That’soneoftheadvantagesofhavingawellbalancednature,aPRACTICALside。
And,anyway,thevalueofagiftisnotintheCOSTofit。Quitecheapthings,whentheyrepresenttruethoughtandaffection,areaboverubies。
MammaandPapaaregoingtogetmeapearlnecklace,justtocirclethethroat,butbeautifullymatchedpearl。Iwouldn’tcareforanostentatiouslylongstringofpearlsanyway。
Poor,dearPapasayshereallycan’taffordit——
withtimessohard,andthosedear,patheticEuropeansoneverybody’shands,youknow——butMammamadehimunderstandhownecessaryBEAUTYistome,andhefinallygavein。
Isn’titjustWONDERFULhowloverulesusallatChristmastime?
POORDEARMAMAANDFOTHERGILFINCH
(Hermione’sBoswellLoquitur)
HERMIONE’Smother,whohasfiguredsooftenas\"PoordearMama\"inthesepages,hascomeoutdefinitelyforSuffrage。
Someonetoldherthattherewasanalliancebetweentheliquorinterestsandtheanti—Suffagistsandshebelievedit,anditshockedher。
SincetheactivitiesofherdaughterhavebroughtherintocontactwithModernThoughherlifehasbeenchieflypassedinoneoranotherofthreephases:Shehasbeenshocked,sheisbeingshocked,orshefearsthatsheisabouttobeshocked。
Sheisnearingfiftyandratherstout,thoughherfigureisstillnotbad。Shehasanabundanceofchestnuthair,allherown,andnaturallywave;herhandsarepretty,herfeetarepretty,herfaceispretty。
Hermouthisverysmall,almostdisproportionatelyso,andhereyesareverylargeandblueandverywideopen。Shewasintendedforaplacedwoman,butHermioneandModernThoughthavemadecompleteplacidityimpossible。Shehasafondnessforrichbrocadesandprettyfansarechocolatecandyandbigbowlsofrosesandcomfortablechairs。WhenshewasHermione’sagesheusedtodowatercolorsketches;theoutlineswerepenciledinbyherdrawingteacher,andshewashedonthecolorverysmoothlyandneatly;butsheheardagreatmanystoriesconcerningthedissolutelivesthatartistsleadandshegaveitup。
Nevertheless,shesometimessays:\"HermionecomesbyherinterestinArtquitenaturally。\"
FothergilFinchandIcalledrecently。Hermionewasnotin,andhermothersuggestedthatwewaitforher。Hermione’smotherlooksuponallofHermione’sfriendswithmoreorlesssuspicion,andshewouldnotpermitFothergilinparticulartobeabouttheplaceforamomentifshewerenotobligedto;butshedoesnothavetherequisitestern—
nessofcharactertoresistherdaughter。Fothergil,knowingthatheisnotapprovedof,scarcelydoeshimselfjusticewhenHermione’smotherispresent;
althoughheendeavorstoavoidoffendingher。
\"Haveyouseentheplay,’YoungAmerica’?\"
askedFothergil,searchingforasafetopicofconversation。
Alittlerippleofalarmimmediatelyruffledthelakeblueinnocenceofhereyes。
\"IfitisaProblemPlay,Ihavenot,\"shesaid,\"Iconsidersuchthingsdangerous。\"
\"Butitisn’t,youknow,\"saidFothergileagerly。
It’sa——a——it’saperfectlyNICEplay。
It’saboutadog!\"
\"Aboutadog!\"Hereyebrowswentup,andhermouthroundeditselfwiththeconvictionthatnoperfectlyniceplaycouldpossiblybeaboutadog。
\"IthinkthatisdreadfullyCoarse!\"shesaid。
\"Butitisn’t,\"protestedFothergil。\"It’sjusttheSORTofthingyou’dlike。\"
\"Indeed!\"Shefeltslightlyinsultedathisassumptionofwhatshewouldlike,anddismissedthesubjectwithawaveofherprettyhand。Fothergiltriedagain。
\"Ihope,\"hesaidingratiatingly,\"thatyouhaven’tbeenbotheredbymosquitoes。\"Shelookedabitfrightened,butsaidnothing,andhedashedondeterminedly。\"Youknow,thisisanewvarietyofmosquitoeswe’vebeenhavingthisyear。Mostofthemhavestripesontheirlegs,youknow,butthesehaveblacklegsthisyear。Butmaybeyouhaven’tnoticed————\"
Hestoppedinmidcareer。ThepreposterousideathatshecouldbeinterestedinexaminingthelegsofmosquitoeshadtooevidentlyoutragedHermione’smother。Fothergil,flushedandembarrassed,triedtomakeitbetterandmadeitworse。
\"Maybeyouhaven’tnoticedtheir——er——limbs,\"
saidFothergil。
\"Ihavenot,\"shemurmured。
Fothergildesperatelypersevered。
\"Wedon’tseesomuchasweusedtoof——
of————\"(Iamsurehedidn’tknowhewasgoingtofinishthesentencewhenhebeganit,butheplungedahead)——\"oftheQueenAnnestyleofarchitecture。\"
Withvisiblerelief,andyetwithalurkingsuspicion,sheassented。AndFothergil,feelinghimselfonsafegroundatlast,wenton:
\"Don’tyouthinkshewasoneofthemostinterestingqueensinEnglishhistory——QueenAnne?
Doyouremembertheanecdote————?
Butshecheckedhim,frightenedagain:
\"Idonotwishtohearit,Mr。Finch,\"shesaid。
\"But,\"saidFothergil,\"ShewasamostunexceptionalQueen——notlike,er——notlike——well,Cleopatra,youknow,oranyofthosebadones。\"
Hermione’smotherwassilent,butitwasapparentthatshefearedthetalkwasabouttoveertowardCleopatra。
\"WhenIwasagirl,\"shesaid,\"thelivesofqueenswereconsideredratherdangerousreadingforyoungwomen。Youneednotgointodetails,please。\"
Icouldn’tstanditanymoremyself。\"Ifyou’lljusttellHermioneIcalled,\"Isaid,edgingtowardthedoor。Fothergil,however,stuckitout。Inthefrenzyofembarrassmenthemusthavelosthisheadcompletely。ForasIleftIheardhimbe—
ginning:
\"Didyoureadthestoryinthepaperstodayofthemanwhokilledhiswife?Crimesofpassionarebecomingmoreandmorefrequent……\"
PRISONREFORMANDPOISE
AREN’Tyoujustcrazyaboutprisonreform?
Themostwonderfulmantalkedtous——toourLittleGroupofAdvancedThinkers,youknow——aboutittheotherevening。
ItmademefeelthatI’dbewillingtodoanything,simplyANYTHING!——tohelpthosepoor,unfortunateconvicts。Collectmoney,youknow,orgivetalks,orreadbooksaboutthem,ormakeanyothersacrifice。
Evengetthemjobs。Oneoughttohelpthemtostartoveragain,youknow。
Thoughasforhiringoneofthemmyself,orrathergettingPapato——well,really,youknow,onemustdrawthelinesomewhere!
