davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
ED ening Chat
Two Yards.
BY RUTH CAMERON.

Two Yards.
What an untidy looking veranda!"
said the Author Mans wife.
''It certainly looks as if there were
children there" said Molly, the little
stenographer lady.
And it looks as if they had a very
happy time said the Lady-who-al-
ways knows-somehow, with tender
smile.
The veranda in question was Law
ishly Uttered with scraps of rose-col-
ored crepe paper. and odds and ends
of the paraphernalia of goodness
knows what wonderful game.
1t was lunch time, and the children
had evidently deserted their play
ground at the sound of the dinner
bell
The result was a veranda made
hideous. or beautiful, by their play
according as you saw 1t.
NV mind went back to my own
childhood, and to two yards. one. our
own, and the other, that whereE ore
of my playmates lived eaSss
Or perhaps 1 should say, where she
existed She lived in our yard and so
did half the children in the neighbor-
hood 1t was long, narrow strip OF
land, rich in such attractions as hen
ward, a long banking which we could
summer, an ungainly shed attached to
the back of the house Il remember
how the elders rejoiced, and we of the
younger generation grieved, when It
was removed and a proSafc, reSpecta-
BILE bac kdoor too kits place., and a
small orchard of those trees whose
unique climbableness would make
them beloved even if they didn't bear
the most characte ristic of the new
world fruit. The other little girls
yard was one of the show spots of the
neighborhood from a groWn-up point
of view. 1t had velvet lawns and
handsome shrubs and the finest flow
er-beds IN town. But the lawns were
SO nice that you couldn't have a GRO
uuet set on them; and the shrubs were
so symmetrical that she mustn't even
cut a switch to play horse with off
them; and she must be careful never
to step on the neatly trimmed edges
of the paths and flower-beds; and
though she was sometimes given big
punches of flowers to carry to teacher,
she was seldom allowed to pick a
flower herself. We children went
there sometimes, but we never felt
welcome.
And SO she came over to our house
and played in our yard.
Homes should be places to live in.
and not only for grown-up folks to
live in, but for children. too.
Y on cannot keep a mouse or a YARD
spick and span if children are happy
in it. You can train them not to be
vandals, and to do a reasonable
amount of picking-up, but even then,
things will have some ragged edges.
Which would you rather have,
mothers and fathers, a spick and span
house and yard, or happy children
who are proud to invite the others to
| come and play in our yard ~
! Copyright by George Matthew Ad-
ams.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10

murdered by this time. You won't
leave US alone, will your
George lifted her troubled face and
gazed deeply into the tear-stained
eyes
"Myrna, do you really mean all
that?" he asked soberly.
Eyes, 1 do
And will you marry me tomor-
row?''
George pressed her close and mem
tally heaped blessings upon the ma
rauder who had so unwittingly helped
him out
Look here, darling" he said pres
horse, but I'll be back in a jiffy. Bet
ter take this revolver. 1 don't think
you will need it, but it's handy thing
to have around
gave her the revolver and was gone
After searching about the premises a
bit, he started up the road.
1t was pitch dark, SO no one could
see him jerking a rebellious billy goat
along by a twisted rope-the identical
Silly that but little while before had
been having the time of his life on
Widow Sanderson's back porch.
Cassler grinned contentedly all the
way home He even INDUCED in a
couple of wicked winks, and, upon
reaching the barn, he rewarded Billy
by giving him several extra delicacies
In a short time he returned to the
two helpless females down the road,
and. a few moments later, his five feet
ten lay curled up on a small and very
stiff-springed sofa in the parlor-
Here he spent a most uncomfortable
night physically, but a gloriously
happy one mentally
The next morning Myrna came down
with a seraphic smile of greeting for
him, but he was gone. She pocketed
the smile and her disappointment and
went about her daily duties as usual.
but, first, she spent an unconscionable
time attiring herself in her best, 'in
case some on might drop in, you
know"
Some one did drop in about 10
O'Clock, and after a short conference
took Myrna to town with him, where
at high noon, in a clergyman's modest
little study, they were hurried through
ceremony that was none the less
binding because of its simplicity
| News of the attempted burglary
soon spread through the district and
much speculation over the affair fol-
lowed. But who the culprit was is still
a mystery and will always remain I'M
solved for Cassler never will tell and
Billy cant.-(Ccpyright 1916, by
the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
Clio be Sights
BY THE ATCHIsON GLOBE.

