The Topeka state journal., 1921-10-29

with another of their kind. Such
rooms are equipped with gayly draped
couches, many pillows, tables that can
be stretched out at meal time, brass
candlestickS holding candles that
match the draperies, a parchment
shaded lamp, some cOlOrful pictures
and a tea set of blue or rose or yellow,
an electric iron, a substantial ironing
board and several ash trays, a type
writer, easel or piano.
Here she lives happily, if she has
a moderately good job or is learning
to write or paint or sing or play. But
many one has no good job this sum-
mer and many another one is getting
wabbly knees about her art and Won
dering if she can do it after all. And
it is about such we are telling this
story"
| Then Miss Wood proceeds to tell the
story of a girl who has finished school
and finds that the round of society
! events and life in the home town is
exceedingly dull and she leaves for
New York where a tiny apartment
| becomes her home.
| Next" continues the writer, "she
| found herself a job or began to study
| the art toward which she leaned. She
felt a. new and thrilling independence.
| AS an example of it she learned to
smoke cigarets Not that she liked
them especially, but because they were
so forbidden in Galesburg or Daven-
port or Topeka. Her parents would
] have been as willing for her to throw
! bricks at the minister as he passed on
| his way to visit the sick as for the
neighbors to see her light a vile
| cigaret. She rioted in shows and con-
certs and art exhibits and made new
and fascinating friends. She ate in
| funny little tea rooms and gardens
and at any and all hours. She rode
on busses and she discovered China
| TOWN and Washington Square.
To-day this prodigal daughter
studies her bank account and hopes
that people are right who say things
will pick up this fall. She writes her
where you. will, the same gay. imper-
sonaI letters. and they still refuse to
believe she is serious about a life and
career of her own.
"She looks at the windows full OF
lnew fall hats with yearning in her
heart, and wonders if one will ever be
hers The meals on the gate-1egged
table are becoming less and less fes-
tive. One by one luxuries are dis
Ipensed with as the cleaning woman
She has made out budget which
she follows carefully. 1t seems to her
so humiliating and petty to have to
leonsider even nickel. And she Is
lreally thrilled when she has an invi-
ltation to dinner. At home food hao
seemed to her to come as naturally
land simply as air or water. She longs
flor beefsteak, and remembers that
lthey have it two or three times week
lat home, and she almost weeps at the
Thought of Jenny's cakes.
cit was at about this point that the
prodigaI son said goodby to his un-
satisfactory job. and people have beer
praising him ever since. And yet il
he had tried a little longer and little
harder he might have made good by
himself. Is the daughter, too, going
to arise and go to her father?
.'She reads the paper to see If i
Iprophesies better conditions soon, ana
she eschews the luxuries of life Sh'
eats peanut butter and chocolate fol
Misunderstanding and inexpensive
But she dreams many times of th'
gold ring and the fatted calf
Topeka. Kan, Oct 90, 1921.
I Dear Elizabeth. It's the stranges
| thing how gossip does roll about an(
the more it rolls the wilder it be
comes For the past few weeks we've
been hearing all about how Topeka
girl who is in California had broker
: her engagement and everything = i:
"alI off between she and the man
. who by the way. is back in Kansa:
again Now isn't it strange how {
rumor of that sort gets started? Wei
this time the rumor is all wrong fol
tie young couple have bought theil
] home and the wedding. am told, vii
take place in the late winter.
. Topeka society stepped forth Wed
nesday evening. the women in theil
party frocks and the men in bIacl
i. and white It was certainly wonder
: full party and makes the society de
partment feel quite encouraged owe