The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-05-28
A Government
Pen
oD
An~x-~
By AGNES L. PRATT

The grass is like square of emerald
velvet, bordered along its sides with
gray, chiseled granite; and the lac
quered iron seats scattered here and
there, look inviting.
I, myself. am old and battered, hav-
ing been busy for months recording the
emotions of the human souls that
stream in at the revolving doors yon-
der, and out again, at the one near
me. can see for myself that the
building wherein have an abiding
place is magnificent. behold the mas
sive front of red brick. with cost,
trimmings of brown stone. Two i'm
mense electric lanterns throw floods
of light, nightly, through the lace-like
iron filagree that protects them. on the
masses of humanity that beat with
rhythmic tread the wide sidewalk be-
meath the window.
In my short life, for the existence Of
pen In the service of this great gov
eminent must OF. necessity be nbbrevi-
ated by the democratic handling 1t re.
ceives, have recorded more than one
pitiful life story.
1t is not long ago the noble elms sur
rounding the green were bare and
gaunt against grayer sky. that
young men with hopeful eyes leaned
over the desk where was lying, idle
for wonder, and reaching out, grasp
ed me tightly. As few, with impa-
tient strokes over the white sheet, !
found that was writing thus:
"Dear Mabelle-I may write-may l
not?-what cannot say. for when am
with you my lips are ever silent.
followed you to the city, dear. ! sought
and found work-because-bec
wanted to be near you. And now fad
that / want to be near you always, so
much so that / am willing to brave
your disapproval, which ! have often
seen growing In your clear. brown eyes
land ask you to marry me. dear
now. tomorrow-next week---any time.
only that you will have 1t some time.
Il am in an awful hurry, or Iwould
say more. But have an appointment
at the quarry and all this means money
and perhaps you-to me. l have
stopped here. in the post Office, to pen
these few lines. with horribly poor
pen. by the way.
"Please answer at once. and say yes
-to--Jack."
1 could forgive him the ili-mannered
reflection on my character, when / felt
| the pace his heart was going cOmmu-
nicate itself to me through his fingers
hoped she would say yes as rolled
complacently over on my side. when he
laid me down, and amused myself
watching the gardener raking here and
there among the stubbly brown grass
that clothed the green.
Dipped thousands of times in Ink, as
l was daily, the foregoing episode had
nearly faded from my mind, when
presently 1t was abruptly recalled. A
young girl in jaunty gray Jacket. with
an aureole of violets shading her sunny
brown hair. came hastily to the desk
picked me up, looked at me with dis
approving eyes. laid me down, tried
another pen. and then returned to her
old lover. meaning myself A strag-
Cling sunbeam kissed her shining eyer
till they glinted an old-fashioned gold
stone and lovingly caressed. with rud
dy fingers. the chestnutty ringlets of
hair beneath the violet aufeole.
And. as reposed snugly in the EN-
brace of her glOveless fingers, she
moved me rapidly over the paper and
inscribed In graceful characters. an
application for money order.
1t was q prosaic elimination of my
ardent and romantic desires. but / had
only to wait a few moments when
something followed Without hesita-
ton, though each stroke of my rusted
tip was cutting through two quivering
hearts. she indited the following:
"Dear Jack-I know what you will
say when you read this-you will say
am hard-hearted, that do not care
that ought to leave all and cling to
you, IL love y0u-but / cannot do
what you wish me to. And Jack, DEAR
| do love you, too. But they, my
parents. need me-need my help. l.
have left them up there, In the coun-
try home, while go battling with the
cruel world. SO that l may be of use
to them, who did for me as long as
they were able. You know the whole
pitiful story, Jack.
"A breath just now from the newly
springing grass on the green brought II
back to me, and have half-closed my
eyes so the tears should not fall on
my letter. Father blind, mother his
only attendant, and feeble herself,
with only my arm-Jack, my woman's
aym-between them and want. You
would say. If you We're here and was
talking now instead of writing this,
that your arm was stronger than mine
and you could do for them and me.
But think, there would be four Of us
then, and could you do for four-and
you a young man, with such prospects
as you now havef Could you weight
yourself with your own burdens and
mine, too? No. 1t can never be.
Better for both of us that we should
put such thoughts far away from our
hearts. This is cruel old world.
Jack, and diamonds. not hearts. are
trumps. | must not marry while they
live. unless-Jack, Ii Is cr.el but /
aust sell myself for gold If marry se
ALL"
was glad when she finished abrupt
iy and laid me down where l could
watch the streets pouring their seeth-
ing masses OF human beings, God
snows wEere-I do not. Back and
forth Gibbs this ceaseless tide, but from
what diversified sources it has come,
and to what 1t is going, know not.
In few days he came in again, and
wrote for him few words, pitt
fully brief message:
Il am going to the Philippines. You
nave made 1t impossible that should
live here. and care not whether live
elsewhere or not A worthless life is
best offered up on the altar of my coun-
try's service, and mine will be only an
other name to add to the list Of poor
devils already killed by pestilence or
the bullet of Tagalo."
There was nothing else, only his
name. 1t was quite time that should
be replaced with new pen. had out
lived my usefulness-but / continued |
to be overlooked and many day and |
night have l lain there quietly on the
desk by the window and thought Of |
that brave fellow. off there. fighting /
where no glory could ever be his,
crawling through tropical underground
and searching out the treacherous foe
to be finally wasted and killed by in-
sidious disease-denIed even the hon.
Or. doubtful. perhaps, of dying by the