The Wahpeton times., 1885-08-20

less burdensome to you and NOR
agreeable to me, will pay half of al
expenses"
'All right, Madison"
Consider it the Monroe doctrine,
Commercially democratic" re-
piled.
"Now, Talbert, we must consul
each other before expenditures, no
strictly necessary, are made"
"All right"
''In the first place, must call for a,
appropriation. do not thing that oul
library is sufficient to meet the de
mands OF an intellectual society. There
is one bookstore in town. Ali the
books are old for don't sup
pose Il volume of print was evel
sold here. Say, before forget it. Dc
you know why this town has the
best whisky of any town I have ever
struck?'
"No, do not.''
.Because it altains such great age
before it can reach this place
Well, now, about the library. Sup.
pose [ buy about fifty dollars worth OF
books?"
"All right
He bought the books, selecting them
with excellent taste. He spent the
most of his time in the room, crowd.
ing his head, as he termed it..
'Mad!son,' l one day remarked,
''you are the most avaricious seeker OF
knowledge 1 have ever seem"
sSMv Ijnor foIlr>uy - ,,,,>1;,J
ting aside q volume of "Buckle's Civ
ilization, " II am not seeking knowl-
edge. 1 am seeking entertainment.
Then why do you not read lighter
mattcr?"
"Because it is not interesting. Per
feet entertainment is mental engage
ment, an absorption that shuts out ali
knowledge OF surroundings. We can.
not bring all of 81 mind to bear against
something light. a man can roll 4
keg with such ease that he does not
employ Il third of his strength, but to
roll hogshead requires his nighticst
effort. When read something deep,
the effort required to catch the full
meaning, affords me perfect enjoy
mcnt.'
$50 you do not expect to make use
of the knowledge thus acquired"
"Probably not. We do not contem-
plate the use of the muscle we acquire
in Il gymnasium, though it sometimes
comes into good play"
You are a strange fellow, Madi-
son.
''Not at all. l am useless, but my
dear fellow, the useless man is not the
strange man, for he is natural.'
DO you mean to say that it is mans
nature to be uselcss?''
"Of course it is. All worth in man
is artificial"
"What about woman?"
"Now you've got me. l don't un-
dersand her. 1t is strange that a
man, writing novel, will give us
chapter after chapter OF feminine in
trospection, when in fact it is all SUP.
position with him. Nobody but a
woman knows what 4 woman thinks
nobody but a man can know what a
man would Think
Yet, Madison, some of the strong
est male characters ever portrayed
were drawn by George Eliot"
"You think they are strong, and
perhaps they are, but it was guess
work with George Eliot. She talked
with great wisdom, with wisdom SC
much deeper than any thought which
her average reader and the most prom.
incnt crit:c-who is always II fool
could exercise, that they accepted ne,
profound sayings as the utterances
of almost superhuman insight"
"Could not Dickens portray the
character OF woman?'
''He could photograph her, that's
all. You would recognize the woman
because the picture was correct, but
his art failed him when he attempted
feminine introspection.
Madison, you are literary cvnic. "
"Not ut all. The literary cynic sees
nothing good in literature. I see Il
world of good in it,
''You do not. however, acknowledge
it's TRUTH
"No, but acknowledge its thought,
and in all thought there is good. Now,
there's John Stauart Mill. There is
much good in him because there is
much thought, still, his philosophy is
as honey-combed as Il rusty canon"
Thus, our days and the greater part
OF our nights were spent. Madison,
putting aside a book, would sit during
hours of profound meditation. Al
such time his face was the saddest
have ever seen. On one occasion every
sign of life left him. A death like
pallor spread over his face. The wind
slammed a window shutter and he
jumped as though knife had bec1
stuck into his heart.
CHAPTER III.
was called into the country, to be
absent two days. 1 asked Madison tc
accompany me, but he excused him
! self, saying that he had on hand 6
piece OF business which could moi
longer be neglected. l returned late
at night. A storm was raging. Houses
| creaked. The village streets were
dark and deserted. A light burned il
my room. madison has not goue t(
bed," mused.
The door was ajar. I gently showed
it open. Great God! Madison was
stretched upon the floor. His arms
were folded across his breast. His
eyes, in awful glare, were turned up.
wards. He was dcad-cold and stiff
l rushed out and tried to arouse til,
neigbors, but the storm ragged Sc
fiercely that no one heard me. Horri
fled, | sat on stairway. TREMBLING a