davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
EVENING CHAT
BY RUTH CAMERON.

How often do you read any poetry?
modern English essayist has recently
announced his conviction that many ex~
cellent persons if they We're confronted
with the alternatives Of reading Paradise
Lost, and going around Trafalgar Square
at MONDAY on their knees in sackcloth,
would choose the ordeal of public ridi-
cule.'
l fancy that statement is a trtfle
strong and yet I certainly agree with the
underlying belief that very few people
nowadays care to read poetry.
Again | ask. How often do you read
poetry?''
/ don't mean how often do you glance
over one of the little magazine poenalets,
that take perhaps a half minute to read.
but how often do you sit down and read
newspaper half an hour or an hour at
time?
What difference does it make you say
whether you do or not?
Ny friend. the essayist, has undoubted-
ly heard you say that, for he is all ready
with his answer You should read poetry
he says, because imaginative poetry is
the highest form of literature. 1t yields
the highest form of pleasure and teaches
the highest form of wisdom. In word,
there is nothing to compare with it,
He makes these remarks in the course
of a little book telling the ordinary bust
ness man how, despite the demands OF
business and social life. he can still keep
on feeding his mind instead of letting 1t
die of starvation. He wants the business
man to save six or seven hours a week
for this purpose. and one of the ways in
which this time is to be employed is in
reading poetry.
This man is one of the foremost men Of
letters. and one of the most brilliant men
in England.
Nor is he just a dreamer
On the contrary. he is man of affairs.
a very busy man, and he knows how to
talk to other busy men,
He also is a man with definite ideas.
He doesn't just say read poetry and
let it go at that. Here is his more
definite outline for the willing-to-De
poetry reader.
IF poetry is what is called a sealed
book to you. begin by reading Habits
essay on the nature of poetry in general
1t IS difficult to imagine the mental state
of the man who. after reading this essay,
is not urgently DESTROYS of reading some
poetry before his next meal"
After you have read this, he further
advises that you begin your course of
poetry BY reading IAN infinitely finer
English novel than anything written by
George Eliot or even Jane Austen. rs
title is Aurora Leigh and its author E
B. Browning "
also have a suggestion for the per-
son who is pleased with this notion and
wants to begin disciplining and improv-
ing his mind by reading poetry And that
Is to read TenHyson's rIdylls of the
King 1.-THE Princess" and The Lady Of
Shalott' 7 am sure the veriest tyro a
poetry reading couldn't fail to enjoy
these And I am sure they would be
stepping stone to further appreciation of
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

speaker; $50 many hopeless faces. so
many broken hearts.
I noticed one queer thing in there
and its supposed to be a model in
stitution- 1 met a young prisoner in
the corridor with a bad cut on his
lace He looked as If he'd been fight
corporal punishment here, in spite Of
their denials -
Ethel Zimmerman leaned forward
with eager, wide open eyes, her lips
parted. Mrs. Bannerman smiled.
was he tall young man with a
gray shirt %
7 believe he was" replied Mrs.
Hammond.
Handsome; -eyed2"
I couldn't tell about his eyes;
suppose he might be called hand
some admitted Mrs. Hammond, aus
terely.
'That isn't prisoner. That's
Gerald Primrose, a member of the
prison board. He's here because
there's meeting of the board today.
The governor. appointed him because
he's wealthy and can give his time
and thought to prison problems. War
den Stone speaks very highly of him"
But my dear" objected Mrs Ham
mond. the garb he Wore! And why
that injury to his face p
You undoubtedly saw him coming
from the gymnasium He and the
deputy warden are great friends. They
always have a boxing match when he
against a window ledge just as Mr..
Breese struck him. 1t was purely an
accident"
She paused effectively before add
Ing: 1.-The governor and Mr.. Penrose
are coming to dinner with us next
week"
He seems rather peculiar COM
mented Mrs. Hammond. Il think I
saw him again, just as we were leav-
ing. He had changed to his ordinary
attire
HE was holding a silver dollar in
his hand, and looking at it like
miser Why, he acted as though he
wanted to eat it,"
Mrs. Zimmerman smiled placidly.
Getting the governor to dinner had
been an unexpected bit of good for
tune She would have borne with
equanimity the news that Penrose was
a cannibal
Ethel. you look as happy as a
bride, she observed presently. Ethel's
eyes had been fixed on the distant,
snowclad hills. There was a little
smile on her mouth.
She came back from dreamy maiden
meditation with q flush and a start.
7 am happy" she replied. with sigh
Of content. "And this has been a de-
lightful day. copyrighted. 1912, BY
Associated Literary Press.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
GLOBE SIGHTS
BY THE ATcH1soN GLOBE.

