THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND. DECEMBER 28, 1919.
D RIN K WATER S PLAY GIVES ENGLISH IDEA OF LINCOLN
Production Will Appear on Broadway Soon, With Frank McGIynn in Role of Martyred President Extracts From Play Are Published.
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j
One of the notable recent
English plays is John Drlnkwa
ter's "Abraham Lincoln," which
has had a long run on the other
side. New York is to have an
opportunity of judging the Eng
lish conception of'the martyred
president, as the play will soon
appear on Broadway. William
Harris Jr., who has the Ameri
can rights, has selected Frank
McGIynn to play the part of
Lincoln.
John Drinkwater, the author, i
came to America to supervise
the rehearsals, and the play had
its premier recently in Wash
ington. Mr. Drinkwater has
written as an Englishman, mak
ing, as he explains, "no effort
to achieve 'local color' of which
I have no experience, or to
speak In an idiom to which I
have not been bred."
To Americans, curious to
know what the English view of
the great emancipator is, the
following extracts from the
published version of the play
will be interesting. They are
printed with the permission of
the American publishers, the
Houghton-Mifflin company.
Some of the speeches of the two
chroniclers before and after the
curtain are omitted, as are also
passages indicated by asterisks.
Extracts are given from each of
the six scenes.
The parlor of Abraham Lincoln's home
at Springfield. 111., early In 1860. Mr.
Stone, a farmer, and Mr. Cuffney. a store
keeper, both men of between 50 and 60.
are sitting before an early spring fire. It
is dusk, but the curtains are not drawn.
The men are smoking silently.
www
MR. Cuffney Has Abrahatn de
cided what he will say to the
invitation?
Mrs. Lincoln He will accept it.
Mr. Stone A very right decision, if
I may say so.
Mrs. Lincoln It is.
Mr. Cuffney And you, ma'am, have
advised him that way, I'll be bound.
Mrs. Lincoln You said this was a
great evening for me. It is. and I'll
say more than I mostly do, because
it is. I'm likely to go Into history
now with a great man. For I know
better than any how great he is. I'm
plain looking and I've a sharp tongue
and I've a mind that doesn't always
go in his easy, high way. And that's
what history will see and it will
laugh a little and say, "Pocfr Abra
ham Lincoln." That's all right, but
it's not all. I've always known when
he should go forward and when he
should hold back. I've watched and
watched and what I've learnt America
will profit by. There are women like
that, lots of them. But I'm lucky. My
work's going farther than Illinois
its going farther than any of us can
tell. 1 made things easy for him to
think and think when we were poor
and now his thinking has brought
him to this. They wanted to make
him governor of Oregon and he would
have gone and have come to noth
ing there. I stopped him. Now
they're coming to ask him to be
president and I've told him to go.
Abraham Lincoln comes In, a greenish
and crumpled top hat leaving his fore
head well uncovered, his wide pockets
brimming over with documents. He is 50,
and he still preserves his clean-shaven
state. He kisses his wife and shakes hands
with his friends.
Lincoln Well, Mary. How d'ye do,
Samuel. How d'ye do, Timothy.
Mr. Stone and Mr. Cuffney Good
evening. Abraham.
Lincoln (while he takes off his hat
and shakes out sundry papers from
the lining into a drawer) John
Brown, did you say? Aye, John Brown.
But that's not the way its to be done.
And you can't do the right thing the
wrong way. That's as bad as the
wrong thing, if you're going to keep
the state together.
Mr. Cuffney Well, we'll be going.
We only came in to give you good
faring, so to say, in the great word
you've got to speak this evening.
Mr. Stone It makes a humble body
almost afraid of himself, Abraham,
to know his friend is to be one of the
great ones of the earth, with his yes
and no law for these many, many
thousands of folk.
Lincoln It makes a man humble
to be chosen so, Samuel. So humble
that no man but would eay "No" to
such bidding If he dare. To be presi
dent of this people and trouble gath
ering everywhere in men's hearts.
That's a searching thing. Bitterness
and scorn and wrestling often with
men 1 shall despise and perhaps noth
ing truly done at the end. But I must
Co. Yes. Thank you, Samuel; thank
you, Timothy. Just a glass of that
cordial, Mary, before they leave.
Mrs. Lincoln goes out. Lincoln moves to
a map of the United States that is hang
ing on the wall and stands silently looking
at it. After a few moments Susan comes
to the door.
Susan This way, please.
