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t a J THE WASHINGTON HERALD. 'SUNDAY. DECEMBER 8, 1912. THE OLD PARTISAN By OCTAVE THANET AUTHOR OF The Man of the Hour," The Lion' Shire," "By Inheritance" Etc, t A Story of lbe Republican Convcn tlon of lflO. I aat so far back In the gallery that my opinion of my delegate friend dwindled with every session. Never theless my unimportant seat had Us advantages. I could see the vast assent bly and watch the throbbing of the Re publican pulse if I could not hear Us heart-beats. Therefore, perhaps, I stud- led my neighbors more than I might study them under different circumstances. The great wooden hall had Its transient land unsubstantial character stamped on every bare wooden Joist and uncllnched nail. It was gaudy with flags and bunt ing and cheap portraits. There were tin bannerettes crookedly marshaled on the floor, to Indicate the homes of the differ ent States A few delegates, doubtless new to the business and overzealous, w ere already on the floor, but none of the principals was -visible They were per spiring and arguing in those committee rooms, those hotel lobbies and crowded hotel-rooms where the real business of the convention was already done and neatly prepared for presentation to the nation I had nothing to keep me from studying my neighbors In front of me sat two people who had occupied the same seats at every session that I was present, a joung girl and an old man. The girl wore the omnipresent shirtwaist (of pretty blue and white tints, with snowy cuffs and collar), and her green straw hat was decked with blue corn flowers, from which I inferred that she had an eye on the fashions Her black hair was thick and glossy under the green straw I thought that she had a graceful neck It was very white Whiter than her face, which kept a touch of sun burn, as If she were often out In the open air Somehow I concluded that she was a shop girl and rode a wheel. If I were wrong It s not likely that I shall ever know The old man. I fancied, was not so old as he looked, his delicate, haggard profile ma have owed Its sunken lines and the dim eje to sickness rather than to jears. He wore the heavy broadcloth of the rural polltclan, and his coat sagged over his narrow chest as If he had left his waistcoat at home On his coat lapel were four old fashioned Blaine badges Incessantly he fanned himself It can t be thej aln t going to nomi nate him to dav he asked rather than asserted, his oice breaking on the higher notes the mere wreck of a voice. Oh maybe later the girl reassured n m Well I wanted to attend a Republi can convention once more before I died lour ma would have It I wasnt strong"! rziuusu um i Knew oeiter jou ana I knew better didn t we, Jenn She made no answer except to pat his thin ribbed brown hand with her soft, white slim one but there was a world of svmpathj In the gesture and her sil ent smile I wonder what our ma said when she cam down sta rs and found the let ter and us gone he tackled with the garrulous glee of a child recounting suc cessfjl mischief made me think of the times when sou was little and I sto'e jou awav for the circus Once jour pa thought vou was lost member And once vol had on jour school dress and voud tore it he did scold vou that t me But we had fun when thev used to let mp have mono didn t we, Jenny "Well, iiow I earn money, we have good times, too, grandpa," said, Jenny, smiling the same tender, comprehending smile. "We do that; I don't know what I would do -cept for you, lamble, and this Is this la a grand time. Jenny, you look and listen; t's a great -thing to see a nation, making Its princples and Its President and such a President!" He halt turned bis head as he- spoke, with a mounting enthusiasm, thus bring ing his flushing face and eager eyes no longer dim Into the focus oC nU next neighbor's bright gray eyes. The neighbor was a young man, not very young, but hardly to be called elderly, of an alert bearing and kindly smile. "I think him a pretty fair man my self." said the other with a jocose un derstatement; "I came from his town." What was there In such a simple state ment to bring a, distinctly anxious look Into the young girl's soft eyes' There it was; one could not mistake It. "Well"' said the old man: there was a flattering deference In his voice ""Well, well. And and maybe jou've seen him lately" The quavering tones sharpened with a keener feeling. It Was almost as If the man were Inquiring for some one on whom he had a great stake of affec tion "How did he look Was he bet ter, stronger'" Oh, he looked elegant," said the Ohio man, easlij. but with a disconcerted side glance at the girl whose eyes were im plorlng him T ve been a Blaine man ever since he was run the time Bob Ingersoll nomi nated him,' said the old man. who sigh' ed as if