The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-11-04
BETTER BE A FLANAGAN.
Some Wise Philosophy on the condl-
tions Of Life.

Marshalltown IlmeS-RepuDllcaH'
Jones ought to be happy. He is hap
PLY married, his children are bright I
and he earns a good living, not enough /
to make a show, but upon the whole |
Jones' live comfortably and have
many of the Injuries that most OF us
must go without. But neither Jones, |
Mrs. Jones nor the Jones girls are
happy. The Browns have an automo-
bile bought with part of the legacy
left by Mrs. Browns father when ne
departed for better and brighter
sphere some months ago. To see that
machine honk out of the Brown yard,
the Browns embark and sail footing
forth on an expedition of showing off,
is the fly that maketh the whole oint-
ment of the Jones apothecary shop to
stink. The Jones are unhappy. They
are worse than unhappy, envious, jeal-
Gus, angry.
Mary Stokes is unhappy. She goes
to school. high school. is we'll and
tastefully dressed and at the top of her
classes. She is mighty GOOD looking
! girl and a good one. But every pros
| poets disgusts and life holds no ray of
hope Two or three silly girls in her
class with sillier mothers, wear silk
dresses to school and one has a dia-
mond ring. Little Mary Stokes view
of life is shut off by the curtain of
silks and dazzled by the diamond she
hasn't and can't have. So Mary wishes
she were dead and cries in her room
because her father isn't rich enough
to dress her in school clothes fit for a
presidential reception and buy her a
bigger diamond than a Weather
father is fool enough to buy for a
fourteen-year-old daughter Then, too,
she knows that even were the financial
problem settled her mother would not
let her overdress nor would her father
furnish child with expensive jewels.
So Mary is unhappy, envious, jealous,
angry.
Perkins is doing pretty well for a
fellow who only started in business
; four or five years. But Perkins is
sore. He wants to be mayor, member
of the school board, councilman from
his ward, delegate to the party conven
ton and an officer in the church
Other men get the offices. He feels
that he isn't appreciated in the town
and wants to get out. He ought to at
tend strictly to business and make sure
, that he gets on an absolutely sure
: footing. He knows 1t But he looks dis
satisfiedly at his profits, is discomfort
: ed with his home and doesn't go t.
lodge any more because some one
beat him for grand high panjanadrun
. last year So Perkins is unhappy en-
!, vious, Jealous and sore
Mrs Blank is the wife of a good fel
low and the mother of splendid chill
dren She nas circle of friends com
= posed of people as good as she ant
- she is better than the average Blu
"a she, too, is unhappy. She is not on tn,
% visiting list of the Montmorenci's no
is she invited when the We're de We're
have swell blowout 1t doesn't max
any difference that Mrs We're de Yer
a has past and that old We're de We're i
10 as vulgar as man may be They as
If sumo to be a notch higher than sb
$ and the thought is an agony tina
spoils life. So she is unhappy. yer
f. unhappy, and the lines deepen In he
n. face
n. Flanagan works in the shops Ce
ut tainly he's Irish and proud of it II
it. isn't what one might call societ
man and his language is more incline
to uncover than to conceal h.
IS thoughts Mrs Flanagan keeps hous
he in the modest home that they paid IL
IN with Flanagan's wages and the DR.
let ceeds of her washing before Flanaga
nd was set up to $3.50 day, The oil
~ est boy, Pat, is in line to be mast
a mechanic before he is thirt
as "Ja.a-mes" is a conductor out in Col
INT RADIO Mary, alanna, is married to