The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-28
BOWSER GETS MUDDLED
And He Gets Mad at Being I'm
muddled.

Soon after dinner the other evening,
Mr.. Bowser had a caller. The stranger
was taken into the library and a1ter
half an hours conversation he lett
the house, and Mr.. Bowser came out
into the sitting-room to say:
Mrs. Bowser, that was a gentle
man. appointed by the P C. to wait on
me with a request. .,,s
Why, it's the 'Preoccupied Club
of course" o,,,h
What are they preoccupied about
IT am not a member, and nave
mover visited the club and therefore
can't tell you. I understand, now
ever. that they sit around with 1oiueu
arms, and their eyes on hte celIlils,
and think about most everything liz
has occurred since the time Oh AGA u J
and Eve. They want me to join ar q
probably shall"
q would, if 1 were you. said MRS
Rowser. and I'd sit and think OF now
Cain killed Abel, and how Moses was
hidden in the bullrushes- Your caller
came to invite you to become d iiieiii
ber l suppose
.sWelI. not exactly. He came to
invite me to deliver the annual ad-
dress. which is made before the cIup
once a year. L will now go back 10
the library and make a start toward
COMPOSING the address, and If any one
calls, do not disturb me, as TINS is d
matter of serious Importance"
But tell me what is going to De
the title of your address, providing
you live to finish it,"
1T will probably be; Have Any
Really Great Men Lived Up to This
Time" What do you think of such
title?''
Il think you will name several nun
dred great men who have lived, ana
made the world greater for their IV-
ing"
Mr.. Bowser looked doubtful about
it. but went to the library without
answering. An hour passed away. No
one called to disturb him. He was so
very quiet during this hour that Mrs
Bowser laid aside her book and
opened the door to find him scratch
bling at the end of his pencil. He had
only written down the title.
WHY, what is the natter" she
asked
For some reason or other" he re-
piled, Il don't seem to catch on: May
be L am unusually dull tonight
Let me help you"
He looked at her with a helpless
look, and after some hesitation, he
asked
IF you help me to start the address,
are you going to claim the credit of
it,"
NO, of course not want
you to get the full honors of it,
Very we'll; that's fair of you. You
know, Mrs. Bowser, that 1 am a plain
man. L hadn't much chance for edu-
cation during my young days Ever
since our marriage 1 have been mighty
busy trying to make a living and
something over
Il know dear" she said, as she laid
her hand on his head.
Il have read some books, but not
many, and don't clearly remember
make any mistake in this address, and
L shan't if you will help me. 1 used
to know who discovered America as
well as 1 know my own father. It
wasn't Shakespeare, was 2"
Lands, no! 1t was Columbus
so it was. The name comes back
to me now. He is called a great man,
isn't he?"
"Of course. 1t surely was a great
thing"
But I don't see it in that light"
said Mr.. Bowser, with considera BILE
VigOr. IF 1 remember right. he sim
ply sailed to the west from Spain until
he pumped up against the shores of
America When he wanted to return
to Spain, he simply had to sail to the
Brown have done the same thing? OF
course, they could, and 1 shall put
him down as a very common man.
Who was it wrote Shakespeare %
why, Shakespeare himself, of
coure," smiled Mrs. Bowser.
What is there great a about it 90
1T is great in sentiment-great in
thought, and one of the greatest liter
airy productions that the world has
ever had
''I fail to see it, grimly replied Mr.
Bowser. 81 never heard yet that it
was a great thing to sit down and
write a book. or a half dozen of them.
You have your library-pen and ink
and paper, and nothing to worry
about. You can write for an hour or
two and then stroll around. You can
write by day or by night. / don't want
to be too hard on Mr.. Shakespeare
but it's my opinion that the man VINO
invented the tea kettle was the great
est man of the two
opinion in the matter" said Mrs. Bow
ser, as she turned her head to keep
her face straight
Wasn't there man in olden days
named Cicero" was asked after a
minute.
There was
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