第1章
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  CONTENTS

  PROEMIntroducingSomeofHermione’sFriendsSincerityintheHomeVibrationsAren’ttheRussiansWonderful?

  HowSufferingPurifiesOne!

  UnderstandingandOne’sOwnHomeThoughtsofHeredityandThingsTheSwamiBrandranathFothergilFinch,thePoetofRevoltHowtheSwamiHappenedtoHaveSevenWivesTheRomanticOldDaysHermione’sBoswellExplainsSymbolsandDew—HoppingTheSongoftheSnoreBalladsofUnderstandingHermioneonFashionsandWarUrgesandDogsMoodsandPoppiesConcentrationSoulMatesHermioneTakesupLiteratureTheWorldIsGettingBetterWarandArtASpiritualDialogueWilltheBestPeopleReceivetheSupermanSocially?

  TheParasiteWomanMustGo!

  TheHouseBeautifulMammaIsSoMid—VictorianVokeEaselyandHisNewArtHermioneonSuperficialityIsis,theAstrologistTheSimpleHomeFestivalsCitronellaandStegomyiaHermione’sSalonOpens(Verse)

  ThePerfumeFactoryOnBeingOther—WorldlyParents,andTheirInfluenceFothergilFinchTellofHisRevoltAgainstOrganizedSocietyTheExoticandtheUnemployedSoulsandToesKulturandThingsTheSpiritofChristmasPoorDearMammaandFothergilFinchPrisonReformandPoiseAnExampleofPsychicPowerSomeBeautifulThoughtsTheBourgeoisElementandBackgroundTakingUptheLiquorProblemTheJapaneseareWonderful,IfYouGetWhatIMeanSheRefusestoGiveUPtheCosmosTheCaveManTheLittleGroupGivesaPaganMasqueSympathyBlouses,Bulgars,andButtermilkTwilightSleepIntuitionStimulatingInfluencesPoliticsHermioneonPsychicalResearchEnvoyHermionetheDeathlessHERMIONE

  PROEM

  (IntroducingsomeofHermione’sFriends)

  Ivisitedonenight,oflate,ThoughtsUnderworld,theBrainstormSlum,ThelandofFutilePiffledom;

  AsalonweirdwherecongregateFreak,NutandBugandPsychicBum。

  There,there,theysitandcerebrate:

  ThefervidPotewhoneverpotes,GreatArtists,MaleorShe,thatTalkButscornthePigmentandthechalk,AndCubistsculptorswildasGoats,TheosophistsandSwamis,too,MusiciansmadasHattersbe——

  (E’enpuzzledHatters,twoorthree!)

  Tameanarchists,adrearycrew,SquibSocialiststoodamptososh,FakeHobohemianssteepedinsuds,GlibfemalesinArtisticDudsWithCaptiveHusbandscowedandgauche。

  IsawsomeSoulMatessidebysideWhosaidtheircuteyoungSoulswerepink;

  IsawaGeniusontheBrink(Orsohesaid)ofsuicide。

  IsawaPlaywrightwhohadtriedButcouldn’tmakethePublicthink;

  Isawanovelistwhocried,ReadinghisownStuff,inhisdrink;

  Isawavapidegg—eyedGinkWhosaideighttimes:\"Artismybride!\"

  AqueeninsandalsslammedthePansAndscreamedaChinesechantatus,thewhileaHippopotamusShooktables,book—shelvesanddivansWithvastTerpsichoreanfuss……

  SomeOrientalkindofmuss……

  Arat—facedIdiotBoywhoslimesWhitepapero’erwithmetriccrimes——

  HeisakindofBurblingBlearWhowarblesSexSlushsadtohearAndmocksGodinhisstolenrhymesandwearsarubyinoneear——

  Murdertome:\"MyGoldenSoulDrinksSongfromoutaCrystalBowl……

  DrinksLoveandSong……myGoldenSoul!\"

  Ilethimlive。Therewerenobricks。

  OrevennowthatGoldenSoulweretreadingwaterintheStyx。

  APallidSkirt——AnemicWisp,Asbloodlessasastickofchalk——

  Gotbusywiththislineoftalk:

  \"TheSinnerisMisunderstood!

  HowcantheSpiritenterin,Beblendedwith,theTrulyGoodUnlessthroughSympathywithSin?\"

  \"Phryne,\"Imurmured,sadandlow,\"IpasstheBuck——Idonotknow!\"

  UponamantelsataBust……

  SomeHindugod,pug—facedandsquat;

  Avisagetoinspiredisgust……

  LordBilk,theDeityofRot……

  Nay,surely,’twasthegreatgodBunk,ForwhenIwunkatit,itwunk!

  Iheard……IhearditprovedthatnightThatFireisCold,andBlackisWhite,ThatJunkisArt,andArtisJunk,ThatVirtue’swrong,andViceisright,ThatDeathisLife,andLifeisDeath,ThatBreathisRocks,andRocksareBreath:——

  TheCheapandeasyparadoxTheFoodsprings,hopingthatitshocks……

  Brain—sickIstumbledtothestreetAnddrooledontoakindlyCop:

  \"Sincemoonshavefeathersontheirfeet,Whyisyourheadgearperchedontop?

  AndifyouscorntheCommonplace,WhywearaNoseuponyourFace?

  AndsincePythagorasismuteonSexHygieneandCosmicLaw,IsyourBlondeBeastasBlandaBrute,AsBlindaBrute,asBernardShaw?

  Nodoubt,whendrillingthroughtheparks,WithIbsen’sGhostandOldDocMarx,You’veoftenseentwoGoldenSoulsDrinkSudsandSobsfromCrystalBowls?\"

  \"Iain’t,\"hesays,\"Iain’t,OldKid,AndIwouldpinch’emifIdid!\"

  \"ThankGod,\"Isaid,\"forthis,atleast:

  Theworld,inspots,iswellpoliced!\"

  SINCERITYINTHEHOME

  SINCERITYshouldbethekeynoteofalife,don’tyouthink?

  Sincerity——beauty——use——thesearemywatchwords。

  Iheardsuchaninterestingtalkonsinceritytheotherevening。IbelongtoaLittleGroupofSeriousThinkerswhoaretakingupsincerityinallitsphasesthisweek。

  WediscussedSincerityintheHome。

  Somanypeople’shomes,youknow,donotrepresentanythingpersonal。

  TheSINCEREhomeshouldbefullofpurposeandpersonality——decorations,rugs,ornaments,hangingsandall,youknow。

  Thehomeshowsthesoul。

  SoI’mdoingoverourhousefromtoptobottom,puttingpersonalityintoit。

  I’vearoomIcalltheAncestor’sRoom。

  Youknow,whenonehasancestors,one’sancestraltraditionskeeponeuptothemark,somehow。

  YouknowwhatImean——bloodwilltell,andallthat。

  Ancestorshelponetobesincere。

  SoI’vefinishedmyAncestors’Roomwithallsortsofthingstoremindmeofthedeardead—and—gonepeopleIgetmytraditionsfrom。

  Heirloomsandportraitsandthings,youknow。

  Ofcourse,allourownfamilyheirloomsweredestroyedinafireyearsago。

  SoIhadtogototheantiqueshopsfortheportraitsandfurnitureandchairsandsnuffboxesandswordsandfireironsandthings。

  Iboughttheloveliestoldspinet——truly,afine!

