The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-09


and his three sons. 1t is complimentary
to the sons but not to Old Gorgon, who
has lived in Topeka for 30 years and the
town is no better for it, Neither is Old
Gorgon, in fact he would be no better in
30 years time if he spent all that time
IN Utopia, for his snarI and his mean
ness would flourish and thrive in any
surroundings and the tiger in his blood
would crop out.
Old Gorgon was mean to his wife be-
fore the boys were born. He was mean
to the three boys, each in turn, as soon
as they were big enough to cry at night
How he ever courted the woman he
married and secured her consent to the
marriage ceremony is more than the
nelghbors can figure out. He must
have been mighty deceitful or he must
nave changed to the bad mighty quick
ly after he got married.
The wife Of Old Gorgon is afraid Of
ner ire poor thing. She has to supply
Ola Gorgon with things to eat, a place
to sleep, clean clothes and a warm room
but he growls at the grocery BILL he
objects to the coal bills. he thinks the
rent too high and the laundry bills ex-
orbitant Still, Mrs. Gregory has been
doing all the washing, except of his
white shirts, his collars and a few
starched articles She has worked her
spine into a rainbow curve and her face
into carlcature of a motherly counte-
nance It's wonder she has survived
all these years living in the atmosphere
pointed by Old GOrgOn.
If it hadn't been for the boys; first
little Jamie. and then Willie and then
Charlie she would have given up long
ago and If 1t hadn't been for the mother
the three boys would have assaulted,
beat, bruised and flayed Old Gorgon
years ago. They hate him. Honor thy
father and mother" to them has been
amended by leaving out father" They
do honor their mother and they love her
too with that genuine devotion which
makes a mother a saint in the eyes of
her children.
It was the mother who cared for
Jamie and for Willie and for Charles
through their days of infancy. It was
the mother who scraped together money
enough to dress them properly to go to
schoel: Old Gorgon was too stingy to
mother who made the same winter
dress do for five years that she might
have money with which to buy them
clothes without being abused, more than
usual. by her husband.
It was the mother who bought them
/ their school books with money She earn
ed. 1t has been the mother all through
thelr ilveS VINO has been good to them;
VINO has looked after them: who taught
wanted them to be big, manly boys and
wanted them to be good boys.
1t was Old Gorgon who didn't care what
became OF them, just SO he didn't have to
spend any money on them. It was he
who objected to their going to Sunday
the garden or about the house on Sunday.
/ 1t was he who thought they should go to
work before they were through the grad
/ ed schools. 1t was old Gorgon Gregory
who turned each boy away from home
when he was Is years old and sent him
/ adrift despite the pleadings of the mother
Jamie was the first to go. Old Corgon
gave him 50 so and told him to make his
way in the world. He went to work on
a farm that summer and saved enough
money to buy clothes and books and 20
to school in the winter. He worked dur
worked in the harvest fields the next
] w a Y
| through college. He didn't get a kind
word nor a cent from his father He 1rjs-
tied his mother as often as he could but
! he always called when his father was
away from home.
petitive examinations in New York and
won the scholarship at Oxford and g 500
other students, Old Gorgon Gregory took
q notice to the newspapers announcing
that James Gregory the son of George
| Washington Gregory, had won the OK
ford scholarship" etc.
When Old Gorgon turned Willie away
from home he didn't give him much as
/ he had given Jamie. Willie had a new pair
way. Willie worked like his brother he
fore him and finished college. Then he
enlisted as private in the regular army.
He kept on studying and in two years
was commissioned a second lieutenant.
Then came the Cuban war and four years
more he was Captain Gregory. Then Old
Gorgon went TO the newspapers with the
news that William Gregory, son OF
George Washington Gregory, in six years
had risen from private in the ranks to be
a captain in the regular army etc.
Charley was the last 1t would have
softened the heart of any but Old Gorgon
to have seen the parting between Charley
and his mother when he followed the viii
of his father, like his brothers before
him, and set out to face the world. II
was Willie who worked his way through
college and won the state oratoricaI con
test the year he graduated. Then Old
Gorgon took the announcement to the
papers that Charley Gregory. who vvor
the state oratorical contest. is the son OF
George Washington Gregory" etc
Not in one of those notices did the
name of Mrs. Gregory appear. They did
not read ''sOn of Mr.. and Mrs. Gregory p
She was not to be coupted according tc
Old Gorgeous theory.
Poor soul She is patiently waiting fol
the day when one of the boys can take
her to his own home.
INSURANCE MEN LOSE.