Butit’saperfectlyfascinatingsubjecttotakeup,prisonreformis。
Itgivesonesuchasenseofbrotherhood——andofservice——it’ssobroadening,don’tyouthink?——
takingupthingslikethat?
Andonemustbebroad。IaskmyselfeverynightbeforeIgotobed:\"HaveIbeenBROADtoday?
OrhaveIfailed?\"
Though,ofcourse,onecanbeTOObroad,don’tyouthink?
WhatImeanis,onemustnotbesobroadthatonelosesone’spoiseinthemidstofthings。
Poise!Thatiswhatthisageneeds!
Isupposeyou’veheardwide—brimmedhatsarecominginagain?
ANEXAMPLEOFPSYCHICPOWER
HAVEyouthoughtdeeplyconcerningthePersistenceofPersonalIdentity?
Wetookituptheotherevening——ourlittlegroup,youknow——inquiteathoroughway——
devotedanentireeveningtoit。
Yousee,there’satheorythatafterEvolutionhasevolvedjustasfarasitpossiblycan,everythingwillgotosmash,butthenEvolutionwillstartalloveragain。Andeverythingthathashappenedbe—
forewillhappenagain。
Onlythequestioniswhetherthepeopletowhomitishappeningagainwillknowwhethertheyarethesamepeopletowhomithashappenedbefore。
That’swherethequestionofPersistenceofPersonalIdentitycomesin。FRIGHTFULLY
fascinating,isn’tit?
FormypartI’djustassoonnotbereincarnatedastobereincarnatedandnotknowanythingaboutit,wouldn’tyou?
Ofcourse,one’sSubliminalConsciousnessmightknowaboutit,andgiveoneintimations。
I’vehadintimationslikethatmyself——really!
I’mdreadfullypsychic,youknow。
SometimesIquitestartlepeoplewithmypsychicpower。
FothergilFinchwasheretheotherevening——
youknowfothergilFinch,thepoet,don’tyou?——
andIastoundedhimutterlybyreadinghisinmostthoughts。
Hehadjustfinishedreadingoneofhispoems——
averslibrepoem,youknow;allaboutStrengthandVirility,andthatsortofthing。FothergilisjustsimplyfascinatedbyStrengthandVirility,thoughyouneverwouldthinkittolookathim——heisso——
so——well,ifyougetwhatImeanyou’dthinktolookathimthathe’dbewritingaboutvioletsinsteadofcavemen。
\"Fothy,\"Isaid,whenhehadfinishedreadingthepoem,\"Iknowwhatyouarethinking——whatyouarefeeling!\"
\"What?\"hesaid。
\"You’rethinking,\"Isaid,’howWONDERFULathingistheCosmicUrge!\"
Thoughtscometomejustlikethat——leaptome——
rightoutofnowhere,sotospeak。
Fothywasstaggered;heactuallyturnedpale;
foraminuteortwohecouldscarcelyspeak。TherehadbeenscarcelyaWORDaboutCosmicUrgeinthepoem,youknow;he’dhardlymentionedit。
\"Itiswonderful,\"hesaid,whenwegotovertheshock;\"wonderfultobeunderstood!\"Andyouknow,really——poordear!——somanypeopledon’tunderstandFothyatall。Norwhathewrites,either。
Butthestrangestthingwas——IwishIcouldmakeyouunderstandhowpositivelyEERIEitmakesmefeel——thatjusttheinstantbeforehesaid,\"Itiswonderfultobeunderstood!\"Iknewhewasgoingtosayit。Igotthatpsychically,too!
\"Fothy,\"Isaid,\"ItisabsolutelyWEIRD——I
eavesdroppedonyourbrainthesecondtime!\"
\"Wonderful!\"hesaid,\"butthestillmorewonderfulthingwouldbe————\"
AndbeforehecouldfinishthesentenceithappenedtheTHIRDtime!Iinterruptedandfinisheditforhim。
\"Thestillmorewonderfulthingwouldbe,\"Isaid,\"ifitwereNOTso。\"
\"Heavens!\"hecried,\"thisisgettingpositivelyghostly。\"
Andyouknow,italmostwas。NotthatI’msuperstitiousatall,youknow,inthevulgarway。Butinthedimroom——Ialwayshavejustcandlelightinthedrawing—room——itfitsinwithmymorereflectivemoods,somehow——Ibelieveonemustsuitone’senvironmenttoone’smood,don’tyou?——inthedimroom,allthosethoughtsflyingbackandfortybetweenmybrainandhisgavemeapositivelycreepyfeeling。AndFothywassoshakenIhadtogivehimadrinkofPapa’sScotchbeforehewentoutintothenight。
SOMEBEAUTIFULTHOUGHTS
(FothergilFinch,theVersLibreBard)
OH,theBeautifulMud!Ialwaysleaveitonmyboots。Itissacredtome。Becauseinitarethesoulsoflilies!
TheHogshouldbeasacredbeast。HogsareBeautiful!TheyareclosetotheMire!Oh,tobeaSwine!
WhatismoreeloquentthanaSneeze?TheSneezeistheprotestoftheFreeSpiritagainsttheSmugCitizenwhoneverexposeshimselftoacold。
Oh,BeautifulSneezes!Oh,tomakemylifeoneloudexplosiveSneezeinthefaceofConventionality!
Whatissofree,sountrammeled,soungyved,sounconventional,asanInfluenzaGerm?Fromthroattothroatitfloats,fullofthespiritoftruedemocraticbrotherhood,makingthemassesequalwiththeclasses,careless,wingedungyved!Oh,theBeautifulGerm!Oh,tobeanInfluenzaGerm!
WhatissonaiveasaHiccough!Oh,tobeingenuous,unspoiled,beautiful,barbaric!Oh,thehiccoughs,thebeautifulhiccoughs,thehiccoughsofArtutteredagainstthehurricaneoftime。
BugsareBeautiful!Oh,thebeautiful,sleekslitherybugs。Oh,tobeawater—bugofpoesyskippingacrossthefloodofoblivion!Oh,tobeaBug!
IwentdowntothewaterfrontwheretheysellfishandthereIsawafishermanwhohadcaughtaDogfish,andhecursed,butIsaidtohim,\"DonotcursetheDogfish!TheDogfishisSymbolical!TheDogfishisbeautiful!Beautiful!\"
Oh,thelovelyGarbageScows!Iwentdownthebay,andthereIsawthemdumptheGarbageScows!
