"The Eternal Material."

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13704, 19 September 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

"The Eternal Material."

pgy*.- Jilrs. Leo. Myers, in "London."} ;j* previous ta her marriage, " yrms a woman of mind, vith much energy or character, and an ; alert brain capatue_of ' abstract thought and serious stuuy. Self-culture, - self-improvement, wire the jjocfcs. p£ her idolatry. Variously accomplished, she dirkied her talents betmn* good mask and' good lit«ra£ur£ ' -.With a wholesome scorn of - the commonpbcp and the stereotyped, Theodosia, bait'oil freeing herself from the conventional trammels ; oi shallow, personal txaits by rational reading and srsteoiatic atwfo' soon sucoeeded in attaining a wider ipajtal outlook, marked by ideas and. 'aejHratbni outside the &mall sphere of adf r People.. called, her "an exceptional j<W>g. Trtman," thi* -Theodosia; and ■were, wont to remark that with all her "TO 'o*' she; was neither a prig nor a ww, bob the joUiest sort- of a companion, whose lively mentality andl nimble wit-, coupled -with a fluent gift of easy narrative, ; touched off- by anecdote and bright bits, of .storied information, were given-in a most unaffected and delightinlljr characteristic manner. ilea sought her and were royally entertained- She possessed the God-given adaptability of a -woman of the world, 'being-'able to talk up or down, according as j the man's mental scale demanded. iLal-shft was just clever enough to conoid her cleverness. - Itanerssttoo. with the opposite sex afforded her the . interchange of progressive ideas, the mental stimulus and the! friction of bright minds that her originality craved. This was her hobby —"abtil friction," the called it—and ahe. wdetiitr persistently.' Like Madame da Stael, sfe would have closed her -easement on the* most superb view of Vemee to walk miles to meet an intelligent, breezy conversationalist. Women she -found interesting only in patches—few and far between—spare oases in the - desert of conversational commonplaces. , Being controlled bya conventional entourage, their talk took the colour of , their . environment, and she had little patience with them. Her diatribes were particularly directedagainst thps« doting' n&thers who iairpedv on' the singular or plbral string of their Teiriarkabk' offspring. Bitter, were the homilies she delivered I agaijut their'idle chatter. "Silly hens,"' •he called ■ "cackling over their <-■ chides!" "ifcsf 'riroinen are so flat, sof *h« would exclaim angrily.* "They can, talk only of obvioos things, of food and clothing, shopping and scandal, house and husbands, servants and sickness, weather and babies. Their mental horizon seems bounded bjy the small their wedding-ring. -Ideas outside tEeir own four Walls sue shunned, by them like plagoe, microbes. Most women are such doquestic animals, purring stupidly by th» hearthstone. _ "If < J should ever many," she continued—" and I suppose I. shall, for the experience must Tbe intensely interesting —I shall never, never degenerate mentally, on the contrary, I shall make «ven greyer to lift myself above the petty talk of personal details which is so inane. and so wearying. I ffaall Temejnber, as a solemn warning, those tiresome mothers who talk nothing 1 ' baby twaddle. Thty always bore uv Jiead off." And Theodoeia married. But Theodotia's husband—a silent man of "mucir stolidity of character aud deep perceptioo-r-smiled—a wise,' old oracle am3e-rand|waited- . Theodosia's husband possessed a< profound sense of humour, , hidden farback of his grave and solemn conawpnanoe. His wife, like Lord Beaconsfitld'i, he * thought worthr of what j that.,, brilliant ooce, Said f cooldi tapb: *Eba never bored bhL"* ' " And Tbebdoaia. became the proud mother of «" botraeing boy. " " And T&eodosia still retained her theories - _ . "V:! And Theodosia's hu.<-band smiled—a %ri*e old'.oracle smile—and waited. One 'fine day, Theodosia sallied forth to "paj some visits." Though a woman of ; mind, she bowed to the social code, and kept a calling-list; besides which, she was just feminine enough to enjoy a bit of gossip. "if Mrl.; Hem* atf homeV she asked" awertly of the white-capped maid at the door. " v'

