The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-10
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE.
(From Philadelphia Public Ledger.)

The writing man whose meter is
airy badinage found the war a most
difficult experience. With the world
one vast tragedy ana civilization
disorder, the keenest jape lost its point
and humor died upon the threshold
of the written word. 1t was a sad and
fruitiess four years for those who jest
with circumstance.
The present situation is only a lit
tie less difficult. We have just
finished reading the newspapers that
lay in an orderly pile upon this desk
when we came to, work There isn't a
smile in the days news. Persifiage
is storm-bound on an inhospitable
coast.
The only vein remaining which may
be worked with any chance of profit
is that In which reposes the unex-
Peeted angle. The experience of Lieu
tenant Angelus Burch, who called yes
terday to pay his respects and talk
over old times. seems in point. Fight
ing with his battery in the Argonne,
Lieutenant Burch involuntarily i'm
peded bit of shrapnel from q burst
ing she'll. When he arose to his feet
he discovered he was uninjured and
that missile the size of mans
thumb had Embedded itself in a small
red memorandum book, possibly two
inches by four in size and half an inch
in thickness Now there are two un-
expected angles in this incident of the
Argonne, trivial though it was to
everybody excepting Lieutenant
Burch.
To correiate the story with practice
and tradition the missile should have
been turned by Lieutenant Burchs
Bible. Instead 1t spent its force on
cheap memorandum book, the retail
price of which probably was not more
than twenty cents. By rights the
memora ndum book should have re-
posed just over the lieutenants heart
But, as he remarked quite casually,
1T was in my pants pocket"
Adelaide who has been taking
observations, says more women smoke
in public in New York and Washing
ton than in Philadelphia. But Phila-
deiphia women who affect the fra
| grant weed" use a better and more
| expensive brand.
IF johnson and Borah elect to stav
! with Lodge" writes one of the es-
teemed Washington correspondents,
lit will be because they want to stay
| with their party" Will the gentlemen
yield TO d question? Which is their
party?
q, We ask for the reason that for the
past seven or eight years 1t has been
a matter for conjecture.
A girls idea of scandal is the story
! about another girl who failed to
make a sorority.
Another leisure class appears to
i have reached Its formative stage. The
coal miners are. asking for a six-hour
day and a five-day week.
Having read a portion of General
1 NT1 .1faV-f Lat u,
| conclusion that his opinion of Ger
many and the Germans make IL prac-
| tica1ly unanimous. We, therefore.
move that the rules be suspended and
that Germany and the Germans be
| damned by reclamation.
General Pershings adventure with
| the Washington girl who wagered
! 500 that she could kiss him recalls
| the fate of Richmond Pearson Hobsoa
who, SO 70 speak, was publicly oscu-
| lated into oblivion. The fact tina b
Commander Hobson lost his war with
japan had less effect upon his per-
| senal fortunes than his fatal gift OF
! melting women to riot
WELL said Adelaide as she
powdered her nose, 'I'll say this for
you. You couldn't give the Chautau-
| qua salute to save your life.