Thirsting for fame shouldn't drive
you to drink.
A moustache isn't much of a help
in eating soup.
The quickest thing to pass into his
tory is a vacation.
An able musician doesn't have to let
his hair grow to prove it.
About the only exercise some peo-
pie get is when they chew the rag
Don't devote the whole summer to
wishing it were fall. You will be older
then.
A number of those who attain the
higher education never collect any
thing on it.
Members of the Sunshine club do
much toward making grouches of 9TH
er people.
If good roads talk could fix the
roads, what superb highways the
country would have.
When a man takes your request un-
der consideration, that is one way he
has of getting rid of you.
Occasionally a bold man speaks up
and says his wife can bake
Watering the flowers during these
hot days comes next to washing his
neck in a boys list of drudgeries.
Considering the small amount of
work they do, some people must have
infantile paralysis" all their life.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
Jayhawker Jots

All praise to the Pratt Union! An
automobile turned over in its vicinity
recently and it refrained from report
ing that the machine turned turtle"
Needless to call attention to the fact
that the Atchison Globe didn't men
ton any names in connection with this
item: An Atchison woman is such a
poor bread-maker that her husband
intends to sell the loaves to a paving
contractor.
A dummy in a show window helps
to find a market for the clothes he
wears, points out Mrs. Homer Hoch
in the Marion Record, and she adds:
And on the other hand, some human
dummies expect the clothes they wear
to find a market for them.
Reported by the Concordia Kansan:
A town man driving a motor car re-
Gently ran into a colored man riding
bicycle. The colored man was
thrown up over the radiator, and his
head and shoulders went through the
windshield. He was uninjured but
frightened. When he recovered his
composure, he said to the motor driv-
err: Sorry, boss, bout breakin' that
glass, but how much is it? I'll pay
for it,"
A certain Greensburg citizen will
not stop on a railroad crossing for
conversation any more, thinks the
Pratt Republican, and it goes on to
explain why: Last week this man
drove party of friends to the depot
in a new Buick Six and stopped upon
his return home at the switch cross
ing to talk with a friend who hailed
him to admire the new car. A train
backed into the car, threw the driver
out and dragged the car for some dis
lance, making kindling wood and junk
of it.
DIR. j. M. Robinson is a funny fell
low, remarks the Hiawatha Kansas
Democrat and it goes on to tell why:
He claims to have a good joke on the
attorneys. One of his doctor friends,
think of it, doctor, wrote him and
asked him if we had an honest lawyer
here and the doctor wants to know
what the legal profession has been do
ing that such an inquiry has been
made. He told the inquirer right off
the bat that aall the lawyers here, so
far as he knew, were honest. The fun
ny part of it is that a doctor should in
quire about the honesty of the legal
profession. The difference between
the legal and medical profession is
that the lawyers expose each other s
mistakes while the medical profession
have the undertaken haul theirs out to
the cemetery and deposit them with
ceremonies befitting the dignity of the
victim.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
GUILTY GASOLINE.

A very large proportion of the
deaths from fire in Kansas is due to
carelesness with kerosene and gaso-
line, according to the statistics that
have been gathered by the state fire
marshal And using this fact for a
text the state fire marshars office has
issued a little bulletin on gasoline and
kerosene that should be given care
full attention by every one. and espe-
cially the housewives who handle
these fuels. 1t follows:
Both gasoline and kerosene are
used extensively in cookstoves during
the summer months, especially in
those sections of the state that have
no natural gas.
The season when these stoves are
used is just beginning. When prop
erly used they are a wonderful boon
to the housewife, especially on the
farm where they is so much cooking
to do and where neither natural nor
artificial gas is available.
But carelessness with a gasoline or
kerosene stove is almost criminal. 1t
is the mother of the family who han
dies the stove. She cannot be spared.
She owes it to her little ones to take
| care of herself.
The housewife in the summer is
dressed in light cotton clothing. Such
garments are intensely inflammable
Even a slight explosion of gasoline OF
kerosene is almost sure to end fatally.
If you use one of these stoves keep
these nevers in mind:
| Never fill the stove when it is light
ed or when there is a flame of any sort
close by.
Never fill a gasoline stove when
there Is an open light, fire or flame
of any sort anywhere in the room.
Never allow dirt or litter such as
burned matches or any traces of oil
or grease to remain on or about the
stove.
Never keep gasoline in the house
It is as powerful and more easily ex-
ploded than dynamite. Kerosene
should also be kept outside if possible
especially if kept in any quantity.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10

