The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-13
THE TONIC OF SYMPATHY

Lucy Benton's eyes widened as Walt
repeated slowly, I'm with you, Lucy
you and your kind I'm rebel.
must do things in my own way. Janet
doesn't understand why I'm not will
ing TO alter my story to suit Nicoll and
his half million subscribers! She does
not mean to be fault-flnding, Lucy. 1t
Ia Just that TO her the changes he
wants are mere trifles, while to me
they smash my whole idea to bits.
Why, l wouldn't put my name to a
story OF the pap-fiiled, sugary kind he
demands. couldn't
There, there, dear old chap, you
needn't bother to tell me" soothed
Lucy, taking rapid note OF Walters
wrought-up nerves and longing non.
estly to ease them. You speak OF
me and my kind. Well, my kind are
the kind who have sweated and bled
as you are doing for the sake OF the
hest in them! Look at Olga Carol
freezing to death all last winter In
her sleeveless studio, hammering away
at her little bas-reliefs, and f1gurines
that conventional people sneered at
and insisted were ugly and absurd.
And look at Olga now--prosperous
as an ammunition maker. Her figur-
ines are sold everywhere and she
can't keep up with her orders for the
bas-reliefs.
"And there's Hugo Lantry. Remem-
Der Hugo's threadbare overcoat and
how the girls used to mend 1t surrep-
titiously and put sandwiches in the
pockets? Know what Hugo's doing
now? Well, he's producing his own
comedies at the Pocket Playhouse and
making good like anything! And look
at me, event" Lucy saw how her mar
rantive was cheering Walt. how his
face lit up, his shoulders Strengthened.
She went on briskly. Look at me!
Did you know / landed cover on last
months Zenith? Well, sir, did, and
I've got an order this minute right
here in my bag for $500 worth OF
title-page decorations for Ambleton's!
And didn't everybody call me fool
for not taking that job at twenty-five
a week designing soap-wrappers?
81 >tell you, Walt, 1t pays to stick
TO your ideals. Sometimes 1t only
pays in satisfaction to yourself. And
sometimes IT pays in honest-to-good-
ness cash You stick around with our
crowd while. The atmospheric put
the punch into you. Your trouble Is
that you're working against too much
pressure from the outside. ! know
your wife. She's a peach OF girl,
too, Walt But she can't see things
from our point of view. You can't
change her point Of view, dear, but
I'm sure she's sensible enough and
broad minded enough to be willing
you should so at things in your own
way. But whether she is willing or
not, you must get into the atmosphere
that encourages your work. You must
meet people who are working along
the same lines and people who have
connections that will help you. Leave
that part to me, Walt. ! know every
body in bohemia
Lucy could hardly keep out OF her
voice the exultation she felt at the
thought Of helping Walt Stedman.
Already her woman's mind was
speeding through mental list of the
men and women in her world, the
queer, highly colored, half-dark, half
brilliant, up-and-down world of paint
ers. writer's, musicians, dancers and
ouasi-professional play managers. AL
ready she was sketchily planning
meetings and club gatherings, studio
parties and private exhibitions where
Walt would fit in admirably and draw
real inspiration for his work
To Lucy Benton's credit be 1t said