Evening star., 1923-06-10

"HIS is Rhoda Royals old home
town. His big show down on
the Union station plaza was
no more than the traditional
cross lot from back of the marine
barracks, where he used to live. but
1.-THE Passing West" kept him so
busy over cowboys, Indians, wild
cattle and horses that could put that
poetical stallion shod with fire" in
the Dobbin class. that he just had no
time for the sentiment appropriate
to a wanderers return.
To look at Mr.. Royal you might In
| fer that it has been quite some time
since his first-grade days in the
Cranch Schooi-long enough for
families to drift, friendships outgrow
and landmarks vanish, but trust a
teacher to keep track of her pupils
Whether they climb to fame, go the
way of a rope or happily marry and
raise families, they are her children
and you have doubtless noticed that
each is recalled as the very best one
j ever taught" which is one of the
fine, fine things about teachers.
Rhode Royal himself is sort of
growing old, Father William, but the
teacher who put him through the first
grade has so bamboozed Father Time
that when she walked herself over to
the show grounds to see what
Rhode" was doing, he guessed her
name the very first time. They had a
lovely little meeting up, and though
the famous Snowman has had adyen-
lures that OUTRAGED every embarrassed
dream of his youth, he was as pleased
ly diffident as any other small boy
talking to teacher-and he gave her
passes to the show.
Old-time Washington will recall
Mr.. Royals mother-Mrs. Katherine
Royal-who. by virtue of her long
years of catering to the small needs
of the enlisted men at the marine bar
racks, earned ten enlistment stripes
each stripe marking four years OF
service.
She began her career at the navy
yard as bright young widow with
two tiny sons to support. and for
forty-four years of service work ed
from sunrise to lights out" never
once absent from the navy yard. as
she herself put it. lin rain or shine
hot or cold" her greatest ambition be-
ing to earn her stripes for service.
She was friend of every marine at
the barracks. officer and private, and
when "Pinafore" ragged. and some wit
christcned her Little Buttercup." her
sailor boys halted the nickname until
satisfied that Mrs. Royal accepted the
tribute a. q complimentary joke. She
also rather enjoyed being known as
the "bumboat woman" seeing that
il IN no way reflected OH her stand
ing in the service"
Her enlistment stripes were award
ed at the end of every four years
with as much military formality as if
officially conferred by the Navy, and
each year between there was an an
niversary day for congratulations.
These ten enlistment stripes were
sewed on a Sunday black merino-
which of itself meant a story-but
she wore il only TO church and on
that last earth journey from lights
out" to sunrise. And when that day
came, a commanding officer said Of
her:
THE service has lost as true a
sailor as ever trod deck. and we of
this yard are parted from mother
inE friend"
This started out to he about Rhode
and his teacher, but you have noticed
how one tbing leads on to another
which doubtless accounted for the
adage that variety is the spice OF
hfe."
!: X 4 ):
THE Union station plaza is right
L big place. but the other after