The guardian., 1952-06-28
A Fiction Story Based Upon Fact
Bv WALTER /. STEVENS


elements Of tragedy and dark laughter The new concree
highway looks like white ribbon against the blue starry SKY
This thoroughfare at time peoped by many OF ts
hest Of both races and some Of living can recall seeing
the merchant tailor John Lewis drive back ana 1ortn
IN be Avenue behind his beautiful matched pair Of horses
travelling at spanking gait He would later join with MS
family in the custom of having five o'clock tea served IN
The somewhat sobre drawing Of his home in the best
Emily Post tradition
Columbus avenue was cheerful street so years ago and
the people housed there quite properly Bostonans
Young ladies' emerging from their homes for an afternoon
stroll passed you by with than eeting smile ana
then they lowered their eyes They would hold up thel'
bobazne skirts each side they danty picked their
way across the cobbled streets pay short visit to an
exclusive acquaintance Those the days when the streets
of Boston could be travelled in safety by women and children
But now Columbus avenue like other streets once known
for their quiet dignity has changed and for the worse The
highly respected families still in residence there are apt to
double lock their doors and stroll with much caution after
dark For they know that many undesrables who live blocks
away sally forth night to make Columbus avenue their
favorte playground Here these people find countless filling
stations where they tank up fluids more potent than
gasoline Here they sagger swagger and shout as they
were insured by Loyds of London against rainy day This
once quiet street where might be heard in Of the homes
the soft playing of Beethoven Sonata square piano.
the swish of sken skirts in the practice of the Coton is
now featured by hustle, vulgarity and noise
to the two who set out in the dusk of the evening to
visit every store tavern pool and house the
They had message which they had volunteered to carry
direct to Garcia Their "Dvine Mission they called it,
give literature and seek memberships in the local
NAACP from every "Tom, Dick and Harry" The antici-
paed excitement of the job made the two solicitors quite
unafraid although they knew they would have difficulty in
explaining the greatness of their to whose educa-
ton consisted largely of reading the signs in the subway
Their first visit tavern and like the Salvation Army
Lasses" of another day they stood silently by until thirsty
gentleman had finished drinking his glass of beer then gently
tugged his sleeve At first there look of violence in
the mans eyes he swung around but this faded
under the beers mellowing influence the kindly counen
of the women and the reading matter suddenly showed
into his unwilling hand The had already begun tc
tell him why he should become member of the MACE
when he interrupted to promise that he would first read the
material and would join they would call at his house
on their next trip.
Outside the wind had risen almost to gale. man.
hat had blown off and ady careenng this way that
miracuousy escaping destruction from automobiles bu
meeting sad fate under the big foot of alert policeman
ladies scarf had become unfastened and gesticuan
in the wind Signs swung ady stores advertisn
the best brands of liquor while others adonished sinner
to beware
The first house next to the tavern was an old one wit
family dscenable beauty of past days The entrance
dark and newspapers being piled up the steps blow
there by the wind The door bell pathetic and eess
looked it all rung out So the ladies took
beating upon the panel sof the door with their fists with
out result Their hands becoming bruised and painful the
decided to put their combined weight against the door
push. With the help of the wind behind them to aid
gigantic heave they propelled like shot from
into the darkened interior the door suddenl
swung inward They lay they for just minute unit
they caught their breath Becoming disentanged and feen
the for wear they looked up hopefully at th
towering and dmy lighted fights of stairs that confronte
them The first floor they decided not to bother with f
someone was blowing trumpet with raucus sound
the instrument very old and cracked and they
they would have little chance against and horn
out of harmony with everything The next floor produce
sounds of heavy snoring. Repeated knocking doc
resulted in large brown figure filing the opening He had
large nose his face unshaved his mouth had eet
in it, and he scanned the severy out Of small puff
eyes Reaching down into soed pair Of khaki trousers
produced huge set of china teeth fitted them in and the
shouted "What the hell do you want?" The words
thewomen mad to they proceeded to fire both barrels
When got out of breath the other took up the d
without missing word They told him of the chldre
in Boston who couldn't do their school work until they
furnished with glasses by the NAACP They told him abor
the fight against discrimination in public housing and
ployment They told him how the NAACP has become tn
Colored mans first line of defense against oppression through