Part 13 (1/2)

THE FORERUNNER

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE

BY

CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN OWNER AND PUBLISHER

1.00 A YEAR .10 A COPY

Volume 1. No. 2 DECEMBER, 1909 The Charlton Company, 67 Wall Street, New York Copyright for 1909, C. P. Gilman

LOVE

Not the child-G.o.d of our most childish past, Nor sympathy, nor wors.h.i.+p, pa.s.sionless; Nor grat.i.tude, nor tenderest caress: Nor the post-mortal glamor priests have cast With ”This to hope! Surrender what thou hast!”

These are but parts and can but partly bless; We in our new-born common consciousness Are learning Law and Life and Love at last.

The age-old secret of the sphinx's holding, Incarnate triumph, infinitely strong; The mother's majesty, grown wide and long, In the full power and fire of life's unfolding; The conscious splendor and ripe joy thereof-- Glad world-wide, life-long service--this is Love!

ACCORDING TO SOLOMON

”'He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with his tongue,'” said Mr. Solomon Bankside to his wife Mary.

”Its the other way with a woman, I think;” she answered him, ”you might put that in.”

”Tut, tut, Molly,” said he; ”'Add not unto his words,'--do not speak lightly of the wisdom of the great king.”

”I don't mean to, dear, but--when you hear it all the time”--

”'He that turneth away his ear from the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination,'” answered Mr. Bankside.

”I believe you know every one of those old Proverbs by heart,” said his wife with some heat. ”Now that's not disrespectful!--they _are_ old!--and I do wish you'd forget some of them!”

He smiled at her quizzically, tossing back his heavy silver-gray hair with the gesture she had always loved. His eyes were deep blue and bright under their bushy brows; and the mouth was kind--in its iron way.

”I can think of at least three to squelch you with, Molly,” said he, ”but I won't.”

”O I know the one you want! 'A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentions woman are alike!' I'm _not_ contentious, Solomon!”

”No, you are not,” he frankly admitted. ”What I really had in mind was this--'A prudent wife is from the Lord,' and 'He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing; and obtaineth favor of the Lord.'”

She ran around the table in the impulsive way years did not alter, and kissed him warmly.

”I'm not scolding you, my dear,” he continued: ”but if you had all the money you'd like to give away--there wouldn't be much left!”

”But look at what you spend on me!” she urged.

”That's a wise investment--as well as a deserved reward,” her husband answered calmly. ”'There is that scattereth and yet increaseth,' you know, my dear; 'And there is that withholdeth more than is meet--and it tendeth to poverty!' Take all you get my dear--its none too good for you.”