Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-11-24


 AND SHABBY SCARLET COATS. support. His dress suit was effective white waistcoat and black tie. don't like the idea of black waistcoat with white neektie, but the eombina, tion is often seen. Hawkins apart ments were nicely lighted up with floor lamps, and there was bunch of flowers in jar here and there
 Good evening"" said Hawkins, turn ing up suddenly. "This dinner was a splendid idea of yours, Hawkins. It will reconcile Yane and Alton"
 eff everything goes well," said Hawkins.
 "We mustn't be formal or stiff, said l. "Take everything as matter of course. If we are not our natural selves at dinner the affair will be ruin"
 The next moment Vane and Huggard entered together. do not understand the growing intimacy of those two.
 What fine rooms you have, Hawkins" :" remarked Vane, when he had taken off his things. 'They betoken correct taste, and a man of correct taste is now adays pessimist."
 Alton arrived last-because it looked important, I suppose. We now pro- ceeded to the cozy library in Hawkins suite. The dinner was set out here, be- cause the room was large and 1 sag gested it. It seemed unique, somehow, to eat among all those books and busts.
 l observed that Huggard was very att tentive to everything, and did nothing unless he had first seen one of us do it. He spread his napkin over his entire lap until he noticed Vane and then he rearranged it over his left knee.
 You are not very fond of books, Hawkins" said Vane, when he had lighted his cigar and taken sip of creme de menthe.
 T get quite a different impression" declared Hawkins. as he gazed about the shelves. 'sThe books are well worn and thumbed, and seem to have been much used.''
 "That's what betrays Hawkins" and student treats his volumes as care fully as if they were newborn babes. He might open them hundred times day and they would still retain their newness and freshness. The man who knocks his books about and lends them right and left has no scholarly tastes"
 "The truth is,n said Hawkins. that only have this library for spectacular purposes"
 (Which shows your wisdom" contin- ued Vane. Tt has always been my opinion that the caliph who ordered the destruction of the AleXandrian li brary conferred service upon man. kind. Think of all the Greek and Latin our youth have escaped through his benefcence. It's bad enough as it is, and 1 wish there had been more caliphs like him."
 You hate learning remarked Alton. The two had exchanged very few words since their quarrel, and we all sat still and listened.
 "No, but l hate boolSs," answered Vane.
 q had no idea of that" put in Flaw kins. q deeply regret having had our dinner in the library"
 "Your feeling is misplaced" was the answer. q like a library because it is contrivance whereby man rids himself of his books"
 q like to hear man say honestly that he hates books," said Hawkins. "I hate 'em, baw Jaw, but I'm always afraid to say so."
 (Which shows you're like everybody else" Vane continued. 1.-The whole world is a colossal sham where litera- ture is concerned. Every man feels bound to pretend, for some mysterious reason, that he likes books. Now, books are, like medicine, hateful necessity. 1t is not irrational to assume that in course of time the world will be able to get along without books altogether"
 "Why?" asked Alton. "Because the older the world grows the simpler do science and art become, and therefore knowledge is made less complicated. Thinl1 of the hordes of books on astronomy, physics, geogra- pby. grammar, and so forth. They are only necessary because those subjects are complicated, which means that we don't know anything about them."
 "The wisest age, then" Alton said, 'sis that which reads last?"
 sNo," replied Vane, "but that which requires fewest books. Literature is the stored-up ignorance of the world. Obvious truths never need to be writ ten."
 "Baw Jaw!" was Hawkins comment. serhat's an idea, Vane. You never hear of books proving that two and two make four.''
 "You don't come down to the club much" remarked Hawkins, as we arose and went into the billiard room. Why's that, Vane?''
 q have so little time,' he replied. "I'm at work on novel"