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[[Erick]] Pyle Dec. [[25/36]] Washington Wayside Tales Random Observations of Interesting Events and Things. ANGEL. IF RESIDENTS of Newark street would not mind we could call this an anecdote about "when religion came to Newark street." Just as a way of opening up the story, of course. At any rate, there was a maid out that way last Summer who made herself rather widely known as a money borrower; a dime here and a dime there, until they added up to quite a few dimes. Deeply involved, she eventually quit the job and departed for New York. That was months ago. The other day the doorbell rang at the home of Miss Esther Linkins. It was the old maid, looking for the Linkins' household monitor. "I want to pay that dime I owe her," she explained. "I came all the way from New York to do it. I can't be an angel until all my debts are paid" PEACE [[?]] It took Christmas to bring Janet Meyers of Wesley Heights back into the column again. Janet, helping around the house during the illness of her mother, found herself on Christmas eve caught in an avalanche of pots and pans. They came tumbling around her lovely 9-year-old head in the course of a domestic function that she did not like anyhow To her mother's bedside dashed Janet, full of indignation: "Peace on earth, good will toward men," she said with just the proper amount of sarcasm. "How about a little peace toward women?" HAPPY ENDING JAMES E. FUCO, Clifton Terrace, knows there is a Santa Claus and that peace on earth warms the Christmas season. Late on the night of the heaviest Christmas mailing he was driving in the vicinity of the City Post Office. Out from a parking space shoot another motorist, his movement filling the air with what sounded strangely like the death knell of a fender on the Fusco car. Not realizing the extend of the damage and being in a hurry, Fusco neglected to stop. When he did so, at the suggestion of a third motorist who drove up beside to signal more than average damage, all hope of finding the other man apparently had vanished. Only "apparently," however, for no sooner than Fusco stopped than another car did likewise. It was the offender who had been chasing him, too. The latter did not argue. He just gave Fusco the name of a garage, told him to have the damage repaired, and send him the bill. PERSONAL TOUCH The machine age took some of the personal element out of the Christmas of one man who set out to defy it. We know because Betty Rubin told us. According to her story, a secretary in a downtown office noticed that her boss was giving personal attention to the stamps and flaps of the envelopes holding his Christmas cards. She suggested that he use the automatic moistener if he would keep that bad taste out of his mouth. "No," said the man. "I'm against the machine age, so I always lick all the stamps and flaps myself. A sort of personal touch, you know." He stuck to it only so long as the girl was watching, it later developed. He just had not noticed the machine she had placed on his desk until his attention was called to it. PRACTICE Out of Maryland "U" the students put the psychology teaching to a practical use as witness the finesse of a group of young men to get a free ride to their homes in Washington. One day this week a dozen or more students stood along the road near the university making earnest gestures to passing motorists for a ride home. Not one machine slowed up. Realizing the futility of their efforts they went to a huddle for concerted action and seeing two fair Redcaps (freshmen, to you) coming down the main walk they were inspired to resort to strategy. Hailing the girls they instructed them to stand close to the edge of the road and give the high sign for a ride. This ruse worked for in a few minutes several drivers jammed on the brakes and swerved to the side of the road as though answering a summons from State troopers. The young men piled into the machines and the girls sauntered back to the dairy building to consume a couple of plates of ice cream - that being the point of their original objective. MENU The hot-dog people ought to be pleased with the story of some refined children who live in Chevy Chase. But the turkey people probably not. The parents involved gave the children the privilege of contributing suggestions for the Christmas dinner, passing around cards on which tentative menus were to be written. There was to be no discussion of the subject; just reflection upon it and revelation of the results on the slips of paper. Five children voted, casting a unanimous ballot for hot dogs and sauerkraut.
