New-York tribune., 1899-07-30
A CHAPTER OF PHILOSOPHY


we came to philosophy. ,, -. .ho
"There is such a difference" said she' De-
tween practice and theory" .,u,,,
conceded the point. She was so charmpis,
in fact that wished it had been larger pOlht
to concede But" ventured to remark 'ha'
doesn't make the theory wrong .o
She leaned her cheek thOughtfully upon one
gloyed finger, possibly to display the smallness
Of her hand; possibly because the pose eu''e'
her; probably for both reasons.
when you say that the regeneration OF tne
universe can only be accomplished py "hi'e
men marrying black women
And black men white women
mo, thank YOU" She shrugged her shouiue,9 .,,
We'll as a matter Of fact, you do not care any
thing bout the regeneration OF the universe
II don't believe do" laughed
Nor contemplate marrying negress your
self?"
UNFORTUNATELY. my personal taste lies so
strongly i'm the direction OF the blonde. Edlth
had remembered this. with her usual discretion;
IF / were black, you would say you PreIerred
raised nv hands in protest Il assure you"
averrcd soemnly, II prefer you as you are
But you haven't seen me any-other-How'
81 am clear that improvement is lmposslple'
She laughed a delightfully."- saucy laugh.
What stock in trade Of compliments you
keep | can understand why your cousin de-
scrbed you as a tonic for difhdeht young per
There is not" declared another like you,
so far as my experience goes"
You are putting me in glow OF satisfaction
with myself Please go There ought to be
one or two nice points remaining in me-"
regarded her with calm scrutiny. AN ap-
pearance Of impudence becomes you, / sald'
"but'-
"But?'
80 do all appearances"
Pray don't think that you have exhausted
my Appearances" She sank back in another at
ttude why, you've barely known me an
hour"
AN hour" I said feelingly "of exquisite quail
ity!"
IAN hour" she suggested, which should
rightfully have been devoted to a black woman"
She looked as if she would like to add some
thing, but refrained
You were going to say
Poor black woman" Her eyes sparkled
wickedly. Il don't mean it," she hastened to
add
according to my theory" explained, you
should have been delighting the eyes and ears
of some dusky gentleman, and-er'-
Poor black mani" l never saw such a girl
to laugh
"On the contrary, if you were likely to adopt
my theory should paint myself black"
But you wouldn't be so black as you were
painted"
The theory" observed, doesn't say black
all-thrOugh."
THE theory is nonsense; all theories are
Surely out Of so many theories one or two
must be right-if only by accdent,'
She leaned her head back against the chalr
and considered. Don't you think" she asked
with sudden gravity the folly is in such un-
stable beings as we having theories at all? We
the time for action comes-why OF course, we
break them" She sighed; doubtless to the
memory of some departed theory.
still" | said, there is no harm in laying
them down-for others" She smiled again.
For Jones, and Brown, and Smith, black
woman apiece" she cried, capping her hands;
for the author Of the theory
Blonde" l interrupted. blue eyes and haNen
hair preferably attired in pale blue with pink
ros s.
stop stop! I'll assume that you've paid me
all possible compliments. Let US get down to
the bed rock of serious conversation
'Umph. one rarely gets there that doubt
if have any serious conversation. You are not
missionary in disguise, are you
She didn't answer for a minute. II was curl
Gus to watch her face change from merriment
through thought, to seriousness. First the
laughter died gradually in her eyes; then the
little curls and turns went out of her lips; then
the dimples in the cheeks smOothed themselves
out like ripples widening into nOthingness on
the sea; then she lifted up her head, q little on
side, and looked at me with solemn child
eyes.
Sometimes" she said sadly. Il wish I were.
Sometimes | wish a missionary would come to
me. | get tired Of making fun of things and
think that perhaps they are serious after ALL
| tWrled my mustaChe. and felt my own
smile fading out They are serious enough"
| said. "if you look at them in that way. 1t
isn't a good way to look at things-thngs in
general think"
But one looks sometimes" she said absenty,
lat things in particular, and feels very, very
serious"
Then" I said. leaning forward. lone doesn't
talk about them much. There IS rarely any one
to whom one cares to talk about them"
II don't think" she went on, with a little
catch in her voice, there is ever any single per-
son 10 whom any would like to tell them
all-the serious PARTICULARS | mean"
II don't think there is So usually one doesn't I
tell them"
cor unburdens ones self in instalments, as OPP |
portunity offers" She sighed again.
iS W
condolences now and then. The critics ashed
scene i'm my last book because he told her one |
of his secrets in the first half hour of their ac- !
quaintance. 1t natural enough really"