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 Plato Paved the Way
 
 "Fate seized this favorable time to ensnare us. 
 
 (Frontispiece, See Page 24)
 
 Plato 
 Paved the Way 
 
 By 
 
 Helen Starkey 
 
 Frontispiece by 
 
 Hermann Heyer 
 
 New York 
 
 The Neale Publishing Company 
 1913
 
 Copyright, 1913, by 
 THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 (Letter from Fred Winselli to Kate Holbrook, 
 Cosmopolitan.) 
 
 NEW YORK, March 10, 1913. 
 Dear Kate: 
 
 Your letter came to greet me this fine morning, 
 and as I. read your words stating you would 
 reach this city to-morrow, I can guarantee with 
 bonds that the morning is not brighter, or more ra- 
 diant, than are my happy thoughts at this mo- 
 ment. 
 
 I will call in the evening, as requested, and I 
 gratefully note your wish to see me once again 
 after our chance acquaintance at Brighton Beach 
 one year ago, and that the contents of my letters 
 from port to port during your long trip around the 
 world have not discouraged you to the extent of 
 drawing a black line through my name on your 
 list of friends. This is causing a constantly in- 
 creasing obligation to you, and there is much I 
 could say, but why depreciate the value of hidden 
 thoughts by expressionless writing, when their 
 
 5 
 
 2138419
 
 6 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 true appraisement can be better estimated in si- 
 lence? 
 
 And now that our schedule is closed, your last 
 port being reached in a short time, I feel that I 
 am bidding good-by to a great pleasure, and no 
 more can I look on the map for the numerous 
 nooks in the world which you have pictured so 
 fantastically, and over which there has been many 
 a good laugh. 
 
 Your numerous letters I am treasuring, and, 
 however great the loss, I am comforted with the 
 joy of knowing I shall soon see you, and with 
 many a clinging thought of the past three hundred 
 and sixty-five days, I am 
 
 Yours ever gratefully, 
 
 FRED WINSELLI. 
 
 (Letter from Kate Holbrook to Fred Winselli.) 
 
 Dear Frederick: 
 
 Did I tell you last night how good it seems 
 to be on terra firma again*? 
 
 I wonder if my imagination helps me to believe 
 it is any better because land is so valuable here 
 in New York. Why, I feel that I am walking 
 on millions, and even the dust on my shoes must
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 7 
 
 be precious, but I did not think of the collection 
 of real estate I was acquiring when walking down 
 that wonderful Broadway with you last evening. 
 No, I was thinking of something quite different, 
 and was asking myself if the entire population 
 was given over to hedonic influences'? 
 
 The throngs I saw seemed to be reaching forth 
 to obtain life, and more life, and feverishly seek- 
 ing the froth instead of the substance. 
 
 At that very moment I suddenly became imbued 
 with the same spirit and could feel my heart get- 
 ting busy 'saying good-by to that portion of my an- 
 atomy located under my Parisian hat, and I knew 
 I was no longer sane. The words adorable, hand- 
 some, responsive, loyal, noble and others equally 
 fine were chasing one another through my brain 
 as I looked at my escort, and I know not why, 
 but Othello's dramatic lament, "I kiss'd thee, 
 ere I kill'd thee," went following after all those 
 nice adjectives, therefore do you wonder that I 
 am puzzled in trying to make an application of 
 my hallucination? You must see I was bereft 
 of all reason, or do you prefer to think me sane? 
 
 Your gay city can woo and win the senses with 
 its magic touch, and I am entranced with every- 
 thing here. Some of the buildings almost put 
 the Taj Mahal out of commission.
 
 8 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 This line (*? ) was just to say Good morning! 
 Must I stop"? I think I must, for I desire to 
 please you. To-night the friends who are enter- 
 taining me have some plans on the wing. To- 
 morrow evening with you, the next day I start 
 for my home in Chicago. 
 
 Are you certain to come? If not, I know I 
 shall cry my eyes out that is perhaps at least 
 one eye out. 
 
 Your even more loving than exacting 
 
 KATE HOLBROOK. 
 
 NEW YORK, March 14, 1913. 
 Dear Kate: 
 
 My messenger brings you these flowers and 
 sweets, and I trust they will remind you of one 
 who reluctantly says Good-by! 
 
 Wishing you a pleasant journey, I am 
 
 Yours, 
 FRED WINSELLI. 
 
 CHICAGO, March 17, 1913. 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 You may conclude without difficulty from the 
 above that I have arrived home safely. Thank
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 9 
 
 you for your parting good wishes and remem- 
 brances and the delightful evenings I had with 
 you. 
 
 The vibrations of your voice are still ringing 
 in my ear, and I am certain to come again, as 
 long as they call me. 
 
 Did I sufficiently express my gratitude for your 
 nice entertainment while I was in New York*? 
 
 I intended to repeat my thanks to you ninety- 
 nine times and failed. You made me entirely 
 speechless; not but what my lips were quite free. 
 Oh, yes ! It was only a silence of the soul, and I 
 needed to come to Chicago because this city can 
 ballast the soul and keep it from soaring too high, 
 bringing it speedily back to earth again if any 
 city can in this world, and I am right here, no 
 longer inhabiting an imaginary space above. You 
 will understand from this that my speech has re- 
 turned. 
 
 You said to me when asking for a continuance 
 of our pen and ink exchange that you thought 
 "nothing so fosters facility of expression as letter 
 writing." 
 
 Without doubt you are right, as you always are, 
 and I am deeply grateful to your desire for prac- 
 tice, as I should feel very sorry for myself if you 
 had let our correspondence go to eternal smash.
 
 10 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 Since that is your chief object in writing, why 
 not read some book together, commenting and ex- 
 changing ideas concerning it 4 ? 
 
 If this proposition meets with your approval 
 please suggest some interesting novel, which will 
 prove to be a bond of sympathy between us, some- 
 thing up to date, for I hate to read fossils, not too 
 deep for the sake of yours truly, and not history 
 for heaven's sake. 
 
 I await your choice. 
 
 Yours hopefully, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, March 22, 1913. 
 Dear Kate: 
 
 Your letter, although short, contains a volume 
 of meaning. I shall cherish it, as I do your 
 friendship. This is the one recourse I can resort 
 to that gives solace and aids in lifting this seem- 
 ing cloud that overhangs me. 
 
 Whatever has occurred to create of its own 
 accord this bleakness that has enshrouded me since 
 last I saw you I cannot explain. 
 
 I knew when leaving you I was parting from 
 much, but the realization of the truth did not
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 11 
 
 dawn upon me until I was forced by its severity 
 to acknowledge to myself on my way homeward 
 that I was departing from you whom I had been 
 longing for months to see, and I have cause to 
 believe by the manner in which you spoke I possi- 
 bly may never see you again. This greatly 
 troubles me, and I trust that the train of thoughts 
 which possessed you when you spoke of this uncer- 
 tainty was only the product of a moment's 
 thought. 
 
 I am encouraged by the fact that you will con- 
 tinue to write, and I am even willing to do any- 
 thing if that desired blessing may be vouchsafed 
 to me. 
 
 Strange, indeed, are the circumstances of life; 
 that which brings happiness ofttimes also brings 
 the same degree of sorrow ; this, of course, is a fair 
 distribution of feeling; but what a price it is to 
 exact when parting from one who has caused su- 
 preme happiness. 
 
 I read in your seeming reluctance to leave me 
 a hidden reason, Kate, due to the same cause that 
 possessed me and which made impossible the final- 
 ity of our correspondence. 
 
 You are certainly causing a great disturbance 
 to my mind and I only hope I am right in thinking 
 it is mutual.
 
 12 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 If what I have conjectured is true, and it is 
 written in the book of destiny that something other 
 than division will happen, time alone can tell, and 
 until such time we must be guided by reason, and 
 not let blind impulse stand in our way or become 
 an obstacle in our daily progress. 
 
 You have taxed me to the utmost by your re- 
 quest for a sympathetic reading of some novel. 
 
 I have not the time for light reading. When 
 a man enters the field of strife for a livelihood 
 he forgets all else and centers his mind on better- 
 ing that portion of his knowledge that can be 
 adapted to his work; this is necessary to keep 
 abreast of these strenuous times, and all the read- 
 ing must be done along commercial lines. 
 
 I used to find pleasure in trying to solve the 
 intricate problems compounded by the Philoso- 
 phers of old, and was then a great admirer of 
 Plato. 
 
 Did you ever delve into this kind of work 4 ? It 
 is great food for the mind, and if you will permit 
 me to choose this author I should be greedily eager 
 to accord with your suggestion. 
 
 I am displeased with myself that I do not com- 
 ply entirely with your request, especially since it 
 is made so disinterestedly and unselfishly on your 
 part.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 13 
 
 I will, undoubtedly, be immensely benefited 
 and will endeavor to show my appreciation for 
 your effort in my behalf by following any descrip- 
 tion you give me, and answer along the same 
 outline to your heart's content. 
 
 I throw myself upon your mercy, without armor 
 protection: and trust the wounds will not be too 
 deep for youth to overcome : I am certain to be 
 on safe ground when I assure my faltering courage 
 that I shall not be half starved. You will surely 
 spread a feast where Wisdom will sit enthroned 
 as Queen of the literary revel. 
 
