Evening star., 1954-04-19
Easter Promenade
lis Modish, but Keeps
A Note Of Dignity
By Horry Bocos :

Without the hoopla and
scramble of previous years,
Washingtonians and visitors yes
terday paraded their Easter
flnery along tree-lined streets in
perfect weather.
Observers called the thousands
Of strollers the best-dressed and
best-behaved crowd in years.
Swallow-tailed coats and crazy
hats were definitely missing, but
some Of the paraders were still
dressed fit to kill. r.
Connecticut avenue below Du-
pont Circle was the favorite
promenade. The sidewalks filled
with pedestrians as the churches
emptied at noon.
Almost every other woman
wore q fur piece. Some were
wrappeds'in capes. AS the bril-
liant sun drove the temperature
toward the 80s, however, the
furs began to come off the
shoulders.
Against = background Of
Towering dogwood. budding trees
and bright clumps of azaleas,
the women'S corsages ran chiefly
to violets and orchids. Many
men wore carnations.
Church Crowd Overflows.
The National Presbyterian
Church turned away an esti-
mated 400 worshippers. Before
the II am. service, the waiting
line stretched a long block from
N street to Rhode Island avenue.
even though President Eisen-
hover and his family were
absent this year.
Around the corner at st. Mat
thew's Cathedral, people were
still standing on the steps at /
pm, hoping to get in. 1t was
the same at all downtown
churches.
Among the throngs were
dozens of commercial photogra-
pliers, seeking orders for snap
shots. But people weren't buy
ing this year. There are more
people this year, the weather's
better" said one diSgruntled
cameraman, "but everybody's got
sales resistance"
Young people in open-top
convertibles cruised both sides
Of the street.
Typical Strollers.
Typical strollers were Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Wiecking of 1920
Nineteenth street NV. Both
dressed in subdued but impec-
cable blue suits. they joined the
parade after attending services
at Emmanuel Church on the
Hill. Alexandria. where they sing
in the choir.
They walked hand-in-hand up
Connecticut avenue from L street
to Dupont circle and then back.
bought a Sunday paper. drove to
Olney, Md. for dinner. dropped
in on friends for tea and then
went home land just collapsed"
Mrs. Wiecking said there are
as many people this year, but
they are quieter and better
dressed" She said they try to
make the parade every year.
Children wearing identical
bonnets or Buster Brown suits
and bow ties dragged their proud
parents behind them.
One woman was accompanied
by a tiny toy pomeranian. She
wore a corsage Of artificial pinks.
while the dog sported a much
larger bunch Of artificial roses
and blue cornflowers.
Just In From Ottawa.
"It's Princess Mitzi's first
Easter" she explained. She's
only 10 months old"
Among the many visitors who
cameras cooked and ready
swelled the throngs, at least one
didn't even know a parade was
in progress.
She was Mrs. Robert L. Bag |
low, who pushed q tired 2-year-
old in stroller and pulled a
weary black cocker spaniel be-
hind her. Just arrived from OF
tawa, Canada, 20 minutes before,
she was waiting for her husband
to arrange Accommodations at a
nearby hotel.
"Oh, I didn't realize what was
going on" she said. Can you
direct me to q kennel where
can put up this !dog?" |