The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-16

- $3.50 49, -
cook, the scullion, the CHI ambeTmaid,
and the Columbia instructor in philosophy
got into a calorihc discussion Of the de-
cadence OF George Moore, with side lights
on Max Nordau.
why, take Esther Waters" exclaimed
h cook, forgetting the cocoa she was
watching. is that degenerate1 It's the
essence OF genuine realism; and you know
the exposition Of the necessity OF realism
in the first chapter OF Diana Of the Cross
ways
"Nietssche says--"began the philosophi-
ical one, when he was interrupted by the
chambermaid.
-Fudgel' she snorted. Every n knows
that Esther Waters is a N.Os reprint Of
lola. IT'S"
so we fought until IL was decided 10
refer the matter to James Huneker, via
The Editor, a colonist who knows the critic.
Our discussion was merging into animad-
versions on the influence OF the same set
Of ideas or Turgenief, and on III music Of
Tschaikowski; when an unlovely odor
from the stove made the cool exclaim:
I'm forgetting the cocoa"
And l the furnace" moaned. Twenty
three for moi" Which latter remark was
to indicate hat I am one Of these real col
lege boys, don't you know. and not one
OF the common or garden muckers, who
could be blamed IL they let the furnace
90 out occasionally.
Friday, November 16.-Sat two feet from
Upton Sinclair, reading his Arthur Stir
ling this evening. Personally, / think
it's excellent; sort Of prolegomenon to the
future Keith Hickman; but Sinclair re-
CARDS it impersonally as q mistake be-
cause Of Its views on social sub
jects. The Upton Sinclair Of the newspapers
he regards quite impersonally also,
saying correctly that there has been set
up a hypothetical figure which has nothing
to do with the real Sinclair.
Arthur Stirling" was supposed to be
photographed, yet the poet is extrava-
gantly emotional, wildly impractical; while
Sinclair is the opposite-logicsl, non-emo-
tional, cool, fairly practical, a master Of
the art of writing for money, as well as Of
! the art OF writing for the general good Of
mankind and for fame. True, both are in
chned to solitude, both thinkers, readers
Of Nietzsche and the poets; but Sinclair
II a broad man, an economist. an optimist
Oh. G.. Wells presented a book to Sinclair
az ITO the most optimistic from the next
most.'). Stirling covers in poetry as a
refuge, as Pater would rave men do.
Assistant laundressing is another merry
game. Instead Of a washboard they use
a patent business, which works by sue
ton One stands there by the fiery tenn
pered little laundry stove pumping away
o. the handle Of the thing. The only solace
is to quote the Ballad OF East and West
whose meter lie excellent for punctuation
by the -um-hum. um-hum' of the handle.
Then comes the %wringing. one fishing
semi-clean clothes from the water and
sticking them into the wringer. It's no
harder than gymnasium work, but that
mouse gray" water, as Yeats calls it
ashen gray, rather-is a most Shiny, sweet
thing to thrust ones fingers into. =!
(Six lines Of janited GUESSING omitted here).
Finally it's out OF doors with a large
ginghsm apron, to hang up socks and towels,
while some naughty delivery boy sooms
me from his sristocratio grocery wagon.
One of his ilk made me 30 sore that 1 at
tached my Chi Delta Theta triangle to my
watch chain, to make myself, at least,
feel some Of the comforting fact that l am
a true scollard and a Yale man.
How A. b. c. of the ancient and wealthy
lineage would admire for to see me hang
ing up clothes. Would his friendly little
campus nod stand he test7 Then, think
OF the poor devils who hang up clothes
and clean furnaces willy niIly.
Tuesday, November 2O.-This is a mighty
pleasant place some ways. Take the even
ings when i am not working.
From the third story gallery one looks
down through the jungle of palm and rubber
trees TO the leaping flames of the great /,
fireplace. 1t has an appealing, exotic
charm.
Once / saw the shadow OF a palm tree
cast above the niche at the end OF the patio,
where stood a Venus Of Milo, a glory in the
moonlight. They have talked Of dedi-
eating the four sides OF the fireplace TO
science, philosophy or politics, the arts
and loafing. In reality it is all dedicated
to the last, and to business.
The firebed 10 like a large brazier, hung
from four pillars, which support the chin
ney. On one side sit three Of us, the
Loafers' Club, congratulating ourselves
on knowing the science Of contentedly
doing nothing. lolling in our big wicker
chairs and staring into the fire. On an
other side, even until II, sits the ~tireless
h~ousekeeper, talking purchases, or adding
accounts. or planning work.
On another side il perhaps the remains
! " aA AAOthNAo AlfoNbhAB AAbCN6CAbk
soulfully whether the institutionalized chill
dren should be allowed to drink six or
seven times a day. Loaing and business
only. The arts and sciences are in their
rooms pinkling (Helicon term for type
writing) articles for the magazines, which
they 10 in such quantities here that it is
unsafe to ~critioise any popular writer lest
that writer be some resident Of the colony
in nom de pINme.
When all the dHigent ones have gone to
bed, when the lights have been turned out
and the fire has almost died. the Loafers'
Club still sits dreaming. A weird gray
bat who inhabits the patio whirrs past and
the moon CLEANS strangely through the
big skylight over the court. A good place,
say /, and redolent Of dreams. But think
Of getting at that shoulder and back break
ing ditch digging again, first thing to-
morrow And seventeen million filthy rugs
waiting to be beateni
Wednesday, November 2i.-During the
beating OF those rugs this afternoon a fine
young forest fire sprang up, and Irish Mike,
the Columbia instructor, the veteran Of the
civil war a nd / went out to fight it with
brooms and gunny sacks.
Real pioneering, this. Forest fires are a
danger here, for there is a walk from the Hall
to tha Palisades ~ a mile and n half through