The Kansas City sun., March 23, 1918, Image 7

About The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO

                
THE KANSAS CITY SUN, SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1918.
STORIES
AMERI
Not Strictly Ethical, Perhaps, but He Got Results
n AMP WHEELER, MACON, OA. A company of negro soldiers, called to the
f- National army from soiitli Georgia cotton fields, failed to grasp the tech
nical military terms of the drillmaster after several days' discouraging work
on tno parodo grounds, so Into tho
breach sprang Sorgt. Thomas Wash
ington Jefferson, nsplrant for an offi
cer's commission.
"Gimme yo eyes, gimme yo eyes.
AH along de line dar, gimme yo eyes 1"
His voice pierced the chill air with
keen-cut vibrations. In a flash the
250 darkles were alive to what was
expected of them. A smile swept up
and down the lines, then quickly
melted Into n look of stern Immobility.
They had come to Immediate atten
tion, rsone moved a muscle. Not nn eyelash twitched; not a foot shifted.
They appeared like soldiers of long experience, accustomed to rigid discipline.
"Now all nlong de lino dar, lift dem guns, lift dem guns," Sergt. T. W. J.
threw his hand forward In another'convlnclng half semicircle and snapped his
Angers again and again.
Instantly every one of tho Georgia cotton field patriots shouldered arms
and eagerly awaited the next command. They were an ambitious lot; they
were anxious to do their best for Uncle Sam.
"Now pint "eml Make ready 1 Let 'cm go J All along de line, dor, let 'em
go I"
The rifle butts were pressed against the shoulders, aim was taken and the
triggers snapped. The darkles worked in perfect unison.
"Drap dem guns, all along de line dar, drop dem guns 1" Then after "order
arms" had been properly executed : "Now, shift dem feet, shuffle dem brogans,
right 'bout facel" And followed: "Gimme yo eyes, gimme yo eyes I Salute
with dem guns, all nlong de line dar, salute with dem guns 1" As Sergt. T. W.
J. did the Ivory bend and snapped his fingers with more electrifying force and
speed his charge presented arms.
"Sergeant," said the drillmaster, congratulating Thomas Washington Jeffer
son, "It looks mightily as If your chances of winning chevrons are good. Your
methods are not according to the letter of the military decalog, but they cer
tainly attain the same prescribed results."
Mr. Blue Crane and the Indigestible Bed Spring
SAN FRANCISCO. Mr. Fletcher, who slew his wife and fled to the wilder
ness or somewhere, has come back, his penance apparently done. Such was
tho rumor that has stirred Golden Gate park, and it was confirmed by Ser
geant McGee of the park police.
and snapping up every gopher or field
being n twig again, he now abstains from meat eating, only fish, as he might in
Lent or in Advent.
"He came and settled In Slattery's pool, down by the rnce track ; stood on
one leg, as in the, old days, but only dipping after fish and eels.
"Lots of things that are neither fish nor eels get Into Slattery's pool. One
of them was a bed spring.
"Mr. Fletcher dipped his beak on the bed spring and gave it his usual one
gulp.
"Well, Mr. Fletcher Is only a blue crane, nnd bed springs are bed springs.
"The bird may well .thank his stars this night that our friend Kavanaugh,
here, was1 Just going by on his horse at the time. There was the crane fighting
tho bed spring in tho middle of Sluttery's pool, and the bed spring half down
tho crnne's neck fighting Mr. Fletcher nnd refusing to budge one way or tho
other."
His Conscientious Scruples Apparently Overcome
CLEVELAND. It took A. E. Glblin, chief clerk of the district draft appeals
board, about throe minutes to overcome the conscientious scruples of a
selective objector. A man nboui twenty-seven, weighing upward of 200 pounds
and standing almost six feet, told Mr.
Glblin he didn't believe in fighting
"It hurts my conscience," he ex
plained. "You don't '"want to fight, eh?"
Glblin asked. "Don't tell me It's your
conscience. It's your nerve. Y ip're
cowardly, that's all.
"You know what tho Huns have
done to the women of Belgium. You
know what they'd do to your mother
and sister If they got the opportunity.