Isaidtothemanwhosailedmyboat:\"WhatdoestheGarbageScowMEANtoyou?\"HewasaPhilistine;hewasBourgeois;hewasSmug;hewasConventional,andhesaid:\"AGarbageScowmeansaGarbageScowtome!\"ButIsaidtohim:\"YouareAcademic;youareConservative!GarbageScowsarelovelySymbols!Oh,myArgosiesofDream!Oh,mybeautifulGarbageScows!SomedayeventhePhilistinesofBenightedAmericawillseetheSpiritualSignificanceoftheLovelyGarbageScow!\"
IfoundaGlueFactory,aFreeUntrammeledGlueFactory!Iwasexpressingitself。Itwasassertingitsindividuality。ItwassayingtotheBlindComplacentPillarsofPoliteSociety:\"Myaromaisnotyouraroma,butmyaromaismyown!\"Oh,theCourageousGlueFactory,theFree,UnfetteredGlueFactory!AthousandGlueFactories,fromMaintoOregon,arethusrebukingClassPrejudiceandBourgeoisSmugness。LikePoets,likeProphetsoftheNewArt,theystand,GlueFactoryafterGlueFactory,expressingtheirEgos,BeingThemselves,undaunted,unshackled,strong,independent,virile!Oh,tobethePoetoftheSuperGlueFactory!
WithvioletsinmyhandsIwanderedtothewilds,andthereImetaBuzzard。HewasBeingHimself!IwoveawreathofthevioletsandI
crownedtheBuzzard,andtheBuzzardsaid,\"Whydoyoucrownme?\"AndIsaid,\"Oh,LovelyBuzzard,areyounotBeingYourself?AreyounotrebukingtheTrivialConventionalitiesofourOrganizedSociety?IknowyourDream,OBuzzard!
AcceptthisCrownofVioletsfromourlittlegroup!\"
Comewithmetothezoo,andIwillbareourSoulstotheHyena,andtheHyenawillcommunewithus,andwewillknowthemeaningofLife!
Oh,thelovelyHyena。
THEBOURGEOISELEMENTANDBACKGROUND
ISN’TitsimplywonderfulaboutD’AnnunzioenlistingasacommonsoldieranddiggingtrenchesalongwiththeDueD’AbruzziandthoseotherItalianpoets?OrwasitD’Abruzzi?
Anyhow,itwasoneofthosepoetsthatwerealwaystalkingabouttheSuperman。
Although,Imustsay,onedoesn’thearsomuchabouttheSupermanthesedays,doesone?TheSupermanisgoingout,youknow。
Oneofmyfriends——she’squiteanadvancedthinker,too,andbelongstoourlittlegroup——toldmeayearorsoago,\"Hermione,IwillNEVERmarryuntilIfindaSuperman!\"
\"Ofcourse,thatisallright,mydear,\"Isaidtoher,\"buthowaboutGenetics?\"
Because,youknow,thesloganofourlittlegroup——thatis,oneoftheslogans——is\"GeneticsorSpinsterhood!\"
Itmadeherquiteangryforsomereason。Shepursedherlipsupandactedshocked。
\"Itisallverywell,Hermione,\"shesaid,\"todiscussGeneticsintheABSTRACT。ButtoconnectthediscussionwiththemarriageofaFRIENDisnot,tomymind,theproperthingatall!\"
Didyoueverhearofanythingmoreutterlyin—
consistent?
Oh,Consistency!Consistency!Isn’tConsist—
encyperfectlywonderful!
ButthatisalwaysthewaywhenitcomestoadiscussionofSex。TheBourgeoisElementareNEVERFundamentalandThoroughintheirtreatmentofSex,ifyouknowwhatImean。
And,asFothergilFinchsays,inthiscountryweareNEARLYallBourgeois。
WehavenothadenoughBackgroundforonething。
IfallthelittlegroupsthecountryoverwouldtakeupthematterofBackgroundinaseriousway,somethingmightbedoneaboutit,don’tyouthink?
Wemustorganize——wewhoaretheintellectualleaders,youknow——andstartaneffectivepropagandaforthepurposeofobtainingmoreBackground。
TAKINGUPTHELIQUORPROBLEM
WE’REthinkingoftakinguptheLiquorproblem——ourlittlegroup,youknow,——
inquiteaseriousway。
TheWorkingClasseswouldbesomuchbetteroffwithoutliquor。Andwewhoaretheleadersinthoughtshouldsetthemanexample。
Soanumberofushavedecidedtosetourfacesverysternlyagainstdrinkinginpublic。
Ofcourse,acocktailortwoandanoccasionalstinger,issomethingnoonecanwellavoidtaking,ifoneisdiningoutorhavingsupperafterthetheaterwithone’sownparticularcrowd。
Butallthemembersofmyownparticularlittlegrouphaveenteredintoasolemnagreementnottotakeevensomuchasacocktailoraglassofwineifanyoftheworkingclasseshappentobeaboutwheretheycanseeusandbecomecorruptedbyourexample。
TheBestPeopleowethosesacrificestotheMasses,don’tyouthink?
Ofcourse,thewaiters,andpeoplelikethat,reallybelongtotheworkingclassestoo,Isuppose。
But,asFothergilFinchsays,veryoftenonewouldn’tknowit。Andwhocouldexpectawaitertobeinfluencedonewayoranotherbyanything?
Andit’sthehomelifeoftheworkingclassesthatcounts,anyhow。
WhenwetookupSociology——wegaveseveraleveningstoSociologicalDiscussion,youknow,besidesdoingalotofpracticalWelfareWork——itwasimpresseduponmeverystronglythatifoneistodoanythingatallfortheMassesonemustfirstSWEETENtheirHomeLife。
ThoughPapamademestoppokingaroundintothehorridplaceswheretheyliveforfearImightcatchsomedreadfuldisease。
Andthepeoplewevisitedweren’tallthatgrateful。
SoVERYOFTENtheMassesarenot。
Onedreadfulwoman,youknow,claimedthatshecouldn’tkeepherrooms——shehadtworooms,andshecookedandwashedandsleptandsewedinthemandtherewerefiveinthefamily——claimedthatshecouldn’tkeepherroomsinanybettershapebecausetheyweresooutofrepairandtheplumbingwasbadandthewindowsleakedandallthatsortofthing,youknow,andoneoftheroomswasENTIRELYdark。
Ipreachedthedoctrineoffreshairandsunshineandcleanlinesstoher,youknow,andtheimprudentthingtoldmePapaownedthebuildinganditwasn’ttrueatall——Papaonlybelongedtothecompanythatownedthebuilding。Onecan’tdomuchforpeoplewhowillnotbetruthfulwithone,canone?
Besides,itistheSilentInfluencethatcountsmorethanargumentsandvisiting。
Ifonemakesone’slifewhatitshouldbeGoodwillRadiate。
Vibrationsfromone’sEgowillpermeateallclassesofsociety。
AndthatisthewayweintendtomakeourselvesfeltwithregardtotheLiquorProblem。Wewillinculcateabstemiousnessbyexample。
Abstemiousness,FothyFinchsays,shouldbeourmotto,ratherthanAbstinence。WeshallbeQUITE
carefulnottoidentifyourselveswiththeMORE
VULGARaspectsofthepropaganda。
Andofcourseatsocialfunctionsinourprivatehomestotalabstinenceisquiteoutofthequestion。
Theworkingclasseswouldn’tgetanyexamplefromourhomes,anyone;forofcoursewenevercomeintocontactwiththemthere。
Buttheworkingclassesmustbesavedfromthemselves,evenifalltheemployersoflaborhavetowriteoutalistofjustwhattheyeatanddrinkandmakethembuyonlythosethings。TheysimplyMUSTbesaved。
Notthatthey’llappreciateit。Theyneverdo。IfIwerenotanincorrigibleidealistIwouldbeinclinedtogivethemup。
Butsomeonemustgiveuphislifetoleadingthemonwardandupward。AndwhoistheretodoitifnotweleadersofModernThought?
