The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-07

A certain officer of the ship makes me
think of myself. His disposition is to be
polite, but he has been at the business
SO long that he is tired of the petty de-
tails, and finds politeness Z, burden. If
need a trip to the Pacific ocean, he needs
a trip to Kansas. The officer does not
look like me, but he has a played out,
weary way that makes me think of my
self He has been seeing travellers SO
long, and answering their questions, that
he should swallow the anchor Gas sea
going men say when they quit the Sea).
and go on iarnl. He needs complete
change, and plowing corn with team
of mules would supply it. The officer is
an excellent one, so far as know, but
he looks and acts as though he had
been a. candidate for office every day
for the past ten years The election IS
yet to come off, ant. he is polite, but he
is polite YEARLY; he looks as though
to his intimate friends. he tells pretty
tough stories about bothersome ways
of voters and travellers. One day heard
a passenger say to him: ''They told me
that when I met you, I would meet the
crOssest man on the line" The passen-
ger said it as Joke but 1 noticed
that the officer didn't laugh
In wandering aimIessly about looking
for amusement encountered two boys
playing shuttle board on the upper deck.
They were the best OF friends until two
little girls appeared, and wanted toplaY;
then each boy wanted a girl named
Helen as his partner. and neither would
give in. "Quit fusSing about me, Helen
said in a coquettish way; but she en-
joyed it. A freclxle faced boy who had
refused to play, sat around and maze
remarks about the game his rival had
originated, With Helen as his partner.
II will be your partner next" heard
Helen whisper to the freckle faced boy,
but the freckle faced boy was mad, and
said he didn't want her as his partner;
the next game, or any other game, or
anv other day But he did: the freckle
faced boy was jealous of Helen, and he
wasn't over ten years old. He'll have a
lot of that to contend with before he
gets through with life. That's the way
it goes, when a girl or woman appears,
there is trouble among the boys or men,
The men would amount to more If they
didn't spend so much energy in being
| Jealous They are all ashamed of 1t,
and deny it. but it is like sea sickness:
no one escapes. doubt If women know
how jealous men are
And women know what the feeling IS
like: when a girl decides on her ideal
man, and concludes to make him happy
for life, she acts like tigeress II he
tries to find happiness in the smiles OF
some other woman.
am alone in the smoking room: the
men have all gone down to lunch, ana
even the two Cinnamon have put on the
lid. and gone away. Presently the men
will reappear. and gather in little groups.
and pick their teeth, and smoke. and
play cards. and patronize the Cinnamon.
and talk in the usual uninteresting
way. Then they will lounge in and out,
but 1 canot help feeling mighty shift
less. Those of you at home should not
| feel dissatisfied because you are not
taking a trip" Taking a rest is like
taking medicine, If you take it this way
do not go down to lunch. and eat
sparingly at breakfast and dinner. there
fore I know I am not eating too much;
but I am certain I smoke too much
Every time I get a cigar, am compelled
to sign my name to card, giving des-
tination I have signed so many cards
that I have shortened Hong Kong to
H-K to save labor.
The captain also smokes too much. I
wonder if people mention the fact to
him: so many people mention it to me-
But I suppose people are afraid of the
captain oe a steam ship. and he thus
| loses good advice: he does not, in short,
know that so much tobacco is not good
for him You know the official you are
most afraid of ? Well he is nothing COM
pared with the captain of a steam ship.