第3章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Hermione and Her Little Group of Serious Thinkers",免费读到尾

  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!

点击下载App,搜索"Hermione and Her Little Group of Serious Thinkers",免费读到尾