The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-07-04
Sitting on aLog
A Story Of
College Students
By F. A. Mitchell

fwenty-and young woman about
the same age can't come together but
that they must needs be talking sort
Of maudlin philosophy?
And ten to one the season in which
they fall into such talk is in the spring,
when the birds are mating about them
and they are really thinking about do
ing the same thing without realizing
it. They suppose they are talking the
one while they are really talking the
other.
Margaret and l had both returned
from college for the spring recess of
our senior year. We were to graduate
in June The last part Of college life
is likely to contain philosophc studies
ours had at least-and we were
walking, SO to speak, on Mount Olym-
pus. At any rate, we thought we
were. We were ready to take the con-
tract to solve the problem of the uni
verse The problem we were really
solving was whether we should follow
the example Of the rest of nature, the
fora and fauna about us, for we were
walking in the woods, where the life
of another year was springing forth.
"Do you believe matter to be indie
structibleY asked Margaret.
II do. l believe what appears to be
its destruction is its passage from, one
form to another But this you know
as well as I. Why did you ask?"
Il had an object. If matter is in
destructible why should life be de-
structibleT'
life is not natter
Scientists are now claiming that 1t
is. At least they say that matter is
alive, and recent experiments indi-
cate"-
'"That log will afford us comforta-
BILE seat. Shall we sit down? We can
discuss the problem better while rest
ing 1t involves deep thought"
We seated ourselves and when we
spoke again had bridged the enormous
gap between the constitution Of mat
ter and two young persons sitting on
a log. The former was speculative;
the latter was real. Wild flowers were
springing up about us; insects were
beginning to stir in the grass; squir-
rel was sitting up on his launches
looking at us; bird was carrying
feather to branch as material for
nest. We dropped to the considera-
ton of what the other living things
about us were doing, but could not get
down to it at once We halted in our
descent at abstract matrimony.
"Do you think that intellect should
wed intellect? asked Margaret.
Margaret was intellectual. was
not. paid just enough attention to
books and lectures to get smattering
Of the learning they contained. Mark
how quickly got down to business.
NO." replied. II should like an in
tellectual wife"
"That was very modestly put" she
said, lifting her pretty eyes to my face.
II prefer action to books; graphing
with the world as 1t is; to lectures.
am content that the other fellows shall
take the college honors so long as
run the class politics"
II don't call myself intellectual, but
/ prefer to dwell upon such problems
as what we are for and whittier we
are going. Every year we, spin faster
The changes in a decade are greater
now than they were formerly in hun
dred"-
She shrieked and chung to me. A
snake had crawled from under the log.
doubtless going out, after long win
ter's sleep, to see If spring had come.
The shrek startled him, and he got
away as fast as possible. Margaret
recovered her equanimity, but not her
freedom. held on to her. She,made
a faint effort to disengage herself.
II think he's coming back" I said.
"Oh, heavens!" clinging to me In ter
ror and hiding her face against my
spring cardigan jacket.
The situation was pleasant There
was pastoral flavor in it. The spring
ing flowers, the twittering birds, were
more delicious than before. AS for the
snake, he had taken his hideous self
out of sight Margaret's eyes being
pressed against my breast, she did not
know that he was gone
"Is he coming?" she asked with
shudder.
II can't see him."
She spoke very low, and did the
same. That she might hear the better
I bent my head down toward her ear.
My cheek rested on hers
What descent from Olympus to sit
ting on log!
1t may have been serpent that
brought trouble into the world-indeed,
since have been married have some
times thought it quite possible-but
sitting at twenty holding Margaret in
my arms felt very grateful to the
reptile that had put her there.
us he coming?" she asked again.
HE is crawling under the dead
leaves. He may be coming this way,
but can't see him."
She shuddered and chung closer.
There he ISL
Another shudder and a closer cling.
/ knew that If I pressed my lips
against her cheek / would in another
,oarnant In y,raccino than ,Innp hor