Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-05-20


Yes, my dear Agnes, l have perforce
Philistinesl | do not pretend to like it;
but perhaps, like most other things, it has
it's consultations. Do you not admire the
philosophic, not to say chastened, attitude
of your friend? / say, perhaps it has its
consultations, but have not yet discovered
them.
I have gathered together my Lares and
Penates in a little room at the top of the
house, where mean to work every day.
1t is nothing like the dear old den at Cam
bridge. but have hung up your ''Melan-
cholia" and the Burne-Jones head; have
ranged my Greek books and poets--lny
sister nearly tainted when she saw some of
them--along the shelves, and have no doubt
that in time shall grow very fond of it.
Yes, refuge, place to be alone in, is
most of all what need. I am in the very
heart and center of Philistia-I make no
pretence OF concealment about it. Every
body is quite respectable, rather dull, and
just little vulgar. We do not go in for
noble ideals and high notions; but on the
other hand we eschew large vices, leaving
them for our better-born townsfolk on the
other side of the Park. No, we are not
wicked; we are only on a rather low level
of moral and intellectual culture, and pre-
sent, perhaps, to the thoughtful observer,
more depressing spectacle than den Of
thieves. Observing the fine satire of the
''we;" | am, as you see, developing a pref
ty turn for cynicIsn. Who would not IN
der the circU instances?
Personally find myself rather desolate
| am willing enough to smoke the pipe of
peace, but with the Philistines will have none
Of me. They d1strust me; the girls think l
want 10 ''come it'' over them; and the
young men are continually on the lookout
for covert snubbing. One is afraid to call
a thing by its right name for fear of being
thought pedantic; it is not young-ladylike
to have ones sentences logical. A pretty
haziness, a charming inconsequence--these
are the qualities the Philistine male would
fain see in his woman kind.
| went last night to a dinner party in
Cleveland Square, where I was subjected
to quite unreserved cross-examnation on
the subject of myself, my plans, Newnham,
etc. One cannot accuse these people of a
shrinking delicacy; if they want to know
anything, why, they ask it! There is beau
tiful frankness in the way they make known
their likes and dislikes, their wants and OBJ
,jections. A balLr room is like q battlefield,
where it is eoe uictis! indeed; no quarter is
given, and the weakest goes, very literally
to the wall, | find myself getting quite in
terested in the struggle sometimes.
There is nothing to be done, / suppose,
but ITO put ones soul in place out of
sight," and go on ones way to the end.
Perhaps | shall get educated up to the
whole concern, one day. Meanwhile, |
have given up one hope, that l shall never
forget. The gods--it was a cruel whim-
have given me a constant heart. The
thought of a certain person is with me
night and day--a strong undercurrent flow
ing perpetually in the depths of my being
1t is something, in this sordid world, to
have such pure and noble image enshrin-
ed in ones Eeart, even if it be only source
Of pain.
How l envy you up there! Cambridge
the leaves are red. Pray write soon and
tell me all the news.
Yours affectionately,
NORA.
That Mr.. Broke l told you about (anG
who took me in to dinner yesterday has
just sent me great bouquet of hot-house
flowers.
PEMBRIDGE SQUARE, Nov. 18th.
MY DEAR AGNEs:-I cannot tell you how
l rejoice to receive your letter, redolent as
it was ofathe most beautiful place in the
world! Let me congratulate you, dear,
on your brilliant suggestion for new read
ing of that terrible passage in "Agamem-
non" No wonder Mr.. Dalrymple is proud
Of his pupil
l am sorry, how sorry you can perhaps
family conceive, to hear of the continued
i'll health Of Mr.. Talbot. Can nothing be
done? Can do nothing? Oh, it is the
cruelest ofall to sit here quietly and feel thatI
may not even stretch out hand to help
him. Euripides was right when he made
Medea say that we women are the most
wretched of living things.
Your expressions of pity and sympathy
for and with myself are very soothing,
though they make me feel that erha.ps |
have a little overstated my case. The peo-
pie about me. generally speaking, are dull,
and in a certain sense vulgar, but OF course
there are exceptions. Some OF them are
clever and amusing. That Mr.. Broke, for
instance, he is very clever-in his own way
quite remarkably clever. And his society
is agreeable--sympathetic even to certain
extent. Of course, l do not mean to say
his mind the subtle perceptiveness, his feel
ings the wonderful fineness of another per-
son we know OF. The nature of Stephen
Broke is not, indeed, to be compared to
that of Reginald Talbot; and do not fam
cy the atmosphere of professional and com
mercial London to be exactly conducive
to the preservation ofpsychic bloom. There
is push, a coarseness, hurry and hustle
in this land OF Philistia that necessarily
knock off the finer edges Of character But
why am running on like this about souls
and feelings, and instituting impossible
comparisons? Mr.. Broke is a very plea
SAINT person to pass an hour or two with;
that is all that concerns me; all that can
henceforwaid concern me about any man
alive--except one. And he is nice looking;
yes, | think SO, though he does not at all
come up to ones idea of a 'young god"
But in general, rough,sort Of mans way,
his appearance is distinctly pleasing; L
mean, he is big and straight, has plea
SAINT, intelligent face, with good eyes, and
wears his clothes the right way-and they
are the right sort of clothes. Perhaps you
would think him coarse. He certainly
makes his preferences very broadly, and
has % tendency to give personal turn to
the conversation. I wish, too, there were
not quite SO much of the Turk in his atti-
tude towards our sex, both individually
and collectively; but l know the highest
form of chivalry is only possible to the
highest nature, and besides, one must al
low for a mans associations. Chivalry, IN
deed, is very little understood in my part
of the world. A woman is held to have no
absolute value; it is relative, and depends
Oh the extent of the demand for her among
members of the other SEX. The way the
women themselves acquiesce in this view is
quite horrible. | need not say that, person
ally, l am in very little request; that am
caviare to the general is perhaps the most
delicate way of stating it. am neither a
beauty, an heiress, nor q crack dancer, nor
do possess the peculiar mixture OF skill
and daring which go towards making
successful flirt. Nobody wants girl tor
her soul and rather fine critical perception.
Mr.. Broke and l talk to one another
good deal, and dance together sometimes,
though he says his dancing days are coming
to an end next year, when he will De thir-
ty-five. Have you ever tried sitting on the
stairs? We never used to sit on the stairs