davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1926-11-13
Children's Movements
And DemoraliZed Society
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
There is a good deal Of pretentious,
precious nonsense published nova
days in newspapers and maga-
zines about the youth movement,
youths challenge to age" ages
challenge to youth" and the glori-
fication and apotheosis Of youth In
general. Our forefathers knew better
than to talk this way. They used TO
take youth over their knee and
spank it. II youth had attempted to
challenge" our stern old Puritan
forebears. youth would have in,
vited" out to the woodshed, ana
would have been compelled to take
it's meals from the mantel-piece ror
some days to come. We think tnat
I'VE are the people, and wisdom VIII
die with u.s." but we forget that II
Is necessary, at times. to argue WIN
youth with a stick argumentum ao
baculum).
Recently friend presented me
with a copy Of q book written by
f,er pastor. I took time to read 1t,
but thought my time largely wasted
until l came across this phrase near
the end of the book: "Our demoralized
and mystified society, high and low:
l considered that the phrase repaid
me for the time 1 had spent upon
this otherwise rather unfruitful book.
"Our demoralized and mystit1ed So
ciety, high and low" Does not this
phrase exactly hit off our age? The
age is completely demoralized. 1t has
broken away from all the sound. sober
teaching of the past. and has tied It.
self to new and untried ethical the0'
ries that have been advanced and
sponsored by the new. raw men OF
our day. jeremiah referred to us, as
we'll as to the Jews of his own gen.
Grafton, when he said: "They have
hewed them out cisternS, broken cts-
terms, that can hold no water" Our
age is also completely mystified; at
any rate, 1t Is completely mystitied in
the fields Of religion. morals and man
ners. Its achievements in the fields
Of science and invention have accus-
toned 1t to think that "man-made"
knowledge Is infallible, so 1t has gone
to work to reconstruct religion and
morality according to "man-made"
knowledge, without taking God into
the account at all, and without know
ing or caring whether God is or is
not.
A humble friend Of mine, speak.
ing of a certain aspect of American
life and manners, said that he
thought that the American people
had gone "bughouse." 1t Is likely
he spoke truth in this vulgarism.
Perhaps some madness aff1icts "flam-
ing youth" such as attacked the
children of the Middle Ages and sent
them forth upon the children's
crusade; only 1t would be difficult to
imagine the children of the present
generation going mad over religion.
But it must be that either some
strange moral madness or blindness
aff1icts both the elders and the youth
of the present generation. or else the
or on us. CHARLES HOOPER.
Evening star., 1926-11-13
Only National Emblem
Should Fly From Staff

To the Editor of The Star:
I was much interested and not a
little surprised to find in your issue
Of Wednesday a picture Of the War
Mothers flag and statement that
this flag will fly under the national
emblem. VIII you permit me to
state as one who has an intimate
knowledge Of the etiquette Of ma
tional flag flying that this Is abso-
lutely infra dignitatem and an un-
called-for discourtesy?
It Is a we'll known fact the world
over that no flag Of any nation, So
ciety. order or club must be hoisted
on the same pole, staff or lanyard
as that Of the national emblem.
The correct etiquette Is to have
three poles or staffs, with the en-
blem or flag to be honored in the
center. and the national flag on each
side. JOHN WILLIAMS.
Evening star., 1926-11-13

A successful prizefighter takes life
easy as the result of a brief en-
counter. Pugilism is more or less in
the, nature of drama. The willing
workers who provide the dialogue are
scarcely less important than those
who provide the punch"
Evening star., 1926-11-13
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON,
And So Forth.

And So Forth.
Everybody voted
On election day.
Personages noted
Hurried on their way.
Now" said we, leach sorrow
Fades into the past.
The returns tomorrow
VIII settle 'em at last,w
Scarcely had we counted
All the ballots there.
When the folks remounted
Hobbies everywhere.
Rumors new have fioated
Touching bribes and gin.
Everybody voted
But we've got to vote ag'in.
Evening star., 1926-11-13
Back to the Old Home,

will you be glad to return to
Washington"
"Of course" answered Senator Sor-
ghum. II always feel comfortable in
Washington. What worries me Is hav-
ing to go back to my home town to
conduct a campaign"
Evening star., 1926-11-13

A little more advertising should
equip De Russeys lane with enough
prestige to command a few sky
scrapers and a motion picture theater.
Evening star., 1926-11-13

European politics have no fear of
foreign entanglements so far as pos
sible complications with United States
wealth are concerned.
Evening star., 1926-11-13

Power always involves penalties.
Mussolini is not nearly as comfortable
in steel shirt as he would be in a
silk one.
Evening star., 1926-11-13

After all, it is Queen Marie's tour,
and even a favorite of the theater
must surrender the spotlight.
Evening star., 1926-11-13

The Hall.Mills case proves that
eyuth Is stranger than fiction, and in
MAny respects more unpleasant.
Evening star., 1926-11-13
Rate by Mail-Payable i'm Advance.
Maryland and Virginia.
All Other States and Canada.
Member of the Associated Press.