 Yours forever, my sweet almoner, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, March 29, 1913. 
 Dear Frederick: 
 
 Are you making fun of me? Just continue do- 
 ing so, please. "Blessed are they who laugh, for 
 they shall inherit the Earth." 
 
 I know that you know I have never read one 
 word of those old Philosophers, and until this 
 petition from you written in a jesting mood came 
 to me, I had no desire to read their works, but I 
 am doing so now. Do you hear me through the
 
 14 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 space of one thousand miles when I tell you I have 
 been spending good hours every day reading Plato, 
 or trying to do so. Gee ! but it is difficult. I 
 like it, though, and since I regard your selection 
 as a challenge, I am in the spirit to pick up the 
 glove and accept all conditions. 
 
 To prove this, and in accordance with my de- 
 termination, you will find a few comments at the 
 end of this letter. They are, of course, neces- 
 sarily frivolous. You will expect nothing else 
 from me, and I would not attempt to be serious. 
 No, indeed ! not even if your mind does need food 
 after its business-like abstinence. 
 
 I have placed no quotation marks for the dis- 
 tinction may be easily made as you read, and it is 
 so mixy that I cannot coldly sort the words. 
 
 Oh! I am glad to live in this age, instead of 
 that, for women held such an inferior place, 
 though there is no disputing the fact that they 
 had the pleasure of beholding superior men. 
 
 Yes, that is true, but then we are not debarred 
 such privileges in this year of grace, for there are 
 the great and renowned baseball managers. We 
 can fix our minds upon these masterpieces of na- 
 ture. If not, why not 1 ? 
 
 You wrote me in the letter I received at Naples 
 about a favorite opera, and said you were very
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 15 
 
 fond of music, being something of a musician 
 yourself. Did you attend the New York Mu- 
 sical Convention? Right here I will quote you 
 a portion of a speech made by one of our Chicago 
 educators. He said: "Eloquence, poetry, paint- 
 ing, sculpture, and architecture are the five fingers 
 of the hand, and each is harmonized and vitalized 
 by music, which is the blood of all the branches. 
 All the English poets are moved by it. The 
 fact that England is so world powerful is due to 
 the effect of the waves of the ocean making a 
 rhythmic music on the coasts of the British Isles, 
 stimulating the mentality of the men to accom- 
 plish great deeds." 
 
 What do you think of that! Isn't it a new 
 idea? Is this the reason Elizabeth was such a 
 great queen, and that Lady Jane Grey read Plato 
 so understandingly that she could die bravely? 
 Or, do you believe the rhythm is only inspiring to 
 men, and makes no successful impression on the 
 female mind? I know this is a very beautiful 
 thought, even if the male mind has the monopoly. 
 
 I must confess, when one sees what slaves the 
 people of India are to the English, that the influ- 
 ence of music or any other beneficent sway having 
 anything to do with success there is not apparent 
 to the naked eye.
 
 16 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 India is not the land, however, that we are 
 journeying toward. Let us now be good friends 
 while we join hands and minds (poor me!) in 
 a fellow pilgrimage back nearly twenty-three hun- 
 dred years, to the land of Ancient Greece, to 
 the land of Plato. And from henceforth I ex- 
 pect to have a rush of love to the head, whenever 
 I combine that great philosopher and yourself. 
 Good-night, fellow traveler. So sorry for you. 
 
 Lovingly, 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK I. THEME JUSTICE 
 
 Comments 
 
 1. Plato was out for a World's record, and he 
 scored with his endless dialogues. 
 
 2. His pitching was phenomenal, being a left- 
 hand twirler as well as right, and he could rotate 
 with such -rapidity that the curves seemed easy 
 and simple, although this seeming simplicity hid 
 the deep meaning of his play. 
 
 3. Socrates was an old-time manager of the 
 game and exercised his tireless jaw while on the 
 lookout as catcher to put Cephalus out on a foul. 
 Seeing this the wise one at the bat headed him 
 by saying he was indifferent to money because it 
 was inherited. The makers of fortunes have a 
 second love of money as a creation of their own, 
 hence they are bad company as their conversation 
 is entirely about the praises of wealth. This gave 
 him a walk to first base. 
 
 4. The manager here announced that Justice is 
 the great theme and invited all to make a bold 
 play to hit a swift ball into this dense cloud, and 
 
 17
 
 i8 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 to break away in determining if justice is virtue 
 and wisdom, or evil and folly? 
 
 5. Thrasymachus here seized the bat, being ram- 
 pant, and yelled : If you can't show more speed 
 in your argument, back to the bush league for you. 
 He struck the ball to center field, making a two- 
 base hit, still yelling. Injustice is virtue, do you 
 hear that*? You short stop ! Injustice is virtue. 
 Do you catch the cream of my good play? Get 
 in the game there ! 
 
 6. The manager said, I'd like to see a play like 
 that get the best of me. Injustice creates divi- 
 sions, hatred and fighting, while justice imparts 
 harmony and friendship. I do not believe in- 
 justice to be more gainful than justice and the 
 visiting bunch must see that it does not pay to 
 tell lies. 
 
 7. Cleitophon, the coaching wonder, tries to 
 help Thrasy steal a base, and declared justice can- 
 not produce injustice. True art is faultless and 
 his man got up on his toes and with a wild dash 
 scored a run. 
 
 8. Socrates, not being afraid while wearing the 
 muzzle, and the Ump giving him time, proceeded 
 to say: Has not the soul an end which nothing 
 else can fulfill? For example, to superintend, 
 and command, and deliberate. Are not these
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 19 
 
 functions proper to the soul? Can they be 
 rightly assigned to any other, and is not life to 
 be reckoned among the ends of the soul, and has 
 it not excellence also*? Then the evil soul must 
 necessarily be an evil ruler, and the good soul a 
 good ruler. 
 
 My men, I am ruler here, and if you will watch 
 for a good play and make it, dust the plate, not 
 get caught trying to steal home, remain faithful 
 to the bat while pounding the sphere, and be 
 swift to turn the trick, and see to the fielding, I 
 will carry you to the World's Championship, and 
 nothing can stop you. We will hold that posi- 
 tion, I promise you, and will keep faithfully my 
 promise to you. 
 
 9. Thrasymachus, having made the second 
 tally, blushed and perspired, saying the ignorant 
 must learn from the wise, still maintaining his 
 position and arguing for the cause of injustice. 
 
 10. Socrates, having stopped at nothing in the 
 stretch, now asserts from the arguments : I know 
 not what justice is, whether it is, or is not, a virtue. 
 Nor can I say whether the just man is happy or 
 unhappy, and I will further make research in 
 October, at which time we will fight some heroic 
 battles on the diamond against the pennant win- 
 ners.
 
 20 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 NEW YORK, March 31, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 Your unselfish letter in which I see the em- 
 bodiment of a noble character, given over entirely 
 to my enlightenment of mind, has found a warm 
 welcome within the portals of a spot reserved for 
 you alone, and to me you are a joy every one of 
 the numerous times I am with you in solitude of 
 thought and companionship of spirit. 
 
 As my instructor, you must quickly endeavor to 
 divine the things I am most ignorant of, and make 
 the illumination as plain as possible, that I may 
 be capable of understanding all your riotous and 
 noisy thoughts. 
 
 Your comments on Plato have been carefully 
 read and, in return, I will make the supplementary 
 suggestion that I will give mine at the completion 
 of the ten books of the Republic, that is, when 
 we have read all ten of them. 
 
 This I faithfully promise to do, and I shall ask 
 you to send yours in those letters that the future 
 time is promising me. 
 
 In my effort to separate your words from those 
 of Plato I had such a brain struggle that I did 
 not know whether the following moment would 
 be my next, or my last. I do not blame you for 
 your omission of quotation marks, and as heroes
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 21 
 
 are not all dead yet, pray do not hesitate to con- 
 tinue in your attitude of independence. 
 
 I am moved to displace all doubts you might 
 have as to my having been endowed with sufficient 
 strength to bear up under so vigorous a strain by 
 assuring you I am in perfect health, and in com- 
 plete sympathy with a certain iconoclast. 
 
 Your most admiring worshiper, 
 
 FREDERICK. 
 
 CHICAGO, April 4, 1913. 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 Has fortune smiled so radiantly on me as you 
 imply? Can there be a domain reserved for me 
 alone as you say? Is it located in the mind? 
 You do not specify and I fancy it must be in the 
 cerebellum, as I am unable to flatter myself that 
 I occupy so large a space as the cerebrum. I ac- 
 cept with gratitude as much as I can get, and will 
 strive to retain my present possession, while work- 
 ing along the lines of expansion. 
 
 Since you solicit instruction in the direction 
 most needed I will undertake the lesson, and I 
 believe you will like it. Let me add that any up- 
 to-date girl could easily discover what you are 
 deficient in.
 
 22 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 You must not think your sarcasm is wasted on 
 me. I am somewhat piqued and just a little dis- 
 couraged, but it is such an effort to be real angry 
 that I will ignore it and write about something 
 else. 
 
