Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-05-16
''Chirps'' A
from the
Democrats Pen

course. the weather has been dry; it
has been moist enough in other ways
People seem plenty able to get a
snifter now and then to wet their
whistles.
I saw evidence enough of that one
day last week. On one of this city's
streets, in front of the porch of a
dwelling, there is sort of elevated
patch of ground-not more than ten
feet long, and, maybe two feet wide,
held up by a concrete wall, about
eighteen inches tall. This is used by
the occupants as a small place to
grow a flower or two-a proof that
the human mind will turn many times
toward the cultivation of the beauti-
full.
Well, along comes an Individual, lit
up pretty brightly, who thought that
little garden spot I have tried to de-
scribe, was beautiful place on which
to stretch out. and sleep off his I'M
comfortable self. So he flops down
on it. The day was hot, but the gen.
tleman did not know whether it was
winter or summer, night or day, rain
ing or clear-he was dead to the
world in two minutes after he laid
himself down to rest.
Apparently, as the souse began to
wear off a bit, he must have tried
to ease himself over on his other
side, in order to make himself more
comfortable. However, he was not
aware that it was safe to turn in the
right direction in order to keep his
bed under him. But he chose to turn
south when he should have turned
north, and down he flopped on the
sidewalk.
The drop was not far enough to
waken him; he slept on with the sun
broiling down in his face, and he
didn't care a darn about the war;
about strikes; about rain or snow;
about feather bed or concrete pill
low-in short, about anything on
earth, except to get little more time
to snooze away that jag.
How-some-ever, here comes the
town police into the picture. He
didn't think that drunk made very
good picture lying there in the pedes-
TRANS territory. He slaps the incum-
bent figure on the back and tells him
it's time to get up. But he had to
tell the sleeper more than once be-
fore his eyes came open, and then
it was necessary to pry him up to a
sitting position on the bed which he
had left when he rolled off.
But there must be something rath-
er SOLDERING in the looks of an Off
GERS cap and the brass buttons and
gold braid sqn his uniform, because
when our hero did get his eye open
and saw what was in front of him,
he stood up amazingly quick and
erect, and stated he was tired and
was going home. He made good his
word and started on his hike.
Hold on" said the cop, 81 got
temporary home for you. I'll feed
you and sleep you for nothing, until
you decide what you are going to do
about this matter. This is not the
first time you have gotten uncontrol-
lably thirsty in this burg; I've told
you about it, but your hearing needs
treatment. Pm going to get you in
out of the sun, give you a nice clean
CD cot to sleep on, and when you
can tell your nice little story to the
police justice"
The last I saw of them, the two
were vending their way toward the
town lookup. The officer had grab
bed a handful of shirt at his pris-
oner's back and in that way steered
him so he would not break out a
window as he passed or take up with
another flop into the gutter. He
was supremely happy and seemed to
enjoy the cops company to the full.
What wonders does King Alcohol con-
trive!
You know, a man feels, in that
condition-so Pm told; 1 don't want
any of you people to think, now, Pm
writing from the standpoint of exper-
fence. Pm not a teetotaler. Dur
ing the campaign of prohibition VS..
anti-prohibition, 1 was about as wet
as Mr.. Crabbe, only he wouldn't adj
nit it, and Pm not above eating
mince pie with little flavor in it.
But I started to say something
on hearsay, mind you-about how a
man feels in the condition of the man
under discussion. He doesn't care
whether school keeps or not; the for
tune of a Rockefeller, Ford, or a
DUPONT is only chicken feed to him;
the wisdom of the ages is but primer
CONTINUED on Page 81