And still you don't want to fight. I'm
ashamed of you!" By this time Giblln's visitor was all but frothing at the
mouth. He had thrown his hat onto a chair and squared off for action.
"Don't call me a coward," he yelled, making a lunge at Glblin. "You've
gone too far now with your talk. I'll make you eat those words."
Glblin was 3ccompllshlng his purpose, and knew It.
"Just a minute," he said. "You suggested when you came in that Ger
many nnd the allies ought to arbitrate their difficulties. Let's nrbltrate."
"Arbitrate, 1" shouted the visitor. "I'll make you fight."
Then Olblln laughed.
"I know," he snV. "If I got you mad enough you'd want to fight. That's
the spirit. When you get to France and the Germans get you mad, you'll ac
count for n dozen of "em. Go on home now nnd get ready to Join the colors."
And the conscientious objector of a few minutes before, now thoroughly
angry, stamped out of Giblln's office.
Uncle-Now Hopes Community Has Not "Caught On"
1 1
(i AMP PIKE, ARK. "What you don't know won't hurt you," Is a maxim
which operates all right until the dori't-know person runs Into someone who
does, know and then complications ensue. An officer of a line organization here
service he has become an expert In semaplione signaling. On his first morning
at home the officer was seated on the back porch when uncle came out, removed
his coat and began his exercise arms up, arms put, arms across the chest, etc.
The officer watched him In Increasing astonishment.
"Walt a minute, uncle,'' he said; "you mustn't do that"
"Why uot?" replied uncle. "I've been doing It every morning for the past
1(5 years." ,
"Then," said the horrified officer to his equally horrified relative, "every
morning for the past .15 years you have been telling the entire neighborhood to
go to ."
"Mr. Fletcher," he continued, "Is
the blue crane. Lord knows how
many wives he had, whatever he swal
lowed he bolted, and that's why he
was called Fletcher.
"Well, after murdering his last
wife two years ago, he flew nway to
escape punishment or his accusing
conscience. He came back only re
cently another Mr. Fletcher. Instead
of standing on one leg In the buffalo
paddock ns before, imitating a twig,
mouse which came his way, and then
recently went home on leave. Among
the members of his household Is a dig
nified, benignant old uncle, who Is
universally honored and respected fpr
his kindness and uprightness. Uncle,
however, Is addicted to the fresh-air
calisthenics habit.
Every morning he goes out on the
back porch and goes through a pre
scribed routine- of arm movements. In
civil life the nephew had never given
uncle's habit much consideration, but
since his admission Into tho military
ITjrfAfT APPf Al I jOT
Wh&tVitell
Uomeri Will
SUITS THAT LOOK LIKE SPRING.
Here Is a group of suits for spring
that even, the unpractlced eye at a
glance will perceive to be quite un
like the suits of yesterday. Their de
signers have wandered into green
fields, and .pastures new, gathering
Ideas, and are displaying the results
of their wanderings now In suits that
have many interesting style features.
They appear to have centered atten
tion on coats nnd to have agreed that
skirts shall be plain, hang straight, or
show n little narrowing toward the
bottom, and reach at least to the shoe
top.
In coats the most noticeable Inno
vation Is the uneven line at the bottom
of the coat skirt. There Is only nn
occasional coat that is even nt the bot
tom edge, but this variety is good
style always. Another new feature In
coats Is the fitted-ln lines at the back,
which are achieved by new methods of
cutting and shaping, that almost vie
with semlfittcd models in point of num
bers. There nre many coats that fall
to close at the front, nnd some whose
only closing point is at the waistline.
These open models are worn with light
waistcoats In some cases, or over
blouses that are glimpsed to the waist.
At the left of the picture a very
graceful and clever coat has pointed
fronts and Its skirt is set on to a
TUNIC SKIRT OF
double-breasted body ending In a belt
across the front. There is a little
ripple In the skirt of the coat, which
elopes upward from the front and
across the back. Some models of this
kind are very short at the back. The
collar and cuffs are of satin with white
polka dots and the skirt narrows to
ward the hem.
At the right of the plcturo the suit
of serge maintains more mannish lines,
but reverses the order of things shown
In the other suit. Its coat slopes down
In a curved line across tho back, and
Is ono of the longest models shown.