THEJAPANESEAREWONDERFUL,IFYOUGETWHATIMEAN
DON’TyoujustdoteontheJapanese?
They’resoesoteric——andsubtleandallthatsortofthing,aren’tthey?
JustlookatBuddhismandShintoism,forinstance。Couldanythingbemoresubtleandesoteric?
We’vebeentakingthemup——ourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——andthey’vewonderful,simplyWONDERFUL!
Not,ofcourse,thatonewouldBEaBuddhistoraShintoist——butit’sbroadeningtothemind,don’tyouthink,tocomeincontactwiththegreatthoughtof——of——well,reallyofpeoplelikeShinto,youknow,andthoseothersages?
Andhowwonderfullyartistictheyare——theJapanese!
ThenewparasolsarequiteJapanese,youknow。
Haven’tyouseenthem?
Ihavethree,fordifferentcostumes。OneiscoveredwithembroideredJapanesecrepe,andan—
otherwithmartinesilk。
Buttheone,IthinkthatexpressMEthemostaccurately——theonethatrepresentsmyindividuality,REALLY——ismadewithgoldspokescoveredwithblackChantillylace。Japaneseshape,youknow,andFrenchworkmanship。
Andonemuststrivetorepresentone’sselfifoneistobehonest。
Onemustputone’ssoulintoone’senvironment。
AlthoughEnvironmentisn’twhatitusedtobe。
Youdon’thearEnvironmentspokenofnearlyasoftenasyoudid。
Environmentisgoingout。
Butbesidesbeingsoesotericandexoticandartistic,andallthatsortofthings,theJapanesearewonderfullyuptodate,too。
Doyouknow,theyactuallyhaveabattleshipnamedTheTango!
HaveyouthoughtdeeplyofInterstellarCommunication?
Itpromisestobeoneofthegreatnewproblems。
Theloveliestmantalkedtousaboutittheotherevening。\"InterstellarCommunicationinItsRelationtoRecentPsychicHypotheses\"——that’sthetitle;
Iwroteitdown。Ialwaystakenotesofatitlelikethat。
Ithelpsonetogettotheheartofthematter。
InterstellarCommunicationiswonderful——simplyWONDERFUL!
We’regoingtotakeupMarssoon。
Mammasaidtomeonlyyesterday:\"Hermione,youSIMPLYMUSTdropsomeofyourserioussubjectsduringthehotweather。\"
\"Mamma,\"Itoldher,\"thatwasallverywellinyourday——totakethingsupanddropthematwill。
Butpeopledidn’thaveaSocialConscienceinthosetimes。Weadvancedthinkersoweadutytotherace。Wemustgrapplewiththings。Wearenotcontenttofrivol,IWILLtakeupMars!\"
And,youknow,Idon’thavethetemperamenttoremainidle。MymindMUSTbeactive。SometimeswhenIthinkhowactivemymindis,Iwondermyforeheadisn’twrinkled。
Andofcoursethatwouldbealoss——anythingisalossthatdestroysBeauty。
For,afterall,Beautyiswhattheworldneedsmorethananythingelse。It’saseriousthought——
howfarUseshouldbesacrificedtoBeauty,andBeautytoUse,isn’tit?
Youknowthat’swhyIcan’tjointhesuffragists。
Iamone,ofcourse,butthesuffragistyellowissuchaHORRIDcolorIsimplyCANNOTwearit。
SHEREFUSESTOGIVEUPTHECOSMOS
WE’VEtakenupGertrudeStein——ourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——
andshe’swonderful;simplyWONDERFUL。
SheSuggeststheInexpressible,youknow。
Ofcourse,sheisaPioneer。AndwithallPioneers——don’tyouthink——theReachisgreaterthantheGrasp。
Notthatyoucantellwhatshemeans。
ButintheNewArt,onedoesn’thavetomeanthings,doesone?Onestrikesthechords,andthechordsvibrate。
Aren’tVibrationsjusttooperfectlylovelyforanything?
TheloveliestmantalkedtoustheothernightaboutWorldMovementsandCosmicVibrations。
Yousee,everytimetheCosmosvibratesitmeansanewWorldMovement。
AndtheSoulsthatareinTunewiththeCosmosarebenefittedbytheseWorldMovements。Theothersoulswillgetharmoutofthem。
Frightfullyinteresting,isn’tit?——theCosmos,Imean。
Ihavegivensomuchthoughttoit!Ithasbe—
comealmostanobsessiontome。
OnlytheothereveningIwasthinkingaboutit。
AndwithoutrealizingthatIspokealoudIsaid,\"IsimplycouldNOTDOWITHOUTtheCosmos!\"
Mamma——poorMamma!——sheissoterriblyunadvancedyouknow!——Mamasaid:\"Hermione,IdonotknowwhattheCosmosis。ButthisI
doknow——notanotherSexDiscussionorEastIndianSwamiwillevercomeintoTHIShouse!\"
\"Mamma,\"Isaidtoher,\"IwillNOTgiveuptheCosmos。Itmeanseverythingtome;simplyEVERYTHING!\"
IamalwaysfirmwithMamma;itiskinder,inthelongrun,tobequitepositive。ButwhatI
sufferathomefromobjectionstotheadvancedmovementsnobodyknows!
NobodybuttheLeadersofThoughtcandreamwhatMartyrdomis!
Sacrifice!Sacrifice!ThatisthekeynoteoftheLiberalLife!
NearlyeverynightbeforeIgotobedIaskmyself:
\"HaveIshowntheSacrificialSpirittoday?
OrhaveIFAILED?\"
THECAVEMAN
DON’Tyouthinktheprimitiveisjustsimplytoofascinatingforanything?We’veallgotitinus,youknow,anditseemslikenowadaysthemoreculturedandadvancedoneisthemorelikelytheprimitivesistobreakoutonone。
Ihaveastrongstrainoftheprimitiveinme,youknow。
Iwouldn’ttakeanythingforit——it’ssimplywonderful——wonderful!