She shows in William Tucker, a florid,
prosperous merchant; Henry Hind, an alert
little attorney; Ellas Price, a lean .lay
preacher, and James Macintosh, the editor
of a republican journal. Susan goes.
Tucker Mr. Lincoln. Tucker my
came is William Tucker.
(He presents his companions.)
Mr. Henry Hind Follows your pro
fession, Mr. Lincoln. Leader of the
bar in Ohio. Mr. Elias Price of Penn
sylvania. You've heard him preach,
maybe. James Macintosh you know.
I come from Chicago.
Lincoln Gentlemen, at your serv
ice. How d'ye you do, James. Will
you be seated?
(They sit round the table.)
Tucker I have the honor to be
chairman of this delegation. We are
sent from Chicago by the republican
convention to inquire whether you
will accept their invitation to be
come the republican candidate for
the office of president of the United
States.
Price The convention is aware, Mr.
Lincoln, that under the circumstances,
seeing that the democrats have split,
this is more than an invitation to
candidature. Their nominee is almost
Certain to be- elected.
Lincoln Gentlemen, I am known
to one of you only. Do you know my
many disqualifications for this work?
Hind Its only fair to say that they
have been discussed freely.
Lincoln There are some, shall we
say graces, that I lack. Washington
does not altogether neglect these.
Tucker They have been spoken of.
But these are days, Mr. Lincoln, If I
may say so. too difficult, too danger
ous for these to weigh at the expense
of other qu'alities that you were con
sidered to possess.
Lincoln I can take any man's ridi
cule I'm trained to it by a . . .
somewhat odd figures that it pleased
God to give me, if I may so far be
pleasant with you. But this slavery
and business will be long, and deep,
and bitter. I know it. If you do me
this honor, gentlemen, you must look
to me for no compromise in this mat
ter. If abolition comes in due time by
constitutional - means, good. I want
it. But, while we will not force aboli
tion, we will give slavery no approval
and we will not allow It to extend its
boundaries by one yard. The determi
nation is in my blood. When I was a
boy I made a trip to New Orleans and
there I saw them, chained, beaten,
kicked as a man would be ashamed
to kick a thieving dog. And I saw
a young girl driven up and down the
room that the bidders might satisfy
themselves. And I said then, "If ever
I get a chance to hit that thing, I'll
hit it hard."
(A pause)..
You have no conditions to make?
Tucker None. The invitation is as
.1 put it when we sat down. And I
would add that we are, all of us.
proud to bear it to a man as to
whom we feel there is none so fitted
to receive it.
Lincoln I thank you. I accept.
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SCENE II.
Ten months later. Seward's room at
Washington. William H. Seward, secretary
of state, la seated at his table with John
son White and Caleb Jennings, represent
ing the commissioners of the Confederate
States.
Lincoln The south wants the stamp
of national approval upon slavery. It
can't have it.
White Surely that's not the point.
There's no law in the south against
slavery.
Lincoln Laws come from opinion.
Mr. White. The south knows It,
Jennings Mr. President, If I may
say so, you don't quite understand.
Lincoln Does Mr. Seward under
stand? White We believe so.
Lincoln You are wrong. He doesn't
understand, because you didn't mean
him to. I don't blame you. You tnmK
you are acting for the best. You think
you've got an honest case. But I'll
put your case for you, and I'll put It
naked. Many people in this country
want abolition; many don't. I'll say
nothing for the moment as to the
rights and wrongs of it. But every
man, whether he wants it or not,
knows it may come. Why does the
South propose secession? Because it
knows abolition may come, and it
wants to avoid it. It wants more: It
wants the right to extend the slave
foundation. We've all been to blame
for slavery, but we in the North have
been willing to mend our ways. You
have not. So you'll secede, and make
your own laws. But you weren't pre
pared for resistance; you don't want
iesistance. And you hope that if you
can tide over the first crisis and
make us give way, opinion will pre
vent us from opposing you with force
again, and you'll be able to get your
own way about t-rfe slave business by
threats. That's your case. You didn't
say so to Mr. Seward, but it is. Now,
I'll give you my answer. Gentlemen,
it's no good hiding this thing in a cor
ner. It's got to be settled. I said the
other day that Fort Sumpter would
be held as long as we could hold it.
I said it because I know exactly what
it means. Why are you investing It?
Say, if you like, it's to establish your
right of secession with no purpose of
exercising it. Why do you want to
establish that right? Because now we
will allow no extension of slavery,
and because some day we may abolish
it. You can't deny it; there's no other
answer.
