The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-23
WeStChoSter

was old and ugly in deed and domain.
the two were very plainly penurious and
rather pathetically eager to rent
Jonathan couldn't understand what
had happened that made US feel as
though our pockets had been picked.
Lord" he said to me when we got
to the street. cit seems a simple little
think that 1t may interest you. and fol-
low the directions to inquire within
And yet I feel as though some intoler-
able indecency had been done me-"
You see Jonathan doesn't know about
the source Of particularly vicious snob-
berry that haunts our modern civilixa-
tion, He was so funny in his disgust
that couldn't help laughing.
Foolish" / said. Don't you know
that when people stay alone and think
Of their family connections long enough
their family connections seem important
and other peoples questionable? Don't
you know that those two have been con-
templating their perfectly oval finger
nails for so long that they would feel
terribly to discover that finger nails are
often just as oval on the hands of women
doing time at Auburn or scrubbing floors
by night In great Office buildings In the
city?
All a Question of Ancestry.
Don't you know that queer eye tooth
Is to those two one Of the stigmata of
Degeneration IL It occurs In the cook,
and distinctive and arietocratic thing
II II happens in the family? Everything
that is theirs Is all right-even a chance
imbecile who might crop up in the
family Everything yours-unless, John
athan. that swing of your coat might
Ia fhan tl,at ofz h.
cestors'-is sadly but inevitably nil
Their whole code OF life Is imported from
some code of the Continent in 1900 or
thereabouts. So when you ache to brain
them for their pocket picking imper-
Thence remember to leave them and
their invaluable Inheritance of social
values to the expert sociologists, who
Will brain them in a moro painless
fashion"
WELL" said Jonathan. 1T know that's
all true and interesting and too bad
and all right. But we aren't going to
let Robert--or that little Arabella of
ours in for the 18th century social ethics
are We? / trust you. Arabella, to steer
us safely past all that"
1 like to think 1t was my steering
that brought US into the next haven In
the way of a home.
1t was so nearly ideal that 1 almost
tremble before my subject. as some ar
fist might before a contemplated paint
ing which had for subject a fleetins
fancy that was yet too tremendously
vital to bear the slightest misinterpre-
tation.
The house vas on a little hill with a
short grassy slope before 1t and few
old pines about It. 1t was yellow and
white and not new but had evidently
been solidly remodelled and had a splen-
did air Of freshness and competence.
The mistress of II talked to us very
quietly and with that precious human
attribute-broad comprehen sion. She
had three daughters and a black-eyed
son, and they were hearty and healthy
and long-legged. with sunshine In their
hair and bright sweet manners
Their father had died. 1t seemed, and
the place must be rented for a time
No Provfncialism in This Home.
We had tea IN long low-ceiled room
with old-fashioned china and old silver
and a fat little homely cracked Jam pot.
An absurd puppy secuted about pc
litely after chance crumbs.
There were real pictures on the walls
and real books on the table and real
music on the piano. My heart gave Q
Jump when l saw the French and Eng
ilSI generously WIFI
our own and realized that here was in
deed a home where the winds OF the
world blew freely.
Here all the truth was always well
come, and these children would never
know provincialism. What the grasses
and the trees and the puppy taught
them OF natural life would be we'll sup
plemented from the best of sources.
To be quite truthful my one serious
objection to suburban life was its
tendency to provincialize. Here was no
provincialism.
/ felt grateful to this quiet woman
pouring the tea and stroking her daugh-
ter's, hair. She taught me a splendid
lesson.
l was not too much engrossed with
these ideas during the rest OF the short
day to miss one more impression.
That was OF very nice and humor-
Gus young man in a real estate office in
Pelhamwood. o
Jonathan found him exasperating.
but I suspect that he may be our lucky
genius. wouldn't be at all ayerse to
talking 20 him again,
ITO be- continued,)