It Is worn over n low-cut vest of white
wash satin and baa a satin ovcrcollar.
The edges are bound with narrow silk
braid and strips of this braid, with
two bone buttons finish the cuff. The
skirt Is plain and hangs almost
straight
Little sketches clsewhero In the pic
ture reveal the diversity of the new
Dress
-ofeac
styles. Assortments nre so wide In
suits that every woman may have the
satisfaction of satisfying her own style
and preferences when she makes a se
lection. The dressy, separate silk skirt has
made n history for Itself that Insures
Its welcome every season, but Its
great day Is ushered In with spring.
Its rival, the sports skirt, has pro
moted It; success for the separate
skirt of silk Is sure and deserved, nnd
there Is no end to the variety In silks
and color combinations that make It a
thing of beauty this spring.
Two or three shades of one color In
stripes and plnlds, or combinations of
contrasting colors, or colors with cross
bars In black or white, In as many de
signs ns we find In ginghams, make
the choice unlimited, but so far stripes
have been developed into the most at
tractive of the new skirts.
The season is dominated by two
styles, each with many variations. One
Is the skirt laid In plaits about the
waistline nnd the other is the tunic
skirt. The plaited skirt is not so new
as the tunic, but It is too good look
ing, nnd may be fitted with too much
good style for women to leave it out
of their reckoning.
Tunics, like coats, nre usually un
even In length. They nre Ingeniously
STRIPED SILK.
draped and here the art of the de
signer cither shines or falls. In the
skirt shown above a single piece of
silk Is so well managed In the draping
that the stripes run diagonally across
tho front and horizontally, across the
back. A feature to bo noted Is the
disposition of most of the fullness In
the tunic nt the front of the, skirt nnd
the sash of silk, like the bklrt, tied
In a bow of two loop?, at tho front of
the waist. The square end of the
silk used for the tunic Is cascaded at
the left side and nicely finished with
n row of small, flat buttons set clos
together. The underskirt Is plain and
narrow, merely two lengths of good!
sewed together and finished with q
three-Inch hem.
Beecher Street
By R. RAY BAKER
(Copyright, 1918, by the McClure Newspa
per Syndicate.)
If Ethel Drayton had done some real
reasoning Instead of leaping nt con
clusions and acting on Impulse, It Is
likely that her bark of romance, with
CUf EUrldge In command, would have
sailed serenely down the river of ngree-
ableness Into the sea of matrimony
without encountering a storm. On tho
other hand, that kind of Journey would
not have been real romance It would
have lacked zest so perhaps It Is Just
as well that Herman Hartell came over
to Ethel's desk that dreary, rainy after
noon In April and unfolded the secret
"I have something to say that Is
very disagreeable to me," began Har
tell as he brushed n hand caressingly
over his miniature moustache and
looked down nt Ethel's curly brown
hair colled on the back of her head in
a business-like knob that served as a
pencil holder. "Nevertheless," he went
on, "I feel In duty bound to say It."
Ethel Jerked a sheet of paper from
her typewriter nnd turned her black
eyes up at the head shipping clerk.
The tiny, bristling ridge of hair on
Hnr toll's upper Hp forced a smlld to
her face, but this was dispelled when
Hartell explained:
"It's about Clifford. You see, last
night V
While this conversation was taking
place, the subject of the remarks sat
on a high stool at the other side of
tho Lewis Wholesale Paper company's
shipping office and poured over a file
of orders. Out of n corner of his eye
ho saw the head shipping clerk ap
proach tho stenographer's desk, and
ho frowned.
Hartell leaned over Ethel's chair as
he revealed the secret, and Cliff ruffled
his flaxen hair with one hand and
thrummed on his desk with the other.
Half an hour later Cliff slipped from
his stool and into his light overcoat.
Carrying his hat, he approached Ethel,
who was still busy at the typewriter.
Ho passed and smiled pleasantly, but
she continued rattling the keys.
"You needn't trouble yourself to
wait for me," she Informed him In Icy
tones without pausing In her work or
looking up. "I'll be a little late, and
Mr. Hartell has promised to see me
home."
