Evening star., 1921-07-24

THERE Is a row of right pretty
Il little houses on a street in
i the southeast. with iron-railed
front seps and trees at the
curb. The other morning two nice,
oldish. neighborly men were sitting
on the steps Of one of the houses,
hobnobbing over their newspapers
and pipes. The night rain had
freshened the air till 1t was as sweet
as just-washed baby; the trees
were ripping out breezes and ev-
erything was perfectly fine when a
huckster driving his vegetable cart
halted before a house across the
street.
A plump little woman. who owns
the house. bought a cucumber and
some tomatoes. and as the huckster
moved on he began to whistle tune.
. And the tune was THE Star Span
gled Banner"
The woman, being a school teach
er. whose business it has been to
train children in patriotism. held her
judicially UP and down the street
to see II any passerby was lacking
in respect to the anthem. The
only people in sight were the two
nice. oldish. neighborly men on the
steps. And they had numbered up
clumsily from their comfy roosts and
were standing. each with pipe and
paper in hand. And kept on stand
ing until the huckster had whistled
himself out of sight and sound.
Which Is one reason-small. but
first class. as far as it goes-why
pessimists insist upon telling us that
the country is going to the dogs.
+ X x X
THE other day man and woman
who were motoring along a coun-
try road got out Of the machine and
crossed a bit of green open until they
came to a house under tree.
.This is where the March Hare
lives" prophesied the woman. land
there is Alice digging in the garden"
The man chuckled and asked the
Alice-woman If she would give them
drink Of water. She invited them
in and brought the water from truly
spring a little way off under another
ree-such crystal cold water that 1t
misted the glass pitcher.
You don't meet up with the March
Hares home on every motor trip you
take, and 1t was so cool and shady
and restful. with breezes all around
the foot of the slope. that the man
asked Alice IL she could accommodate
them with lunch. as they were tour
ing the country and had to depend on
hotels and farms along the way
Alice had nothing to sell. being a
evenings. but If they could put up
with tea and Clipped beef sandwiches
and her hens had laid two eggs.
The man and woman-oldish and
travel worn-Were as pleased as chill
dren at a play-party. and while he
Edam cheese and lot of crackers
and fruit. Alice put the kettle to boil
ing under the tree and set the table
on the porch. The open door showed
that the March Hare lived in a gay
little box mostly cretonne. prints and
wild flowers; its roof umbrellaed over
with the branches of the tree. and the
sloping garden joy of bush and
bloom.
This little spot is a dream" said
the woman. but Alice warded off the
complement with a protest.
You will have to take that back, be-
cause it is one grand reality-for me
This isn't much Of a house. but there
| is no mistake about its being home
the only one I've ever had. AnG
I'm glad you like it. because 1 bull
| it myself; cost $65.20. counting man.
| hire. 1 call it Leavings. because il
began as a toolroom that the owne,
didn't want any more. A nice mar
hauled it here and the two of us
| tackled it together. Every evening
after get home / drive more nails tt
| make it steady. The upriehts of this
porch were left over from a house
burning down the road. The roof o.
| it is barrel slaves with cut cedar
boughs lashed on top and straw
wedged in to keep off the rain. Make!
a dandy dining room, doesn't it Moth
| ing in the world equal to putting you
| feet under your own table! Next tim
you come by we will dine in the
house. Going to add a wing as sooI
as somebody advertises a second -hanC
garage. A friend out Chevy Chase
| way who wanted to use his side gar.
den for building gave me all his ROSE
| bushes and 1 started my privet hedge
with clippings I picked up after tn.
government gardeners had trimmed
theirs. My literal Gods acre cost ms
! $500-which / never could sell until