. The Associated Press is exclusively entitled
70 the for republication Of all news dis
patches credited to it or not otherwise cred
ited IN this naDer and also the local news
Oh olishad herein. All rights of publication
sf spec al dispatches herein are also reserved
Evening star., 1926-11-13
Rad Actor.

There cannot be another war.
The latest is i'll famed.
Poor Mars has proved too shabby for
An encore to be claimed
Evening star., 1926-11-13
Fleeting Impression.

A tennis player leaps into the air
And she, no doubt, of face is very fair.
AT least we so assume, though all we
see
OF her are arms and legs and "lawn-
jeree."
Evening star., 1926-11-13

Jud Tunkins says many an epitaph
is only idle compliment. Human fiat
terry is such that you can't trust even
a tombstone.
Evening star., 1926-11-13
announcement.

will that dog bite?"
IT dunno" answered Farmer Corn
tossel. But I should think you could
take a chance on him. To me you
don't look particular appetizin'."
Evening star., 1926-11-13

DE Charleston" said Uncle Eben,
lis fine way to use yoh feet when
yoh head has got so tired dat you has
lost confidence in it,"
Evening star., 1926-11-13

For illustration of this question,
take the opening speech of Gen. Hert-
zog, premier OF South Africa, i'll
which he frankly said that in South
Africa the sentiment Is that remain
ing within the empire must depend
upon whether she lSouth Africa) can
Evening star., 1926-11-13

The word comes from London that
the Asiatic League of Nations is be-
ing formed as hostile counterpoise
to the Genevan League Of Nations"
and that it iS aimed primarily at Great
Britain. 1t is attributed TO the hatred
of the British in both China and
Turkey, and, to a less degree, in
Afghanistan.
The Asiatic League is taken with
Evening star., 1926-12-12

the porch Never, never forget the
part you're playing.
mo; mean I want to talk to you.
yourself"
Art was evidently nothing to this in
dividual.
One Of his hands gripped the fiimsy
piazza railing. Can YOU? VIII
you come and be Santa Claus to a
little boy? He's sick"
The child's father-it was plain
enough. Only fathers and mothers
get that look.
THE store will be closing soon,"
said Dunstane. "If you'll leave me
the address I'll come"
Right away, though. / have a car
waiting. I've been up to the execu-
tive Offices and got permission. The
visitor exhibited a slip of paper, filled
in and signed.
Santa Claus laid down his pack.
After all. there were no children to
watch his performance this day. He
could go.
Here and there preoccupied shop
pers glanced at him over their shoul.
ders when he passed them in the
aisles.
| Out in the street limousine and a
chauffeur. touching his cap. A huddle
of curious passersby as Santa Claus
settled into the back seat, followed by
the man in the gray oyercoat. Silence
| between them. ThS' car moved
Evening star., 1926-12-12

''1s. Half shall be destroyed, and
half shall flee"
Very disquieting is the reference to
Ham, Padeborn and the Quarter des
BOuleauX. Ham was we'll known in
the war; but there is no doubt that
the Field of Birch Trees CBouleaux)
exists away over near Padeborn. in
Westphalia!
These prophecies worry people.
How much of them was failure?
They lead up to the Great War, and
quit-with only hint of the revival
of Paris. in faith and love, "after
punishment" So, is the Great War
entirely finished?
Are the perils over and done with?
France is extremely troubled.
France Is, today, called "militarist."
1t is entirely unjust. France holds
desperately to her war power and
territories to raise troops and sup
plies, because France fears the future
unless she be strongly prepared. But
she fears the situation-hates it,
Bismarck and Heine. the poet. both
warned France of her peril They are
among the prophets!
shall never pardon you, so long as you
THE next war will cause the dis
appearance of either France or Ger
many" said Bismarck to the English
painter Richmond in 1887.
Heine. author of the "Lorelei," saw
such war of extinction to be inevitable.
'F'renchmen. be on your guard
he wrote. II will tell you the bit
ter truth-you are hated in Germany
What we have against you I have
never been able to learn. But 4a
exist!'
Evening star., 1926-12-12
IN VIEW
By Helen Ormsbee
An Incident of the Time When Santa Was in Hard Luck

