New-York tribune., 1892-11-27
AMUSING THE LADIES.
1.-THE MOST IDEAL THING

natorialis,n Nateralism is crowned kirg, and
his crown is screwed on, like General Boums
WHAT'S the crown? Complete your figure"
Certificates of stock /"
"Rasins"
Wheat"
"W0ol!"
cold. my friends just plain gold. So is his
sceptre. and the rule Of the cOnsecrated rod Of
ron is ethereal mildrcss by comparison"
Mrs Duncan was delighted. She had got up
the picnic and invited the men on purpose that
they should talk in this way She ana not under.
rioht rinq: and when she looked at her cherished
guest. Miss Gerrish. of philadelphia-Miss Gerrish!
who had been in England and Constantinope, ard
shone in Washington society, ard was now grazing
the Duncan home in San Francisco-when Mrs
Duncan looked at her. ard saw her mtellleen,
eyes light up with the expression OF nhiorced
interest that does not visit the twenty-sXyear
old eve Of beauty 50 frequently "a 70 20 m
recognized Of the ortysIX-year-old eye OF eXper,
encc, Mrs. Duncor gave heaven thanks; ana .c
counted as naught the terrible struggle with Nr.
Duncan TO be allowed to give the picnic. She
could have kissed Bowycr's thick blonde bang.
for banged his hair bad h"come during TIE morn,
lrgs walk round the island, whereas she hah
been inspired by the feelings Of all the BorHas
toward him fifteen minutes before. when She
Jaw him spcechlcssy dcyonring pat"-de-foie-gras
sandwiches.
They were talking on the wc-worn theme ~
the decline Of the ideal. as il j. vagncy called.
Most Of the men. either 10 sustain thef pl''-
fions as Practical, everyday people. WIFI no
oonscner about them. or 70 oucnch som" enoaIing
regret or soIfrcproach IN their hearts. ma r'nne1
with inexpensive cvnicism, that the ide1l WIS
condition of Youthful ineXperience quickly enled
in tho first genuine tussle with the world al it's
realities The women tried 20 not in n word for
love and home-generalv indicating thu II ere
was ANYTHING licking. their i"tuence was N'toh
10 snnplv H. The debate waved warm. 20 a
dcllatr among comparative strangers may While
in the realm Of abstraction. when James l"NVer
propoundod "It's all such matter Of ciroNm-
stances and enviro"Cent If mans life il
rassod in buying and se!1nF ana e'ttnc rfln-
there is no room for the ideal except D"rhaps
a very sturdy and earthly Ore Of common honesty:
and that's speedily imnarcd. II his life Is passed.
in adventure-war and eyporing, for instance-he
gets chance to cultivate good deal Of the ideal
i'm the way Of f0rtiI-dc. sef-Sacrliice and so on
Ergneers on locomotives do ideal things, yon
know Their responsibility is 50 immediate and
iramatic--so public. I might add-they always
Tbc main thinr now is to define what We've
each been meaning by the word ideal suggested
Arr sIl FrsS Bc%Ier ba, uucor.cousy shown what he
means" quoth Ms Gcrlish.
what" said Bower. shortly' hut smiling.
IIeroism." said the fair Philadelphan. 49,
Dramatic sclf-sacrifcc that gets into the
rapers was what made OUT dIawled Frank
Mr. Bower" hc.oueht Mrs. Duncan, do say
what you think is Just the most ideal thing IN
'~S,r this picnic, Jim-charce Of your life"
said Frank Poyce. aufibly. ;., - an.
shall not put oil Ms. Duncan WIN an idie
commitment however obvious. when | understand
exactly what she means = id BOWER stIrIE,
ancr The laugh sgSid'd. and -c"rl'g anln'an,E, ,.,
ror III, Mains. The most ideal thing ever heard
of vas the death Of a man for the saEe Oh a
woman with whom be was not IN tie least III
rha ,roo, words love- and DEATH" which
no common usage can rob 81 their sO'orliy. igl
solcriucly i'm Bowers MAJ" Nole" on '"e n2O
sreciallv frivolous. but certainly 30 serious parry
Considering that >hc had just stayed WIN
H,rors the inter COZ ver-atonal rout OF her plcnc
Mr., Duncan was conluscdly S.ry that Size haI
rut her question. BowH"r. Who ai go Yea 10y
solemn hi, speech would sound wien ic Nh'e -
.lt like a naughty. hut G'o!-ae1rtrI ht'" "F'
who has said the wrone thing. MIS-, 'rrfNl;
very much amused lca"ci toward III" dl '',i'H'ei
ono. with bottle of cl1mpa-n" i1 hrr Ilr' y
orcreI it 10 linn. .arirg. in what Ar'o'4is vi
las has called "a pay-actin toan":
Consider il not - deeply ,
Bower laughed, filed her gla,s AMI d., o"1!
raising the wine 10 his lips VIII 'A' f'''an
sinrIiar look passed over her face. bani'oef
,,,rost os soon as il appeared She was aIat
10 slca'S and Bowyor was intensely lntel,,e', "
l-rovv lust what she would have ~al J., wnr, ny
name WIS called. with an insi,''n"e he '''' N''
:, Was wa, the po~'.rolly l'iovcl married -
-upportci by n cluster Of laughing. cascI, e-'
na-.ine for tho par'ic lars of tl" most IDEAL n-,
mo fynrv Httle cloon lad passed.. and. VIZ IN
,moricao di,fa>'e FIR race 'WtWtr 'r'' b'"|cr
found nothin- for u h1t :" 'r,i i- ,''',N ,cr.
The i.cidou: happened ".''' "." 1.h',Htsh
manor corr,.norlcni dnriuc tie Rls~ar-Ini.ISn
(var." he b.,.n TIE tedious ETH OF ne
siege Of kar, was lad tor MS r'pf' '"' goo .,.d
me- a-. in the cour,e of II. nal' p t.ln, -l,
ri .t.f az , ,nqu vi, VOL have t'nain"d ""E
am agreeable acquaintance hnt for ''n i'n ,u'rss
of th, siege. ilr Rus, n 90 -'' '..%i'.''a, %
which ALWAYS sounds 4h-,l go ll'' .L.,s
world: lut he WIS ~plrDd,d .c."N' '.. ,,cr
10 D., un.',r>tauicl %: cVer' body ihr N.rll ~
Nr was highly educated. im'nc','N ti''rH.a -
very polished but oi that queer. crazy IN
mont that hlV" mover ionri ..-i>," '',.r. ',,,, %
tio horn yi,cur We dont seem 10 hay" any
word ior thar. a~d believe it'~ obsolete ia Franc,
whor, ~ cam" rom; h1t have ai""f' rl'"- M,
IT, with ai Dis supp >'' sno" n-'.' - 'l. '',, ,,
characteristic ol i' \i,'"i is '' , ,.,.,
mueh. if vou like. suppose c"m'i and
always living i'm one so where 'nr ''', -
standard arc defined and imWovahc. N'F'r
having deceived or been deceived. a tri" Niii.n
car.ic, through all his di>sipati'r> The ,implFlF