Every Door Is Green
My Dear People,
As Neil Young says, "Tonight's the night!..." Yes, tonight really is Twelfth Night.
If you read last week's Word from Grace Street, you may have guessed what had happened: I wrote it ahead of time (with Christmas and New Year's coming), only I wrote too far ahead!
Anyway, somehow I was reminded of a short story, written a century ago, by O. Henry, where a man, Rudolph Steiner, is walking down a city street and sees another man handing out cards to passers-by, publicizing or advertizing who-knows-what. Steiner isn't really interested in whatever the man is hawking, but, as we all have likely done at some point in our lives, simply to get on past the man, he takes a card.
As he continues on down the sidewalk, Steiner glances at the card, just as he's about to toss it, and sees written there, three simple words, without further explanation, "The Green Door."
And there's nothing more on the back of the card either.
His curiosity piqued, Steiner stops, turns, and looks back at the man handing out the cards; an imposing figure. Seeing a number of the cards scattered down the sidewalk, where others had dropped them, Steiner goes to gather several up. They are all identical advertisements for a nearby dentists' office, listing the price for cleanings, fillings, etc.
After a quizzical moment, Steiner falls back into the general flow of foot traffic, to make a second pass by the card man.
And another card says, "The Green Door."
Just behind, facing onto the sidewalk, stands a five-story building; and, in short order, after some additional pondering, Steiner finds himself ascending the stairs.
And, sure enough, there, in a dimly-lit hallway, is a green door.
Steiner then finds, behind that door, a young woman in need of help. She is starving.
He springs into action.
By the end of the story, it becomes clear that Steiner and the young woman are falling in love.
And two other things become clear: First, "The Green Door" is a theatrical production showing just down the block. And, secondly, every door inside that five-story building is painted the same color.
Yes, every door.
Is green.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
