Evening star., 1923-08-05
AROUND THE CITY
BY Mamie Lancaster

to his sand wheels. and you. doubt.
less
a YOUNG woman with baby ovEr
I her shoulder sat down in car
seat offered by somewhat oldish
man. The baby started to fret. The
woman swayed the small thing gently
and crooned into its ear the loving
foolishness that only God and babies
understand. The baby responded
with a vail.
The mother blushed the red that
means embarrassment. You know
| how you would feel your own self
with a lot of passengers wishing you
, and your child were in Halifax-mah.
it Jericho. which sounds farther. But
| the baby scorned public opinio+i.
With an obvious lack of the fnfr
emotions. he merely stopped long
enough TO take in good breath aai
bawl and bawl and bawl. OF cours+
II might have been she infant, but
IL wore blue rib bbons-and. anyhow. il
didn't matter; 1t could bawl either
way.
nice woman. who indubitably WIN
go to heaven when she dies but
needs more judgment to get along
properly in this world. leaned over
| from the seat behind and offered the
baby her umbrella handle, topped
with one OF those foolish little glass
knobs that come off If you look at IT
right hard. The woman next pulled
! back the hand that held the olive
branch. with the explanation that the
knob might come off in the baby's
mouth and choke it. The baby smilSJi
fhapsodIcdlly. and the umbrella
! owner said 10 the woman next:
You don't know much about babies,
! do you?' .
! II do not. But l am right well ar
quainted with umbrella handles liKo
yours.
Deprived Of his treasure in view. the
oaby was about 10 broadcast another
yell when its interest was caught b.,
the gold fash Of watch chain on the
vest OF a man standing in the aisle
The man dangled the chain and thls.
naoy chuckled. Then il reached for
and gurgied the thing that motheES
call conversation. but which sound.
to the uninitiated like "da -da -da'
The woman beamed relief. The
passengers smiled appreciation. and
the gold-chain man looked the prid,
OF one who conquers. And when the
baby, hypnotized by the shine OF the
chain. began to doze and the owner
was getting out, the mother ventured j
TO say that he must be a father him
self to have such a happy under
standing of children.
No such luck, madam. I am just
an old bachelor, but I must say I have
a way with young ladies'"
tie jest at full value, especially the
mother and another woman across the
way. who smiled inscrutably into each
others eyes. as if they knew all about
blue ribbons.
CORROW is one thing and trouble IS
~ another A black -robed woman
was explaining the difference to :,
mourner. as they came together in A
green silence OF stone-studded acre.
behind black iron gate.
You are wrong to grieve for the
honored dead. Look at that woman
kneeling at the grave OF her son"
How can l help grieving. now that
| am left TO walk the great road
! alone? She was such an aspiring
comrade that ] shall sorrow for her
all my life
Until you meet her again on an
other great road that will lead to
eternal happiness. That woman over
there is weeping for a boy who cost
her agony all his life and was put to
death by the law. You have only sor-
row TO bear. She is carrying q burden
Of trouble. There is a bitter differ
ence between the two"
And gay youngSter who had mo-
tored his mother out to the green
silence said to her with a soberness
that was something entirely new TOD
his volatile nature:
IF go first, l want sorrow to be
| your share"
The mother told another woman.
who passed il on--like this