| You're the type. Mr.. Dunstane. We
won't send anybody else till you've
| had a chance to see their merchandise
manager. The one on the fourth floor,
they said. They'll only pay $50 a
week but--well, things are pretty dull
| at present"
Things were always dull for an
actor out of work.
THUS he had come to be Santa
Claus. slowing dolls and games,
drums and balls, into the half filled
red pack beside him. Very seriously,
he picked up a toy soldier and ex-
, amined it carefully. After which he
put the soldier into his pack. All this
was business" which he had invented
and he was rather pleased with it.
He went through it, although today
customers were too hurried to notice
him. In the past weeks when people
paused to watch him. he would heal
them say,'Look at him! Amt he just
like" Or, See, honey lamb, he's put
ting the dress on that dolly. Well,
did you ever? He's a pretty cute old
gentleman. isn't he?"
Their appreciation was as sweet
smelling SAVIOR in his nostrils An
audience! He could feel it's responsive
ness He played upon it. Made it
laugh when he wanted held it silent
and attentive if he chose.
John Dunstane knew that pleasing
the kids was, in it's way, an art, and
he held his head little higher. The
job which he had undertaken in shame
to pay Mrs. Hollins yielded him un-
expected satisfaction. He even took q
secret pride in HE performance, lavish
TO- -1- It,
beard. obviously false, but a nice,
bushy one, the line where it Joined his
face being concealed by little tufts of
hair which he built up on his cheeks
each morning. And every day he i'm
provised new bits of business" for
the pleasure of his beholders.
Tonight, however, all this would be
over. After Christmas, the managers
Offices and the agents, again. Moth
ing today, Mr.. Dunstane. What's
that? Not at present"
No. these four weeks at Morris
Brothers had not been a turning in
the lane. It still lay straight ahead of
him. When you're old you begin to
suspect that you missed the turning,
somewhere long way back. You don't
like to think of where you will bring
up at the end. A grave in the Actors
Fund plot-and little headStOne with
your name on the billboards. Those
billboards you never attained to, the
headstone given in kindness by people
who save you from the potter's field!
They are your life.
No. no! Shut out the idea. It takes
away your courage. Keep your heart
fixed on that magical something which
is going to happen one of these days
and make things different. Hold to It.
How live at all without it?
X
CANTA CLAUS put a box of domi-
- noes into his pack. Out Of the
corner of his eye he saw a man in a
gray overcoat coming toward him.
The man was perhaps 40. His face
was drawn and ashy. He stepped up
to the porch of the little house.
May l speak to you moment?" he
asked quietly.
The performer gave him a Santa
Claus smile and came to the edge of
Evening star., 1926-12-12

AS he went home from the corner,
without seconds warning. that name
with 9Th" in 1t came back to John
Dunstane. There it was upon his
tongue, as If it had never left him.
Queer that memories behave 80.
Thorcroft! OF course. He stopped on
the sidewalk, pulled a stubby pencil
out of his pocket, and scrawled the
word upon the margin of his Sunday
paper, before he could forget
Reaching the house. he consulted
Mrs. Hollins' thumbed and dog cared
telephone book. The Thorcrofts' ad-
dress was there.
Up two long flights of stairs, as
fast as feet that stumbled would per-
NIT. He did not know why he was
hurrying, until he saw the red suit
still dangling from it's hook.
Into his battered traveling-bag he
packed the costume, scarcely ac-
knowledging to himself that he did 1t.
Childish, this notion. And yet he
could not give 1t up. He started for
the region of Park avenue. He wanted
to play Santa Claus to Hughie once
more.
HUGHES father was at home.
His face was not drawn and
ashy today. Yes, the boy could see
Santa Claus. Pop Dunstane's heart
leaped. For few minutes. he would
be jolly saint in a red coat and for
get tomorrow and the agencies.
'If you'll let me have a room
where I can make up and dress" he
suggested. and moved eagerly toward
the stairs. Shall 1 go up?"
Just a minute. 1 wanted to ask If
you got my letter." questioned Mr..
Thorcroft. "I sent 1t night before
last, but the mails are slow on account
of the holidays"
He shook his head. No
Il wrote to thank you, Mr.. Dun
stane-for all you did-the other
night. 1t was something we can't
ever-forget. 1 meant to see you that
night, but when 1 came down with
the doctor you'd gone. Well, we'd
like to make some kind of return. Do
you remember, 1 was going to pay
you, but we hadn't settled on the
amount?"
"I thought of $50. perhaps" muir
Evening star., 1926-12-12

