Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-08-20
THE LURES OF YOUTH.

In last weeks issue Of the Saturday
Evening Post is story that will ap.
peal to all who have not forgotten
the glad free time of youth. We refer
to MARY Smith" by Booth Tarking-
ton. Those who are familiar with
Harrington hardly suspected that he
could write a story with so much of
the human interest in it; that he
could break away from problem sub
jects and get right down to the soul
and weave words, and thoughts, and
actions, into a tale that brings a
pleasant smile and warns the cookies
of hearts that have long since forgot
ten the days Of the past when all the
world was battlefield to be conquer
ed and made subservient to their
needs.
If you haven't read this delightful
story by all means do so at once. You
viii be richly repaid for the time it
requires If you have still within your
makeup the ability to hark back in
retrospection to the time when the
heart beat young, and life was glad,
and free and fresh, like the first, faint
smile of Spring or the diamonds of
dew on the moist lips of the new
born rose.
It's story of what is sarcastically
styled "puppy-love," but1et those who
dare, smile at that tender emotion.
Those who have felt it--and who has
-.not-know that nowhere, and at no
time in all the cycles of the seasons
has there ever come to the heart
warmer thrill than that which took
up its abiding place there when you
first discovered that MARY Smith"
was the "only girl" in all the world.
Like Henry Millick Chester returning
from his Junior year at college, life
at once assumed a changed aspect
The old life" seemed commonplace
and futile, and new field opened be-
fore you. You suddenly realized that
you had reached mans estate and you
yearned to tackle some of the mighty
problems that were confronting ordi- |
nary men, and in a moment solve !
their riddles and show them how |
brains and pluck and ingenuity could |
accomplish wonders. You built |
mighty castles with lofty spires and |
countless minarets, set high upon the
walls of the world and peopled with |
the numberless services you had rem
dered mankind.
In a twinkling your whole sphere
of endeavor had undergone a change.
That life's duty for which you had
been trained suddenly grew ordinary.
Not that you didn't care for il, but
from your new viewpoint, you knew
that you We're fitted for nobler things
No drudging in an office or menial
service i'm a mercantile pursuit, at the
beck and call of the public, for you
Well, hardly. You could establish
empires, If anybody wanted one. or
you could find an opportunity People
would honor you, and call you from
the humble walks of life to positions
of power where your ablitX would
entitle you to remain. securely en-
trenChed in the hearts of your coun-
trymen. All this was the result of
Mary Smith" and the enthrallng
spell Of her personality To be sure ,
you probably hadn't graduated from ,
knickerbockers so very long ago, and ,
probably Mary's dresses hadn't length
ened below her shoe tops, hut such
things were mere incidents. and of no
moment, whatever, Possibly your
father or mother looked askance nj
your passion, but they were to be
pitied. They could never have loved
as YOU did. They certainly never had
known the absorbing passion. the 7
complete, overmastering worship. I
such as you bestowed upon Mary -
Smith. and what small pains they
took to make light OF your infatua-
tlon only served 60 fan the flame To a
brighter blaze. You "nursed" your {
love in secret You slipped out into a
the grove and. seated on a moss $
grown log, YOU gazed longlngly to- y
ward the south. or the east. or the a
west. or in whatever direction the {
divine girl lived. and You sighed and {
sighed. ana your heart thumped until .
your suspender buckles ratified. and a e
sizzling warmth Of hot emotion steep i'
ed your soul &
But. no matter to what heights n
YOUR Imagination bore YOU. no matter r
what worlds YOU conquered. or what d
stupendous problems you mastered. il e.
was always Tor Mary's own sweet Ia
sake. In fancy she walked beside a.
you, her presence and her love was an d
Inspiration. and 20 win her Sml, Won hi
would overcome obstacles and Law the q
treasures OF thy world az her feet The A
,ther fellows used 20 loaf around the of
'hurch door ON sunday nights and st
hose who had the sand" boldly eT
tepped out from the long line on the
teps and promptly a gloved hand
vas slipped through the crook 81 an p,
lbow, and the happy Journey homo a
'egan, That was an over for you In
Vow, you hravcly called az the smith ,r
mansion and escorted the Angel OF an
aEht who dwelt there % church ta
md how your heart beat and on eo
that cloud-sWept heights you walked
= you felt the lght pressure of tho
.ngels arm against your coat sleeve pt
here were no short cuts Tor you that oA
ight-"the longest Way round was an
be shortest pathway home" And re.
iere az the gate. under the shadow ~
the old maple. with the Hrhts % ~
.e biz home giinting through the ga
,neyEuckle. and the rusas that climb
up IN maze of color on the porrh nn
an the Angels sweet personality An
ar. your brain reeled even while rou fur
.ked in suhdued tones. and SIGHED 60
or and anon. with her soulful ewes "a,
lrkling In the dim nEht ana her q
aath flaming your cheek. you uon- Ifs
red n you dared-hut you didn't ths