Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-08-31

OTHER THINGS


Unfathomed peace filled my heart
last night as l sat in the writing room
Of a good hotel with my elbows on the
table and my chin in my hands, think
ing of all the reporters in the land
and then the other fellows who have
turned out alright in life. Sunsets
dying glory came in faint rays
through the crack in the door as ]
trod the tragic road to dreamland
where are pitfalls and disaster, Won
dering why l, didn't take to running
a hotel years ago-there seems to be
money in it. Just then three ladies
entered the room and my peace of
mind was saved. The devil had enter
ed the prompter's box, as friend poet
once said, and the play was ready to
start. l leaned back in my chair, put
my feet upon the table, my pad OH my
knee and, with pencil in hand, this
is what I took down of the conversa-
tion of one of the women; the others
didn't get much chance to talk and
their words were trivial anyhow:
"When [ m at home mother always
hollers her head off for me to come to
bed, and she makes me so mad 1
wouldn't go to bed if she begged me
to. Mary and used to fight like cats
when we were little; she's the most
hateful girl. Those fools are going
to have double wedding. Either one
of the girls would stop an ordinary
clock. One Of the boys is divorced.
Why, do you know, man spoke to
me in Salem and | didn't know him.
J. just glared at the brute and walked
on. She always gets her powder on
in punches behind her ears. | had the
most awful time at that social; the
ugliest woman [ ever saw won prize.
That khaki dress with the Persian
girdle is ridiculous thing. She look
ed as sloppy as ''Foolish Liz" They
had him up for beating his wife-aint
it awful ?-and the newspapers are
full of it. That theater light hurts
my eyes, I don't believe they need to
use it at all, they just do it to make
people uncomfortable. / don't blame
his wife for running away; he smok-
ed at least six cigars a day. Do you
ever see Will and Rosie? Isn't that
the awfullest match you ever saw?
She's little dried up thing, and ug-
ly, and he IS so big and fine and hand
some. He acts so blue because he has
to live with the miserable little thing.
I'd surely die if | had to go out and
pick hops. That's alright for mother
and father, but not for me. | hate to
go to bed, the room is so beastly hot.
I think they keep it that way for
meanness. How in the world they
ever had such a pretty baby 1 can t
Neither of them has any
more understanding than a rabbit. I
think she married his automobile.
He S the LATEST man | ever knew. His
father was an awful drunk. II
wouldn't live in Falls City. l hate
the dirty hole and there are so many
men. If it was the last town on earth |
| wouldn't live there. That child s |
hair is four inches long, and his moth
er let's it grow. She takes in wash
ing. Mrs. Blank has her youngster in
the eugenic contest at the fair. That |
is the most i'll shaped child 1 ever
laid eyes on, little tiny head and
hands. When we were weighed I was
sure I was the heaviest. but she
weighed ten pounds more. I believe
she pads. l hate that man, he's got
such temper. and his sisters child
S a bawling brat. 1 hate to go to
bed, but there isn't a soul on the
streets in this dead town. I've been
30 lonesome all day." (Who could
vonder?)
With Inat the devil was tired of his
Job, he elambored down from the
box, the curtain came
lown with a thud. Goodness knows
have tried to be true, please Good
less You will understand, because if
iod made that woman in his likeness
ONE of the tempter surely fell into
he mixing pot. hied me off to
ed. as weary as 1 could be. I'm
Iot exactly of the pious brand. but I
ried mighty hard to pray. to who
yer might. to save the soul of the
-oman who talked last night.
No,,- D., ,.,.,,. ,,-,,l-. L.. lfo - 49,