 You told me in a previous letter that you work 
 hard, and are obliged to concentrate your thoughts 
 on commercial lines or fall behind. 
 
 Poor fellow! My sympathy is with you in 
 such a dire calamity. I only wish you could read 
 "The Bondsman" and feel your heart swell with 
 the heroism of friendship; "The Manxman" and 
 find tears in your eyes over the pathos of a baby's 
 bonnet; "The Right of Way" to arouse your 
 compassion for a man gone wrong; "The Weav- 
 ers" to stir your soul with the lesson of sacrifice; 
 "The Iron Woman" to teach the hard task of 
 every day problems; and "The Garden of Allah" 
 to compel all your attention until the last word 
 is read. Even a good dinner would be forgotten, 
 so absorbed would you become. 
 
 Can I arouse your interest*? No, I think not. 
 You are inflexible, and nothing could turn you 
 from the course of reading or study you are pur- 
 suing. I like you anyway. Even your unyield- 
 ing character does not make me your bitter enemy, 
 but I wish you would bend a little.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 23 
 
 Do you recall how happy we were at Brighton 
 Beach that day we first met*? Paradise for me, 
 had it not been so intensely difficult to associate 
 the thought of heaven and the angels with that 
 locality. 
 
 Oh! isn't that foolishly funny to compare those 
 two places'? No matter, it is down, and after all, 
 why not*? Any spot is Paradise under certain 
 conditions. Just a little stretch of an elastic im- 
 agination and it would seem that the music of the 
 Merry-Go-Round was the aforesaid angels play- 
 ing on their harps; the moon in the sky, with the 
 sparkling diamonds in the ocean. The beauti- 
 ful night with vivid life and beauty coming to 
 meet us gives us a chance to conjure a little and 
 think we are near the gates of that ideal place. 
 At any rate, let us compromise and call it near- 
 heaven. 
 
 That was some time ago, and at this time of the 
 year in this locality I can not see the center star 
 in the belt of Orion, our star that followed me 
 around the world and which united us in thought 
 during all that time. We have nothing to bind 
 us now except Plato, and I'm afraid you do not 
 want me to send any more comments, but I love 
 Book 2. Shall I weary you with my breaking of 
 idols ^ May I send them*? I wonder if your
 
 24 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 thoughts are traveling as far as Chicago to-night. 
 Are you sparing a few minutes to think of me? 
 
 Affectionately, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, April 10, 1913. 
 My dear Kate: 
 
 You wonder if I think of you. This question 
 from one who knows so well that my thoughts 
 many times a day wander to Chicago surprises me. 
 Truly, the fact that I am writing at this time only 
 too plainly speaks my mental inclination. 
 
 Does it not vividly appear to you that the 
 thoughts occupying the forum are of you 1 ? They 
 bid me observe the trend of feeling which has 
 taken place to the present time, gradually ripen- 
 ing from an accidental acquaintance into, dare I 
 say, affection? 
 
 It is true we were not introduced by the usual 
 agents. Fate seized this favorable time to en- 
 snare us, but I am ready to swear to you, Kate, 
 dear, that any place, Brighton Beach or elsewhere, 
 even under adverse conditions, rain or shine, 
 would be a heaven with you. Can you not see 
 from this that I am learning my lesson? The one 
 any up-to-date girl knows that I need.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 25 
 
 There are some experiences that become a part 
 of oneself, and they cannot be put from you. 
 
 I do not think either of us will ever forget the 
 romance and impressions of that beautiful night. 
 The storm which preceded only made it the more 
 wonderful; the soft veil of mist spiritualized the 
 surrounding objects, and rendered a continual 
 manifestation of the mystery of Nature. 
 
 The artists in the Orient employ this vapory 
 craftsmanship in their paintings, and how fasci- 
 nating are those shadowy pictures they create, and 
 how they stir the imagination. 
 
 China may again become a great power in art 
 as it was for many hundred years in times past. 
 
 Their shackles are now removed, and the awak- 
 ening of this new Republic will be speedy; their 
 natural gifts in art will lead them in that direc- 
 tion, where they will acquire high attainments. 
 
 I am awaiting your second bewildering com- 
 ments upon Plato, and I may add, I am impa- 
 tiently desiring their possession. 
 
 Good-by, my mist-crowned friend. 
 
 Your own FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, April 15, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 My thoughts are driven by the west wind east-
 
 26 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 ward, urged on by my heart beats, but fearing the 
 unreliability of such a carrier, I am depending 
 upon unpoetical, though trustworthy Uncle Sam, 
 and am sending substantial written messages. 
 
 Thank you for your letter. What can I say 
 more unless to add that I cannot be anything but 
 pleased with your good wishes, and I intend to 
 say nice things to you. I am not to be thwarted 
 by any fear you may have that you may become 
 vain. Vanity is commendable because it makes 
 us strive for a good appearance. 
 
 I am proud of you, not for the reason that you 
 are so good to look at, as you know, for I value 
 much more your spirit and mind. Upon second 
 thought, the outward show is not to be ignored, 
 for it has made a deep impression and I must give 
 it full credit. Now, read that and become vain, 
 since that is the way I want you to be. 
 
 I cannot see you in all your pomp and will 
 give myself the joy of reading your letter once 
 again, for I am always happy when with thee, 
 thou loved one. 
 
 Somehow I keep getting into the danger zone 
 and, to be very safe, I will now become wise and 
 compel my thoughts to the distant Orient. 
 
 I also feel great enthusiasm over this Chinese 
 Republic. They are patient, industrious, adapt-
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 27 
 
 able people, and very quick to learn, and when 
 universal education does its magnificent work, as 
 it will do, they will rise to the renown they en- 
 joyed in ancient Cathay. 
 
 I think they are disposed by natural instinct to 
 remain calm and to seek freedom from disturb- 
 ance. Please go to Hong Kong and try to con- 
 jecture what must have been the cost to Chinese 
 pride in surrendering to the devouring English 
 that beautiful city and splendid harbor, in order 
 to settle "some political difficulties without the 
 horrors of a continued war. 
 
 I will send comments in my next letter, since 
 you wish to have them. Good-by ! and I am say- 
 ing to my messenger : 
 
 "Wind waft a message, 
 A message from me, 
 I am weary of waiting, 
 Beloved, for thee" 
 
 Yours ever, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, April 19, 1913. 
 My dear Kate: 
 
 Now that I know the elements carry messages 
 this way for me, I will feel a thrill pass through
 
 28 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 me whenever a zephyr blows ; and if I may I will 
 gauge your feelings by the velocity of the west- 
 wind; hoping and praying it will blow hard and 
 develop a cyclone; the returning east-wind will 
 carry back to you my heart beats, and its signifi- 
 cance of storm will denote to you the rapid pulsa- 
 tion of that organ for you. 
 
 I can readily understand you do not desire our 
 letters to be entirely filled with personal matters, 
 and since I placed myself under your direction I 
 will call resignation to my aid and apply myself 
 to discussing the deeds of an age gone by. 
 
 There is one undisputed fact that stands boldly 
 in the limelight in which history and mythol- 
 ogy are in accord, and that is the determined 
 curiosity exhibited by that portion of the human 
 species which nature evidently intended to make 
 her masterpiece. This is demonstrated by Eve, 
 Pandora, Psyche, in the past, and may I add 
 to the long unmentioned list the name of Kate 
 among others in the present 1 ? 
 
 I think the women of this age use the word 
 research, which is much nicer and entirely covers 
 the subject. 
 
 There arises from the mass of all that has passed 
 so much of interest and heroism that it confuses 
 the mind to make a selection.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 29 
 
 I will take for my topic that never failing source 
 of interest, Ancient Greece. We have seen the 
 perfection reached by the Athenians; the display 
 of the fertile intellect of her great philosophers; 
 the generalship of Alexander the Great, who testi- 
 fied to the wisdom of Aristotle, his teacher; the 
 credit we are compelled to give statesmen ; the ad- 
 miration we lavish on such names as Phidias and 
 Praxiteles, who rendered into stone the moods of 
 the soul; the teachings of Zeno; all the wonderful 
 writers of drama, history and poetry. 
 
 These men by their genius laid the foundation 
 of all literature. Their achievements carried to 
 foreign lands an inspiration to strive for honors 
 in literature and to spread among their own na- 
 tions this treasure of learning, and an impetus was 
 thus given to education in many lands. 
 
 The pages of history give us accounts of how 
 even the "Barbarous Turks" upon their entrance 
 into Athens were restrained from a further destruc- 
 tion of the city by a realization of the magnifi- 
 cence of the architecture they beheld. 
 
 The Turkish generals, possessed as they were of 
 greed and a vengeful nature that always craved 
 a chance to avenge themselves, especially upon 
 a people who long held sway, realized the grandeur 
 of Athens, its museums, gymnasiums and splen-
 
 30 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 dor abundantly displayed, and saw fit to let it 
 stand as a testimonial of greatness. Turkey de- 
 serves credit for this, if for nothing more. 
 
