Evening star., 1922-02-19
Nd!
THE CITY
ENTEEL middle-aged men are
not addicted to selling bal
looms on a street corner, but
there are always exceptions.

that made a passing woman buy q
red ball on string, and to stapd
back where he couldn't zee her TO
find out whether OR not he was
making good. You see, you can't
afford to miss a chance for helping
out an obvious last stand" case, be-
cause of the remorse you would feel
should you wake up next morning
to, read of a tragedy that you might
have halped to overland did not.
After she found that many others
of the crowds that surged around
his corner, going and coming, bought
balloons probably for her own rea.
son, she went on to wherever she
belonged with a fresh luster to her
conviction that this world is blessed
good one-except, of course, when 1t
isn't.
It was a lovely red ball-rubber,
instead of old-time pig-and the
woman carried it until she struck
into a quiet street that owns back
alley. And in the alley she found
little child. And that ended that.
y X X
A MOTHER CHi gentleman VINO was
\ fighting the wolf with a tray OF
shoestrings, collar buttons and pen
holders with pens in them-the kino
nobody uses-presented his wares to
a youngish man as the two came to-
gether in the lobby Of newspaper
building. The youngish man couldn't
possibly want anything in stock, and
said SO. The merchant accepted de-
feat with dignity and was turning
away when the other called him
back. He said he might need some
shoestrings and would take q dozen
pairs. Then he asked qffuestions long
enough to learn that the vender had
been q government clerk for many
years and was suddenly dismissed.
when. II 1t could have been deferred
a little longer, he could have been re-
tired. 1t was humiliating for him to
come down to peddling. but 1t AZ
least permitted him to have codee
for his breakfast.
The other man knew all about the
ingratitude Of republics by personal
experience. but. luckily. with youth
and brains he had jumped into
much better berth-so. in gentle
friendly way, which. incidentally, Is
his usual way. he offered the other a
flve-dollar bill. Pride made the old
man refuse it, but persistence won
the day. and as he accepted the
money he said. as we'll as emotion
would let him:
IT don't know that I can ever be
able to repay you. but il should"
Which is just by way Of second re-
minder Of how many good people
there are in this world-not counting
the others.
A STRING Of tiny tads were playing
\ soldiers on parade. An ancient
man left the doorway Of a small
hotel down the Avenue and watched
the boys from the curb. Another
man, who was in the act Of crossing
the street, halted in respect to the
old mans touch on his arm.
Say, son, l marched down this
Avenue at the end of the civil war.
My first visit here since then: came
one with my grandson. who's Just
been appointed To-"
The native registered good-natur-
ed interest:
"You must have found everything
changed, SIR"
Pretty much. The Monument has
got a head on it, and the streets
1A TVS tnH
you was to tell 'em how muddy they
used to be In my young days. And
I see the Did generals are sitting
around on bronze horses-their own
were horses of mettle, you know
huh, huh. that's little joke I got
off on my grandson. But the solid
old Treasury seems about the same.
1 didn't recognize the new columns
till they told me about it, and the old
flag is the same son. read of some
notion of adding another stripe to it
on account of this here last rumpus.
but 1 knew they wouldn't do it, be-
cause they didn't put on a fresh
stripe, even for our great war. Why,
sir, this last war warn't ours. you
may say-it was foughten on foreign
soil, while ours was right here on
the spot. The civil war, sir, was the
greatest war that ever"
And the native, who was telling
about 1t when he got back the
Office, said he just stood there ar
agreed with every last word t.. ola
fellow said. He did 1t because it made
the ancient man happy. And happi-
ness is about the best thing on earth
take it by and large.
X X X X
CHE had gray hair, but there " .
~ no age lines on her soul.
could tell by tho one-piece she lad
just paid for-lavender georgette
! Powered with plum and silver and
embroidered with amethyst beads.
The friend who was shopping with
her was considering black crepe de
chine, tasty with small black but
tons.
''say, hon, why don't you get out of
the Mrs. Cummidge black and wear
colors to match your disposition? OF
course, we have lost our youth in the
shuttle, but that's no reason why we
should go in mourning for it. Why.
every time take on an extra inch in
my belt I defy it with gaudier color
to let my body know that my spirit
keeps sap of youth. If my waistline
ever gets the size of the equator,
shall come out in Nile green and