  IcansitdowntoitandimageIammyowngrandmother’sgrandmother,youknow。

  Andit’swonderfultositamongthoseoldheir—

  loomsandfeelthesenseofmyancestors’

  personalitiesthrobbingandpulsingallaboutme!

  Ifeel,whenIsitatthespinet,thatmypersonalityistrulyrepresentedbymysurroundingsatlast。

  IfeelthatIhaveatlastachievedsincerityinthemidstofmytraditions。

  Andthere’sapictureoftheloveliestoldlady……

  oldfashionedcostume,youknow,andallthat……

  andthehairdressedinaverypeculiarway……

  MammasaysitsaMADE—UPpicture——notreallyanantiqueatall——butIcanjustfeelthepersonalityvibratingfromit。

  Igotitatabargain,too。

  Icallher——thepicture,youknow——afteranancestressofminewhocametothiscountryintheoldColonialdays。

  WithWilliamtheConqueror,youknow——ormaybeitwasWilliamPenn。Butitcouldn’thavebeenWilliamPenn,couldit?ForshewenttoNewJersey——Orange,N。J。WasitWilliamofOrange?

  Morethanlikely……

  Anyhow,Icallthepictureafterher——LadyClarissa,Icallit。Shemarriedacommoner,assomanyoftheearlysettlersofthiscountrydid。

  WhenIsitatthespinetandlookatLadyClarissaIoftenwonderwhatpeopledowithoutfamilytraditions。

  AnditssuchacomforttoknowI’minaroomthatreallyrepresentsmypersonality。

  VIBRATIONS

  HaveyouthoughtmuchaboutVibrations?

  We’retakingthemupthisweek——aLittleGroupofAdvancedThinkersIbelongto,youknow——andthey’rewonderfullyworthwhile——WONDERFULLYso!

  That’swhatIalwaysaskmyself——isathingWORTHWHILE?Orisn’tit?

  Vibrationsarethekeytoeverything。Atomsusedtobe,butAtomshavequitegoneout。

  Thethingthatmakesthenewdancessowonder—

  fullybeneficial,youknow,isthattheygiveyouVibrations。

  Toanuntrainedmind,ofcourse,Vibrationswouldbedangerous。

  ButIalwaysfeelthattherightsortofmindwillgetgoodoutofeverything,andthewrongsortwillgetharm。

  Themostinterestingwomantalkedtoustheothernight——toourlittlegroup,youknow——onone—

  piecebathingsuitsandtheGreekspirit。

  Don’tyoujustdoneontheGreeks?

  TheyhavesomeofthemostMODERNideas——itseemswegetalotofouradvancedthoughtfromthem,ifyougetwhatImean。

  TheyweresoUNRESTRICTED,too。Onehasonlytolookattheirfriezesandvasesandthingstorealizethat。

  Andtheone—piecebathingsuit,sothewomansaid,wasanunconsciousmodernefforttogetbacktotheGreekspirit。

  Shehadahusbandwithher。Hedoeslectureoranything,youknow。

  Butsheisn’tsoveryGreek—lookingherself,al—

  thoughherspiritissoGreek,soshehasthisGreek—

  lookinghusbandtowearthesandalsandthetunicsandthetogasandthings。

  ShecallshimAchilles。

  It’squiteproper,youknow——Achillesstaysbe—

  hindascreenuntilshewantstoillustrateapoint,andthenhecomesoutwithalyreoraluteorsomething,andjuststandsthereandLOOKSGreek。Andthenhegoesbackbehindthescreenandchangesintothenextgarmentsheneeds。

  Ofcourse,therearelotsofmencouldn’tstanditaswellasAchilles。Butwhenyoucometothat,therearelotsofmenwhodon’tlooksoverywellinbathingsuits,either。

  And,ofcourse,ourAmericanmendon’thavethetemperamenttocarryoffathinglikethat。

  Ofcourse,ifweallturnedGreekitwouldbequiteashockatfirsttoseeeverybodycomeintoadining—roomoradrawing—roomlookinglikeAchillesdoes。

  Notthattemperamentmakessomuchdifferenceasitdidafewyearsago,youknow——temperamentandpersonalityaregoingoutandindividualityiscomingin。

  Haveyouthoughtmuchaboutautomaticwriting?

  It’sbeingtakenupagain,youknow。

  Notthevulgar,old—fashionedkindofspiritualism——thatwassoordinary,wasn’tit?

  Thenewghostsaredifferent。More——more——

  well,moreREFINED,somehow,youknow。Likethenewdancesascomparedwiththathorridturkeytrot。

  Oneshouldalwaysaskone’sself:\"Doesthishavearefininginfluenceonme;andthroughmeontheworld?\"

  For,afterall,thereisadutyoneowestosocietyingeneral。

  Haveyouseenthenewsunshades?

  AREN’TTHERUSSIANSWONDERFUL?

  Aren’ttheRussiansmarvelouspeople!

  We’rebeentakingupDiaghileffinaseriousway——ourlittlegroup,youknow——andreally,he’swonderful!

  WhoelsebutDiaghileffcouldgivethoselovelyRussiansthingstheproperaccent?

  Andaccent——ifyouknowwhatImean——accentiseverything!

  Accent!Accent!Whatwouldartbewithoutaccent?

  Accentiscomingin——ifyougetwhatImean——

  andwhattheycall\"punch\"isgoingout。Ialwaysthoughtitwasafrightfullyvulgarsortofthing,anyhow——punch!

  ThethingIloveabouttheRussiansistheirOrientalism。

  Youknowthere’sanoldsayingthatifyoufindaRussianyoucatchaTartar……orsomethinglikethat。

  I’msurethatiswrong……IgetsoMIXEDonquotations。ButIalwaysknowwhereIcanfindthem,ifyouknowwhatImean。

  ButtheRussianverveisn’tOriental,isit?

  Don’tyoujustdoteonverve?

  That’swhatmakesBakstsofascinating,don’tyouthink?——hisverveThoughtheydosaythattheRussianoperasdon’tanalyzeaswellastheGermanorItalianones——ifyougetwhatImean。

  Thoughforthatmatter,whoanalyzesthem?

  Onemaynotknowhowtoanalyzeanoperate,andyetonemayknowwhatonelikes!

  IsupposetherewillbeafrightfullotofimitationsofRussianmusicandballetnow。Don’tyoujusthateimitators?

  Onefindsiteverywhere——imitation!It’sthesincerestflattery,theysay。Butthatdoesn’texcuseit,doyouthink?

  There’sagirl——oneofmyfriends,shesayssheis——whoistryingtoimitateme。Myexpressions,youknow,andthewayIwalkandtalk,andallthatsortofthing。

  Shegetssomeofmysuperficialmannerisms……

  butshecan’tquitedomythingsasiftheywereherown,youknow……thereiswheretheaccentcomesinagain!

  HOWSUFFERINGPURIFIESONE!

  Oh,togothroughfireandcomeoutpurified!

  Sufferingiswonderful,isn’tit?SimplyWONDERFUL!