 We further find that the people of nobility from 
 all over the then known world were winding their 
 way to Hellas, inducing the learned Athenians to 
 visit their countries and establish schools in the 
 various branches of Hellenic studies. Even 
 Csesar himself journeyed there to complete his 
 studies; perfecting his oratory, and attaining all 
 good points he could from them; and it left its 
 mark, those attainments having been the admira- 
 tion of the world during all these many centu- 
 ries. 
 
 The Greek scholars who were driven from their 
 homes to seek a livelihood and a field for their 
 learning were distributed all over Europe; hence 
 their entrance into foreign lands; the beginning 
 of the introduction of Greek methods; and 
 the knowledge thus obtained was used to advan- 
 tage, as we to-day have laws in our country, the 
 roots of which found their first nourishment in 
 Athens. 
 
 I will close now with the happy thoughts of 
 you in my mind. 
 
 As always, yours with love, 
 
 FRED.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 31 
 
 CHICAGO, April 24, 1913. 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 Somehow my thoughts of you are regularly 
 mixed up with history and kindred subjects, yet 
 I do not quite know why I associate a New Yorker 
 with ancient facts about the killing of men, unless 
 it is the suggestion of extermination of one another 
 offered by the struggle of the great financiers there 
 for supremacy in wealth. They must become rich 
 in order to gain commendation, for I judge no 
 other brand of man is acknowledged. 
 
 Manhattan is a hot-house that cultivates noth- 
 ing but greenbacks, yellow flowers, and the hidden 
 microbes which produce the fever for gold, an 
 incurable malady. 
 
 The poor deluded creatures do not know that 
 if they would have flowers in the garden where 
 true happiness grows they must nurture the mind 
 and the heart, and supplement their work by the 
 addition of light and laughter. I don't think I 
 will be a missionary and endeavor to spread this 
 truth, because it will probably be labor lost, and 
 since I have no faith in my own power of persua- 
 sion I would better join you in your travels. 
 
 Then back to ancient history we go, as nothing 
 in the killing line ought to harrow up your soul. 
 I am always looking for something pleasant in
 
 32 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 those old recountings of facts, but nothing ever 
 appears except war, war, war, never ending. 
 All these thousands of years man has been the 
 most vicious animal in all the universe, spending 
 intellect and money that should have been used 
 for the good of the world, and I am never able to 
 stop wondering why Hellas did not achieve all its 
 victories by the excellence of art and literature, 
 and not by force of arms. I think it was the fash- 
 ion to kill, and even with their great polish of 
 mind they could not resist the mode. 
 
 They must have just been suffering for a fight 
 when Alcibiades got busy; his reckless and dis- 
 astrous expeditions, without success from any 
 source, was a terrible blow to the splendid activ- 
 ities of Athens, a blow she never recovered from, 
 and to this day we grieve over the loss. 
 
 While we are discussing the joy of killing, why 
 not give Sparta a hearing 1 ? Those stoical men 
 could be happy on the rack if only this would 
 better strengthen them to fight. No law was 
 good to them unless it benefited the state. And 
 how they enjoyed wholesale murder. They were 
 great fighters. Think of how austere their lives 
 were, just to accomplish this one purpose. No 
 wonder Lycurgus committed suicide. He appar- 
 ently never knew the meaning of the word
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 33 
 
 pleasure while ruling Sparta, though, strange to 
 say, he dedicated a statue to Laughter. 
 
 He spent his life making austere laws and cus- 
 toms, the rigid character of which compelled a 
 simple life. 
 
 This beautiful world has been given us to en- 
 joy, and why should we not make happiness just 
 because it is summer; or because we've found a 
 good book; or a baseball game is on; or some 
 other offering is near. For instance, Book II, 
 which I enclose. 
 
 You will frown when you see I am still flippant, 
 but I know full well this irresistible Plato bust- 
 ness will finally compel me to be serious, and lead 
 my thoughts away from their desecrating godless 
 excursions to a full realization of the splendid 
 stuff I am reading, and then I shall say to myself, 
 hands off ! 
 
 Good-by, from your distant friend, 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK II. THEME JUSTICE 
 
 Comments 
 
 1. Glancon asks just what we can all answer 
 so easily. In which of the classes would you place 
 Justice*? Class one, amid pleasures and enjoy- 
 ments to delight us for a time. Class two, amid 
 knowledge, sight, health, which are desirable not 
 only for themselves, but also for their results? 
 Class three, gymnastics, care of the sick, the vari- 
 ous ways of making money*? 
 
 In which of these 4 ? 
 
 2. Socrates answers. (You know he was so 
 wise it hurt him.) In that class desired both for 
 their own sake and for the sake of their results. 
 I think he means whatever we can make a success 
 of, though he might mean class two; he could 
 never mean class one, when you and I and all the 
 world want that particular class, namely, pleasure 
 and enjoyment. Somehow I like him so much 
 with all his old referendum and recall, and wise 
 teachings, that I wish he had just laughed a little, 
 here and there. No Brighton in Athens. 
 
 34
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 35 
 
 3. Work must be done at the proper time. The 
 labor class was against Capital then as now; that 
 is, no one was an enemy to Capital if they could 
 get it. They were only a positive and never fail- 
 ing enemy to labor the same as in 1913 A. D. 
 
 Business is not disposed to wait until the doer is 
 at leisure, but he must make it his first object, and 
 we are still unable, with all our "boasted progress, 
 to beat the clock, with the exception of those 
 who live on tick. 
 
 4. How invincible and unconquerable is spirit, 
 and how the presence of it makes the soul of 
 any creature absolutely fearless and indomitable. 
 The spirit mentioned here is not the same one 
 that thousands have their minds on every night, 
 as glasses are tipped. 
 
 5. The dog is a true philosopher because he 
 distinguishes a friend or an enemy only by the 
 criterion of knowing and not knowing. Yes, but 
 we are not as wise as dogs. I like to think I am 
 liked. There is no use in knowing what we don't 
 want to know. I'm glad not to be a dog in wis- 
 dom. 
 
 6. True education is gymnastics for the body, 
 music for the soul. Don't you think this favors 
 dancing where the combination occurs? I wish 
 we two could extend our education in that direc-
 
 36 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 tion. We will some day, because, since we are 
 followers of Plato, we must favor what he recom- 
 mends. 
 
 7. Homer's tales should not be admitted into 
 the State because they are lies, and must not be 
 repeated. You know Charles Lamb says in one 
 of his essays that a perfectly truthful person is 
 uncomfortable and ill-mannered, and who was it 
 wrote "A woman can live on lies so they be 
 sweet" ? 
 
 8. God is not the author of all things, but of 
 good only. He did not create evil. If this beau- 
 tiful thought could have possessed all minds, how 
 much suffering might have been averted, re- 
 ligious persecution, wars, the terrible inquisition. 
 Think of it ! If they could have only been Plato- 
 wise. 
 
 9. I agree in all these principles and promise 
 to make them my laws. 
 
 NEW YORK, April 27, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 What is so persistently taking possession of 
 your mind as to cause sudden and obdurate flights 
 to the wonders of an age so far in the distance"?
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 37 
 
 You must not in the peaceful happy solitude of 
 your thoughts allow yourself to pass from the 
 ordinary and comfortable events of the present 
 time to the almost phenomenal occurrences of the 
 past, except as a recreation. Do this for pleasure 
 alone, or not at all ! 
 
 Are you not interested in the great efforts being 
 made from time to time in conquering the air as 
 a means of transit? 
 
 I am of the opinion that these air birds will 
 successfully accomplish their purpose, and when 
 that time comes we will dwell upon the mountains 
 and our homes will be in the high places instead 
 of the valleys. 
 
 True it is that heroism must be assigned the 
 daring men who are performing the many feats 
 in an unknown region, so often resulting in the 
 journey eternal. 
 
 While not detracting from the courage neces- 
 sary to their flights, I must mention that the mone- 
 tary stakes awaiting their success is often the ac- 
 tual cause of this heroism, and without question 
 this is the order of our age, and the spirit of so- 
 called progress that courses through the veins of 
 progressive men is born of the greed for gold. 
 
 Yes, the primary motive is this, and not the inci- 
 dental one, causing the incentive that spurs most
 
 38 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 Americans to take the perilous chance in all fields 
 of endeavor. 
 
 Eliminate the stakes and our country, above all 
 nations, would tumble from her pedestal, because 
 her elevation to-day has for its foundation a rock 
 of gold. 
 
 This is not to be criticised, as it stimulates and 
 compels activity, thereby bringing about results 
 quickly, that would otherwise lag behind, far 
 behind. 
 
 We are no longer waiting idly for our ship to 
 come in, but are working hard to build and equip 
 her, hardly giving time to the promises of future 
 happiness that awaits completion. 
 
 In my few leisure hours I find myself enveloped 
 in thought of you, and promising myself a future 
 of beautiful scenes in which you are the central 
 figure. 
 
 I pray you not to trifle with me, as you always 
 seem to be doing, and to cease making me a king's 
 fool for your amusement. The awakening would 
 be of such severity as to make my life forevermore 
 a discord. 
 
