The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-08-21
COPYRIGHT BY AmealcAH PRESS ASSOCIATION

Miss Virginia tonly thought you might
have happened to read Mr. Spence's
Sonnet to Alpha in our last ISSUE"
was obliged to admit that had not,
and feeling that it was as well to make
clean breast of my ignorance, | ac-
knowledged that | had never heard of
Mr.. Spence.
Miss Kingsley gave little gasp, and
looked amused.
.'Virginial am astonished," exclaim-
ed Aunt Agnes. Your father gave me
to understand that you had been spend
ing portion of the summer in self inn
provement Mr.. Spence is one of the
most original thinkers in the commun-
ity Icannot believe it possible that you
have never heard Of him..
Perhaps Miss Virginia may have read
some of his poems OF philosophy without
knowing the author" suggested Miss
Kingsley You must surely have heard
of his Essay Oh the Economy of Speech,
which in my opinion is the most syupar
thetic thing he has DONE"
Zone of the most valuable contribu-
tions to the literature of pure thought
that we have had in many years." said
Aunt Agnes.
shook my head
Permit me-" said Miss Kingsley,
fumbling in little reticule on her lap
and taking therefrom one of several cards,
which she handed to me.
''This is a schedule of his new course
of lectures on Moderation. He regards
of our civilization. and is devoting his
life to the PRONUNCIATION of its import
ance."
The printed card read as follows:
LECTURES.
Hawthorne ROOMS
SIX SUCCESSIVE SATURDAYS.
Beginning December the Twenty-eighth.
By CHARLES I.!vE3sAGE SPENCE.
MODERATION.
December 2S-GfeneraI View of the Subject.
January Tension and TOrpor of the Nerves.
January 1.-THE Economy OF speech.
January lS-The Use and Abuse of haiment
January 25-Overeating and Undertaking.
February l-Exuberance and Poverty in the
Soul.
They must be very interesting" said
L It was something, at any rate, to get
a peep into the charmed circle, even if |
were too Literate to share its member
ship; and | was eager TO know more of
the poet philosopher, Gs | rightly judged
him to be from Miss Einssley's words.
They ara eniueEtly suggestive said
she
''You know him veil suppose"
MIR. Spence? Yes e may say so, .
she sinpered, with rapid movement of
her eyes, 4A1eur aunt and were among
the first to find him cut"
is be young"
Just thirty He celebrated his birth
day only a fortnight ago It was on
that occasion that lis Sonnet to Alpha
first saw the light. y
is he good looking" Inquired, some
what Ill advisadly, 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
sattla. Fine, piercing eyes and waving
hair, which te wears long An intense
individuality But should scarcely
call him beautiful interesting and
highly sympathetic in appearance seems
to me- more accurate description.
IF you mean by good looking to in
quire if he is a fop, Virginia, you had
better be undeceived on that score at
once" said Aunt Agnes, with toss of
her head. Il don't suppose Mr.. Spence
has ever danced the german in his life. >
ale 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 as the
contrary He almost invariably retires
before eleven, but he rises after eight
hours of rest. He considers either more
or less as deleterious to health. am in
clined to think, though, if Miss Harlan
viii 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 develop his theory intelligently he has
been obliged to study extremes The
happy mean cannot of course be estimat-
ed so intelEgently by one who is without
personal experience of the overmuch or
undermuch he reprobates. Those are his
own phrases for expressing excess or un
due limitation, and to me they seem ex-
quisite specimens of nomenclature. But
as | was saying, Mr.. Spence has in the
course of his investjg cations sampled, if
may so speak, almost every sensation or
series of sensations to which human ma
ture is susceptible. For instance, he once
spent the night in tomb SO as to expert
ence what he has so exquisitely styled in
a poem on the subject the extremity OF
doleful comprehension You were allud-
ing to the lines only yesterday, Miss Har-
lam"
"They are Miltonic in their grim pow
er," said Aunt Agnes.
Then again, he 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-
i. tremes of luxury and pleasure. have
been given to understand that be even
feltit his duty TO ntoxicate himself upon