New-York tribune., 1921-04-11
P22La By

~ am one of those people," says the
happer in Beauty and Mary Blair
"to whom life is, q very great puzzle
SO many people seem to get used to
living, but I don't. can't seem to get
up. any really satisfactory philosophy
or find anybody or anything to help me
about it. / want everything, little or
big, fixed up in mind before | can pro-
ceed.
even as a very small child always
wanted my plans made in advance
Once, when mother had bad sick
headache, | sat on the edge of her bed
and begged her to tell me if she thought
she was going to die, so if she was |
could plan to go and live with my Aunt
Margaret. | was an odious infant, but
all the same, | really wanted to know
and that's the way | am to this day. |
want to know what the probabilities
are, in order to act accordingly"
And without doubt she was odous,
but only in the same way that prac-
tically everybody else is odious, for we
live in world which is governed by
promises and contracts and clocks. If
there actually is any such thing as free
will, aren't we the idiots to fetter it,
The chances Of doing things on i'm
pulse arc being continually diminished.
There are points in the city now where
it is not possible to cross the street
without the permission of the police
man.
"Stop," &C., Keep Of the Grass" "
"No Trespa assing," "Beware Of the Dog"
Watch Your Hat and Overcoat," "Posi-
lively No Checks Cashed," "Do Not
Feed or Annoy the Animals" show can
free and adventurous soul survive
in such a world? Don Marquis has
celebrated the exploit of one brave
rebel, we think it was Fothergil Finch,
who strobe into the monkey house and
crying Down with the tyranny of the
capitalist system" or words to that
effect, threw peanut into the baboon's
cage. We know an even bolder soul
who makes a point of never watching
his hat and overcoat in direct defiance
of the edict, but he says that the world
has become so cowed by rules that
nothing ever happens.
Even the usual avenues of escape
have been beset with barbed wire.
There was liquor, for instance. There
still is, but the prohibitionists have
been devilishly wise. By arranging
that it shall be ladled out by prescrip-
tions, no matter how lavish, thew have
reduced drinking to the prosaic leve, of
premeditation along with all the other
activities of the world. Things have
come to such pass that drinking has
now been restricted to men with real
executive ability. 1t is no longer the
solace of the irresponsible, but the re-
ward of foresight.
once the easy escape from dull and
set routine lay in stepping on board a
steamer and sailing for distant and
purple shores. They are not so purple
any more. No traveller can feel much
like free and footloose adycnturer
after he has spent two weeks in com
ference with the State Department.
presented certificate confirming the
TACT OF his birth, gathered together the
receipts of his income tax payments
and obtained letter from his nastor
Even though he go to the ends of the
earth the adventurer travels only by
the express and engraved permission
Of the United States government.
Oceans and mountain ranges cannot
alter the fact that he is on a leash.
VI course, to free souls the whole
system is monstrous. The fact that a
man suddenly feels desire to 70 to
Greece on some me-Srainy Tuesday after
noon is no sign at all that he will still
want to go two weeks come Wednes-
day. The only proper procedure for