Cliffs smile vanished. Before he had:
n chance to reply, she had slipped n
ring from a finger of her left hand and
extended It toward him. She looked
Into hl3 eyes with a stare encrusted
with Ice.
"I can't wear this any longer," she
said, "after the way you have acted
lately. I have heard that all men must
sow wild oats, but I assure you that
my man won't. If you must gamble
and carouse, you can't expect to be
come my husband. I have learned all
about your going to a saloon or gam
bling den on Beecher street almost ev
ery night, and that's enough for me.
Good-night."
Cliff stumbled down the steps to the
street nnd walked three blocks, heed
less of the pouring rain, before he
came to himself and found the ring
clasped In his hand. Then he stopped
dead still In the middle of a street
crossing, undecided whether to leap In
the river or go back and throw Her
man Hartell from the roof of the six
story Lewis building. He decided to
do neither; Instead, he headed for
Beecher street.
Ethel completed her work and was
escorted to her rooming place by Har
tell. At the door she took his hand
nnd said earnestly:
"You don't know how I appreciate
the revelation you have made to me.
I know It must have been hard for
you to come and tell me about seeing
Clifford go Into that terrible place so
many times ; and I am grateful.'1
"Don't mention It, please," protested
Hartell, striving unsuccessfully toreach
his mustache with his tongue. "I
couldn't bear to see you throw your
self nway on a worthless fellow. I
save a good many blocks by cutting
through Beecher street on the wny
home and that's how I happened to
notice him there."
The next day Ethel failed to appear
nt the office, telephoning that she was
suffering from a headache. The suc
ceeding day was Sunday. The rain
had ceased but the weather had turned
chilly and the sun hid behind clouds.
Ethel listened In vain for the door
bell or the telephone, hoping Cliff
would appear as he had done each Sun
day for more than a year. True, she
had told him It was nil over; never
theless, she had expected him to come
and make some kind of a protest nnd
attempt an explanation. Tho morning
passed very gloomily for her.
Early In' tho afternoon the landlady
summoned her to tho telephone, ami
Ethel tripped over o chair In her haste
to answer the call.
"This Is Mr. Hartell," said tho voice
on the wire. "Could I call on you this
afternoon?"
Tm sorry," she replied, "but Ta
too 111 to entertain." And she went
back to her room to gazo thoughtfully
at a picture of a flaxen-haired, smil
ing youth.
About five o'clock a delegation of
three girls from her Sunday school
class called on her.
"We were anxious to learn If you
were 111," said -one, "and If not we
wanted you to go with us to visit a
poor family that the class has decided
to help."
Ethel took decided interest In tho ex
cursion when It was explained that the
family lived on Beecher street
They walked past the gloomy, rick
ety wooden dwellings, through throngs
of dirty urchins who hooted nnd mado
faces nt them, nnd flnnlly came to a
dingy opening that proved to be the
entrance to a flight of stairs.
Up these steps the girls stumbled,
their way lighted by only a few rays
that sifted through tho cracks In the
flimsy outside wall. One of the party
knocked at tho door that confronted
them at the top of the stairs.
Footsteps sounded on the floor, evi
dently those of n child. Some one
fumbled nt the knob and the door was
swung open to reveal n chubby, round
faced boy of about four years.
A mnlmed, disreputable toy bear waB
suspended by Its leg from ono hnnd of
tho tot, who blinked curiously at his
four visitors. The opening of the door
permitted a warm, pungent odor to
penetrate the hnll and each of the girls
Involuntarily shuddered.
"Who is it?" called n voice from
within a weak, plaintive voice, that
of n woman.
The tot, who was clothed In a non
descript suit of several materials and
colors, turned and called:
"T'ree dlrls."
"Come right In," answered the voice.
"I am 111 and cannot come to the
door."
The girls entered nnd noticed that
the pungent odor Increased. Tho room
was permeated with an unhcalthful
warmth, caused by keeping all the win
dows closed and thus conserving the
heat radiated from the small wood
stove.
The designs on the wall paper had
all but become eradicated by accum
ulation of smoke, grease and dust On
one wall was a framed picture of a
young man nnd woman, evidently a
bridal couple. A row of picture post
cards was the only other decoration.
