The Washington herald., 1922-09-05
Touring Europe,
Day BY Day
By o. o. Mcintyre.

LONDON. Sept. THE Agony
column in the London Times is an
Institution. 1t is read by the upper
as we'll as the lower classes. 1t is
the daily parade OF a city's anguish.
In the column marked Personal"
on the first page the lovelorn. heart
sick and discouraged announce
their woe.
Here are some of the personals"
picked up at random from an issue
that is before me:
Per. Bacco- Nothing but rust and
dust.-The don.
o Maiden, clearly we must wait
two years. Courage: we shall come
through safe.-Scholasticus.
Goily Jerry. you looked like
regular Don Juan.-Pip.
Zoe-Think of II no more. Time
heals everything-Jem.
M.-Suis toi jours. je te veux.
je t'aime, je t'adore.-P.
Darky-Asleep.-Slingoe.
Haman-The little bundle has
vamoosed.-O.
Tit-willow.--wire before 1t is too
late. Undying love.-Hodgsson.
Lal.-Time Is up. The last goes
today, No hope.-Hopeless.
Each personal In the American
newspaper sense is a story. Many
men have announced their suicidal
intentions through the agony
column. The cryptic messages are
teeming with human interest. On
the buses. In the cafes and homes,
the Times reader looks first at the
agony columns,
The majority OF the English
newspapers, incidentally, are tn.
half size picture papers. The news
is abbreviated and there Is more
space devoted to racing than any
other feature. Everybody plays the
races. An Englishman tells me that
In his office he has lis clerks. Not
one fails to place a bet on the races
daily. 1t may be only. a shilling
but, they get their thrill just the
same.
The newspapers come out with
extras every afternoon announcing
the winners. The big streamers
herald: First Winners" and ONCE
boys, clerks and tradesmen of all
sorts rush out to buy.
The theater customs here are in
teresting. The orchestra leaders do
not stand while directing. They sit
In high. comfortable chairs which
seems quite sensible. The proera
are not given away. They are sold
oS the girl ushers for a sixpence
and between acts the ushers also
sell plates of ice cream from trays
at a shilling a plate. Nearly All
the women enter their stalls smok-
ing. II Is custom to light a cigar
ette in the foyer. In the better
class theaters they are very gen.
erous In their applause for AmerI.
can performers but the Yanke. Is
not SO popular in the music halls
And for that matter the Enrli.b
actor Is not very, popular in our
american small time vaudeville
over along Oxford circus-tb.r.
are hundred and one small wi
angular street intersections that
are known as circuses-there is a
blind and legless disabled soldier
VINO sits In the shadow of a build
ing. Along the wall are rows Of
canvasses which he Is exhibiting
HIS cap Is on the pavement in front
OF HIM The sign about his neck
reads: IF You like this little er-
hioit drop a half-pence in the can
IL Is perhaps worth no more. But
please remember that once great
teachers told me I showed promise"
Bobbie Clark. who appeared at a
ouriesque house on Seventh avenue.
New York. Is the hit Of an Amer
lean revue here. He is filling in
time before returning to Manhat-
tan to appear in the new Music
BOX Revue. He has the right idea,
The stamp OF London success means
much in Gotham.