The Washington times., 1937-01-21

! ana ne slowly raised q ndIlu.
Don't you want me to tell
you?" asked Sonia, wide-eyed,
shaking her head girlishly.
Not that I think you will
feel better afterward if you do not
confide that part Of it."
Sonia looked puzzled; then nod
ded approval.
II take it that you bear his wife
no ill-will?" ,
"oh, no, not at ALL" she replied
quickly. In fact, lately, since he
has been so hard-pressed, and I
knew she was i'll, have"
DON'T" commanded the Dean,
so sternly that she WINGED
under his unexpected rebuke.
You mustn't tell that to any
body-not even to mel" His voice
grew gentle. And may I add that
1 consider you a very fortunate
woman to be possessed of such a
soul If you we're my daughter
I would be proud of you"
You don't think I've lost my
soul, them"
IT should be more disposed to
think" declared the Dean warm
ly, that you have just now come
to the place in your life where
the essential fineness of you is
about to have its great chance" !"
What would you have me do,"
asked Sonia sincerely.
You must find somebody or
something to absorb your love
a child, perhaps, or a worthy
charity in which you may invest
yourself personally. Your case is
not so difficult as you think. You
came to grief through love. 1t is
the people who get into trouble
| through hate-they're the ones I
worry over. Sometimes it is very
hard to help them.
This encourages me to believe
that you may be able to under
stand to what an extent the hap
piness of the world depends upon
the clear vision of people who have
a natural talent for love-to neu-
tralize the bad influence OF the
people who are diseased by hate.
Let me show you what I mean 80"
The dean edged himself far for
ward in his chair, rested his elbows
on the desk, and looked Sonia
steadily in the eyes, urging her
earnest concentration.
"You see-not many people take
time to consider how they are re-
lated to the long parade. They
snatch their little pleasures; they
bemoan their little disappoint-
ments; they smile and Smirk and
sigh and sulk, reacting variously to
events affecting them as individ-
uals. But they do not think OF
themselves as component parts Of
an era. They fail to understand
that we are all trudging along,
elbow to elbow, in an endless,
tightly integrated procession, in
which our most important inter
ests are held in common.
people with an extraordinary
talent for love should be able to
understand this in the ordinary
process of living, and get the same
thrill out of uneventful daily life
that the Shipwrecked experience
when tugged together by sudden
misfortune.
"Now-this brings us up to your
case Your love has been so
urgent that it has led you to defy
the social canons. You would like
to atone for it, or at least try to
justify your possession of a love
so reckless Very well-I say!
-. You can do it! You must do
it Try to begin your think
ing about this by believing that
the successful onward push of the
human procession is the impor-
tant thing, after all; far more i'm
portant than any of the trifling
ups and downs Of the individual
Sometimes like to think OF
civilization as ship. That ship,
my friend, is more important than
any member of the crew!
If you want to pay for the priv
llege Of your love-and the mis-
takes of your love-believe that"
They sat for a little while in
silence. The dean had made a
platitude sound vital, dynamic.
Sonia distinctly felt the strong tug
of it. Her eyes were contempla-
tive.
That's ALL" said the dean,
rousing from the reverie into
which he had momentarily
drifted. "I shall be thinking Of
you. We will try to find some
thing specific for you to do. Are
you agreed?"
She arose to go, apparently re-
luctant to leave.
Il hope I can hold this feeling
when I am outside again-in the
street" she said meditatively.
There is something about this
place-and you-that has made
my worries seem very small
Ito Be COntinued)
| Copyright, 1897, by Lloyd c. Douglas.
! Distributed BY King FeatureA
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