As rule. a very young banker had a
helpful father.
Almost any job pays better than being
a horrible example
Usually your reason is a selfish one:
most Of them are like that
Unfortunately, however, not near all
the grouches are hermits
One who looks for disappointment
usually finds hunting pretty good.
Another pretty good general rule is that
a receiver gets paid for it.
So many girls will do more for their
complexion than they will for Mother.
Lying about a man is like hitting him
with a SNOWFALL; the hurt doesn't last.
a convict can't expect everyone to for
give him because the governor does.
Neither do we greatly blame bag
gagenan for holding a grudge against
trunks.
Spring isn't as far away as it seems to
the man with an order m for new
motor car
ton. but laziness is sure kin to some in
ventions.
While you may deplore flattery. there
are photographers who make good liv-
ing at it
only a few people still believe in ghosts.
but they fall for much more expensive
foolishness.
There is nothing to the report that the
Don't Worry club ate luncheon at Forest
park yesterday
This would be fairly busy world if no
one loafed until he was able to put the
tariff to work in his place.
You may have observed that a great
mans double doesn't usually amount
to much in other RESP ects.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
CRYSTAL Gazing.


There are people, as is we'll known,
so peculiarly endowed that if they look
steadily into a crystal. d bowl of wat
er or any substance with a rejecting
surface. they are able to perceive in
it pictures of persons, places and 9th
er objects, and frequently with great
distinctness. The common tendency
has been to look upon this ability as
indicative of some superhuman action.
AS soon as scientists began to scru-
tinize crystal hallucinations it was
noted by them that, nine times out of
ten. the images in the crystal repre-
scented memories in the seer's mind,
albeit perhaps memories of occur
rences only subconsciously experience
ed. So true is this that we find one
member of the Society for Psychical
Research. a lady who has deliberately
cultivated the gift of crystal gazing
for the purposes of scientific investi-
CATION often having recourse to the
crystal to recover forgotten memories
of more or less Importance to her
names. addresses. etc.-H- Addington
Bruce in January Hampton
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

This encouraging piece OF news comes
from Boston.
Women will work for truthful advcr-
Using" 1t appears that a publicity club
has been organized by Boston women for
the purpose OF demanding the truth from
advertisers whom they patronize
This organ zatiOn Is only four months
old. but, as the result of its efforts. SIM
liar organizations are already being
formed throughout the country.
Mrs. Mary Craft Gallup. president OF
the Womens Publicity club Of Boston. at
a recent meeting said:
1T is our hope to visit and become
thoroughly acquainted with the national
advertisers who have factories or branch
factories in Boston, that we may
know whether they are telling the truth
in their advertisements or not The day
Will come, I am sure. when advertisers
viii be compelled to describe their wares
a. accurately as. under the pure food
laws, the sellers OF canned goods and
medicines are obliged to describe theirs 90
IF the women Of the country will organ
ize to protect themselves against fraudu-
lent advertisers. II will not be long be-
fore there won't be any fraudulent advcr-
Using, for whatever women undertake TO
do they generally accomplish.
1t is a well known fact that women
critically. and they can tell when they
are fooled quicker than the average man.
The firm that does fool them once or
twice might well close its doors, be-
cause when women make up their minds
that firm IS not giving them a square
deal they will let the whole world know
about it.
IF. i'm addition 10 the mems advertising
parts Of the United States. the women Of
the different communities organize to
protect themselves against deceptive and
fraudulent advertisements. the fight Ia
behalf of integrity in advertising will De
won in a very short time.
Cro be conunucd.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
RY TIE WY
BY HARVEY PARSONS.