many in the war, the expansion to
the east, would be disposed of.
On the other hand, if Germany can
throw back the Slav and the Briton,
if she can dispose Of the British Of
fensive and restore Austrian fortunes
in Galicia, there may be talk of peace,
with the war unwon this autumn Eu-
rope will hardly go through another
summer of war unless one side or the
other sees the promise of the realiza-
ton of the victory for which it has
sacrificed so much. The Allies will
not move hastily, nor in advance of
the hour that they have fixed. They
never had the smallest intention of
striking this spring. despite the Ger
man assertions to the contrary, be-
cause they have prepared their max
imum blow. If it fails, they will
hardly be able to prepare another
equally powerful and we may see this
war end as did the last wars of Louis
XIV in a peace restoring status quo
ante, instead of the NapoIeonic de-
bacle.
The fall of Czernowitz necessarily
reopens the question of Rumania. The
Bucharest government means to come
into the war on the Allied side just
in time to get Bukowina and Tran
sylvania. They almost came in in the
spring of 1915 before the great Rus
sian disaster. Conceivably, if the Aus
trian defeat continues to grow, they
will come now. Certainly they will
not unless the sure profit exceeds the
possible loss. Rumania is a weather.
vane worth watching because it may
tell the INDEPENDENTLY worth
watching just now
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
rHE RRoKEN soLpIER.

THE BROKEN SOLDIER.
The broken soldier sings and whistles day
to dark.
He's but the remnant of a man, MANNED
and half blind;
But the soul they could not harm goes
singing like the lark,
Like the incarnate Joy that will not be
confined.
The Lady at the Hall has given him a
light task;
He works in the gardens as busy as a
bee;
One hand is but a stump and his face a
pitted mask:
The gay soul goes singing like bird set
free.
whistling and singing like a linnet on
wing,
The others stop to listen, leaning on the
spade;
Whole men and somely, they fret at little
things,
The soul of him's singing like thrush
in the glade.
Hither and thither hopping, like Robin on
the grass,
The soul in the broken man is beautiful
and brave;
And while he weeds the pansies and the
bright hours pass,
The bird caught in the cage whistles its
joyous stave.
Westminster Gazette.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
EARLY DECISION IN THE WAR?

Every sign that one can see points
toward the coming of a decision in this
war before snow flies, writes Frank H
Simmonds, in the American Review
of Reviews for July. So far it is a
draw, but if the Germans were turned
out of France, if the Russians came
back through Galicia. then there
would be no draw. for Germany has
lost the use of the sea and all her col
onies and seaborne commerce. Such
defeat, limited though it would be,
would certainly affect the Turk and
the Bulgar and if the Bulgar should
change sides, if the Allied Army at
Salonica should reach the Danube,
then the last possible profit to Ger
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10

Galveston, of course, is altogether
too decent and generous to attemp TO
make any capital out of the misfor-
tune of the Alabama and Louisiana
localities that were side-swiped so
terrifically and disastrously the other
day by one of those hurricanes that
are bred in the Gulf of Mexico occa-
sionally. But it would seem no more
than just to Galveston that attention
be called to the fact that it is not the
only place along the Gulf of Mexico,
by any means, that is victimized by
such storms.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
QUAKER MEDITATIONS.
[From the Philadelphia Record

IFrom the Philadelphia Record.1
The girl who marries a widower
loses all the fun of tanning him.
Many a man has made friends by
keeping his opinions to himself.
The people who spend their money
before they get it don't always get it.
The Quintessence of nattery is to tell
a married man he doesn't look it.
Happiness is made up of equal parts
of what we don't do, and what we
do do.
1t doesn't always pay to fight other
peoples battles, unless you happen to
be lawyer.
may be, the cross-country rider is
quick to take a fence.
You never can tell. Even the fell
find himself in a hole.
It's all right to be exclusive, but
many a man isn't even on speaking
terms with his own conscience.
No, Maude. dear; the widow who
gets tired of her weeds doesn't neces-
sarily have to marry a gardener.
Sillicus-"A woman never knows
what she wants. Cynicus-'Or at
least not until she realizes she can't
get it,
Seeing is believing" quoted the
Wise Guy. Eyes, but even the blind
man may be convinced he is right
added the Simple Mug.
Wigg-'what a funny bathing suit
Mrs. Dashaway wears. 1t makes me
laugh" Wagg-"Yes, she evidently
believes that brevity is the soul of
lwit.''
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
Household Hints
Canning and Preserving.


