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percentage。 It often occurs to me walking down the street。 Each man and
woman that I pass by； each silently spinning his silken thought； short or
long； fine or coarse。 What becomes of it？〃
〃I heard you say once；〃 remarked the Old Maid to the Minor Poet；
〃that 'thoughts are in the air；' that the poet but gathers them as a child
plucks wayside blossoms to shape them into nosegays。〃
〃It was in confidence；〃 replied the Minor Poet。 〃Please do not let it
get about； or my publisher will use it as an argument for cutting down my
royalties。〃
〃I have always remembered it；〃 answered the Old Maid。 〃It seemed
so true。 A thought suddenly comes to you。 I think of them sometimes；
as of little motherless babes creeping into our brains for shelter。〃
〃It is a pretty idea；〃 mused the Minor Poet。 〃I shall see them in the
twilight： pathetic little round…eyed things of goblin shape； dimly
luminous against the darkening air。 Whence come you； little tender
Thought； tapping at my brain？ From the lonely forest； where the peasant
mother croons above the cradle while she knits？ Thought of Love and
Longing： lies your gallant father with his boyish eyes unblinking
underneath some tropic sun？ Thought of Life and Thought of Death：
are you of patrician birth； cradled by some high…born maiden； pacing
slowly some sweet garden？ Or did you spring to life amid the din of
loom or factory？ Poor little nameless foundlings！ I shall feel myself in
future quite a philanthropist； taking them in； adopting them。〃
〃You have not yet decided；〃 reminded him the Woman of the World；
〃which you really are： the gentleman we get for three and sixpence net；
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or the one we are familiar with； the one we get for nothing。〃
〃Please don't think I am suggesting any comparison；〃 continued the
Woman of the World； 〃but I have been interested in the question since
George joined a Bohemian club and has taken to bringing down minor
celebrities from Saturday to Monday。 I hope I am not narrow… minded；
but there is one gentleman I have been compelled to put my foot down
on。〃
〃I really do not think he will complain；〃 I interrupted。 The Woman of
the World possesses； I should explain； the daintiest of feet。
〃It is heavier than you think；〃 replied the Woman of the World。
〃George persists I ought to put up with him because he is a true poet。 I
cannot admit the argument。 The poet I honestly admire。 I like to have
him about the place。 He lies on my drawing…room table in white vellum；
and helps to give tone to the room。 For the poet I am quite prepared to
pay the four…and…six demanded； the man I don't want。 To be candid； he is
not worth his own discount。〃
〃It is hardly fair；〃 urged the Minor Poet； 〃to confine the discussion to
poets。 A friend of mine some years ago married one of the most
charming women in New York； and that is saying a good deal。 Everybody
congratulated him； and at the outset he was pleased enough with himself。
I met him two years later in Geneva； and we travelled together as far as
Rome。 He and his wife scarcely spoke to one another the whole journey；
and before I left him he was good enough to give me advice which to
another man might be useful。 'Never marry a charming woman；' he
counselled me。 'Anything more unutterably dull than 〃the charming
woman〃 outside business hours you cannot conceive。'〃
〃I think we must agree to regard the preacher；〃 concluded the
Philosopher； 〃merely as a brother artist。 The singer may be a heavy；
fleshy man with a taste for beer； but his voice stirs our souls。 The
preacher holds aloft his banner of purity。 He waves it over his own head
as much as over the heads of those around him。 He does not cry with the
Master； 'Come to Me；' but 'Come with me； and be saved。' The prayer
'Forgive them' was the prayer not of the Priest； but of the God。 The
prayer dictated to the Disciples was 'Forgive us；' 'Deliver us。' Not that he
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should be braver； not that he should be stronger than they that press behind
him； is needed of the leader； but that he should know the way。 He； too；
may faint； he； too； may fall； only he alone must never turn his back。〃
〃It is quite comprehensible； looked at from one point of view；〃
remarked the Minor Poet； 〃that he who gives most to others should
himself be weak。 The professional athlete pays； I believe； the price of
central weakness。 It is a theory of mine that the charming； delightful
people one meets with in society are people who have dishonestly kept to
themselves gifts entrusted to them by Nature for the benefit of the whole
community。 Your conscientious； hard…working humorist is in private life
a dull dog。 The dishonest trustee of laughter； on the other hand； robbing
the world of wit bestowed upon him for public purposes； becomes a
brilliant conversationalist。〃
〃But；〃 added the Minor Poet； turning to me； 〃you were speaking of a
man named Longrush； a great talker。〃
〃A long talker；〃 I corrected。 〃My cousin mentioned him third in her
list of invitations。 'Longrush；' she said with conviction； 'we must have
Longrush。' 'Isn't he rather tiresome？' I suggested。 'He is tiresome；' she
agreed； 'but then he's so useful。 He never lets the conversation drop。'〃
〃Why is it？〃 asked the Minor Poet。 〃Why； when we meet together；
must we chatter like a mob of sparrows？ Why must every assembly to be
successful sound like the parrot…house of a zoological garden？〃
〃I remember a parrot story；〃 I said； 〃but I forget who told it to me。〃
〃Maybe one of us will remember as you go on；〃 suggested the
Philosopher。
〃A man；〃 I said〃an