The Denver waitress who con
fused robber by swatting him in
the face with pie, not only gets
credit for making a good toss, but for
ment- With the common, or garden
variety of restaurant pie, she could
have put him out for the count
And it would not have been abso-
lutely necessary to hit him with it,
either; she might have fed it to him.
The wop who is always looking for
trouble may discover in time that he
is blind to his own interests.
When some one phoned Chinese
editor in San Francisco that he was
marked for slaughter, it made him
nervous. Caucasian editors get used
to it.
A large number of governors and
gubernatorial possibilities seem to be
declaring for T. r. But, as govern ors
nave only one vote each in such mat
ters, 1t should cause no alarm in the
Taft camp. Notwithstanding the Op-
posite view taken by our own execu-
tive, governors do not vote 81 per cent
Of the preferred stock.
Women have no monopoly on NOR
b1dity; they may show a tendency to
crush in at murder trial, but the
men make up for it by spending good
money to see a prize fight.
They have opened the refchstag,-
equivalent to our legislature, in Ger
many. But compared with a legisla-
ture, the opening of a reichstag is a
comparatively simple matter; they
don't have to- elect a lot of janitors,
ergeants-at-arms and pages.
When ii is reported that some can
didate has been dragged into the
race, we always have visions of a
yard of cotton thread
It is but seldom that one reads Of
man more than 100 years of age who
doesn't use booze or tobacco or both;
but. the only sensible moral to get out
OF It IS that nothing short of prussic
acid Will remove some people before
they are willing to quit.
The man who has several pretty
daughters and q desire to sleep o.
nights. should live at the end of a
suburban line which runs no owl cars.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
says UNCLE CIV

Il you would be happy and success
ful. Keep the fonts Of inspiration
flowing. Too many of US feel old, lose
our taste for life and our love OF labor
and so resignedly to the scrap heap
long before age has planted the knock
out blow. We come to the conclusion
that We are worn out and good for
nothing before we have reached the
prime. And we give the pfling years
the credit and let it 80 at that.
We've simply lost our INSPIRATION
lhaI all. We're capable of good
hard, joyous, productive toll and don't
know it, We've got a good many fast
spirits left in us yet, but never guess
II re as good or better than ever,
except that We lack the ginger So
we permit ourselves to be shuffled in
TO, The discard, a clean deck comes
out and the play goes on merrily and
without regard to the cards that are
gone For all of which we have only
ourselves to thank. We haven't kept
the fountain flowing.
Hear now a hereticaI doctrine The
source of all inspiration is physical.
The morbid dreams of the fanatical
seer are born of raw and aching
nerves. The hope that springs eternal
in the breast of youth and manhood
never blossoms for one whose nervous
vitality is depleted, whose brain is
boiling with worry or is numb from
exhaustion An unhealthy mentaf
and spiritual life is the inevitable cor
oIlary of an unhealthy body. A healthy
body begets healthy inspirations. Men
have triumphed over disease and have
wrought gloriously for the world but
they have done their work in spite of
such handicap. Suffering is as evi,
as sin itself, and the JOY that is born
OF anything but health is as insane as
the rawlings of the verist BedIamite
To nail oneself to the cross of unceas-
ing toll or to lash oneself to the track
of voluntary suffering is a common
crime, but crime aginst nature, for
all that. Sooner or later, when the
physical man wears out under the
strain, these things kill the mind as
We'll. They may not send their victims
to a hospital for the insane, but they
wiring the brain dry-blight the joy of
life in the heart, and leave but a shell
OF a mana lifeless, souIless autonla-
ton who drags out the years not be-
cause he would, but because he must.
Therefore, as you learn to toll, learn
to play. As you learn to labor, learn
to rest. Create your own Inspirations
Let there be enough variety in your
existence to make your hand itch for
its task, your brain hunger for its
problem. That itch and that hunger
are your inspiration and the only true
inspiration. 1t has its birth in healthy
nerve cells. 1t comes into being
through the natural craving of normal
functions to be put to work Your
own veins are the fountain of inspira-
tion.@(C Copyright, 1912, by W. E VIII
liams)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
JOURNAL ENTRIES

