The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-07-28
The Sensualist
BY DIR. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank crane)

in the world you would accuse of being
gross, she being a typical highbrow,
bluestocking, and all that sort OF thing.
DO you know, she said that the older
| grow the more | am getting to be a
sensualist?
am duly shocked, replied, but sup
pose of course you intended to shock me
so as to bring out some unusual truth.
So go ahead.
What ! mean is that | am more and
more inclining to the belief that we DO
not emphasize enough the sheer delight
of merely being alive If we would often
er take stock of our little satisfactions,
the unnoticed sensations of pleasure that
we habitualy slur over and take for
/ granted we would increase the average
of our contentment.
got TO thinking this morning Of how
many things there are in my daily ex-
periences that are agreeable. | was
amazed at how many ways there are in
which Nature contrives to make me feel
good.
For instance, to begin at the begin
ming of the day | like to get up. |
dearly love the first minutes of being
awake. To stretch my limbs and shake
off sleep, TO roll out Of bed and put my
nose out of the window and drink in the
fresh early air, and see the young sun
light, not yet glaring and hot, but full
of the promise of life, a sweet light and
soft and to see the trees seeming so
glad and virie-oh it's great.
And then | like my bath | like to
get all my clothes of and enjoy the
touch of the air on my skin as if
were an animal. We are all animals, but
il does us good to go back healthiy TO
lanimality some time during the day
touch like Atlas, our mother Earth and
the elemental air and light from which
come our tides OF strength.
love a good souse in the water
love the feel Of the towel when | rub
dry. | like dressing. Putting on clothes
with me is always an interesting cere-
mony. From lacing my shoes to comb
ing my hair, it is more than routine,
it is ritual.
love breakfast. Thank goodness
have an appetite don't eat much, but
\ | love TO eat. And when | think of all
the living creatures upon the earth, oxen
and sheep birds and horses and fishes,
that share with me this delight of taking
food | have a sense of intimate commu-
Mon with the universe.
Why do some people speak contempt
uously Of eating? To me it's wonder
full to think of the infinite ministries Of
matter to our spirits by way Of the pal
ate. Eggs and butter fish, flesh and
fowl. grains and fruits, honey, cream
and. best and most angelic of all-awater
What are those all but Natures chill
dren wing with each other to please
their human guest
Then there are thousand other things
like. ! like the sun, and to sit in the
shade. to walk, and TO rest afterward.
like colors. the reds, browns and blacks
Of nv books. the green of my botter,
the yellow of my pencil, the blue of my
rug. and all the other numberless shades,
with their blendings and contrasts, that
make up the vast orchestra of colors
continually playing for my benefit.
like breathing. Did you ever stop to
think how delicious air is?
| like the thousand and one things
that we usually refer to as boresome. !
like to have my hands manicured. like
TO ride on the trolley car. like my IA
vorite rocking chair. ! like my pen and
my pad Of paper, and to see words grow
under my hand like good novel.
like a good road and hedge and clumps
of bushes. | like to ride in taxicab
thru the crowded streets. like to look
at multtudes And / like to be alone.
like walls and pavements. like new
gloves and nice underwear. | like, oh!
passonately. a new hat and gown fresh
from the maker. like for a man to talk
to me as if interested him. like little
children. | like old folks. ] like big,
husky workmen lifting loads T like