The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-05-06

Cnly LHlS morning
| heard you saying that the housework
never would be done If you didn't keep
after the hired girl all the time, and
| assume that you don't keep after
her with kind words. In fact, / have
heard you say to that languorous
damsel that she isn't worth the coal
oil 1t would take to blow her through
the roof.
Il am partial to kind words, and
use them whenever the signs seem
right, but they don't always work out
as they should. On my way home
this evening, / stopped to witness a
dog fight which was in progress in the
middle of the street. A great crowd
had assembled, and the street was
damned. All the beauty and chival-
~, fair women and brave men, were
there. 1t is rather remarkable, when
you come to think of it, that a dog
light has great fascination for our
leading citizens. They wouldn't go
ten feet out of their way to listen to
college glee club, or hear an elevat-
ing lecture on the regeneration of the
race, but they'll sprint ten blocks at
the risk of apoplexy or heart failure
to see couple of misguided bowwows
chew each other up.
MIR. Junkman, the banker, was at
my left hand in the crowd this eve
ming. Everybody knows how polite
and suave he is at ordinary times,
but he was greatly fncensed because
he couldn't get a good look at the
Wrangling pups. A man with a tall
hat stood right in front of him, and
shut off the view, and Mr.. Junkman
knocked his hat down over his ears,
without word of apology or explana-
ton. Why is dog fight thus ruin
Gus to our veneer of civilization?
A large man with a truculent face,
was right in front of me, and l tapped
him gently on the shoulder, and in
formed him in the most courteous
terms, that he was standing on my
foot and doing great injury to my
favorite corn. Nobody could have
broken the news to him more gently
than did. If kind words were what
they are cracked up to be, the large
man would have apOlogized and moved
off. But he glowered at me in the g,
manner of one who is willing to meet
grief half way, and proceeded to argue
the question. He said he wasn't stand
ing on my foot, that l was laboring
under hallucination, and if, by any
mischance, he was standing on my
foot, 1t was because that foot was so
large he couldn't do otherwise. And
In any event, he finally inquired, what
was | going to do about it?
Il didn't see that l could do any,
thing worth while, for the man was as
large as an ordinary cottage, and he
seemed impatient for trouble. l was
just explaining to him that 1 rather
enjoyed having people stand on my
feet, when the crowd shuffled around
and he was pushed to one side. In
his new position, he was in front of
another citizen as large and danger
Gus looking as himself, and presently
this second citizen took him by the
ear, and twisted his head around.
and said, Say, you big loafer. get
off my footr
THE truculent gentleman hadn't a
word of argument on this occa sion
de squirmed away, and the second
citizen gave him prod in the small
of the back that made him groan,
and he didn't indulge in so much as
reproachful look.
THUS we see, Mrs. Jiggers, that
kind words don't always bring home
the bacon. and so I'll trouble you for
the stewed apricots."