is so, marrow
that one can see both the lake an
ocean. It is on such site that Rich
ard Croker has built his cottage 9TH
wigwam," a huge. gray shingled
rambling old house with giganti