Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-05-21


the services of women in time of war
their deeds in the days of peace. and
in the end he became involved in an
allegory abont the exclusion of the
roses from the garden.
The senators had begun to pay at
tention to him as soon as he talked
about things they really understood
and were interested in, and now they
shouted to him to go on. 1t was spread
abroad over the third floor Of the
statehouse that some one was making
n big speech in the senate, and rep
resentatives came rushing over from
the house. The correspondents of the
Chicago newspapers came over also
to see II the Associated Press man in
the senate was getting the speech
down fully. All the space on the floor
was soon crowded, and the applause
shook the desks and made the glass
prisms on the chandeliers jingle. The
lieutenant governor tapped from time
to time with his gavel. but he did 1t
perfunctorily, as though he enjoyed
the applause himself. as vicariously
expressing his own feelings; his eyes
twinkled until 1t seemed that, were 1t
not for certain traditions. he would
join in the delighted laughter that
made up most of the applause.
Once a page came to Vernon with q
glass Of water. and as he paused to
wipe his brow and to sip from the
glass. he glanced again at Maria
Greene. Her face was solemn and q
wonder was growing in her eyes. Be-
side her sat old Doc" Ames. scowling
fiercely and stroking his long white
beard. There were sharp cries of Go
on! Go on!"
But Vernon. not accustomed to
thinking on his feet. as takers love to
phrase 1t, and having stopped, could
not instantly go on, and that awkward
halt disconnected him. He was con.
scious that the moments were slipping
by. and there were other things
many other things-that he had in
tended to say; but these things evaded
him-doated OF. tantalizingly. out Of
reach. And SO. for refuge. he rushed
on to the conclusion he had half
formed in his mind. The conclusion
was made up mostly from a toast to
which he had once responded while In
college, entitled The Ladies'" The
words came back to him readily
enough: he had only to apply them .
little differently and to change his
figures. Thus 1t was easy to work up
to a panegyric In which Illinois stood
up as a beautiful woman leading her
sister states up to new heights Of
peace. OF virtue and OF concord. He
had a rapt vision OF this woman. by
her sweet and gentle influence settling
all disputes and bringing heaven down
to earth At last.
The senate was in raptures.
This is the face" he cried. that
launched n thousand ships and burned
the topless towers OF Ilium!' &.
she is wholly like In feature TO the
deathless goddesses!'" So he went
on. Age cannot wither, nor custom
stale. her infinite variety"
He was growing weary. He already
showed the impressive exhaustion Of
the peroration. He had sacrificed a col
lar and drunk all the water from his
glass. He fingered the empty tumbler
for a moment. and then lifted II ON
high while he said:
filled this cup to one made up
or lovelincss alone.
\ woman. OF her gentle sex
The seeming paragon
Her health! and would on earth there
stood
Some more Of such a frame.
That life might be all poetry.
And WEAKNESS "A name.
CTo BE CoSTINUEDJ