Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-07-09

Meanwhile all went smoothly upon
the surface The dining room looked as
placid as Il tropical harbor, asleep and
smiling in the sun, its limpid waters in
viting to bath, and yet paved with
sharks. The household met as usual,
exchanged morning greeting and gossip,
and separated for the days work or
pastime. Mr.. Elk took his roll and apple,
Stevens his two rolls and apple and
Lieut.. Quire his two rolls, apple and It'd
bit, unless indeed it so happened that he
was not required at the department that
day, and so might place himself at the
service of the ladies.
Windward was, theoretically, the one
man of elegant leisure in the household
but his zeal in the claim made him the
busiest and the hardest to entrap into
sight seeing tramps or winter plcnlcS.
Mrs. Bassett finally felt obliged to ex-
postulate.
"Why, Windward!' she exclaimed one
! balmy winter morning, edo let that
stupid claim rest for today and take us
/ all down to Mount Vernon"
81 cannot possibly do it today, moth
err" he replied, and then observing her
/ dissatisfaction and anxiety he added,
with an affectiOnate cares: 81 can tell
now in few days what chance there Is
for action on the claim this winter.
want to settle that point first; then
shall know what to expect and what tc
do, and shall have some leisure"
''What do you think about the
chances?" asked the mother.
"Well," sighed Windward, 'it's big
job. 1 just begin to appreciate it. Yor
see it is one thing to have individual
congressman admit your claim is good
and quite another to get the bill passed
Now see what has to be done. Afte
you have written out your bill you get
member to present it; he must be pres
ent at lust such an hour or he loses hi
chance. Then it goes to a committe
with perhaps fifty others, and waits 1t
J turn there. Very likely that is the en-,
of it, for most bills die a-borning.' Blu
suppose can stir the committee up ant
they agree to report the bill.
Zone member is put in charge of 1t
and on a certain day in the month, If h
happens to be on hand, he is recognized
r and the bill is reported and this time pu
, on the calendar. Here it ought to b
) reached in its turn, but probably Their
, are enough bills ahead of it to keep col
! gress busy for years, and you can't get
. advanced except by common consent
and as this interrupts business and put
5 back other bills there is somebody SUI
y to object. Meanwhile the house is occJ
4 pied most of the time with the gener'
4 appropriation bills and great polite;
O questions, and the calendar is put off ii
a leisure day which never comes. No
i and then the motion is made to take u
! the calendar, and there is a set time
Il once or twice a month, perhaps-whe
a that is the regular order of business; bJ
e members get to wrangling and adjour
d in a row. So is goes, and before 70
n know congress has expired aAd you mul
s; begin all over again. But suppose
n: does finally pass; then comes a simil;
IA job in the senate, and if there successfJ
"a also maybe the president vetoes it, ;
IN two presidents have done already"
Il "Idon't see how any bills get through,
N said Mrs. Bassett.
ID ''Nor ], ;" replied Windward, land vel
Ne few bills do pass. The appropriate
~ bills must, oe course, and there are l.
an of trivial little bills that slip through
luck or good management, and half
IN dozen important measures of polite
r. character; and that's about all"
Id 81 wouldn't bother with it, said t
wv mother. "You might let your friel
NJ Stevens keep track of it; he is here, al
nd is steady, faithful young man, Ishoa
CHI judge. And there is that other gent
ret man. Col McArdle; he Is lawyer a,
knows how to manage these things. B
b. you ought to get settled, Windward-"
Ith II don't know but ana settled. moi