relieved. " I was at that conven tion and heard the speech " Ah. that was a speech to hear," said a man behind, and two or three men edged their heads nearer The old Republican straightened his bent shoulders, his winter-stung fea tures softened and warmed at the mani festation of interest, his voice sank to the confidential undertone of the narra tor You're right, sir. right. It was a mag nificent speech I can see him Jest as he stood there, a stoutlsh. good looking man, smooth-faced, his eye straight ahead, and an alternate that sat next to me I was an alternate. I ve been an alternate four times. I could have been a delegate but I sajs, 'No abler men than me are wanting It I'm willing to tight in the rangs' But I wished I had a vote, a free vote that da. I tell jou The alternate near me he sa s. You 11 hear something fine now I ve heard him speak ' You did too. I guess ' "We could hear from the first min ute That kinder fixed our attention He had a mellow, rich kind of voice that melted Into our ears We found ourselves listening and liking him from the first sentence At first he was as quiet as a summer breeze but presently he began to warm up and the -words flowed out like a stream of Jewels It as electrlfjlng it was thrlling sir. It took us off our feet before we knew It, and when he came to the climax, those of us that werent jelling in the aisles re Jumping up and down on our chairs' I know I found mv-self prancing up and down on mj own hat on a chair, swing ing somebodj else s hat and screaming at the top of m voice with the tears running down mj cheeks God' sir. there were men there on their feet cheerlpg their thro-its out that had to ote against Blaine Afterward had to, because they were there Instructed no more free will than a checked trunk!" The light died! Fainter,' says he in that beautiful voice out ot his face. "Tea, sir, a great speech: never so great a speech, whoever made it: but it did no good, he wasn't nomi nated, and, when we did nominate him we were cheated out of our victory. Well, we'll do better this day." -"We will that, said tbe other man, heartily! "McKlnley- "You'll excuse me" the old man struck in with a deprecating air,, yet under tbe apology something' fiercely eager and anxious that 'glued the hearer eyes to his quivering old face "You'll excuse me, I I am a considerable of an Invalid and I don't keep the run of things as J. used to. You see, I. live with my daughter, and jrou know how women folks are, fretting lest things should make you sick, and my girl she worries so, me reading the papers. Fact is I got a shock once, an awful shock." he -shivered Involun tarily and his dim eyes clouded "and. It worried her seeing me read. Hadn't ought to; It dont -worry Jenny here; who often gets me a paper, quiet like. but you know how it Is with women K's easier giving them their head a little and so I don't see many, papers. and I kinder dropped off. It seems .queer. but I .den t exactly sense it about this McKlnley Is he running against Blaine or Jest for vice" The girl, under some feminine pre text of dropping and reaching for her .handkerchief, threw upward a glance of appeal at the Interlocutor. Hurriedly she stepped into the conversation. "II y grandfather read a false report about about Mr Blatne'a sickness, and ho was not well at the time, and It brought on a bad attack.' I understand." said the listener, with a grave nod of his head and movement of his ejes In the girls direction "But about McKlnley" the old man persisted. ' He's for Vice President," the girl an nounced, her eyes fixed on the hesitating man from Canton. I have often admired the intrepid fashion In which a woman will put her conscience at a moral hedge, while a marr of no finer spiritual fiber will bo straining his ejes to find a hole through which he can crawl "McKlnlej is not opposed to Blaine, Is he" she asked the roan ' The Republican party has no name that is more loved than that of James G Blaine," said the man, gravely That s so, that s so' ' the old partisan assented eagerlj , ' to my mind he s tho logical candidate " The Canton man nodded, and asked if he had ever seen Blaine. Once, only once I was on a dele gation sent to wait on him and ask him to our town to speak he was la Cincin nati I held out my hand when my turn came, and the chairman nearly knocked tho breath out of me bj saying 'Heres the man who gave more to our campaign fund and worked harder than any man in the country, and we all worked hard for jou. too ' Well, Mr Blaine looked at me. You know the intent wa he looks He has the most wonderful e1 es. look right at jou and seem to bore into jou like a gimlet I felt as If he was looking right down Into m soul, and I tell you I was glad for I choked up so I couldn t find a word, not a word, and I was ready and fluent enough In those dajs too I can tell jou. but I stood there tilling up, and squeezed his hand and gulped and got red like a fool But be understood. 