 You alone know the combination, and possess 
 the seals of a heart full of tenderest love for 
 you. Good-by. Yours lovingly, 
 
 FRED.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 39 
 
 CHICAGO, April 30, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 Your premonitions of woe will take flight in 
 the course of time when you know me better. I 
 am really very warm-hearted, little as you suspect 
 it, and not a vulture to devour any susceptible 
 young man that comes my way. 
 
 Let these assurances have weight to overbalance 
 your distrust and cherished suspicion of me, and 
 just think all the nice thoughts you can conjure 
 in that fertile brain of yours, for I like to be 
 loved, and your confectionery language is as good 
 as a box of chocolates. Thanks ! 
 
 I think your very practical view of the persist- 
 ent efforts to travel in the sky are perhaps true, 
 and yet after the hundreds of men who have 
 perished in the struggle to conquer the ever oppos- 
 ing elements, it is only just to call them heroes 
 and to attribute their motives to other desires than 
 those of a mercenary character. This appears 
 altogether too sordid an estimate of their gift of 
 themselves to the service of a great possible at- 
 tainment. 
 
 In the future time you mention, while we are 
 living on the top of the highest mountain with our 
 books and music to enthrall us, and the distant 
 scenery to enchant us, we will only need to give
 
 40 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 our order to the cooperative dinner solicitor, who 
 calls in his airship and returns with the viands 
 piping hot from the kitchen miles away. 
 
 Let us now get back to our first love. I am 
 sending you some more of Plato, with side remarks. 
 It is not surprising he has lived all these past 
 hundreds of years, and Book III, with all its lofty 
 and beautiful thoughts, will carry him forever 
 into the future. 
 
 It is the most visionary and captivating mass of 
 words I ever read. His ruling spirit was far 
 above the earth with all its belittling influences, 
 his attitude being always toward moral and intel- 
 lectual accomplishment. 
 
 When I get to heaven the first thing I shall do 
 will be to find him and ask to be forgiven, and 
 Plato will say: Can a being take from the mind 
 the sunshine which is lurking there 4 ? Or this: 
 Should justice be so severe as to discourage merri- 
 ment? 
 
 In my more lowly words, why should the spirit 
 of mirth ever be depressed, while the wine-cup, 
 brimming over with the distilled joy of living, is 
 closely within your reach"? 
 
 Your talkative loving one, 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK III. THEME THE BEST 
 
 INTEREST OF THE STATE 
 
 Comments 
 
 The youth who could stand the test must have 
 been a Miracle. 
 
 1. To make fearless soldiers a nice pleasant 
 heaven or future life should be taught to young 
 men. This is seriously funny, and if only our 
 present belief could have been taught it would 
 have made a hit, namely, beautiful Angels with 
 golden wings and lovely voices, playing harps. 
 With these awaiting them there the soldiers could 
 prepare the mind to meet death gladly. Can he 
 be fearless to meet this change who believes the 
 world below to be real and terrible*? No; give 
 him a happy place to pass into. 
 
 2. The unpleasant references in Homer about 
 future life must be rejected and the lamentations 
 made over to women, and only to those who are 
 good for nothing and to men of baser sort ; laughter 
 must be excluded as it reacts violently if indulged 
 
 41
 
 42 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 in too freely. Nothing much would be left of 
 Homer when sufficiently rejected, and it is nice 
 to see the women given something to do though 
 it is only to shed the briny. Could they weep to 
 order? Yesterday was yesterday, and to-day is 
 to-day. At present the rule is to laugh three 
 times every day, and let the eaves-spout do the 
 weeping. 
 
 3. Evil cannot come from the gods. This 
 projects so far into the future that we become 
 aware that it was some distance from one side of 
 Plato's head to the other, and as the Englishman 
 said, "Whatan'ead!" 
 
 4. One man can succeed in doing only one 
 thing well. Generally speaking, this is true. 
 Some exceptions, however. There is the gifted 
 Michel Angelo. 
 
 5. Grace and harmony are twin sisters of good- 
 ness and virtue. The youths make these their 
 perpetual study, as imitation beginning in youth 
 becomes a habit and second nature. We can per- 
 ceive in this the wish that life should be organized 
 for the community, nobly idealistic, more in keep- 
 ing with that time and place than this time and 
 any old place. If this ideal state could now be 
 possible, what a heavenly Heaven we should have 
 on Earth.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 43 
 
 6. Ugliness, discord and inharmonious motion 
 are nearly allied to ill words and ill nature. The 
 athlete would become almost in nature a savage 
 if that alone is pursued, and the musician is melted 
 and softened more than he should be if that is his 
 entire attainment, moderation being desired to pro- 
 duce temperance in the soul of the musician and 
 simplicity in gymnastics of health in the body. 
 We Americans also believe in exercise. Oh, yes ! 
 We industriously "fan ourselves in Summer and 
 shiver in Winter," and over-production in music 
 is not giving us any anxiety of mind ; occasionally 
 we attain a right-wing swing. 
 
 7. The body can be cured with the mind. You 
 see they believed in Christian science under an- 
 other method of expressing themselves. Nothing 
 new under the sun. 
 
 8. True love is a love of beauty and order. 
 What did this philosopher know about love? 
 How cold and specter-like seems philosophy, as 
 compared with love's warm and radiant dream. 
 Love does not call upon intellect to express a 
 meaning that it can voice from the heart as it 
 blindly calls for its mate. All true love is blind, 
 and should be, and endures until sight is restored. 
 Then comes the awakening. 
 
 9. True education has an influence to make
 
 44 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 them more gentle and considerate to their equals 
 and to those under their protection. This fact 
 seems to be always true. 
 
 10. These youths for the future rulers must 
 possess the divine metal unmixed with the dross of 
 common men. And yet, we never think of a man 
 as an angel. Try and picture a man with wings. 
 
 1 1 . The State should care for them and they 
 must lead the simple life, honor in place of money, 
 pleasures denied. 
 
 12. These are the relations appointed for our 
 guardians, concerning their habits and other mat- 
 ters. 
 
 NEW YORK, May 3, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 How will I attempt to describe the feeling of 
 joy that possessed me upon the receipt of your 
 letter*? 
 
 I find myself hopelessly incapable of accom- 
 plishing that end, and will abandon the fruitless 
 effort. 
 
 It is indeed strange how unconsciously one's 
 mind is directed toward a dear friend. What 
 part mysterious nature plays in the life of a man 
 no one can tell. Such was the power that on the
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 45 
 
 very day I received your letter a premonition 
 came to me that in some way connected Chicago 
 and myself, so evanescent, that I could not fathom 
 the cause of this hidden charm, which tried to tell 
 me a surprise awaited my arrival home, and when 
 I found your dear letter there, all was known. 
 
 Having read your comments, will say I think 
 you will be able to cajole Plato into forgiveness 
 because of the environment. You could have no 
 hope on this waste of Earth, but Heaven is an- 
 other consideration. 
 
 In your selections the words "honor in place of 
 money" occur, and that is the code even in New 
 York, though changed to "honor and money." 
 
 You know the love of money is strong because 
 if you have enough it gives you the opportunity 
 to impress yourself upon your own little world, 
 and there is freedom in a bank account. It means 
 strength and pray do not have a temperamental 
 distrust of the great money kings here as being 
 something dangerous and ready to destroy. That 
 is all a mistake. They move in the line of prog- 
 ress; they build libraries; they give great sums 
 for educational purposes and medical research; 
 they are the power behind the throne. 
 
 Good-night, dearest. My heart and brain be- 
 long to you. I chase the dreams and phantoms
 
 46 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 that pursue me by day, as well as by night, but 
 they hover over me and will not depart. 
 Yours always, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, May 6, 1913. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 Am I to infer that your Chicago girl is the cause 
 of those dreams and phantoms that must be chased 
 away 1 ? My one hundred and thirty-five pounds 
 avoirdupois ought to make a substantial appari- 
 tion and offer difficulties to the chase act. Why 
 make the effort*? Let those dreams hover. En- 
 courage them not to depart. 
 
 While persuading myself that your letter was 
 alluring, and while lingering over its contents 
 with the determined thought that you were re- 
 sponding with words of murmurous silence which 
 seemed to whisper to me in the most enchanting 
 way, I suddenly became conscious that I was work- 
 ing my imagination to the limit, for all at once 
 I could plainly see, in spite of the aforesaid per- 
 suasion of my heart's desire, that your letter was 
 really giving me a good shaking up and you were 
 doing your best to put me right upon nearly every- 
 thing I had previously written you.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 47 
 
 Thanks ! I will only add that my angelic tem- 
 perament enables me to handle it with benevolence 
 and to assure you upon honor, fingers crossed, that 
 any letter from you is so precious that I prize it 
 above rubies, no matter what the contents are. 
 
 Next time you roast, however, please make the 
 kindling of love's flame, since consistency is a 
 jewel which I am wearing for you alone. 
 
 And now I gladly hit the trail to those foreign, 
 ancient lands in the journey which is affording 
 us such delight, and before we fairly start I want 
 to give you a few more plagiarisms on Plato, who 
 is not at present in a position to defend himself. 
 
