The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-30
MRS. PRESCOTT.

Mh0. TnEOUUII.
A Boston Story OF Clubs and Culture
'Thepext meeting of the club will
be held 1t the house Of Mrs. Webster
Delano. and the discussion will be up
on Tolstoi's Political Economy
This announcement was made by I
tall. thin, dark-eyed man, who was ad
dressing 20 ladies, members of the In.
tellectual Advancement Society. DR..
Ssuart Margetson. who gave the notice.
was the leader and teacher of the club.
He instructed them in history. consid-
cred with them the possibility of q
great American epic, and read Shelley
until he was regarded as universal
genius; his word was law. and his die
tum the unquestioned authority on any
disputed subject. The ladies who COM
posed the club were among Boston's
oldest families; they all had wealth,
position, and not quito enough to do.
Some enterprisng spirit among them
had proposed the formation of a
society for mutual culture. The plan
was received with fervor; and soon
after, when DR.. Margetson. young.
good looking and brilliant, be came
known TO them, he was at once accept
ed as their leader. Meetings were
held every week at the houses of the
different members. The discussions,
which were always followed by an elab-
crate luncheon, were usu ally some
what One-sided, because they generally
amounted to monologue by the lead
or, while the ladies simply admired
him. As had been said. many of Bos-
toms Oldest families were represented
in this club. There were Mrs. Apple
ton Sears, Mrs. Fullerton Hovey. Mrs.
Edgar Lawrence. Mrs. Francklyn
Lowell. Mrs. Richard Prescott, and
others equally we'll known; but our
story deals with Mrs. Richard Prescott
and we must pass by the others and re-
strict our attention to her.
She had been married to Dick Pres
colt, as he was already called, four
years. and had been very happy In her
charming home on Newbury street.
But she had not quite enough to do. SO
she joined the Intellectual Advance
ment Society and undertook to improve
her mind. She joined chiefly because
the majority of her friends were men,
bers and she should enjoy being with
them, but with the advent of DR.. Mar
getson her ideas became more serious
and she determined to study and i'm
prove. She brought home to her hus-
band accounts of the club. but he was
not much interested. Honest we'll
bred. handsome fellow as he was, and
in spite of the fact that he had been
brought up among literary people,
Dick was not intellectually brilliant
He had wonderfully clear head for
business, and was by no means unedu-
Gated. He had gone through Harvard,
but while there had been chiefly inter-
ested in the Hasty Hudding Club and
the Athletic Association. He had
taken his degree without honors, but
he had left college with the proud rep
utation of being a very popular man
and fine print runner. He relig-
iOusly escorted his wife to all the Sym
phony Concerts. but for his own pleas
ure the preferred to hear "Ermin,e"
OF THE Corsair." 1t was trying,
when Margaret was delighted with
Irving and Terry in Shakesperian COM
edy, Dick went for his own enjoy
ment to THE Rag Baby" Now. when
woman has schooled herself to read
ing 'Esoteric Buddhism" it is hard
for her to know that her usband is
not elevated above baseball matches
and Crib Club entertainments. Mar
garet Prescott began to feel this. and
talked to Dick seriously, in hopes to
bring him to her ideas. He listened
patiently, and finally, patting his wife's
hand indulgently. said: I'm sorry.
my dear. can't oblige you. but no one
man can do many things well. If he
can do one successfully, he'd better
stick to that. Don't you see. Marga-'|
ret, no player in the league can pitch
and catch equally well. The fellow
that can run bases the best is apt to be
a mighty poor short stop. and when a
man is pretty good all-around play
er he isn't great in any specially.
Now, I can't be every thing at once.
I'm said to be good business man.
and if l can't be a philosopher you
will have to forgive me-"
Mrs. Prescott sighed quietly. She |
loved her husband, and she knew he
worshiped her. but the thought would |
arise that if Dick had but DIR. Marget-
sons intellect how much more he
could be to her. But poor Dick, not
knowing how seriously his wife regard
ed his failings, continued in his usual
course, giving his wife all the attention
she could desire, lavishing his wealth
upon her, but yet attending sparring
matches and betting on the yacht race.
DIR. Margetson, on the contrary, was
ever ready to discuss the most abstruse
questions or to enter into any advanced
scheme of intellectual or moral i'm
provement This man was dangerous
ly pleasing to Mrs. Prescott, and she
began involuntarily to contrast his fine
taste with the sporting proclivities of
her husband.
One day Margetson talked before the
club upon "Altruism a Practical Theory
of Life" Mrs. Prescott was deeply
and then and there vowed
to become thorough altruist to de-
vote her life to others. and so attain
that Immortality which DR.. Margetson
said came only from subjugation of
self. an obliteration of specific person