New-York tribune., 1922-11-13
By James L. Ford

ladies. It all fits in with ny own
rccollections Of a somewhat later
period.
mr. Gums Pension Fancaiss was
kept by Swiss, as was the one where
/ boarded in the early 'Tas In order
to attain greater facility IN the
French tongue. Ia fact, despite the
Gallo title under which it was adyar-
tised, not single French persoa
found shelter beneath It's roof. But
1t harbored several Genovese Swiss,
whose French was Of irreproachabls
purity, and profted by the daily table
talk. I have very agreeable recolst
tion oG that house and its Swiss end
German inmates. Unlike the averaes
American establishment of the kind, h
which table-mates whisper to one sn-
other or else bolt their food In sileaes
there was general conversation ct
every meal, not as learned, perhaps, q,
that which gave distinction to the
salon OF Nine. De Stasl, but good.
natured and often interspersed vith
the hearty laughter which Germans
regard as good digestive.
AT the time of which write Ii.
road to matrimony frequently led
through the boarding house pafiat
and / have no doubt that many
worthy widow advertised for "siugis
with one eye on the profit
to be derived from them and the ethsr
on her marriageable daughters. EhB
the matchmaking instinct connaas 70
her sex, she even encouraged love 81
fairs among her boarders. oissa On
summer evenings the daughter Of
designing landlsdy wosld enter tho
darkened parlor and play with sou
and gentle touch, intended to tyrity
her own disposition, the sceompahi-
ment OF some song Of current popu-
larity, and then when 'ts;ngle gentle.
man" unobtrusively removed himself
from the group on the front stoop the
others would nudge one another ana
murmur that he was caught"
AS general thing the landiady af
those days was gentlewomsn in re-
duced circumstances, who supported
daughter or two and not infreeuenN
q husband who carved the meat ana
did little else that could be aeeonassa
useful. She was entirely worthy q
our respect, and yet all the jokes Y
current publications were aimed Y
her. That was because they were 81
written by boarders, many OF Whs.
were shy on their board, where's
bhe landlady had been jokesmith w
trend OF comic humor might have ospa
diverted into quite different pata
y I never heard of an artists ocaa'
ing house, because painters Of iass
day usually lived in their studios ~
ate at foreign restaurants, thsH g
abroad having united them for nan.
cookery. The theatrical boafdshs
houses, however. remain with I. z
to this day, and l have freaaeas4
visited them.
With the introduction OF nscnsN,
and the disappearanee Z
the hall bedrooms OF the sans
gentlemen" the glory of the New is
boarding house hegan to depart &
at present but few are to De ly
within the city limits save Ine 80
cheap and the very espefEsss &c
luxurious ones. The hotel oh ~
American plan, to which the Dos
house owed its origin. has siso -
into almost total eclipse. thousa IS.
lieve this ancient fashion o ,s,l,
ing still survives In hostesrs
a half century ago and in whsen j.
trace a distinct resemblance Y
Gums Family Hotel. with its I'D "a
dining room and tribes o. so's Al
servitors. The clock ssoppea 8
house many, many years asSs