Jennings I see how it is. You may
force freedom as much as you like,
but we are to beware how we force
slavery.
Lincoln It couldn't be put better,
Mr. Jennings. That's what the Union
means. It is a Union that stands for
common right. That is its foundation
that is why it is for every honest
man to preserve it. Be clear about
this issue. If there is war, It will not
be on the slave question. If the
South is loyal to the Union, it
can fight slave legislation by consti
tutional means, and win its way if it
can. If it claims the right to secede
then to preserve this country from
disruption, to maintain that right to
which every state pledged itself when
me union was won for us by our
fathers, war may be the only way. We
won't break up the Union, and you
shan t. In your hands, and not in
mine, is the momentous issue of civil
war. You can have no conflict with
out yourselves being the aggressors.
I am loath to close. We are not
enemies, but friends. We must not be
enemies. Though passion may have
strained, do not allow it to break
our bonds of affection. That is our
answer. Tell them that. Will you
ten them that?
White and Jennings go with the Clerk.
For a moment Lincoln and Seward
are silent, Lincoln pacing the room
Seward standing at the table.
I t 1
.Lincoln (after a pause) "There is
a tide in the affaire of men" . .
Do you read Shakespeare, Seward?
Seward Shakespeare? No.
Lincoln Ah!
oairaon sr. tjnase, secretary of the
treasury, and Montgomery Blair,
postmaster-general, come in.
i-xoori morning, Mr. Chase, Mr. Blair
Seward Good morning, gentlemen.
Blair Good morning, Mr. President
How d'ye do, Mr. Seward.
Chase Good morning, Mr. Presi
dent. Something urgent?
Lincoln Let us be seated.
As they draw chairs up to the table
the other members of the cabinet
Simon Cameron, Caleb Smith. Bur
net Hook and Gideon Welles, come
in. There Is an exchange of greet
ings, while they arrange themselves
round the table.
Gentlemen, we meet in a crisis the
1 1 sryl 1 1
I aim w 1 I
' . - :
jBfl
vj .?ff. y
muse taterul, perhaps, that has ever
faced any government in this country.
It can be stated briefly. A message
has Just come from Anderson. He can
hold Fort Sumter three days at most
unless we send men and provisions-
Cameron How many men?
Lincoln I shall know from Scott in
a few minutes how many are neces
sary.
Welles Suppose we havn't as many.
Lincoln Then it's a question of
provisioning. We may not be able to
do enough to be effective. The ques
tion is whether we shall do as much
as we can.
(A knock at the door.)
Lincoln Come In.
Hay comes in. He gives a letter to
Lincoln and goes.
(Reading) Scott Bays twenty thou
sand men.
Seward We haven't ten thousand.
Lincoln It remains a question of
sending provisions. I charge you, all
of you, to weigh this thing with all
your understanding. To temporize
now, cannot, in my opinion, avert war.
To speak plainly to the world in
standing by our resolution to hold
Fort Sumter with all our means, and
in a plain declaration that the Union
must be preserved, will leave us with
a clean cause, simply and loyally sup
ported. I tremble at the thought of
war. But we have in our hands a
sacred trust. It is threatened. We
have had no thought of aggression.
We have been the aggressed. Per
suasion has failed, and I conceive it
to be our duty to resist. To withhold
supplies from Anderson would be to
deny that duty. Gentlemen, the mat
ter is before you,
(A pause.)
For provisioning the fort? s
Lincoln, Chase and Blair hold up their
hands.
For Immediate withdrawal?
Seward, Cameron, Smith, Hook and
Welles hold up their hands. There
is a pause, of some moments.
Gentlemen. T mav have rn tnlro nnnn
I myself the responsibility of overrid
ing your vote. It will be for me to
satisfy congress and public opinion.
Should I receive any resignations?
(There is silence.)
SCENE III.
Nearly two years later.
A small reception room at the White
House. Mrs. Lincoln, dressed in a fashion
perhaps a little too considered, despairing
as she now does of any sartorial grace in
her husband and acutely conscious that she
must meet this necessity of office alone, is
writing. She rings the ball, and Susan,
who has taken her promotion more philo
sophically, comes in.
Susan goes. Mrs. Lincoln closes her
writing dask. Susan returns, show
ing in Mrs. Goliath Blow.
Susan Mrs. Goliath Blow.
(She goes.)
Mrs. Blow Good afternoon, Mrs.
