New Britain herald., 1922-12-09
THE OBSER YER
Makes Random Observations
 On the City and It's People

obliged to reach their homes by wa!
 Of Franklin Square. of the fact tha
 High school students and more par
 ticularly. the girls, block all passag,
 on this street by walking two, three
 four and sometimes i've abreast thu
 causing an ordinary trespasser to lit
 erally wade his way through tn,
 crowd" or else walk in the road.
 To many working people who hay,
 but one hour and oftentimes less 1T
 which to reach their homes, secure
 their meals and return again to theil
 places of employment this is uni,
 sance and in many cases works (
 hardship. The students, not being
 satisfied with occupying the entire
 walk, have been known to pass slur.
 ring remarks to men and women whc
 have casually mentioned to them that
 they take up too much space on the
 sidewalk and might be moro consid-
 crate of others.
 The Observer recalls when the at
 tention of the student body was
 called to this matter at a special as-
 sembly held one September morning
 several years ago. The lecture had
 some effect on. the students for a short length of time, but 1t was not long before the "absent minded" were
 soon walking three. four and five abreast again. Perhaps it would be a good idea for the students to listen to another lecture and again for a l ch Q nfh hn
 right to pass on the public streets. | Many women never get over re- gretting that they are not men. The glorious independence of the species male appeals to them. They admire the play Of their muscles when, for instance, they come home after de- lightfully happy care-free day at of- fee or shop, and shovel off the walk, attend to the furnace, drive that nail that has been eager all day to be dirv- en, hang up that picture the wire sof which has broken. reprove the vio- ent neighbor who has allowed his livestock to trespass-the women ad- mire the men as they attend to these delightful little details of domestic life and sigh-"How I wish were Cor was) man."
 But the Observer has noted few men who longed to. be women until just recently. Lately, however, he has found many men who are sorry they are not women and sorry, moreover, that they do not live in New York county. After careful inquiry, con- ducted with much secrecy, the Ob- server has discovered the reason for this sudden desire on the part of men. One rather typical specimen of the species residing in this city, hearing the question as to why so many men, just now. are sorry they are not wom- the Observer into a corner after see- ing that the doors were all locked, and whispered the reason for his and other mems wish. Because" he whispered, If I were Cor was) a woman and lived in New York county. would belong to the New York county w. c. T. U., and the other day a lecture was delivered before the New York county w. c. T. U. ex- blaming how to make real home brew with a kick in it---and I, were a woman-would know how to do it now"
 The Observer took a look into a newspaper office the other day and was forcibly reminded by what he saw and heard, of one of the most difficult of the many difficult duties of a newspaper man. He happened to be placed in a position where he could overhear a conversation be- tween a caller and a member of the staff of the paper--and it was not the New Britain Herald" The callers voice was full of pathos. Something very sad had happened and the caller had reduced the affair to verse-a poem. was the characterization the caller gave the lines. Shades of the past recalled in the Observers mind i the many times it had been necessary for friends of his to refuse to print verse at the request of a would-be contributor. This day he heard something like this, in the fearful voice of the caller.
 At was IerrlDle, terrlDle,' the call CT said. The poor little chap had spent his last penny to buy present for his little sister. She did not ap- preciate his sacrifice. Tears came to my eyes as saw his eager face dis torted by disappointment as she failed utterly to thank him adequately. | suffered so much sir" the caller went on, that hied me to my home, inspired, as it were, and, impelled by the muse that comes to me in rare moments, I wrote poem about it. Here is the poem. T. thought you would appreciate and publish it. l do not ask money for'the poem. | only wish to burn into the hearts of your readers the cruelty of the little girl when she spurned her little brothers gift. Wait, sir," and there was a mo- ment's pause interrupted only by the | deep emotional breathing of the. au- thor of the poem, "and I, the author, will read it to you. This, then, is what I was inspired to write when the | cruel little girl laughed at the gift | her little brother had made her:
 The cruelty of woman, fair
 'Is sometimes really shocking; ''she spurned the cotton hose he'd z bought
 "she wanted silken stocking.'
 The habit of covAring the radiators