The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-03-26

1
now at the wheel. We we're sail
| Ing on through the fog without q
lookout and without lights. That
Wolf Larsen had turned the
liquor loose among his men sur
prised me. but he evidently knew
their psychology and the best
method Of cementing In cordially
what had begun In bloodshed.
His victory over Death Larsen
seemed 10 have had remarkable
effect upon him. The previous
evening he had reasoned himself
into the blues, and | had been
waiting momentarily for one of
his characteristic outbursts. Yet
nothing had occurred, and he was
now In splendid trim. Possibly
his success In capturing 30 many
hunters and boats had counter
acted the customary reaction. At
any rate, the blues were gone.
and the blue devils had not put
In an appearance. So l thought
at the time; but, ah me, little l
knew him or knew that even then,
perhaps, he was meditating an
outbreak more terrible than any !
had seen.
As l say. he discovered himself
In splendid trim when entered
the cabin. He had had no head
aches for weeks, his eyes were
clear blue as the sky, his bronze
was beautiful with perfect health;
life swelled through his veins In
full and magnificent flood. While
waiting for me he. had engaged
Maud In animated discussion.
Temptation was the topic they
had hit upon, and from the few
words ! heard | made out that he
was contending that temptation
was temptation only when man
was seduced by II and fell
For look you," he was saying.
"as l see 1t, a man does things be-
cause of desire. He has many de-
sires. He may desire to escape
pain. or to enjoy pleasure. But
whatever he does, he does be-
cause he desires to do IL"
"But suppose he icslres to do
two oppo, lite things neithec OF
which Will permit him to do the
other2' Maud interrupted
THE very thing l was coming
to-" he said.
And between these two desires
is just where the soul of the man
is manifest" she went on. IF II
is good soul, IL will desire and
do the good action, and the con-
trary II 1t is a bad soul. 1t is the
soul that decides"
"Bosh and nonsense!" he ex-
claimed impatiently. 1T Is the
desire that decides. Here Is a
man who wants to, say, get drunk.
Also, he doesn't want to get
drunk. What does he do? How
does he do It? He is puppet.
He is the creature of his desires,
and OF the two desires he obeys
the strongest one. that IL all. His
soul hasn't anything to do with
It. How can he be tempted to get
drunk and refuse to get drunk?
If the desire to remain sober pre-
walls, II Is because It is the strong
est desire. Temptation plays no
part, unless, -" he paused while
grasping the new thought which
had come into his mind,--"un-
less he is tempted to remain
sober.
"Ha! hal" he laughed. what
do you think of that, Mr.. Van
Weyden?"
THAT both OF you are hair
splitting" l said. "The mans
soul is his desires. Or, II you
will, the sum of his desires Is his
soul Therein you are both wrong.
You lay the tress upon the desire
apart from the soul, Miss Brew
ster lays the stress on the soul
apart from the desire, and in
point of fact soul and desire are
the same thing.
However, continued, Miss
Brewster is right in contending
that temptation il temptation
whether the man yield or over
come. Fire Is famed by the
wind until 1t leaps up fiercely. So
is desire like fire. 1t is famed,
as by a wind, by sight of the
thing desired, or by new and
Turing description or comprehen-
sion of the thing desired. There
lies the temptation. 1t Is the
wind that fans the desire until
1t leaps up to mastery. That's
temptation. 1t may not fan suf-
ficiently to make the desire over
mastering, but in so far as 1t fans
at all, that far Is 1t temptation.
And. as YOU say, IL may tempt for