The Ordway new era., 1919-10-24
CHAPTER VIII.

CHATTER VIII.
A few days after Georges return
to the university 1t 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-
ciRlly 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, a postpone
ment still Irritating. Undeniably
Fanny Minafer was one of the people
who drew this conclusion, for she cut
the article out and inclosed 1t in a
letter tQ her nephew, having written
on the border of the clipping. "I won
der whom 1t can meanT'
George read part of It:
We debate sometimes what IN to be the
future Of this nation whom We think that
In few years public Affairs may be in
the hands of tho fn-de-siecie g1lded
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-
most decadent epoch. With his airs of
young MILFORD, his fast horses, his gold
and silver cigarette cases. his clothes
from New York tailor. his recklessness
ne III a,,t.~
mothers or doting grandfathers. he re-
spects nothing and nobody. He Ii blase.
II you please. Watch him at . social
function, how condescendingly he deigns
70 select a partner for the popular waltz
or two-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!
Ono wonders what has como 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 bis 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 representative selection of Mr..
Morgan's old friends around him at such
a time He was In great spirits and most
entertaining
He will soon begin to build his factory
| mere Tor the manufacture of automobiles.
which he says Ii q term he prefers to
"horseless carriages" Your Uncle George
told me he would like to invest in this
factory, as George thinks there In q fu-
ture for automobiles; perhaps not for gen.
erai use. but as an interesting novelty.
wh6h people with sufficient means would
ike 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 q very large
way. Your uncle said other people are
| manufacturing automobiles in different
parts or the country with success. Your
Iather is not very we'll, though he is not
actually III. and the doctor tells him he
4
| the long years Of application indoors with
| no exercise are beginning to AFFECT him
unfavorably. but I believe your father
would die II he had to give up his work.
which Is all that has ever interested him
outside of his family. I never could un-
derstand 1t Mr.. Morgan took your
mother and me with Lucy to sec Mod
5eska 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 stin as attractive
as ever,
Affectonatsly.
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 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
i Lucy'S strange remark. However. he