Life — March 24, 1921 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Thoughts of Hermione The Modern Young Woman SN'T Einstein wonderful, just simply wonderful! What in the world did we ever do without Relativity? We're taking it up in quite a serious way—Relati and the Universe, you know—and giving a whole even- ing of study to it, my little group of advanced thinkers. Though poor dear Mama doesn’t approve at all. “Hermione,” she said to me, “I wish you would drop Relativity!” “Mama,” I asked her, “what in the world is your objection to it?” “My dear,” she said, “when J was a young lady no unmarried woman would lave thought for a moment of discussing anything of that sort!” She'd got it mixed with Psychoanalysis, you know and, really, they aren't a bit alike! No sex in it, you know. Don’t you think Einstein is more wonderful thanBergson, even? So much more . . . more . . . well, more Cosmic, if you get what I mean! More Cosmic in his Contacts, you know! And, really, one’s Contacts are everything, don’t you think? A really Advanced Thinker can’t afford to be anything but Cosmic in his Contacts. It is a rule I try to carry into every act of my life. Every night before I go to bed I ask myself: “ Have I been Cosmic in my Contacts to-day, or have I failed?” These little spiritual self-examinations help one to Grow, don't you think? ‘And isn’t Growth marvelous! Sometimes I just sit for hours and think of Growth . . . Growth J § GrowtH! Fothergil Finch said to me the other day: “ Hermione, have you lost your interest in Socialism, or have your other Causes taken up too much of your time? And I said to him: “ Fothergil, there is, in the last analysis, only One Cause and that is the Cause of Growth!” And when I am asked to join a new committee or something I ask at once, “ Will it make for Growth? Or will it not make for Growth?" And that’s what I feel about Einstein... theories make for Growth! Though, of course, he’s a little well, er 2... dangerous to the untrained mind, if you get what I mean. ike Nietzsche, you know. Though he’s Nicer than Nietzsche, of course. I mean, you know, a great many Nice People wouldn't care to have Nietzsche come to dinner and bring one of his Supermen with him although the more advanced groups, even among the best people, would not draw the line, of course. But there always will be the feeling among some of the girls, even the serious thinkers, that they wouldn't care actually to marry one cf Nietzsche's supermen, you know, Like the feeling about the Japanese, if you get what I mean. And yet I think, on the whole, that more of the best people would be inclined to receive the superman sogially than would have been the case a few years ago. And the same is true about the Bolshevists . . . Bol- shevism is one of my Causes, you know! Though I suppose I will be persecuted for saying so. But the world’s Leaders in Thought have always been perse- cuted! And sometimes I think that I am a reincarnation of Joan of that his Arc! I have the impulse, if you get what I mean, to mount on a hauberk, or whatever they called a war-horse, with 3 falcon in my hand, and ride, with white banners waving, at the head of my army! And I feel that so strong that I know a times that I have actually done that in some former existence! I'm awfully psychic, you know, and I believe in reincarnation, just as Prometheus did or was it Pythagoras? Any. how, one of those lovely old Greeks. And I sometimes think that the Personality of Joan of Ar passed into Charlotte Corday, and then passed from Charlotte Corday into me! I’ve had the whole house done over from top to bottom, and I have one room where I go to think these things out decorated in harmonious colors, if you get what I mean, 0 that it will match my Aura . . . and I was sitting in there the other day when the conviction came upon me so strong that I was both Joan of Arc and Charlotte Corday that it was positively frightful! So I determined to have a play written in which I could rep- resent both of them, if you get what I mean, and play it at one of the neighborhood theatres that I help support It will help uplift the poor, you know, to play it where all the settlement-house people can see it. I'm having some of the most wonderful costumes made! Fothergil Finch is writing the play, and it will be in free verse, of course. One must give the Masses a chance at the best in the literature and the drama if one is to uplift them, don’t you think? And how much better it is for my little group to assist me in my play than to spend their time in mere frivolity! One of my costumes will be made of cloth of gold. I will wear that in the scene where Joan of Arc has the king crowned. In one way, of course, it is very distasteful to me to wear such an expensive costume to some persons it might smack of ostentation, But I think it is my duty to wear it. For the Masses must be educated zsthetically, too, yorrknow. They cannot live by bread alone. It would be selfish in me not to wear it. So I am going to sacrifice my preferences and do so. Sacrifice! Sacrifice! Is there anything in the world 9 lovely as Sacrifice? ' Fothergil Finch is trying to get something into the news- papers about the play, but so far they haven't given him asy space. The horrid jealousy of the degrading theatrical trot is keeping it out of the papers, Fothergil says. Not that we want any vulgar publicity but it is os duty to let others who are interested in the New Movements see that we are carrying on the torch, if you get what I mean Well, I must hurry on. I have an engagement at my mm diste’s, and then tea with the Oriental Esoteric Society, and then a meeting before dinner with the Organization for Getting Newsboys to the Coal Mines, and then I must rush to the Dinner to-night. It’s a big dinner, you know one of those $100 a plate affairs where we are going to ta about Ways and Means for Feeding the Hungry Withoct Pauperizing Them. Good-by! Don Marquis. A HOME for indigent lawyers is a New York project. Ba no relief seems to be in sight for busted clients. comicbooks.com