The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-09-02

- q classics.
Everything G
about Mr.. Bookman was dingy and
melancholy. The world in which
he lived was surrounded by creditors
who merely knew him as debtor to
be continually carried forward in their
books. His children looked upon him
as man Of mystery. woefully deficient
In small change; while his wife real
ICED that he possessed real ability and
no income to speak OF.
The only oasis In the Sahara OF the
Bookman family was Lucretia. the eld
est of the six daughters. She was an
eminently practical girl. One day she
said to her father:
4 have long been thinking of our
position, and II seems 70 me that
unless something is done at once we
shall starve. There are six OF US girls,
and not one earning cent. have
had an offer of marriage from Fred
Harris, our baker,
"What?" gasped Mr. Bookman.
Yes father; our baker He is not
a literary man, but he has good busi-
ness"
This is terrible" exclaimed the
Phi. D. What madness has seized
YOU. my daughter"
mo madness. father; am talking
plain sense. Listen to me for min
ute. You know that we have never
been overfed, though perhaps over
educated. will never marry man
connected with either education or lit
erature. have decided to marry Mr..
Harris, and, II want to read Plato
afterward. I shall be able to do so
near a good warm stove"
''But. Lucretia. Socrates says"
Bother Socrates, father and all his
tribe!" rejoined the young woman.
HE would be arrested as vagrant in
these days. Fancy the poor old man
stopping people on the streets, and
asking their opinion on the tariff.
bimetalism, or the Filipinos. Mother
says she is willing TO have me marry
the baker, for itomeans unlimited
bread and cake for the Bookman fam
ly"
For a minute or two Mr.. Bookman
was silent. He was thinking deeply,
and along line OF thought that was
new to him.
II am becoming interested In what
you say my dear" he finally re-.
marked. "But bread and cake are not
the only necessaries. Only this morn
ing your mother told me we are in
ueed of coal again
"Well father before next winter
comes, Jennie may marry young Hart.
the coal merchant OF South street; he
has called on her three times this
week"
Father and daughter continued the
conversation for more than an hour
that dull March afternoon. Mr.. Book
man began to see things in different
light, and gave his consent to Lucre-
tia's marriage. That bright young
woman urged her sisters to keep
sharp lookout for business men, and
before the month of April was over
she led the way by marrying Fred
Harris. In June, Jennie married the
coal merchant; and Lucinda, the sec.
ond girl, became the wife Of George
Ross, neighboring butcher Things
looked brighter for the Bookman fam
lily.
In discussing with his wife the great
change in the family's affairs, the
head of the house thus expressed him
self:
You see, my dear, how much we
are indebted to Lucretia's practical
mind. If my father had insisted on
me becoming !. blacksmith, or :. shoe
maker, he would have been wiser; and
I, no doubt, would now be better off.
Think OF the years | have spent in
trying to Iced the youth of this town
around the moss-covered Parthenon,
getting only small fees in return. But
we are now Connected with trade and
although ] am no politician, I appre-
ciate a free breakfast table.
The ancients, he continued warm
ing to his subject, seem to have sat
Isfied their hunger with dialogues. but
such airy nutriment as that is not
suited either to this part of the globe
or to the present age"
'No, indeed replied his wife
"only yesterday bought some combs
from Harvard graduate. He spoke
so nicely. but seemed thoroughly dis
heartened. He said he is not tall
enough to join the police, over age
for the army. and far too bilious to
enter the navy. | think he said he
took four scholarships, but he de-
clared that If he failed to sell the
dozen combs he had with him before
night, he would commit suicide"
Very sad. my dear" remarked Mr..
Bookman. Just listen to this little