Lincoln.
Mrs. Lincoln Good afternoon, Mrs.
Blow. Sit down, please.
(They sit.)
Mrs. Blow And is the dear presi
dent well?
Mrs. Lincoln Yes. He's rather
tired.
Mrs. Blow Of course, to ' be sure.
This dreadful war. But I hope he's
not getting tired of the war.
Mrs. Lincoln It's a constant anx
iety for him. He feels his responsi
bility very deeply.
Mrs. Blow To be sure. But you
mustn't let him get war weary. These
monsters in the south have got to
be stamped out.
Mrs. Lincoln I don't think you
need be afraid of the president's
firmness.
Mrs. Blow Oh, of course not. I
was only saying to Goliath yesterday,
"The president will never give way
till he has the south squealing," and
Goliath agreed.
SCENE IV.
About the same date. A meeting of the
cabinet at Washington. Smith has gone
and Cameron has been replaced by Edwin
M. Stanton, secretary of war. Otherwise
the ministry, completed by Seward, Chase,
Hook. Blair and Welles. Is as before. They
are now arranging themselves at the table,
leaving Lincoln's place empty.
Hook Is there other business?
Lincoln There is. Some weeks
ago I showed you a draft I made pro
claiming freedom for all slaves.
Hook (aside to Welles) I told you
so.
Lincoln You thought then it was
not the time to issue it. I agreed. I
think the moment has come. May I
read it to you again? "It Is pro
claimed that on the first day of Janu
ary in the year of our Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-three,
all persons held as slaves within any
state, the people whereof shall then
be in rebellion against the United
States, shall be then, thenceforward,
and forever free." That allows three
months from today. There are clauses
dealing with compensation in a sep
arate draft.
Hook I must oppose the Issue of
such a proclamation at this moment
in the most unqualified tvms. Thi
question should be left until pur vie
tory is complete. To thrust it for
ward now would be to invite dissen
sion when we most need unity.
Welles I do not quite understand
Mr. President, why you think this the
precise moment.
Lincoln Believe me, gentlemen) I
have considered the matter with all
the earnestness and understanding of
which I am capable.
Hook But when the New York
Tribune urged you tp come forward
with a clear declaration six months
ago. you rebuked them.
Lincoln Because I thought the 00
casion not the right one. It was use
less to issue a proclamation that
might be as inoperative as the Pope's
bull against the comet. My duty. It
has seemed to me, has been to be
loyal to a principle and not to be
tray it by expressing it in action at
the wrong time. That is what I con
ceive statesmanship to be. For long
now 1 have had two fixed resolves
To preserve the union and to abolish
slavery. How to preserve the union
1 was always clear, more than two
years of bitterness have not dulled
my vision. We have fought for the
union, and we are now winning for
the union. When and how to pro
claim abolition I have all this time
been uncertain. I am uncertain no
longer. A few weeks ago I saw that
too, clearly. So soon, I said to myself
as the rebel army sftould be driven
out of Maryland, and it becomes plain
to the world that victory is assured
to us in the end the time will have
come to announce that with that vic
tory and a vindicated union will come
abolition. I made the promise to my
self and to my Maker. The rebel
army is now driven out, and I am go
ing to fulfill that promise. I do not
wish your advice about the main mat
ter, for that I have determined for
myself. This I say without intending
anything but respect for any one of
you. But I beg you to stand with me
in this thing. .
SCENE V.
An April evening in 186.V A farmhouse
near Appomattox. General Grant, commander-in-chief,
under Lincoln, of the
northern armies, is seated at a tabla with
Captain Mallns. an aide-de-camp. He Is
smoking a clear, and at Intervals ha re
plenishes his glass of whisky. Dennis, an
orderly. slU at a table in the corner
writing.
Grant Tes. If Lee surrenders, we
can all pack up for home.
Mallns By God, sir. It will be
splendid, won't it, to be back again?
Grant By God. air. it will.
Matins I beg your pardon, sir.
Grant You're quite right, Malins.
My boy goes to school next week. My
word, I may be able to go down with
him and see him settled in.
Orderly Mr. Lincoln has Just ar
rived, sir. He's in the yard now.
Grant All right, I'll come.
The orderly aoes. Grant rises and
crosses to the door, but is met there by
Lincoln and Hay. Lincoln, in top boots
and tall hat.
The curtain falls and the first chronicler
appears, saying:
m . . Under the stars an end is
made.
