Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29


solves that have heard discussed recent
ly were ole enough to vote years ago. Ey en-
Dicks set has the fever. He had some of
his friends up to dinner one evening last
week, and after they had finished they
went into the library for smoke. There
were six of them and as 1t was q stag
party, the girls were not about / was told
that / didn't count" so / sat In the back
parlor and took the smoke and talk sec
ond hand as they came to me through the
double doors. They were a jolly lot of
men, and enjoyed 1t all immensely.
One of the men. Jack Minturn, is much
older than the others. and quite their idol,
much to my regret, so far as Dick is con-
cerned, for no boy. however well he has
been reared, can resist the hattering at
tentions of a thoroughly cultured man Of
the world. when that man shows by every
act that he is devoted to the younger man.
Jack Minturn has past. Not happy
past, either, no. one to mention to ears
polite; but he is one of the "eligibles," and
his past Is so very far behind him most
people who knew 1t have forgotten it. In
fact he seems to have forgotten it himself.
As / said before. man OF the world like
that, one who has slipped every cup of
pleasure, torn all passions to tatters, and
come of the field unscathed, Is a danger
Gus. companion for a young man just en-
tering the charmed circle of life. OF course,
all men have their frailties, and one would
as we'll go and be monk at once as to
hope to find ones self friend without i'm
PROJECTIONS; but there are some iml.erfec-
lions that are more glariug than others,
and l have always thought Jack Minturn
had most of them in a masnified degree.
have changed my mind. After ALL ones
life lies within the present. The past Is
gone, and the future is yelled in mystery.
The present can be so lived as to nullify
the past and make the future pure, and
Minturn has done much to atone; cool and
cynical, he is yet generous and brave gen.
tie and honest, and when / have done any
one injustice / am always pleased to re-
mistake.
Between peals Of laughter and purfs OF
smoke there came to me from the library
many witty sentences, and 1 thought to
myself, Men certainly do enjoy the COM
pany OF their kind more than women do"
A woman's dinner is generally a dreary
thing, unenlivened by the presence of men,
and IL there is a good woman contour pres
emit she usually oyershEdows everybody
else and acts like a wet blanket on the
others; in itself depressing, for If there is
any one thing that a woman dislikes more
than another 1t Is to be outshone by some
other woman.
Randolph got back today" heard one
of them say.
Just il time to 'schware off agin,' as
Rip would put It," responded Dick. by
jove. what fool Randolph is. The gods
endowed him with all the attributes of
greatness and he has done nothing but play
errand boy for the devil since he came in
to his money"
You forget. my lad, that he is young
yet" Minturn said, in his soft drs Wing
voice, and with the assumption of sc that
accor3s but i'll with his face, however Eu-
merous his years. HE will come through
all right l know he has il in him, and
lacks but circumstance to bring il cut,
though he does not recognize his own
A hot
latent forces lie within till some mighty
love, some terrible affection, comes to hu-
mamie his soul" Like flash il came to
me that his own reform had dated from
the death of a beautiful woman with whose
name mis- own had been connected in q kind
of platonic way, and L was glad to think
that none of the boys had ever heard of it,
L knew what they did not, that he WIS
looking into an open grave and from its
side, secure in his secret, he was reouk-
ing the thoughtless youths. 1t was just
there that / made UP my mind that 1 had
made a mistake.
Just listen to the sentiment of him."
shouted Darcy Bruner. "Old Minturn COM
ing the sentimental dodge is a new sensa-
ion. l say, Minturn, do you believe with
the poet, that Men may rise on stepping
stones of their dead selves to higher
things?'"
Il certainly 90. Darcy" came the quick,
earnest answer. If We didn't, not many
of us would ever mount very high. 1 be-
heve that ii is human nature to trust that
somehow. good will be the final goal of III,
That nothing walks with aimless feet;
That not one life will be destroyed
Or cast as rubbish to the void
When God hath made the pile complete
That Is my confession of faith my psalm
OF life, IL you will"
There was a surprised kind of silence for
moment then Darcy asked hesits tingly:
DO you supp ose we-could help-that we
could save Randolph from himself? Your
confession of faith comes mighty near he
Orthn1ny INV ppi.,f
mind telling you that l like it, but isn't
there something somewhere about faith
without works being dead? d"
odd fellow, you are getting right down
to the root of the thing now" responded
Minturn with a sounding slap on Darcy's
back. And it is our business TO do what
work lies clearly at hand
Talk about a hen convention, Why II
would be a desert of Sahara quiet com
pared to the babel that followed The six
of them all talked at once, ard for half an
hour they kept II up. Suddenly Carl Heath
observed that the first day of a new
year was so close. he didn't see why IL
wouldn't be a good plan for all of them
to swear Off
From what?" shouted the Others in
chorus.
"Oh, nothing in particular" he respond
ed with laugh. ''just reform all along the
him"
Then babel broke loose again. till Min
turns voice Quieted them. Il tell YOU.
boys. old Polonus' advice to Laertes is
sound TO the core. II you choose TO fol-
low that from first line to last, from See
thou character to
This above all: to thine own self be true
And IL must follow. as the night the day.
Thou canst rot then be false to any man
and Keep his preccpts TO the letter all
you Will reed at the end of the year will
be pair of wings"
Just then some friends were announced
and had to leave. much to my regret for
L did want to hear those boys perfect
their plans. An hour later | went up to
my room for magazine, and there were
The i've girls grouped in various pastures
or ease around my desk at which Dorothy
sat, and they were so deeply immersed in
the subject under considerable that | was
in their midst and heard Robbie say: How
about rouge. girls?' before they discover
ed me. OF course they shricked. and pro-
tested that / had no business to steal in
on them in that way. evidently forgetful
of the fact that IL Gy room. and they
the interlopers. / have not many rights
which they respect. however. / speedily
discovered that they, too. were getting
ready for the new year, by "schwarin' Of
in regus alton style.
How far have you got. Dorothy" asked
Jennie as soon as they settled that might
well remain.
ITS Bob's turn now. Come. Mouse. how