Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04
Youths Quest for Life


piano playing. But at night walked
forth into the world Of London to OBJ
serve life. to study" humanity instead
Of harmony and counterpart. Where
did go? It seemed to me that I went
almost everywhere; that is, everywhere
that could be visited without payment.
How tumultuously busy is the mind
of youthI Almost every face I glanced
at suggested trains of thought to me,
and the thoughts of youth are long,
long thoughts. The fascination of the
vast city in darkness was to me por-
tentous. I remember that sometimes I
mad q feeling as II it positively filled
me up and swelled me out like q
bladder. I felt almost bursting with
into me or that were flowing into
me unconsciously. These masses of
strangers-they were life. Those crowds
near the Marble Arch listening to ath-
eiSts denouncing religion, or to radicals
denouncing conservatism, or to anarch-
lists denouncing law and order, or to
pacifistS denouncing militarism-they
were life.
And it was Life, these silent rows Of
people in the pits Of the theater which
freQuented, and these congregations
| Sunday evenings and these lively mobs
round the bands in Hyde Park in the
late Summer nights, and these linger-
! ing throngS, all eyes, In Piccadilly
Circus Just after IL, and these lettering
night birds later in Regent street. The
thrill Of 1t comes back to me even now
as I think Of 1t. Life In q great city.
People In crowds doing thingsl People
pressed together, taking their pleasures
together, committing their sins in COM
pany, going on toward death-but I
| AfAVNtf - AIAA o.,
great masses.
I was obsessed by the city and city
life: My voracity increased as the meal
country and country things declined, I
think almost ceased. know that when
ever I visited the country I was eager
to get back to London. Everything
worthwhile seemed to me to be centered
there. My feet were always itching for
the pavements.
Rejected by Music.
Life changed for me. Music rejected
me. Il could never dare to say that !
rejected music) I went to the London
School Of Journalism. felt the fas-
cination Of Fleet street, of Chancery
Lane, Of the Strand, full Of actors going
TO their mysterious work or coming
away from it. I frequented "MeccaS"
with troups Of friends who meant to
"go in for writing" Life shrieked to
me. took fiat in Shaftesbury ave-
nuel This L considered to be the center
Of Life. I furnished it in blue and
white, in green and dark red, and felt
myself to be connoiSseur of Life.
That fiat was on, think, q fourth
or was it fifth-floor? Let me say
fourth. ! was on q fourth floor In
Bohemia; q burglar lived above me, O
lady OF pleasure at right angles to me.
The burglar knew about only much
later, when I stumbled up against him
on the narrow stairs at O'Clock in the
morning, going out with a dark lantern
to follow his very interesting profession,
and when the police came to search for
him while he hid in a cistern. The
lady OF pleasure had the honor Of
"spotting" almost as soon as my blue
| and white china was properly arranged.
I never knew her, but I studied" her
with feelings Of deep respect-because
she was Life. For something like two
years. or perhaps even longer, I lived
| Continued on Fourth Page)