San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-07

MODERATION
December Is General View of the Subject.
January = Tension and Torpor of the Nerves
January 1.-THE Economy Of Speech.
January Is The Use and Abuse of Raiment
January 25-Overeating and Undertaking
February l-EXuberance and Poverty in the
Soul
They must be very interesting" said
|. 1t was something. at any rate, to get
a peep into the charmed circle, even if
were too iliterate' to share its member
ship, and was eager to know more of
the poet philosopher, as | rightly judged
him 10 be from Miss Kingsley's words.
They are emineutly suggestive said
she
'YOu know him well | suppose.
Mr. Spence? Yes If may say So"
she simpered, with rapid movement of
her eyes, your aunt and | were among
the first to find him out"
Is he young|
Just thirty He celebrated his birth
day only fortnight ago 1t was on
that occasion that his Sonnet to Alpha
first saw the light.
is he good looking" Inquired, some
what i'll advisedly, for Aunt Agnes made
a gesture of impotence.
His face Is intellectual rather than
handsome" answered Miss Kingsley
Its expression is very striking and YER
satile. Fine, piercing eyes and waving
hair. which he wears long An intense
individuality But | should scarcely
call him beautiful, interesting and
highly sympathetic in appearance seems
to me a more accurate description.
If you mean by good looking to in
quire if he is fop, Virginia, you had
better be undeceived on that score at
once" said Aunt Agnes, with a toss of
her head 4 don't suppose Mr. Spence
has ever danced the german in his life.
He is very particular about late
hours" said Miss Kingsley; that is a
part of his system He believes in mod
GRAFTON in all things-sleep as well rs the
contrary He almost invariably retires
before eleven but he rises after eight
hours of rest He considers either more
or less as d"ipteriOus to health. am in
clined to think, though. if Miss Harlan
will excuse my correcting her" she con.
tinued. turning to Aunt Agnes, that he
has once or twice in his life danced the
german. for he has told me that in order
to devrlop his theory lntelligently he has
been obliged to study extremes. The
happy mean carNnt of course. be- astimat
ed 50 n,leLllgentIy by one who IL without
no. n.,E 4T rhn nI-nrr,NTlRh
uuiermu:h ne rtprobates Those are his
own phr &seS toe expressing excess r. IN
due linn alton. and to ne they seem *
qU'Site specimens Of nous -ny!ui"rr But
as / WIS saying, Mr. :: enre mus IN the
CON" Of his invest q dol"ls sampled, If
may 50 soak, almos; every seIsaJion or
series Ui sensations 10 winch human ma
tl.ge IS susceptible. tUrIusJ6Ace, he once
spent the night in tomb so as to expert
ence what he has so exquisitely styled in
poem on the subject the extremity of
doleful comprehension. You were allud
ing to the lines only yesterday, Miss Har
Ian.
They are Miltonic in their grim pow
er, said Aunt Agnes
Then again, ne lived upon dog and
horse during the time of the Commune at
Paris He says it was worth the expert
ence of an ordinary lifetime as illustrat-
ing the crucial test of discomfort. So in
like manner he has experienced the ex-
tremes of luxury and pleasure. have
Oeen given to understand that he even
felt it his duty to intoxicate himself upon
one occasion in order to be able to demol-
ish more cOnclusively the arguments OF
either form of intemperance, for he con-
siders total abstinence as almost, if not
quite, on a level with over indulgence.
Ones instinct of course shrinks at first
from the idea of a deliberate clouding of
the senses being ever pardonable, but the
more one examines the matter the more
innocent does it appear, and freely adj
init that have come to regard an Of
tense against morals committed in the
interest of science as not only excuSable
but in some cases positive duty"
But" said Aunt Agnes, taking up
the thread of her previous remark for
my further edifcation, however Mr..
Spence may have conducted himself in
the past for the sake of discipline, his
habits today are essentially sober and
serious"
oh, dear. yesr' exclaimed Miss Kings
ley; "he is intensely in earnest, and dis
countenances all mere vanities of life.
And yet, withal, it is his aim to pursue
the happy mean He believes in rational
amusements, and is very sympathetic in
congenial society If you have no pleas
anter engagement for next Wednesday
evening, Miss Virginia shall be charmed
to have you take - With ne at INV