Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-01-21

idft-.
Other people whom had seen here and
there appeared. \ few gave me passing
smile; others looked curously at NE and
then at the newspaper girl, who was sit
ting beside me, as those who are anxious
To bring their pet schemes before the
puolc and yet are unwilling to admit
newspaper fo,.> ia their secrets, are wont
To gaze upon reporters. In the minds of
some people, Il newspaper woman, no
matter what her special work may be.
i always society reporter on the look
out for gossip and scandal.
must confess that noted the chances
Of these with inward resentment Su-
preme in the consciousness of being well
dressed tfor ! really thought ] was1 and
as indifferent ia the claims of heredity as
the first remove from foreign inlmi
grant can be-. my spirit OF American in
dependence rcbcilcd against the purse
proud opinions ot some at this intellcc-
tuai feast, and the supreme Indifference
OF Others whose claims To recognition lav
chiefly IN their having at some time
achieved 4 poem on Spring or a deceased
friend. | Vas glad when woman some
where in the carly fortics, came in with
a breezy. healthful glow about her.
Who is that.' inquired of the Young
woman near me.
Il think ii is Miss Thurston. one of The
speakers was the answer. We're going
20 have a regular tre& !"
who j. Miss 1nmston What has
she doue:" asked the woman in front.
oh, | believe she has written chill
+iI.y.'. h,..f-. 4
Mrs. Quincy paleravc.
Tire newspaper girls eyes lighted in
amusement, although her other features
remained impressive Dorothy Thmston
kept 4 fashionable school for girls on the
lake shore, and had never written Il line
Tor publication. Happy woman!
Had | made a remark of that kind it
would have counted against me. and
should have been mortified; hut Mrs
PalgraNe did not seem TO care, nor would
she if she had realized her blunder
After all" | 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. Patgrave who
does not even know the intellectual ac-
c0mplishmeuts of her own Chicago; vet
she is comfortable happy, and a member
OF the best society. SO what does intel
lectuahty really stand for? Oh. il must
he comfortable To be 50 rich and satisfied
and all that, and only have to wake up
Tow and then enough to he fashionably
intellectual; to have some one else do the
thinking and only come occasionally to
absorb the feast of reason which some
cx~u ~a,I sfaVr In saf ,,,1, -,
prepare"
| recoliectcd that /, too, bore a name
known and respected at all the banks
What matter it it We're never heard of
at the Nota Benc cluby
| looked up again at Mrs. Quincy Pal
graves bonnet and across to Mrs Par
sons with a feeling of certainty that next
winter /. too. would he wearing. III place
of the cheap cloth suit that was doing
duty now, a handsome sable trimmed
coat; that, in short, the day would come
when, in becoming attire, should be
welcomed and admired as Mrs Parsons
was then. And my ambitions were tax
ing definite shape a | sat in my corner
Joseph Henning was somewhat addicted
to the good things Of this life. He would
never attend the meetings OF the Nota
Bene with me. Poetry" he said. and
such lit'ry matters We're 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 | would yet show these people what
was in me,
There was a hustle at the speakers
desk The let urcrpr CA Unitarian min
lister, of course. We're getting as bad as
Boston said the newspaper girl was
beginning his speech with some half
ocular remarks which were heard by
only few, so long did il take the widen
ing circle of attention to reach the rows
next the walls When all was quiet and
the audience had subsidized into silence |
found that he was talking of the attitude
of a 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 is life
hut achievement And what matter f
the populace applaud or deride, so long
as ono lives out ones best and noblest
and utters the word which is given one
to reveal
Then came Miss Thurston. She had
prepared 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 eve to eve.
rustic OF excitement pervaded the room
like windswept wood 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 Longfellow9
Or was it divinrr to sit on the heights
an6. sing to the few whose ears are at
tuned to the voice OF higher things?
Was it nobler to be a great college pro
fessol. teaching the sons of capitalists
how hes. TO draw together the forces Of
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 matter whether
one spoke directly to the masses, or to
The select fewf