 1. If a man is evil to himself to whom is he 
 good? 
 
 2. Seek a scene that is fair and a day that is 
 glorious. How then can thy gold become dim? 
 
 3. Be true to some purpose; who then will dis- 
 cover you are a clam 1 ? 
 
 4. Would you be a lover of the public welfare*? 
 Then bear on your breast the cross of self-sacrifice. 
 
 AFTER PLATO. 
 
 We will never have the ideal government he 
 has written about, but when summed up our reach 
 should be short of what we would grasp, or noth- 
 ing would be left to strive for.
 
 48 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 When we lament that Hellas engaged in wars 
 which finally brought ruin, it is wise to remember 
 the Marathon victory under Miltiades against the 
 Persians, which stemmed the tide of the barbari- 
 ans, and gave Europe the opportunity of gaining 
 civilization. 
 
 Had the fortunes of war brought a different 
 end to this decisive battle, the day of enlighten- 
 ment would have been delayed indefinitely. 
 
 Good-night! Our friendship has not yet been 
 marred by mental agitation, and hoping the silken 
 shackles that bind us lightly now may never be 
 forged of steel which will encompass us in a cable 
 strand admitting of no untying, I am 
 Yours without counterfeit, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, May 9, 1913. 
 My Dearest Kate: 
 
 It is only lately, in fact since the arrival of your 
 letter, that I have acquired a new mental phe- 
 nomenon and am able to keep full possession of 
 my thinking machine to the extermination of those 
 sweet dreams already mentioned and which you 
 advise retained. 
 
 Not to take the counsel of a dear disinterested
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 49 
 
 friend seems foolhardy in the extreme, and may 
 undo all your brave work in that up-to-date teach- 
 ing which you have undertaken, but I am taking 
 the risk, and thus far have been successful. The 
 perplexing portion being that the mental deter- 
 mination is at times governed by the choice of the 
 heart. 
 
 One cannot always be a winner. He or she 
 must be guided, if not totally at least in part, by 
 the inclination that comes unawares. There are 
 hundreds one may meet; and one only of the many 
 that torments and challenges and will not be put 
 entirely aside. 
 
 Anaxagoras says, "Reason rules the world," 
 and I am trying vigorously to be his true fol- 
 lower. 
 
 In looking back to the "Heroic age of Greece," 
 I note with wonder and admiration the civiliza- 
 tion that existed at that remote time. Consider- 
 ing the lapse of years intervening from then to the 
 present, we have gained but little upon them, 
 only, you might say, in certain inventions to save 
 time and in bringing the world nearer together. 
 
 The progress we have made in many cases is 
 but a betterment along the same line. Take, for 
 instance, their manner of living; after advancing 
 themselves from a state of barbarism when they
 
 50 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 lived in scattered villages like the tribes of Gaul 
 and Germany to their abode in fortified towers 
 which afforded them protection and finally to 
 dwell in palaces of elegance, glittering with gold 
 and silver, and adorned with fine specimens of 
 art that have never been equaled, and an educa- 
 tion in themselves. 
 
 They clothed themselves in beautiful garments, 
 the materials of which were derived from the 
 finest productions, and fashioned artistically. 
 
 The most essential metals were in use then as 
 now, and many of them wrought in beautiful 
 shapes, and fashioned in jewelry, that has been 
 copied for the goddesses of fashion ever since that 
 day. 
 
 They traveled in chariots drawn by spirited 
 horses, something we have but recently improved 
 upon; they navigated the sea for pleasure by 
 easily propelled galleys. Our motor replaces this, 
 but the rowboat still exists; so, you see, there is 
 little to brag about, and we are still following in 
 the wake of Greek and Roman invention. 
 
 And now, my modern enchantress, Greek, 
 American or direct from portals above, good-night 
 to you. 
 
 Lovingly, 
 
 FRED.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 51 
 
 CHICAGO, May 12, 1913. 
 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 Your tranquil mind is a source of great gratifi- 
 cation to me, and henceforth I shall picture you 
 hourly day and night going through an inflexi- 
 ble course of calisthenics of the heart. 
 
 My defeat seems to be final; but a battle is 
 never lost until it is won; and resolutions are 
 often spasmodically made to be as often broken; 
 so I am bolstering up my faltering courage with 
 the thought that when the heart suggests phan- 
 toms and dreams, as in your case, the mind might 
 as well accept all conditions and surrender. 
 
 You will find in this letter Book IV, and it will 
 do you good to read it carefully. 
 
 You say we have not made the progress that 
 should have been made in all these many hundred 
 years. That may be true, but there is one person 
 way back there in olden times that ought to be 
 here right now. Poor Epicuras! He certainly 
 lived too early on this planet. The automobile, 
 the airship, and other modern inventions would 
 have been a great delight to him, and how splen- 
 didly he would have written about them. I wish 
 he could come back. Why did not these gifted 
 people forestall our splendid achievements'? You
 
 52 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 certainly must give this age some credit. Think 
 of Marconi ! He would have been made a god 
 in ancient Hellas. 
 
 Do you know we have never mentioned the 
 "Olympic Games," and they were of such deep 
 interest, occurring every four years for one thou- 
 sand centuries, and no intervention in all that 
 period. 
 
 The opportunity to read or recite their literary 
 efforts must have been a wonderful incentive to 
 the poets, historians, and other writers. 
 
 And the great athletes who were proclaimed 
 victors became so showered with honors that the 
 wonder is it did not turn their heads. 
 
 The glory was all their own and seemed to raise 
 them to a height not to be reached by any human, 
 unless aided by supernatural powers. 
 
 The games that have been established on simi- 
 lar lines in our time, and which so closely corre- 
 spond with those of old, are receiving such wide- 
 spread attention that the victors may assume the 
 lordship and likewise be covered with the glory 
 that equipped those athletes they are imitating. 
 
 How absurd our boys of to-day would look 
 crowned with garlands and marching in a proces- 
 sion. This is where they will ramble away from
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 53 
 
 the past, and now I will take a rapid course away 
 from you and thus hope to obtain your favor. 
 Your own loving 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK IV. THEME TEMPERANCE 
 
 AND WISDOM 
 
 Comments 
 
 1. There seems to be two causes for the de- 
 terioration of the arts. Wealth and poverty. 
 Both are the parents of discontent. Any city is 
 divided into two, one the city of the poor, the 
 other of the rich. These are at war with one an- 
 other, then no "cuttings" are produced, the cush 
 still fastens to the damper. 
 
 2. Education and nurture improve the man 
 and effect the breed the same as in other animals. 
 Keene has said to the contrary: "You can im- 
 prove the breed of a horse, but not a man." 
 
 3. When the modes of music change, the fun- 
 damental laws of the State change with them. 
 The direction in which education starts a man 
 will determine his future life. Is it possible our 
 bad laws, grafting and dishonesty, can be due to 
 rag-time'? Quite probable. 
 
 4. In the human soul there is a better and also 
 a worse principle. When the better has control 
 
 54
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 55 
 
 a man is said to be master of himself. The worse 
 having control, he is blamed and unprincipled. 
 The former are found in the best born and best 
 educated. Temperance is a sort of harmony. 
 
 5. Wisdom makes the State wise. Courage 
 makes it valiant. They each reside in a part 
 only. Not so temperance, which runs through 
 all notes of the scale, pervading the stronger, the 
 middle and weaker classes. 
 
 6. Glaucon says: I have just eyes enough to 
 see what -is shown ; that is about as much as I am 
 good for. There are others. Many have eyes 
 that cannot see. 
 
 7. The soul of him who desires is seeking after 
 the object of his desire, or that he is drawing to 
 himself the thing which he wishes to possess. 
 Likes or dislikes exist in many forms. 
 
 8. The forbidding principle is derived from rea- 
 son, and that which bids and attracts proceeds 
 from passion and disease. Anger goes to war 
 with desire as though they were two distinct things. 
 
 9. Is passion different from reason, or only a 
 kind of reason? Is not passion or spirit, when 
 not corrupted by bad education, the natural auxil- 
 iary of reason? Quotation from Homer. 
 
 " He smote his breast and thus rebuked his soul."
 
 56 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 10. Then is not virtue the health and beauty 
 and well being of the soul, and vice the disease 
 and weakness and deformity of the same*? 
 
 NEW YORK, May 16, 1913. 
 My Dear Friend: 
 
 The thought of you creates happiness which is 
 stimulated by the receipt of your letter. 
 
 What soothing ingredients your words contain 
 for a troubled and depressed mind, and I am tak- 
 ing your counsel while surrendering to the invisi- 
 ble power you exert over me. 
 
 Not with humility and vexation am I yielding, 
 for I am proud and happy in laying my weapons 
 of defense at your feet. I would be doing an 
 injustice to myself if I put from me a promise 
 of happiness because reason and obstinacy bid 
 me fortify myself against the invasion of such 
 sweet content as you bring into my life. 
 
 Circumstances have developed since last I wrote 
 to compel me to work almost constantly, owing to 
 the burning of a large structure here, which was 
 filled with treasure. 
 
 I saw the removal of millions of wealth the 
 other day, and in contrasting this scene with the 
 account of Julius Csesar removing the trophies of
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 57 
 
 Marcius, I wondered if history must forever and 
 ever repeat itself. 
 
