The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-16
intellectual Friendlessness.

Some one wrote to the New York
Times Saturday Review not long ago
about the intellectual friendlessness''
OF the dwellers in cities and suggested.
a little vaguely and doubtfuIly. that
it might be beautiful and gracious
thing IL the temples OF the spirit could
be thrown open on week days to meet
one of the great needs of the mind.
be left ajar for this purpose and that
those whose acquaintance In the town
was too narrow to afford them the in
tellectual stimulus they craved should
drop in in passing to find there others
of their kind, driven to this refuge by
the same imperious need. and that "the
roof should be their Introduction" and
their common need OF intellectual COM
radeship the bond that should draw
them together for the kour In that In
terchange OF thought which Is the most
intoxicating stimulant the mind can
know.
This. doubtless. IL the vision of a
dreamer and yet 1t is an attractive
vision and one based upon certain real
tiles. The world OF the mind Is the
only true democracy. In social and
N business relations I'VE all guard
jealousy the privilege OF initiative and
1t is well that we should do SO. We
draw lines. build fences. and erect for
tifications, all of which are necessary
and desirable. for the land Is the enc
mics country, territory of self-seek
ing and double-dealng. But the world
of the mind is different place. 1t Is
the only human territory where one
grows richer through giving and where
the man we want to meet is the man
who needs what we have to bestow
upon him without price. What wonder
that dreamer in a great city whose
acquaintance failed to give him that
intellectual comradeship which he
knew II would bless others to bestow
tuary under the temple roof. where
men and women might meet and speak
as freely and as fearlessly as we Inn
agne disembodied souls may meet on
the green slopes OF Paradise.
But the vision will never be fulfilled
except in the enchanted land OF child
hood, where one Is always free to say,
"Oh, won't you come and play with
me-" to that other child with the shin
ing face. In the growa-up world we
win some things by merit and get
others by pull" Luck avails some
thing and so does labor. but Providence
still holds the gift OF friends in its own
keeping and every new one comes as a
straight miracle. an event as astound-
Ing as though its like had never been
known before. We may trap the light
ming. but the magnetism OF intellectual
consenlality remains one OF the unex-
plored forces and its action IL not to
be predicted. No man can say 80,
here or 10. there" Is a friend for
him who Is seeking one. and two men
who met upon neutral ground under
the church-roof in a search for mental
companionship would be quite as likely
to excite mutual antipathy as SYM
PATTY And perhaps. in spite of the
friendlessnesa which the Times cor
respondent deplores. II IN Just as well
that II should be so. In world so
highly organized as ours It is very good
that there should still be a few things
which come not by taking thought.
gifts Of price beyond our deserving
which we may receive devoutiy az
heaven-sent. since there Is no other ade-
qaate means OF accounting for their
presence.