The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-25
FROA O7EER PENS

HUMORISTS AND HUMAN NATURE
One of the queerest things about hui
man nature is that it's so natural and
50 human. Knight an anarchist, and
he writes an ode to the king; kick a
faithful servant out of the house and
he delivers lectures on Socialism.
These things are just what you'd ex
pect. Where you don't expect them
is in the case of exceptional people;
and when exceptional people follow
the regular rule you are terribly dis
appointed.
All this is called to mind by the
news that a manuscript bad to be sup
pressed in a recent sale of some of
Mark Twain's literary legacies- The
manuscript got into the auctioneer's
hands by mistake, it appears, and had
to be called back Immediately. 1t was
viruIent roast on former President
Theodore Roosevelt. In it the author
rejoices over the deliverance of the
nation from the Rooseveltian rule and
halls Taft as the deliverer.
One would have expected some
thing quite different. We remember
Mark Twain as a radical. a hater of
privilege, a keen eyed exposer of graft
and pursy hypocrisy. We should have
thought that Mark Twain would have
rejoiced In any attempts at progress
iveness and frowned on any reaction
airy influence in American politics.
Mark Twain was fitted for insurgency
both by inclination and intellect.
But in the last years of his life the
greatest American humoriSt became a
close friend of the late H. H. Rogers.
The financier advised the literary man
as to his investments and helped him
to rehabilitate his fallen fortunes. The
two were inseparable for q number Of
years. 1t is easy to imagine what Mr..
Rogers said about Mr.. Roosevelt to
Mr.. Clemens during that period of in
timacy. It is easy to see how easy it
was for a lover of ease to look at
things from the standpoint of easy
money.-CIeveland Plain Dealer.
10, THE POOR PLUMBER.
Lo, the poor plumber, who has been
the butt of ribald scoffcrs and irrev-
erent testers for 10, these many years
He tolls from early morn till dewy eve,
and the sweat of his brow mingles
with the CRIME of his hands. He en-
tereth into closed places. behind hot
ranges and fixeth up the pipes on
leaky boilers. He wipeth the joints
and putteth new gaskets on defective
connections. Broken unions to him
and the thread cutters are in his hand
always. He useth solder as if it were
! more precious than gold, yea, more
precious than much fine gold, and he
chargeth for it on his bill as if it were
used by the ton He maketh the tink-
er's dam and cloggeth the waste pipe,
and goeth under the sink to clean out
the same. OF his coming and going
there is no end, and his helper is with
him always. Yea, from the blowing
of the whistle until the closing of the
shop the helper is with him, and no
job as complete without one, and he
chargeth for the helpers service even
as for his own. And yet riches fee
him and his profit abideth. not Hear,
then, the plant Of the plumber who
finds poverty his portion and the dull
wit of insensate clods his reward, for
the verify of which the plumber, him
self, vouches, and who shall say him
nay. He is, indeed, a hapless lot, and
to him much sympathy and compass
sion will go out from those whose pipes
have burst or whose connections have
] given away.-Omaha Bee.