THE HESPERIAN
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monaded, walked around nnd tiround tho
armory to tho striving notes of tho Dead
March from Saul. After they had tramped
several miles somo of the more enterprising
wearied of tho mazy walk and went down
to tho Temple hall to get romething more
rapid. Tho good people stayed and swung
Indian clubs and jumped over tho horse and
other things which one naturally does at a
ball. Tho next dance of any importance
was given by tho class of '92. That was a
little better, it was given in the representa
tive hall and it was rumorod that there was
one dress suit on tho iloor, this howover
may have been only a myth. '93 did its
best, even somo of tho very old and stiff
-girls and boys learned to dance and spoilt
most of their time and substance at uPro
fessor" Johnson's academy for somo months
before commencement. Tho Sunior Pro
menade was totally different from all
former attempts. It was dignified, in good
form and wholly unprovincial. There wore
costumes and bunting and llowers and
lights and music that danced itsolf. It was
a danco that was a Dance.
weight thioi opinion has. They bless by
their approval. They sottlo all groat ques
tions of art and lottors by their lightest
word. Of course if there wore over any
awakoning for thorn they would suffer
terribly, but thero is no awakening, their
delusion is life long. They aro hopeless.
For instance, if one of thorn fancies that
Hamlet was really mad, tho greatest
students of tho drama might argue with
them and thoy would still smile with bland
condescension, confident that their intui
tions wore worthy moro than any learning.
If Shakespeare himself should arise from
tho dead and try to convince thom they
would simply sigh and say that thoy wore
disappointed in Shakespeare, No, though
ono should arise from tho dead and come
unto thorn thoy would not believe. Thoy
aro hedged about and shut in forever by
their admantino conceit.
THE OLD SHOE-MAKER.
A -X-X-
Tho most painful and profound ignorance
in tho world is conceited ignoranco, tho
ignorance of tho pooplo who avo sure that
they have tho proper theory of living, tho
proper methods of study and the proper way
of looking at things. Thoy force them
selves and their theories upon everyone, and
take it for grauted that everyone is des
perately interested in them. Thoy are
generally quite kindly people, and it is their
considerate kindness that is so maddening.
Thoy aro rather slow to say anything un
kind about anyone because thoy hate to put
on any poor soul tho awful ban of their dis
pleasure. They seriously doubt if anyone
could get into heaven without tho shadow of
their displeasure over him. They aro
generous of their favor because thoy know
how happy it must make people. Thoy like
to praise a groat book or to compliment a
great play because thoy realize what vast
A OnAItAOTEK SKETCH.
Ono, of my earliest recollections is that of
carrying my father's boots, tied together
with a thick cord and thrown over my
shoulder, to an old shoe-maker for repairs.
Ho lived not far from our home, yet I saun
tered along in a very leisurely manner so
that I might suroly not get back before six in
tho evening. It was a bright Saturday
morning and I was afraid, wero 1 to return
earlier than supper time, somo of tho folks
would want me to do chores.
Soon after this, my own shoes needed
patching and my father sent me to the same
old man And, of course, since I had but
one pair except the Sunday shoes, which,
in accordance with an edict given to the
household by my mother remained indoors
except on the statest occasions I waited
in the shop until my shoes wore again ready
to ondaso, then as now, the most prominent
and promising parts of my person. Not
only wero my visits of long duration, but
even then that power which the newspapers
