Evening star., 1925-12-13

! +. . =. 4. !. 4. j. ]. ]
An ancient soul ~ OlkS M
was on her way StEE KIN. IL
from market the WjFfIfSliW w
OF h er morning, UMl lIfl TkHFV
wearing the exact Mft III IDM'I NJ 1
sort of pettlCoat MfI tII AlWH |
that Queen Vic fII HliGpt J
toria named after - N.A@
one of her castles, -
and which she so
admired as to buy siX-meaning petit
coats. since Balmoral Castle WAS only
one of-say. fort y-eleven. And, i'll case
YOU NAV have forgotten just what a
petticoat looks like, il was tull Sklrt
that came down to the ancient one 5
shoetops: gray and woolly, with an
around stripes of green and Scarlet
and yellow and blue. The black dress
over il was wide to match ana was
looped at quarter-yard lengths, INTO
scallops that showed the stI1pes-moSt
gorgeous, With roSetteS.
1t wasn't a garment TO be caught
on the street in these days of Shlm-
mering silk knees, but II must nave
been a comfort to old bones, and What-
ever may have been the cause TO re-
vert to so ataViStic fashion tsome
one had died most likely, and old
trunks were barred of long-buried duds
that were treasures or junk, according
70 the sentiment color of ones eyes
and had, somehow, fallen the old
souls wayl-but, anyhow: 1t was easy
10 see that she gave herself no airs
and that all she asked of any garment
was to be warm and paid for. Humor-
GUS glanceS were cast her way. OF
course. but she was such cheerful,
sturdy old lady that no one felt called
upon to treat her as free show, until
two girls came toward her.
AS they approached, they giggled
in her face. When they had passed
her, they giggled behind her back.
Never having known that Queen
Victoria dotted on balmorals and tnat
everybody wore them in that idylllc
day, when all the great-grandmother
We're girls-before the poor Things mad
to shed the wings of youth to take on
the wings of angels-the girls just gig
gled and giggled and giggled.
Look who's eSCa ped her ca ge"
This remark was the airy brain
work of the young person, pretty as a
bunch of daisies. but with a snlfty
squeak TO her voice that little petit
coat of her own would have remedled.
The other, being of an exploring turn,
had darted back to the ancient soul
and asked her where she got her new
style and would she give her the name
of her dressmaker?
With the honesty that comes easier
with ones decades, the ancient one
was glad to explain:
"A friend was breaking up house
keeping and had to sell a lot of old
clothes and furniture, and as always
wanted a balmoral When they were IN
fashion, l paid her 81 for the suit and
81 for a muff as good as new, except
in one little spot you can hide. She
gave me a baby's rocker like / used
to have-gray wood with a pink rose
on the back, and l paid her a half dol
lar for safe with a tin door with ht-
tie holes stuck in it the shape of a bird
Don't you think it was a bargain?'
And she gave a little whiri to the wide
skirts that showed the balmoral stripes
to great advantage.
And because youth is beyond all un-
derstanding, the two girls expressed
delighted astonishment at the cheap
ness of the balmoral and sent the old
soul on her way beaming.
Whereupon that thing we call a
hunch said to a woman who had been
listening in:
II told you it was an old trunk.
Don't you see how right l always am
when l give you tip?"
And the woman said to the hunch:
but it wasn't death. 1t was just
moving
Then she stopped, because the hunch
had vanished; the old woman was on
her way and the two girls had danced
into the square above, which, or
course, ended the situation.
lie told the lady of the house that
he had called to see his father on
business. and was he home?
The lady of the house, having asked
the name of the father, who had
room In her house, replied that he
had gone out. The answer brought
lines between the sons eyes, and his
voice was grim:
I'm sorry, because / want to see
him on business
The lady was touched by the
desperate disappointment, and asked
in the nice way that most women
have:
How old are you, son? And what
is your business? l might tell him
when he comes in"
II am years old and go to school"
Kindergarten, as little as you are?"
The visitor Strengthened up and
gave his cap q hitch:
NAV. Reg'lar school, First grade
II come to tell my father that if he
don't pay my board, 1 won't have
no home. because the old lady won't
have no money to keep me-"
But if you have to leave your home,
honey. you speak to a policeman-'
Il will. I'll tell him I been fun
out because the old lady hadn't no
money to keep me, because my father
didn't pay my board"
Then he turned to an older boy-say
lO-who must have toWed the younger
TO the right address-"Come on. We
had all our walk for nothin'."
All of which would be too trifing to
mention, except that:
What becomes of the world wide
theory that childhood is happily free
of the cares of age?
* X * x
IF you travel and travel. you will
come to a wonder city where there
are no streets nor trees, and where
YOU are to spend a week in a palace
that has no yard because, instead of
green grass, there is only green water
which means you will be in Venice
a fairyland come true.
If you get there at dusk. say, you
will scramble out of an all-day train
and through station, with no loftier
longing than supper and sleep, but:
At first sight of the glory of water
starred with gay lights-of black boats
that would be black blots except for
swaying lanterns, the tinkling of mu-
sic and the unStudied laughter of
youth you forget everything you have
ever read or hear5 tell of .'the Queen
oe the Adr1atlc''-Seeing things makes
a difference-and you move along in
rhapsodic bewilderment while your
hotel gondolier lands you on a comfy
cushion, and a bit later hands you
over to a porter waiting for you on
tho ton of a flight of marble stems