1 have heard of your loyalty to Republican principles. Mr. of his that was like a violin: and I burst In 1 couldn't help It It ain't loy alty to Republican principles, lt'a to you. I said that right out. And he smiled, and said he. Well, that's wrong, but It isn't for me to quarrel with you there, Mr-rPalnter." and then they 'pushed me along; but twice while, the talk was going on I saw him look my way and caught his eye. and fie smlleo", and when we were all shaking hands for good-by' he shook hands with a good firm grip, and said he. 'Good-by, Mr. Painter; I hope we shall meet again.' The old man drew a long sigh. 'Those few moments paid for everything," he said. "I've never seen him since. I've been sick and lost money. I ain't the man I was. I never shall be put on any delegation again, or be sent to any con vention; but I thought it I could only go once more to a Republican convention and hear them holler for Blaine, and holler once more myself I'd be willlnger to die And I told Tom Hale that, and he and Jenny raised the money. Yes. Jenny, Im going tq tell he and Jenny put off being married a bit so'a I could go, and go on plenty of money Jenny, she worked a month longer to have plenty, and Tom. he slipped ten dollars Into my hand unbeknown to htr. Jest as we were going, so I'd always have a dime to give the waiter or the porter. I was never one of these hayseed farm- era, too stingy to give a colored boy a dime when he'd done his best. I didn't need no money for badges. I got my old badges see'" He pushed out the lapel of his coat. covered with old-fashioned frayed bits of tinsel and ribbon, smiling confident!)' The girl had flushed crimson to the rim of her white collar, but there was not a trace of petulance In her air. and. all at once looking at him her ejes filled with tears Tom s an awful good fellow," he said, ' an aw ful good fellow "I m sure of that." said the Canton man, with the frank American friendli ness, making a little bow in Miss Jenny's direction. ' but see here, Mr Painter, do jou come from Izard Are jou the man that saved the county for the Republi cans by mortgaging his farm and then going on a house-to-house canvass 'That s me." the old man acquiesced. blushing with pleasure. 'I didn t think, though that It was known outside Things go farther than you guess I m a newspaper man. and I can tell jou that I shall speak of It again In my paper Well. I guess thej-v e got through with their ma'l. and the platform s com ing In ' he brushed aside the old man's agitated thanks One moment said the old man, 'who whos going to nominate him For the space of an ejebllnk the klnd- 1 Canton man looked embarrassed, then said, brlsklj Foraker Foraker, of Ohio lie s the principal one That s he now chairman of the committee on reso lutions. He s there, the tall man with the mustache lint that elderlj man with the stoop shoulders and the chin beard and caved in fare Teller ' It was a man near me on th seat behind who spoke tapping the Canton man with his fan. to attract attention already the pitiful concerns of the old man who wan a 1 ttlci oft (as I had heard some one on the seat whisper) were sucked out of notice in the whirl pool of the approaching political storm. "Yes, that's Teller," answered tho Can ton man, his mouth straightening and growing thin. "Is It to be a bolt?" , The Canton man nodded, at which the other whistled and communicated the in formation to his neighbors, one of whoml remarked, "Let em bolt and be damned!" A general, subtle excitement seemed to comunieate Its vibrations to all the gal lery. Perhaps I should except tbe old partisan; no questioned the rlrl In i whisper, and then, seeming to be satis fled, watched the strange scene that en sued 'with an expression of patient wear! nesa. The girl explained parts of the platform to him and he assented; It was good Republican doctrine, he said, bdt what did they mean with all this talk against the money, were they having trouble with the mining States again? The Canton man stopped to explain he certainty was good-humored During the next twenty minutes, tilled as they were with savage emotion, while the galleries, like the floor, were on their chairs yelling, cheering, brandishing flags and fists and tyns and pampas piumes or reo, wnite. and blue at the lit tle band of silver men who marched through the ranks of their former com rades; he stood, ho waved his fan in his feeble old hand, but he did not shout. "You must excuse me." said he. Tin all right on the money question, but I m saving my voice to shout for him' That s right," said the Canton man, but he cast a backward glance which said as plainly as a glance can speak, I wish I