the passage of the sugar-spoon law, supposing there was such a
law."

"Sure, I know," Abe said. "But daylight is different from sugar. The
idea is that people should use more of it, Mawruss."

"I am willing," Morris said; "but so far as I could see, there ain't
going to be no more daylight after the law goes into effect than there
was before, and as for setting the clock one hour ahead, anybody could
do that for himself without the legislature passing a law about it."

"Say!" Abe protested. "Legislators don't get paid piece-work. They draw
an annual salary, Mawruss; so if they went to pass a law about it, let
them do a little something to earn their wages, Mawruss."

"Don't worry about them fellers not earning their wages, Abe," Morris
said. "Legislators is like actors, so long as they got their names in
the papers they don't care how hard they work, which if you was to allow
them fellers to regulate the hours of daylight by legislation, Abe, so
as to encourage lazy people to get up earlier, Abe, the first thing you
know, so as to encourage aviators to fly higher, they would be passing
an act suspending the laws of gravity for the period of the war."

"Well, I believe in that, too, Mawruss," Abe said. "Time enough we
should have laws of gravity when we need them, but what is the use going
round with a long face before we actually have something to pull a long
face over? Am I right or wrong, Mawruss?"

"Tell me, Abe," Morris asked, "what do you think the laws of gravity is,
anyhow? No Sunday baseball or something?"

"Well, ain't it?" Abe demanded.

"So that's your idee of the laws of gravity," Morris exclaimed.

"Say!" Abe retorted. "When I got a partner which is a combination of
John G. Stanchfield, Judge Brandeis, and the feller what wrote
_Hamafteach_, I should worry if I don't know every law in the law-books;
so go ahead, Mawruss, I'm listening. What _is_ the laws of gravity?"

"The laws of gravity is this," Morris explained. "If you would throw a
ball up in the air, why does it come down?"

"Because I couldn't perform miracles exactly," Abe replied, promptly.

"Neither could the legislature and also President Wilson," Morris said,
"because even though you would understand the laws of gravity, which you
don't, the baseball comes down according to the laws of gravity, and
even though Mr. Wilson does understand the laws of supply and demand,
y'understand, if he gets busy and sets a low price on coal, potato