The Omaha morning bee., 1924-10-11
Neu York
--Day by Day.
BY O. o. MCINTYRE.

New York, Oct. 10.-The sophisti-
cation OF New York youngsters Is
amazing to those of us who in our
youth sat like little gentlemen" on
a parlor chair-seen but not heard
when company came. We don't know
how to act in their presence these
days.
Shyness among them is extinct.
Youngsters of and 10 discuss grown
up topics as casually asa fish takes
to water. A nurse in Central park
pointed out a little shelter house along
one of the bypaths. us it not beau
tiful?" she asked.
Her young charge Immediately re-
piled: 1T is a bum reproduction of
the Petit Trianon' at Versailles"
And he went back to sucking his
lolipop. 1t is one of the social graces
to have II or 14-year-old daughter
receive at afternon tea.
They greet elders with the non
chalance of an experienced hostess.
There are no abashed giggles or awk-
ward pauses. Some of them seem
able to pick out the stupid and label
the clever. And they make those i'll
at ease feel perfectly at home.
One finds boys in short pants who
have roamed the world. They can
discuss Rome, London, Cairo and
Paris intelligently. They have seen
the latest plays and read the most
talked about books of the day. There
is a ghastly pertinency about them.
l.. -
many of us cannot help feeling sorry
for youngsters who have been denied
the pleasure of going barefoot, skin
ming the cat, playing in musty hay
mows, building bonfires and exploring
the topmost branches of trees.
The other day a neighbours boy of
13 departed alone for San Francisco
to meet his parents returning from
the orient. He engaged his drawing
room and attended to all the details.
At the same age / Travelled from st.
Louis to Kansas City. l was tagged
and put in charge Of the conductor
and never moved in my seat. Had 1t
not been for the train butchers glass
revolver filled with peppermint drops
/ think I would have died of loneliness.
1t Is told of two New York street
sweepers who were discussing a CO.
worker who had gone the way Of all
flesh.
HE swept a clean street" declared
one.
Yes" replied the other, but be-
tween you and me he was little weak
around the fire plugs"
New York street sweepers, by the
way, are the only men who adhere to
the comic paper tradition OF smoking
n pipe upside down. Nearly all who
smoke pipes follow this custom. Also
they are the only people who pay no
attention to traffic dangers. They
WELD brushes in perfect oblivion to
darting motors. They put the burden
= of safety on the drivers and as a con-
sequence the casualties among them
Is nil.
One of those impeccable hotels on
the avenue attempted MS adroitly as
possible to caution a western patron
against wearing cowboy boots around
the foyer 1t was intimated the dere-
lIction In dress was an affront TO the
refined atmosphere OF the place. The
patron accepted the warning, but
three days later rode on the elevator
with an assistant manag ger who was
going to the barbershop clad in SAN
dals and lounging robe and was SOCK
less. The westerner's wife was with
him. He said nothing. He merely
grabbed him by the neck and knocked
his head against the side Of the elc-
vator. All OF which shows slight rear
son is returning to world askew.
To most Of us well polished boots
are more pleasing TO the eye than the
Tapping bell bottomed trousers now
worn. And every day In every way
they are growing wider and wider.
Copyright, 1920