  Theloveliestmantalkedtoustheothernight——

  toourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——aboutsocialidealsandsuffering。

  Thereasonsomanyattemptstoimprovethingsfail,youknow,isbecausethepeoplewhotrythemouthaven’tsufferedpersonally。

  Hehadtheloveliesteyes,thisman。

  Hemademethin。Isaidtomyself,\"Afterall,haveIsuffered?HaveIbeenpurifiedbyfire?\"

  AndIdecidedthatIhad——thatisspiritually,youknow。

  Thesuffering——thespiritualsuffering——thatI

  undergothroughbeingmisunderstoodissomethingFRIGHTFUL!

  MammadiscourageseveryCauseItakeup。SodoesPapa。

  Igetnosympathyinmydevotiontomyideals。

  Onlyopposition!

  AndfromachildIhavehadsuchahigh—strung,sensitivenervousorganizationthatoppositionofanysorthasmademeill。

  Therearesometemperamentslikethat。

  OncewhenIwasquitesmallandMammathreatenedtospankme,Ihadconvulsions。

  Andnothingbutopposition,opposition,oppositionnow!

  Onlyweadvancedthinkersknowwhatitistosuffer!Togothroughfireforourideals!

  Andwhatisphysicalsufferingbythesideofspiritualsuffering?

  IsooftenthinkofthatwhenIamengagedinsociologicalwork。Onlytheothernight——itwasrainingandchilly,youknow——someofuswentdownintheautotooneofthemissionsandlookedatthesuffererswhowerebeingcaredfor。

  Andthethoughtcametomeallofasudden:

  \"Yes,physicalsufferingmayberelieved——butwhatistheretorelievespiritualsufferinglikemine?\"

  Though,ofcourse,itimprovesone。

  Ithinkitisbeginningtoshowinmyeyes。

  Ilookedatthemfornearlytwohoursinthemirrorlastevening,tryingtobequitecertain。

  And,youknow,there’sakindoflookinthemthat’sneverbeenthereuntilrecently。Akindofa——a————

  Well,it’sanINTANGIBLElook,ifyougetwhatImean。

  NotexactlytheHUNGRYlook,moreofaYEARNINGlook!

  Thankheaven,though,Icancontrolit——oneshouldalwaysbecaptainofone’ssoul,shouldn’tone?

  Ihideitattimes。Becauseonemusthideone’ssufferingfromtheworld,mustn’tone?

  ButatothertimesIletitshow。

  And,really,withpractice,IthinkIamgoingtomanageitsothatIcanturnitoffandon——ifyougetwhatImean——almostatwill。

  Because,youknow,incertaincostumesthatlookwillbeQUITEunbecoming。

  QuiteoutofHarmony。AndInnerBeautyonlycomesthroughInnerHarmony,doesn’tit?

  Harmony!Harmony!Oh,tobeinaccordwiththeInfinite!

  NearlyeverynightbeforeIgotobedIaskmyself,\"haveIvibratedintunewiththeInfinitetoday,orhaveIfailed?\"

  UNDERSTANDING,ANDONE’SOWNHOME

  It’sTERRIBLEwhenonecan’tgetunderstandinginone’sownfamily!

  Papahasverylittlerealsympathyformyadvancedideas。AndasforMamma!

  SometimesIthinkIshallWRITE!

  Expressmyself,myrealEgo,inSong。

  Notrhymes,ofcourse。IfIworkedayearI

  couldn’tmaketwolinesrhyme。

  Butrhymeisgoingout,anyhow。

  VersLibreisalltheragenow。

  Wetookitupnotlongago——ourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——andIfeelconfidentitisMyMediumofExpression。

  Itissountrammeled,isn’tit?

  Andoneshouldbeuntrammeled,bothinArtandLife,shouldn’tone?

  OftenIaskmyself,atthecloseofday:\"HaveI

  beenuntrammeledtoday?OrhaveIFAILED?

  IfIcouldputmyrealEgo——andhowwonderfultheEgois,isn’tit?——intoverslibre,evenPapamightunderstandme。

  Ihavealwaysyearnedtobeunderstood!

  IhavedrawnbackfrommatrimonyagainandagainbecauseIthought:\"Willheunderstandme?

  WillheseemyrealEgo?Orwillhenot?\"

  OnlytheothereveningIwastalkingtotheloveliestman,whohasbeenmisunderstoodbyhiswife。

  ItisFRIGHTFUL!

  Heisasculptor。Acubistsculptor。Buthelooksquiterespectable——really,someverygoodpeoplereceivehim。

  Andhehasthemostwonderfuleyes——sympathetic,youknow,andpsychic——butoh!sopure,too!

  Hedotesonpurity。Hetoldmethat。

  Hiswifedoesnotunderstandhim。ShedoesnotseehisrealEgo。

  Hesaidtome:\"Icanreadyoulikeanopenbook。Youareyearning。Youareyearningforrealunderstanding。NoonehasEVERunderstoodyou。

  Isthatnotso?Isthatnotyoursecret?

  Alas!Itwas。Icouldnotdenyit。

  Isaidtohim:\"ButisrealunderstandingEVERattainable?\"

  Hesighedandsaid:\"Alas!TheUnattainable!\"

  Iknewwhyhesighed——thereissomuchofit——

  theUnattainable!

  \"Whatoneattains,\"Isaid,\"isoftensointangible——

  doyounotfinditso?\"

  \"Alas!\"hesaid,\"theIntangible!\"

  AndIfelt,somehow——inaqueerpsychicwaythatiselusive,youknow——strengthenedandsweetenedspirituallybyoursadlittletalk。

  OurrealEgoshadbeenincommunion。That’swhathesaid。

  Hehasnineverycommonplacechildren,andhiswifeisverydifficultsocially。

  Sheinsistsonfillingsomesortofcommercialposition,althoughhesaysherplaceisinthehome。

  Sotheyhavegrownapart。Peopledon’tinviteherplaces。Onlyhim。

  Oh!tobeunderstood!

  THOUGHTSONHEREDITYANDTHINGS

  Isn’tHereditywonderful,though!

  We’vebeengoingintoitratherdeeply——

  MylittleGroupofSerious,youknow。

  And,really,whenyougetintoit,it’squitecomplicated。

  AllaboutHomozygotesandHeterozygotes,youknow。

  TheHomozygotesare——well,youmightcallthemthearistocrats,youknow;thoroughbreds。

  AndtheHeterozygotesarethehybrids。

  Only,ofcourse,theydon’tneedtobegoatsatall。

  NotbutwhattheyCOULDbegoats,youknow,justaseasilyashorsesorcowsorhumanbeings。

  Butwhethergoatsorhumans,don’tyouthinkthegreatlessonofHeredityisthatBloodwillTell?

  ReallythefartherIgointoPhilosophyandScienceandsuchthingsthemoreclearlyIseewhatafundoftruththereisintheoldsimpleproverbs!

  PeopleusedtofindoutgreattruthsbyInstinct,youknow;andnowtheyuseResearch——vaccinateguineapigs,youknow,andallthatsortofthing。

  Instinct!Isn’tInstinctwonderful!

  AndIntuition,too!

