Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-22


40, the woman's heart Is still craving for
more knowledge, for the power of higher
development. But she finds her brain
forces limited. ner memory poor. She
reads everything worth while, but Is I'M
able to recall it afterward: she attends
lectures and enjoys them. but cannot re-
late TO any one an hour afterward what
she has heard.
rs there any place ] could 80 that
could be among people that would enable
me to learn-learn anything? I cannot
learn from books have tried too long
/ would like 20 learn to talk TO converse
with people, to have the power to speak
without trembling at the sound of my
own voice. oh, ! want to be like other
people 1 cannot begin again and go to
school with young girls. ] tried in Phila-
delptis, years ago, going to Temple coll
lege, but I was too dull. Even the pro-
fessors give the attention to the bright
young scholars and was young and neat
then. but my brain was asleep and has
never worked l could not stand the
/slighting now; 1t was hard then.
= II wanted SO badly to learn. From OBJ
servation with an instructor to impress.
like children. who learn by doing
might learn. I must have a stunted.
brain. Every other way 1 am perfectly
normal and good to look upon. Pure
vision, pure motives, but ever wanting
intellectual things which no one has had
the patience to give me.
What would YOU do? Where would
you go to learn to be natural? feel like
uprooting myself and beginning again
among people we read about with Jane
Adams in Hull House."
This pathetic letter proceeds to relate
other misfortunes connected with her sit
uation The intellectual acquaintance
she makes she can not hold. because she
has no conversational powers and no way
of interesting them. She has taken life
so seriously that she has never developed
a sense of humor; and she says IT never
remember laughing like other people"
One feels that she would be far happier
had she been satisfied with the COM
moner and less intellectual side of life
She is like one whose ambition has led
him to climb to heights where ne is In
capable of breathing the rarefied afr.
There are plants that thrive in sandy
SOIL but which droop and fade when
transplanted to rich loan
a woman who finds herself at 20 with
out conversational powers would do well
to realize the great need in the world Of
good listeners. 1t would be impossible to
(acquire a brilliant conversational accom-
/ plishment at that age, and with such
mental handicaps but TO learn the great
art CT listening with attention and inter
est would be long step toward the win
ming and retaining OF intellectual friends
Very many more people are talking In
. the world than are listening. The most
entertaining takers have many COM
Npetitors, but there are few TO rival one
who sets out to be a good listener To
listen and to read and TO think should
make life brighter than it seems to be for
this longing soul.
She needs to forget about herself for a
season and must rest satisfied with the
thought that every aspiration of every
living creature is certain to be realized
In lives to come. This woman will pass
QUE of this earth body lnto-realms where
she will experience much for which she
has longed on earth. ano after periods
Of time, in which she will accumulate new
powers and new understanding she will
be sent back to earth to occupy new
body; and In that body she will be given
a life i'm full accord with her longings
and aspirations here and now.
Whatever effort she has made in thi.
life to grow and enlarge her horizon vii
take effect in that life 10 be. Nothina
is lost; nothing is wasted in this world
Love, friendship, aspiration. study en-
deavor, however they may seem to b
wasted here, they are shaping results
in the life which follows directly aftei
this. and they are making environment
for the next incarnation. Lonely hearts
and longing minds all your dreams shall
yet come true. Be satisfied to trust an,
wait while you listen.