The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-24
THE EVENING STORY
AN OBITUARY Poen,.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)

i
he was blunt spoken and a kicker.
He had run regiment. and he felt
1t his duty to run the town., His
wife and daughter Nellie were well
liked. but the people kept clear of the
major. He didn't carry loaded gun
with him, but he had a very sarcastic
| tongue.
| And yet underneath his bluff, as his
own family knew, Major Lee had a
heart. and that heart was filled with
sentiment. He had revealed it on
several occasions, and now the fam
lily parrot had died he was almost in
tears. That the major should have en-
| dured the presence of a squawking
parrot for a single hour was a mat
ter of establishment outside the fam
| lily. but he had endured her for three
years. That her death should bring
look of melancholy to his face
caused certain people to think they
mad done him an injustice.
| Poll was dead. She had been found
on her back beneath her perch. with
all the squawk and chatter gone out
or her-' 1t was case of old age and
being too good. The major was the
and for the first time in fifteen years
he was SO choked up that he could
not eat his breakfast.
Cad, but it's tough-it's fought"
| he said to wife and daughter. 1--WE
| had mutual affection for each 9TH
er. She would swear when I told her
to, and shut up when 1 raised my fin
ger. Each of US had come to under
1 stand the moods of the other. She
knew when 1 wanted to take my nap,
1 and I knew when she wanted to take
hers. I believe she thought of me
when drawing her last breath
But, pap, she was good deal of
a nuisance, after ALL replied Miss
| Nellie.
| mot bit of it-not a t.: Of Moth
| ing Of the kind"
| But she swore at the minister and
called him -names.'
ways to keep things moving along.
She didn't know she was swearing.
She thought she was getting off a
joke of some kind, and the minister
should have understood it so.''
II don't think people liked to hear
| her squawking.'
"Then, as told three or four of
them, let them lump it, There's
something wrong about people who
don't like to hear the notes Of an in
| nocent bird. 1 can't bury her with
the honors of war. but she shall have
a CARVE under the apple tree, and
| then, daughter, I want you to write
an obituary on her. I want it in
paper to be published
| 'But, papa, 1 can't write poetry"
protested the daughter.
Then teach yourself. You've got
|
thing.
The poor old bird was carried out
and buried, and an hour later Miss
Nellie sat down to the obituary. Her
father gave her fifteen minutes and
then asked If it was finished AS
with suggestions and words that
lrhymed, and when the day had passed
without the poem being finished he
| more than limited that the struggling
tDc- nod ,,s% L.
Even when the five verse poem was
placed in his hands, a day later, he
insisted on such alterations that it
| could not be looked upon as a fin
ished product for two days more.
| That obituary was inclosed with
tender hand to the village paper A
note from Major Lee accompanied it,
He requested that it be published in
the next issue, and in a conspicuous
place. He didn't exactly assert that
| it was gem of a poem. but left the
editor to find out for himself
! About the time poor Polly was do
| ing the dying act the editor and own
er OF the paper was twenty miles
away and saying to friend and chum
| in the city:
Il hate to break into your vacation
Clarence, old man, but I'm in fix.
Got to go West to settle up an estate
and come home with a full pocket.
Be gone a month. You must come
down and run the Eagle for me-"
| But I'm booked for the Catskills. -
| ''They be hanged! INCEST town
incest climate-best fishing - incest
| girls. Why, you'll own the whole
| is to steal an editorial or two on our
relations with Japan, and the boys
will do the rest
There was further protesting and
man carried his point, and that was
how Mr.. Clarence Thorpe, author and
| journalist, came to be occupying the
! editorial chair of the village paper
when Miss Nellie Lees poem ap-
| peared.
The poem was first read with sur
prise, then with ridicule, then with
| indignation. 1t was an insult to
| send a parrot obituary to the Eagle.
Mr. Thorpe was about to return it to
the major with various caustic obser-
vations when Fate stayed his hand.
Although Miss Nellie's name did not
appear as the author. her father had
given her credit in his letter. She
might be one of the nice girls the
editor had mentioned. The poem
would not bear publication, even as
burlesque, but why hurt nice girls
feelings?
Mr.. Thorpe laid aside the manu-
script and took a walk. A boy told
him in which direction to walk to pass
Major Lees residence. He didn't know
exactly why he wanted to pass it, but
he walked on. The major was sit
ting on the veranda with his cigar, and
Providence ordained that a summer
shower should begin to fall at that
nom ent.
Come in, sir-come under shelter
till it's overt! called the old soldier,
and the invitation was taken advan-
tage of.
The two discussed politics and
other things and exchanged names.
The major received the impression that
Mr.. Thorpe had selected the village
| in which to pass a month or so, and
perhaps gather material for another
book. This gave him an opening to
relate the death of the parrot and the
construction of the poem. and to add
in lis blunt way:
YES; mailed the poem to our pa
per last night. I've been told that the
editor is an ass, but perhaps he'll see