Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-08-28
THE pLAToNIC THEORY.
BY SUE cHEsrSUrwooD.

THE pLAToNIC THEORY.
BY SUE cHEsTSUTwooD.
That l i've peacefully is all that L
can say to You OF myself, and vigorous
ly, and heaith;iy, and industriousiy, for
1 have norwoman IN my head.r5 on
Thus wrote Max Muller TO his friend
VIII Hurston, in the words of Goethe
i'm letter to his early love, Kathchen.
As he sealed the envelope, Miss Gun
thrie passed through the room. Her
straw hat was pushed back from her
dark brow. Her lace shawl fell, grace
fully from her shoulders and she had 4
rell Of music in her hand. -~
She had evidently just entered the
house, and come to the drawing-room
for the purpose of trying some new
music, in case she found the apartment
unoceupied. Such was his very prob
able premise, she had turned abruptly
and left the room the moment she dis
covered him. He wondered If that girl
liked to teach, and if it was necessary.
1t hardly seemed possible. for her toilet
was always of quiet Geieganee,y and
Madam Lagrange's house was uniyer-
sally known to be very high priced
one, taking in that sort of lazy money
ed aristocracy who spend three seasons
of the year in fashionable city board
ing house, and the fourth at watering
places. Then, too, she must have a fine
apartment, for it was directly next to
his, and the windows were handsomely
draped, as he had noticed from the
street. zTHat room in itself must cost
the girl a. pretty sum. OF course she
could not be dependent on her own re-
sources. She probably took few pu-
pills for pin money. taT1Sa
Here was this cool, nonchafant Max
Muhler lszily leaning back in sleepy
hollow, and speculating on the ways
and means of this handsome music
teacher, with those words of 'Goerhe's
fresh from his pen. So much for hu-
man consistency. -.--..
But one word of this man. Nine
years ago, in coming of age, he had in
herited a large property. The same
year that gave him right over his prop
erty made him a college graduate, thus
giving him a right over his time. He
determined to devote both said wealth
and said time to the pursuit of pleasure,
For five years he and this Will Hurston
had travelled, following every clue that
seemed to lead to enjoyment. "Living
for fun,p was their motto: sLive while
you live. for Tomorrow You die, I" their
religion. At the end of those five years
coming back to their native land, they
parted.I FROM that time their paths di-
verged. One married and settled, the
other settled without marrying; hence
the different resnIts.. The former,
through the influence of true, noble
wife, had learned to take an earnest
view of life, seeing all its great and
pure possibilities, and reg1rd-
ing woman as the symbol of
all that is beautiful and holy. The
other became distrustful eynic. He
utterly doubted woman, scarce trusted
q 81 =
man, and, in fact, dideno even believe
in himself, SO inconsistent and unreli-
able had he found that same self to be,
since each day of his life seemed a di-
rect contradiction of every preceding
day. He had no religious belief; he
''denied everything, and insisted upon
proof" That there was a creative
power, he did not question, but was
wont TO say that this power spent itself
in that one act-creation, since it cast
its creatures adrift, to take care of
themselves, as the mother leaves her
founding on the most convenient door,
step Woman he termed synonymous
with frivolity, and considered their sole
aim 10 dress, and afiirt, and marry.
Even the most talented consecrated her
ability to this same end. So for the
past three years he had foresworn So
ciety, and devoted his energies to his
long-neglected profession.
He had not even heard from his
former friend for years,iint;ra few days
previous to the opening of our story,
when he had received a letter, a scrap
from whose answer we have tran
scribed.
A half an hour later, when the gong
was sounded for dinner, Max Muhler
was still in the sleepy hollow. He had
been lost in q ~reverie, living over the
past, when Win and he were bosom
friends, and contrasting the glowing
picture Of present happiness with home,
and wife, and children, with his own
aimless existence. As the gong soun-
ded, he looked incredulously at his
watch, then went up to his room. Just
as he reached his door, Miss Gunthrie
passed him. with her widowed aunt,
the sad little old lady who shared her
room, leaning on her arm. He stood
with his key in the lock, until they had
passed down stairs. L: was the first
time he had turned to took after wo-
man for at least three years.
Miss Gunthrie looked unusually hand
some in a white grenadine, with jet
cross diamond studded at her throat.
He fell to speculating again as to her
possible manner of living, as he entered
his room. Probably the old lady was
wealthy, and the girls teaching was 4
whim. She may. have bibed the spir-
it of the age, and considered it grand
and heroic to have a sphere.
He was still thinking of her when he
entered the dining-room. and found his
place next to hers at the table, the gen.
tleman who had sat eetween them hay-
ing left for Saratoga. .,r.
She seemed by nature reserved, al
most reticent. He had, boarded in the
house six months. She and the sad lit
tie old lady had been there he did not
know how long before him, yet her ac-
quaintance with every one, as well as
with himself, seemed limited to the
mere conventionalities that etiquette
demanded. Madam Lagrange was the
only one who appeared at all acquaint-
ed with them. The fussy Amcricanized