cies. The butler took him to the taxi,
asked his address and paid the driver.
And so, about midnight, very tired
Santa Claus climbed Mrs. Hollins'
steps. He saw the taxicab whirl
down the block, and not till then did
he remember that he had been going
to ask Hughes father $25 for this
evening Well he could go back to-
morrow and get the money.
Go back? Why, he didn't know the
street or number of the house where
he had been. Near Park avenue,
somewhere. He would have to
look it up in the phone book.
But what was Hughes fathers
name? He had heard it several times
tonight. Something with 9Th" in the
middle, like Northley or Orthwaite.
He tried to remember. No use. He
couldn't think.
A BOARDING-HOUSE Christmas
"A dinner. John Dunstane ate it,
casting envious glances at his fellow
professionals who were fortunate
enough to have to hurry off for matt
nees. They grumbled. Theatrical
people never had a holiday like other
folks. Just an extra performance.
But Christmas behind the scenes
has it's own flavor. The geetings
called from dressing-room to dressing
room. The sound of an orchestra
tuning up. For all these things Pop
Dunstane longed, and he had no
share in them. Up in his hall bed
room on the top floor was a postal
card with a plum pudding on it, from
his niece in New Hampshire. And
a silk handkerchief which Mrs. Hol
Inns had left in a box on his bureau.
From a hook on the wall hung his
discarded Santa Claus suit, waiting
to be returned to the costumer. He
put on his overcoat and went out to
walk Past stage entrances he
strolled-concrete alleys with fire.
escapes overhanging them.
Here was the Parnassus, where he
had played In Journeys End" He
tried to imagine that he was going
to turn in at the stage door. as he
used to. 1t was a cheerful pretense.
At Hughes house for a brief space
last night Pop Dunstane had felt he
could reach out and touch future
more glowing than the past. 1t was
always like that when you had given
a good performance.
Evening star., 1926-12-12

the managers Offices with dignity
But the lean years had far outnum'
bered the prosperous ones. The years
so many OF them! Slipping along
slowly at the start. but Of late fairly
whirling past him.
Bixty-four, of course, Is not actually
old. If you're well-off and established,
people say, Getting on in years a
bit, but he's goipg strong. Doesn't
look over So" But If you need work,
they tell you to your face that you're
old. They tell you SO often that you
begin to think you are.
He visited the dramatic agencies
twice on the day Mrs. Hollins made
her request for $40. Rooms swarm
ing with people in search Of engage.
mants. How young they were-that
is, young in comparison with So. the
age Pop Dunstane admitted. profes'
sionally.
mo use going back in the after
noons," he told himself. They only
spot you for down and out"
But he went back. And on his
return call at the Walford agency
he was summoned from the anxious
crowd Of applicants into an inner
cubicle. There he was informed that
Norris Brothers, the big department
store, wanted some one to play Santa
Claus. from Thanksgiving until Christ
mas. A new venture. their employ
ing Professional
Evening star., 1926-12-12

i wonderful foretelling. But now,
the ex-Kaiser is holding up his head
again, and the end of the Hohenzol-
lerns does not seem so finally lament
able. Was the monk also wrong in
just one thing?
In Suabia popular singers and in
spired tramps recalled the song of
the woman of ST. Inghbert. 'all of
whose verses have come true" except
the following:
When Germany shall be at her
greatest the fall will come. zee
horses of the Cossacks drinking in
the Rhine and the Elbe."
When the Russians were pounding
into Germany and Austria, this too,
was quoted everywhere But at the
end of the war they said, THAT last
part failed-the Cossacks did not get
to the Rhine or Elbe" Now, on the
other hand with Russian Soviets
threatening right and left, they
change the doubt to, "Is the prophecy
perhaps not finished? VIII those
horses not yet drink in the Rhine and
the Elbe?"
In Bavaria a Wurtzburg University
professor brought back from Italy the
famous prophecy of Rosa Colombia
lovely young clairvoyant, who died
ming admitted that she had foretold
the fall of Louis Philippe, the resto-
ration of Plus TX ''by a Napoleon"
and the establishment of the King
dom of Italy. Now, Rosa Colombia
announced another revolution in Italy
after a great general war in which
Russian soldiers will bed their horses
in the Church of Taggia"
Is it not strange, people are now
saying, when the threat of Russian
Soviets increases-were the prophets
wrong in just that one detail? Or
may it be, perhaps, that their end has
not yet come?
In France they talk again of Nos
tradamus and the prophecy Of Orval.
Although France, came out of the war
victorious, the fact remains that %
prophets, beginning with Nostrada>
mus. predict the burning of Paris"
Flattered and enriched by Henry IL.
Evening star., 1926-12-12

