The Washington times., 1936-07-17
. NOW
duly Ennui
In Capital
WE SIT DOWN
BY HELEN EssARY

Capital, lettering through a trop
ical summer, waits perSpiringly
for Labor Day.
Heat and formality fight fol
possession of the population. The
heat wins. The Capital, as one
man, breaks down. Takes off its
coat, loosens it's collar and puts
its feet on the porch rail.
The spray of lawn sprinklers
dances like rainbows in the hot
sunlight. High-bosomed robins
take a shower. In the fountains
at Dupont Circle and Union Sta
ton, in the wading pool at the
Lincoln Memorial, children splash
and squeal.
Inside the cavern of Union Sta
ton camp-bound Scout masters
and mistresses are lost in mob
scenes of khaki uniforms, duffle
bags, lunch baskets, tennis rackets
and parents cautioning, "Now be
careful. dear"
In the shop windows, side by
side, clearance sales and fall
models. big rich houses on Mas
sachuSetts Avenue and Kalorama
Circle boarded up. Apartments
for Rent" signs where legislators
camped during last session the
shades of embassies and legations
tightly drawn. The windows OF
chancelleries wide open.
At the White House and the
Capitol, housekeeping and re-
modelling goes on. Government
clerks sit close to the fans in office
buildings. Work a little and talk
much about holidays past and fu-
ture.
On the other side OF Fourteenth.
near Florida Avenue, pickaninnieS
in starched dresses and pig tails
tied with bright ribbons skip out
in the afternoons and buy from
corner stands "Snowballs, any
flavor"
Through open windows hun
dredS of radios blare with music,
speech making and slap-stick
humor. the sounds of other peo-
pies table manners come over the
hedges of neighboring gardens.
From the top of Wardman Park
the beacon flashes a warning to
airplaneS across placid sky. the
Washington M onumen ut shines
clear in the spotlight from the
Powhatan Roof.
Automobiles with out,of-toWn
licenses hold UP the traffic and
ask directions from coatleSS police
men, whose shirts are dark,
Splotched with rerspiration.
Except during the morning and
late afternoon rush hours, the
streets are almost bare of moving
automobiles. In the roads through
Rock Creek Park and the new
speedway under the M Street
Bridge, there is a constant line of
cars.
The parks draw crowds Of pic
nickerS. Around the Joaquin Mil
Ter Cabin in Rock Creek Park a
Sunday School has its annual pic
mic. Children rush off to climb
over the rocks and wade bare
footed in the stream. On the
Speedway at sunset, great baskets
of food are laid out on the tables.
In the nearby golf courses the
ninth hole is taken in a hurry.
Fried chicken, deviled eggs, paper
napkins and a thermos of iced COT
fee, or maybe a bottle of beer wait.
The country clubs are gay.
Children, also their mamas and
papas, frolic in the pools, and
stretch their lengths on grass
and tiles for sun baths. De
terminedly hardy athletes dash
through the blazing sun after
tennis balls. Complacent char
acters sit and drink and gossip.
The bridge-minded linger over
the last rubber until 6 in the
afternoon.
In July in Washington, night
is the best time. Youth and age
that have hid in houses closed
to the sun during the day, bios
som out like night blooming
plants. go for rides. park af.
fectionately along the river. e.
dance and dine on roof gardens
and terraces. play tennis by
flood lights opposite the roman
tic Pan American Building d. .
drive lingeringly by the great
statue of Lincoln and look at
the image of the Monument in
the rejecting pool. wander over
to each others front porches and
gardens for a cool drink and
conversation. sit on the grass
beside the Monument and watch
the plays and the dance festi-
walls at the Sylvan Theater.
Air-cooled drug stores and shops
are crowded with shoppers