Itcomesovermesostrongattimes,theyearningfortheprimitivedoes,thatIjustsitwithadreamylookonmyfaceandmurmurtomyself:\"ALONE,ALONE——UNDERTHESTARS!ALONE!\"
MammaoverheardmesayingthattheotherdayandthoughtIhadgonecrazy,andshesaid:\"forHeaven’ssake,Hermione,whatareyouthinkingabout,andwhatdoyouwant?\"
\"Thestars,\"Imurmured,scarcelyknowingthatIspokealoud,\"thestarsandmyCaveMan!\"
Mammawasshocked——shesaysforanunmarriedwomantothinkofCaveMenissimplyindelicate。
Mammaisnotatalladvanced,youknow。
She’sdearandsweet,butshedoesn’tbelieveinTrialMarriagesatall。
AndImustadmittheyshockedmewhenIfirstheardaboutthem。ButthatwasbeforeIhadtakenupthesethingsseriously。
\"Mamma,\"Isaidtoher,\"itisnouseforyoutopretendtobeshocked。Ihavearighttohappiness。
Andhappinesstomemeansbeingalone,underthestars,andwalkingbarefootandbareheadedinthedew。\"
\"AlonewithaCaveMan!\"shesaid。Andthenshecried。
Tears!——thatissoliketheold—fashionedwoman!
\"Mamma,\"Isaid,kindly,butfirmly,\"IfitismydestinytobekidnapedbyaCaveManandtakenintothewasteplaces,underthestars,canIavoidit?\"
ShesaidIcouldatleastberespectable,andthatIwasactinglikeIWANTEDtobekidnaped。
And,youknow,attimesIdofeelasifthatmightbemyfate,\"really。Iamsopsychic,youknow,andpsychicsfeeltheirfatecomingonquickerthanmostpeople。
ItoldMammathatIfelteverywomanhadarighttochoosethefatherofherownchildren,andshewasshockedagain。AndthenshewantedtoknowwhatbeingkidnapedbyaCaveManhadtodowithchoosingthefatherofone’sownchildren,andhowdidIknowbuttheseCaveMenkidnapedadifferentwomaneveryyear?
ButIsettledher。
\"Mamma,\"Isaid,\"youareNOTadvanced,andsoIcannotarguewithyou。Youwouldn’tunderstand。
ButifIAMprimitive——andIfeelthatIam——whosefaultisit?WhodidIinherititfrom?\"
Shecouldn’tsayanythingtothat。Shedidn’tliketoownthatIinheriteditfromher。AndsheknewifsheblameditontoPapaIwouldaskherhowsheDAREDtodenymeaprimitivemanwhenshehadmarriedoneherself。
Finallyshequitcryingandsaid,pressingherlipstogether:\"Hermione,doyouKNOWanyofthoseCaveMen?\"
ButIrefusedtoanswer。Iwenttomyroom。
Dissensiondisturb’sthesoul’sharmony。
One’ssubliminalconsciousnessmustevervibrateinharmonywiththeCosmicAll。
Ineverfusswhenapersondisturbsme。IjustgointotheSilencesandvibratethere。
ButIkeptthinking:\"DOIknowanyCaveMen?\"
IThinkIdo——one。Hetriestoconcealit。Butit’shissecret。I’msure。
Hehasthemostluminouseyes!
Likeawolf’s,youknow,whenitgallopsacrossthewasteplaces——underthestars,alone!
Andthewayheeats!Idon’tmeanthathe’snoisy,youknow。ButthewayhecrunchedachickenbonethelasttimehedinedwithmewasperfectlyWONDERFUL——sononchalant,youknow,andloudlyand——and——well,primitive!I’mSUREhe’sone!
Iwouldn’tgoautoingwithhimforanything——
unless,ofcourse,hegavemeoneofthosecompellingglances,likeCaveMendointhemagazines,youknow。
ThenI’dknowitwasdestinyanduselesstoresist。
THELITTLEGROUPGIVESAPAGANMASQUE
TheLittleGroupgaveapartyAndallofthegodswerethere,FromThortoMissSusanAstarteWithdoo—daddlesgemmingherhair,BillBaldurandJaneAphrodite,DickVishnuandBennyO’Baal,AndBacchuscameoninanightieWithlittlepinksnakesinthetail;
Latin,PhoenicianandHinduNorseandEgyptianandChink……
CastorwaswatchinghisTwindoStunts,withabrotherlywink……
PersephoneswearingbyHades……
ANornandSibyllineSimp……
AMomus,whoshoweduptotheladiesThelatestOlympianlimp。
WasHermionepresent?ByCrikey!
(ThisCrikey’saWhitechapeljoss)
OurHermyattendedasPsyche——
ShesikedandshegotitacrossAndFothergilFinch,rathergaumyWithCosmiccosmetics,wasthere,ButtheSwamiwentjustastheSwami,Afteroilingthekinksinhishair。
IsaidtoHermione:\"Goddess!
You’regraceful,you’reGreek,you’rearose,FromthepinionsthatrisefromyourbodiceTotheraddleInoteonyourtoes,\"AndFothergil,here,withhiscenser,Andhislittlecheekscrimsonasbeets,Youracolyte,perfume—dispenser,IssweetasapageoutofKeats,\"Buttellme,myDea——myPsyche!——
(WithyourwingsoutspreadastoraceWiththatswiftandacephalousNikeWholostherbeansomewhereinThrace)——
\"MyThea——myclassicalpigeon!——
IsnotyourSincerityshockedBythisgiddyrevueofreligion?……
Arenoneofthesegodsbeingmocked?……
\"Intheregionsunknowable——Thea!——
WherethenoumenonchumbswiththeNous,WheretheIdolgetsheptoIdea,AndpythagorasoglesaGoose,\"IntheheavensofBrahmandOsiris,Aretheypeevedwiththisrevel,Iask?……
DoesPlutolikethis,wherehisfireis?……
Whatinhelldotheythinkofthismasque?……
\"Wherethedeities,avidofIs—ness,ResurgefromtheFlivversthatWere,WhilethewildChaoticalWhiznessGivesplacetoaCosmicWhir,\"Dotheyrelishthisjoshofthejosses?
Dotheylampnotthesamewithagrouch?
AreyoustingingthesegloomyBigBossesToakeener,immortalerouch?\"
Hermionemurmured:\"Howeerie!
YouarevoicingmyownInnerMood!
Ahme!buttheworldislessdrearyIfoneisbutunderstood!
\"AndIthankyou,Ithankyou,forrisingTomypersonalpointofview……
ITHANKyouforSYMPATHIZING!……
Dearman,howyoualwaysdo!\"
SYMPATHY
OFcoursewe’reoutoftownforthesummer——
EVERYBODY’Soutoftown,now——butImotorinonceortwiceaweektokeepintouchwithsomeofmycommittees。
Sociologicalwork,forinstance,keepsrightuptheyeararound。
Ofcourse,it’snotsointerestinginthewinter。
Youseemorestrikingcontrastsinthewinter,don’tyouthink?
