Atlanta Georgian., 1913-03-08
By GABY DESLYS,
The Paris Star of the Winter Garden.
New York;

New York;
HAVE been condemned for being mer-
cenary. l am more than mercenary-I
L keep that which l have gotten. 1t is my
rrrnose to-day to tell my woman readers
,.bv am mercenary and why they also
bonld he 1nercenary, and mainly to tell them
how to invest that which they have gotten.
In this world you give something for moth
ing for Just four reasons-because you are
in love, because you do not care, because you
are vain, or because you expect to get some
hing more valuable than that which you
have relinquished.
Those who do the first are emotional fools;
those who do the second are thriftless fools;
those who do the third are barbarous fools,
and those who do the fourth are wise only
IL they play what you call here an absolutely
safe bet.
wise.
We live in a fighting world. Self-preserva-
tiou is still the first law of nature. There
is no mercy, no beauty, no softness and no
gentIeness in nature beyond the accidental
and the illusion of these things we create
for ourselves. By an accident Of seasons a
waste becomes In June a smiling plain of
flowers, and, 10! we praise the gentleness of
nature; and by another accident of seasons,
that same plain becomes in January, a rag
ing waste Of cold and storm in which all
living things must perish, and, loi we con-
denim the harshness and cruelty Of nature.
And it Is the same nature. The sun shines
for few days and coaxes out a multitude of
tender little buds, and then the cold sweeps
down and destroys them.
The mood in your dearest friend which
today calls forth all your generosity, your
gentleness, may change tomorrow into
mood that repels you fnalement. The sun
has called forth the buds-and 10! the cold
has come and nipped them. And So If you
have given unwisely the day before, why, to-
day you are stripped and unfit to protect
yourself in the eternal warfare.
Softness. gentleness, mercy generosity
these are natures wells Underneath them is
the stern hard rock of the first law-self
preservation.
But understand mel do not believe nor
do l wish to impart the thought that these
are not splendid, great things. They are.
Beauty is beauty, no matter what lies behind
it. and generosity and gentleness are real
even II they do melt away under stress 1t
is that / would not have you be blinded to
the great realities that underlie these things,
to fall into the trap OF believing them all in
ALL
In this world have found only one great,
constructive, safe truth. 1t is this: Every
thing that Is worth having is worth paying
for, Nature gives nothing for nothing. We
must pay in effort, II nothing else, for the
smallest thing. The history of humanity has
been constant struggle to pay the lowest
price it can, and this habit of the race Is
reflected in the individual who constantly
tries to get the most he can for nothing
Life Is a business, and the sooner 1t Is put
on business principles the better for all of
u.s. The thing you create is worth SO much,
lne services you render are worth 80 much,
the pleasure you give by your beauty or your
charm OF your intelligence is worth SO much
II 1t is worth nothing or little, you have no
Just complaint about receiving little or moth
ing. If it is worth much, 1t must be your
object to get much for it. But 1t is the value
In itself that should count. 1t should not be
paid so many dollars more because of emo
tIonal Illusions. Nor should you give 1t away
lor any emotional illusion.
There is no sentiment in business'-this
your theatrical rule that iB a reproach to
you abroad. I think it is a splendid, true
tnnE-only you do not practise 1t, Enjoy
10 NE its sentiments, but do not let them
interfere with the business of life. Life is
commercial proposition all the way through.
II a man wants me to go out with him to