Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-07-01

not, how can one reconcile the wholly
amusing spectacle OF a man just ar
rived at the dignity fatherhood But
yesterday he was free man ready t0
look any one squarcly III the eyes.
But yesterday his house was his AND
the freedom thereof. and he was king.
Today there has come a change over
the spirit OF his dream. He is an
alien, an outcast He slips III at thc
side door like a ,hict It seems q mnl
lion years since he had the t"meTttN
TO walk in al his own front door. He
feels that he is absolutely suprrtluuus
TO the situation.
The house Is full OF grandmofhe'
and aunts and a being III a whit ca:
and apron who gives him orders il! 4
cold. collected tone. He escapes ~ HIS
daily grind like fleeing to the house OF
refnge Every five minutes through
the day he is jelephoHed to from head
quarters and commanded to order hts
amt order that. HeaEe ems lisa a
baby enough without banllrHping the
town and making his house "a general
depository. He attends 10 business as
Well as he can for that telephone. and
for concentrations. tele@raphic.@ teie-
phonic. written and verbal. He smiles
and beams AT these. What stir that
baby has made. to be snre' Eolumi
nous screcds would not make him be-
lieye that a baby was purely elemental.
perennialy topical No. indeed; a
baby is a very private, particular al
fair only he hates to be stared at and
have his hand wrung by every chance
acquaintance.
He contemplates mis- journey home
that evening in anguish OF spirit. 1t
is only ten blocks long and he knows
every one on the stseet from Genesis
to Revelation, but he would rather run
the red mans gauntlet than walk those
ten blocks. He knows just how it
will be. He gazes down a long, shaded
vista bordered by millions and millions
of yards full of laughing groups and
every one will call tu HMM excess
of labor he falls 70 labor on the most
difficult, brain. absorbing duty OF the
! day He wickedly concocts a scheme
to gu home a roundabout way but his
manhood scorns it. and al 6 O'Clock he
! makes a brave, bold dash for the OLE!
| familiar street
His worst alarms are abundantly
realized. Whtehared old men lay
down their papers to cross the green
grass to pat his shoulder paternally.
And a boy, well, we'll. That's tine,
Bennie. fine, fine" Benne bushes
like schoolboy ahd escapes to have
an ambuscade of romping children fall
upon him. "Oh Mr.. Bennie, has 1t
got blue eyes; has it got bald head
is it a teeny, weeny thing; may we
come to see it" Yes, come. come and
bring all your acquaintances. He
passes the girls he used to go with,
dawdling in wicker chairs upon green
lawns. He bows with the cold impas-
sivity of a human iceberg. In the
name of wonder why do they Seem
suddenly struck dumb?
A stream of children, prlnked out
for the evening promenade, engult him
in a vortex of questions. Does it
look like you has it got pretty
mouth like Miss Phlippa; has it got
any teeth. can it laugh, may we come
tomorrow to see it," The poor young
father wipes his forehead. Lord, this
was worse than anything he had imag-
iped. Here comes matronly woman
bustling down the steps. and he must
wait until she gives him an armful
Of Jack roses for Phillippa, dear girl,
and mind you. Bennie, take care OF
the sweet soul. Dear. yes, he would,
if he just could get chance to see his
Fhillippa. And he thinks of the cor
don established by that being in white
cap and apron. All. here comes one OF
his cronies. His individuality asserts
itself, he feels again like F. Benjamin
French. Business Man. The respite is
short however, for in the next block
he meets a loud-mouthed man, who
harks: "By jovet Hello, papat~ II:
Benjamin says things under his breath
that his wife. Philippa French, never
dreamed that her nlusband knew He
walks along with murder in his heart
until a sweetfaced. motherly woman