New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-13


is to picture life except in patches,-how in the
Z idst of rapture come periods Of the most pro-
found depression, how the youth time. when
one is most sensitive to the JOY of life, is also
the time whom one is most sensitive to its pain
VIXEN the cold words of philosophy, set down as
Intellectual pastime, il may Ice. by their gray
bearded authors burn with pitiless, vital
flame. and the Book of Ecclesiastes is the bur
den of j weary world That is Il tragedy, too.
though it has not its dramatic exposition on
tie stage, perhaps there would not be
many correctly religious women and SNUG, I'M
imaginative, uresome men to scott at those who
suffer it, calling them "dOwny checked pOsers'
CT at:tiDuting their malady, with contemptu-
smile. to extreme youth" an alfliction
from which they probably never suffered because
they opened their eyes till they were
launched full fedged into conventional society,
where there is nothing to see but DUNES and
stupidity the equal of their own.
But tragedy can rightly be estimated or
property classified in the behoder's scheme of
life until the unwritten but inevitable sixth act
has been performed in the beholder's brain. Re
that tragedy the stage play of Alt Heidelberg
or the living drama of youth whom all life
bored at twenty-One there is another act to
come. 4 long act spinning out through years and
years to the final curtain fall of Death And in
that Iesurely aftermath of the tragedy of youth
there will be comedy and pleasure and tears and
matter of fact events in plenty, you may be
sure. and the end draws near it Will lie
more and more difficult to say whether the
act belongs to the Alt Heidelberg" play or to
the drama of boredom. The joy in May and
the profound lack of interest in anything which
have hand in hand under collegiate
elms come to like effects at the last. when both
have been worked deep under in he gray cells
Ct the brain. To rejoice and to be bored, if both
done sincerely, create positive forces to
make life easier to live when youth is passed
And what these forces what is this
force. since at the last analysis the two the
same? 1t is a force that depends memory
for its action. and works profoundly and effect
lively on that account, for few elements of our
consciousness are so dominant over our ac-
tons, determinate of daily thoughts and
habits, as our memories. Give me but to stock
youths memory. and let who will guide his
after career" might we'll be the modern cry
Mothers have always known this in their sure
intuitve way. That is why humanity has al
ways been, in the long run. on the right side
Depending on memory, then, this force is a
simple habit of mind that keeps a man from
taking life too seriOusly-that is all. There YOU
have the secret in a nutshell. the secret of why
it is goriOusIy worth while to teach young men
how to be bored; the secret too. of why Alt
Hedelberg' in the long act after the play is
done, ceases to be tragedy. Is it little thing to
teach not to take life too seriously? Those
who have lived long and suffered much alone
perhaps, can persuade you. Ask Them oh, sweet
hearts; they will tell you that it is the greatest
thing in the world.
So you persistent little woman you pin me
down at the last, do you, insisting that my
words imply that life is not such a pleasant
thing l began by declaring, after all?
should hate to be the who put that solitaire
are quite correct, in fact. We only bore men
early that they may not be bored late; we open
to them the treasure house of youth that they
may have the solace Of a memory in the deadly,
Gull routine of daily existence. Karl Heinrich
went back from the free life of Heidelberg to
rule his kingdom in stiff state, and for while
longing gnaWed his heart. Soon, however his
cares engrossed him. the bride who not his
love brought him new responsibilities new af-
feotions, it may be; life went on as with the
great majority of who rule our kingd oms
great small. and try to be satisfied with dos-
tiny. Only memory abode, and in the silence of
the night. sweet May morning, in The soIi-
tude of a song. he heard. the old. clear call; lie
knew that love and youth somewhere. somehow,
reigning in the world that day; he realized
that his life not the whole of life. that JOY
and beauty and imagination do exist And then
he returned to his ruling, a better and saner
onarch. and laughed. perhaps, at the long