New York missive no 138 - Patient angels on 49th Street

Each Saturday on the way to the boys’ swimming class we pass a couple of bronze angels perched around a bowl, their chins resting in cupped hands. The statue, or bird bath, or whatever it is – is outside Lillie’s “Victorian” restaurant. The bowl contains small stones and cigarette butts. Clearly its current function, even if not its intended one, is as an ashtray. But the boys’ have their own story. They run up to the angels every week: “Look! The poor angels are STILL waiting for the chef to bring them their food!”