Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-15
BETTER BE A FLANAGAN.

- ~ III
Jones ought to be happy. He is hap
PLY married, his children are bright
and he earns a good living, not enough
to make a show upon but the Jones
live comfortably and have many of the
| luXuries that most of us must go with
out. But neither Jones, Mrs. Jones nor
| the Jones girls are happy. The Browns
have an automobile bought with par
of the legacy left by Mrs. Browns
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 Who'll ointment of the Jones
apothceary shop to stink. The Jones
are unhappy. They are worse than
unhappy, envious. Jealous, angry.
Mary Stokes is unhappy. She goes to
school, high school. is we'll n taste
fully dressed and at the top of her
classes. She is a mighty good looking
girl and a good one. But every pros
pect 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 dla-
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 INT for
a presidential reception aud buy her a
bigger diamond thar n weather. faith
er is fool enough to buy for a fourteen-
year-old daughter. Then too, she knows
that even We're the financial problem
settled her mother wouldn't let her
overdress nor would her father furnish
a child with expensive jewels. SO Mary
is unhappy. envious, jealous. angry.
Perkins is doing pretty well for a
| lGiiOW WHO OILY Slti tCu III
four or five years ago. But Perkins IS
sore. He wants to be mayor. member
of the school board, councilman from
his ward, delegate to the party
ton and an officer in the church. 9th
err men get the offices. He feels that
! he isn't appreciated in the town ana
wants to get out. He ought to attend
strictly to business and make sure that
he gets on an absolutely sure footing.
He knows it. But he looks dissastis-
fedly at his profits, is discontinued
| with his home and doesn't go to lodge
any more because some one beat him
for grand high ~panjanadrum last year.
SO Perkins is unhappy, envious, jeal-
Gus, sore.
Mrs. Blank is the wife of a good fell
low and the mother of splendid chill
dren. She has a circle of friends com
posed of people as good as she and
she is better thar the average. But she,
too, is unhappy. She is not on the Wis
iting list of the Montmorenci's nor is
have a swell blowout. 1t doesn't make
any difference that Mrs. We're de We're
has a past and that old We're de We're is
as vulgar as a man may be. They as
sumo to be a notch higher han she
and the thought is an agony that spoils
life. So she is unhappy, very unhappy
and the lines deepen in her face.
Flanagan works in the shops. Ger
tainly he's Irish, and proud of it. He
mand and his language is more in
clined to uncover thar to conceal his
thoughts. Mrs. Flanagan keeps house
in the modest home that they paid for
with Flanagan's wages and the pro-
ceeds of her washing before Flanagan
was "set up to $3.50 a day. The Oldest
boy, Pat, is in line to be a master me-
chanic before he is thirty. 'Ja-a-mes"
is a conductor out in Colorado. Mary,
III J. ilGlA q w ~ ~
in Chicago. He made over $4,000 last
year and they have a fine home entire
ly. They are happy, the whole caboodle
| of Flanagans. Not one is ashamed of
| the little $4,000 place sat home" The
bows are proud of the 'old man. who
never let any man or men bluff him,
| who looked at those who assumed airs
over him and said. 1T HI wild 'em,
phwat do / care what he links so long
as he kapes his hands and his tongue
aft me- Mrs. Flanagan is satisfied
with her social circle. It's as good as
she is and she is content. Flanagan
wouldn't take an automobile as q gift
and Mrs. f. wouldn't ride in one for
worlds. Neither envy, jealousy, nor
unhappiness touches thhe Flanagans. 1t
is better to be a Flanagan.
When it is all sized up these Flana-
gans have the Jones', Browns, Stokes
and their kind call t the ba-a-d' as
Mr.. Flanagan would say Two genera
lions hence the F%lanagans will not need
to ask entree of the Montmorencis. Fol
the Flanagans are n staying force. They
ara living right, are the right breed.
Envy. jealousy, nnhappiness