The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1893-11-03

| neighbors to help him eat It; the
other when he gets more than his
ueighbOr does expends it on himself
| and his family, and meanly rejoices
in the fact that he can furnish his par
lor with finer furniture give his wife
more expensive clothes and make a
greater display of wealth than his
neighbor can. The squaw of the for
est decorates herself with feathers and
paint; the petted daughter of civiliza-
tion is not satisfied until she has ar
rayed herself in the most elaborate OF
Worth's gowns"
How can you talk so horribly" :"
cried Miss Chaworth. who could no
longer restrain her indignation Il
presume you think / am an advanced
savage"
i was generalizing. replied the
imperturbable doctor. Il would not
be so ungallant as to be personal in
my remarks and insult so charming a
lady as yourself
But you cannot deny that from your
generalizations that can be dedu&ed
which criticises myself"
Only in very small degree. The
remark which has particularly of
Tended you probably applies to tho US
and ladies. to be moderate in my esti-
mate, so that only 1000th part of the
criticism can legitimately apply to
you"
His adroit sophistry restored Heleh's
good humor She laughed merrily.
Il beg of you 10 let me hear the
worst" she said.
The worst is " said the philosoph ic
physician frankly. that | consider
the Four Hundred the most advanced
band of savages in this country, and
as you are supposed to be one of that
sacred number l will qualify my
statement by saying that my criticism
only applies to 399 persons" 8"
Thank you. said his fair heaGer
sarcastically.
But seriously. | maintain that rshy
structures on fashionable society al
though far-fetched, do not exaggerdte
the truth so much as may appear ito
one who has not given the subje ect
careful consideration. What 7 wish
to make clear is that even in the midst
of our wonderful civilization there lis
far too much refined materialism. The
comforts and luxuries which many
nowadays can so easily command have
to an alarming extent baneful effect.
They are constant menace to the
highest mental and spiritual growth.
The best pleasures are those that re-
Quire little or no money for their graft
ification. The love of nature the ae-
quirement of useful and entertaining
knowledge, the enjoyment of CONVEX
sation with friends that is ennoblin g
or full OF brightness and wit, the de-
velopment of splendid character. all
of these and other things which, in
order to make ourselves worthy of
honor and love. We should assiduously
cultivate, are seriously hampered BY
the materialistic tendencies of the age.
The soul should not allow houses, raj
ment and food to smother its nobler
impulses. AS it is. many who 60 into
an ecstacy when they see room full
of pretty brio a. brac take little or no
delight in the beauties of nature. They
are really abject slaves to that which
their money has enabled them to pur-
chase. Their time is almost entirely
given up to epicurean repasts. dress
ing, decorating their houses, giving
entertainments that are costly but ab-
horent to good taste. etc. Such peo-
pie make material things the end of
their ambition not means to a high
er living. and consequently they are
sadly belittled by their very possessions
and sO-called great advantages"
By the time the doctor had finished
speaking Miss Chaworth was greatly
interested in him. and regarded him
with much respect. He stimulated
her mind; his courageous condemnation
of the follies of fashionable society,
and his enthusiastic attachment to a
high ideal awakened her adm1ration
his superiority to the city dudes to
whose society she was accustomed
was wildly felt; she saw in him the
beauty and strength of true manhood:
he aroused the dormant possibilities
of good in her. and overcame the
complacency which she had attained
as a petted darling of society. 1t was
revealed to her that as she lived her
better self was being sacrificed. What
until now had enchanted her began to
appear ignoDle. She for the first time
felt a desire to free herself from the
materialism that had made her its
willing victim. She realized that her
new friend. whose life had been one of
plain living and high thinking. could
heartily congratulate himself that he
was not one of the Four Hundred His
aims and his pleasures were far SUI
perior to theirs
During the evening the two talked
now earnestly now merrlly, and Miss
Chaworth acknowledged to herself
that it was the most delightful conver-
sation in which she had ever partici+
pated. The next morning Dr. War+
dell departed and the young woman