AcoupleofgirlcousinsofminefromCincinnatihavebeenhere。They’reinterestedinwelfareworkofallsorts。
\"Hermione,\"theysaid,\"wewanttoseethebreadline。\"
\"Mydears,\"Isaid,\"Idon’tmindshowingittoyou,butit’snothingmuchtoseeinsummer。It’sinthewinterthatitarousesone’sdeepestsympathies。\"
Andonemustkeepone’ssympathiesaroused。
OftenIsaytomyselfatnight:\"HaveIbeensympathetictoday,orhaveIFAILED?\"
Mammaoftenlackssympathy。SheobjectstohavingmereopenmySalonthiswinter。
\"Hermione,\"shesaid,\"Idon’tmindthesubjectsyoutakeup——orthepeopleyoutakeupwith——ifyouonlytakethemuponeatatime。AndIamgladwhenyourownlittlegroupmeetshere,be—
causeitkeepsyouathome。ButIwillNOThaveallthedifferentkindsoffreakshereattheSAME
TIME,sittingarounddiscussingfreeloveandsexeducation。\"
Iwasindignant。\"Mamma,\"Isaid,\"whatrighthaveyoutosaytheywoulddiscussthatallthetime?\"
\"Because,\"shesaid,\"Ihavenoticedthatnomatterwhethertheystartwithsociologyorpsychology,theyalwaysgetaroundtoSexintheend。\"
Isn’titfunnyaboutpure—mindedpeople?——inthegenerationbeforethisanythingthatshockedapure—
mindedpersonlikeMammawassuretobebad。
Butnowitsonlytheevil—mindedpeoplewhoevergetshockedatall,itseems。
ThereallyPURESTofthepure—mindedpeopledon’tgetshockedbyanythingatallthesedays。
IthinkMammaiseithergettingpurer—mindedallthetimeorislosingsomeofit——Ican’ttellwhich——
forsheisn’tshockedaseasilyasshewasafewmonthsago。
ButIgotashockmyselfrecently。
IfoundoutthatplantshaveSex,youknow。
Justthinkofit——carrots,onion,turnips,potatoes,andeverything!
Isn’titfrightfultothinkthatthisagitationhasspreadtothevegetablekingdom?
IvowedIwouldnevereatanotherpotatoaslongasIlived!
And,afterall,whatGOODdoesitdo——lettingthevegetablekingdomhaveSex,Imean?
Evenagoodthing,youknow,canbecarriedtoofar。
\"Mamma,\"Itoldher,\"youarehopelesslybehindthetimes。SexisaGreatFact。Someonemustdiscussit。AndwhobuttheLeadersofThoughtareworthyto?\"
Iintendtosaynothingmoreaboutitnow——butwhenthetimecomesIWILLreopenmySalon。
AndasfarastalkingaboutSexisconcerned——
therightsortofmindwillgetGOODoutofit,andthewrongsortwillgetHARM。
Idon’treallyLIKEdiscussionsofSexanymorethanMammadoes。Noreallynicegirldoes。
Butweadvancedthinkersoweadutytotherace。
Notthattheraceisgrateful。Especiallythelowerclasses。
ItwasonlylastweekthatIwasendeavoringtointroducethecooktosomeadvancedideas——forherowngood,youknow,andbecauseoneowesaspiritualdutytoone’sservants——andshegotangryandgavenotice。
Theservantproblemisfrightful。Itwillhavetobetakenseriously。
BLOUSES,BURGARSANDBUTTERMILK
SOMEofus——OurLittleGroupofAdvancedThinkers,youknow——aregoinginforBulgarianbuttermilk。
ItcameinaboutthetimetheBulgarianblousesdid——therewasawarovertheresomewhere,youknow,beforethisbigwar,thatmadeitfashionable。
Buttheblouseswentout,andthebuttermilkstayedin。
Itseemsthere’saBulgarianbythenameofMetchnikoffinPariswhositsdownanddesignsthesethings——thebuttermilk,youknow,nottheblouses。
Isn’tsciencewonderful——simplyWONDERFUL!
We’regoingtotakeupMetchnikoffinaseriousway。
Youknowwhatheaimstodoistolengthenlife。
Thequestionis:\"Shouldlifebelengthened?
Orshoulditnot?
TheLeadersofThoughtwillhavetothreshthatoutsoon。
Thequestionofoldageisasubtleone,isn’tit?
Andit’sverytypicalofourtimes,don’tyouthink,thatweshoulddiscusstheproblemsofoldage?
Otherepochshavedoneit,ofcourse,butnotoptimistically。
Thequestionentersintoeverything——evenmillinery。
I’mhavingtheloveliesthatadaptedfromaFrenchmodel——towearwithmylingeriecostumes,youknow——awide—brimmedblacklacewithablackvelvetcrown。
It’sonlyrecentlythatyoungwomencouldaffordtowearblack,evenwhenitwasbecoming。WhenMammawasyoungitwasasignthatyouthwaspast。
Andnowadays,agedoesn’tmattersomuchonewayoranother。ApersonistheageoneFEELS,youknow。
HaveyouthoughtdeeplyonHypnagogicIllusions?We’replanningtotakethemup。
TWILIGHTSLEEP
HAVEyoureadanythingabouttheTwilightSleepyet?It’swonderful;simplyWONDERFUL!
Theloveliestmantoldourlittlegroupallaboutit——justtheotherevening。
\"Hermione,\"saidMamma,\"IwillNOThaveyoutakingupanymoresubjectsofthatEasyIndiancharacter。NoSwamishalleverenterthishouseagain!\"
\"Mamma,\"Isaidtoher,\"youarehopelesslyunadvanced。,IthasnothingwhatevertodowithGoingintotheSilencesorSwamis。It’sentirelyscientificandnotpsychicatall。Andifitwerepsychic,whatthen?\"
\"NoSwami,\"saidMamma,evenmorestubborn—
ly,\"shalleverdarkenmydooragain!\"
Poor,dear,stupidMamma!Shegetsthingssomixed!
\"AsfarasSwamisareconcerned,\"Itoldher,\"thedebtweowetotheminincalculable。Where,forinstance,wouldwehaveeverheardofKarmaifithadnotbeenfortheSwamis?\"
Shecouldn’tanswer;shejustlookedstubborn;
unadvancedpeoplealwayslookstubbornandglare。
\"Where,\"Isaid,\"didwegettheVedantasandVegetarianismandAlternateBreathingfrom?\"
Shecouldn’tsayaword。Shejustpouted。
\"Whotaughtus,\"Isaid,\"TransmigrationofSoulsandVibrations?\"
Shebrokedownandcried。
\"Hermione,\"shesaid,\"IsimplyHATEhowdahsandcobrasandswastikasandallthoseOrientalthings!\"
Mammahasnoideawhateveroflogic。Sheisatypicalold—fashionedwoman。
\"Mamma,\"Isaid,\"cryasmuchasyoulike。YoushallnotdisturbMYinnerHarmony!Iwillnotpermityouto。Andmymindismadeup。IwilltakeuptheTwilightSleepinaseriousway!\"
Thatsettledit,too。
Haveyounoticed,there’sbeenjustahintofautumnintheairtheselastfewdays?
Haveyouseenthenewstylesforautumn?Theyarewonderful;simplyWONDERFUL!
