Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18

countryman got in car at Center
| Market, sat down In corner and placed
a basket between his feet. In the basket
were two geese.
They were gray geese, with round, as
tonished eyes and saffron pink bills that
nibbled at everything in reach. The man
let his hands sprawl Imply downward
| and the geese nibbled at his fingers. He
gave each a little dab on the head and
they let his fingers alone and nibbled
at his trousers. When the conductor
came along to collect the mans fare one
goose took chew at his coat and the
| other craned up for friendly mouthful
of elbow. BY way of sociable variety,
they stopped nibbling around and began
to nibble at each other. And while they
did 1t they Missed and honked. Well. of
course, it wasn't either a hiss or honk.
but that's the way everybody puts 1t. and
you have got to do as others do. If you
want to get along in this world. So they
Kissed and honked and preened and nib
bled until a sympathetic woman opposite
who had been watching them felts called
on to make q remark:
Just look at those poor things, Ludie.
They wouldn't act so cheerful If they
knew they were going to their death as
quick as The car could take them. Right
sad. amt it?''
Ludie was of sterner stuff
"Oh, don't know! People have to eat,
and. anyhow, geese haven't sense enough
to suffer-I've always heard say a goose
was the silliest no-account thing that
there is. But they certainly do look
knowing. don't they?"
They did. Both geese had their round,
shiny eyes fixed on Ludie. And their
bills jabbed at her as if-as II they were
asking her how about that flock that
saved old Rome-and the goose that laid
gander that met the old man who
wouldn't say his prayers. and took him
by the left leg and threw him down
stairs
II declare to goodness. it seems a
shame to raise things just to kill EN-
went on the woman who wasn't Ludie.
Here I've got over two dollars worth
of meat in this basketball you ever see
anything the way ham has gone up?
But If l had my way, | wouldn't put a
cred first. Lor'! 1 like to passed my cor
| ner-now do come around soon.'
She reached the door before the car
stopped and both geese awaited them
selves Of the chance to nibble her skirt.
She pulled the folds away as If she were
sorry she couldn't let them keep on, and
then said to the countryman with COM
miserating sweetness:
Poor things they seem SO satisfied.
Will they be killed soon?"
His answer was polite and to the
point
"Nomum. They won't be killed at all.
A gentleman the other side Of Bright
| wood bought 'em to raise FROM"
ooh, well; I certainly am glad. Seem
to know it, don't they?"
We'll, yesum, 1 reckon they do. Sorter,
/ kinder think all fowls have got more
sense and Judgment than We give 'em
credit for"
A countryman doesn't know every
thing, of course, but
Well, to come right down to 1t, where's
the wise man who can prove him wrong ?
A woman stood at the corner of bust
ness street and scraped out tunes on a
fiddle.
1t was a squeaky fiddle. and the bow
called for more rosin, but the little bag
that dangled over her arm with its mouth
gaping wide open gave substantial evil
dence that the public had been kind.
Perhaps it was the exhilaration Of sue
cess that made the woman put such roll
licking zest to one Of her old time tunes
that a man who was crossing the street
caught the infection and cut a pigeon
wing as he struck the curb.
He had reached the dubious age when
mans friends tell him how well he is
looking. and his jolly face was set on a
short, thick neck that made you know he
had doctor who ordered him to regulate
his diet and not get excited.
But his pigeon wing was fine.
II must give that little woman dime