 I am one of the atoms to be disturbed, and am 
 taxed with the heavy burden of duplicating pa- 
 pers from the files, consequently am working hard 
 with plenty of overtime, and am not in my usual 
 good health. Nothing serious, I trust. 
 Your pliant and unresisting prey, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, May 20, 1913. 
 Dearest Fred: 
 
 Now I am writing to give you a good scold- 
 ing. You must not work so hard. I will not 
 allow it! Are you not my comrade, and does 
 not that give me the right to command you for 
 your own good 4 ? 
 
 Yes, it does, and I forbid you to risk your health 
 and give extra time to any old Company's mil- 
 lions. Are you listening, and will you obey 4 ? 
 Do listen! and please note my commands are 
 caresses in disguise. 
 
 One more command. Do not write that west- 
 ern correspondent of yours who is so exacting, and 
 expects so much of you, a single word about any 
 old history or tiresome topic o'f the present day,
 
 58 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 or vex your tired mind with puzzles; merely 
 write : 
 
 "Dear Kate: 
 
 "I am tired, and shall be until this difficult 
 work is over. Send me a long letter and write 
 only that which will relax your mind. 
 
 "Yours, 
 
 "Fred:' 
 
 Or you might write "My Dearest Kate: 
 (She liked that when you wrote it.) Please 
 write one of your long letters in answer to these 
 few words, making it saucy, as usual, because I 
 need something commonplace to rest my weary 
 brain. 
 
 "Yours, 
 
 "Fred. 
 
 "P. S. Give Hellas, Rome, China & Co. a 
 rest!" 
 
 I am quite certain you will say of yourself 
 presently that you must be in possession of a stoic 
 philosophy worthy of Zeno himself and all his 
 followers to work beyond your strength, as you 
 are doing. 
 
 When I think of the bunch of money that passes 
 through your hands every thirty days for others
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 59 
 
 I wonder it does not go to your head and make 
 you woosey. 
 
 I should not like you if you had the money 
 making disease. All you need is the every day 
 necessities and a few luxuries, and you are much 
 happier with just enough. 
 
 Why anyone should want more is a mystery, 
 when there are so many better things in this lovely 
 world of ours. We need one more command- 
 ment. "Be serious only when asleep." 
 
 I have never felt the least ambition to increase 
 the amount left me by those who have gone. 
 They provided for me, and why should I vex my 
 thoughts with such perplexities? 
 
 I believe when the passion for untold wealth 
 gets hold of a person it takes possession of all 
 faculties, and creates a greedy selfishness that 
 grasps everything in sight, and also that which is 
 unseen, no matter what the cost to others may be. 
 
 I repeat, do not work too hard or you will break 
 down ! and those millions are not worth it. 
 
 How thoughtless I have been never to have 
 asked you about your work. Somehow I have 
 always thought of you as free from care, and you 
 seemed the embodiment of health and happiness. 
 
 My knowledge of you has its limitations. I 
 only know you are tall and good to look at; that
 
 60 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 you like the opera; you carry an umbrella to the 
 seashore; you are opposed to the Chinese Repub- 
 lic, and that you like Plato. 
 
 Tell me about yourself. Are you fond of out- 
 door sports; are you extravagant; do you like the 
 theater; are you a baseball enthusiast; ambitious 
 to travel; would you like to go to India; and 
 could you eat pie with a spoon, as the English do; 
 are you selfish; are you fond of writing letters'? 
 
 Whatever your habits, I know my King could 
 do no wrong. 
 
 A heart full of love, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, May 25, 1913. 
 My Dearest Kate: 
 
 The endearing term, which you maintain you 
 like, befits the light in which I hold you, and I 
 cannot allow you to say you are exacting, even in 
 jest. 
 
 It seems impossible for me to find an expres- 
 sion in words that will do justice to my gratitude 
 and pride in the possession of your letters. They 
 are a solace when all else allows of no comfort. 
 Truly indeed would things look less bright with-
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 61 
 
 out you to think of, even though it is only in the 
 region of thought I can behold you. 
 
 Your commands I have been compelled to dis- 
 obey, and am still working hard, though I greatly 
 deplore the necessity of the strain upon my health. 
 
 This stress will soon be over now, and I would 
 not be so unreasonable as to refuse to do this ex- 
 tra work when such occasion calls for it. 
 
 You know he who does only what he gets paid 
 for never gets paid for any more than he does. 
 
 You ask in a previous topic why Greece and 
 Rome, in' their golden age, did not acquire our late 
 inventions. 
 
 It is a difficult question to answer, but I am of 
 the impression that those people could not have 
 crowded much more into the space of their period 
 of achievement, and who knows but even greater 
 wonders than those we have in the present time 
 would have sprung forth from them for posterity, 
 were it not for the intervention of wars that 
 caused civil unrest and made it necessary for them 
 to turn their minds and means to the support of 
 an army for their own salvation"? 
 
 How can we know of what was latent in the 
 brain of some of those splendid youths that were 
 sacrificed on the battlefield*? 
 
 I can have no suspicion of a doubt that their
 
 62 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 ability to fashion anything we have in this age 
 could have been accomplished, had inclination di- 
 rected them in the lines we are following. 
 
 Are you pulling away from our Plato tie"? 
 Why are the comments not coming my way*? 
 
 According to this writer, "Each planet has a 
 siren, who sings a song harmonizing with the mo- 
 tion of her own planet, and also with all others." 
 Music of the spheres, and I am in sympathy with 
 the very word "Music" ; it is my life. 
 
 In answer to your various questions. I may 
 not always be good, but I will always be your own. 
 I gratify nearly every wish I have, which some- 
 times calls for an expenditure that might be con- 
 sidered extravagant, as compared to my salary. 
 I hate baseball; all outdoor sports I am enthusi- 
 astic over, with this one exception. Yes, I would 
 like to travel the world over, and even eat pie 
 with a spoon if you would keep me in fellow- 
 ship. 
 
 I must leave you now, but not in thought; 
 happy thoughts that remain ever with you. 
 
 Thanking you for your solicitude and good 
 counsel, which I regret not being able to follow, 
 I am 
 
 Your true friend, 
 
 FRED.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 63 
 
 CHICAGO, May 28, 1913. 
 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 You have now fully recovered your health, I 
 judge, from your flight back to the land that 
 binds us, and the tie you mention is not loosening, 
 for I am now sending you Book V. 
 
 According to your own suggestion, this is the 
 staff upon which we lean and which holds our 
 fellowship, and I am so honored by the associa- 
 tion that I do not wish one of the supports to be 
 incomplete. I am not needing the additional 
 prop of a journey or a spoon, not even if pure 
 silver with gold lining and warranted to last. 
 
 I wish I could have been near you during the 
 time you were not in your usual good health ; that 
 is, I wish I had not been a thousand miles away. 
 
 Strange that I did not know by some subtle in- 
 stinct you were suffering. I should have come 
 to you every day in the shape of a gay letter to 
 chase away that clinging indisposition, and a long 
 letter to help pass some of those tedious hours 
 not devoted to business, in which you could find 
 time to be ill. 
 
 Our messengers brought me no tidings, and 
 what is one to do in the presence of incompetent 
 heralds, and lack of premonition*? I see clearly
 
 64 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 that the East wind and the stars are not to be de- 
 pended upon, and we must still place confidence 
 in the usual carrier. 
 
 In the light of the finest constellation in the 
 heavens and the gentle breeze proving false, had 
 we not better annex the sun and the moon 4 ? We 
 need all sources of supply. 
 
 You are yourself again, and I will suggest that 
 we meet and walk about beneath the trees and 
 porticos of the Lyceum, Athens, while discussing 
 these dialogues of Plato, instead of this coldly 
 written letter. A great deal of inspiration goes 
 with combination. 
 
 We can hear the rejoicings and festivities of 
 the Bride and Bridegroom, and listen closely 
 to the songs composed in their honor. They are 
 offering themselves a sacrifice. Oh, no! I must 
 be reading that incorrectly. Yes, of course, how 
 stupid I am. Paragraph nine says, "There will 
 be a sacrifice offered." The meaning is quite dif- 
 ferent and now clear to me. Is it to you*? 
 
 Two people in love could understand, and those 
 who are not ought to be ignored as not deserving 
 to comprehend anything in the heaven above or 
 in the earth beneath. 
 
 No art of man can annihilate or change this 
 source of awakened knowledge, and we dare not
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 65 
 
 question why it is true. We only accept it for 
 all the exalting glory it brings. 
 
 I am not acquainted with myself when I ven- 
 ture into these unknown regions of thought, and 
 I will now accord with the customs of the place 
 we are in and ask questions. 
 
 Why is epic poetry not the fashion now"? 
 Everything is more interesting where there is a 
 story. 
 
 Why is it not possible for our artists to equal 
 or even excel those of Hellas in works of art*? 
 
 Why does night seem unsullied by falsehood"? 
 
 When darkness comes the clouds disappear and 
 all nature appears to be in harmony. I love the 
 night. 
 
 The objects which are habitually before us as- 
 sume a repose seeming near, and we can make 
 friends with the melancholy trees and flowers that 
 are sighing a little as they are kissed with dew. 
 
