Evening star., 1923-09-02
T L must have been a member OF
j Congress, for he went up the
steps of the House building
- with the noSseSsiYenaSS of

- congress-, Tor he went up the
steps of the House building
with the possessiveness of
one who owns a season ticket among
the mighty. There's no mistaking the
look.
Reaching the top. he stepped out on
the strip of untrodden sod that ter
races the marble front and sprinted d
to the far end and back. A younger
man with him called out humorous
warnings to keep off the grass. The
member laughed admission of guilt
garnished with the statement that 1t
rested hi" rect. and after another
luxurious wade up and down the for
hidden vendure. the two went inside
which was all of that-except to
humbly mention:
Most of US would like to revel in
the soft velvet OF turf that floors
the public grounds but refrain from
tndulging for the reason that ii is
not wed--which shows that law
that makes for the general good is Il
fine law-even IL ii is broken once in a
while by statesmen who help to make
the laws.
:: y i s
II
j here was a joyously irresponsible
office boy wko wouldn't grow up. He
wouldn't study and he wouldn't shed
hIs knee pants. and he hated the girls.
When he wasn't running the copy he
SieStcd in the nearest swivel chair
with any old thriller he could find
around-mostly newspaper fiction. For
variety. his fancy expressed itself
prodigally in forages daily into paper
bags of lunches that bore the trade
mark of home and mother. And he
positively scorned clean finger nails.
They We're sissy.
The men to whom he was appor-
toned were addicted to fatherly wan
ings as To what happens to office boys
who do not study to become editors
but the boy had no use for editors.
His ambition-his one great ambi-
Ition--was to climb on a ladder and
chalk off base ball scores, and after
that he settled on a future of sight
seeing cars, so that he could holler
through a megaphone, but. alas for
Well made plans,
one day an upper messenger drop
ped out and the boy stepped into
duties that allowed less time to
thrillers and eats. but, at that, he
didn't study, his prime idea being
that feller could learn things out
side of books-Which. incidentally
some wise men had said before him.
In this Office was a woman who
faithfully administered her share OF
sermons as to the responsibilities Of
manhood. But her words fell on
barren soil. He wasn't no man-an'
anyhoW---
why. say. Miss Ann. you just
watch me. I'm Goner come out OH
top some day an make you proud
ju ever knew me. You jus wait an
see"
Zach admonitory pill was swal-
lowed with gay unconcern, until one
day the boy failed to show UP. The
years chased each other along. And
the woman never knew what had be-
come of the boy until the other day
she came across his name cut into
the white stone OF marker out at
Arlington.
Father Time, by his inscruta bl g
alchemy, had changed the boy into a
man and taught him the greatest of
all lessons from the greatest of all
books: Greater love hath no man
than that he lay down his life" And
he had kept his word with the
woman. She was proud of him.
THE sayings Of precocious children
i are seldom popular outside the
family circle--probably for the rea-
son that in broadcasting pets smart
ness, you are given to understand
that he takes after his papa, or gets
1t from his mamma: without ever