  Youknow,Ihavethemostremarkableintuitionattimes!HaveIevertoldyouthatI’mfright—

  fullypsychic?

  Mr。Finch,thepoet——youknowFothergilFinch,don’tyou?——hewritesverslibreandpoetryboth——Mr。Finchsaidtometheotherevening,\"YouareEXTREMELYpsychic!\"

  \"Howdidyouknowit?\"Iaskedhim。

  \"Ah!\"hesaid,\"howDOESoneknowthesethings?\"

  Andhowtruethatis,whenyoucometothinkitover!HowDOESoneknow?

  Hehasthegreatmagneticeyes!Icouldfeelthemdrawingmythoughtsfrommeaswetalked。

  \"Youhaveasecret,\"hesaid。

  \"Yes,\"Isaid。AndtomyselfIadded,\"Alas!\"

  \"Yoursecretis,\"hesaid,\"thatthereisadifferencebetweenyouandtheothergirls。\"

  Itwaspositivelyuncanny!I’VEfeltthatforyears!Butnooneelsehadeversuspecteditbefore。

  \"Mr。Finch,\"Isaid,\"ImusthaveTOLDyouthat——

  orelseitwasjustawildguess。YouCOULDN’Thavegottenitpsychically。HOWdidyouknowit?\"

  \"Oneknowsthesethings,\"hesaid——atriflesadly,Ithought。\"Theycometoone——outoftheSilences;oneknowsnothow。Itisbetternottoaskhow!Itisbetternottoquestion!Itisbettertoaccept!Doyounotfeelitso?

  SometimesIthinkthatFothergilFinchistheonlymanwhohaseverunderstoodme。

  Yousee,IamDualinmypersonality。

  ThereistherealEgo,andthereistheAlterEgo。

  And,besidesthese,IhavesomanymoodswhichdonotcomefromeitheroneofmyEgos!TheycomefrommySubliminalConsciousness!

  Isn’ttheSubliminalConsciousnesswonderful;

  simplyWONDERFUL?

  We’regoingtotakeitupinaseriouswaysomeeveningnextweek,andthreshitoutthoroughly。

  ButImustrunalong。Ihaveanengagementwithmydressmakerattwoo’clock。Youknow,I’vereallyfoundonewhocanmakemygownsinterpretmyinnerspirit。

  THESWAMIBRANDRANATH

  IHEARDsuchalovelylecturetheothernightontheCosmos。

  ALittleGroupofAdvancedWomenthatI

  belongtoarespecializingthiswinterontheCosmos。

  Wetookitup,youknow,becausetheothertopicswewerestudyingincludeditsofrequently。Andit’swonderful,reallyWONDERFUL!

  Ofcourse,anuntrainedmindwillgrapplewithitinvain。One’sinterestmustbeseriousandsincere。

  Onemustdevotetimetoit。,Otherwiseonewillgetmoreharmthangoodoutofit,youknow。

  It’sliketheRussiandancesthatway。

  Theyaresoprimal,thosedances!Andallthoseprimalthingsaredangerous,don’tyouthink?

  Unlessonehaspoise!

  It’sodd,too,thatsomeofthemostprimalpeoplehavethemostpoise,isn’tit?

  TheSwamiBrandranathwaslikethat。I’vetoldyoubouttheSwamiBrandramath,haven’tI?

  Heworesuchlovelyrobes!Youcan’tbuysilklikethatinthiscountry。

  AndhehadsuchaPURElookinthiseyes。Somanyofthesemagneticpeoplelackthatpurelook,youknow。

  HeusedtogivetalkstoaLittleGroupofSeriousThinkersIbelongto。

  HetaughtustogointotheSilences——onlyweneverquitelearned,forsomeofthegirlswouldgiggle。Therearealwayspeoplelikethat。ThedearSwami!——hewassopatient!ItwasOccidentallevity,hesaid,andwecouldn’thelpit。

  ThatisoneofthemaindifferencesbetweentheOrientandtheOccident,youknow。

  Howwonderfultheyare,theOrientals。AndjustthinkofIndia,withallitsyogisandbazaarsandmahatmasandhowdahsandrajahsandthings!

  HewasaBrahmin,theSwamiwas。ABrahminandaBurmanarethesamething,youknow。

  It’sacaste,likebelongingtooneofourbestfamilies。

  TheSwamiexplainedaboutthemarksofcaste,andsoforth,tous。

  Andthenoneofthegirlsaskedhimifhewastattooed!

  Theidea!

  FOTHERGILFINCH,THEPOETOFREVOLT

  Isn’titoddhowsomeofthemostradicalandadvancedandvirileoftheleadersintheNewArtandtheNewThoughtdon’tlookitatall?

  There’sFothergilFinch,forinstance。NobodycouldbemorevirilethanFothyisinhisSoul。

  Fothy’sInnerEgo,ifyougetwhatImean,isaGiantinRevoltallthetime。

  AndyettolookatFothyyouwouldn’tthinkhewasaModernCaveMan。Notthathelookslikeaweakling,youknow。Butwell,ifyougetwhatImean——you’dthinkFothymightwriteaboutvioletsinsteadofthunderbolts。

  DearPapaisENTIRELYmistakenabouthim。

  Onlyyesterdaydearpapasaidtome,\"Hermione,ifyoudon’tkeepthatdamnedlittleverslibrerunawayfromhereI’llputhimtowork,andhe’lldieofit。\"

  Butyoucouldn’texpectPapatoappreciateFothy。

  PapaisSOreactionaryandconservative。

  AndFothy’slifeisonelong,grim,desperatestruggleagainstConventionality,andSocialInjustice,andSmugness,andtheEstablishedOrder,andComplacence。HeisforeverbeingamartyrtotheNewandTrueinArtandLife。

  Lastnighthereadmehislatestpoem——oneofhisgreatest,hesays——inwhichhetriestotelljustwhathisRealSelfis。Itgoes:

  Lookatme!

  Behold,IamfoundingaNewMovement!

  Observeme……IaminRevolt!

  Irevolt!

  Nowpersecuteme,persecuteme,damnyou,persecuteme,curseyou,persecuteme!

  Philistine,Bourgeois,Slave,Serf,Capitalist,Respectabilitiesthatyouare,Persecuteme!

  Bah!

  Youaskme,doyou,whatamIinrevoltagainst?

  Againstyou,fool,dolt,idiot,againstyou,againsteverything!

  AgainstHeavy,Hellandpunctuation……againstLife,Death,rhymeandrhythm……

  Persecuteme,now,persecuteme,curseyou,persecuteme!

  Slavethatyouare……whatdoMarriage,Tooth—brushes,Nail—files,theDecalogue,Handkerchiefs,Newton’sLawofGravity,Capital,Barbers,Property,Publishers,Courts,RhymingDictionaries,Clothes,Dollars,meantoMe?

  IamaGiant,IamaTitan,IamaHerculesofLiberty,IamPrometheus,IamtheJessWillardoftheNewCerebralPugilism,IamtheMod—

  ernCaveMan,IamtheComradeoftheCosmicUrge,IhavekickedofftheBootsofSuperstition,andIrunwildalongtheMilkyWaywithoutingrowingtoenails,IamI!

  Curseyou,whatareYou?