And on the field the Southern blade
lies broken,
And, where strife was. shall union
be.
And. where was bondage, liberty.
The word is spoken. . . .
Night passes.
The eurfain falls.
SCENE VL
The evenins of Anrll 14 isiu Th.
lounge of a theater. On the far aids
are the doors of three private boxes.
There Is silence for a few moments, then
the sound of applause comes from the
wuu.Lonum Deyona. The box doors are
opened. In the center Hat k. t 1-
coln and Stanton. Mm i.mi. --..v....
any ana an officer, talking togetherr
ine occupants come out from the other
irno me lounge, where small knots
people have emh.r.rf fm, 1.
rectlons. and stand or sit. talking busily.
" ww Lincoln!" comes through the
udltorlum. It is taken up with shouts of
the Vresldent!" "speech!" "Abraham Lin
oln!" "Father Abraham!" and
The conversation in the lounge stops as
the talkers turn to listen. After a few
moments Lincoln is seen to rise. There is
great cheering. The neonle in tb Inunn
stand round the box door. Lincoln holds
1 hia hand and there is a sudden silence.
Lincoln My friends. I urn touched
deeply touched, by this mark of your
good-will. After four dark and dlffi-
ult years, we have achieved the great
urpose for which we set out. Gen-
INSULTING GROCERS PROVES
PLEASANT OUTDOOR PASTIME
James J. Montague in Quest for Sugar, Scatters Affronts Like Sun
beams Among Haughty Purveyors of Foodstuffs.
BY JAMES J. MONTAGUE.
IHAVB just been all around town
Insulting grocers. I don't know
why they should have been in
sulted, but they were. I only asked
each of them for a little sugar. They
couldn't have been madder if I'd asked
them to come up to the house and
cook for me. I would have asked
them that if I'd thought of it. While
you're scattering Insults around you
like sunbeams you might as well
make 'em good. But I never think
of anything like that until It Is too
late.
There seems to be a shortage of
sugar. A week or two ago the pros
pect of such a thing wouldn't have
worried me. I never suspected that
sugar was the staff of life till 1
had to get along without it.
This shortage of sugar appears to
have got on the nerves of the grocers.
Grocers are funny. If you went to
an animal store and asked for an
alligator, the dealer, if he was just
out of alligators would be apologetic.
He would tell you that he'd Just sold
the last of the autumn crop of alli
gators, but that the spring crop
would be in by Christmas and he'd
be glad to take your order for a nice
one, if you'd tell him what kind of
furniture you wanted it to match.
But the grocer, as I said, is funny.
When you ask him if he has any
sugar he doesn't even say, "No;" he
says, "Naw." And "Naw" is not at
all polite.
I went to ten grocery stores before
I got a pleasant word. The tenth
grocer explained to me that he didn't
have any sugar, hadn't had any sugar.
and didn't expect to have any sugar.
He said he had some nice hams he
would sell me at bargain prices, but
I think It would be difficult to
sweeten coffee or make a cake with
nice hams, although not being a
housewife I have never tried it.
When I declined the hams he talked
up some new rat traps and sold me a
couple of them. I don't know that he
actually said so, but he gave me the
impression that there is about to be
a shortage of rat traps, and got me
so panicy that I bought two instead
of one.
The 11th grocer saw me coming
and stopped me in the door. "You
want sugar," he snarled.
"Yes," I said.
"Well, go to your own grocer for
It. You needn't come here trying to
steal it from my customers."
I suppose I should have hit him.
But It isn't much fun to hit grocers,
especially big ones, so I went out.
At the 15th store I received a pleas
ant surprise.
"We have no regular sugar," said
the grocer, "but I can sell you some
colored sugar for icings."
I didn't know what icings were,
but as I have no color prejudices I
asked him to let me see it.
It came in little cartons like regu
lar sugar. He had three of them.
The sugar In one was red. in the
other green, and in the other blue.
He explained that the coloring was
vegetable and wouldn't harm a child,
and that the sugar was nearly as
sweet as white sugar. So I bought
eral Lee's surrender to General Grant
leaves but one confederate force in
the field, and the end is Immediate
and certain. (Cheers.) I have but lit
tle to say at this moment, I claim
not to have controlled events, but con
fess plainly that events have con
trolled me. But as events have come
before me. I have seen them always
with one faith. We have preserved
the American union, and we have
abolished a great wrong. (Cheers.)
