I’m sitting on a hill overlooking the Sailboat pond in Central Park.
It is 3:45 and we will soon be walking on across the Park to Hazel’s.
Everywhere there are people – on the benches along the walks, in groups on the grass, strolling with baby carriages, clustered at the edge of the pool watching the miniature sail boats. The temperature must be in the 80’s and we are definitely warm.
Soldiers & Sailors & their girls, nurses with children, children feeding doves. The trees are out enough to give the hills color, rusts, chartreuse, yellow, green & the moving masses of humanity supply reds and purples, blues & black & grey.
But to get back to awakening this morning. Did so about 9:30 and ate at Thompsons on 34th before getting 5th Ave. bus up Riverside Drive to the Riverside Church. In the door & into one of 4 elevators to the 4th floor where we were seated when the prayer was finished. And our group took the last seats in the auditorium. Ours were the last row in the second balcony.
The place seats 2,500. The architecture is Gothic and the stained glass is beautiful. There were 16 ushers taking the offering to the altar – I don’t know whether that was all or not. Even from our distance we could understand Dr. Fosdick very well because of the the amplifying system I learned later but it seemed his natural voice. However, he was so far away it was impossible to distinguish his features. His sermon was on “getting the best out of the worst” – He says some people crack up under situations that are a challenge & growth to others.
After the service we went to the assembly hall in the basement and saw the two paintings by Hoffman “Christ & the Rich Young Ruler” & “Christ Among the Scribe.” They are rather small (4×6′) but very beautiful in their natural colors.
We saw the kitchen with steam dish washer, potato peeler, huge mixer – the bowling alley with 3 lanes, gymnasium, etc. Thern up to the nave where the architecture was explained. The altar contains of very soft stone was carved in position & is in 7 groups showing 7 characteristics of Christ with his figure in each surrounded by men typifying that characteristic. There is too much in the building’s symbols for anyone to grasp. Each stained glass window tells a story & those on the upper levels are reproductions from France chose so light could come through more brightly than in the lower ones.
We sat on a level with these high windows during the service.
The Sunday School rooms are not open to the public so of course we didn’t see them. They are in the tower part.
When we came out of the church we crossed the street to Grant’s tombs where the vaults are placed on a lower level in a circular enclosure.
Then optimistically started for the Frick Collection with only the knowledge that it was on Fifth Avenue. Walked over to Amsterdam Ave. & decided we’d better take a bus. The driver told us we could get a Fifth Ave. bus at 110 so down we rode – right past Columbia University we realized later. St. John’s Cathedral is at 110 in an unfinished condition. Then got a bus & took the same ride along the north end of the Park and south of Fifth Ave as we took Friday. Off at 72nd St. & down to the Frick Collection at 70ths. Mary not there when we arrived but came in very soon. Only worked half a shift. As we hadn’t eaten we walked down Madison several blocks for a hamburger and then back to Frick. A lovely fountain & courtyard is one of the most pleasing features although I was quite impressed by the paintings – Gainesborough, Whistler, El Greco, Corot, Rembrandt a few I remember. The furniture – Louis something mostly was beautiful.
Out in the sunshine again and decided to walk up through the park to 81st St. It was while resting there that I wrote the description at the beginning.
Then on over to Hazel’s where we rested for about 45 minutes & then took the elevated down to Chatham Square. When we came down we were in another world – Chinese everywhere all the store signs in English & Chinese – various odors. Walked down a twisting narrow street & stopped at a mission Hazel knew of. Sight seeing tours were going through & we tagged along.
It use to be an opium den in the basement with secret doors for getaway & upstairs it was a theater. Now it’s a flop house for these disreputable men you see everyplace.
On out into Mott St. looking in the windows at queer vegetable – gourds, tubers of various kinds and chinese men of all ages everywhere – no girls or women.
Joe & Hazel had quite a time deciding which of the many restaurants to take us to but finally decided on one upstairs on Mott St. at the end of another street. We ordered as “family dinner for 5” and besides the soup were served 3 Chinese dishes – Egg Fu Yung, Cantonese Chop Suey & Cantonese Chow Mein. The egg rolls were crisp shells filled with mixed vegetables. I liked the Egg Fu Yung. It was an omelet with vegetables mixed through served with a gravy.
There was a Chinese family & their maid eating at the next table. They used china soup spoons & chop sticks for the main course – and their bowls of rice disappeared more quickly than ours. They ate from bowls, putting their rice in & then holding the bowl to their mouths & shoveling it in with the chop sticks. But they all had American ice cream for dessert just as we did.
The clientele was about half and half Chinese & American. They took bowls & bowls of rice on upstairs and later about 15 Chinese men came down – very well dressed & very intelligent looking. There were American Chinese soldiers & sailors and even 2 Chinese soldiers from the Chinese Army.
In here we saw several Chinese women & some of the girls were attractive – all in American clothes of course. One soldier was especially handsome. We all watched him.
Then down to the crowded street again & stopped in at some shops. Mary took our pictures in front of one but it was getting pretty late.
Then we started walking north – up town. The bums were out in force by now. We went down Huston Street through the Italian district – passed a “boarding stable” with attendant smells & then just walked & walked & walked & walked & walked while Hazel talked. It was very interesting – learning about the different kind of people that live in N.Y. – how they cook, etc. Finally go to “The Little Church Around the Corner” and could see its outlines in the dusk. The large church on 5th Ave. here is where Mary has been going. This is about 28th St. so we walked on up to 34th where Hazel took a cab & we walked with Mary to Penn Station. She got on here train right away & we walked on to our room & those 75 steps up nearly finished us. Wally figured on the big map of N.Y. that we walked about 6 miles today –
At Least!
[insert a page probably intended to be a letter home:]
Dear Daddy:
We’re sure enjoying this grand weather. Been beautiful ever since Thursday – it rained that day all day.
Am thinking about you planting & planting while we walk & walk.
Love
Trella