wero out of this"" Meanwhile, with an absent but happy smile, the old Blaine man was beating time to the vast waves of sound that rose and swelled above the band, above the cheering above the cries of anger and scorn, the tremendous chorus that had stiffened men's hearts as they marched to death and rung through streets filled with armies and thrilled the waiting hearts at home Three chem for tha ird white and blue' Three cheers for the red whit, and blue' The arfflj and nary forerer three cheers for the red. while and Nut1 But when tbe chairman had stilled the tumult and made his grim comment. "There appear to be enough delegates left to transact business the old parti san cast his ejes down to the floor with chuckle. ' I can t see the holo thej made It's so small Saj aln t he a mag nificent chairman, jou can hear every word he sajs'" "Builj cha rman ' said a cheerful "rooter" In the rear, who had enjoyed the episode more than words can saj. and had cheered the passing of sliver with such choice quotations from popu lar songs as 'Good-by, My Lover Good b " and Just Mention That lou Saw Me. ' and plainly felt that he too had adorned the moment I ncarlj missed coming this morning, and I wouldn't have missed it for a tenner, thej re going to nom nate now ' The old man caught his breath, then he smiled Til help jou shout pretty soon." said he while he sat down very carefullj The "rooter " a good looking young fel low with a Reed button and three or four gauds badges decking his crash coat nodded and tapped his temple fur tlvelj still retaining his expression of I felt that the Canton man need not be afra.d. Somehow -we were all tacit ly taking care that this poor, bewildered soul should not have Us little dream of loyal, unselfish satisfaction dispelled. "Ah, my countrymen," I thought, "you do a hundred crazy ..things, you crush 'les convenances' under foot, you can be fooled by frantic visionaries, but how I save you!" It waa Baldwin, of Iowa, that made the first speech. He was one of the very few men I had almost said of the two men that we In the galleries had the pleasure of hearing; and we could hear every word. lie began with a glowing tribute to Blaine. At the first sentence our old man flung his gray head in the air with tbe gesture of the war horse when he catches the first, far-off scream of the trumpet. He leaned forward, his fea tures twitching, his eyes burning, the fan dropped out of his limp hand: his fingers. ,rapplng his palm, clenched and loosened themselves unconsciously In an overpowering agitation His face was white as marble, with ominous blue "shadows, but every muscle waa astraln. bis chest expanded: his shoulders drew back: his mouth was as strong and Arm as a young man For a second we could see what he had been at his prime Then the orator's climax came, and the name the magic name that was its own campaign cry In Itself The old partisan leaped to his feet, he waved his hands above his head. wild, strange. In his white flame of excitement. He shouted, and we all shouted with h'ra. the McKlnley man and the Reed man vielng with each other (I here offer my testimony as to the scope and qual ity of that young Reed man s voice) and the air rang about us "Blaine Blaine' James G Blaine' ' He shrieked the name again and again, goading Into life the waning applause Then in an Instant his will snapped under the strain, his gray beard tilted In the air. his gray head went back on his neck. The Canton man and I caught him in time to ease the faiL We were helped to pull htm into the aisle There were four of us by this time his granddaugh ter and the Reed "rooter besides the Canton man and mjself W e carried him In'o the wide passage way that led to the seats. The Reed young man ran for water, and. finding none, qulcklj returned with a glass of lemonade (he was a joung fellow readj In shirts) and with It we bathed the old man s face Presently he came hark by degrees to the world he was not conscious, but we could see that he was not going to die He 11 be all right In no time ' declared the Reed man ' Tt ou had better go back and get jour seats and keep mine ' I assured both men that I could not re turn for more than a short time, having an engagement for luncheon That a all right said the Reed man turning to the Canton man, I aln t shouting when Foraker comes, jou are I ou go back and keep mj seat 1 11 come in later on Hobart So the klndlj Canton man returned to the convention for which he was longing and we remained In our little corner by the window the voung girl fanning the old man and th joung man on the watch for a bov with water He darted after one and then the girl radiant good nature The Canton man I turned to me nodded and frowned No one disturbed us Below the traf fic of a great city roared up to us and a brass band clanged