The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03


PEELED ''to go on the stump is a prospect
which may fairly make man who has
any refinement or delicacy about himshun
political life as he would shun a collier's
pot-house. There is too great tendency
to govern the world by noise"
"On the whole l think l have the bet
ter part" said Guilderoy.
$50 far as your own ease goes, not
doubt of it,"
Evelyn does not admit that there's such
a thing as duty" remarked Lady SunDury
from her tea-table.
81 do not like the word duty" said
Guilderoy. "It is puritanic and illogical.
If we are what science seems to prove,
mere automata formed of cells and fibres
accidentally meeting, we clearly are
wholly irresponsible creatures. Nero is as
innocent as st. Francis"
"What shocking theory"
"As shocking as you please. But it is
the only logical outcome OF the conclu-
sions OF physiology"
81 do not enter the lists with physiol-
ogv," said Aubrey, ''but itmay say what it
will, it cannot prevent my consciousness
of an Ego which inclines to evil, and an
Ego which tells me to avoid it. 1t is moth
ing very great to claim. A dog has it. He
longs to steal bone, and he refrains from
stealing it; he longs TO bite hand which
hurts him and abstains from doing SO if
he finds the hand is friends. do not
think conscience is exclusively a human
possession, though it may have become
larger in human than in other animals
But it is strong enough in me to make me
sensible that | am in a very great measure
responsible for my actions, and all the
PHILOSOPHERS on earth will never talk me
out of that belief"
"And the belief has sent you to the
house of commons?
'Just So l admit the bathos-I admit
the justice of your implied satire. But
go TO the house of commons because, feel
ing as feel, should do violence to my
conscience. not to go to 1t. That sounds
horribly piggish, but | cannot express
what l mean otherwise"
Il wish the country had great many
more men who felt like you, said Guide
roy.
He walked about few minutes rest
lessly, then, his sister having left the
room, he asked with some abruptness:
"You came last week frem Marienbad2
Did you see the Duchess Soria2"
eyes, saw her. She wondered very
much not to see you"
"Did she say SOP"
"She said SO with considerable bitter
ness. Why were you not there ?"
Il do not care to do what / am ex-
pected to do, replied Guilderoy with
some impatience and sullenness. There
can be no pleasure where there is no i'm
preUue; where there is nothing voluntary.
Women never understand that. Half the
passions of men die early because they
are expected to be eternal. Half the love
which women excite they destroy, because
they stihe it by captivity in hothouse, as
child might kill a wild bird"
Aubrey looked at him with some amuse-
ment.
"You are undoilhtrliy right Eyen /,
who have no pretenrions to much expert
ence in the soft science, am aware that
you are most undeniably right But how
40 you propose 10 get any womau-and
any woman in love-to understand that ?h
81 do not even hope it, replied Guide
roy, wearily. II only remark that the
utter inability of women to understand it
brings about their own unhappinesS much
sooner than it would otherwise come to
them. If they comprehended that the
birds wants fresh air, he would very pos
sblv often return of his own good will to
the hot-house."
"And tell the tale OF his amours en- voy-
age2 My dear Evelyn, the lady would
have to be as wise as Penelope and as
amorous as Calypso to receive him on
such terms"
'fIt would be love; whereas now it is
only love of possession"
"You certainly ask a great deal of love,
and seem to be inclined to give very
little"
Zone can only give what one has.
Women reproach us with ceaslng to care
for them. Is it our fault? We cannot
control impulse"
Aubrey looked at him once more.
"Poor womenW he SAID, involuntarily.
Guilderoy moved impatiently.
"There is no doubt Of the Duchess de-
votion to you," added his cousin. "On
my honor, L think she suffers a great deal.
She has been coquet, no doubt, but she
has never been a coquet with you"
81 do not think we ought to speak OF
her," said Guilderoy.
Certainly not, unless you wish il. You
introduced her name first"
my dear Aubrey" said Guilderoy with
some violence, "of all intolerable things
on earth a passion which survives on one
side and dies on the other is the worst.
There is no peace possible in it. You feel
like brute, whilst honestly you are no
more to be blamed than the sea is to be
blamed because after high tide its waters
recede. No man Is accountable for the
flow and reflow of his own emotions.
be heated at will like stove or bath.
nf oil
chaDgeful and ungovernable things, the
passions are the most wayward and the
least reasonable. Why do you lover You
can not say. Why do you cease to love 2
You probably can not say either. The
forces of your emotions and desires are
wholly beyond your own control. They
are not electric machines-mere Leyden
jars which you can charge at will. Why,
then, is it a reproach to cease to love? Ii
is as involuntary as it was to love at all in
the beginning"
Aubrey smiled little dubio usly
"Excellently reasoned / should be dis
posed to admit your arguments, but
doubt very much whether the Duchess
Soria would see the force of them"
"You think she was annoyed that was
not there?"
''She was much more than ANNOYED
she was indignant and wounded. That
was easy TO see. She is not woman who
cares to conceal what she feels. Why
were you not there, by the way?"
81 dislike everything which is made an
Obligation told you so. What.is feeling
worth if it degenerate into a habit2'
"All feeling runs to seed in that fash
ion, unless it is broken off sharply whilst
it Is still in blossom, painful fact, but a
fact. Here and there perhaps there is a
sentiment strong enough to endure
through all the changes of its growth so