The age-herald., 1902-03-30
The Political Color

Tn my youthful days" remarked a m member of the Loafers' Club 'I was a firm believer in proverbs--I don't mean the Book of Proverps-but the common everyday proverb that people sling at you. For instance the proverb that all things come to him who waits, pleased me immensely. It seemed such an easy job to sit down and just wait for things to come your way. It was about this time that I joined the club. I have been waiting ever since but nothing has come yet that I would care to have, except perhaps a little experience and a little sense, which tells me that most proverbs are epigrammatic lies and should be read backwards Here the member paused. knocked the ashes out of his pipe against the stove and glanced around at several members who were sitting in comfort able attitudes reading old newspapers of last weeks vintage No one paid any attention to the remark of the old mem Der except a new member who had not been in the club long enough to know that under the rules, politeness was left OuLSlQe Tn the nall Wlln IIe HdlS anu umbrellas, and who felt obliged to put down his paper and listen. The old mem- Der seeing that he had obtained an au- dience continued:
 About the time I joined this club I went to see the opera Pinafore. Every body went to see Pinafore in those days so I don't feel very much to blame. There was a line in one of the songs which said things are seldom what they seem, skinned milk masquerades as cream This sounded like proverb and I thought contained a great deal of wis., dom. I was constantly on the watch to tear the mask off of cream and expose the guilty skinned milk, and everything appeared to me exactly the opposite of what it probably appeared to everyone else and what it probably was I was always looking for the devil dressed as a minister and hunting for heroes in the garb of hoboes. Of course, now I know that everything is just what it seems, es pecially people,
 That's true" replied the new member. You can tell tramp or a beggar the minute you look at him."
 The old member waited moment to see if the new member was making fun of him, but perceiving an honest and truth ful look on his countenance and know
  be so, he resumed
 "Yes people ere just nat they appear to be. Of course you can tell a waiter in a cafe the minute you see him. This applies to the customer who Is really doing the waiting, and who is paying for 1t, as well as the paid waiter. Then you can always tell doctors, lawyers, merchants, bakers and cantdestick mak- CTS They each have distinctive dress or garb and a man with an observing mind can stand on a street corner and tell the trade and occupations of each passerby just by looking at his clothes
 Gan you tell politician or an office holder from a non-offlce holder?" asked the new member.
 Easily" replied the first speaker. "There Is no class of citiZens-I was about to say workers-who are so dis tinctively dressed as the politician or office holder They all dress in black and wear white shirts with low turn down collars and black string ties. They are as easy to tell as a W. c. T. ..-I mean a w U. T. c. messenger Joy There are @ good many lawyers who want to be officeholders who dress very much like them but there is usually