The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-31

had ever seen befors - sver win aEain.
It = . whaling big plant. this SOW
ernment print shop. They have z..sv
mors reedinx matter that Il never mad
than any other print shop In the world.
Congressional Record and government
reports form big items Of their output)
In one press room of this plant We
saw Old Potter drum presses Of the year
old ladies. In another room was q bat
tery Of Aieh1es. In another room were
Hoe rotary presses that pufred like
big cat az they threw on tons OF
printed paper.
Tho saddest Of An.
But these old ladies we saw In that
big print shop. want to stop right
here and try to ten about them. There
must have been five hundred gray
headed, motherly looking women in the
press and bindery rooms OF this plant.
Some Of them 60 and 20 years old. Old
soldiers and old employees widows.
most Of them. cared for In this way
by the benencence of the government.
/ would not criticise this plan. Not for
the world. These needy women make
a comfortable living at this work. But
1t made my heart bleed to see 30 many
younger hands. Before God and Man!
I saw a dozen there. any one Of whom
looked like my mother. I looked at
their thin. kindly faces, the patient.
worn look in their eyes. the pathos
written for one to read. 1t seemed to
me that the story was sadder than in
any book, the story Of these women
who in early life were daughters Of
g1adness and who are now mothers OF
sorrow. was sure that many Of these
women had. in the bloom Of their
youth, hidden goodbye to soldier hus-
i bands. turned away from these aged
women deeply affected. Mine eyes were
filed with tears and could not see any
more printing machinery that after
noon.
The LObsters' Revenge.
Went back to the hotel and the doc
otr" and I worked on Mitchell. who
was a wreck by this time. Only his
gameness had kept him going through
the government print shop. The "doc''
and put the big man to bed and with
| threats and coaxing mixed got a half
, glass Of vile medicine down him.
Then we alternated the next three
| hours feeding him glasses Of water as
hot as he could stand it. We figured
for while on an operation but the pa
tient waxed profane and we knew that
he was not fit to die so we postponed
the operation.
Next morning it was still raining.
The sick man was better but we
passed on his breakfast and cut out
j, and tea The waiter girl looked IN
with staring eyes while the ''doc'' and
I consulted and debated the details
Of the breakfast for our husky COM
panion.
We did not go sightseeing In Wash
fngton. Weather too bad and we
were too tired and Mitchell was sick
and either the doc or had to stick
close to him for fear he would order
a lobster in our absence.
Only an Hour for Sightseeing.
We did go over to the national mu-
scum and look at the pictures and In
dians and animals that Roosevelt
was q desert place to me. wanted
to see the picture CT D'Artagnan 1
had seen there three years ago. It
was over in the old museum and that
was not open on Sunday.
We went at night to the congress
sional library, the most beautiful
structure In America. It's interior
battles my lame and halting descrip-
| ton. The white marble columns, its
lofty arches and balustrades and gold
en- ceilings are the glory Of architec-
| tural beauty in this new world.
There is a mosaic reproduction of the
signs OF the zodiac in one Of the en-
trance ways of this building and
doc" and looked them over and fig-
ured just what was the matter with
| XsAAtCAACAAs we uCA0 d consultation
then and there and one Of the at
| taches of the place had to interfere to
keep the patient from lambasting. his
physicians.
| They have fifteen heroic bronze stat
ues Of famous men that look down
with benign faces from a lofty circu-
lar gallery on the reading room. ]
figured why all of them should be
there but one who was labeled
Henry" He wasn't Patrick Henry.
He might have been o. Henry and
met my approval but the statue waa
placed there before o. Henry's time.
| Read Mitchell the Book Of Job.
| Went back to the hotel and read
Mitchell the book Of job.
! Monday morning we went to the
government printing plant again.
Due to leave at noon for New York. !
! left the plant at 10 o'clock and went
| to hunt for D'Artagnan's picture In
the old art museum.
L Found D'Artagnan.
Still raining. But I found my in
| domitable Gascon looking down from
| q niche in the wall and stood there
for long time and looked at him to
world, the flesh and the devil to. the
end.
''If you have followed fortune riding post.
With honor for your spur and beauty
for your guide;
| If you have boasted ana outdone your
| boast
Tread softly here: for hero D'Artasnan
died.
''If you have freely feasted. given. quafKed
Marched. fought and starved with com.
rades true and tried;
II you have looked death in the face and
/ laughed
Tread softly here: for here D'Artasnan
i died.
Lovers of love, lovers of good wine.
Brave fighters and great ladies In youl
Il pride;
Dreamers of delicious dreams 80 fine