The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-11
FOOLISH LITTLE STORY
TAUGHT A WISE LESSON
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.


1t was suc( funny little incident /
ran across the other day!
1t happe4sd in one of the Junior Re-
publics. Yhere. you know. the little
/ citizens are supposed to govern them
AS usual, there was a preponderance
of boys, because, somehow, it generally
comes, about, whether the delinquents
are eoys or men, girls or women, that
the greatest number of folk TO get en-
tangled with the law are folk of the
masculine persuasion.
And those boys counted ii the natural
thing that they should make the laws
By which all should be governed. The
Girls. being in the minority, quietly took
" for granted, at least, that is the way
it went.
Brapd-new Plan.
One day a stranger-boy came to the
Republic and became a citizen with the
rest. He brought fresh notions and q
brand-new plan of work.
He told his fellow citizens that their
idea of the proper adjustment of work
and play was all wrong; that they
should set themselves the task of franz
ing law declaring that all work should
stop at > o'clock i'm the afternoon, and
that the rest of the day should be given
over TO the legitimate pursuit of play.
He argued very convincingly, told them
that men had found out the folly of
working long hours just for the price
. Of bread anG the other wherewithals of
living, and repeated that welcome little
jingle about ALI work and no play"
Then, of course, tie green fields invit-
ed. and the boys sagely nodded their
heads.
1t needed only two days for the new
S~fT ;.l, II hon,
boys solemnly rang their tou-nhouse bell
and called for full meeting at the
stroke of twelve.
Law Speedily Passed.
The measure was quickly introduced
and speedily became law, 20 take
effect Immediately
SO at . o'clock that day, the boys drop
ped their work tools and jauntiy started
out to play. They had planned a big
1ame of ball and away they scrampered,
as jubilant and care-free as only boys
can he From O'Clock to the ball flew
over the field and the BOYS were right
vel pleased with themselves. for hadn't
they delightfully."- solved an old problem
\ and wasn't il jolly to have four long
hours to themselves?
But at O'Clock they were pretty hun
CRY. and thoughts of good, hot supper
filled their heads. Flushed with their
PLAY. eXpectant and ex -1ely good-na-
turcd they rushed TO tn. dining-room,
hUt-why, something must have happened.
For the dinin.s-room was deserted and not
Whit Of supper was in the air, But
they Just mildly wondered and went out
for bit more play
Seven oclock-and still no hint OF sup
per! BY this time the boys had grown
n more hungry, but all they could do about
Dit was to buster and storm among
themselves and wonder what could be the
matter, for there was not a girl any,
where in sight. nor sign OF any one
To whom they could appeal for their
rights At last. when patience had about
ceased 10 be a virtue they found the
woman who presided over the kitchen, /,
ana eXcitedly asked ali together
Where is our SUPPER
4 The woman. perfectly calm, replied:
Your supper? But you did not legis-
ate for any supper. You declared that
All work should be suspended at O'Clock,
ard the law was obeyed." Then she
told them that at O'Clock she had seen
he girls and women hurrying across the
ields with baskets on their arms, laugh
ms talking. and looking for all the
world ike a jolly picnic crowd. You
made the law" she added, ''all by your
selves. without saying word to the
girls about il. You said there was TOT
be no work and so (then she smiingly
shrugged her shoulders), there is no sup
Ger.
Took in the Girls.
The BOYS were subducd and just as
hungry as ever-but what could they do
but go supperess to bed? That is just
what they did, and during their waking
hours they thought. and through their
sleeping hours they dreamed. The next
day the town house bell rang out again.
and the boys assembled to decide what
to do.
Experience had taught them that it
was not wise, not comfortable at ALL to
make every law from their single point
, Of view, and that if they wanted the
republic to be as big, as broad, and as
comfortable as the republic could be,
they must give the girls chance to
present their side Of every question, for
il might or might not always be the same. |
And. anyway. what was the use of laws,
except as they benefited everybody in
the republic?
So they invited the girls to attend all
their meetings Indeed. they decided to
take them in the body polite, on an
equal footing with themselves.
And were they right, or were they
Arong, i'm that Safeguarding republic?