The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-29

mayor was given a half of page of
space and a three-column picture IN
one of the big New York papers-the
SUM think it is that ran the story.
A former Topeka man, Mr.. Shelle-
barger, is on that staff, but whether
he wrote the article or not, it's gem
of purest ray serene.
I noticed by the paper that Bill
Boughton has been making one OF MS
frequent visits to Detroit. There are
so many attra ctions in Topeka. 1 was
Just wondering what could take a per
son away for a cold climate ike
Michigan. OF course it's none of my
business, but l thought you mlght
know about it.
Among the girls, as we'll as the older
women, life is just one Red Cross after
another. One of the children of To-
peka who came down with measles
lately pleaded with his mother not to
get him a cross red nurse. The
school children are going into the
Red Cross work now, and are prepar-
ing what do you think? Some lay
cites for the new babies that are to
arrive this winter over there. The
newest song in this connection is called
Everybody Helping" and is built on
the general lines of that old nuisance,
Everybody Works But Father" This
is the way the new rhyme goes;
Everybody knits but father,
Wire and string in his buttonhOles,
Pants held up this way;
Mother knits these helmets,
Minis a cat on socks.
Pa gets himself by the belt and throat
And walks 'steen blocks
got that out of the Manhattan
Nationalist funny column
But 1 meant to tell you about the
story out in Lawrence concerning the
shy poet of that village who has
broken into punishable song from
time to time, and who is immensely
high browed and worshiped from
afar by a group of the local Hterat.
They tell me that he took room and
board at a house where a group of
university girls were living. The sit
uation of his room was such that the
outside door opened onto porch, and
the rooms of the girls also opened
onto the same balcony Now. as you
know, that was a setting for romance
such as Juliet and Romeo would have
coveted The woman of Lawrence
whose business is chiefly the uputt
and the conservation of community
morals GOT panicky when they no.
ticed the arrangement. They made
plan to circumvent the sinful mind of
man. They asked the landlord to
coat with white paint the glass panes
of the doors lea ding to the moonlt
porch. and stipulated that the mans
glass door should be painted from the
outside, so he couldn't scratch off
peek hole with a nail or n toothbrush
handle. They had enough faith in
the girls to allow their door to be
painted from the interior. The job
was duly attended to. The poet
lea armed the cause of all the commo-
ton in the breasts of the guardians
of public welfare. He smiled his di-
vine smile, winked one of his frank
blue eyes at the landlord AMI ofF2re
to push his big roller-top desk up in
front Of the door to make assurance
doubly sUra. His offer vas conveyed
to the committee oc righteousness,
and was accepted One ruore demand
howeve', was made before the cru
saders could rest their weary heads
on their downy pillows. moving that
morality was secure in the vicinity
They asked. as a last safeguard. that
the door of the poets room be locked
on the outside. and the key carried
by the landlord, or some member of
the committee. 1t is thus that Kan
sas keeps her children pure!
1t is getting so weddings are almost
losing their thrill for the public, there
are so many of them. It is no longer
the mode tO~announce an engagement
a few months ahead of time have
a series of dinners and teas, and then
astonish the town with the splendor
of the marriage ceremonial. The good
old days are gone, and I am just too
disappointed for anything that the
good looking girls are stepping off
quietly, and the parade grounds are
| deserted. I did think pretty Marguer-
lite Kiene would look lovely in a SHIN
merry white wedding gown, with a
veil and an armful of flowers. But
1t wasn't to be; for this is her we'd