merrily. The crowd hurried past, drawn by the tidings that "the flght was on," and choked the out lets and suffocated the galleries. "He's been that way ever since he read, suddenly, that Blaine was dead" she said, lowering her voice to keep It safe from his falling ears "he had a kind of a stroke, and ever since he's had the notion that Blaine was alive and was going to be nominated, and his heart was set ft? coming here. Mother was afraid, but when when he cried to go, I could not help taking him I didn t know but maybe It might help him! he was such a smart man and such a good man; and he has had trouble about mort gaging the farm: and he worked so hard to get the money back, so mother would feel right All through the hot weather he worked, and I guess that's how It happened. You don't think It a hurt him? The doctor said he might go. He told T , that gentleman friend of mine who asked him." "Oh, dear, no," I exclaimed, "it has been good for him." I asked for her address, which for tunately was near, and I offered her the cab that was waiting for me 1 had some ado to persuade her accept It. but when I pointed to her grandfather's pal face she did accept it. thanking me in a simple but touching waj-, and. of course. begging me to visit her at Izard. Ohio All this while we had been sedulously fanning the old man. who would occas ionly open his eyes for a second, but gave no other sign of returning consciousness The joung Reed man came back with the water He was bathing the old man s forehead In a very sk 11 ful and careful way. using my handkerchief, when an uproar of cheering shook the very floor under us and the rafters overhead. Who is It" the old man inquired. feebls Foraker' Foraker" bellowed the crowd He's nominated him'" muttered ths old man. but this time he did not at tempt to rise. 'With a smile of great con tent he leaned against his granddaugh ter's strong joung frame and listened, while the cheers swelled Into a deafening din. an Immeasurable tumult of sound. out of which a few strong voices shaped the chorus of the Battle Cry of Freedom. to be caught up bj 13.CO0 throats and pealed through the walls far down the Ity streets to the vast crowd without The joung Reed "boomer ' carried away by the moment, flung his free hand above his head and jelled deflnantly Three cheers for the man from Maine Instantly he caught at his wits his color turned, and he lifted an abashed face to joung girl But. reallj. you krow that aln t giv ing nothing awaj.' he apologized, pluck ing up heart "May I do It again ' The old partisan's eje lighted. "Now thej re shouting' That a like old times" do it again, boy' Blaine' Blaine' James G Blaine"' He let us lead him to the carriage. the rapturous smile still on his lips The rooter" and I wormed our wav through the crowd back to the seats hlch the kind Canton man had kept for us W e were quite like old acquaintan es now and he turned to rr at once ' Was there ever a politician or a statesman since Henrv Claj. loved so well as James G Blaine" (Corjrifht bj the Bobbj-Mwrlll Ccv") Admiral's Son, in Overalls, Works in Boston Navy Yard Charles D. Sigsbee, Jr., Repairs Boilers and Studies at Night Anxious to Become Mechanical Engineer. BERNHARDT YOUNG AT 69. Eotoj Uec 7 Charles D blgsbee Jr, s n of Rear Admiral bigsbee retired, commandei of the ill fated battleship Maine works eight hours a daj In the r wer pant at Charlestown Navy ard, and his work is not of the kid glove urt for he goes at It in grimj overalls ano jumper Mgsbee s but twentj two and each claj performs tatks on equal terms with older trained mechanics in the electric lih station His work consists of re Pa ring boileis and doing odd jobs about tm plant such as cleaning tubeb. making draft tests, hammering nvets and lift ing eavj pieces of tubing when the oc casion demands The admiral s ton arises each morn u g at la o clock and tends to the fur nace at his mother's apartment, 70 High Street Charlestown The bigsbees live on the third floor, and after his morning journey to the furnace, three stones below he Indulges In a few phvscal culture exercises with dumb bells chest weights and Indian clubs Then following a cold plunge, he is readj for breakfast, which he prepares himself He next makes four sandwiches cuts two generous pices of pie and packs them with some fruit in a paper bag This comprises his noonday lunch Sigsbee walks a half mile from his home to the navy jard and reports for dutj at k o clock. During the morning hi, labors are confined to the office of the electrician in charge of the power plant, Joseph R McGill Here blgsbee maJ.es water tests to determlnfe the quality of the water going Into the boilers Other of Sigsbee s duties Is the fig uring out of evaporation arid the making cf various records dealing with the work at tne plant. His