The San Francisco call., 1909-11-14
The San Francisco Sunday Call

Il might go on again" she vouch-
safed after a pause. IF / could get
into vaudeville. In stock you have to
work so hard to get any kind or
place / don't see the use Of study
ing a new part every week IL you never
get a chance at the leads Now IN
vaudeville it's easy
How easyT'
"Oh. you can work a few weeks and
then if you don't like il you can take
rest If you wfsh-and you've mduo
enough money TO keep you while you
rest"
The Lotus Eaters. men and women.
seemed to abhor what they called
steady jobs"
1T makes one grow old and stupid TO
sit at a desk all day." said Jim, when IL
was suggested that. as a preparation
for the role Of benedick in the future,
he take regular position on a morn
ing paper. ''And what's the use. any
way7 Lily doesn't care to marry me
for years and years, she says, and
make enough now for my simple
needs"
1t was the way with them all No
need TO work unless some vital neces-
sity presented itself.
some OF them invested seriously in
lottery tickets and counted hopefully
on becoming rich all in a night as II
were John was one OF these. He and
Mary had planned an extended motor
tour of Europe on his expectations
from the monthly lottery tickets Inelf
children Dragged to their playmateS
about the shetland ponies and other
delightful things they confidently ex-
pected to possess "sOme day."
Some OF Johns friends used TO talk
largely about what they meant 20 do.
but in the meantime they did nothing
at all. so far as my observations eX-
tended 1 thought Louis pet name for
the group that Jim desi gnated by the
poetical title was much more TO the
purpose. Louis called himself and the
rest "the educated buns" Perhaps
they were that to a certain point. but
as Mary had>said. they paid their bills
at least-when they got the money. i
called them the idle poor" while was,
an outsider; when L became an insider
/ looked at them from a more rose col
ored viewpoint. If they were idle and
poor. they did work on occasions and
their work was of the best quality.
They put their heart into their work
as they did into their play.
What struck the outsider was how
perfectly happy the idle poor ap-
peared. but they said themselves that
they were OF verify darkly indigo
beneath their careless, care free eX-
terror.
Why" said John, when I voiced my
comment on his wonderful exhibit OF
eternal cheerfulness. everything wOr-
ries me and the boys as much as it
does the avOwed pessfmists. But we
say to ourselves that it can not last
forever-'over the hills lies SPAIN you
know. See? The rich. the real rich
envy US our freedom from carkinS
care
Let the world slide. let the world go.
hg for care and fg for
But we are only apparently needless.
We have minds, my dear Anne. We
think. But because we can not do what
we wish to do-carve out the great
names for ourselves. wear fine clothes
and all that-we try to stun the de-
sire. Are you on. Anne? Quote to
me from your friend Alfred. who was
not one of us, by the way, for he
worked too continuously and produced
too much-.An things have rest, why
should we toll alOne?"
Why should we? Why?
I have written in the past tense.
but the Lotus Eaters of San Francisco
are very much alive. I and my friends
belong TO but a small group Of them.