  YouareonlyYou!

  Nothingmore!

  Ha!

  Bah!……persecuteme,nowpersecuteme!

  Fothyalwaysgetsexcitedandtremblesandchokeswhenhereadshisownpoetry,andwhilehewasreadingitPapacameintotheroomanddisgracedhimselfbyaskingiftherewasanyMONEYinthatkindofpoetry,andFothywassoagitatedthathefairlyscreamedwhenhesaid:

  \"Money……money……cursemoney!MoneyisoneofthethingsIaminrevoltagainst……

  Moneyisdeathanddamnationtothefreespirit!\"

  Papasaidhewassorrytohearthat;hesaidoneofhiscompaniesneededanadwriter,andhedidn’thaveanyobjectiontohiringafreespiritwithapunch,buthecouldn’tconsidergettinganyonetowriteadsthathatedmoney,fortherewasasalaryattachedtothejob。

  AndFothysaid:\"Youaretryingtobribeme!

  Capitalismiscastingitsnetoverme!Youaretryingtomakemeaserf:tryingtosilenceaFreeVoice!ButIwillresist!Iwillnotbeenslaved!

  Iwillnotwriteads。Iwillnothaveajob。

  AndthenPapasaidhewasgladtohearFothy’ssentiments。Hehadbeenafraid,hesaid,thatFothyhadmatrimonialdesignsaboutme。AndthemanwhomarriedHISdaughterwouldprobablyhavetostandforpossessingagooddealofwealth,too,forhehadalwaysintendeddoingsomethingveryhandsomeforhisson—in—law。SoifFothydidn’twantmoney,hewouldn’twantme,foranenormousamountofitwouldgotome。

  Papa,youknow,thinkshecanbeawfullysarcastic。

  SomanyEarthPersonspridethemselvesontheirsarcasm,don’tyouthink?

  AndPapaisanEarthPersonentirely。I’vegothishoroscope。Heisn’tATALLspiritual。

  ButyoucanimagethatthewholescenewasFRIGHTFULLYembarrassingtome——IwillNEVERforgivePapa!

  AndIhaven’tmadeupmymindATALLaboutFothy。ButwhatIdoknowisthis:onceIgetmymindmadeup,IWILLNOTstandforoppositionformANYsource。

  OnemustbeanIndividualist,orperish!

  HOWTHESWAMIHAPPENEDTOHAVESEVENWIVES

  Isn’titterribleaboutthatelephantattheZoo——Oh,youknow!——it’slikeGungaDin,only,ofcourse,itisn’tGungaDinatall。

  Anyhow,he’sCHAINEDFORLIFE!Isupposesome—

  onegavehimtobaccoforajokeanditmadehimcross。I’veheardofthosecases,haven’tyou?

  Anelephantissucha——sucha——well,NOBLEbeast,isn’the?

  It’stransmigrationofsoulsmakesthemthatway,perhaps。

  OhisitaRajah?

  Anyhow,itsitsontopofanelephant。

  Wetookuptransmigrationofsoulsonetime——

  ourlittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——

  andit’swonderful;simplyWONDERFUL!

  ThatwaswhentheSwamiBrandranathusedtotalktous。ThedearSwami!Sucheyes——sopureandyetsomagnetic!——Ihaveneverseeninahumanbeing。

  Theeyeisthewindowofthesoul,youknow。

  He’sinjailnow,thepoor,dearSwami。Buthewasn’treallyabigamistatall。Yousee,hehadsevenspiritualplanes。Allofusdo,onlymostofusdon’tknowit。Buthecouldgetfromoneplanetoanotherquiteeasily。

  Ofcourse,hecouldn’trememberwhathe’ddoneononeplanewhilehewasonthenextoneaboveorbelowit。Andthat’sthewayhehappenedtohavesevenwives——oneforeachspiritualplane。

  OnlytheCourttookasordidviewofit。Itseemstherewassomethingaboutlifeinsurancemixedupwithit,too。

  TheOccidentalsaresoapttomissthespiritualsweetnessoftheOriental,don’tyouthink?

  Weare——allbuttheLeadersofThought,andalittlegroup,hereandthere——socommonplace。

  Don’tyouLOATHEthecommonplace?

  Notloathe,really,ofcourse——becausetheharmoniousminddoesnotletitselfbedisturbed。

  Theharmoniousmindrealizesthatdirtisonlyusefulmatterinthewrongplace,asTennysonsingssosweetlysomewhere。

  Tennysonhasquitegoneout,ofcourse。Heisso——so,well,ifyougetwhatImean——somid—

  Victorian,somehow。

  ItseemsheWASmid—Victorianallthetime,butit’sonlyrecentlythatit’sbeenfoundoutonhim。

  ThoughIalwayswillthinkof\"comeIntotheGarden,Maud,\"asoneoftheworld’ssweetestlittleepics。

  I’mveryindependentthatway,inspiteofthecritics。Afterall,criticismcomesdowntoaquestionofindividualtaste,doesn’tit?Thatis,inthefinalanalysis。

  Independence!Thatiswhatthisageneeds。

  NearlyeverynightbeforeIgottobedIsaytomyself:

  \"HaveIbeenindependenttoday?OrhaveIFAILED?\"

  Ibelieveinthoselittlespiritualexaminations,don’tyou?

  IthelpsonetokeepintunewiththeInfinite,youknow。

  TheInfinite!Howmuchitcomprises!Andhowlittlewereallyunderstandit!

  We’regoingtotakeitup,theInfinite,inaseriouswaysoon——ourLittleGroupofAdvancedThinkers,youknow。

  THEROMANTICOLDDAYS

  Itmusthavebeenterriblydifficultgettingaroundinthedaysbeforeautomobileswereinvented,orrailroadsoranythinglikethat。

  Though,ofcourse,itwaswonderfullyromantic,too。

  Theoldcoachingdays,particularly,wheneverybodyblewonhornsastheydrovefromtowntotown,andtherewerehighwaymenandcavalierswithswordsandallthosepeople,youknow,ridingbythecoaches。

  Don’tyoujustDOTEonromance?Ido!

  But,ofcourse,there’snoplaceforitinourhurriedmodernlife,andIsupposeweshouldn’tregretit。

  ButnowandthenIsighoverit。Likedroppingatear,youknow,inadearoldchestperfumedwithlavenderandoldroses。

  Ialwayssaythatonecanbeadvancedandinthevanofmodernprogress,andstilldropatear,youknow。

  Doyouthinkthatallthisstudyofsexhygienemeansthedeathofromance?

  It’saseriousthought,isn’tit?

  ButwhatIalwayssayis:\"WhichofthesethingswilldothemostGOODintheworld?\"

  EspeciallygoodtothePOOR!

  YouknowhowfrightfullyinterestedIaminthepoor。

  Imakethatmytest。Ialwayssaytomyself:

  \"Whichwilldothemostgoodtothegreatmasses?\"

  ItakesuchaseriousinterestintheMASSES!

  Weshouldthinktwicebeforewetakeromanceoutoftheirlivesandreplaceitwithscienceofanykind。

  For,afterall,youknow,theyrepresenttheFuture。

  WeshouldallthinkoftheFuture。

  That’swhatmakestheFeministMovementsuchaWONDERFULthing——itismovingrightstraightaheadtowardtheFuture!