He thought of Hughie. He won
dered if the child were better-wished
he might know surely. If only he
could think of that name with 9Th"
in the middle of it, he might tele
phone and ask.
He bought a paper. With fingers
which shook just a trifie, he opened
to the page where the death notices
were printed. While he held the paper
at arms length. his glance went slow
ly down the long column. No. No
little boy of whose name was Hugh.
Pop Dunstane breathed with re-
lief. Here, at least, was something
to rejoice at. Then he recollected
the $25 he might have had. Now
that the sum was quite lost to him,
he meditated that he might have
asked for $50. Not everybody could
have done what he did last night!
Why hadn't he even left his ad-
dress?
Tomorrow would be Saturday.
Nothing to do Sunday-the same. And
on Monday, the agencies. where they
wouldn't offer him parts any more.
What was going to become of him?
IF he could get out to California,
Jasper Brannigan would very likely
give him work in the movies, for Jas
per was an old acquaintance. IL
wouldn't do any good to write and
ask him. though. People always turn
you down if you write, but when
you're on the spot it's different.
But the fare to California;
To stay on at Mrs. Hollins' cling
ing precariously to the outskirts of
his calling. was all fate held for Dun
stane. Nothing at present'-the
phrase Of the agencies. They didn't
want you, that was what it meant.
Pop Dunstane understood. And yet
he had not been useless that night at
Hughes, he told himself. 1t was a
comforting thought.
Hughie! Was he getting well? At
stand outside of Morris Brothers
the actor bought a newspaper the next
day and hunted through the death no.
tees, as he had done yesterday. Again
the column treasured him.
That was Saturday. On Sunday he
went out to the corner of Fifty-f1rst
street, got another paper, and re-
peated his search. No boy of in to-
days list, either. 1t was certain now
that Hughie was better. That was
good! Pop Dunstane smiled.
Evening star., 1926-12-12

INJURED the man who had been Santa
Claus.
mo. no! Something substantial.
Say. $500 or 5000"
Pop Dunstane put his hand on the
stair-railing beside him. Its too
much"
Nothing would be too much.
We've kept Hughie-and you helped
US" Mr.. Thorcroft looked away. and
swallowed hard. Then he smiled.
Suppose we compromise on 5000"
For many year John Dunstane
had not had $500 all at once. He
caught his breath. Here at this in
stant, the miraculous event was hap
pening! The magical occurrence from
around the corner, for which he had
looked until his eyes had grown dim.
This money would take him to Cali
fornia--to the movies-to opportunity
In his old age.
Old age? Why, he felt younger
than the 5S he mentioned at the thea
trical Offices. The possibilities of life
are infinite, even when your hair is
white.
'Oh, come all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant
Those oadences were echoing in his
heart. For he had had faith that
and now they were going to be. To
believe, and to keep on believing!
That's life. he thought. That is what
makes you live.
Thank you," he managed to say.
Then. because he was happy, 1--WE
heard. Mr.. Thorcroft. that a person
can have a funeral for 5000. Is that
so?"
Hughes father. seeming rather
puzzled, supposed it might be.
That's good Pop Dunstane's
shoulders lifted. The fear which had
walked with him so long, was gone.
He need not look forward to the
Actors Fund plot and the little white
headstone.
iii put $500 in the bank" he
said "And the rest of the money I'll
take to California. l have something
in view, professionally. out there"
He stood for a moment, elated, with
eyes upon the future. Then he started
up the stairs. to make up and dress
and play for Hughie. The world was
brave, even as it had been in the
1905, and hope was everywhere.
tCopvright 1926
Evening star., 1926-12-12

again" She spoke in a frightened
whisper What do you think 1t
means-his coming back? He and
the nurse won't tell me anything
So this was the little boys mother.
The terror in her voice showed that.
She was much younger than her hus'
band
They went upstairs, and Pop Dun
stane waited. He wondered what he
ought to ask for his visit here this
evening. Whatever you think is
right" Hughes father had said
Well $25, maybe. An actor of the
legitimate stage should not value his
| services too cheaply.
Mr.. Thorcroft returned I'm to
take you up to Hughie," he said.
But here's the doctor. He wants to
| speak to you first
The doctor was short and square.
shouldered, and had an air of author.
| ity. He gave slow measuring
| glance at John Dunstane, as though
he were looking at him, not at Santa
Claus.
II may as we'll tell you," he began
that l am going to try an expert
| ment. Mr.. Thorcroft understands
that. He brought you just to give the
child a little pleasure at the sight OF
| you. But want to use you for some
thing more important, If you're will
ing. You're an actor, believe
! Mr."