The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-12-24

Then to what end?" he demanded.
IF am immortal-why?"
faltered. How could | explain my
idealism to this man? How could
put into speech something felt,
something like the strains of music
heard in sleep, something that con-
WINGED yet transcribed utterance?
What do you believe, then?"
countered.
Il believe that life is a mess" he
answered promptly. 1T is like yeast,
a ferment, thing that moves and
may move for minute. an hour.
year, or hundred years. but that in
the end will cease to move. The big
eat the little that they may continue
TO move, the strong eat the weak that
they may retain their strength. The
lucky eat the most and move the
longest, that is all. What do you make
of those things?"
He swept his arm in an impatient
gesture toward a number Of the sail
ors who were working on some kind
OF rope stuff amidships.
They move; so does the jellyfish
move. They move in order to eat in
order that they may keep moving.
There you have it. They live for
their belly's sake. and the belly is for
their sake. It's a circle; you get no
where. Neither do they. In the end
they come to a standstill. They move
no more. They are dead"
They have dreams" | interrupted.
radiant, flashing dreams"
"Of grub" he concluded senten'
tiously.
And of more"
Grub. OF a larger appetite and
more luck in satisfying it," His voice
sounded harsh. There was no levity
in it. You and are just like them.
There is no difference, except that we
have eaten, more and better | am
eating them now, and you, too. But
in the past you have eaten more than
have. You wear the warm clothes.
| They made the clothes, but they shiver
in rags and ask you, the lawyer. or
the business agent who handles your
money, for job
"But that is beside the matter"
cried
Not at ALL" He was speaking rap
idly, now, and his eyes were flashing.
1T is piggishness, and it is life. OF
what use or sense is an immortality
of piggishness? What is the end ?
What is it all about? To be piggish
as you and | have been all our lives
does not seem to be just the thing for
immortals to be doing. Again. what's
it all about? Why have kept you
here?-"
Because you are stronger" | man.
aged to blurt out.
"But why stronger" he went on al
once with his perpetual queries. BE
cause | am a bigger bit of the ferment
than you? Don't you see? Don't you
see?"
But the hopelessness of it," 1 pro-
tested.
81 agree with you," he answered
| Then why move at all. since moving
is living? Without moving and being
part of the yeast there would be nc
hopelessness. But-and here it is
have no reason to, because it happens
that it is the nature Of life to live ant
move, to want to live and move. II II
were not for this. life would be dead
1t is because of this life that Is in yol
that you dream of your immortality
The life that is in you is alive anc
wants to go on being alive forever
Bah! An eternity of piggishness!"
He abruptly turned on his heel ant
started forward. He stopped at the
break of the poop and called me tC
him.
"By the way, how much was 1t thai
Cooky got away with?" he asked.
"One hundred and eighty-five dol
lars, sir" ! answered.
He nodded his head A moment
later. as started down the companion
stairs to lay the table for dinner,
heard him loudly cursing some mer
amidships.