The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-02-26

Then to what end?" he demanded.
III am immortal-whyf"
I faltered. How could explain my
idealism to this man? How could
put into speech something felt, q
something like the strains Of music
heard In sleep. something that con-
vipced yet transcribed utterance?
what do you believe. then?" !
countered.
Il believe that life is q mess" he
answered promptly. 1T is like yeast,
a ferment. q thing that moves and
may move for q minute, an hour. q
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 10 for
their sake. It's circle; you get no
where. Neither do they. In the end
they come to 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 ant
more luck in satisfying it." His voice
sounded harsh. There was no levity
in 1t. "You and are Just like them
There is no difference. except that W.
have eaten more and better. an
eating them now. and you. too. Blu
in the past you have eaten more thar
l have. You wear the warm clothes
They made the clothes. but they shivel
in rags and ask you, the lawyer. o.
the business agent who handles you
money. for job"
"But that is beside the matter"
cried.
mot at ALL" He was speaking rap
idly, now. and his eyes were flashing
"It is piggishness, and 1t is life. o
what use or sense is an immortality
of piggishness? What is the end
What is It all about? To be piggisl
as you and have been all our livei
does not seem to be Just the thing fol
immortals to be doing. Again, what'i
II all about? Why have l kept yol
here?-"
Because you are stronger" I man
aged to blurt out.
But why stronger?" he went on a
once with his perpetual queries. BE
cause am bigger bit of the fermen
than you! Don't you sect Don't yo'
sect"
"But the hopelessness Of It," pro
tested.
Il agree with you" he answered
Then why move at all. since movinl
is living? Without moving and beinl
part of the yeast there would be n
hopelessness. But-and here It is
we want to live and move, though W
have no reason to, because It happen
that It is the nature of life to live an
move, to want to live and move. II
were not for this. life would be deat
| It is because of this life that is in yo
that you dream of your Immortality
The life that is In you Is alive an
wants to go on being alive forever
Bah! An eternity OF piggishness!"
He abruptly turned on his heel an
started forward. He stopped at tn
break of the poop and called me t
him.
by the way, how much was It this
Cooky got away with?" he asked.
"One hundred and eighty-fve do
lars. sir" anSwered-
He nodded his head. A momer
later. as l started down the companio
stairs to lay the table for dinner.
heard him loudly cursing some me
amidships.