  I’mthinkingofbeingaSuffragistagain。Iwasonce,youknow,butIresigned。

  Thesashesandbannersaresuchafrightfulshadeofyellow,youknow。SoIquit。

  Beauty,afterall,isthechiefthing。What,afterall,doallourreformscometo,iftheworldisnottobemademorebeautifulbecauseofthem?

  AndIsimplyCANNOTwearyellow。

  HERMIONE’SBOSWELLEXPLAINS

  Believeme,’tisnotwithelationIdwellonHermione’smadness;

  TheresultofmyraptcontemplationIssadness,aterriblesadness!

  IweepwhenInotehowshedrivels;

  Isigho’erherfakephilanthropies;

  IampainedwhenIseehowshefrivols,Likeakitten,withserioustopics。

  ItisgriefthathermentalconditionInspires,notlaughterorscorning;

  Ifshehasanyuse,’tilherMissionTostandasaHorribleWarning。

  Iammoral,essentiallymoral;

  Iamgrave,andhateeverythingtrashy,AndthatisthereasonIquarrelWithintellectsflightyandflashy。

  Iyearnforthetruth,Iamearnest;

  Iyearntofacefactswithoutblinking,Ofallofmyyears,quitetheyearnestIsmyyearntobethoroughinthinking。

  That’swhyI’mseverewiththisdarling,Norpardonnorwhitewashnorglossher,——

  Thelinnet——theparrot——thestarling!

  Iweepoverherandexposeher。

  SYMBOLSANDDEW—HOPPING

  LastweektheLoveliestmanlecturedtous——

  toourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——ontheUltimateSymbolism。Inartandlifeboth,youknow。

  Itwassimplywonderful——WONDERFUL!

  Art,youknow,usedtobefullofsymbolism。

  Butnow,itseems,symbolismhasdroppedoutofArt,andNaturehastakenitup。

  Odd,isn’tit?Butreallynotsurprisingwhenyoucometothinkaboutit。

  For,youknow,Natureisalwaystryingtokeepupwithadvancedideas——evolvingandevolvingtowardtheSuperman。

  AndtheSuperwoman,too。

  IthinkitisthedutyofuswhoareadvancedthinkerstogiveNatureaworthyideatoevolvetoward,don’tyou?

  TosetNatureamarktocomeupto,youknow。

  Forwhatistheuseofevolutionifitdoesn’tevolveforwardinsteadofbackward?

  AndtheBestPeople,Ithink,shouldfeelasenseofsocialresponsibilityandgiveevolutionamodel。

  EachshouldbeaSymbol——that’swhatIalwaysaskmyselfeachnightnow:\"HaveIbeenaSymboltoday?OrhaveIfailedtobeasymbol?\"

  DownatthebeachlastweekInearlydrowned——

  youdon’tmeantosayyouhaven’theardofit?Itwasfrightful。

  I’dalwaysheardthat,whenapersonsinks,hiswholepastlifepassesbeforehiminreview。

  Butitdidn’twithme。WhatIsaidasIwentdownwas:\"HaveIbeenaSymbol?OrhaveI

  failed?\"

  Andthelifeguardwhogotmeout——hewassimplythemostgorgeousman!——burnedbronze,youknow,andwithshoulderslikeaGreekgod!——andwiththemostwonderfuleyesandwhiteteeth——heaskedme,theguarddid,\"What,marm?\"

  Itwasfearfullydisappointing!Sometimestheyarecollegemen,youknow,justlife—guardingthroughthesummer。Butwouldanycollegemanhavesaid,\"What,marm?\"

  AndthenhewentandsavedablondecreatureinthemostscandalousbathingsuitIeversaw。

  Hesavedoneinthemostbusiness—likeway,too,asifhewereawaiter,youknow,passingfromonetabletoanother。

  Nowonderthesocialfabriciscrumblingwhenquiteimpossiblepeoplelikelifeguardspermitthemselvestobecomeblase’oversuchmatters!

  Thelowerclassesareverydiscouraginganyhow,don’tyouthink?——afterallwedofortheminthewayofphilanthropyandsociologyandupliftingthemgenerally,youknow!

  Ofcourse,Ihaven’tlostmyinterestinsociology——notbyanymeans。Ialwaysholdfastthethoughtthatalltheworldarebrothers。

  I’mtakingupDew—hoppingnextweek。It’sawonderfulnewnervecure。Formerlyitwasquitethethingtowalkbarefootinthedewatdawn。

  ButatthisnewplaceI’vediscoveredtheydon’tmerelywalk——that’sgoingout,quite。TheyHOP。

  Likefrogsandtoads,youknow。

  Itbringsthepatientsintocloserkinshipwiththeelectriccurrentsoftheearth,hoppingdoes,thedoctorsays。It’sWONDERFUL!

  Heistheloveliestman——withmysticeyes!——thedoctoris。

  THESONGOFTHESNORE

  FothergilFinch,Hermione’sfriend,theverslibrepoet,dodgesthroughlifeharriedandhuntedbyonepursuingFear。

  \"Someday,\"hesaidtome——

  (ItisHermione’sBoswellwhoisspeakinginthissketch,inthefirstperson,andnotHermione,theincomparable。)——

  \"Someday,\"Fothergilfinchsaidtome,theothernight,inatoneofintense,bitterconviction,\"somedayItwillgetme!SomedayIwillovertakeme。ThegreatBeat,Popularity,whichpursuesme!

  SomedayItwillclutchmeandtearmeanddevourmySoul!SomedayIwillbeaPopularWriter!\"

  ItismyownimpressionthatFothergil’sfearsareexaggerated;buttheyareveryrealtohim。Hevisualizeshisownsoulasafugitiveclimbinghigherandhigher,runningfasterandfaster,toescapethisBeast。PerhapsFothergilsecretlyhopesthatthespeedofhisgongwillinducecombustion,andhewillleapfromthetopmosthillsofArt,flaming,directlyintotheheavens,theretoburnandshineimmortality,anauthenticstar。Well,well,weallhaveourlittleplane,ourlittlevanities!

  \"Fothergil,\"Isaid,cheerily,\"Popularityhasnotovertakenyouyet。Cheerup——perhapsitneverwill。\"

  WewereinFothergil’sstudioinGreenwichVillage,whereIhadgonetoseehowhispoemonMoonlightwasgettingalong。Hestrodetothewindow。Fothergilisnottall,andheisslightlypigeon—toed——thefleshlytoesofFothergilsymbolizethetoesofhisever—fleecingsoul——buthestrides。

  Femalepoetsundulate。Eroticmalepoetssaunter。

  Tramppoetslurchandswagger。Fothergil,beingaverslibrepoet,aProphetoftheVirile,aLittleBrotheroftheCosmicUrge,iscompelledbywhathisverseistostridevigorouslyacrossroomsasiftheywerevastdesertplaces,inspiteofwhathistoesare。Hestrodemagnificently,triumphantly,tothewindowandflungtheshadeupandlookedoutattheamorphousmistcreepinginacrosstheroofs。Thecrawlingfogmusthavesuggestedhisgreat,grayDread,forpresentlyheturnedawaywithashudderandsankuponacouchandmoaned。

  ’Ah,Heaven!Popularity!Thedisgraceofit——

  thehorrorofit!Popularity!Ignominy!Whenitcatchesme——whenithappens————\"

  Hepluckedfromhispocketasmallphialandheldituptowardthelightandgazeduponitdesperatelyandraptly。

  \"Iamneverwithoutthis!\"hesaid。\"Itismymeansofescape。Iwillnotbetakenunawares!

