Evening star., 1909-02-14
Around the Citv

Al OS%lA0 I11S o4Iy
How do. Ann. Come here and help me
with a sum-
The Ann woman, who was hurrying to
the library reading room, paused before
the woman on lobby bench to exchange
greetings and confess her ignorance Of
mathematics
"Oh. sit down and help me out. I've
just made big discovery and it has rat
tied me. Come on
A big discovery has its attractions. The
Ann woman hesitated.
You'd never guess it, but the Bible has
made mistake
The Ann woman sat down.
'Uh huh, 1 found it out by the barest
accdent-isnt it funny how things come
around? I wasn't even thinking of my
club paper when saw this-listen: 1T is
estimated that twenty billion people have
died since the world began"
Twenty trillion."' corrected the Ann
woman, as she took the newspaper clip
ping.
''Oh. is it? I always do get mixed be-
yond the units and tens. but, anyhow, it
doesn't make any difference. The inn
portant thing Is that came right up here
and found out that there are four hun
dred million Christians-Tm most sure
that's the right number-and two billions,
or maybe it's trill!ons. of heathens in the
add them all up and see what they come
to. l get different total every time
and. OF course, in your club paper you've
got to have your figures correct.
why add them?" inquired the Ann
woman.
why. to vindicate Eve, OF course.
That's what I'm going to call my paper:
The Vindication Of Eve Isn't it a dandy
title?"
DECENTRALIZATION" began the Ann wom-
an, who really didn't seem quite as clever
as she might be.
"Uh huh--of course, The figures will
show that if Eve had refused to eat the
apple and nobody had ever died, the world
would be overswarmed. Nobody could
own home. because there would be no
room to turn around in-and where do
you suppose they would raise crops to
feed them?'
The Ann woman. like most dull people,
displayed a taste for argument:
MY dear, you are building up your as
sertion on wrong basis. Had Eve not
sinned--"
!, "For goodness sake, Ann, you are Just
like old Mrs. Blank, who raps every pa
per that comes before the club. Eve did
just what was right. If she had refused
that apple I wouldn't be owning a house
and lot in the suburbs this day-the whole
place would be overrun with immortals.
Say do you think The Bibles Mistake
would make a stronger title: 'go In
for human interest, don't you?"
courage of her convictions. for she de-
serted the scriptures with an unholy joy
BUSINESS. added up the figures given to her,
from Adam to date, and in leaving said,
with f1attering interest:
Let me know when you read your pa
per. I'd love to hear it.
A thin old man in fine clothes got out
Of a carriage and entered florist
shop. On his way out he paused to note
the window display of white lilac. gaudy
tulips and yellow jonquils with long,
| sappy green stems. And to woman who
was also looking in the window he re-
marked, with the affable informality OF
age:
Il used to feel, madam, that spring
was coming when 1 saw posies like these,
but the hothouse has killed their senti-
| mental value We can have spring bios
SONS all winter, with flowers, fruits and
| vegetables in season and out. The sum-
| mer time now, madam. is simply mat
ter Of weather-nothins but weather"
you forget the trees and the grass"
said the woman
"Why, that is so, madam. Thank You
| for reminding me. for I'm getting pessi-
mistic in my old age. But they'll be
| cribbing them, too. madam The florists
! they're through. and maybe they'll be
selling summer weather"
|. Then the thin old man, who may or may
| not have been a prophet. got in his car
riage and was driven away.
| man on crutches was going up the
steps of public building. He was pain
| fully slow, but he was sure.
| A younger man. who was skipping up
| two steps at a time. made philanthropic
beeline for the lame man and said:'
'If you will let me help you, sir you
will get along better.
The lame man waved the Samaritan
| back.
| 10 II Ind hut rnl1yd
rather not. I've been going on sticks for
SO long that I'd forget all about them
if you good folks would only let me-"
And the Samaritan, who must have been
| a well meaning fellow. blushed the red OF
| the lobster and clipped ahead.
| A crowd swarmed around an ambu-
lance. Word went around that the man
| on the stretcher had been killed. Two
| women. with white. shocked faces, who
were skirting the edge of the commotion.
| shivered as they looked back.
| This is the first accident I've ever
| seen," said one Of them, 'and l am over
fifty and have lived in cities all my
| life"
| 'It is my first, too, and If live to be
a hundred 1 hope it will be my last"
| 1t did not occur to either Of them that
| even in this case they had not wit
| messed the accident. but had caught
| merely glimpse of the something rigid
| on the stretcher which was the result.
And the point in this small incident
| lies in the fact that though the papers
| report daily tragedies. few people out
| of u thousand ever witness in the course
| Of their existence any catastrophe that
| entails a loss of life.
| One woman talked while the other
| woman stared The woman who talked
| finally flew off at tangent to exclaim:
| For goodness sake. Mag, what is
| wrong with my dress that you look at
| it so intently?"
| The other woman colored and laughed
| in an embarrassed sort Of way.
| Just counting the buttons on your
| dress. It's idiotic, Of course, but I
| can't meet a body without counting
every button in sight. You have seven
teen
Then the other woman laughed in turn.
| THAT makes two idiots. l don't count
! buttons but I always curtsey to the
new moon, and never commence anything
important on Friday"
And the woman who overheard. and
| who can never pass q certain corner
without touching a certain tree, said to
| herself:
| speaking of idiots-make it three"
Truth About Pecan Raising.
From the Technical World Magazine.