Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-31
cM0 RD!s I'D
DlscORDs
A WINTERS DREAM.

To one hundred in the shade.
You looked out the window of your
Office and you
Saw water in hole in the pavement
sizzling.
You turned your face to the ian TO
get breeze.
You shuddered at the thought OF go
fng home and
Taking hold of your mower and push
ing it through the
Hot sun. for there were no trees to
shield you.
Yes, you would put on your big straw
hat,
And that would help some, but Old
Sol would
Play upon your back, and he'd have
YOU scorched before you
Had gone around the circle more than
couple of times.
You had neighbors that waited until
the sun disappeared before
They went to work on their grass.
You had done likewise,
But you had always made poor job
of it when you had done so.
You were going to be game and walk
right under the burning rays.
You had been told sunshine was
healthy. 1t might burn little,
But you would get used to it, and IN
time it would benefit
You. You would take on a tan that
YOU couldn't buy at the sea-
shore.
Well, anyway, you hit out from the
Office to perform the task
That was I'D to YOU. 1t was SO when
you took
Look at the thermometer at your
home. Your wife protested that
You should not venture out when the
sun was SO hot
But you brushed her aside and said
that you had grown
Toughened and it wouldn't touch you.
The mower began to sing and you
began to sweat. You neglected
To change clothes, as your wife had
urged you to do.
You wanted to look respectable. even
though you were cutting grass.
You kept on your collar until it wilted
and blue. the color Of
Your necktie, began to trickle down
the front of your Shirt
So Off came the collar and the tie and
you threw them on
The lawn. You had more grass to
cut, it seemed, than ever before.
Along came Smith. Smith from down
in the next block.
His lawn was smaller than yours.
Besides he had a small son
Who was yet young enough to believe
that there was fun in seeing
The grass jump in front of the knives.
He got out in the early
Morning and in fifteen or twenty min
utes had the plot of green
In front of his home gone over with
the mower for which he
Received as much as fifteen cents
from his father.
Smith said he always enjoyed pushing
mower, but he never got much
OF a chance since his son got big
enough to take care of the lawn
You wanted to call Smith liar, but
that would not make you feel
any
Better, especially since the perspira-
ton was dropping from every
pore
In your body. Smith talked to you
about your garden and what you
Were going to raise. He stood SC
long that You were getting a
chill.
Finally he moved on, but he returned
and discussed local option with
You. We're you dry or wet. he want.
ed to know. Well, you were
| wet,
But you hadn't decided which way you
were going to vote.
Then Smith started away again. This
time he was gone for good
1t was close to 6 o'clock and yor
hadn't done much. Then
Your wife appeared in the doorway
and asked you what you would
Prefer for dinner. She called yor
dear and said you were won
derful
Worker. She was proud of the fin
ished job that you were doing.
Keeping the lawn clipped short wa.
an index to the man of the
| mouse,
! She said. She was happy to say tina
| her husband never neglected his
lawn.
You told her to tie the Holstein GU
in front; that you were not
In any mood to listen to such stuff
| although you were glad that
She took little time to say few
kind words to you.
The sun was sinking. but it burned
just as intensely on your lawI
AS it did when you started an houl
before, it seemed
Ever notice how the sun will pick OF
! one particular spot? Well, it
Was burning hole right through YOU
| back You thought perhaps you
Vest was adding to your discomfort
so you shed it and threw it neal
The spot where you laid your collal
and necktie. The mower wa.
| working
Smoothly today. Better than usual
You had given it a good oiling
Why, there was Mrs. Jones. Yol
hadn't seen her in month
She had
Been fndispOsed for a time. Sh,
didn't know what had been he
trouble.
Just naturally worn down to fragile
Had been trying to do three
Women's work. She never would at
/ tempt it again. Her HUSBAND
| had often
Warned her. But she paid no heed t.
his advice. She thought sh,
! knew
1t all Your wife peeped out the win
dow and saw you talking to ;
woman.
J Che yron1I Ard ~,