The louder the laughter the less sin
cere it is likely to be-
X x
The person who goes on . hunt for
sympathy usually doesn't get any.
X
You cannot measure a mans char
acter by the size of his bank roll.
=
Attracting attention and holding its
favor are decidedly different PROPOSE
tons
Jumping out of the frying-pan into
a fire seems to be the favorite sport
with many people.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
FROM OTHER DENS


The 81 DENI = llkI.
The other day the faculty of Mount
Holyoke college issued an edict Danish
ing the mince pie from the refectory.
Simmons college in Boston has now fol-
lowed suit, and will allow the toothsome
Wand but once year At Wellesley the
ban is lifted only at Christmas and on
Thanksgiving day. In each instance 1t
IS maintained that the pastry in question
is indigestble and deleterious to the COM
plexion
This solicitude for the students diet is
another indication OF twentieth century
paternalism- 1t was not so in the olden
days When Cotton Mather went to col
lege the Harvard undergraduates lived
chiefly on biscuit and beer. The first
use to which the later luxury OF forks
was put was to pin slices of meat to
the underside Of the table as a reserve
supply against the next mcager meal.
Today all that is changed. The direct
ISOLATION between proper food and the
ethical code is established 1t is realized
that even the poor. unworthy scholar is
to be given digestible food to sustain the
bodily tenement which his aspiring spirit
spurns. No longer is Il thought desira Bile
or necessary to cultivate the muse on
a little oatmeal" Thin cruel served To
boys at school incurs the denunciatfon
visited upon such immoral economy in
Oliver Twist, and students. IL is con-
sidered, are to be fed better. If anything
than those whose fun mental and spirit
ual stature is Philadelphia Led
ger.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
BABIES AND PARENTS.

The National Congress Of Mothers has
begun in Boston what is designed to be
a countrywide campaign for child well
fare"-for better babies. better parents
and a better country"
The movement has a praiseworthv OBJ
Ject. But is II Is much better babies
as better parents that are needed In the
interest of square deal there ought TO
be a National Congress OF Babies for the
investigation and correction of parents.
Such body could properly inquire into
the duties and responsibilities of fathers
and mothers with a view to determining
why they are so generally nsglected-why
boys are allowed TO grow up into hood
lums and why girls find their main ideals
OF life in frequenting moving picture
shows and dancing the turkey trot."
Children are usually what their home
training makes them, and "out Of the
mouths Of babes good deal of unpalata-
bic truth might be heard to the sins
Of omission of fathers and mothers IN
bringing up their offspring in the way
they should go-New York World.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
IF'rom the New York Press.I

IF'rom the New York Press
It's time enough to trust most people
when you have to
A girl always knows enough not to
know too much when her mother is
around.
A man comes home oftener in a good
humor with himself than with the rest OF
the world
Getting tangled up is the job of the 500.
and untangling them is the job of the
other one in the thousand.
The reason the mother Of a big family
works so hard without ever complaining
is she doesn't get paid for it.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

Lieutenant General Sir Robert Bad
en- Powell. of the army Of King George
". and founder of the Boy Scouts,
has brought "A strong message for
peace to his proteges in the United
States. In other words General Bad
en- Powell is one of those peace en-
thusiasts who believes it can only be
brought about by a superior prepared
ness for war on the part of each ma
ton. There would be more to recon-
mend this doctrine were it not so out
rageously expensive.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

All this third-presidentiaI-te talk
suggests that perhaps when the nation
wises UP a bit. the federal constitu-
ton viii be amended 50 as to provide
for a single presidential term of six,
seven, or possibly eight years. with n
definite prohibition that the incumbent
could never again be a candidate for
that great office. Such term would
also give the chosen ones no more than
a reasonable opportunity TO work out
government reforms worth while. And,
under such conditions, the larger q
presidents ability. the greater would
be the service he would be able to
render to his eountrymen.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
DAFFYDMy
DICKENS NUMBER.
BY u NOAI4I.-

