River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-11-20
CHAPTER VIII.

A few days after Georges return
to the university it became evident
that not quite everybody had gazed
with complete benevolence upon the
various young collegians at their
holiday sports. The Sunday edition
of the principal morning paper even
expressed some bitterness under the
heading, "Gilded Youths of the Fin
de-Siecle"-this was considered the
knowing phrase of the time, espe-
cially for Sunday supplements-and
there is no doubt that from certain
references in this bit Of writing some
people drew the conclusion that Mr..
George Anderson Minafer had not
yet got his come-upance, postpone
ment still irritating. Undeniably
Fanny Minafer was one of the people
who drew this conclusion, for she cut
the article out and inclosed it in
letter to her nephew, having written
on the border of the clipping II won
der whom it can mean!''
George read part of it,:
We debate sometimes what is to be the
future of this nation when we think that
in few years public affairs may be in
the hands of the fin-de-siecle gilded
youths we see about US during the Christ
mas holidays. Such foppery, such luxury.
such insolence was surely never prac-
ticed by the scented, overbearing patri-
clans of the Palatine, even in Romehs
most decadent epoch With his airs Of
mil hiC 70 CT 1T
and silver cigarette cases, his clothes
from a New York tailor his recklessness
OF money showered upon him by indulgent
mothers or doting grandfathers, he re-
spects nothing and nobody He is blase
II you please. Watch him at social
Junction. how condeScendingly he deigns
TO select partner for the popular waltz
or tWQ-step; how carelessly he shoulders
older people out of his way, with what
blank stare he returns the salutationS Of
some old acquaintance whom he may
choose in his royal Whim to forget!
One wonders what has come over the
new generation. Of such as these the re-
public was not made. When we compare
the young manhood of Abraham Lincoln
with the specimens we are now producing
we see too well that it bodies i'll for the
twentieth century
George yaWned and tossed the clip
ping into his waste basket, wondering
Why his aunt thought such dull nom
sense worth the sending. AS for her
insinuation, penciled upon the border,
he supposed she meant to joke-a sup.
position which neither surprised him
nor altered his lifelong opinion Of
her wit.
He read her letter with more in
terest:
The dinner your mother gave for
the Morgans was a lovely affair. 1t was
last Monday evening, just ten days after
You left. 1t was appropriate that your
mother, herself an old friend, should as
semble a representative selection of Mr.
Morgans old friends around him at such
time. He was in great spirits and most
entertaining
lie will soon begin to build his factory
mere for the manufacture of automobiles,
which he says is a term he prefers to
horseless carriages Your Uncle George
told me he would like to invest in this
factory, as George thinks there is a flu
ture for automobiles; perhaps not for gen
eral use, but as an interesting novelty,
which people with sufficient means would
like to own for their amusement and the
sake of variety. However, he said Mr..
Morgan laughingly declined his offer, as
Mr.. M. was fully able to finance this ven
ture. though not starting in a very large
way. Your uncle said other people are
manufacturing automobiles in different
parts of the country with success Your
rather is not very well, though he is not
actually i'll, and the doctor tells him he
ought not to be SO much at his office as
the long years of application indoors with
no exercise are beginning to affect him
unfavorably, but / believe your father
would die If he had to give up his work,
which is all that has ever interested him
outside of his family. I never could I'M
derstand it. Mr.. Morgan took your
mother and me with Lucy to see Mod
jeska in Twelfth Night yesterday eve
ming, and Lucy said she thought the duke
looked rather like you, only much more
democratic in his manner Hoping that
You are finding college still as attractive
as ever,
Affectionately,
AUNT FANNY.
George read one sentence in this
letter several times. Then he dropped
the missive in his waste basket to
join the clipping, and strolled down
the corridor of his dormitory to bor-
row a copy Of Twelfth Night" Hav-
ing secured one he returned to his
study and refreshed his memory of
the play-but received no enlighten-
ment that enabled him to comprehend
Lucy's strange remark. However, he
found himself impelled in the direc-
ton of correspondence, and presently
wrote a letter-not q reply to his
Aunt Fanny.