The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-02-08
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

the man with the grip, but when l think
of his mad rush to board the cars just
before the sun comes up to smile on an6
warm the world-well, all 1 have got tc
say is he earns his money If he covers
his territory whether he sells anything
or not.
1 have had a lot Of it to do in my life,
but I have never gotten used to it.
have seen some men who did it day after
day and looked fresh and bright, while
most others are like myself who spend
the rest of the day rubbing our eyes
trying to get the sleep out of them. I
have even met men who could be polite
while travelling even before breakfast, but
this is the acid test of true politeness.
sss
had party of girl friends who made
the grand tour of Europe and for the
first few months half of the bunch were
not on speaking terms. just because of
things said when their nerves were raw
from lack of sleep, and their stomachs
empty from lack of breakfast. Then one
wise sould made every one forgive every
body, and start anew, and when the trip
was over they were fast friends, and all
because she made it a rule that no one
was to speak to anyone until they had all
eaten their morning meal
| There are women who are dowds just
as there are men who are untidy. There
| CD
Chestnut and always look fresh, it
makes no difference whether it rains or
shines. There are also women who are
heat and alluring in summers heat or
winters cold. 1t must be one of natures
gifts. / have said this much to go bit
further into the early train business.
| I do not suppose any of you who read
this column ever travel all night without
taking a sleeper, but have done it many
times, but not of late. l know of Moth
ing more depressing than to watch the
selves UP bit as daylight comes. The
! dirt and WEAKNESS seem to many to have
gone more than skin deep and to defy the
| little aids to beauty that women now
carry and publicly use with a freedom
that is embarrassing to some bashful
males.
| But 1 am thinking as I write of a
young girl who recently got on an early
-train on which 1 was a passenger l
| looked all around and saw men and
women sprawled over the seats in every
form of discomfort. Some with draggled
hair, some red-eyed, some grimed with
cinders, but all the picture of woe, save
one young girl about II years, whose
| face was as radiant and clean as if no
amount of dirt could soil her virginia.
purity. She was clear-eyed, pink checked
and radiated health. and breathed
| friendliness.
| Here is what she did: On the seat
mother who had almost reached the hys-
terical stage. A siclly, fretful babe was
| fast wearing away what little nerve she
had left. fussy six-year-old child had
aroused from a restless nap. A nine
year youngster was fidgeting trying to
raise window, but the mother had no
energy left to match her will against his,
and so half succeeding he was letting
| In the cool air causing his little sister
| to shiver and cry. If ever a poor little
mother needed help, she did, but not the
| kind that a man could give. saw the
girl on the seat behind take in the situa-
| ton and she acted with decision that
made me know that at last a master
mind had taken the case in hand. I do
not know how she did it but in fifty
the boy had put down the window, and
side by side he and his little sister were
facing the strange young woman with
| the sweet smile, who was telling them
! the most wonderful tale. When 1t was
finished they were fast friends and both
skipped out of their seat and sat with
her, the girl in her lap and the boy
proudly at her side.
| / found myself thinking of the sweet
ness of the girl who was doing a gra-
cious thing, and of the man some day
she would make happy, and of her homo
and tie day when her own precious
children would be clamcring around her
knees. and it was pleasant picture to
contemplate I could see her in my
minds eye, tidying up her home or busy
lin the kitchen while the tea. kettle sang
its song Of simple joy, or happy among
the flowers, or busy with the chickens.
/ or potterng around in the garden.
!
| I am sure she had the mother heart,
and was born to be the mother of men
and the companion Of little children, and
vet somehow / couldn't help thinking
| that in this world of misfits she was
on her way to the big city to take a
business course and spend her years in
an office sitting. or to waste it behind
/ counter, and miss her manifest destiny
as a home-maker. I could see that she
was a heaven-born kindergarten teacher,
not the kind loaded down with the latest
book methods, but one that children
! would love and obey because she under
stood them and was sweet and genuine
| / put aside my paper. let my magazine
| lie unopened and never took the book
| had brought along to read out of my
grip, for l was watching play fresher
and truer than anything I could find in
the printed page, and her naturalness
anS native sweetnnss wac utarc reetiu q