knowledge of chemis trj, which is necessary in anal j zing the v.ater, is self acquired and not the re sult of anj course at school. studies All the Time. In speaking of his morning labors in the power plant office, bigsbee said "It is office work that could not be done by - man without mechanical training "At 13 o clock I quit work for lunch. I have to report for work again at II 30. During that half hour I sit eating my lunch and studying I study every chance I get I have no fear of a break down. I am In better condition now than before I started in working "At 12 30 I put on my dirty overalls and jumper and report for duty at the boiler room of the power plant. Then comes the hardest part of the day's work. There are hundreds of different things to do Sometimes I clean boiler tubes. I cut rivets, make draft tests and -all sorts of things like that. 'it Is heavy work and there Is a lot cf hammering to do. especially in driv ing rivets Some of the boiler tubes are four inches In diameter and twenty feet long Sometimes I clean them, some times I lift them about. Samuel Doug las Is electrician in charge of the boilers He Is the boss and I learn a number of things there It would be Impossible for me to learn In other plants. "Prior to my coming here I was em ployed as a mechanic at the American Iron -and bteel Works at Lebanon. Pa. I tad been a student at Washington High the air. School I had an easj time of It when I was a boj I used to get up late In the morning and go to school Takes Ills Chances. ' Then I started In on a man s Job In the steel works I had relatives In the steel business and that Is how I became inter ested in it But I was shown no favorit ism That was in 1903 While at work in the steel factors I took a correspond ence course In mechanical engineering After I finish mj work each daj. I walk back home and get my supper Tl en I either go to school or studs Sometimes I study until 1 or 1 o clock Then I have to get up at 6 15 Mv mother is at present visiting at the naw yard but she will take up her residence ncre snortij I expect to remain here urtll the summer of 1314, when I hope to return to Lebanon and take a resDon- sible position In the steel works Father Is in Washington where his duties de mand his presence. SHOWERS OF SPIDERS. Frrcn the New York Sim. Gilbert White gives an account of spider showed that continued for nearly a whole day Darwin saw one at sea. Each spider was suported, it appears, by a tiny parachute composed of a few threads of almost invisible gossamer Spider showers have from time to time been made the subject of scientific re ports in this countrj One of them gives this description of the phenomenon On the morning of this shower there had been some electrical disturbances. There had, been one loud peal of thun der, but no rain At 10 o'clock there was observed a number of spiders that ran over the coat sleeves of the observer He brushed off several trails of gossamer web Upon looking about, he discovered that the houses walls, and trees showed these webs dangling from them, and that other gossamer webs were contin ually falling from above and adding to the accumulation. By midday a fence was festooned from point to point of its triangular rail tops with a ribbon-like ladder of gossamer, and this continued to become broader and broader as the tiny creatures continued to run along this ladder, each spider in creasing the breadth by adding its own contribution of another silken thread. All along this ladder the spiders were t running In an excited and hurried man ner, as If they had lost their way in a strange country. Some. In proceeding over their Improvised road, made mis takes and got Into the bdrdering webs of the garden spiders, by which they were speedily devoured. At 1 o clock the clouds v anished. the sun came out. and the observer noticed that some of the spiders had begun to reascend Into the atmosphere. Fixing his gaze upon one of them, he observed that as it left the gossamer pathway It selected a clean spot on an iron railing ami. gathering lis legs closely together, projected its splnerets, several threads that extended outward and stretched up ward from nine to twelve Inches. Then this parachute seemed to show a buoy ant tendency, and suddenly the tiny creature let go of the Iron rail, or was lifted off It, and quickly vanished Into 9fir SM2BJBr' S J crv tfy57laMlhBC"iairV yy JrpMr-Srg5IWBrayPTsBf "TWlfci.,!,.!, Christmas Days Over For Many of Workers Toymakers, Poets, and Writers Had Their Yule- tide Spirit Early in the Summertime. Christmas Cards Conventional. '-Ssiwa. MMTi, SARAH BERNHARDT, Xeyr York, Dee. ". Mme. Sarah Drrnhnrdt. the wonderful French actress. u Ixiy-alne now, and looks In much better health than when she vra here last. She -wore a yelfow doeskin coat, three-quarter