There were actresses, dancers, shop girls, cocottes; touts,
thieves, confidence-men, mission workers; artists and students from the
musty University building, tramps and drunkards from the "barrel-houses"
and "stale-beer shops;" and, across the square to the north,
representatives of New York's oldest and most noted families. To the west
were apartment houses whence stiff, prim bookkeepers, floor-walkers, clerks
and small shop-keepers issued with their families on Sundays, bound for
church. There were other apartment houses--the most of them to the
south--whence in the midnight hours came slattern servants and reckless
looking girls in loose wrappers and high-heeled slippers, pitcher in hand,
bound for the nearest saloon.
After dusk from early spring until late fall a multitude of interesting
sounds mingled with the roar of the elevated trains to the west and south
and the rumble of carriages in "the Avenue" to the north. Howard, reading
or writing at his window on his leisure days, heard the young men and young
women laughing and shouting and making love under the trees where the
Washington Arch glistened in the twilight. Later came the songs--"I want
you, my honey, yes I do," or "Lu, Lu, how I love my Lu!", or some other of
the current concert-hall jingles.
Pages:
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44