The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-03-20

First" went on the gentleman with
the perforated derby. permit me to
introduce myself. | AN Professor
I'hAddeus Bolton. ana | hold the chair
OF comparative literature in Il big east.
ern univcrsity.'
Mr.. Ma-rr took The mitteiled hand
Ut The professor.
"Glad 20 see you. I'm sure he said.
My ni:lc IS MnSce. This is MIR. Bland
he is inIpctnous. but tstinlable. |
trust you will forgive his first salute.
What's Il bullet among gentlemen 1t
seems to me that as explanations may
be lengthy and this room is very cold.
We would do well to 60 up to my room.
where there is Il fire"
Delighted" cried the Old man. "A
fire. 1 long to see one. Let us go to
rour DON by all means.
Mr.. Bland sulkily stalked to his mat
treSs and secured a gayIy cOlOred bed
quilt, which he wound about his thin
form.
This is positively the last experience
meeting l attend tonight" be growled.
They nScended to No. I. The pro-
fessor removed. along with other i'm
~pcdimcnta. his ear tabs. which were
connected by a rubber cord. He waved
them like frisky detached ears before
him.
An old mans Weakness he re-
marked. "FOOlish they may seem to
YOU. But | assure you | found them
useful companions in climbing Bald
pate mountain at this hOur.
But ! AN not here to apologize for
my apparel. am |: Hardly. You are
saying to yourselves Why is he here?'
Yes. that is the question that disturbS
you. What has brought this domes-
ticated college professor scampering
from the Pagan renaissance to Bald
pate inn? For answer | must ask
you to go back with me a weeks time
and gaze at a picture from the rather
dreary academic Kaleidoscope that is
my life.
II am seated back Of a desk on a
platform in a bare yellow room. In
front Of me, tier on tier, sit u hundred
young mel in various attitudes Of in
attention. am trying to tell them
something Of the ideal poetry that
marked the rebirth Of the Saxon gen.
JUS. They are bored. l-well, gentle
men. in confidence. even the mind Of
a college professor has been known t"
wander at times from the subject in
hand. And them begin to read a
poem-a poem descriptive Of a woman
dead GOO years and more. All. gentle
men"--
He sat erect on the edge Of his great
chair. Back Of the thick lenses Of his
spectacles he had eyes that still could
flash.
This is not al era Of romance" he
said. Our people grub in the dirt for
the dollar. Their visions perish. Their
souls grow stale. Yet now and then.
ut most %inopportune times. comes the
fash that reveals to US the gIOries that
might be-"
Mr.. Bland wrapped his gay quilt
more securely about him. Mr.. Magee
smiled encouragement on the newest
ra%cOnteur.
Il shall be BRIEF" continued Profess
sor Bolton. Heaven knows that ped
agOgic room was no place for visions.
nor were those athletic young men 1T
companions for a soul gone giddy. Vet
i lost my head. As ] read on there
returned to my heart a glow ! had not
known in forty years. The bard spoke
Of her hair:
Her yellow locks. crisped like golden wyre.
About her shoulders were loosely shed.
And | saw. as in a dream-ahem, l can
trust you. gentlemen girl | supposed
| had forever forgotten in the mold
and dust of my later years. | will not
60 further into the matter. My wife's
hair is black.
And reading on. but losing the
thread Of the poets euIOgy in the gold
Ell fabric of my r~esurrected dream, it
came to ME to compare that maid |
knew in the long ago with the women
1 know today. All. gentlemen! Lips
made but for smiling ding weighty ar
guments on the unOffending atmOs-
phere. Eyes made to light with that
light that never vas by land or e a
blaze instead with what they call the
injustice of wOman's servitude. White
hands made to find their way to the
hands Of some young man in the moon
light carry banners in the dusty streets.
1t seemed | saw the blue eyes Of that
girl of long ago turned. sad. rebuking.
Oh her sisters Of today. As | finished
reading my heart was awhiri. | said
to the young men before ne:
There was a woman. gentlemen-a
oma worth "A million sufragettes.'
They applauded. The fire in me
died down. Soon ! was my old meek.
academic self. The vision had left no
trace. dismissed my class and went
home. l found that my wife-she Of
the black hair had left my slippers BY
the library fire. put them on aud
plunged into a pamphlet lately pub
lished by q distinguished member VI a
German university faculty. | thought
the incident closed forever"
He gazed sorrowfully at the two
young men.