  Icarryitalways。Atnightitisbeneathmypillow。

  Thedayithappens——themomentIfeelmyselfinthegripofPopularity————\"

  Icaughthishand;inhisexcitementhewasraisingthepoisontohislips。

  \"WhatIcannotunderstand,Fothergil,\"Isaid,\"iswhyaPoetoftheVirile,aReincarnationoftheCaveMan——excuseme,butthatiswhatyouarebeingthisyear,isitnot?——shouldgivewaytoFear。

  IsitnotmoreincharactertomeetthisBeastandslayIt?Istherenotacertaincontradictionbetweenyourprofessionandyourpractice?\"

  \"Morethanacontradiction,\"hesaideagerly。\"Itismorethancontradictory!Itisparadoxical!\"

  Ieliminatemuchthatfollowed。WhenFothergilgetsstartedontheparadox,timepasses。Heisneverreallyinterestedinthingsuntilhehasdis—

  coveredtheparadoxicalqualityinthem。SometimesIthinkthathisenthusiasmoverhimselfisduetothefactthathediscoveredearlyinlifethathehimselfwasaparadox——andsometimesIthinkthatdiscoveryistheexplanationofhisenthusiasmfortheparadox。

  \"What,\"saidFothergil,\"isthemostparadoxicalthingintheworld?TheHumanSnore!ItseemsUgly—yetitisBeautiful!Itseemsatrivialfunctionofthebody——andyetitistheKeytotheSoul————\"

  \"TheKeytotheSoul?\"

  \"Mansleeps,\"hesaid,\"andhisConsciousMindisinabeyance。ButhisSubconsciousMindisstillawake。Itfunctions。Ithasitsopportunitytoutteritself。TheSnoreistheVoiceoftheSoul!AndnotonlytheSouloftheindividualbutoftheSouloftherace。Alltheexperiencesofman,inhisascentfromthemiretohispresentaltitude,areretainedintheSubconsciousMind—hisfights,hisstruggles,hisfalls,hisrecoveries。Andhisdreamsandnightmaresareracialmemoriesofthesethings。

  Snoresarethelanguageinwhichheexpressesthem。

  InterprettheSnore,andyouhavethepsychichistoryoftheascentofmanfromCalibantoShakespeare!

  \"AndIcaninterpretit!IhavelistenedtoamillionSnores,andlearnedthelanguageoftheSoul!Nightafternight,foryears,IharkedtotheHumanSnore——insummer,hasteningfromparkbenchtobeachandbackagain;inwinter,hauntingthemissionsandlodginghouses。Ah,Heavens!withwhatdevotion,withwhatpassionofthediscoverer,haveInotpursuedtheHumanSnore!Ihavegonemilestolistentosomesnorethatwasreportedtobepeculiar;Ihavedeniedmyselfluxuries,pleasures,andattimesevenfood,inordertohirereluctantpersonstoSnoreforme!

  \"AndIhavewrittentheEpicoftheSnoreinverslibre。Youshallheartheprelude!\"

  AndthisisFothergil’sprelude:

  Snoremeasongofthesoul,Oh,sleeper,snore!

  Whistleme,wheezeme,grunkleandgrunt,gurgleandsnortmeaVirilestave!

  SnoretilltheCosmosshakes!

  OnthewingsofasnoreIflybackwardabillionyears,andgraspthemastodonandItearhimlimbfromlimb,AndwithhisthighhoneIheatthedinosaurtodeath,forIamVirile!

  Snore!Snore!Snore!

  Snore,Ostrugglingandtroubledandsquirmingandsufferingandchokingandpurple—facedsleeper,snore!

  Snoremethesoundofthebrutalstrugglewhenthebigbullplanetsbellowedandfoughtwithoneanother。inthebloodydawnoftimefortheloveoflittleyellow—hairedmoons,Snore!

  SnoretillChaosrapswithhisbootonthewallsofCosmosandkickstothelandlord!

  Turn,choke,twistandstruggle,sleeper,andsnoremethesongoflifeinthemaking,Sneezemeauniversefullofstar—dust,SnoremebacktothedayswhenIwasaCaveMan,andwithmybarehandsslewthewalrus,forIamVirile!

  Snorethedeath—rattleofthewalrus,Ostrugglingsleeper,snore!

  Snoreme————

  ButIwascompelledtoleave。Thereisagreatdealofit,Fothergilsays。IfyouknowFothergilyouareawarethatwhenhedeclaimshisVirileverseshebecomesexcited;heswellsphysically;

  sometimeshelooksquitefivefeettallinhismomentsofexpansion;allthisisverybadforhim。

  Morethanoncethedeclamationofhispoem,\"MyselfandtheCosmicUrge,\"hassenthimshakingtotheteaurn。

  BeforeIleftIwasabletocalmhimsomewhat。

  Butwithcalmcamereflection。Andwithreflectioncamehisgreat,grayDreadagain。

  WhenIleft,。Fothergilwaslookingoutofthewindowandshuddering,asiftheMonsterPopularitymightbehidingbehindtheneighboringchimneys。Onehandclaspedthephialcaressingly。

  ButsomehowIdoubtthatFothergilwilleverbecompelledtodrinkthepoison。

  BALLADEOFUNDERSTANDING

  \"DoesnottheWorld’sstupidityAttimesmakeSeriousThinkersfret?\"

  IaskedthefairHermione;

  \"Sometimes,\"shesaid,\"andyet……andyet。

  WefeelweowetheWorldadebt!\"

  Shewavedaslim,bejeweledhand,Shebroodedonsomevagueregret……

  \"Ihope,\"shesighed,\"you’llUNDERSTAND!\"

  \"IsnotyourhighPhilosophyToosubtlefortheMobtoget?\"

  Iasked……Sheponderedseriously;

  \"Sometimes,\"shesaid,\"andyet……andyet……

  ShetrifledwithanamuletImportedfromsomeOrientland……

  \"WhatfishcanbursttheCosmicNet?……

  IHOPE,\"shesighed,\"you’llUnderstand。\"

  \"Art,ScienceandPsychology,Causesthatriseandshineandset,Doalltheseneverwearythee?\"——

  \"Sometimes,\"shesaid,\"andyet……andyet。

  WouldThoughtandLifehaveevermetUnless\"……Shepaused。HerlashesfannedHereyes,withtearsofardorwet……

  \"Ihope,\"shesighed,\"YOU’LLUnderstand!\"

  \"Princess,isBulltheOneBestBet?\"—

  \"Sometimes,\"shesaid,\"andyet……andyetShemused,andthen;inaccentsbland,\"Ihope,\"shesaid,\"you’llUNDERSTAND!\"

  HERMIONEONFASHIONSANDWAR

  ISN’Twarfrightful,though;simplyFRIGHTFUL!

