New-York tribune., 1919-06-21
Don Marquis at His Best
Hu1norists ''Prefaces'' Book of ESSAYS.
Some Grave, but for the Most Part Cav

We expect the fish to cat the hook
very thoroughly, TO persist until he
gets 1T we'll down and then to signal
us that all Is we'll by pulling the float
under water; reel is supertluous; one
fiips the pole over ones head and the
fish lands somewhere in this bushes
behind.
"A little quiet river or creek with
low banks and plenty Of big trees along
the banks is tho only place to fish; and
the fish should be mostly bullheads.
Bullheads know their business: thew
hook themselves more completely and
competently than any other fish. A
bullhead will swallow the worm. the
hook, and the lead snker, part Of
the line, and then grumble because he
hasn't been able to eat the float and
the pole. And you can leave it all up
to MIN. You can sit in the shade and
watch the float bobbing and jerking
about in tho serene consciousness that
he will do a good job. When he pulls
the pole itself out Of the socket of
earth into which you have jabbed the
butt end Of it, then is the time to in
terfere and bring him to land Don't
hold the pole yourself; it is too much
trouble"
In much the same gay spirit IL the
story of Dorcas and Cousin Tom.
"Dorcas had never studied culinary
chemistry. If you had tried to talk
seriously to Dorcas about her gastric
juices she would have been as shocked
as if you had mentioned her legs
Dorcas cooked for the sight and smell
and soul and palate Of Man; his diges-
ton did the best it could. She betrayed
Mans duodenu1n, and he lovad her for
it,
And suppose the richness Of Durcas
did ruin ones digestion. WhHt then
LIS the digestion a god that ws should
regard it reverently? To my mind
there If something base in considering
ones digestion as If it wers one of
the higher attributes. I Iiks to ses a
reckless, adventurous, hendstrnnE, ro-
mantle, dashing sort Of eater.
II orrce had second cousin, a pru-
dent boy, whD thought great deal of
his Digestion; Dorcas could not tempt
him; he knew all about his alimentary
canal and gave himself as many airs
as humptinus young anchprits who
iteko JO2G IhIlit6u lllS 1LISL lidlI SlllTL.
He exaspsrated me-; if hp had been de-
liberately saving his digsBtinn for the
first thirty-fve years of 1ife in order
to enjoy it to the full and with moro
discrimination during the latter thirty
five could have understood him. But
nD-ffe intended to eat poached eggs
and matted milk to tho frugal end.
But the universe is not on the side
of frugality; the stars wern hurled
broadcast from the hand of q spend
thrift God. . -. Cousin Tom, go
ing back to his office after lunch of
oatmeal crackers on his twenty eighth
birthday, WAS killed by brick which
fell from thu chimney Of a chop house
in which I sat eating steak en- cas-
serole with mushrooms and thinking
sentinfentally Of Dorcas. He died with
out issue, and carried his gastric Juices
unimpaired to the grave. In way I
took certain satisfaction in his
death, as 1t proved the folly Of pru-
dence; and yet I wept ut tho funeral,
for the thought struck me, What
could 7 not do with Toms practically
virgin digestive organs if he had but
contrived to leave them to nfee'
"There was stomach that had never
really lived :. .. :. and now 1t nexer
would"
1t would be an Easy task to fiji "a
book page with entertaining srsttdffes
from 1sP refaces" and tt would heaaguod
book page, but We mist lean no more
on Marquis for as he Says IN ''Prefscce
to the Plays Of Euripites," -'s -'sianry
married, Holse Smith in thee Senate,
Euripides dead--ffow time ftess"