Evening star., 1943-05-14

go tearing about town during the
blackout. got my "blackout black
eyes" from a lamppost somewhere
on Piccadilly about midnight last
night.
I was on my way home from a
study group, my head bowed in
thought when lamppost chal-
lenged my right to proceed. To
the best of my knowledge this post
stepped out from its hiding place in
doorway and assumed a rigid
stance on corner directly in my
path. Without waiting to ask me
for my credentials, it up and hit
me, not once, but twice First over
the right eye and then over the
left. Groggy, but game, I swung
back, but the post could not only
dish it out, it could take it, too. 1t
didn't even groan from my Sunday
punch. Dempsey never did to an
opponent what that post did to me.
Operates Lids Manually.
cocker spaniel pups with lavender
and purple ribbons tied about their
| necks. Only by manually operating
the lids can I see across the room.
This is bad time and town to
have black eyes in, too, because
there is only one real cure for
them and that is beefsteak. and
where would you get beefsteak in
this town? And even if there were
a place you could get it, what
butcher would let you have it to put
on your eyes?
And to cary it still further, what
man in his right senses would use
such precious thing as steak for
a poultice when he hasn't had a
bite Of the stuff in months? I am
quite sure that if I put a bit of
beefsteak on my eyes, my teeth
would somehow manage to reach
up to get it and send it down to
their good pal, my stomach.
There is one advantage in hav-
ing black eyes in London in war;
time, however, and that is that no
one laughs when you tell them
you got it running into lamppost.
Ihey believe you straight off be-
cause most every one has done the
same sort OF thing one time or an
other.
You see more blackout casualties
here than you do battle casualties.
Cracked noses, sprained wrists.
turned ankles and the like are a
"thruppence' dozen.
Tough on Civilians.
Ihere is no seeing in London
olackout. On a real black NIGHT
and London can have the bIackest
nights on earth-you can put YOUR
hand before your face and before
you know it, you'll be betting your
self 5 to l your one hand isn't
tnere. This is tough on civilians
because civilians can't be trained to
Withstand the rigors of running into
lampposts, corners of buildings.
curbs and static water pools.
Soldiers can be toughened for the
JOBS they have to do, but no one
has ever figured out way to tough
en- forehead so brick wall won't
hurt 1t or build up the morale Of
shlnbone to point where it won't
moan with agony when it is brought
INTO contact with a pile of lumber
or safety island.
The most sensible thing for a.
stranger In London to do when If
really gets dark is to walk in the
middle OF the street. This may seem
Sissy act because in the middle
OF the street the only danger YOU
run Is that of being hit by taxi
CAP or a bus. And, that isn't real
danger because the taxicab drivers
can't get spare parts for their pre-
clous machines and are very hesi-
tant about damaging a fender or
wheel on a mere citizen, particu-
larly foreigner.
This column was dictated h,,t
not read. Oh, for a porterhouse
steak and some onions and French
1rleds, while I'm dreaming. That
would make me forget my eyes.
distributed by McNaught Syndicate 1nc,