The Meeker herald., 1906-03-03

when denounced his new
IA- novel. He pretended not
s. to hear. but Isaw him color
Hp. ne took no notice OF me, when
left the club just behind him. till
touched him on the arm.
"You heard what said about your
bookY' remarked.
YES" he said. II heard. knew
you hadn't seen me, 80 you needn't
apologize"
NO" 1 said. II didn't see you. but
I wasn't going to apologize. 1t is a
bad book" looked at hins but he
would not look at me-
Its true to life," he asserted.
"And what has that to do with it," l
asked. There's poison, but you
needn't give 1t to people"
People needn't take my poison nm
less they like. Apparently they do.
It's run to 5000 already"
~ am sorry you are poisoning SO
many"
at isn't my fault II life is poisonous.
I didn't make 1t what it Is"
You're helping to make 1t what 1t
will be. People can't touch pitch. or
read 1t, without the usual eonse
Quences."
you've no right to call 1t that" he
protested. There's nothing coarse or
Fepulsive in the book
That's why condemn 1T Vice that
looks like vice only appeals to the
vicious. Vice that looks like virtue
communicates the virtuous."
II didn't invent the virtuous looking
vices; only described them as 1 found
them"
"You didn't describe them as vices"
preaching isn't my buslness or
yours
"Photographing vlces In fancy cos
tunes 10 the devils business" told
him. -The things that you force upon
peoples notice wouldn't enter the mind
Of good MAN ~ thsse n ssch : per-
son. xAyhoM theirs aIs ROOD women.
and thty don't suspect thst problems
like those IN your book exist"
'-ihey can't help seeing them unless
they shut their, eyes"
Then they shut their eyes. Would
your mother"
my mother belonged 10 past gen
Grafton" he interrupted.
Good women are the snme in all
generations. Well take one of the
present day. Would your wife"
He grasped my arm roughly.
II won't discuss my wife," he said
sharply.
Pm not discussing your wife. I'm
discussing you. was fond of your
father, Brand, and I've known you
since you were little chap In petit
coats. You used to play with the dog's
head ON my stick. suppose didn't
know you all the time. never sus-
pected you had 1t In you to write as
you do. or that you would IL you could.
You can write. There's no doubt
about 1t. The less excuse for wasting
your powers on these men and wom-
en- storIes."
81 shall be grateful II your can dig.
cover third sex to write about" he
observed.
to write about, II you write about the
good In them. You only give us the
bad-Adam and Ewes legacy that man
hood and womanhOod have fought
against since Eden. I don't say you
can give uAvnll good. They wouldn't
be real men and women u you did, but
take the writer's privilege, and give
us something Just little better than
poor humanity"
II can't make humanity what 1t
isn't
stVn1 ,ol- IN
There's no harm in the book" he in
sisted doggedly.
MY boy, there Is. Don't take my
word. I'm an old man; old enough
for sin to be saltless. haven't been a
saint, either. but I've been nm honest
sinner. ] never passed OF wrong for
right, even to myself. Ask one of your
own generation. Ask laid my hand
on his shoulder-''ask your wife II she
would like to have written that book y
He stopped walking and made ii
queer little gulp In his throat. His
wife was bold card to play against
him, for she was o. colorless little per-
son-some one had called her 1.-THE lit
tie gray woman"-nnd knew OF 10
reason why he should value her opin-
ion, except that lie had married her.
AS she couldn't have won him by her
looks or external attractions, l credited
her with some charm of character.
"My wife Is proud of my books" he
said, after he had wiped his face with
his handkerchief. Isl
You're wife is proud of YOU. She
takes your books or trust-blind trust.
II You put her instinct as woman to
the test = her instinct as y good
woman-"
II won't discuss her. I say" HI
raised his voice angrliy. You can say
what you like about me-"
Then say that you are doing the
devils dirty work. I'm an old citizen