Newspaper Page Text
!pBSpSSS3W?iwBS
Bwfff
LOSING THE IDEALS
Here's another blow to ideals! Really seems if every child
hood ideal, or sentiment, or beautiful,' delightful illusion must be
knocked in the head by present day, merciless, pragmatic science.
Didn't you, as a kid just love that old story of the Exodus?
There was old John D. Rockefeller Pharaoh just a making the
poor Israelites work 'their hands pff for nothing save their board
and religion, and abusing them in every way, and "when they, got
orders to move out to a fairer land, he 'wouldn't let them go.
Then the Lord sent plagues, incjuding California fleas. But Pharaoh's
heart was only softened temporarily and, when the tribes of Israel
had got a good move on toward Canaan, the mean old critter took
after them, hotfooted, with a great army bearing big swords and
spears and a ravenous appetite for Israelites.
And, our Sunday school teacher used to tell, when the poor
Israelites came tothe Red Sea, weak and tired they despaired. But
the waters of the sea opened and the poor people passed over dry
shod. And there, close'hehind, came old frloody Pharaoh and his
warriors, a howling and a roaring and a cussing to beat all. Gee!
but we used to be terrible sorry for and s. cared about those poor
folks standing there on the beach, weepipg and wailing, not knowing
for certain whether they were to become meat for that Egyptian
mob or ancestors for our leading bankers, theater owners and dry
goods merchants. Didn't our heart swell in praise? Didn't) we stand
right up and cheer, when that good old Red Sea put out Mr. Phar
aoh and his hosts in oncgrancj, unanimous bath? You bet
Alas! Now comes frof. Raphael Blancbard, of the French
Academy of Medicine,, and proves to the satisfaction of the scientific
world, .that .the Israelites never saw that & ed Sea at all, but came
across the bitter, lakes of the Isthmus of Suez, the water of which
was made scarlet by myriads of little red worms.
Dear, dear! That beautiful sea story -laid low. "And by worms!
flight just as well prepare to learn that David slew Goliath by run--ning
him down with a motorcycle, or that the record of Mrs. Lot's
fate fs a mere yarn got up by the anti-suffragettes, or that the selling
of Joseph into slavery by his brethren was a put-up joh amcbcted
at a brotherly convention in which Joey himself was tfid leading
bull moose.. - ",
1 'Jacques My 'dear sir,, here in
our barracks ye have the tallest
Soldier ever seen. Jeems The
tallest? How tall is he? Jacques
i Six feet nine inches. Jeems
Six feet Jiirie inches? That is
nothing. In our barracks we have
a sergeantwho is so tall that he is
compelled to kneel when he wants
to scratch his lieadr' ., , , -r
ass-. -'-- gfr-.A'gjg-- - -, , m,amfmimmmmmmmmmmma
