The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-09

1t won't cost the city but So anyhow,
and the case certainly seems deserV-
ing one
So the mayor wrote o. K. on the ap-
plication and signed to it those magic
initials which mean so much in the city
halo. H. H"
The free milk license was issued IN
due course, and, presumably. the poor
widow nightly gathered her little brood
about her knees and called down bless
ings on the name of Carter H.
Three or four days later another let
ter caught the attention OF Private
Secretary McGaffey. This also was
from a poor widow She differed from
the first one in having almost twice the
number of small children and she was
in even worse circumstances. she hao
a little news and candy store, IL Is
true but the profits from her trade
were not quite sufficient to support the
family. She owed two months rent Tor
the three rooms she occupied and her
landlord was daily threatening to cast
her out into the smoke laden Amos
phere. But if she could only put in a
small stock of milk and cream she felt
certain that the added profit would en-
able her to settle with her landlord
and live happily ever afterward II
Mayor Harrison would only be good
enough to issue to her free milk
license she would forever count him as
the greatest of benefactors-
If a single tear glistened in the eyes
OF Poet MctTdISy WIlen lie lCdd liz
first letter, he may be pardoned if he
gave vent to a low sob at perusing the
second. 1t went in to the mayors prl-
vate Office and came out again prompt
" with an order that the free license
should issue.
Thus a second widow and her orphans
were started on the road to prosperity
and still deep peace brooded over the
scene.
Within a week applications for free
/ l. a rriuod from two widows
| in the same mail. But it was plain
| there was no collision, for one of them
had two little girls afflicted with
| hopeless malady, and the other was
herself victim of a lingering disease.
They were both keeping poor little
stores, and they both needed nothing
| more than free permission to sell milk
and cream to drive the dark clouds
out of their lives and make the world
a glad and joyous place of residence
More laceration of tender sympathtes.
| More consideration of the primary duty
| of caring for the fatherless ana the Oh
/ phani The free milk licenses were is
sued. Still peace and the approval OF
| a gratified conscience.
Presently the applications of starving
| widows with large families and many
| sorrows began to multiply amazingly:
| They were widows of all kinds ana
sizes, and among them they sounded
| the ganut of human woes. They nad
| insanity in the family and nothing DuI
bread crumbs in the pantry; they had
| MORTGAGES on their houses and chill
| bIains on their feet: they were young
and helpless and old and feeble; they
| were struggling to educate their chill
i dren and to meet the installment pay
nents on the furniture in the bed
room. And each and every one wanted
a free license to sell milk That was
all and that once granted JOY Wouio
! fill every widowed heart
| It was an accumulation of woe which
might we'll have pierced the heart OF
a mortgage loan shark. to say nothing
Of the poet in the outer office ana the
magistrate within. Free licenses 10