Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-07-15
BRINGING AsR AROUND.
Ths Old, Old Story Told in Another
Way.


Ths Old, Old story Told in Another
Way.
Having received her modern educA-
lion, Gertrude was let loose upon an
unsuspecting world
She permitted herself to take a walk
In the woods.
Mature" said Gertrude, somewhat
deprecatingly, has been brought up
ON wholly unconventional lines. She
has, alas! no system, These tree
trunks are allowed to fall indiscrlmln-
ately. Such waste! Aud rs for con-
servatlOn of energy, where Is 1t?
Everywhere see about me pathetic
evidences Of gross carelessness, not to
mention wholly bad artistic effects"
Returning to her parents, she viewed
them also with a certain SAVIOR of dis
criminative criticism.
you appear" she said, ito be
bafied by your surroundings, There
is an intelligent calmness that comes
from philosophic resignation, TO which
YOU are wholly alien. Your servants
when you have them-oppress you.
Your friendships, made wholly without
regard to utilitarianism are too often
unproductive of anything but vain
pleasure, thus weakening your moral
fibre. A more intelligent use of the
principles of sociology would produce
in you a greater symmetry. You wor-
ry, without knowing that worry Is
merely molecular, or perceivlng for a
moment that there is psychology of
the hearthstOne which, if judiciously
applied would lift you above vulgar
routine"
TUrCeu by circumstances beyond her
immediate control she was obliged to
pass few weeks at summer resort.
"GregariOusness," said Gertrude, sis
nftentimes amusing in its Interior as
poets. Ihese poor LOOis, iulleu Dy cefI
tain paralogisms of the mind, imagine
they are having good time. And yet
now absurd their pose. Did they but
know that things are not what they
seem-that the sea is merely sensa-
tlOn and fleeing styles in bathing gar
ments only an appeal to the excitatlon
of the ganglionic centres, they would
seek in simple contemplation what
pleasure there is in subiectivity, and
shake off the shackles of mere mate
rialism."
While recording these phenomena,
and being for moment quite alone on
the beach, with the light of the moon
overhead she was approached by a
young man, who upon several previous
occasions had obtruded himself upon
her consciousness.
IL love you" said the young man.
love" replied Gertrude, lis purely
relative in its action, and can never be
a thing-in-itselS. 1t has no objective
validity"
1T is extremely pleasant" said the
young man, taking her hand.
Pleasure and pain" replied Ger
trude, ARE simply sensations Obeying
the law of contrast. If all things were
reduced to an absolute zero, there
would be nothing at all. What we
term reality is nothing but the inter
changing of activities, producing heat
which becomes latent in objects, thus
enabling us to differentiate their iden-
tity"
Good" said the young man. II per-
ceive that you are wound up, but be-
lieving as do that at heart you are in
reality a sweet and lOvable girl, I'm
going to let you run on. For 1 love
you, with all your pecuiiarities. You
do the talking and I'll do the love-
making. have come to stay"
A week later, when the moon had
reached its full, and the soft sympa-
i---+i-.-----.s,s- sIre,.a lullinQ these two to
a supreme Joy that she had never felt
before-when earth and air and sky
seemed to surround them. with a heav-
emily sweetness-Gert sat once more
with her head on the young mans
shoulder.
Dearest" she murmured, will you
forgive me for all my nonsense?
And he smiled indulgently as he said:
eyes, darling, knew you would re-
cover all right. But L want you to
promise me one thing"
"Anythingw exclaimed Gertrude,
penitently, as she Struggled up a little
closer "What is it|'
only this" replied the young man,
as a mOmentary shadow fitted across
his face at the thought of what he had
endured for her sake:
Promise me that you will never
have relapse. Tom Mason, in Life.