New-York tribune., 1903-04-20

| 'T can't understand you. Cecil. You are quite
| the cleverest man know, yet you never seem to
| have done anything"
81 sincerely hope not" replied Cecil Hasted. in
a musical slightly voice. The supreme
| efforts of my life have been to avoid doing any
thing. 1t is positively indecent how longs 10
work sometimes"
IF didn't know you better I should say you
a poseur."
whereas I am only dr1fter."
Some people might call you idler.' retorted
Margaret Dennis.
Some people don't interest me, but dare say
they might. You have one fault. Meg. You can't
| drift. In fact. believe you secretly pining
| do something mighty"
'Of course 1 am. l want to write a book"
Good heavens The very thing I have had the
greatest difficulty TO avoid doing since could
| hold n pen"
| But why on earth should you not write book?
| Indeed. you ought-it's your duty"
| Ought! Duty! My dear child such words are
| recognized by Of thought. Beauty IS the
| word that should rule all great minds. and
| don't do beautiful thngs-they only think them
| "Oh, 1 don't agree with you a Bit Think Of all
the beautiful pictures that have been painted-the
| music that has been compOsed-the books that
| have been written!'
Well you don't suppose men did those things
| from a sense of duty. They did them just because
| they could not help themselves-any more than
those lights can help being reflected in the Seine
| They were standing the Pont Saint-Michel.
looking up the river. Not the river OF the daylight.
| with it's soft gray and silver tones-but the mys
| terious. haunting river of the night: the play
ground of innumerable lights and the home Of deep
| reflections
Then you think" went on the girl. after a
| pause, that Raphael only painted. and Beethoven
only composed because tney G9uid @ h0s & ngIp II e
much more beautiful than the things they did:
why why / Won't Won't let I" myself M work
But ii every one held the same views there there
not be able to gauge their powers s,,
| deeper and deeper into the slough of duty you Will
| be quoting Charles kingsley at me soon Come
| and drink coffee at the Lorraine.
Does nothing ever disturb your calm. Cecil?
Not often It's no Use getting excited about
II should ike to see you in Tsge ali the same
and YOU IKE thundersto?rms?'
| Yes. they cea- the air
| Sometimes they upheave things.
Anyway they are dsfinite.wn nIfa Is more than
| Can you imagine anything more terrible than
4 can't imagine anything more difficult. I've
never done or said definite thing in my life
| That's why l admire people who do
| What misplaced admiration Believe there
| is nothing so deplorable as definite person and
You do definite S thing you I,d % EegEet I II al WIZ i5a
| JOY YOU have culled from the indefinite. Take our
friendship, for instance. We met. because we had
IN fb feet 6f the Venus Of Mo We spoke be
c9pse We had indefnte reed Of speech and an in
meeting into a friendship which may last forever,
yee tbaf IS its charm said Meg with little
| laugh Shall we go and drink coffee. you sug-
! Rut the students cafe did not her to-
| night The pre-Raphaelite looking models, who
| perched themselves tables. and demanded a
| book from young men IN picturesque cloIhIhs,
| minded way to Hasted's somewhat cynical re-
| rake me home Cecil she said suddenly
| I'm not in the mood for this kind Of thing to-
| night The undercurrent is too obvious
| Halsted looked at her in surprise e certainly
! Bu- you are behaving n dssracefully feminine
Nothing except that 1 am feminine ..
| climbed the many stairs TO the nat Wnch
| she shared with Miss Emma Dale. rather YEARLY,
the sitting room, and Miss Dale had gone TO bed
| The whole place Looked -nournful. she sat down
in chair and stared at the ashes In the nreplace
| as the fun and laughter Of youth with US, We
| don't think But when they are gone, Wnat IS
| there left? Ashes-iust gray, dusty ashes We are
| grandmothers cherished and rant and rave
| about living our own lives Oh. why was born
| a woman . -
| thought to the morrow, and Meg belonged TO Bo-
| hernfa Indeed. she OF its most sunny n
| hsbtants Her unOrthOdOX friendships never grew
to allow sentiment to flourish in her nelghoorhood
| and he Flower does not thrive among
| Bachelors Buttons and Lady's Smocks
| Lately. however, things had been going WIons
| with Meg She had been seeing too nuch OF cecil
| Haisted for her peace Of mind. and to-night she
| had come a turning point which called for a
dificrIt situation once she had grasped il so IN
| stead of going bed she sat up and had II out
| with herself The result was that she told MISS
Dale the next morning at breakfast she Hau ueCI4s
| to go away from Paris m
| Go away from Paris. Maggie
| Miss Dale lady VINO used tne dlT3lnuuNe
| Whatever for? And where are you going
| Il can't tell you why, and don't know Where