The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-26
Now Understands Why Birds
Are Always So Happy.
BOYS WERE QUITE RELIEVED
Daughter Never Was Much of a
Hand at Coffee.
New Description of Flight in
Plane Over Topeka.
BY MA JIMKINs.

up in the new airplane which is driv
by that Young Mr.. Morthland and
Harry Buff. them as was in the avia-
ton branch of service during the war.
We'll, 1 see Mr.. Ralph Baer out to
the field last night" 1 told him, and
KNOWN that he was one of the stock
holders of the concern. just natural
ly told him that I'd like to go up SOS
I could tell folks whose feet was aIlus
on the ground how it felt to fly. So
he called Mr.. Morthland over and said,
This is Ma Jimkins, and 1 think it'd
be nice to give her ride Mr.. NORTH
land said, sure he'd do it, so I'm goin'
up at $50 in the morning
Who's to get our breakfast eff you
get dumped?" the middle-sized jim
lkins boy asked.
1t didn't really hurt my feelings, for
I knew that eff 1 should get a fall, he
nor none of the other Children would
MT a. been. much interested in break
fast.
When I got up the morning 1 was
to go, daughter and the littlest Jim
Izins boz and the two young nieces
that's visiting us. all heard me, and
they was that excited that they want
no more sleep for 'em, and they hur-
ried into their clothes SOS they could
run over to the field with me.
You'd better wear my sweater"
Ndaughter advised.
The biggest niece thought I'd best
take along a bite to eat, but 1 told
her I expected to be home in time for
breakfast.
I'd. Gave Her 6 Cents Fare.
The little niece slipped cents into
my hand, her KNOWN that I'm broke
perpetual. and thinkin' mebbe the
fare was the same as the street car.
When L explained that 1 was being
took up complimentary like, daugh-
ter said she wisht it was her. l told
her 1 hated to be selfish and be the
first member of the family to go up
into the air, but mebbe when she was
as old as me and had been learnt in
college how to use the sort of English
like what L did, somebody'd give her
a free ride, too. That seemed to sat
isfy her.
The Iktlest Jimkins boy asked me
would 1 take his paper soldier that
had been to France and back in a let
ter to the middle sized Jimkins boy
wh!les the fightin' was goin' on, so 1
put II in my pocket. Then I set the
sponge for bread and put out the milk
boHles- and grabbed. my bunnit and
off went, the children at my heels.
dYoi amt a-goin' to let me fan. be
YER 1 asked Mr.. Morthland as they
fastened the goggles on me.
No Monkey Shines"
He laughed. Eff I drop you," he
SEE, I'm drop myself. too"
Jest SOS you don't tip me out in
no water" told him. for I can't
swim"
And then he explained how he could
drop 1000 feet and not smash nothin'
up, even eff things got to goin' wrong
And me KNOWN that he knowed what
he was talkin' about. eff I didn't. the
last qualnl inside of me quit tallzin'
Anyways, you don't need to cut up
no monkey Shines" was my final
word, for straight flynn is thrills
enough for me-"
I'd been able anyway to overcome
some considerable fear I'd allus had
of high places, last summer when I
was in the mountains. I'D never been
able TO enjoy goin' up on Pixies Peak
| by the cog train without experiencin'
such fear that it was pitiful to see, tho
l went up every year just to please the
family.
! But last summer when I went I'D 1
want a mite scared, and was able to
stand in the aisle and look down some
/ thousand feet without thinkin' any
thing but how lovely it was.
fingered that it was because with
my boys in France. I had had to face
something so much bigger, that I'd riz
clear above the petty little fear for
my personal safety.
Mr.. Morthland give me a leather
coat and helmet to wear. besides the
goggles, and they hoisted me into the
front seat of the contra ption and
strapped me- in SOS I wouldn't fall out
or nothin'.
Off They Go.
The engine was a-sputterin' and fus-
sin like a race horse that's impatient
| for the gong to sound, and it seemed
/ strong I -
hold up a heavier woman than what /
am.
/ Then its master spoke a word in its
J ear, reckon, for it gave a final snort.
and we was off, Swimming like a bird
flying low on the meader at first. and
then rising higher and higher over the
prettiest land in the grandest country
on earth
AS we rose up into the ether, or
whatever you call it. waved to the
children who was standin' with their
arms around each other, and 1 knew
that they was tellin' each other that
I'd been a good mother and aunt to
'em. =
the poet would say, and 1 felt sorry
for all the poor sluggards that was
lynn peaceful in their beds, dreaming
mebbe. of stacks of gold, and piles OF
green-backs, whites I was havin' the
joy of lookin' down on golden wheat
IleluS, ana green HeddeES, ana Wlndlng
streams.
The Birth of Day.
faint no wonder the birds are
tickled plum to pieces to be birds, just
flying straight up to the sky whensum-
ever they feel like it, and watch the
birth of each new day
You know how verybody.-leastways
everybody that's noFmal,-jest NATURALLY
loves pink baby things,-allus sweet
and fresh and innocent and fragrant
as eff the good Lord had sent a per-
fume straight down from Heaven 'spe-
cially for them.
couldn't help thinkin' as we was
soaring like a bird on the wing, that
the dawn was Just the day in its pink
sweet. fragrant babyhood, before the
sun had a chanel to wither it. or the
winds to blast it, or the storm clouds
to darken IL, same as life is apt to dc
to all baby things when their day
b -