The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-22

UNMAKING LOVE. :

as the saying is. Imagine my con-
sternation, l am by no means insen-
slble of the great good luck of man
who is loved by a good sort of woman,
though quite capable of not pretend
ing to envy him. But this wouldn't
do at all. She was the prettiest girl
there, and 1 had gravitated toward her
beauty as a matter of course. always
pick out the prettiest face and go
straight for it mechanically. of
course, often don't arrive; there may
be obstacles and l am quite content
to make a bow to the next Venus. 1t
would be q real shock to discover
that there was a degree, a possibility
between what had achieved and
what had abandoned. that was pay
ing my homage to star OF less brill
liancy than necessary. The fact is, l
have quite enough of reason and ideas
and intellect generally when l am at
work, and we are all Of us eternally
applying some principle, and that's
philosophy. When i join the ladies all
] care about Is to have my eye and
ear agreeably stimulated, not because
they are capable of making me think,
though 1 don't say they are, but be"
cause at those times / want amuse-
ment, not instruction. That's why I'm
so severely logical about feminine
charms of person and feel personal
loss when l worship at a shrine of 90
beauty power, instead of 100. However,
! am not often in this dilemma, as
nature doesn't cut things so fine.
Well, what was I to do? AS 1 said,
1t wouldn't do; she had no ideas; there
was nothing for me to cling to. We
might have gone on like that for the
rest of our lives, I admiring her beau
ty and she existing beautifully. I
don't think l was to blame; I faced
the question fully and honorably ac-
quilted myself. 1 never sought her So
ciety; but when we met / certainly did
enjoy her musical small talk; she had
a charming voice. / don't know what
we talked about. can't remember
her saying anything worth remember
ing, and L certainly didn't attempt to
converse. There was a string of ques-
tions and answers, just like a royal
commission and each as romantic. But
the whole thing. her face, her voice,
her easy chat, the frou frou, was a
perfect holiday for me and ! felt some
of the acquiescence of sleep without
any of it's unconsciousness. / am a
utilitarian person. but 1 never reckoned
the time wasted. The sunshine warm
ed my fallOw mind and made il strong
er to bear more drastic impressions.
1t strikes me now that the disengage-
ment which I displayed may have
looked like patience to her ingenious
ness and that there might have been
a trace of gratitude for the implied
compliment, though all the thanks
were certainly on my side. However,
it came about it did come about. OF
course, | might be wrong; in that case
il wouldn't matter what / did, but L
knew | was not wrong. At any rate,
/ elected To assume that l was right,
and | had to do something.
Clearly. | couldn't run away. In the
first place, this was practically incon-
venent. Like other people, am teth-
cred in the shadows of circumstance.
And, secondly, il smaCked of the he
roic, of which of course, ! have hor-
ror was afraid, too, that she would
take feminine pleasure in feeding a
sentiment for the absent, and my obvi-
Gus policy was to discourage, not in
flame. her imagination. Externally !
had To maintain the old attitude, but it
would nave been a false pretense to
do So with the old nonchalance. l took
the first opportunity of denying myself.
Have you been to see the pictures?"
she said.
Not l." I replied
What do YOU mean? Don't you like
beautiful things?"
and even then ! am haunted by the
fear that / am wasting time, and might
be more profitably employed.
More protitably?"
Yes; storing up sources that will
last-facts, thoughts, goods, money,
anything but fancies."
"YCu are coming out in new light?"
She said
"A new darkness, you mean,' re-
piled.
Il suppose you are what is called a
dark horse" she rejoined.
We both laughed, and she went away
puzzled.
Next time managed TO startle her.
We We're talking Of the newest novel.
Romance" ! said, lis all very well,
but it mustn't be contemporary Put
1t into bygone days in as large quanti-
ties as you like; but the tale of today,
which deals with us and our friends,
ought only To encourage sober business
principles"
She ought to have retorted; "Such
as answering a fool according to his
folly" or by referring to the fact that
most fiction was designed to stave off
bankruptcy, quite in accordance with
any theory. But she only said:
Don't you think we want 4 change
from our every day life"
Il don't" ] said, "because my chief
amusement consists in watching other
peoples"
Il didn't know you We're such a critic
] hope You haven't reckoned me up"
The critic" ] said, "shuts one eye
In order to get a better view; the
rynic purposely puts on glasses which
don't fit him; the philosopher sees one
thing with one and the opposite with
the other"
Have you got a better We've" she
asked.
II have no view or views" / said. 81
am tho plain man who is supposed not
to exist. Now, the plain woman"
i know lots" she said, land very
nice they are"
What a pity il is said, that only
women can understand women. That's
why It is that men never really make
them good companions. We think too
highly of them; for instance, we think
that they are all beautiful"
But you know better all the time o.
"Of course we do in practice, but thC
fhanpV a g1 ha 4
IS an attempt to take their own view
10 put ourselves i'm their place for q
moment. The fact is that very few