INTUITION
INspiteofallwe’vedoneforthem——byweI
meantheseriousthinkersoftheworld——somepeoplearesofrightfullyuncultured!
Agirlaskedmetheotherday——andthesurprisingthingaboutit,too,isthatshebelongedtoourownLittleGroupofAdvancedThinkers——sheaskedme:\"Hermione,don’tyoujustdoneonRubaiyat’spoetry?\"
ForamomentIcouldn’tthinkwhoshemeantatall。
\"He’snotanAmerican,ishe?\"Isaid。
\"Oh,no,\"shesaid,\"he’ssomesortofanOriental。\"
\"Itisn’tRubaiyatyou’rethinkingof,mydear,\"
Itoldher。It’sRabindranath。RabindranathSomething—or—other,thatnewman——he’swonderful,mydear,simplywonderful。\"
Andthenshequotedsomeofitand——theideaistooabsurdforanything,butwhatdoyousup—
poseitwas?
OmarKhayyam——imagine!
Andreally,youknow,it’sbeenyearssinceanybodyquotedOmarKhayyam;he’sQUITEgoneout,youknow!
Eventhequestionwhetherhewasmoraldoesn’tattractanyattentionanymore。Althoughasfarasthatisconcerned,thepuremindwillgetpurityoutofhimandtheimpuremindwillgetimpurity。
Honisitqui——whatistherestofit?Oh,youknow——it’sLatin——whattheRomansusedtosayaboutCaesar’swifeandhercontinualsuspicions。
My,howasuspiciouswifecanhandicapaman!
But,ofcourse,aswomengetmoreandmoreadvanced,andknowaboutthelivesmenlead,theyarefindingoutthatthesuspicionswerejustified。
Theirintuitionstoldthemsoallthetime。
Ihavealotofintuitionmyself——themomentamancomesIjudgehiminspiteofmyself。
Firstimpressionsalwayslastwithme,too。
Youknow,I’mverypsychic。
SometimesIamalmostfrightenedwhenIthinkofthethingsmyintuitionwouldtellmeifIal—
lowedittoroamatwill,sotospeak,amongmyfriendsandacquaintances。
ButIrestrainit。Onemust,youknow。Theloveliestmangaveussuchaninterestingtalkonself—restrainttheotherevening。
AndnowIalwaysaskmyselfthelastthingbe—
foreIgotobedatnight:\"HaveIrestrainedmy—
selftoday?OrhaveIfailed?\"
Thereisnorealculturewithoutrestraint,youknow。
That’swheretheEnglisharesosuperior,don’tyouthink?
ImettheloveliestEnglishmantheotherevening。
ThemomentIsawhimIsaidtomyselfhewasoneofthearistocracy。Otherpeoplehavenosesliketheirs,ofcourse,butitisonlytheEnglisharistocracywhocanCARRYthatkindofanose。
Andmyintuitionwascorrect——thereareonlyfivelivesbetweenhimandatitle,andoneofthoseisapoloplayerandanotherisatthefront。
Someonetoldmehisfamilywerepayinghimnottogohome,butwhattheythinkthepoormanwoulddoifhewereinEnglandIdon’tknow,becausetheydon’tduelthere,youknow。Iftheydueledthere,ofcourse,hemightdisposeofallfivelives。
Don’tyouthinkthoseoldEuropeanfamiliesareso,so——well,soROMANTICsomehow?
STIMULATINGINFLUENCES
SCIENCEandphilanthropyshouldgohandinhand——twoheartsthatbeatasone,ifyouknowwhatImean,andallthatsortofthing。
Andtheydo,too。Wewerediscussingittheotherevening——ourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——andwedecidedthatwhatphilanthropyowestoscienceismadeupbywhatscienceowestophilanthropy。
Isn’titwonderfulhowthingsbalancelikethat?
There’stheTwilightSleepandtheMother—
TeacherIdea,forinstance。
OurlittlegrouparethinkingofstartingapropagandatourgeALLTeacherstobeMothers。
And,ofcourse,alotofthemmightobject——butalongcomestheTwilightSleepandtakesawayallPOSSIBLEobjections。
AndalongcomesPhilanthropytoputtheTwilightSleepwithinthereachofall——atleast,wehopeitwill——andwe’regoingtotakethematterupwithsomeofthePhilanthropistsrightaway。
Isn’titjustsimplyWONDERFULhowModernThoughtbringssubjectslikethattogether?
Ofcourse,evenModernThoughtcouldn’tdoit,unlessthesubjectsbelongedtogether,anyhow,couldit?Unlesstheywere——er——er————
Well,youknow,Affinities。ThoughIdon’tcaremuchfortheword。
Affinitieshavequitegoneout,youknow。Youdon’thearmuchaboutAffinitiesthisautumn。
NorSoulMates,either,forthatmatter。
ThoughIalwayswillsaythere’sanIDEAbehindallthetalkaboutthem。
Isn’titoddaboutthingsthatway——howIdeascomeandgo,youknow,andbecomequiteold—
fashioned,andyetallthetimehaveaQUITE
profoundIdeabackofthem?
There’sCubistandFuturistArt,forinstance——
onedoesn’thearnearlysomuchaboutthemnow,thougheveryoneadmittedtherewasanIdeabehindthem。
Ofcourse,nooneknewwhattheIdeaMEANT。
Butitwasstimulating。
AndwhyshouldanIdeahavetoMEANanythingifitisSTIMULATING?
Stimulation!Stimulation!ThatisthesecretofModernLife!
OneshouldbereceptivetoStimulation——oneshouldstrivetoStimulate!
OneowesittotheMassestoStimulate!ItistheDUTYoftheleadersofAdvancedThought!
NearlyeverynightbeforeIgotobedIaskmyself,\"HaveIbeenaStimulatingInfluencetoday?
OrhaveIfailed?\"
FothergilFinchsaysIStimulateHIM!
Poor,dearman!——he’sbecomingquite——quite——
well,er——er——TOOencouraged,ifyouknowwhatImean。
Yes,thatisthewaywithpoets。
IdoubtifANYpoeteverunderstoodapurelyPlatonicFriendship。
Igavehimalong,longlooklasteveningandsaid,\"Fothergil,CANyoukeeponthePlatonicPlane?\"
Heonlysaid,\"Alas!ThePlatonicPlane!\"
Ihopehecan。IneedhimformySalon。
I’mhavingtheentiregroundfloorofthehousedoneoverforthat,youknow,andImayreopenitanytimenow!
POLITICS
I’Mthinkingoftakinguppoliticsinapracticalway。
I’veneverbeenanactivesuffragist,youknow,onaccountofthathorridyellowcoloronthebannersandthings。
ButonemustsacrificeIdealsofBeautytoIdealsofUsefulness,mustn’tone?
Andpoliticsisfascinating;simplyFASCINATING!
Goingaboutandorganizingworkinggirls,youknow,andseeingCorruptBossesandenlistingthemforMoralCauses,andmakingone’sselffeltasaForce——couldonemakeone’sselfmoreUtile?
