The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1927-07-22
just as Stevenson
Had Said
BY JANE OSBORN
scopyrIght.l

"a
w called on Maude Granger he had
liked the bookish atmosphere of her
house--a little house, rather In need
of paint, on an unpretentious street
in the small city where Malcolm was
for the time being stationed.
For lack of anything else to do
Malcolm had called on a number of
the girls whom he had met at the
country club Rates house was
brightly lighted and rather expensive
ly furnished. The radio sounded in
cessantly. When any jazz could be
had rugs were turned back and every
one danced. A noisy, care-free house
The weil-stocked larder at Alice's
house furnished the chief attraction
there. 1t was so different at Maude's
no jazz, no radio-and only occa-
sional refreshments.
There were books on the tables,
books on the arms of the chairs, and
Maude always seemed to have a book
In her hand when she came forward
to greet you. Malcolm found himself
dreaming of home of his own, with
a background Of books-and gradually
he realized that the dream woman who
figured in the foreground was Maude.
Malcolm decided that he would try
and bring the conversation around to
the subject of matrimony. He didn't
want to plunge headlong into pro-
posal Of marriage without giving
Maude some sort of warning. So, late
one afternoon when he was calling on
Maude and no one else was present in
the book-lined living-room, he re-
marked that he thought that every
young man or woman ought to think
of marriage as the only satisfactory
sort of existence.
Maude fingered the leaves of the
book that lay on the arm of her chair.
Funny" she said, 81 was just read
ing about marriage. Marriage Is ter
rifying,' / have just read Marriage
Is certainly a perilous remedy, instead
of on two or three you stake your
happiness on one life only'-as Steven
son says" Then she looked through
ton. "'But marriage, II comfortable,
is not at all heroic he says here TT
certainly narrows and damps the spir-
its of generous man."
A few days later Malcolm summoned
courage to broach the question of
marriage again. He said he thought
that remaining bachelor made a
man narrow and selfish. Maude smiled
a little "You know what Stevenson
says" she countered. "'If you wish
the pick of men, take a good bach
elor'"
So things drifted. Whenever NAL
colin was brave enough to start the
subject Maude was ready with q quo
tation from Stevenson.
Malcolm had determined that she
was the girl he wanted to marry, and
since she was so Indifferent to his ad-
vances, he called on no one for weeks,
spending his evenings alone in his
room reading. He bought a set of
Stevenson and re-read the old favor
ties, leaving until last some volumes
Of essays that seemed rather dull.
Then one dreary Sunday afternoon he
picked up one of these volumes of
essays. AS he turned the pages he
became more interested-a few more
pages and he seized a pencil and a
sheet of paper, jotted down a few
words, threw the book the length of
the room, hurried into his hat and
raincoat and started out
A few minutes later he was with
Maude before CHEEKY fire in her
book-lined living room.
Look here" he said, drawing his
chair nearer to hers. "Tve been try
ing to tell you something for a long
| time. And you've been putting me off,
But don't think you are the only one
| who can quote r. L. S." Malcolm
drew the scrap Of paper from his
| pocket. Marriage is terrifying Ste
| venson says-but he adds: But so is
| forlorn and cold old age. The
| friendships of men are vastly agree
| able, but they are insecure It's not
| fair half quoting. What Stevenson
| really said was: IF you wish the pick
! Of men and women, take good bach
elor and good wife,"
81 hoped you would be interested
enough to find out" said Maude, turn
| ing her head away from Malcolm
"But had made up my mind that you
| didn't care very much"
Didn't care" gasped Malcolm. 81
cared so much that I read or re-
| read every line that Stevenson ever
wrote-trying to find out where you
got your quotations. AS soon as ]
found the lines-I dashed right over
here to do little quoting for myself.
Maude reached over to the table
near her and picked her favorite book
of essays. She turned over the leaves
rapidly-came to the passage she
1--WE always rather liked this pas.
sage" she said, and Malcolm read the
lines to which Maude's slender finger
pointed
Love should run out to meet love
with open arms. Indeed, the ideal
story is that of two persons who &c
into love step by step like a
pair of children venturing together
into a dark room. There is
here no declaration properly so called
the feeling is so plainly shared, that
as soon as the man knows what is in
his own heart, he is, sure of what is
In the woman's"
Mande closed the book and would