A table occupied the center of tho
room, nnd nearby were n three-legged
stool and a dilapidated rocking chair.
The floor was covered with a faded
rag carpet
"Here I am," called the woman, from
the dingiest corner of the room ."Don't
look around. I'm too 111 to keep the
place clean, and JInfmy here Is too
young"
The girls found her lying on a nan;
row bed, or rather, a bunkf She was
frail and emaciated, but she carried
a pleasant smile of greeting.
Jimmy hovered near, still clinging
to the bear. Ethel, a lover of children,
picked him up in her armsf
"My, my, what clothes 1" she mu
mured to herself, but Jimmy over
heard her.
"I'm donna have new suit" he an
nounced. "Man's donna bring It."
"Who do you " Ethel began, but
at that moment Jimmy, bearing famil
iar sounds on the stnlrs, scrambled
from her arms and dashed toward the
door.
"He hears his man," explnlned the
woman on tho bed. "Nearly every
night he brings us food, and some
times candy or something to wear. He
found Jimmy on the street one night
and came home with him. Jimmy told
me his man was going to bring him a
new suit today."
The door was flung open and a young
man entered, placed n bundle on the
stool and gathered the little Ik; in his
arms.
"My man," breathed Jimmy, hugging
the newcomer, while Ethel started for
ward In amazement upon recognizing
him.
"Cliff!" she cried.
Clifford Eldrldge placed his human
burden on the floor nnd stared in as
tonishment that equaled her own.
So It was decreed that a home of
poverty should be the setting for a
proud, sensitive, Impulsive girl to ask
forgiveness and get It.
Let Children Pick Clothes.
Everyone remembers when he or she
was a child how Irltatlng It was to
have our parents pick all our clothes
without giving us any choice In the
matter. In the Woman's Home Com.
panlon a writer says: "Now, what I
nm asking for the boys Is this: Take
your sons with you when you buy
their clothing. Consult their tastes
somewhat. Don't let them select any,
thing ridiculous, but give them a
choice of half a dozen sensible coats
or hats or whatever It may be. Don't
scold them too much If they come home
with the straps, on their bloomer trous
ers unhooked so the trouser legs nro
almost long. No doubt the captain of
the baseball team and 'all the other
fellows' wear theirs that way. Or If
your boy comes up the street with his
cap over his right ear, while you nro
telling him that he looks 'just like a
little street tough' remember It was
the style that you, yourself followed
last winter, and thai 'what all the fel
lows do' means Just ns much to Johnny
ns Paris notes do to you."
, Snakes.
An explanation of this hallucination
Is offered by the result of French ex
periments n few years ago. Sixteen al
coholic patients were examined with
the ophthalmoscope, and It was found
that the minute blood vessels in the
retina of tho eyes were congested. In
this condition they appear black, nnd
are projected Into the field of vision,
where their movements resemble the
squirming of serpents.
Profession! Dignities.
"DIshcre canal boat business Is loom
In' up right Important," remarked Mr.
Erastus Plnkley. "I specks dnrs gotta
be some 'scusslon 'bout my employ
ment" "What's tho matter with your Job?"
"It's ull right, 'ceppln Jes' dls. I
don't want to be called a mule driver'
no mo". Hereafter I wants to be
luded to as 'a pilot' "
JHPBOVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
StlNMSdlOOL
Lesson a
(By E. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute. Chicago.)
(Copyright? Ills, Weatern Newipaper Union.)
LESSON FOR MARCH 24
JESUS MINISTERING TO THE MUL
TITUDES. LESSON TEXT Mark 6:32-56.
GOLDEN TEXT The son of man came
not to be ministered unto, but to minis
ter, and to give his life a ransom tor
many. Matt. 20:23.
DEVOTIONAL READING John 6:35-40.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOB
TEACHERS Exodus 16:14-18; Matt. 25:31
46: Luke 4:16-21; James 1:27; Rev. 17.
PRIMARY TOPIC Jesus a helper at all
times.
MEMORT VERSE Be of Rood cheer:
it Is I: be not afraid. Mark 6:C0
IKTERMEDIATE TOPIC-Helplnc th
needy.