length, trimmed -with brown fur at brovrn hat and brown satin shoes to match. In regard to the suffragette movement, Mme. Bernhardt "aid she did not think vsomen were physically lit to take part In the government. Army Reforms IS ceded. Henry I BUinSon, Secretary of War The army posts as at present located are unfit and lead to extravagance. They were originally located with reference to Indian troubles, and few of them aro In places suited to meet the needs of national action or defense. The average number of companies to each of the forty-nine posts Is only nine. In short, we have scattered our army over the country as If It were merely groups Of local constabulary. Insten of a -national organization. The result Is an -army which Is extraordinarily ex. pensive to maintain, and one whose effi ciency for the main purpose of Us exist ence has been nullified, so far as geo graphical location can nullify it. It is true that the small units into which It has been subdivided have main tained efllclencj to a remarkable extent Eut for the contingencj, by which a na tional army must alwaja be judged namely, the contingency of a warwith a nrst-class power the army Is unpre pared. Grass stains may bo removed from washable fabrics by rubbing with fresh lard before washing. Christmas comes early to some folk. TMtness the toj-maker He s making toys the whole jear round, and his dreams of luletlde lve in a future dec ade of little children Then the-e is the Christmas poet. His rondels must be ready for the calendar and postal csrd firms In Maj. sometimes earlier The dead 1 ne ' for magazine holiday stories i August Thej begin on their Christ mas programme In June and the writer must conform if lie would sell Imagine the fellcltj of inspiration which permits the composition or verso and prose dealing with drifting snow, the cr'sp chime of Christmas bells, and all the good cheer that comes with the great daj. with the temperature standing hlgn in the shade accompanied with all the regular business of summer Work ppenrlns: "vow. Nevertheless It Is done everj vear The advance numbers of the Christmas maga zines are coming out. one by one. and the first cons'gnment of greeting cards and calendars has reached Washington The prime ides, of tho Christmas-card manufacturer this sear runs toward conventional make-up of art and verse with a new twlbt, Dickens and John Peel cards and calendars are the vogue, especially among the London importa tions. But Christmas stjies in old Nu remberg are unfaltering and never change This is evident from an Import and do mestic shipment of art cards and calen dars recently received In Washington from E. P. Dutton i Co, of New York. Cards Ron In Series. The Christmas cards run in series, etch ed and scribed with particular charm and novelty. One Is the stocking tag, which consists of a card cut In the shape of a stocking. A prettj child's head peeps out of each The gamut runs from the new age of progresslv Ism back to the good old colonial class without a miss, to the good ship Mas flower Hero Is a set of pictures got In holding a set of old time cards like a fan. pretty dame and beau extending Christmas greetings with hand and lip, child caught peeping from behind a curtain of an old- fashioned canopiecf bed mother ana chil dren singing an Infant to sleep with Christmas carols, a buxom lass at her distaff, a la Prise 11a and John Alden fair dame coming down the stairs lighting the way with a bayberry candle Then the scenes change You see a Dutch family group gathered round a table loaded with Christmas cheer The goose Is dono to a turn, and the stout burgher is smiling like seven hundred dol lars. Then jou see a rosy maid of New Amsterdam looking out to sea from the Batterv Wall for the ship that Is to bring her sailor lover home for Christ mas. Even old Peter Stuyvesant walks again with gold-headed cane and massive strut. He nods approval as je old town crier walks through W all Street announc ing that it is Christmas Day Ye Bear and Bull and ye little innocent famb (as jet unshorn) are seen. too. The'laat is a beautiful color sketch of rtoud of little children gazing at a picture ot old St. Nicholas, with wide, ex pectant eyes. The Dickens group Is replete with fa miliar characters, scenes and Dickens' wonderful Christmas carou. se Bob Cratchlt and h s family, from A Christmas Carol Bob himself is standing up with his toast. A Mem Christmas to us all mj dears and God bless us, everj one And from the Cricket on the Hearth' Mr and Mrs Perryblngle wish jou a right merrj Christmas, too And so the list runs on. -There s a laugh In some tender feeling In others and through them all strikes sweet and clear the c hrlstrms spirit I toplan. KirMD Judce. The maid of good Mrs. McGlue (That s who") Has prartkallj noth ng to do (Hurroo") But