MorespirituallyUtile?
Utility!ThatiswhatourLeadersofThoughtneedtodevelop!
NearlyeverynightbeforeIgotobedIsaytomyself:\"HaveIbeenUtiletoday?OrhaveI
FAILED?\"
Politics,practicalpolitics,willbesuchanoutletformypersonality,too。
AndwhenIreopenmySalonIcanmakeitcountfortheCause,too。
Wearegoingtogiveaneveningsoon——ourGroupofAdvancedThinkers,youknow——toaseriousandthoroughstudyofpoliticaleconomy。Theysayit’ssimplywonderful。
Theloveliestwomantalkedtoustheotherevening。
She’sapoet。Whenwomenhavechargeofaffairs,shesaid,Humanitarianism,IdealismandthePoeticSpiritwillruleinpubliclife。
Won’tthatbelovely?
Butwemustbepractical,andgettheBossesonourside。Theyaresimplyhorridpeoplesociallyandethically,youknow。Butthere’ssomethingfrightfullyfascinatingabouttheideaofbeardingthemintheirdenswithpetitionsandthings。
ThoughhowtheideaofabolishingmenaltogetherwillworkoutIdon’tknow。
SomeoftheleadersoftheCauseseemtowantit。
Ihavenodoubtthatitcouldbedone。Someplantsandinsectshaveonlythefemalesex,youknow。Andmaybethehumanracewillbethatwayoneday。
Although,formypart,iftheycouldonlybereformedI’dfavorretainingmen。
There’ssomethingaboutthemso——so——well,soMASCULINEsomehow,ifyouknowwhatImean。
ButImusthurry——Ihavetodosomeshopping。
Clothesareabore,aren’tthey?
HERMIONEONPSYCHICALRESEARCH
SPIRITUALISMisbecomingquitethething,isn’tit?
DearSirOliverLodgehasbeenprovingsomemorethingsquiterecently,youknow。HowanyonecoulddoubtamanwithsuchalovelyheadandfaceIcan’timagine。
SpiritualismandSpiritismarequitedifferent,youknow。Ithasbeenalongtime,really,sinceSpiritualismwastakenseriously。
Exceptbysuperstitiouspeople,ofcourse。
ButSpiritismhascometostay。Ithasnothingtodowithsuperstitionatall。It’spartofAdvancedThought——quitescientific,youknow,whileSpiritualismwasjustafad。
AndSpiritualismissomehowmore——well,er——
VULGARifyougetwhatImean。ThesortofpeopleonecarestoknowwellhavedroppedSpiritualismforSpiritism。
Though,ofcourse,aghostisaghost,whetheritismaterializedbyspiritualismorSpiritism。
IhavebeenoftentoldthatIamnaturallyveryclairvoyant——ifIweredevelopedIwouldmakeasplendidmedium。Mediumshaveseenshapeshoveringaroundmyhead,andoncewhenIwasatschoolIdidsomeautomaticwriting。
Itwasthestrangest,easiestthing!IhadapencilinmyhandandwithoutthinkingofanythinginparticularatallIjustscribbledaway,andwhatI
wrotewas,\"Wheninthecourseofhumaneventsitbecomesnecessary;Wheninthecourseofhumaneventsitbecomesnecessary,\"overandoveragain。
Iwasquitestartled,forthelastthingIhadbeenthinkingofwasanalgebraexamination,andnothistoryatall。Wehadhadourhistoryexaminationdaysbefore。
IfeltasifanunseenhandhadreachedoutoftheSilencesandgraspedmine!
Wasn’titweird?
AndIknowwhoitwas,too。AdistantrelativeofMamma’sonherfather’sside,bymarriage,wasoneofthemenwhosignedtheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesinFaneuilHall,inPhiladelphia,in1776,anditwasHISspiritthatwastryingtode—
liverhismessagethroughme!
AndonlylastyearIcameacrossaverysimilarcase。Onlythiswasstrangerthanmine,ifany—
thing。Forithappenedonatypewriter——whichprovesthattheveilbetweenthetwoworldsmustbeverythin,doesn’tit,ifthespiritsaretakingupmoderninventions?
IthappenedtooneofPapa’sstenographers。I
hadheruptothehousetotakenotesforareportIwasmakingtooneofthesociologicalcommitteesIwasonthen。
Andshetookthenotesandputthemintoshapeforme,butwhenshesentthereporttomethebackofoneofthesheetswasjustfullofonesentencewrittenoverandoveragain。Shedidn’tknowshe’dincludedthatsheet,ofcourse。
ItwassocuriousIaskedheraboutit。
Shelookedalittlequeerandsaidthatwhenshewasn’tthinkingofanythinginparticular,butjustsittingbeforehertypewriterandnotworking,shealwayswrotethatsentence。
\"Itjustcomesintomyhead,\"shesaid,\"andI
writeit。\"
\"Anoccultforceguidesyourfingers?\"Iasked。
\"Yes,ma’am,that’sit,\"shesaid。
Overandoverandoveragainshehadwritten,\"Nowisthetimeforallgoodmentocometotheaidoftheparty。\"
Andhereistheeeriepartofit——italmostfrightenedmewhenIgotitoutofher!——herfatherhadbeensomesortofpolitician;adistrictleader,orsomethinglikethat。Andhewasdead,andshehadhadtogotowork。
Buthewastryingtodeliveramessagethroughher!
Isn’tPsychicalResearchsimplywonderful!
NotthatI’dcaretogoinforanyvulgarthingsuchastintrumpets,youknow,but————
Well,there’stheAstralBody。Thathasn’tbeenvulgarizedatall,ifyougetwhatImean。Really,theBestPeoplehavethem。
ENVOY
HERMIONE,THEDEATHLESS
Shewillnotdie!——inBrainstormSlumFake,NutandFreakPsychologistEternallyshallbuzzandhum,AndSpookandSwamikeeptheirtrystwithThinkersinaMentalMist。
YouthreatenherwithNightandSorrow?
OutoftheSilences,Iwist,MoreLittleGroupswillrisetomorrow!
ThelipsofPatterne’eraredumb,TheFutileMillsshallgrindtheirgristOfsandfromnowtillKingdomCome;
TheWindsofBunkareneverwhist。
Youscowlandshakeanhonestfist——
YouthreatenherwithNightandSorrow?
GoslayonePseudo—Scientist,MoreLittleGroupswillrisetomorrow!
WithFudgetofeedtheHungryBumSheplaystheGirlPhilanthropist——
Eachpinchbeck,boyMilleniumSheswings,aBangle,atherwrist——
BlitheParrotandPertEgoist,YouthreatenherwithNightandSorrow?
Hermioneswillayepersist!
MoreLittleGroupswillrisetomorrow!
She,whomPrincePlatitudehaskissed,YouthreatenherwithNightandSorrow?
Slayherbythousands,friend——butlist:
MoreLittleGroupswillrisetomorrow!