A few minutes affer, Mrs. Henne entered tin drawing-room and greeted Theodosia effusively. " So'' charmed to \sear yon, dear T* said Jlrs. - Heniie, packing Theodoaia automatically on the cluck. ."How well you areloolring! feel strong and active again* I hope ? , And* how is Baby V' "Tiwak yon, Mr*. Theodosia.* with *. pleased ««*ile. " I am -quite, myself again, and Baby. is such a fine little man! •• You haven't •een him yet, hare you?" "No," replied Mrs- Henne. " The x dear little fellow wan asleep' when - I called."V But do teß me: whonrdeesf hef reusable, aod is h e g*»d atnight, and have you 1 a 'coinpetent "nnrscf* " " What an avalanche of questions !" laughed Theodosia. "I think he favour* his father; he ba« such a wise, knowing look, really quite beyond his age- A miniature jodg<?. I - can already see ; Jtow very advanced arid precocious he ia r and that his father and v I nnist retard, m» mpch ia* poasiWe, his menial 3ev*lpmtnt until hj» little body grows big and atauag. A sound mind in » sound body, you know." " Oh,. he's »«re to be nght, ->aid Mrs. H*nne tactfully. "And is he good"Y«s, indeed —bless him' He has inherited my amiable disposition," reaponded Theodora laughingly. "But, you st«, I am bringing h«ni on a regular aystem- 1 belkve in reducing everything in life to a system—even a baby—and I «m succeeding. Really, Mrs. Henne, 1 never believed I could become so interested in such a we* scrap of humanity. Mr * >lightv Atom.* I tail him. But it's the gradual development, of the tiv* *nse»-U»« intellect, the affections-that makes babiw >» very interesting. Dont. vott aoT* , ' "Yes, indeed; they are all absorb-

""Rut b whv," intcrroptd Theodosu, "ire m*st not* allow them to engross all etir thoughts and all our talk, bare always critical otlvr mother, wrvertly for thU fan*. that I *o *rmi the wmlmm my*U: *» ** ll dru f Baby (only conversationally. of Loum), Mm. Henne." Th«r» wa* a paw*. •• Han tou htn to the theatre lately. queried Mr*- Henne* by way «f «Awig. ing the wbj«t. . . •• Vo" auvcßd TIMMKIKI*. « - out bardlr at .U at night now r.,« know, on account of Babr. I need »or. r->t. and, bet M*. I woad notcnj..y for I would worry aboul Baby all tb« time lam rcallv f«r more roi.t.ntol el. h,*nc. km.wit.tf I ant near Baby._ " But tou would enjoy a good Vu>p.. repbed Mr-. H«n«- " Doefr »ay* Jt i* positively ewntial that a mother •hottW breathe quantities of "**S' n ■ ■■«<• one. if it» «» ** bad-~but n«t much of that floats in our atmosphere m turnn>er." , . " Indeed.** Mid Mr*. Henne. tb<* *r»*a. tber ku bdto SNMI trying *" humid and ©pprmive. ja»t a* « there m»n a huije weight stbo*« «»>»r ImnhU, and lonMthiog was trcietfing Mrn m.'*

" Yes," nodded Theodosia ;-" it is most unfavourable weather for. Baby. If it doesn't rain, it- blows; and when it blows it's too dusty .for nprse to take Baby out. . And then, again, when it's so Lot I don't fdlow him tc> he taken out of the shade .of >our magnolia-trees in the garden." Really, the weather is such a worry to jne on account of Baby."

Another pause. "Have. tod. read '.The Double Thread*?" .asked Mrs. Henne, with enforced freshness. "I enjoyed it so much.. It. scintillates with brilliant dialogue, so wittily philosophic, yet touched with genial cynicism." " No,". Theodosia replied: "I haven't read it yet, though I read .' Isabel Carnaby.* By the same author, is it not? . . . You see, I geV so little time for reading now, on account of Baby. Before he came I read in bed every night; but tjow the light would waken him, so I. must forego that pleasure for B ur"s sake." - •" - . r * 'Of course," said Mrs. Hen no. " I knot just as it "s- A mother's life is made up of daily, hourly, self-denial." "Ye*, truly," agreed Th»odosi.i. "How are your children, Mrs. Henne? . Has "Reginald quite recovered'?*' _ "Thank you, dear, he's back at school again. He is. growing so tall and manly-looking, and is the pride of my heart. My little Eleanor has influenza --only a mild attack, though." " Really!" exclaimed Theodosia. rising precipitately. "There's such an epidemic now. and I'm frightened Baby will catch it through me. I wear three camphor-bags in my bodice, though the I detestable odour makes me ill, and I ! smeTl like a furthop." "Don't go!"- entreated Mrs. Henne. " Eleanor is almost recovered. She's sitting up to-day, and the danger of contagion is quite past, I assure you. So do stay a while longe*." . "Thank you," answered Theodosia. gliding towards the door. "I really can't, much as il -should like to. I must hurry home to Baby. ~ Come and see me soda. You must see Baby in his bath. He's surh a well-built little chap." Good-bye, Mrs. Henne. When Eleanor *is quite well, do come and see Babv." That evening Theodosia told her husband .of her visit. - and th£ f chat she enjoyed with Sirs. Henne. And'once again Theodora's husband smiled—his wise, old oracle smile. "It is the 'Eternal Maternal," he soliloquised." " sweeter" than poetry, deeper than wisdom, and ages'older than philosophy. In a woman like Theodosia it's a grand thing."