Evening star., 1924-05-14
Mr.. Congress- Chilly
Little Boy
AN ALLEGORY

There was once a portly, pink faced
gentleman called Mr.. Congress, who
had pale, thin, little son named
Government Clerk. The large gen
tleman had many good things to eat
and wore a big, thick coat to keep
himself warm in the winter. When
the little boy was young the wintersf
were mild, and he did not need d
heavy coat himself. so he did not
envy his fathers. more comfortable
clothing. But after a time the win
ters gradually became very bitter
Then the little fellow suffered from
the keen. icy winds, and the food
which had been sufficient for him in
the mild weather did not warm his
blood.
He saw his father buy himself a
new fur coat, much heavier and
warmer than the old one, and he
asked him timidly if he too could
not have a warmer coat; not a fur
one, of course, but just enough
warmer d, to keep the chilly winds
from shooting through him But the
father replied: you don't need a
heavy coat like do. But 1 will give
you some nice, comfortable mittens,
called bonus mittens, and you can
lay them against one part of your
body and then another, and that will
be enough for you, my little son. 1t
would not look we'll for you to have
fur coat. People would say ! am
an extravagant father"
rI
took the bonus mittens, and when
the icy blasts came along he would
take them off his hands and warm
first one part of his body and then
another with them. But he nevea
could get warmed all over at the
same time.
Then one day a little lad next door
named Germany, came to the fence
and stuck out his tongue at little
G. C.'s father. That made the old
gentleman angry, and he took his
cane and thrashed the lad who
skunk away grumbling and growing.
The weather grew colder and
colder, and plump Mr.. Congress
wrapped his fur coat tighter around
winds did not strike him at all But
little G. c. was miserable He besyed
again and again for a warm coat IN,
himself, and said: 81 am wearing this
old, thin garment that you gave me
ions long pe.ore the winters changed in
stand it any more" But, the father
always replied: "But, INV dear little
son. you must recall how warmly
dressed you used to be in that over
coat ,r Wnen the winters were so mild.
Inere were many little boys who ditS
not nave nearly as warm a one as
yours" The father did not 90 on to
say that those same little boys whose
coats had not been as warm as C. C's
IN the mild winters all bought splen-
did warm ones when the cold winters
came. And so little G. c. tried to
remember those early days, when his
Jacket had really been too warm for
him.
One day the little lad next door.
crying and whimpering that he vas
very hungry. He begged Mr. Con-
gress to give him some money for
food. fos ;, Little tse,, e. G was frightened
thrash Germany for his s'h9 imnudsnee %g1,o
But what did the plump gentleman.
do but draw out fat wallet and
for the little neighbor,
.o e. e rushed forward and said
oh. father, please let me have some
of that? could get me such a warm
coat with it and not have to press
any longer"
But Mr.. Congress pushed him away
and said: mo, my little son. Think
what a noble example we can SET to
this little lad. He will grow up and
have children and tell them what a
good Christian am and how forgiv-
ing. And his children will never
stick out their tongues at me. This
will be in the newspapers all over
the world. and every one will praise
me-
But, father, my bonus mittens aare
not warm enough. I am sufferifig,
MT. Congress grew very stern.
IF you don't shut up I am afraia
l will have to take away your mif-
tens from. you. If they don't do you
any good there is no sense in letfine
you keep. them.'
And so the little boy goes on dav
after day, laying his mittens Of
bonus first against one cold part of
his body and then another, with
never hope Of getting warm ali
over at once. A. r. 4.