The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-03
ABILITY AND
A MERRY LAUGH.


After considerable wise blinking of
the eyes, we have come to the conclu-
sion that words are like human beings
We put the finger of ponderation to
the brow of knowledge and revel
awhile in further thought. Yes, we re-
peat, words are like human beings
Some are cold and concise. Others are
fuSSy and oVerdreSSed- We know
words that are old fashioned in their
the minute. Some have a Frenchibed
appearance and others wear beard
that cannot be seen for dye
Some words stand by themselves,
! lonely and cherries. Others have ia
ken to themselves a wife and are sur
rounded by a large progeny. Sad TO
1 relate, there are some that know not
their antecedents, but, on the other
hand, there are proud and naughty
words that can cry their ancestry
| clear back to Adam.
There are roguish words and words
/ that look al you defiantly. There are
words that have to be imported to do
work of which the home talent is in
| capable. There are words that should
! be sentenced to imprisonment for lite
| There are words that mix exclusively
| again there are words which disdain to
wash the backs of their necls.
There are words that are leaders and
others that are merely camp cleaners.
pessimfstic and optimistic words There
] are bold old Washers Of words and gay
young things that look back at You
/ There are silk hated words and words
with high heeled shoes. But of all the
words we know, and of all the combi-
/ nations of words we know, there are a
/ few favorite old couples for whom e
would gladly lay down our life Ihey
cheer our most depressed moments.
I They bring light to our darkest moods
| Whenever we see them coming down
/ the genealogical highway, arm in arm
and cheek by jowl, we lean against the
| lamp post of rumination and enjoy our
| selves.
Consider the team, Sterling Manhood
Already we are smiling remlniscen-lN
and rubbing the top of our head with
| joyful hand. We were first put next TO
! Sterling Manhood by friend of ours
/ who sent a chap to see us with a let
| ter of introduction This letter re-
| ferred to the bearer thereof as being
accompanied by Sterling Manhood we
! shook hands with the incumbent and
! his hearty grip nearly paralyzed u
Thereupon he sat down and beamed
upon us We talked to him and pretty
| soon we used some term of slight pro-
/ fanity-the merest tr1he-1ust TO let
/ him know that we had vim IN US anu
were still doing business at the same
old stand. He Immediately drew III nus
! chin and shuddered.
We apologized on the spot, but II
was evident that he was disappointed
at u.s. In our embarrassment ana
/ eagerness to divert his attention we
mentioned a prize fight which we had
once witnessed (and our star topic OIL
| conversation. He looked so distressed
that we stopped right in the middle OF
/ the third round with the Sploer
eroggy and the claret freely flowing
] and we offered him cigar to soothe
his nerves. He never smoked, on
neveri and in answer to our leaolng
questions it appeared that he neither
drank nor chewed- Conversation IAN
guished and when he introduced a
] chaste and seemly remark about cash-
ing a small check for him we seized II
! eagerly and dropped the money, so
anyious were we to give it to him. He
/ left US humming "Old Hundred and
so we lost him. But we never really
regretted the loss elther OF the thIee
ten or of his further acquaintance, Tor
/ he left Sterling Manhood with US and
frightened our life immeasurably-
Brilliant Conversationalist is an
| other of our favorite couples. They
are feminine, both of en- one OF
| them has an arched eyebrow and the
| other has soulful eyes. And now they
can go it, These estimable ladies'
are generally seen in public places
They prefer theater, but are salts
fed with an elevated car in case OF
! necessity. While one is talking the
/ other is batting her eyebrows 1t
! must not be supposed that she is con-
| centratfng her attention upon what is
| being said. She is merely thinking of
/ new things to say as soon as the pres
/ ent speaker stops for breath
] Another healthy couple is known as
I a Strong Face.
4 There was a time when if we heard
that a man had strong face we men
! tally pictured a set of handsome mas
! cuIine features and we were anxious
to meet him. We know better now.
/ When we are told that So-and-So has
\ a strong face we begin TO pity him
i and prepare ourselves for the worst.
If ever you meet a man with a physi-
/ ognomy that will not only stop a clock
but will also make the minute hand
stagger backward, while the hour
hand motions, go away and let me
sIeepi'' then you win know the mean
ing of the term Strong Face Some
Strong Faces look as if you could
break paving stones with them, while
others could apparently compete with
the steam driven pile-drivers- We are
speaking, OF course, of the bona fide
Strong Face, which is not to be con-