Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-11-26
e~~~>>~>~N N~~~~~>~NA
The Result of a
Lecture
A Young Professor Gets OF
His Beat on the Sub
ject Of Love
By EVAN HARRINGTON
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.
By EVAN HARRINGTON
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association


when WIS called TO the chair Of
mental philosophy in the University of
B., a woman's college. was given
to rationalism, materialiSm and all
that group of isms popular at the time
and was fond Of embodying them in
my lectures to my classes ! dictated
these lectures. and they were taken
down by the students in blank books.
| was leCturinG one morning. my sub
ject leading me into something at
which the girls prickcd up their ears.
This was the passage that attracted
their attention:
Music is an appeal to the fancy. excit-
ing the imaginative faculty. now soothing
the listener into pleasant languor. as
in the case of a lullaby. now stIrrIng the
passions. in the case of martial strains.
All our emotions are based on such in
fiuenCes. Love. though far more durable.
is apt to be excited in the same way. The
Imagination is operated on by Circum-
stances. When these circumstances are
attractive love Is produced: when they
disagreea bic they enSender nate.
Love once excited may absorb ones
whole being But that II is not in itself
splrtual-ln other words, etcrnal-iS man
ifest from the fact that II may he repeat
ed again or again. Mere tins not so the
Indian custom of the wIfe's Immolation on
the funeral pyre of her husband would be
a necessity.
There WIS no sound in the room eX-
ccpt my mon"tonouS dictation and
during the pauSrS at the end of every
half dozen words the ripple OF a hun
drcd pen points on as many lecture
books. | was a biz uneasy ut this por-
tion Of my discourse. fearing the girls
might do or say something that would
emDarrasS me. | was about to pro-
ceed after the last word. ''neccsSity."
when Kate Swami. the chief mischief
maker in the class. laid down her pen
and rose from her seat
May ask. professor" she said de-
murely, while her eyes snapped VI
ciously. does sense of justice per
tain to the subject we are studying?"
"Ccrtainly"
"Thcn If love We're eternal would
it not be just that the husband should
immediate himself on the funeral pyre
of his wife as well as the wife on the
funeral pyre of the husband ?"
The class Uttered.
"Man," | said. with an affectaton of
modeSty for my sex. lis not supposed
to be endowed with as strong. unchang-
ing love proclivities as woman. This
is because he is not as emotional.
Nevertheless | grant that if love were
,;,,;t
same as eternal. a husband who lost
his wife might do well to end his
mourning on the funeral pyre of his
wife"
You mean then, professor, sup
pose" pursued the mink. that, while
it would be a necessity on the part Of
a widow to so end her mourning. a
man under similar circumstances
might do we'll to thus immediate him
self"
! was in for it, The satire was deli
cate, but sufficiently biting to be un-
derstood by Miss Swann's classmates.
Their faces We're turned up to me,
each wearing tantalizing smiles and
all expecting my rejoinder. | resolved
to silence the young lady by a compli-
ment
liam quite sure. Miss Swami" said.
that If you were widow and pro-
posed to end your earthly existence on
your husbands funeral pyre mob Of
bachelors would prevent It,"
Amid another litter. this time not at
my expense. signified that the dis
cussion was ended by proceeding with
my dictation. Unfortunately there was
a lot more in my lecture on what
called the emotion Of love. and | feared
that Miss Swami or some other MEM
Der of the class would trip me up
again. | would have omitted the rest
were 1t not that | could not do so and
preserve the continuity Of my lecture
l was not long in striking a passage
that brought about more trouble:
That the emotion is human instead of
divine is indicated by the fact that a love
which has existed for years may turn to
hate. Again 1t may be lost Indeed. with
out another mental faculty. memory, It
cannot continue even through life. There
are many instances where. the faculty Of
memory having been destroyed, persons
have not even been coGnizant OF those
they have loved. AS the brain is a cam
era as well as a storehouse of photo
graphic plates, so love
| stopped. l realized that l might as
we'll fire a canister of ideas antagonls-
tic to woman's nature as finish the
sentence.
"Go on" cried every one in the room.
is a conglomerate union OF emotions
produced by the perceptive faculties OF an
organic brain.
Smothered groans were mingled with
the sound of scribbling. To escape
from a situation which l considered
appalling l closed the book from which
/ had ben debating and. rising. bow
ed q dismissal to the class. Half the
girls had risen to hurl back my views;
but, the lecture being ended, they were
unable to do so. A dozen came to my
desk with defiance in their eyes; but.
taking up my hat, said with smile:
Pardon me, young ladies: have an
engagement at this hour, and to be on
time | must go at once"
That was the last lecture delivered
before that class. knew that a storm
4 bad