Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1913-07-11
Sitting on a Log
A. Story Of
College Students
By F. A. Mitchell

Why IL It that q young man-say
twenty-and a young woman about
the same age can't come together but
that they must needs he talking sort
Of mnudlin 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 had both returned
from college for the spring recess Of
our senior year. We we're to graduate
in June. The last part Of college life
is likely to conNin philosophic studies
ours had ut 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 he uni
verse. The problem we were really
solving was whether We should follow
the example of the rest Of nature. the
dora 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
structible?" asked Margaret.
Il do. I believe what appears to be
its destruction Is its passage from one
form to another. But this you know
as we'll as I. Why did you ask?"
II had an object. II matter Is in
destructible why should life be de-
structible?"
life IL not matter"
Scientists are now claiming that It
is. At least they say that matter 10
alive and recent experiments indi-
cate
THAT log will afford us comforta-
bic 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 bridgcd 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 Mt 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 smatterinp
OF the learning they contained. Marx
how quickly l got down to business.
mo-" I replied. II should like an In
tellectual wife,"
"That was very modestly put" sh<
said. lifting her pretty eyes to my face
IT prefer action to books: graphing
with the world ms It Is: to lectures.
am content that the other fellows shal
take the college honors SO long as
run the class politics"
II don't call myself intellectual. bu
prefer to dwell upon such problems
as what we are for and whittier W
are going. Every year we spin faster
The changes in a decade are create
now than they were formerly in hun
dred"-
She shrieked and chung to me.
snake had crawled from under the lof
doubtless going out. after long wiz
ter's sleep. to see II spring had come
The shrek startled him, and he &c
away rs fast rs possible. Margars
l recovered her equanimity. but not he
l freedom. held OH to her. She mad
t faint effort to disengage herself.
81 think he's coming back" said.
!. 'Oh, heavens"' clinging to me In te
ror and hiding her face against N
spring cardigan jacket.
The situatSDn was pleasant The
was pastoral favor in 1t. The sprin
a ing flowers. the twittering birds, we
;. more delicious than before. As for t
snake, he had taken his hideous 81
;. out Of sight Margaret's eyes bel
= pressed against my breast. she did n
y know that he was gone.
). els he coming?" she asked with
r shudder.
Is II can't see him."
n She spoke very low. and did
'. same That she might hear the bet
" I bent my head down toward her e
40 My cheek rested on hers.
w What descent from Olympus to
tirv on log!
~ 1t may have been serpent Il
I'd brought trouble into the WORLDWIDE
~ since I have been married have SOL
~ times thought it quite possible-l
:. sitting at twenty holding Margaret
~ my arms l felt very grateful to
~ reptile that had put her there.
ey us he coming" she asked again.
te HE is crawling under the d.
"a leaves. He may be coming this "
lit but can't see him."
ia. She shuddered and chung closer.
nh There he is!''
:. Another shudder and q closer cliI