Evening star., 1929-06-30

only somewhat greater in number than the
hocks and mobs who try to get look at him
rs ex-President.
= A S President, he had high-gated iron fence
and cheerfuly firm bluecoass to keep them
off. In the White House, he could take little
air upon the south lawn without being discov-
cred by n prying eye. In MaSsasoit street,
there is only the front stoop, with its rocker
cushioned in rose-fiewered cretonne. BY actual
count, of Sunday, the automobiles pass that
stoop at the rate of 10 minute. Not all Of
them 20 by without stopping, either. And, it
Is said, it is not usually those who have the
best right to STOP whether by previous ac-
uuaintance or by long devotion. who storm the
steps of the homelike, white painted house.
They come by automobile to shake hands.
And they write, they telegraph, they call at
the house and at the office to persuade him
{. 70 make speech. All his friends viii be there,
he is told, and they will be greatly disappointed
# they do not hear him. The great cause IN
whose name he is asked to speak, he is told,
means the saving Of civilization.
Mr. Coolidge is firmly determined not to
help TO save civilization any more for the
present.
And, to one familiar with his habits of work
In the White House, there is a new interest
and significance, too in his habits Of work In
Northampton.
He wrote the last of those journalistic ar
tiCles, which are to be collected into book
sitting in the brown rocker In the little living
room, scratching them on in pencil upon his
lap and taking them down afterward to be
copied by one of the four young ladies in the
once Of Coolidge & Hemenway," in the
Masonic Building down by the railroad station.
He wrote them very rapidly, Immediately a1ter
his return home He dictated nothing, for he
had no staff adequate for taking such dictation.
After that he laid of writing for while.
He journeys overnight to New York for his
directors meeting; lunches there, and is
through in time to catch the O'Clock back to
Northampton.
Privately, as well as by presidential habit.
he likes to be punctual He goes to his once
regularly at 8 in the morning, comes home Tor
dinner in the middle of the day and goes back
to his once by 3 in the afternoon. His is the
regular routine day of the neighbors about him.
Those who remember him in Washington can
not be entirely surprised by it. For they re-
member that he had been as accurately punc-
tual in the White House.
1t does not seem to be the case that Presi-
dent returns 70 Main Streets ancient habit,
as much as that Main Streets ancient habit
had followed Coolidge into the presidency.
stayed with him there and returned again with
him to Massasoit street.
LIS evenings are spent in reading or with q
few of his old friends. Some Of the books
he had in the White House are still with him.
Only q few-the Oxford History Of the United
States for example and certain current works
ON passing history Some one In California
offered him a complete set Of the works Of Cot
ton Mather. He took them. The rest Of the
many books he has collected are stored at the
Forbes Library, o few blocks away.
He is proud of that Forbes Library. He
points out that for q town of Northampton's s
size to own . library Of even $4,000 volumes
- Ne ktAA wHf1f
fund of 100000 or so was provided for q
building, and o steady income Of $4,000 or
$4,000 a year was assured for the purchase
Of hooks This has been going on for o score
Of years, and you can buy q lot Of books with
$4,000. The library now has 250O00
Then there are evening concerts and lectures
for which tickets are always sent TO North
hmpton's most distinguished citizen. And there
Is the radio. of which Mrs. Coolidge is par
ticularly fond.
And, Of course, there are evenings at home" !"
The gold-crested "At Home" card Of the White
House invitation has been changed into the
uncapitalized "at home" Of the Main Street
family.
Up on Round Hill in Northampton, are the
brick houses, the wide-shingled houses Of the
local aristocracy, built by the silk manufac-
turer, the college president, the local banker.
There is little difference except in size between
them and the residences in the humber re-
Eions like Massasoit street. Alike they are tree
shaded and exude the sense of quiet people,
fond of living within their homes Old-time
family life continues its quiet length as 1t does
with the Coolidges shut in within the domes-
tic walls of an evening.
AS President, Mr. Coolidge could-and did
rise at 10 O'Clock and leave the room, giving
the signal for the departure of any visitor,
foreign or native, great or humble. You won-
der how he gets on, now that the presidential
privilege of rising first Is no longer his.
But it seems that in Northampton and among
his friends, other people don't care about stay
ing after 10 o'clock anyway