Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1905-06-16
Miss Sinclair's
Sociology
BY Rshb Gordon


AAN hA"N NNR AN"NNHENN vi NIA -
ciology is beyond the writer's knowk
edge.
When the corners Of a woman's
mouth turn upward ami the tips OF hex
fingers curl ever so sligatly backward
u il safe 70 assume that she WAS IN
tended FOR the decorative rather than
the useful purposes OF life. Dame M
ture arranges these little matters to
suit herself.
Fate. by way OF showing herself In
accord with natures intentions In re-
gard to Miss Sinclair. provided that
young lady with a bank account Of
rather astounding size. This possibly
had something 90 10 with the depres-
sion Of mind that drove her into tie
serious field Of sociology, the very
rich aud the very poor being in prac-
tically tie same -predlcament. To have
every wish gratlfed is IN effect as
crushing as 10 have no wish gratihed.
This Is as plain as n plkestad. and 1t
doubtless had something to do with
Marcia Slnclalr's unnatural thirst for
knowledge.
AZ consequence sue nAAklA nAhG DtfM
seen almost any day that winter wend-
ing her way up to Columbia, clad in
austere tailor made gowns and carry
Ing a book or two. as the outward
visible sign" OF her Inward intensity.
Sociology, she decided at the start.
should begin at home. and thereupon
che abandoned her carriage and took
to street cars. thereby seeing more OF
real life than she ever had seen before.
In this wise the winter days marched
by. keeping step. II seemed to her, with
a grim, stupefying monotony. Whether
she looked backward into the past or
forward into tho future. the view was
the samoa blur Of gray days huddled
together by the perspective.
She was llstlossly thinking some such
thoughts Us these on her way to a lee
ture day when a man In overalls
aud blouse boarded the car. Something
in the way he carried himself attracted
her attention.
might be the Emperor William tray
cling lncog.," she unused as her aroused
glance took In the quare set shoulders.
clear cut face and crisp hair. A few
months earlier it would not have &C.
Cured to her to notice a man In over
alls and blouse at all. Seen from her
carriage, they had been mere shadows.
by no means human beings. Now all
was different. Though she began TO
suspect that the pursuit of knowledge
was only another OF the endless make
shifts by which we strive to forget the
ennui of life, she had learned one cardi-
nal fact-namely. that the humblest
worker shares all the most important
things Of life with the greatest poten-
tate.
The young workman meantime had
dropped into a corner seat. thrown one
leg over the other and, with an arm ex
tended along the back of he seat. turn
ed a p%reoccupied glance out OF the
window, thereby presenting to his Wis
avis a profile that, to say the least.
bespoke absolute physical integrity.
His hands, she noticed with growing
wonder, though large and powerful.
were Of the sort most frequently seen
protruding from the sleeves of modish
tweeds or knowing tuxedos. Emerg-
ing from the sleeves Of n blouse they
were nothing short OF startling, and
Miss Sinclair was stirred by an inter
est that ~degenerated into curiosity.
What OF workman could he be
who wore all the habillments Of toll
with the air OF one descended from a
throne for an hours masqueradlng9
With an abrupt turn Of the head, un-
cannily suggestive Of his having heard
her mute query. he turned and received
her puzzled glance full I'm the face.
For a ONE they stared at each 9th
er with the u~ndisturbed frankness OF a
pair Of children; then Miss Sinclair.
with an acute recollection OF the new
iy acquired fact that the humbIest OF
toilers Is a person and not a thing,
withdrew her eyes. while the man In
overalls took his turn at inspecting.
1t was for this reason that she did
not see the slight twltch OF the lips
that had followed the open amazement
Of her glance.
When. later IN the day, she recalled
the little scene that followed she could
find but n excuse. II was an up
fare Of that madness which a certain
philosopher had long since discovered
as lurking in each ana every human
brain.
A quick, resOlute desire to know who
and what he was had seized her. and
for twenty-five years she had been ac-
customed 10 getting what she wanted,
Was he not by every token a mere
workman, a man OF the sort that
might come toto fix the electric wires
or solve plumbing mysteries? Why,
then. should she hesitate 10 address
him7
Lifting her eyes. she leaned forward
with the serene blandness OF a queen
addressing a subject
Pardon me- the voice was very
winning. but the dullest could not have
misunderstood; II was meant 70 put
m inferior perfectly at case-"pardon
me, but / wonder II you would think
II very strange II l asked you a few
questions. I'm interested In labor
unions" she continued. with a beauti-
full dlrectness. land l should so like 70
hear labOr's side. Excuse tile person
III - ---. r.-- A.