Evening star., 1930-06-22

Forest or a segment OF heaven fallen,
Obliterating everything i'll choaS
That the way Frederick Farm
ington felt the MONDAY he emerged from the
0flce of the most eminent diagnoStician in New
York City.
Crash. Crash Crash.
OF course, many men before him must have
emerged from that same Office with the same
torment of emotions.
But nonethelesS to Frederick Pennington
newly president of his corporation, director of
three others of equal Importance vice president
of bank and treasurer of a railroad it seemed
that never had blow smtten SO in the
midst of life!
In the midst of life Pennington had Just
been ordered out of it!
That is to say, out of the rushing turmoil of
his day-by-days.
THERE was no longer any trying to elude
- the symptoms. The eminent dagnoStician
had spared words. Farmington's left lung
had two growing spots with a threat of one on
the right. 1t a matter of getting out of
town one way another, his doctor had in
formed him with rather purpoSeful brutality
BY way of the Adirondack express to the pine
forests. or by way of mahogany with silver
handles.
In the midst of life Pennington had been
ordered out of it,
Standing there the steps of the doctors
office in the gray of November it seemed to
Pennington, with depression clamping down
upon him. that possibly of the two ways
oStracism to the Adriondacks or the way of
mahogany with silver handles-the latter was
preferable.
Life so jammed and pulsating an af-
fair when you were in the midst OF it as Farm
mgtOn was! Life in the pine forests with the
Soughing of wind at night and the creaking
Of trees by day all right for two-week
Summer Rnf 0StF To
for what the doctor had termned an indefinite
period
It A matter of weeks before Pennington
finally decided upon his alternative. The flow
of life was too quick in him. Life too dear in
him. Banishment to the pine woods if need
be. But not death.
Pennington not ready for death
There were worlds to conquer. Earthly fields
to dominate At 43 he had tasted too much
Of the elixir of success to relinquish the cup
easily Life. Life. Life. The battle of Wall
Street. the conflict of master industrial minds.
The Shrewd connivings with the picked busi-
ness men of the country
Life. Life Life. Pennington was greedy
for it, The life of the executive. The leader.
The captain. 1t good to live. And so
Pennington surrendered to the prospect of
temporary exile with the bittereSt pain he
had ever known in his life.
In the midst of life, to the silence of pine
forest and the long motioness days in a log
cabin
A T first there were friends and the DAYS were
as clear steel and the fishing and hunt
ing helped them pass quickly enough but the
camp was on the top of a mountain and the
motor roads left off 81 miles before you reached
it and train connections were bad and the
Winter season in town set in with a bang,
and the friends fell away.
Those were the days when the loneliness first
began TO settle upon Pennington. The exile.
Bresthless, deathleSs days with only q noun
tain guide. hired to live with him for company,
and the stacks of books and q radio machine
and a magnificent mechanical piano
Those were the days when the loneliness
to reoede and the sound OF waterfall to beat
into his brain with monotony and the yearning
for the tramp Of mems feet and the conflict OF
quick minds and the excitement of the fray to
eat and gnaw at him.
The clear, thin bitingly cold days of the
forest. The pellucid nights with stars like
silver ChristmaS-tree balls waiting to- be
plucked. A waterfall leaping in glory and
suddenly frozen there, shy and startled love-
illness.
All part of the loneliness. The devastated
eating, gnawing loneliness OF this man of af-
fairs
Pain in the lungs Pain in the heart Days
and days OF the kind Of pain that made him
1rascible and dfhcult for even the old noun
tain guide, rather scornful and oblivious of the
ways OF men, to endure.
gnarled oak tree of q guide. Strange
secrets he knew. Out OF the forests. The