The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1911-11-29
CHAPTER TX.
Latent Passions.

nou uld0e a VAST cndn8e IN the rela-
tons between the man and the woman.
In the beginning and for a long time
hers had been the dominant position.
So absolutely had she ruled that to
him she had been as a god. So en-
tirely had he obeyed that to her he
had been devotee. Once she discov-
cred his ductility and had begun TO
teach him, the relationships had CON-
menced to change. Gradually each had
recognized the humanity Of the other.
Together students they had naturally
approached a common level Every
new knowledge she impaired to him
was an abdicatiOn of some Of her SUI
premacy. Every new knowledge he &C
quired was an inspiration to her high
level.
Three years is a short time in the
educational life Of a human being.
but she brought to her side of what
was slowly developing into an equa-
ton the highest training, a natural
ability to impart what she knew, an
absolute devotion to the endeavor and
an entire freedom from other interests.
So fascinating had the experiment
been that she had scarcely missed the
rest of the world. wonder If he had
been a woman instead of a man if
that absorption would have resulted
from their intercourse?
On his part, he brought to bear upon
the problem of learning, II was soon
developed, an intellect which although
entirely unframed was unusually
acute, a faculty Of acquiring knowl.
edge as great as was her ability to i'm
part it and reasoning capacity which
kept pace with his other qualities. In
deed. the main thing with which she
had to contend at first was his lack of
application. But SO soon as he had
learned enough to enable him to rea-
lie the importance of learning more
she had no trouble on that score. 1t
was as if a mature mind had been
brought to bear upon the problems of
adolescence. He grappled with things
in that way Whatever she taught him.
he learned, be mastered all; and the
mastery inspired him to learn more.
His mnemonic ability was prodigious;
for all the years of his life he had not
been storing up the insignificant. the
immateriRl, the unnecessary, in his
brain cells. He remembered all that
she taught him with unvarying accu-
racy. His was a powerful. vigorous
mentality which had known nothing
and upon which she wrote what she
pleased. To the judgment of a man
ne added the receptiyity and duetility
of a child.
She had taught him first of all to
speak and then to read; then rudi-
mentary mathematics such as he could
do in his head There was nothing
that she could devise that was prac-
ticable for writing. There was no
slate on the island. the rock was not
suitable. Therefore he had never
learned to write, although he knew
what writing was, for she had ex-
planned IL to him, and had made shift
10 teach him the Arabic letters. She
also taught him geography, astronomy.
~ NLtEnCCcg anu cABONC all LAo-
tory. She unfelded the kingdoms of
this world and the glory Of them be-
fore his vision, touching lightly, as has
been the fashion Of such unfolders,
upon the misery and the shams. His
was a singular knowledge indeed
There we're some things about which
she was reticent. being q woman, and
some things she could not tell him at
all; but being a man, with imagina-
ton quickened. he thought of these
things the more-for these were some
OF the deeper things Of life and ma
ture!
But the change in the relations be-
tween the two we're not greater than
the change in the woman herself. She
was no longer philosopher. That
which she had disdained, she admired;
that which she had abhorred, she loved;
that which she had refused, she &C
cepted. She was a Christian in belief
az last Alone. or practically so. face
to face with God in his world, God in
His Book. God in humanity. her spe-
cious ideas of life and her relationship
to it had broken down She had
learned to kneei beside that man and
pray. She had learned to seek else
where than in herself for power to
enable her to live her life and fulfill
her tasks.
She had not wished to be a Chris
tian. She had fought against 1t. strug-
gled with Il, agonized oyer it. but q
compelling necessity was upon her.
The convictions OF her conversion tere
the veil from before her face. dispelied
the mist that hung about her. She
saw herself as she was. woman who
under the influence Of wrong ideas.
false conceptions. had branded herself
forever. No. not in the eyes Of that
God whom she had learned to fear.
not in the eyes that Christ whom
she had learned to love. but in the
eyes of men; yet she was a woman
who was pure in heart. Perhaps these
thoughts and this consciousness had
more to do with keeping her content
even that her intense pre-occupation
in the man and her work, for she rea-
uzed what she would have to face If
she went back to the world which had
Knocked her while It applauded her.
That world. therefore. she now began
to fear The one being upon earth
with whom she could be associated,
who knew nothing about it. who could
cast 10 stone at her. she realized was
the man whom she had made. and
this man looked to her almost as men
look to the Divine Yet she felt that
some day he would have to know.
Some day she would have to tell him.
What then? That feeling was ever
with her. She constantly asked her
self that question and found no an
swer
Indeed. It was he who had taught
her the truth OF Christ She had not
been able, she had felt . strange IN
willingness, II indeed Il we're possible,
70 break down the lingering remains
of faith ID that man. That babble OF
childish prayer bad. IN some strange
way. caught her heart strings. II was
the one memory Of intelligence that
had remained to him. Now that he
was capable Of expression, again and
again he had told her OF the dim recol'
lection OF long Foyaea IN an open
beat with a woman and some animal,
which she knew must be the dog He
could remember nothing Of the later
course between him and that woman