rise it four-thlrtv And wash up whats dirts. Then work till next morning at two fCalloo Callay! don t you "wish it was you') In Seen from Oskaloosa Fran the OakalooM Timfm. The great cry of the "high cost of llv lng" Is so larg ij a matter of lmagtna t on It is difficult to appreciate how people can make so much out of It. As a matter ot fact there never was a tlm In the history of the world when the average man could live so well on the product of his dav s toil as right at this time The great trouble is that the man of moderate means wants to live a great deal better than the kings and nobles of the past centurj. and as a matter of fac he does When the writer was a boj his wardrobe cons "ted of a hlckorj shirt and pair of overalls with home-made suspenders Shoes were out of the question except occasionally for bundaj or special occasions. The table was provilecl largely from the garden and small orchard meat of any kind was not plentiful and the thought C going to a butcher shop and buying beef steak wculd have been sufficient evdence of lnsanltj to convict in anj court, and there were dozens of famijiea lived Just. as we did and grew up good, strong men and women, with no thought of an eight-hour day nor a union scale, " but with a wholesome dread of debt, and tirmlj taught to spend less than was earned no matter what that might be Nowadajs bojs circumstanced as we were then must have $- shoes, silk hose. JT3 suits and K shirts their parents buy all their p-ovisions from the stores because It Is too much troubla to make garden, must have beefsteak everr If it is "5 cents a pound, and put off pay day as long as possible and this Is the answer to the high cost of living," It Is "the cost of high living " Have You a Little Dactyl in Your Cognomen? Or a Spondee? Woodroiv Wilson Explains Why He Dropped Front Name, and Causes Politicians to Make Wild Scramble for Dictionaries. How did W oodrow Wilson come to drop the "Thomas " from his name The Hartford Courant sajs that sixteen jears ago. when the President elect was a pro fessor at Weslejan University, he ex plained it all one evening In a call on a fellow -professor The explanation. wMch seems to satisfy tho Hartlord uourani perfect"), was as follows "For those who wish to achieve any success In public life, said Prof W ilson when the conversation turned on names and their value, ' the best kind of a name Is one that consists of a dactji ana spondee For Instance Daniel Webster The next best kind of a name Is one con sisting of two spondees w oodrow vvu son, for Instance " The- secret Is out now Rut Is it common nropertj Is It avail able for the gentlemen who think long. long thoughts about acnieving success In public life- Th-rtTcan hardly be ciatmea lor iu What and VIy . Tliescf What Is a dactjl What Is a spondee These are the questions which the man with political ambitions win promptly ask himself What Is the real signifi cance of the tip which the most suc cessful man in public to day has given his fellow-seekers President-elect Wilson may tell his fel low-climbers to go to the dictionary" and unwrap his meaning there But It Is a notorious, fact that for most politicians there is never a dictionary handy If he lives at home the politician finds Webster commandeered by his wife, who uses it as a "make-we-ght" in the You will I clothes closet. If be lives, la a bachelor hotel there is no dictionary in the room nothing but a Gideon Bible. If he lives at the athletic club his sole intellectual companions are Spalding's Guide and sporting News Mrnnce Reminder ot Pincers. On the other hand, those who are fa miliar with Ufa In the hotels, and the various athletic clubs, assert that "spon dees- and dactjls" are not as alien to that lire as they seem The " spondee ' is the name given to the slow, even measure of tho ancien hjmn which was sung or recited when somebody poured a libation And " dactyl" means a finger, and the dactvl lic measure In prosody is usually equiv alent in value to ' three fingers, one long and two short." A m j stlc sign, but doubtless far re moved from the mind of the professor of political science at Wesleyan In 1S30! Medlll McCormicL. Pazzled. I know what they mean," said Medlll McCormick 'I have them both In my name I do not know what wiU happen to me ' These luck omens are developed after tho fact, said Representative Tom Gor man of Peoria. "They remind me of the old woman who ald she always had ob served that If she lived through St. Pat ricks daj- she lived out. the rest of tha year ' " I do not care to be put In a position of disagreeing with the new President." said County Clerk Robert M Sweltzer, a Democrat, but as for me I think that instead of a dactyl and a spondee a tact ful sponsor will bring mora satisfactory results." f t o,& sk.j.bi ndtc&eeiia. j -T W J ?Cu-& ,