The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-02-01
TEMPERANCE.
AN ATTRACTIVE SIGHT.

N~N-~-f
his two-foot rule, I'm take the
measures directly. This Is nice
room. l like room where the sun
shines in all day. Two feet six. by
let me see-yes, you've a nice room
here; your plants look fine 10 you
ever leave your shades up OF even
ings?"
Mrs. Mason laugEsd, then ques-
toned, her face flushing slightly:
"Why do you askP Did you ever
pass in the evening"
Nom, nom! l never went q past
here of an evening, but l was just
thinkin' what pretty picter it would
make to any one passln
We'll" Mrs. Mason said' 1 90
leave the shades up often, especially on
dark or stormy nights. l always ielt
as though every one would make run
of me, but / wanted a little OF the
pleasantness should go out to those
who were obliged to face the cold or
storm"
..Wen, ma am. that's just it, and
suspicion that that very spirit is what
goes outside and sort of cheers up
passers by more'n even the pretty
picter does; but unless you've been
homeless and kinder lonesome, you
have no idea what a sort OF hit sucn
8 window is to a fellow. Dunno but III
tell YOU a story bout myself. Some
ten year ago or more l was workln
in the foundry down here, an 1t was
pretty steady work an lots of it. and
we fellows got heated and grimy' ana
we couldn't get very good board-you
see. first-class boardin houses don
open doors to men as come In black
with smut-and we were crowded into
small, bare rooms, and had pretty dry
pickin' at table, usually. Well, you
see in such a case a fellow wants to
get of in the fresh air as soon as MS
supper's over. In summer there
the parks and the street corners, ana
dry-roods boxes in the alleys ain
nigh so bad a place to sit and gas as
YOU'D think; but when it comes winter
there's nowhere but the saloons. At
first fellow sits around and chats
then he pays five cents for glass OF
beer. and is glad of the little snack,
cold beans and brown bread. mebby.
that's set out for free lunch. Tain
much, but a fellow that's always
underfed gets to sorter banker after
something, he don't just know what
There's light and warmth, and some
times music, and always jolly crowd
and it amt much wonder fellows drift
into the saloons. Well, used to pass
, every night pretty little brown
, house; to tell the truth, just the on'
, | I'm Twin in now, and the curtains In thu
, sittin' room windows was always up
There were lots of plants in the window
just big geraniums and ivys an'
things; | didn't know the names of EN-
! then, but they looked awful nice t
, me. The windows were high from tn
q walk, so all could see was the head
h of folks sittin' about, but it locke
q light and warm and CHEEKY, and
q used to stand there night after nigh
with my hands down in my empt
9 pockets; kickin' my toes to keep 'er
i from freezin, and just stare into the1
h windows. | was gettin' along frs
4 rate at the foundry, and I'd just mad
# a sort of a contrivance that | foun
- out afterwards the mornin' papers ha
-, all been talkin' about, and the hos
- had given me twenty-five dollars
" cash for it, and on this particula
% night had it in my pocket, and was Q
70 ha
q have big old blow out.
a Il stopped as usual and stared up
De the window, sort of wishln', in SON
a vague way that / had such a hom
,o feelin' a little homesick, and mebt
ID pittyin' poor cusses like myself WI
~ went to the dogs because they had n
v. where to stay but in the saloons, wh'
to fellow about my size came trampir
to along, and near run into me.
is He fetched up with round tur
BY and yelled: Hello! What you dol
n there?'
"'None o. your Internal biz,
answered. DRAWN my hands outen 4
pockets. i was just thinkin he
nice an light an warm them plar
IN look
"a Why, yes said he. i belle
nd your names Kennerd. isn't itP a.
lie won't you come in where the plar
DC are? Father was talking about yo
no invention to-day. He says he thin
ne he used to go to school with 70
IN. father.
at "Ma'am didn't hesitate long.
IN followed along in, and there was 1
'ut young fellows father and mother,
Ter grown-up sister. and three or fc
younger children. | stayed there
about ten o'clock. The children
apples and popcorn. and we crack
nuts. Then / went home. Well, :
can't think what queer feelin' ca
I'M over me. sat down on the side
her the bed, holdin' one shoe half pull
lm' of of my foot in my hands. and 3