Omaha daily bee., 1917-12-16
Comb Honey
Bv EDWARD BLACK.
Home Life of the Leffingwells.


chateau had been drawn at the close
Of another day. The mazdss were
shedding a soft glowof light over a
honey scene. Mrs. Lefingwell wa:
conjuring in her mind some form OF
| food variant she would offer tor meat
less day on the morrow. Willie was
reading of the Italians throwing
rocks at the Huns, and Mary was
testing the elasticity OF her Christ-
mas money, preparatory to doing her
gifts shopping.
Henry Leffingwell, the hetman OF
the rancho, was hasking IN the ra-
dance of his own iridescence. The
quiescence Of the scene suggested
calm before a storm. Mr.. L. moved
in his chair and surveyed the outlook
imperiously, which portended that he
was about to give demonstration OF
the Nevsky Prospect during the rush
hours. The seat of profundity OF the
Leffingwell home was showing. signs
of life. Mrs. Lefingwell and the
children sensed the oncoming raid OF
verbiage and they braced themselves
for the impending sound waves. The
oppressive silence at last was broken
when Prexy Leffngwell opened his :
facial llatchway and uttered words OF
wisdom.
'Procrastination, you know, has
been said to be the thief of time, and
that part/of the record will be ad-
mittcd without argument, We are
going to eliminate the word pro-
crastination from the Lefhngwell vo-
cabulary," began this Napoleon of
household philosophy. "The sun,
moon, stars and earth all move along
their appointed courses on schedule
time, and the least deviation would
result in universal chaos. The scheme
Of the universe is system, punctu-
ality, precision"
Say, pa, didn't the sun stand still
when Joshua commanded" asked
Willie. looking toward his mother for
appreciation,
Henry Lef6ngwell was not conduct
ing round-table discussion, so he
continued without needing the in
terruptions Of the heir to the family
chest and crest.
\"Now is the accepted time. There
is no time like the present. Delays
are dangerous. Be sure you are right
and then, go ahead" he quoted, ad-
ding: There is to be no watchful
waiting in the Leffingwell cottage.
We are going to be minute men and
women"
why don't you be a four-minute,
speaker, dad? Roberts father is a
four-ininute speaker" intervented
Willie, feigning a sudden resumption
of interest in book. -.
4 There are two classes OF people
in this world, the positive and the
negative" continued Fra Leffingwell.
The positive class believes in doing
what is to be done, here and now;
the negative class believes in putting
off for tomorrow what should and
! could be done today. The Leffmgwells
are all going to be in the positive, di-
vision. We are going to be suphides,
rather than bromides. From reveiile r
| to- taps. henceforth in this house
there will be no more deferred duties.
why don't YOU say from soup toi
nuts, dad, instead of reveiiie to taps?"
chirped the. juvenile interlocutor.
/ IA might also add that time and
tide wait for none" quoted Letting
we'll as all afterthought.
"Neftiler do the Crosstown cars"
interpoiated Willie.
Mrs. Leffingwell had been sitting
with wife-like devotion, taking ip the
enforced mental pabulun whicfNher
lielpmate had been showering upon
her with reckless prodigality. She had
learned from experience that the best
plan to pursue was to let Henry Left
ingwell get it out of his system be-
fore she countered with feminine ,in-
cisiveness. She rocked in her chair
with avidity, which meant that she
was thinking.
Il suppose,~Henry Lcffingwell, that
you intend to install time-clock in
this home; that your purpose is to
have every member of this family, 'ex.
cept yourself, keep ti1Re sheets and
report to youfevery hour. There is
madness in your method. What YOU
need is "a diagnostician, an ice pack
and fever Thermometer. You prob
ably have forgotten that mans work
is from sun to sun and that woman's
work is never done. I never think
about the time, unless it be to get the
meals for the family or to get you
started TO work in the morning. When
the whistle blows at 5 O'Clock p. M,
you say, Well, boys, guess we'll call
it day. then you run for home and
you are through, but I just keep at,
until bedtime and after I am in bed
you think that you have button to
be sewed on, or rip that needs to be
mended. You are the last to arise in
the morning and the fist one to retire
at night. Yotl won't clear the snow
from the walks until the policeman on
the beat notifies you and you won't
get your hair cut until the boys down
at the shop remind you that the bar
ber's baby needs shoes and offer to
take up collection to pay for the re-
moval of your long hair" ~
Gee, crickets, ma would make a
dandy four minute speaker" COM
mented Willie when his mother had
talked cold turkey to dad.
Don't hurt pas feelings, mother"
intercepted Mary. who suggested that
.the family communiques be re-estab-
lished by joining IN 4 musical armis-
tce.
And the soul OF music once more
soothed the rufhed feathers of the Lcf-