SENIOR AND ADULT TOPIC-(7)
This parable marks the high level of
the year of popularity In the life of
our Lord. It Is such nn Important mir
acle ns to be the only one recorded by
nil four gospel writers. The returning;
disciples (v. 31) are urged by the Mas
ter to come with him Into n desert
place and rest and also that he might
comfort their hearts over the death of
John the Baptist "They had no
leisure." Jesus knew the need and
also the proper use of leisure, but the
multitude would not grant him this but
flocked to his retreat In the desert
They followed that they might listen to
his gracious words, or behold some new
wonder, but Jesus also saw and min
istered, (v. 24). Carlyle said he saw
in England "forty million people most
ly fools." Not so with Jesus ; he saw
nnd was moved, not with sarcasm, but
with n compassion that took the form
of teaching (v. 34). It is better to
teach a man how to help himself than
to help the man without the teaching.
We also Infer that the soul of n man
Is of more value than his body. It Is
not enough, however, to say "God bless
you ; be warmed and fed," when a man
Is hungry. Sympathy must Issue in ac
tion. A Great Task.
John tells us of the conversation
with Phillip. Phillip lived In Bethsaldn
nearby, but to feed this multitude wa
too great n task, even with his knowl
edge and resources (John 6:5, 7). Yet
we need not be surprised at Phillip's
slowness of faith. Moses In a similar
case was once nonplussed as to how to
feed the thousands In the wilderness
(see Numbers 11:21-33). The central
fact concerns neither the need nor our
poverty, but the absolute surrender of
our all however little to God.
Another disciple, Andrew, who had.
brought his brother, Simon Peter, to
the Savior, in his desperation found a
boy whose mother had thoughtfully
provided him with a lunch consisting
of Ave barley biscuits and two small
dried herrings (John 0:0). This Is n
great commentary on the tide of Inter
est nt this time that even this hungry
boy should have forgotten his lunch;
the circumstances emphasized the help
lessness of the disciples In order that
Jesus might show his power. His com
mand "Give ye them," (v. 37) teaches
us that we are to give what we have,
not to look to others, nor to do our
charity by proxy (Pro. 11:24, 25).
Again tho Savior asks his disciples to
seek (v. SS) as though he would tench
them the boundless resources of his
kingdom. Give what you have and he
will bless and Increase it to meet the
needs pf the multitude. The secret of
success points to the moment when he
took the loaves and looking up (to God
who nlso saw their needs), he blessed
It
Living Bread.
This conservation process was a
stinging rebuke to the orientals, nnd Is
being emphasized in these days of food
conservation In connection with war
needs. Too long we have been prodigal "
of God's marvelous bounties. God gives
us that we may use; nnd we lose It un
less It Is shared. Jesus, the living
bread, (John 6:48) will satisfy hunger
and give life. As bread generates In
the human body heat, energy, vitality
and power, so he will feed the hungry
souls of men. We have nt hand the
Word. It is for lack of It that men die
In the deepest and truest sense of that
Word. The poverty and perplexity oC
the disciples In the presence of similar"
great need, Is being repeated over nndl
over again, nnd yet how faithless It
We have not enough to feed the multi
tude. Our few loaves of comfort,,
amusement, counsel, etc., will not sus
tain them In the present world's crisfs?
but when we break unto them the liv
ing bread, It meets the deep hunger of
the human heart; and they will havo
enough nnd to spare If they will only
eat It. In these days when the empha
sis Is being lnld on material .bread for
tho sustenance of tho nation, there 1
great danger lest wo forget tho neces
sity of breaking the living bread to tho
starving multitudes of tho world. "Ww
must maintain the supremacy of Urn
spiritual, or lack the dynamic to pro
vide the material.
How true the words of the late Dr.
Maltble Davenport Babcock:
Back of the loaf Is the snowy flonri
Back of the flour the mill:
And back of the mill is the wheat.
And the showers, and the sun,
And the Father's will.
Tho problem which the disciples
jouid not meet, Jesus discerned and
solved. As they co-operated with Lino
nnd gaw of that which he had first
blessed, each bad c basketfull to taker
nway and thus was well repaid fsw
Bhnrlng wlth'the multitude.