DICKENS NUMBER.
If Tom threw pinch of snuff around
the room would it make Pecksniff?
('.And I'll give you my Alfred David
on it. sir.')
We all call Sairey Camp a first class
nurse but could we say that Mrs.
Harris2
CA kiss for the boofer lady-'D
If Bella Wilfer made out a list Of the
ten grandest men would she count
Noddy Boffin2
c.Tm rough and tough said old ].
b
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

II this srit now being tried out at
S. Louis proves to be the end Of tine
kimmel case. there will be great re
joicing on the part of the people of the
land. Everyo body is tired and sick If
it. with the possible exception of the
lawyers who are getting fees out of 1T.
In H. pursuit of fee the average
lawyer gives little heed or attention II
the convenience OF desires Ct anybody
else
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

When friends or acquaintance meet
in Topeka Eowaaays they never start
the conversation with inquiries about
each others health nor pass those Gus
tonlary idle remarks about the wealth
er- The opening salutation on the part
OF the one who gets il the first word
IS: How big is your gas biIl?" Then
there's an indignation meeting forth
With
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

Governor Wilson says that the law
makers of Ills country are a half-gen-
GRAFTON behind the times. He surely
must mean in respect to the quality OF
the laws they have made. not the guam
tity. It is ineonceivable that they
could have worked out more laws than
they have IN the last half generation
And this is particularly true of the
state lawmakers.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

Duluth elected Republican mayor
the other day. But the Republicans the
country over are attaching no special
significance to this victory, because, in
fact, it has none. Only local issues
were involved as should be the case III
every municipal election. Just suppose.
though, that the Democrats had been
successful in the Duluth election. Their
brethren in ether parts and their allies
the Republican Insurgents would
have shouted themselves hcarse. in
sisting that such an outcome was the
best evidence in the world that there
was a nationwide revolt against Re
publican principles generally and Pres
5dent Taft an particular.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

All almanaes seem to be more or less
defective liz the matter of predictions
For instance. in the new and interest
ing health almanac issued BY DIT. Crum-
bine. January is set down as the small
pox month Topeka worst epidemic of
smallpox happened IN the good old sum
-raq- time
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
HUA0R or TIE DIP

Friend-But why did you publish your
poems under the name Of Smith, Poet
just think how many good people viii fan
under suspicion--NeW York Times.
Anything going on this EVENING" Yes.
there's to be a performance at the Ath-
letic Gardens fellow will undertake
IL subdue an automobile that has a record
Of having killed six men. He's 10 40 n
In one hour or forfeit thousand doIlars.'
Chicago Tribune.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

Wait until awaiting becomes as easy
and common as roller-skatins- Then
the lOvelorn can snap their fingers at
such agencies as the moonlight pur-
ity squad" which has been organized
at Spokane to discourage spooning in
the nnhIic narl.e
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

AS the military right bower Of Presi-
dent Madero OF Mexico. General Pas
quail Orozco had something Of q snap.
His election to the governorship of the
state of Chihuahua is likely to fill hi
hands with all sorts of trouble. It's
few men who know When they are well
off
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

stantly burning their bridges behind
them, it looks as though there ought
to be field there for fire-proof rail-
way construction for that particular
sort of equipment necessary to make
a continuous track.
IChapter XCII tomorrow.l
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

It is also likely that the promoter Of
the Tn "a States League of baseball
clubs. which proposes. as an outlaw
crganiza ton to fight tie major leagues.
will get large punches of expensive eX-
van,-;a,oa
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

IF the brewers are concerned in at
tempt to prove that the citizens of pro
hibition Kansas are a lawiess lot. they
have bitter off more then they caii
chew
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

No better evidence is needed Of the
steady growth Of Topeka than is to be
found in tie increasin@ attar lance at
the public schools