The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-13
TWO WEIGHTS
OvercOat Is Heav-
Ter in Review.
Review Is Watched From Three
Viewpoints,
BY w. S. TRAVIS.
(From Trench and Camp.)

(From Trench and Campo
A government overcoat has two
weights-one when it is issued and
one when its wearer comes in from
the big review where he has hiked
ten miles or SO in that coat with a
heavy overseas pack on his back.
while the sun sent down his blessed
beams and made him sweat.
Three Viewpoints.
There are two, or perhaps three
watched. One is the critical eye of
the reviewing officers. The second is
that of the admiring public. which
sees few of the Abulls that are made,
but admires the perfect soldiery and
wonders how the uniform can make a
dub look SO much like a man. And
1.-THE third viewpoint is that of the SOL
der, the buck private, in the review.
He is behind the curtain and he does
most of the work; he has some indi-
vidual ideas of what a review is like.
The adn1iring public wonders at the
glory of military music-how could
one help keeping in step with that big
band playing. The buck wishes that
consumed bunch of wind-jammers
would toot the other way so he could
hear his officers tell him to squad
right.
The uniform of the soldier in alldts
beauty is putting the garments that
are closest to his heart in much the
| shape OIL d Well-uSeQ anu ACTIVE
sponge. The parade ground, too, has
! some place in his mind. Smooth as
| a table," say the enthusiastic press re-
| ports; the buck knows that just as he
got in step and perfect file to pass the
reviewing officers, he stepped into a
hole as big as a cellar and nearly went
| on his head, and that the whole place
| felt like a newly ploughed sod pas
| ture. His officers. glare and his nom
CONS bawl the poor boy out in stage
whispers as he tries to pull his pack
| in shape as it is about to slip on his
shoulders at the crucial moment, till
he forgets to do eyes right and can't
| speak with perfect assurance of his
| fellows when time comes to bet on
who that civilian was in the reviewing
!, line. To tell the truth, the poor old
| buck feels much as tho he was a COW
in circus that was driven thru the
| streets on parade and made to keep
/ in perfect step. While he's in it, he
doesn't like it.
Glad He Was There.
After it's all over it's a different
proposition. Then he figures that he
has really been in something worth
! while. He'll ask all the rest of his
natural life, casual like, whether his
| ncir hbors were ever in a dig review,
,lTd it will be the biggest one that the
country ever saw when he tells 1t to
his neighbors and the best one, and
! tfiS 5IOly VI II Will ASN Ell ldfIS. IlS II
honestly be glad he had to sweat in
that parade, and ten years from now
he will probably have sweat quarts
Thus will it's glory grow.
And the biggest thing in the whole
performance he<will tell about will be
Isomething that the reviewing officers
I and the general public-except one
small kid from Junction City-didn't
see at all. tt was a little private
lcoursfng vvent-ope that would cost
dollars to see in cities. Just as this
gang was standing around behind the
scenes, trying to whistle other com
EpanieS down, make the highest man
pile and otherwise relieve themselves
a lone scared little rabbit popped NJ
out of somewhere and hurriedly start
ed for somewhere else. There was a
long open field. Shortly there were
eighteen dogs on bis trail, with q long
haired homely Airedale in the lead
The rabbit lodged back and forth in
| a way that did the hearts good of the
infantry training oflcerS-no German
| bullet could have hit him. The Aire-
dale gained; his nose touched the rab-
bit; it took a sideways leap and start
ed off on a clean straightaway and
the wind wasn't lin it for their speed
and the soldiers cheered. Then the
rabbit suddenly remembered the wal
was over; and he laid down and quit
And the little Junction City kid Hoped
up and grabbed the rabbit by the earl
and took it home to abuse and pet
and the soldiers were left to whistle
and sing and make man-piles, and
finally pass in review with eyes right
so they couldn't see where they were
going till they got there. After all
the buck concluded, it was a pretty
good review.