Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-03
CHAPTER 7.
OUR COMPLEX LIFE
~ T the home Of the BlanchartIs
"a everything il tops turvy. and
with reason Think of II,
u - Mile Xvoupa - 90 - - -. n
CHAPTER 7.

I with reason Think of IT,
q - Mile. Yvonne IS 10 be r,a-riel
Tuesday. and today IS Friday.
Callers loaded with gifts and trades
men bending under packages come and
90 In endless procession. The servants
are at the end OF their endurance As
Tor the family and the betrothed, they
no longer have life or fixed abode.
Their mornings are spent with dress
makers. millirers. uphoisterers. jewel
ers. decorators and caterers. After
that comes rush through Offices,
where one waits IN line. gazing vague
~ at busy clerks cngulfed in PAPERS.
A fortunate thing II there be time
when this Is over 10 run home and
dress for the series Of ceremonial din
ners betrothaI dinners. dinners of
presentation. the settlement Ginner-re-
ceptions. balls. About midnight. home
again. harassed and weary. TO find the
latest accumulation OF parcels and n
deiuge Of letters 49, conZrat iiIa tons fe-
licitations. acceptances and regrets
from bridesmaids and ushcrs. excuses
Of tardy tradesmen. And the contre-
temps Of tie last minutc-a sudden
death that disarranGes the bridal par
". wretched cold that prevents a
favorite cantatrice from singing. and
SO forth. and so forth. Those poor
Blancharis, They VIII never be ready
and they thought they had foTesecn
everything.
Such hiss been their existence for n
month. No longer possible To breathe.
TO rest n half hour. u tranqCilize ones
thoughts. No. this is not living,
Mercifully. there Is grandmothcr's
room. Grandmother Is yerg!ng on
eighty Through many tolls and much
suffering she has come TO meet things
with the calm assurance which lie
brings To men and women of high
thinking ana large hearts. She sits
there in her armchair. enjoying the
silence of long mcIitat;vc hours. SO
the flood OF affairs surGin2 through tie
house Gibbs ut her door. At the thrcsl-
old OF this retreat voices are hushed
and footballs softcncd. and when the
young flances want 10 hide away for
a moment they fee to grandmother.
Poor children" is her greeting.
You are worn ont, Fest 4 little and
belong To each other. All these things
count for nothing. Don't let Il <n alb
sorb you; II isn't worth while"
They know IL well. these two young
people. How many times in the last
weeks hes their love had 10 make way
for all sorts Of conventions and fulfill
ties, Fate at this decisive moment of
their lives seems bent upon drawing
their minds away from the one thing
essential. to harry item with Il host
OF trivialitics. and heartily DO they ap-
prove the opinion OF guantanamo
when she says. between a smile and n
carcss. Decidedly. my dea-. the world
Is growing 200 complex. ana II does not
make people happicr-cu.te the cC1-
traryr'
i also am Of Grandmamma's opinion.
From the cradle to the grave. I'm his I
needs as in his pleasures. III his con-
ception OF the world and or himself I
the man OF modern times struggles !
through n maze of eniless compiica- /
ton Nothing IS simple any Longer /
neither thought nor action: not pleas |
ure; not even dying With our own |
hands we have added TO existence a |
train Of hardships and Topped of many |
a qualification. believe that thou |
sands OF our fellow men. suffering the /
consequences OF too artificial life. \
preston to their discomfort and 10 JUS !
tify the regret Tor naturalness which 4
vaguely oppresScs them
Let us first speak OF n series OF facts |
that put into relief the truth we wish /
TO show
The completely OF our Tfc appears in !
the number Of or material needs. IL .
f. fact universally conceded that our i
needs have grown with our resources. (
This IA not an eyil IL ITSELF. for the /
birth OF certain ncet,s Is often the mark /
OF progress. To feel the necessity OF /
bathing. OF wearing fresh linen. inhab- /
iting wholesome lOusCS. eatin: health I
full fool nd CrlitivatinG Our minds Is
a siSn OF superiority. But II certain
needs exist by r.Eht and are desirable. ]
there are Others whose effects are IA
tai which. Ike parasites. live ut our ex-
pensc. Numerous AMI inperious. they
engrosS us completely.
Could orr fathers have forrsce1 that I
we shOvii some dry E.-e =: or Dis
posaI the means AMI f1-ce3 &c row 4
use In sustaining an Ccfcndll- our i
material life. they wouli lave p-e-ict- 4
Ell for Jis au Increase Of Independence. 4
and therefore ~ happiness. and de- /
crease Il competition Tor worldly gods 4,
They might even have thought that 4
through To s.upIiGc=tlon OF life thus
made possible . hi<Ee- decree OF r.o-
raiity would De attained \src OF /,
these things his cone u pass: neither i
Happiness nor hrothc-Iy love nor power K
for good hSs becu increased. In the 4,
first place. - you think your fellow
citizens. taken IS . whole. are more =
coutentcd than their forcfathe-s AMI I,
less anxious about the future: Do =
not ask ifthey should fad reason TO be
so. but II they really are So. To see
them live Il seems 20 me that q maiori-
" Of them re discOntented with their