Life — February 21, 1907 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

To Have and to Hold HE was young and she didn’t know, He was old and he didn’t care; So they were led to the kirk, as though Heaven's blessing awaited there. of the pastor so glibly said, ing on her finger, veil on her brow— So they were married, so they were wed, Under the bonnie bridal bough. And over and over the church bell tolled ‘The solemn message, “To have—to hold !” He was false, but he learned the truth; se She was true, but she learned to li LIFT Strangers by nature they Handcufied together till one should die. as chained to his poisoned life, An angel marred by a priestly thon; Partners in hatred, “husband and wife,” So the sentence read—and their term was long. tood, in sooth, And over and over the church bell tolled ‘The solemn message, “To have—to hold!” ‘Thus they lived in a half-live way; She was querulous, he was coarse. “Love!” spake the Church, and again, “Obey! But the priest-curse stood on the word, “ Divorce.” So at last when he came to die Many clerical gentlemen Gasped at the joy in her freedom-cry Like a bird released froma dragon’s den. And the church bell rang with a bridal voi “Lo, death hath parted the twain—rejoice Wallace Irwin, Friendship’s Offering OW can we persuade our friends in Europe (and we all have friends in Europe) that the paternal government of the United States does not approve of their sending us Christ- mas presen! d other tokens of regard? It is natural, per- haps, that their affection should seek an outlet in calendar: book-markers, and photograph frames; but they should re- member that we are not encouraged to accept such well-meant benefactions. Only the inmates of the White House are ex- pected to receive gifts from abroad. ‘The severity of the rules made to insure our good behavior involves us in some painful complications. We are far too do- cile to desire the forbidden products of Rome and London; but lawless acquaintances, actuated by the kindest of motives, will send them to us on our birthdays and at Christmas time. Then are we summoned to appear—in the busiest hours of the day—before a government official, to have the incriminating packages opened in our presence, and to pay whatever fine he may deem it corrective to impose. Those of us whose lives are less leisurely than the inspector's try to evade the call. We write, explaining that the loss of a morning’s work is but ill-repaid by the possible possession of a new pen-wiper; and that if he feels that he cannot in conscience let us have the pen-wiper, or the blotter, or the framed postal- card free of taxation, will he kindly sell it, in the name of the United States, and buy a new battleship with the money. He Cc THE REAL THING “wHo COT DOWN THAT CHERRY TREE, siRRAM ?” “LCAN'T TELL A LIE, IT WAS THE SAN José SCALE." does not avail himself of this privilege. He summons us a sec- ond time, and, finding us still in the mood for self-denial, he chills our gencrous emotions by sending us the token, and demanding a much larger contribution to the navy than the discriminating purchaser would have given. We cannot turn our friend’s offering from our doors. The familiar hand- writing upon the wrapper makes such a course impossible. So we pay eighty cents for a two-shilling purse, and a dollar for a three-franc booklet, and a dollar and a half for a photo- graph, torn across the corner; and realize that, as citizens of the United States, it is more blessed to give than to receive. If the Government would either confiscate our foreign presents (they might be lodged in a national museum at Washington), or—having many millions of surplus in its treasury—could afford to let us receive them untaxed, we should have less cause to apprehend the thoughtless liberalities of friendship. Agnes Repplier. Net Result “Ps PA, what is a dividend?” “It is what is left over, my son, after the president, the board of directors, the legal representatives and the politicians have gotten through.” i ie DOES not mean very much to be tempted. But it often takes a lot of moral courage to yield. comicbooks.com