Fred S. Lincoln

“ Tell me—where would one derive naturalness but from nature? You grant that?" he asked, as she poised her lips in good-humored stubbornness. "Well, then, we people see nature so little that it affects us not at all, and we are far from natural, which makes that virtue unusual among us. ”

“ Isn't she tired of her limited surroundings?"
"I hardly know," he replied, as he scanned several sheets of Virgie's letters, which he had just brought to light. "Listen to this!" he said, his face becoming suddenly animated :
"I can scarcely understand or comprehend so many people as you write of being together, living within touch of each other, where they neighbor as our townspeople do here in Ashville." "She is always writing about cities and people," Frank interpolated, in partial explanation, continuing with growing pride:
"What a number of people everybody must have to remember! ”

“ She laid her hands in her lap, pressing them hotly together, and returned his gaze fearlessly because of her rising anger: "You are given power to lead, the right to lead, and in your stupid self-glorification you step into by-ways hugging your petty vanity. ”

“ You are very natural anyway, because you have all the usual back-country verbosity, and you are an old ape; so am I an ape. We are all apes! Now let the matter go and tell me some of the things I want to know. Doesn't she care to come out into the world? Doesn't she want to travel and see things? ”

“ We only ape each other. That's what all of us are—just apes."
"If you please," she said, in suppressed mirth, "you may count me out of your reasoning hereafter. If you must make confessions—well—" And after the pause they both laughed heartily. "You have made your point though, I guess, so please tell me more of Virgie or read something more."
Frank was an ordinary man, insomuch as he was invariably self-convinced by his own logic. Norma had left an opening for the continuance of his reasoning by her careless assertion of "I guess" at the end of acknowledging defeat. ”

“ Of course everybody is better and more gentle. I would not have you think me dissatisfied with my people—not for the world! There is poor, old, good-natured Uncle 'Si,' who is doing nearly all of Aunt Faribee's work around the hotel because she is sick again. He is better and gentler for having talked to and been with lots of people, but that, some way, is not the kind of being better off that I mean. ”