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Show By L. L. STEVENSON Again it is one of those days when my thoughts flit here and there about New York and even beyond New York. For instance, Edgemere, L. I., the sea "dat ol' debbil sea" as Eugene O'Neill called it in "Anna Christie" and the vigil of Edward Stevens Sr. The sea took the life of his H-year-old son, Edward Jr. The body of the drowned boy was not recovered at once and the search was given up as hopeless. The father, however, did not abandon aban-don hope. It was his firm conviction convic-tion that the sea would give up its dead. Morning after morning in the gray dawn, he patrolled the beach where his little boy had lost his life. Six mornings passed, and still the waves carried in only bits of flotsam and jetsam. At half past five the seventh morning, Edward Stevens Sr. again was on the beach. And there was something being carried car-ried shoreward the body of his son in a shroud of white foam. Broadway next. For 10 years, there was a big drug store at Forty-fifth Forty-fifth street. Pharmaceutical supplies, sup-plies, along with tooth brushes and bathing suits, alarm clocks and cut rate books were sold and soda water wa-ter dispensed. Food was served of course. In addition, in the course of time, the store became the clearing clear-ing house for aspiring and unemployed unem-ployed people of the stage, mostly youngsters. Talent scouts and casting cast-ing agents visited the place and on occasions, contracts were signed there and thus youthful Thespians changed right on the spot from consumers con-sumers of toast and coffee, because they had money for nothing else, to the sirloin steak class. Recently the company's 10-year lease expired and the store closed. And so vanished van-ished another landmark. Down to the Bowery. The Bow- ery in summer is not nearly as populous pop-ulous as it is in winter. Many who call the Bowery home are now roaming the country. Some are in the wheatfields traveling north as the grain yellows. Others are in construction camps near and far. "Gandy dancers" are working on the railroad no matter where the railroad may be. Many are out with carnivals since numerous "carny" folk live on the Bowery in the off season. The gypsies of course took to the open road along with the coming of the tulips. But despite de-spite the absence of so many Bow-eryites, Bow-eryites, the street continues to be one of New York's main tourist attractions. at-tractions. Seemingly the evil that was done on the Bowery in the past is still a lure to the curious. Now uptown. A little more than a year ago, a refugee couple took a two-room apartment in a Washington Washing-ton Heights house where rents are modest. Frightened, unable to speak the language, poorly dressed and seemingly practically penniless, the husband and wife were so pathetic that kindly neighbors would have assisted them financially. All offers were politely but firmly refused, however. The man soon obtained a job in a tailor shop. Nights he and his wife attended school. Within a short time they were as well dressed as their neighbors and it wasn't long before they were able to hold conversations in English. The other evening they gave a party for their neighbors at a nearby restaurant. There the announcement was made that the money they had brought with them from the Old world, they had bought the house in which they lived. There was also an announcement announce-ment that rents would not be raised. Back to mldtown. In a crowded elevator in the RCA building, a nice looking boy was telling a nice looking look-ing girl that he could get an audition audi-tion for her. The girl suggested that he introduce her to Bess Johnson, John-son, star of the show bearing her name. "Bess Johnson?" repeated the . boy. "Sure, I know her well." As he spoke, he looked directly into the eyes of a smiling young woman but no sign of recognition appeared on his face. She was Bess Johnson herself on her way to a rehearsal. Now for something short and snappy. Oh yes, a friend's dog. He told me he would have to get rid of the pet because of his five-year-old daughter. He wasn't afraid of the dog biting the child but the child was always biting the dog and he didn't think that was sanitary. |
