The Washington times., 1916-11-17
Don Marquis
Column
Thoughts Cleaned From Converse.
tions With Hermione.


he. says. And. really you know, Ia
hate to have Socialism work into my
subliminal Being.
They say poor dear Roman ROLAND
has had to leave France! Fancy! As
popular as he used to behaving the
salad named for him. and all that
you know.
Don't you just dote in the Seismic?
It's quite different from the Cosmic.
really. But / think IL Is going to come
In. very soon. Not that the Cosmic
Is going out of fashion. you know.
But Fothergil Finch Is thinking very
seriously OF changing over and becom-
Ing n Seismic Poet instead OF n Co.'S
mic Poet The Seismic, he feels, is
moro Revolutionary-and then, say
what you will, there are 30 many
Cosmic Poets nowadays.
Don't you think Brooklyn people are
rather apt to dress in an extreme sort
OF way. so that people won't suspect
they live In Brooklyn?
Isn't II lovely about that woman 60
Ing 10 Congress! understand Presi-
dent Wilson insisted on it-made some
sort of bargain with the railroad unions.
or something like that. Isn't politics
fascinating!
Since Lord Kitchener died Earl Grey
has had to become viscount Grey In or
der to win the war. they say.
Those Wonderful Horses.
Aren't horses Just simply wonderful.
I suppose you've ben to the horse
shown Fothy Finch and I were there
the other evening. and we had the most
delightful discussion afterward as to
whether horses or dogs are nearer to
men spiritually. Fothergii says It de-
Ponds on the environment OF the ami
NAL, II you get what mean.
A lot more States went for Prohibi-
ton this election. Isn't II grand! We're
thinking Of taking up the Liquor Prob
lem-our little group. you know-in
quite seriousI way. The Working
Glasses would be so much better off
without liquor. And we who are the
leaders in thought should set them an
example. SO number Of US have de-
| cided to set our faces very sternly
against drinking In public, OF course,
a cocktail or two Is something no one
can well avoid taking. But, all the men,
bers OF my own little group have en-,
tered Into a solemn agreement not To
take even so much as a cocktail or n
glass of wine II any of the working
classes happen to be about where they
can see us and become corrupted by
our example. OF course, no one DRINKS
stingers any more anyhow. Really, the
stinger has gone out They call them
shooters' now. you know.
Don't you think the Silent Influences
count for great deal in ones iIfe7
Don't you Just dote on dynamic
things? Dynamic personalities, espe-
ciaiiy' rye often thought II had It
70 90 over again I'd go in less for
fsychics ana more for Dynamics.
sss
In the hurry Of this crowded .,. ons
finds so little time to be alone WITH
ones Self!
That Yellow Peril.
Fothy Finch Is terribly afrs,d ,ho
japanese are being spoiled by contact
with Occidental civilization. He zee.
signs OF II In their art. They are NO
longer naive as they once were. Don't
you Just love the Japanese? They're 40
esoteric and subtle and all that sortSof
thihs' aren't they? Just look at Buddh-
| Ism and Shintoism. for instance. Could
anything be more subtle and esoteric?
MOI, or course, that one would be n
Buddhist or Shintoist-but It. broaden
| ing to the mind, don't you think. To
| come In contact with the great thought
| of-of-well, really OF people like Shin,o
you know. and those other sages? And
to think OF all that being ruined by con-
tact with us. It's dreadful!
Have you thought deeply concerning
Interstellar Communication? II is won.
| derful; simply wonderful! We're going
| to take up Saturn soon our little Rroup
you know. People used to take I'D Mara
| great deal But we feel that Mars
has been rather overdone, II you get
what mean. The more original people
you know, are not giving quite SO much
time TO Mars this winter. l feel sure
Saturn is coming in. Not that we will
| drop Mars entiTely-I trust we are too
sincere for that Dropping things too
readily is sign OF superhciality. Mama
said to me only yesterday: "Hermione,
serious subjects this winter" Mama. :"
| 1 told her. that was all very we'll in
your day-to take things up and dron
them at will; But people didn't have a
Social Conscience in those times, We
advanced thinkers owe duty to the
race! We must grapple with thinns
We are not content to frivol. viii
take up Saturn and give little time
TO Mars. tool"
The Bourgeois Element are never
Fundamental and Thorough In their
treatment of Sex, II you know what I
mean, And, as Fothergill Finch saws.
in this country we are nearly ali Boiir.
geois. We have not enough Rack.
ground for one thing. II all the little
| groups of the country over would take
up the matter of Background In a seri-
| Gus way, something might be done
about it. don't you think? We must or
| ganize-wc who are the intellectual
leaders, you kpow-and start an effec-
| tive propaganda for the purpose of oh
tanning more Background.
! DON MARQUIS,