  WhatShermansaiditwas,youknow。

  Thoughtheysaythere’saneconomicconditionbackofthiswar,too。

  Wetookupeconomicsnotlongago——ourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——andgaveanentireeveningtoit。

  It’swonderful;simplyWONDERFUL!

  Withouteconomics,youknow,therecouldn’tbeanyCivilization。

  That’sathoughtthatshouldgiveonepause,isn’tit?

  Although,ofcourse,thiswarmaydestroycivilizationentirely。

  IfIthoughtitwaslikelytodothatIwouldjoininthePeaceDemonstrationatonce——orhavetheyhaditalready?——themarchforpeace,youknow!

  Anyhow,nomatterwhatthepersonalsacrificemightbe,Iwouldjoinin。NotthatIcaretomarchinthedust。Andblackneverdidbecomeme。ButIsupposetherewillbesomeautos。And,well——

  onemustsacrifice。

  ForifCivilizationdiesout,whatwillbecomeofusthen?

  WillwereverttothePrimordial?

  WilltheCaveMantriumph?

  Theveryideagivesmethecreeps!

  Because,youknow,theCaveManisallright——

  andthePrimitive,andallthat——asaprotestagainstDecadence—andinaLITERARYway——butifALLmenwereCaveMen!

  Well,youknow,thethoughtisfrightful;simplyfrightful!

  YoucanhaveafeelingforjustONECaveMan,youknow,inthemidstofCivilization,whenaMILLIONCaveMenwould————

  Buttheideaistooterribleforwords!

  AndinthiscrisisitisWomanwhomustsavetheworld。

  Theloveliestwoman——she’squiteadvanced,really,andhasthemostcharmingtoilettes——toldourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkerstheothernightthatthisisthetimewhenWomanmustruletheworld。

  ItisthetestoftheNewWoman。

  IfANYTHINGissavedfromthewreckitwillbebecauseofHer。

  Shecanwriteletterstothepapers,youknow,againstwarand—andallthatsortofthing,youknow。

  And,ofcourse,iftheGermansandRussiansandEnglishdoallgettogetherandconquerParis,Isupposetheywon’tkillthemodistesanddesigners。

  Civilization,youknow,isnotsoeasilykilledafterall。TheRomanswereconquered,youknow,butalltheirstylesandphilosophiesandthingsweretakenupbytheMedesandPersianswhoconqueredthem,andhaveremainedunchangedinthosecountrieseversince。

  Butinatimelikethis,it’scomfortingtohaveaCausetoclingto。

  Nomatterwhathappens,theadvancedthinkersmustclingtogetherandmaketheirCausecount。

  AndifEnglandshouldconquerFrance,andputakingonthethronethereagain,nodoubttherewillbeagreatrevivaloffashion,astherewasinthedaysofNapoleonI。andtheEmpressEugenie。

  ButifalltheadvancedthinkersintheworldcouldonlygettogetherinoneplaceandTHINKPeaceandHarmony——sitdownincircles,youknow,andsendPsychicVibrationsacrosstheocean——whocantellbutwhatthewarmightnotend?

  Thetriumphofmindovermatter,youknow。

  I’mgoingtoproposetheideatoourlittlegroupandpassitontoalltheotherlittlegroups。

  I’dbewillingtogiveupanentireeveningtoitmyself。

  URGESANDDOGS

  Wehadquiteadiscussiontheotherevening——ourLittleGroupofSeriousThinkers,youknow——astowhetheritwasIdealismorMaterialismthathadgottentheGermansintothisdreadfulwar。

  Isn’tIdealismjustsimplywonderful!

  FothyFinchsaiditwasneither;hesaiditwastheRacialUrge。

  It’sliketheCosmicUrge,youknow;exceptit’saltogetherGerman,Fothyexplained。

  EveryonceinawhileyouhearofaNewUrge。

  That’soneofthethingsthatdistinguishesModernThoughtfromtheoldphilosophies,don’tyouthink?

  Although,ofcourse,theCosmicUrgeisn’twhatitusedtobeayearortwoago。

  It’sbecome——er——well,VULGARIZED,ifyouknowwhatImean。EVERYBODY’Swritingandtalkingaboutitnow,don’tyouknow。

  Ithink,myself,it’sgoingoutsoon。Andaleader——arealpioneerinthought,youknow,wouldscarcelycaretotalkaboutitnowwithoutasmile。

  I’vejustaboutdroppeditmyself。It’sthesamewaywitheverythingexclusive。Itsoonbecomescommon。

  Really,Ihadn’twornmywhitesummerfursthreeweeksbeforeIsawsomanyimitationsthatIjustsimplyHADtolaythemaside。

  Don’tyouthinkpeoplewhotakeupthingslikethat,aftertherealleadershavedroppedthem,arefrightfullylackinginSUBTLETY?

  Oh,Subtlety!Subtlety!WHATwouldmodernthoughtbewithoutSubtlety?

  Personally,IjustsimplyHATEtheObvious。It’sso——so——well,soeasilyseenthrough,ifyouknowwhatImean。

  FothyFinchsaidtomeonlytheotherday,\"Hasiteveroccurredtoyou,Hermione,thatyouareNOT

  anObvioussortofPerson?\"

  ItisalmostUNCANNYthewayFothergilFinchcanreadmythoughtssometimes。Wearebothsoverypsychic。

  Mammasaidtomelastnight,\"YouareseeingagreatdealofMr。Finch,Hermione。Doyouthinkitisrighttoencouragehimifyoudon’tintendtomarryhim?WhatAREyourintentionswithregardtoMr。Finch?\"

  Ididn’tanswerheratall——poordearMammaisSOold—fashioned!

  ButIthoughttomyself————

  Well,woulditbesoIMPOSSIBLE?

  Ofcourse,marriageisaseriousthing。Onemustlookatitfromallpointsofview,ifonehasaSocialConscience。

  HehasaLOVELYwaywithdogs,Fothyhas。Theytrusthiminstinctively——heisjustDEARwiththem。

  Ihavesomebeautiesnow,youknow。Theyaregettingsotheywon’tletanyonebutFothybathethem。

  MOODSANDPOPPIES

  WetookuptheBhagavadGita——ourLittleGroupofAdvancedThinkers,youknow——

  inquiteathoroughwaytheotherevening。

  Isn’ttheBhagavadGitajustsimplyWONDERFUL!

  IthasnothingatalltodowithBagdad,youknow——thoughatfirstglanceitseemsquitelikeitmight,doesn’tit?

  Ofcourse,they’rebothOriental——aren’tyoujustsimplyWILDaboutOrientalthings?Butreally,they’reQUITEdifferent。

  TheBhagavadGita,youknow,isallaboutReincarnationandKarma,andallthoselovelyoldthings。

  WhenIstartmySalonI’mgoingtohaveaBhagavadGitaEvening——allincostume,youknow。

  IfindthatwhenIdressinharmonywiththeIdeaIRADIATEsomuchmoreeffectively,ifyougetwhatImean。

  FothergilFinchisthesameway。

  Hewriteshisbestverslibrethingsinapurpledressing—gown。

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