The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-11

vain. There are PEOPLE and people Of
varying depths and intricacies OF char
acter. but there Is none to compare with
me-"
The word genius Is used without pre-
else definition. She speaks of her genius
Sense:" She seems to mean to say that
the marvellous power Of feeling which
she attributes to herself, her acute per.
ceptive power, constitutes genius.
II am not a genius because | am for
etgn 10 everything In the world. nor be-
cause ana intense. nor because 1 sufIer.
One may be all Of these and yet not have
this marvellous perceptive sense.
My genius Is because of nothing. 1t
was born tn me as germs of evil were
born in me. And mine is a genius that
has been given to no one else. The ge.
MUS itself enables me to be thoroughly
convinced of this.
my genius is sound, sure. earthly
sense. with no suggestion of mystery or
occultism. 1t Is an inner sense that en-
ables me to feel and know things that
could not possibly be put into thought.
much less into words. 1t makes me know
and analyzc every keen tiny damnation
In my terrible lonely life.
1T Is a mirror that shows me myself
brilliant light and the sight at once sick
ems and uaddens me and fills me. with
unnamed woe"
High above all the other notes in her
For ono single hour of happiness
would give up at once these things: Fame
and money and power and. virtue and
honor and righteousness and truth and
%se I"S %opd ssg yw ana sens little TIE
price to pay for dear happiness
7 am ready and waiting to give all
that ! have to the devil in exchange for
happines. l have been tortured SO long
with the duh, dull misery of nothingness
ALI my nineteen years. / want to be
happy-O. I want to be happy.
Happiness, don't you know. Is of three
kinds-and all are transitory. 1t never
stays, but 1t comes and goes
There is that happiness that comes
from newly washed feet. for instance. and
a pair of clean stockings on them. par
tlcularly after, one has been upon a
etramr into the country. Always / have
identified this kind of happiness with a
Maltese cat dipping hungry. stealthy.
sensual tongue into bowl Of fresh. thick
1 There is that still happiness that has
tcome to me, at rare times when I have
been with my one friend-and which does
very well for people whose feelings are
moderate They need wish for nothing
beyond 1t.
I:sSeSSs:And there is that kind of happiness
which Is of the red sunset sky. There is
something terrible in the thought of this
gtndescribable mad happiness. What a
thing 1t Is for a human being to be happy
with the red. red happiness of the sun
set sky.
"oh. devil, fate. world-some one bring
me my red sky! For a little brief time,
and 1 will be satisfied. Bring it to me
intensely red, intensely full, intensely
alive. Short as you will. but red. red
red!'
Mary MacLsne is exceeding fond of
apostrophizing the devil. in addition to
playing varia tions on the word dam -
Her devil is not the 'atrocious creature
in red tights. with cloven hoofs and a
tail and a two-tinsd fork" but rather
an extremely fascinating. strong, steel
will person in conventional clothes-a
man with whom TO fall completely, madly
in love-"
She in1agines several conversations with
the devil, beginning in the most ortho-
dox way. one is surprised to find. with
a proposal of marriage. This from a
young lady who in one passage vows she
will never have the marriage ceremony
read over her. But We must remember
that the portrayal is in the form of a
shades and moods.
The deYil leaned back in the frail
willow chair and looked at me.
Ana now no .. that dam am hers here Mary Ma
.Iwant you to marry me-" / replied at
once. And l want 1t more than ever
ANYTHING snSth was wanted since the world
Degan:
But you must know it is not my
custom to. marry women
Il am sure 1t Is not" I agreed, land
/ do not ask to be particularly favored.
Anything that you may give me- how
ever little. will constitute marriage for
me-"
And would marriage itself be SO small
thing" asked the devil
Marriage" ! said. would be a great.
n q Ova FIJI hit10 ND he
beautiful OF all. want what Is good,
cording to my lights, and because l am
genius my lights are many and far
reaching"
What do your lights tell you?" the
man-devil inquired.
They tell me this: that nothing in the
world matters unless love is with 1t. and
If love is with 1t and It seems to be
still, because. Of the love; it partakes of
You are beautifully frank. little fem
mime creature" he said. ''Frankness is
in these days a lost art"
yes. I am beautifully frank" 7 re-
piled. "Out of the countless millions of
the devils Amounted 1 am one to acknow!-
edge myself"
But withal YOU are not true" said
81 am liar" answered.
You are a liar. surely" he said. but
you stay with your lies. To stay with
anything is truth :"
Don't you know, you little thing" said
the man-d vii. ~oftly compassionate
your life will be very hard for you
always-harder when you are happy than
when you go in nothingness?'
Il know-I know. Nevertheless I want
to be happy" sobbed. | felt rush OF
an old. thick, heavy anguish. "It is day
after day. 1t is week after week 1t is
month after month. 1t Is year after year
1t is only time going and going. There
is no joy. There is no lightness of heart.
1t is only the passing of days. l am
young and all alone.
Always / have been alone. When
was and lay in the damp grass. and
tortured myself to keep back the tears.
and through the long. cold. lonely years
till now-and now all the torture does
not keep back the tears. There is no
one-nothlng-to help me bear il. 1t is
more than pathetic when one is 10, in all
Young new feelings, and sees nothing
anvwhere-eXcept long. dark, lonesome
years behind her and before her. No one
that loves me and long long years"
why" asked the Devil. ARE you In
love with me?
you know so much-so much" I an
swered. Il think it must be that.
And so then you must understand me.
And II you married me would
make you happier than you are:
Il am not happy at ALI said inc man.
devil II am merely contented.
"Contentment.' ] said. in place OF hap
piness, Is horrd feeling. Not ono of
your countless advocates loves YOU. They
all serve you faithfully and well. hut
with 1T all they hate YOU Always peo-
ant. hut I love YOU shsorbinEly, madly.
RI ppiness for me would lie to i've with
ro,I and sec you made hsppV by the
Overwhelming flood of my love.