Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-28


smile; others looked curiously at me ana
| then at the newspaper girl, who was sitting
! beside me, as those who are anxious TO
bring their pet schemes before the public
and yet are unwilling to admit newspaper
folk to their secrets, are wont TO gaze upon
| reporters. In the minds OF some people
newspaper woman, no matter what ner spe-
J ojal work may be, lis always society re-
porter on the lookout for gossip and
scandal
I must confess that noted the glances
of these with inward resentment. supreme
in the consciousness of being well dressed
| (for I really thought l was), and as In
different to the claims Of heredity as the
first remove from a foreign immigrant can
be, my spirit of American independence re-
belled against the purse-proud opinions OF
some at this intellectual feast, and the
supreme Indifference of others whose claims
to recognition lay cniefly in their having at
some time achieved poem on spring or a
deceased friend. l was glad when wom-
an somewhere in the early fortes, came IN
with a breezy, healthful glow about her.
"Who Is that?" inquired OF the young
woman near me.
II think it is Miss Thurston. one of the
to have a regular treat
who Is Miss Thurston? what mas she
done?" asked the woman In front.
"Oh. I believe she has written childrens
books or something" responded Mrs. Quln-
cy Palgrave .
The newspaper girls eyes lighted in
amusement, although her other features re.
manned impassive Dorothy Thurston kept
q fashionable school for girls on the Lake
Shore and had never written line Iof pup
LEGATION. Happy woman!
Had I made remark Of that kind It
would have counted against me, an1 ii,
grave did not seem to care, nor WOuio Sh9
If she had realized her blunder. After all,
1 said to myself, why need one be forever
fretting about what Is or what Is not the
proper thing? The world takes you at your
own estimate. Here is the excellent Mrs.
Palgrave, who does not even know the m
tellectual accomplishments of her own Chl-
cago, yet she is comfortable happy and
member of the best society. SO what does
intellectually really stand for? Oh, 1t
isfied and all that, and only have to wake
up now and then enough to be fashlonanly
intellectual; to have some one else 90 the
thinking, and only come occaslonaily 10
absorb the feast of reason which some over
worked slave has sat up nights 10 pre-
pare"
I recollected that I, too, bore name
known and respected at, all the banks. what
matter If it were never heard of at the Nota
Bene Club?
I looked up again at Mrs. Quincy Pal
with feeling of certainty that next winter
I too, would be wearing, in place of the
cheap cloth suit that was doing duty now,
handsome sable,trimmed coat; thae, IN
short the day would come when, In becom-
ing attire, should be welcomed and ad-
mired as Mrs. Parsons was then; and my
ambitions were taking definite shape as l
sat in my corner Joseph Henning was
somewhat addicted to the good things OF
this life He would never attend the meet,
ings of the Nota Bene with me. poetry,
he said land such litry matters were not
his line;;' but he was ready and anxious,
and, best of all, able, to furnish me with
the means and the leisure to indulge such
tastes, and i would yet show these people
what was In mel
There was hustle at the speakers desk:
The lecturer "a Unitarian minister, OF
hod n ~
said the newspaper CRIB was beginning his
speech with some lf-jOcular remarks
which were heard by only a, few, so long
did 1t take the widening circle OF aIlenti on
to reach the rows next the walls When all
was quiet and the audience had subs1ded
into silence 1 found that he was talking or
the attitude of poet toward his critics
treating the subject In a strong, fearless,
broad and liberal fashion. AS he went on
felt my feeble Intellectual pulse stir and
glow and grow strong. After all. what i is
the populace applaud or deride, SO dong as
one lives out ones best and noblest and ut.
tiers the word which is given one to reveal!
Then came Miss Thurston. She had pre-
pared no paper, but SO accustomed was
she to talking on literature to her girls
that she was perfectly at home with her
audience, face to face and eye to eye.
rustic of excitement pervaded the room ike
a wind-swept weed as her glowing words
poured out, bringing Inspiration to all who
listened. Was it better to be poet Of the
people, catching the heart Of the masses
like Burns or Longfellow? Or was 1t d.
viner to sit on the heights and sing to the
few whose ears are attuned to the voice
of higher things? Was 1t nobler to be
great college professor, teaching the sons
of capitalists how best to draw together
the forces 1T capital and labor? Or was
it more like the Nazarene of old to go
among the slums and teach little children
the habits of cleanliness and industry
which should tell in their after lives? Was
there not need of both? And what mat
ter whether one spoke directly to the
masses, or to the select few?
When Dorothy Thurston finished her i'm
passioned appeal she sat down amid tu-
multuous applause her cheeks pink and
her eyes afiame.
The meeting was nearly over; few
members who lived in the suburbs, and
who would rather miss the remainder of
the intellectual feast than be late for their
6 o'clock dinners, were already leaving to
catch their trains when the president said:
present to you the Rev. Philip Haven of
New York. Many Of you will remember
his article on Browning in the August
North American. / feel that he has some
message that may be helpful to US, which
we can take away as bond Of sympathy
until we meet again"
Then my mind was chaos For the
man who was receiving so warm a well
come had been a, schoolmate down in that
country town in Kansas. There had been
fragmentary attachment of the boy-and-
girl fashion years ago. had not known
his recent history. but here he~was; and
he was handsome, popular and eloquent
as the hearty applause that filed the room
testified. 5iA
When the meeting was over I joined the
group of congratulatory folk in front of
the platform. and IN moment was meet
Ing his look of Surprise with one of old
friendship. People were waiting to speak
to him. Mrs. Raigrave was glaring and
wondering how these common, middle-class
people managed TO be always in the front
of everything. -
But he chung fol. moment to my hand
"Oh, Jackie-begi pardon, Mrs Henning,"
he was saying, How do you come here?"
I'VE are living Ia Chicago now I re-
piled. MY husband is in business here
Mrs. Palgraves WAS persistent, and an
other woman was crowdng between us and
the handsome preacher. Cant you find
time to come out To eth street and see us?"
asked. nfw
may" And sootfcwas settled, and / was
pushed away byfthe eager throng of adj
1 went out alone The stars were shin
ing from the clear sky of late autumn as
went down the broad marble steps to the
street. There Is q divine harmony in life
as In the spheres, IL only, ones ears are
attuned to 1t. But I was only thinking
that had not only compassed the mat
ter of club membership, but had passed
successfully the ordeal of my first club