The Washington herald., 1922-10-28
The CindereHa Of Twihsht.


THE Cinderella of Washinston-as Southwest
residents sometimes consider their neighbor-
hoods about to find the magic slipper,
according to officials of citizens associations down
by the riverside
Poor Cinderella. She is of noble lineage.
Great names link themselves with her in the pages
Of American history. And she is beautiful Those
who know her best say there is loveliness in
these parts to compare with hers. But she has
been the scullery maid for the District, cursed and
Kicked about, for some time But the prince, the
magic slipper and all are just around the corner.
People of southwest Washington are mill
tant patriotic body of men and women. They
love poor Cinderella and they have been paging
the prince all the city from the District Build
ing to the Office of the parks commission. They
are disguised at the perpetual recurrence of -Four
and-a-Half street" jokes. The Districts famous
Bowery, they claim, isn't much of Bowery after
ALL Lots of progressive business men and decent
citizens live thereabouts 1t is safer place for
the wayfarer at of staress morning than
some of the most princey corners of the North
west where the people hold their noses when
it is mentioned. it is claimed. And Four -and-a Haf
street, after all, is only small part of the South
The South Washington Citizens Association
Is getting promises. at least, Of Improvements
which its members have labored so long to OBJ
tain The residents proud Of the success of
their efforts They assured that Seventh street,
for instance will be paved this spring. The con-
dition Of this thoroughfare long has been one of
the sore spots of the District. They con-
vinced that a more adequate lighting system will
be had soon. A number of other Southwest
streets the resurfacing program of the Com
missoners. Several OF the larger business firms
along Seventh and other streets have announced
that they will make alterations and construct ad-
ditions in consideration of the proposed public i'm
provements. The fish market. the proposed
bukhead WALL the new harbor police precinct the
Capital Yacht Club building, and the condemnation
of several unsighty structures the citizens claim,
will make Washington's waterfront something that
residents can point to with pride.
Yes-Cnderella is about to stumble upon the
other slipper. But it is not upon proposed i'm
provements that Southwest people base the chief
claims of their section for recognition 1t is upon
Cinderella's natural beauy-recognizable even when
her face is unwashed and her lovely locks all
tangled and her ragged dress black with the
smudge from pots and pans in the scullery.
You can't get the average Southwest citizen
uptown at sunset. For he will tell you that twilight
over the wharves and the river is more beautiful
than anywhere else in the world. If German
from the Rhineland. where the sun in Maytime
sinks in a purple haze miles of ruined castles
and blooming orchards. should dispute the state
ment the man from the Southwest would knock
him down. If Swiss hotel proprietor started to
talk about the gray evening that falls over the
white Alps friend from the riverside would
black both his eyes. And If an Englishman started
to boast about the island OF roses in Junetime he
would be lucky to get away with his bones un-
broken For the man from southwest Washing
ton 10 touchy on that point. He knows what he's
got and he's proud Of it.
From the chamber windows of Southwest
homes At twilight there is scene of magic melt
ing away into saffron clouds over the graves on
blue Virginia hilsides-a scene that makes one
wonder at the power of nature and the nsie-
nihcanee OF man. The black masts of ships along
the river break against the gray outline of sky
The Washington Monument looms up and the
white portieo of the ampitheater at Arlington
stands like pearl in shell Of blue and crimson
All sense Of the material is lost in the rapture of
dreaming. The men and women of the Southwest
1--we In houses the kitchen doors of which open
upon long blue vistas of Fairyland.
What place. they say, for colony of poets
and artists. What 4 treasure house of romance
OF the historical, the supernatural. the sublime and
the pathetic.
But the District Cinderella sits in her kitchen
and wafts-her lovely eyes more beautiful, perhaps
for the tears they shed at times. Fortunate Gin
derella- The prince a-riding down to the
river. His wonderful bride is there