Ripe GOOSeberry CatSup-Cook the
gooseberries in little water until soft.
Press through a colander to remove
skins and then through a sieve to re-
move seeds. Add two-thirds as much
sugar as fruit, and cinnamon and
cloves to taste. Cook slowly one-half
hour and bottle hot.
Kansas Picked Cherries-Select
firm, medium-ripe cherries and wash
well. Put in a jar Add two table,
spoons of salt and four tablespoons of
sugar. Fill the jar with cold apple
vinegar and seal tight. Let stand six
or eight weeks before using.
Amber Marmalade-PeeI common
pumpkin and cut in small pieces. To
one pound of pumpkin take one pound
sugar. Cut lemon in small pieces;
let stand twenty-four hours. Put on
stove and let boil; set back and let
simmer until thick and clear. Put in
glasses or jars and seal. A delicious
marmalade. Can be made from ordi-
nary pumpkin.
In canning Strawberries save all
extra juice to use with carrants in
making a good jelly.
Canning Neutrality-suspicious. cup
sugar, not quite cup of water, three
pints Strawberries Let them boil
in a kettle of water and let them
heat. Then put in berries and close
the can. Lay cans on their sides for
two days and roll them two or three
times a day, and the berries will not
come to the top. They will keep their
shape and color.
Canning Pinespples - Take one
pineapple, medium size, pare into
cubes; add one cup of sugar and
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10

enough water to cover them. Boil
rapidly until soft and put them in
cans heated by water, then close the
cans. There will be no danger in
the cans cracking and the pineapple
will stay nice and keep a nice golden
color.
Homemade Maraschino Cherries
Stone desired number of cherries.
then soak them twenty-four house in
weak vinegar to make them firm.
Drain, measure, and allow an equal
amount of graduated sugar; mix
thoroughly and keep in covered crock
or deep earthenware dish for one
week, stirring every day. Seal in glass
jars and let stand at least a month
before using.
To Stone Cherrics-Use a hairpin.
The seeds stay right on the two
prongs and leave the cherry in better
shape than when q cherry seeder is
used; it is much quicker, too.
The Table.
Baked Liver-Cut l n pounds liver
into desired pieces, put into pan and
sprinkle salt, pepper and two table,
spoons flour over it. Add four sliced
onions and water to nearly cover.
Cover and bake three-fourths hour.
Buttermilk Layer Cake-One cup
sugar, lard size of egg 6part but
ter may be used), one egg, two-thirds
cup buttermilk or sour milk Gf very
sour, use part sweet milk, one level
teaspoon soda, one level teaspoon bak-
ing powder; any flavor. Bake in two
layers. Use any filling.
Spider Corncake = Sift together
three cups cornmeal, one-fourth cup
flour. one tablespoon sugar, one-half
teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon soda.
Beat one egg till light, add to it one
cup sour milk, two tablespoons melt
ed butter. Combine this with dry
ingredients. Turn into well buttered
frying pan. Pour over it one cup
sweet milk Bake thirty minutes in
moderate oven.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
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sassssssAAA ciamhssraaLsdson, ~
REDLET SQUIRREL.

