The Washington times., 1931-11-21

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faint, bitter smell, and I am
filled with a wild desire to be
able to go in with this lovely
creature through the revolving
doors, in to the tables there,
into that pampered, prosperous
atmosphere of color and light,
and so to saunter on through
a benign, care-free existence, sur
rounded by walters and servants,
well wrapped in protective in
sulating of wealth-rid forever
of all the poverty and filth that
for years have been our daily
portion.
suppose look rather school
boyish, for suddenly Anton looseS
peal of laughter from under
his beard.
Till l o'clock then, Anton!"
I say.
why not?" he responds SOL
emnly, "or Bongsoahr, as the
Frenchman says"
wander on, my hands
thrust deep into my pockets.
The snow masheS under my
shoes. kick it off angrily.
What could do anyway, even
suppoSing I might dine with a
woman like that? I should only
be able to stare at her, that's
all. I couldn't even eat without
getting into a mess. And how
difficult, I think to myself,
how difficult to pass a whole
day with such a being! Always
on the watch, always on the
alert.
Rain and Philosophy
Drops of rain fall glittering
from the trees; I turn up my
collar. I often long for affec.
tion even now, for shy words,
for warm, generous emotions;
I would like to escape the crude
monotony of these last years.
But what if it actually came to
pass? What if all the gentle
ness and variety Of those other
days drew around me again?
Someone actually did love me,
some slim, delicate woman,
such as the one there with the
golden toque and the slim
ankles-how would it be?
would not the voices of the
drill sergeants suddenly shout
their obScenities? Would not
memory, scraps of talk, army
jokes, at once riddle and de-
Stroy every decent emotion? In
ourselves even now we are still
chaste, but our imagination
has been debauched without
our being aware of it; before
we knew anything Of love at
all we were already being lined
up and examined for sexual
diseases.
The breathless wonder, the
impetuousness, the night wind,
the darkness, the queStioningS
all those things that were
still with us when, as 16-year-
old boys, we would race along
after Adele and the other girls
through the Pickering, gaslit
wind-theSe are gone.
UnconsciouSly I begin to
walk faster, breathe deeper. I
will have it again-I must have
it again. It shall come again,
else what reason is there to
live?
I make my way to Ludwig's.
There is still a light in his
room. I fling pebbles up at his
window and he comes down
and opens the door for me.
Up in the room Georg Rahe
is standing in front Of Ludwig'S
case of geological specimens,
holding a large rock crystal and
making it sparkle.
Exactly" agrees Rahe. "This
petty pushing and showing for
grub and for place, with an odd
ideal or two thrown in to make
weight, just nauseateS me; mean
TO clear OUT OF IL.
well, if you must do some
thing of the sort, why not join
the Revolution?" I say. "You
might even be War Minister"
What a Revolution!
Bah! This Revolution!" an
swers Georg scornfully. 1T was
made by a bunch Of party Sec
retaries. They've taken fright
again already at the mere
thought of their own audacity.
Look at the way they are at one
another's throats-Social Demo
Gratis, Independents, SpartaciStS,
Communists! And in the mean
time the other fellows are pot
ting off what few real brains
they have among them, and
they haven't brains enough to
see it!"
mo, Georg," says Ludwig,
chats not it. We made revolu-
ton with two little hate; that's
the whole fact Of the matter;
we wanted to be just to every
body from the very jump, and
with the result that the whole
thing fizzled out. A revolution
must first rage like a bush fire,
then afterwards one can start
in with the sowing.
Planning To Leave
I'm glad I've seen you, after
all, Ernst" he smiles. "Just
been around at your place. I'm
leaving tomorrow"
He is in uniform. But,
Georg," I say haltingly, you
don't mean"
EYES," he mods. That's it.
Going to be a soldier apain.