The task of reconciliation, of setting
order where there is now confusion,
of bringing about a settlement at once
Just and merciful, and of directing
the life of a reunited country Into
prosperous channels of good-will and
generosity will demand all our wis
dom, all our loyalty. It is the proud
est hope of my life that I may be of
some service in this work. (Cheers.)
Whatever it may be. it can be but lit
tle in return for all the kindness and
forbearance that I have received.
With malice toward none, with char
ity for all. tt'is for us to resolve that
this nation, under God, shall have a
new birth of freedom; and that gov
ernment of the people, by the people,
for the people, shall not perish from
the earth.
There U a great sound of cheering. It
dies down, and a boy passes through the
lounge and ca'.ts out: "Last act, ladies and
gentlemen." The people disperse, and the
box doors are closed. Susan is left alone
and there is silence.
After a few moments Booth appears.
He watches Susan and see her gase
is fixed away from him. He creeps along
to the center box and disengages a hand
from under his cloak. It holds a revolver.
Poising himself, he opens the door with a
swift movement, fires, flings the door te
again and rushes away The door Is
thrown open again and the officer follows
In pursuit. Inside the box Mrs. Lincoln
is kneeling by her husband, who Is sup
ported by Stanton. A doctor runs across
the lounge and goes into the box. There
is complete silence in the theater. The
door closes again.
Susan (who has run to the box
door, and is kneeling there, sobbing)
Master, master! No, no, not my
master!
The other box doors have opened and
the occupants with others have collected
in little terror-struck groups ia the lounge.
Then the center door opens and Stanton
comes out. closing It behind him.
Stanton Now he belongs to the
ages.
(The chroniclers speak.)
First Chronicler Events go by. And
upon circumstance
Disaster strikes with the blind sweep
of chance.
And this our mimic action was a
theme.
Kinsmen, as life is, clouded as a
dream.
Second Chronicler But, as we)
spoke, presiding everywhere
Upon event was one man's character.
And that endures; it Is the to'ken
sent
Always to man for man's own gov
ernment. The Curtain Falls.
The End.
all three packages and took them
home In triumph.
Next morning the coffee didn't look
Just right. It was highly decorative,
but one doesn't drink coffee to please
the eye.
On top It was a sort of warm pink,
where the red in the sugar had blend
ed with ;he cream. Stirred a bit it
took on a bluish tint, like the old
fashioned telegraph batteries that had
blue vitriol in them. A little more
stirring brought out a strong under
lying green like spinach or lettuce,
but the ttreen of fresh paint.
I tasted the coffee, but it didn't
seem like the same old coffee. I tried
to shut my eyes an'd drink it, but I
couldn't keep them shut. I kept
thinking of the kaleidoscopic tints in
the beverage, and every time I
glanced at it, it had some color com
bination, like a chameleon.
I swallowed the coffee In a hurry
and took the next cup clear. But I
kept thinking about the dyes I had
swallowed, and the frightful suspicion
burst on me that they might be
German dyes, sold to the sugar man
ufacturers with a horrible purpose.
For three hours I was uncomfort
able, but nothing happened, so my
suspicions faded. But I took my cof
fee clear after that.
The next day a friend of mine told
me about saccharine. I went to a
drug store and bought some. Sac
charine is a colorless liquid that, no
matter how pure it may be, always
looks messy. It might have answered
the purpose, but we never found out.
In the kitchen somehow it becan
confused with a bottle of gasoline
we had bought to take spots out of
clothes. The gasoline went into the
coffee and into eome of the cooking.
If you have never tasted gasoline you
will not understand. But I would ad
vise you to keep right on not under
standing rather than to taste gaso
line. For a while after that we used
syrup of various kinds which we got
at the drug store. They were syrupa
that they use for flavoring soft
drinks, and they made new and sur
prising combinations in the coffee and
cookery, combinations which the
world has missed, but which it will
never need to mourn over.
When the syrups gave out we dis
solved candy, and finally chewing
gum to make more. But now these
things, inferior as they are, are run
ning out.
I heard a man last night talking
about a substance called sugar of
lead, which is used in the arts. I
have bought a pound and will try It
tomorrow morning. If It proves a
good substitute for sugar, I will let
you know.
(Copyright, 1919, by The Bell Syndi
cate, Inc.)
Local Talent Very Good.
Cartoons Magazine.
Uncle Ezra (at theater) George,
where do all them actors live?
George (the native) Why, they live
here!
Uncle Ezra Right here In New
York, eh? Wal, by heck! They 44
purty good fer local talentl
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