IT can't make out what's the mat
ter with Redlet," said Reddy Squirrel
to his friend Jimmy Graytail, one
summer noontime.
What seems to be the trouble ?"
asked Jimmy, and he was interested
at once, because he liked both Reddy
and Red1et and counted himself the
best friend of both.
Reddy Squirrel scratched his tail
three times and then said bought
fully, He doesn't eat anything
"Fiddlesticks," exclaimed Jimmy
He Does
mo. he doesn't" replied Reddy
with a sorrowful shake of his head,
mot one thing does he eat."
Jimmy looked at Reddy long and
carefully. Are you sure you are not
sick, Reddy?" he finally asked. Does
anything hurt you, or are you hun
gry?"
Nonsense, Jimmy, do be sensible -
retorted Reddy. You can see, if you
look, that I'm perfectly well, only I'm
worried about Redlet-that's every
single bit the matter. Why do you
ask?
Because you think such silly things
about him." replied Jimmy promptly.
ANY creature with half an eye can
see that Redlet Squirrel is not starving
himself He's fatter and rounder than
you are. Where did you get your
idea 2"
81 tell you didn't get an idea, - re-
piled Reddy Grossly; 81 know. 1 took
home some fine bits of lettuce this
noon|ettuce that L stole SO carefully
from that garden across from the
park. And Redlet. instead of gobbling
it all up, as I had thought he would,
didn't even taste it-wouldr't taste it
even when ] begged him to try bite.
And what's more, that's the third time
that's happened"
Jimmy Graytail stared.
'Um-un1," said he finally, that
bears investigating. Meet me here to-
morrow noon before you go for the
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
HALF YEARS FAILUREs

Business failures in the United
States during the first half of 1916.
as reported to r. G. Dun & Co., num-
bered 9,495. and supplied an aggregate
Indebtedness of Sill, ,421, exclu-
sive of a real estate investment de-
fault in New York for upward of s24,-
100000, which cannot properly be
classed as strictly commercial This
record reflects substantial betterment
in compared with the unprecedented
mortality of the previous year, when
1910 suspensions occurred, involv-
ing $1SS,587,535. While in point of
number the present figures exceed
those of all other years except 1915,
the liabilities are the smallest for
the period since 1912, and are
also less than in 1910 and
1908. The returns for the sec
ond quarter show a numerical con-
traction of 1879 and reduction of
fully $11.000.000 in amount as COM
pared with the first three months of
the current year, while there were
fewer insolvencies during June than
in any month in two years, and it is
necessary to go back to September,
1911, to find a lighter Indebtedness.
1t is a fact made clear by the latest
statistics that the effects of the eco
nomic disturbance caused by the Eu-
ropean war have passed, and that the
business structure, through the elm
ination of many of the weak spots in
the situation, and the better organi-
nf "a 7Ixi Il
it's is in stronger position than ever
before.
Reductions of about IL per cent. in
number and 36 per cent in amount
appeared in the record for the seven
Central Western states, there being
$50 failures for s6,97S,65O, against $50
for 11,770.52S in the first six months
of 1915. Iowa, Minnesota and Kan
sas disclosed some increase. numeri-
cally, and the Indebtedness in South
Dakota was slightly larger, but in all
other cases improvement was shown,
there being a decrease of 107 defaults
in Missouri, with a falling off of fully
100000 in the sum of money in
volved. In comparison with the first
quarter of the present year, the state
ment for this section showed go fewer
| insolvencies and a decline of over
$1,SOo,0O0 in the aggregate debts.
In Kansas the number of failures
for the first half of 1915 were los, as
compared with 1O4 for the correspond
ing period of 1915, and 107 during the
same six months of 1914. But all of
them this year were relatively small
affairs, or they average up that way,
as their total liabilities aggregated
only $45o,96S.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10

if Tom Blake, in his arrogance, hadn't
sent you one of those photo postals.
Every season previously you and Tom
have been off on fishing trips together
and have never caught anything
larger than a sardine. And now, here
he is, posed with a fish as large as a
Shetland pony. AS you gaze at the
picture. you realize, for the first time,
what a home1y man Tom really is.
Some one ought to tell Tom that he's
too plain a man to have his picture
taken with a fish; there isn't enough
contrast
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10
Journal Entries

Among the most pleasing Of sounds
is The hum of industry.
=
Taking advantage of opportunities
also results in a lot of crime.
i
When women become victims of
that tired feeling it never seems to
affect their tongues.
= i
Contentment is such a satisfying
thing that more people should Guilt
vate its acquaintsnces.
i = +
Some disappointments may be
blessings, but it is mighty difficult to
recognize them as such.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10

Carranza and Uncle Sam, but the
latter, of course, through his servants
at Washington, are again indulging in
q regular CASTOR and Alphcnse affair.
Secretary Lansing's latest note to
Mexico. that is, the reply of the
United States to Carranza's reply to
what was characterized as the United
States ultimatum to him, has been
erected in the City of Mexico with
JOYOUS acclaim. And wouldn't it be a
good plan to eliminate the world 'ul-
timatum'' from Uncle Sans vocabu-
larry, at least for the time being.