AN OFFICE WINDOW

Evening Star, Issue 18173, 13 January 1923, Page 11

AN OFFICE WINDOW

STREET PEEPS. DISCREET AND INDISCREET. We are proud of our office. It is not elaborately furnished, for are neither bankers nor merchant princes; its virtues are that it as centrally situated and convenient, there being housed under the same roof —among other businesses—refreshment rooms, a barber’s shop, and choice of two billiard saloons, while the office itself is spacious and finely lighted, almost the whole of one side bcing_ occupied by a large, clear, plate-glass window, which an obliging company of enthusiasts, for a small consideration, cleans onco a month. Pass in review the windows that you know; tho one that through a break in the hedge gives a distant view of the sea; that from which, passing over the clustering house-tops, tho eye. is drawn to the bold outline of tho hills; the domestic one looking down, into our neighbor’s yard. Iri truth, quite apart from the question o f architectural design, there are many classes of window, each having, as do different types of books, its own peculiar interest and inspiration. Not the least agreeable to me is our office window. Now, before proceeding further, Jet mo in justice to “our brother” merely mention tho fact that quite a largo amount of work is done in our first-floor flat; we do not, like little Johnny on a nainy halfholiday, stand with our faces pressed against tho pane; but in every business there are at iogst occasional intervals of slackness, when it ia pleasant—and wise, as employers will please note—to rest the eyes by letting them dwell lightly upon tho life in tho streete. Bearing these considerations well in mind, “our brother,” whenever the immortal wolf which hunts so ruthlessly in tho midst of civilisation drives him to seek safety in work, always chooses a chop, office, or other such place of employment having a noble window. Such is his present habitat. From hero, a little distance down a side street we have a view of part of the main thoroughfare, can see the cars passing to and fro, the people coming and going .about their business; we have all the advantages of seeing without being seen. And it may be whispered, hero that many a time, catching sight of some .acquaintance tripping along tho footpath, has our boy hurriedly donned his hat, changed into his street coat, and, slipping out through a passage, had the good fortune to meet the person in question, at the front door. The rencontre looks so like a happy accident; nor, since the letter box must be cleared several times a day, is tho ingenious youth over in want of an. ostensible reason for taking a short walk

Directly opposite this charming window of ours is tlio Registry Office; hence wo are often permitted to bo spectators of interesting little scenes gr, a happy couple enter that portal to receive the official ratification of tho consummation of their young romance. Only yesterday a group of eight or ten, obviously from tho country, jolly hayseeds with ready-made clothes and well-filled purses, having formed up upon the pavement, marched upstairs to celebrate the union of a laughing girl (your “ blushing bride ” is a fabulous personage!) and bashful young groom, who within twenty minutes reappeared together, to depart amid showers of confetti in the most splendid of our proud city’s taxi cabs. Few couples, however, bring a large company in their train; most arc satisfied with tho bare -minimum required as witnesses and other such supernumeraries at tho ceremony; while others apparently come quite unattended, depending upon, tho officials for moral support in their enterprise.

As the windows of another Government department are directly over the aforesaid doorway, our adventurous couples frequently run the gauntlet of some halfdozen grinning faces. Curious it is that a. certain class—a huge one—of mankind 'appears to regard a wedding as the. occasion for much witless mirth. As for our brother, ho protests that the sight of two young people being films united stirs in him nothing but kindly wishes for their happiness (together; but ho is an “original,” one who has been known to declare that tho prettiest sight on this earth is that of fond parents loading a happy, toddling youngster (between thorn.

But leaving these debatable subjects, lot ns turn onco more to our office window. This very morning there was the spectacle of the driver and a boy strenuously, if a little unskilfully, engaged in repairing the punctured tyre of a motor delivery van. These soon gathered a largo crowd who, becoming deeply absorbed in the, operation, drew closer and closer until tho cause of their presence was completely hidden from tho passers-iby; henco more individuals kept joining the group, while now atiid again a strong man, scenting an accident, would elbow his way to the front, admonishing tlio other onlookers meanwhile to “ give him air.”

Then when the electric tramcar, whoso conductor, lulled into a clay dream, perhaps by tho purr of the motor, sa-w himself commander of a submarine chaser—when this car, so transformed by imagination, rammed a carter’s waggon, we from our vantage point had an excellent view of tho aggressor’s battered front. Sometimes, or to speak the whole troth, quite often, it rains. Yes, even when the day opens with a cloudless sky, ns a fair deceiver smiling, even then it rains. While musing upon this behind his window one watery morning not long since our brother hit upon a great discovery. He declares that, while there is no historical record of Shakespeare having lived in. this our city (beautiful, the internal evidence proves that such was really (ho ease. Of what but onr tricky climate could the bard have been thinking when ho penned these lines of tho sonnet:

Full many a glorious morning have 1 seen Fla tier the mountain tops with sovereign

eye, Kissing with golden face the meadow's

green, Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy; Anon permit the basest clouds to ride With ugly rash on hia celestial face, And from the forlorn world his visage hide, Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace.”

When tins happens, as it frequently does, one enjoys tho mild entertainment of watching those foolish virgins who, deceived by outward show, corno flaunting to school or office in very light attire, and now scurry for shelter like a flock of fowls at the dread approach of some fell enemy. And girls, you must know, once they have .passed the turning .point, of fifteen, which is the limit of tire hoyden ago, should never run upon the streets. Nothing so fills a man with a complacent souse of hia own masculine superiority as tho sight of a lady in action j even the most athletic of tho sex—nay, even the chiofest friend of tho obsenxsr l —betrays a certain unfitness -for tho pursuit of departing traancars, however appealing a particular dho may appear in t!ho act of hoarding the same. You understand me, do you not?

Such Incidents we may term comedy; nor is melodrama wanting. One day as a motor cyclist, wearing that sublime air of detachment which characterises the tribe, glided by, hia belt broke. He dismounted. Apparently ho lacked the wherewithal to effect a repair. His face took on a purple hue, while to the privileged onlooker’s delight (his lips were seen to move in what were evidently pained protests to the eWolM’s gods. he turned the corner, laboriousy pushing that machine, his lips Were still working. This happened long, long agn ; else the writer, who, whatever his faults, is an ardent lover of peace, had kept his own counsel. This same strain of discretion in Hi’s character causes him to suppress various other discoveries he has made. It is an old saying, and a very true one, that those who live behind largo plate-glass windows should throw no stones. U.E.