 At this hour the emotions triumph, and all sen- 
 timent would be starved if it were not for the 
 serenity that the darkness brings. 
 
 I will now tell you emphatically that if you 
 were aware with what impatience I await your 
 words you will not keep me in suspense long. 
 With all love to you, 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK V. THEME WOMEN AND 
 
 CHILDREN 
 
 Comments 
 
 1. Convention ought not to stand in the way 
 of higher good. This thought has made such 
 havoc in the present time that holding down home 
 plate is a difficult play, and a stolen base of fre- 
 quent occurrence. There is no convention for the 
 day of Judgment. 
 
 2. You are quite right in maintaining the gen- 
 eral inferiority of the female sex, and this, too, 
 prevails in the present age. Plato has not the 
 monopoly of this Hellenic thought no matter! 
 the fact remains that what "Woman wills God 
 wills." 
 
 3. Should not their custom be to save the 
 Greek States from civil war, considering the dan- 
 ger which there is that the whole race may one 
 day fall under the yoke of the Barbarians'? This 
 wise man penetrated the future, as that was actu- 
 ally what wrecked their glorious Country. Those 
 
 men of Greece became so intellectually beany, 
 
 66
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 67 
 
 they looked far down on the hordes that finally 
 conquered them. Sad for all time was the day 
 when "Greece her knee in suppliance bent," and 
 it is difficult to picture one of those old Stoics 
 on bended knee, although they could bend because 
 all their muscles worked well except those of the 
 heart. This also might apply to many men of 
 the present day, especially the Englishmen. 
 
 4. There is a difference in the names Discord 
 and War. One expresses internal or domestic, 
 and the other external or foreign, troubles. If 
 only we - had no such words as discord, war, 
 destruction and humiliation, then the whole 
 world would catch a glimpse of the vision beau- 
 tiful. 
 
 5. Are the ideals fully realized in language? 
 Does not the word express more than the fact, and 
 must not the actual fall far short of the truth 1 ? 
 Yes, words fail to express ideals or sensations. 
 No combination of mere words can tell the loud 
 silence of the sea ; the magic of the morning when 
 the sun is rising; the triumph of a great storm 
 that has the power to subdue fear, and what 
 words can tell of love, "The light that never was 
 on land or sea." 
 
 6. Until political greatness and wisdom meet 
 in one, Cities will never have rest from their evils.
 
 68 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 No, nor the human race. Is it not really ridicu- 
 lous we cannot be good and send this bugbear 
 evil to the most distant place on the earth? In 
 fact, we have sent a large portion to India, and 
 it is quite sure to remain there. English, you 
 know. 
 
 7. True philosophers are those who are the lov- 
 ers of the vision of truth. Those who love the 
 truth in each thing are to be called lovers of wis- 
 dom, and not lovers of opinion. Assuredly ! No 
 dispute on this score and yet how easy to be 
 unwise and tell a lie, and then we would gladly 
 bring back our words at cable rates, especially 
 now they have been reduced one-half. 
 
 8. Women are to have the same duties as men. 
 They must have the same education even in music, 
 gymnastics and war. 
 
 9. Had we not better appoint certain festivals 
 at which the bride and bridegroom will meet and 
 there will be sacrifice offered, suitable hymeneal 
 songs composed by our poets'? The children of 
 these unions shall in this way be proper, and be- 
 come the care of the State, but the offspring not 
 having the blessings of sacrifice and prayer shall 
 be in darkness. 
 
 10. The law says when a man is acquitted he 
 is free from guilt.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 69 
 
 NEW YORK, June 2, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 Your description of the happiness you find in 
 the night is quite in accord with the experience 
 of many millions of human beings. 
 
 In the solitude of the dark hours when all the 
 hum of the busy day is gone, one's reflections be- 
 come fanciful, and the beauties of the night make 
 an impression that the same scene by day could 
 not excite. Homer says: 
 
 "Now Juno, large-eyed and august, bade set 
 The never wearied sun; unwillingly 
 He sank into the ocean stream." 
 
 I, too, find myself building air castles during 
 such hours of the night in which you are the prin- 
 cess and I the prince, and I yield to perfect con- 
 tentment, for you are bringing a joy into my life 
 which has heretofore been filled only with practi- 
 cal everyday thoughts, and hard work. 
 
 I have a disinclination to write of myself fur- 
 ther. In fact, I dare not! Your lessons are be- 
 ing well learned, and I would prefer a regular 
 exercise of your approbation than the four vol- 
 umes of disapproval which I know would follow 
 were I to continue. 
 
 How is it that in all this time we have scarcely
 
 70 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 mentioned Homer ^ Three thousand years since 
 this celebrated poet lived, and his works are cele- 
 brated to-day, as of yore ; never on the decrease. 
 
 The modern world competes with and, if possi- 
 ble, even exceeds in competition with the ancient 
 world in doing him honor, for you remember 
 Plato advised an elimination of certain portions 
 of his work, and there is no possible omission to- 
 day. All is unconditionally accepted. 
 
 Painting and sculpture owe to Homer their 
 models in the heroes of his "Iliad," and poetry 
 has been molded by his master mind. Seven 
 cities claimed the honor of having given him birth, 
 and the literature of all nations has been influ- 
 enced by his writings. 
 
 The life of Homer is almost unknown. The 
 story of his wandering from place to place, singing 
 his poems, has been argued against and reasoned 
 away by some writers, the claim being advanced 
 that the beautiful language could not have been 
 handed down from mouth to mouth one genera- 
 tion after another. 
 
 The claim that he was blind is also doubtful, 
 as his descriptions of scenes could only have been 
 made by one who is able to see the beauties of 
 Nature. Note his many fine word descriptions 
 of the Aurora, the rising light of the morning.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 71 
 
 "Now Dawn, the goddess, climbed the Olympian height 
 Foretelling day to Jupiter and all 
 The immortal gods." 
 
 "Now when the early rosy-fingered Dawn 
 Looked forth, the people gathered round the pile 
 Of glorious Hector." 
 
 With a heart full of the deepest love for you, 
 and awaiting your response with joy, I am 
 
 Truly thine own 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, June 8, 1913. 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 And I am responding with joy, for your treas- 
 ured letter has supported me during the last few 
 days, that is, mentally. Surely you are not so 
 far away as we think, for you are vivid to me 
 this moment, and I am saying to myself, this is 
 not Sixty-fourth Street, it is "Fortune Boule- 
 vard," and the Elysian fields are all about us. 
 
 We are finding it difficult to discuss a day gone 
 by, or several of them, because we just want to 
 hold hands and look in each other's eyes, so I 
 must hurry up and tell you I am sending a waver- 
 ing prop in Plato's Book VI, and I wish Glaucon 
 would not ask so many, many questions. I am
 
 72 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 forming the habit, and if I have not been to the 
 game, and meet anyone I know I at once begin 
 saying: Who won*? What's the score? Who 
 pitched*? Did the fans keep up their marvelous 
 yelling endurance 1 ? Did the players ignore, as 
 usual, the valuable suggestions of the crowd? 
 And all my questions are answered the same as 
 Glaucon's, by persons much wiser than Socrates 
 could possibly be, especially in this particular line. 
 
 In writing about encounters, I am reminded of 
 an article I read the other day about the fighting 
 that is taking place between Turkey and one coun- 
 try after another over there. 
 
 The statement was made that the real cause 
 of the wars seemed to be the same old strife be- 
 tween Christian and Moslem, and when reading 
 this, in spite of the atrocities and horror of it all, 
 I could not help laughing at the awfully funny 
 idea of going in our times on a missionary errand, 
 with a gun in one hand and a sword in the other; 
 a third hand ought to have been supplied for 
 carrying the Bible. 
 
 We have had so many of these religious wars 
 in the past. Will the Peace Commission stop this 
 rage and bitterness? 
 
 I have not yet thanked you for the beautiful 
 cards you sent me. I do thank you ! and I study
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 73 
 
 them. Is it for the sake of making you seem 
 real and not far away that I do so, or because of 
 the lovely hand work you have placed upon 
 them 1 ? Both motives claim recognition, because 
 I like to think you are close to me, and the artistic 
 work excites my ardent attention and admiration. 
 
 You are certainly employing your stray mo- 
 ments of leisure to great advantage. An Italian, 
 and this is an inherited gift from some distant 
 ancestor named Perugino or Tintoretto"? 
 
 You do not know all the nice things I am think- 
 ing about you, and I will not tell. Why should 
 you not give your fancy a loose rein and find them 
 yourself? Laughingly yours, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, June 14, 1913. 
 Dear Kate: 
 
 Your flippant letter is here, and it inclines me 
 to the belief that the trouble with most girls is 
 the destitution of real sound stuffing in that re- 
 gion where the brain is supposed to be located. 
 
 Did you succeed in getting all your questions 
 about the baseball game answered that day? 
 And by what terrible mischance were you absent 
 from the game?
 
 74 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 The struggle between one team and another is 
 a tearing whirlwind, man-grabbing fuss, and the 
 uncomfortable spectators who are misnamed 
 "fans" are really maniacs assisted by nine men 
 in uniform, their only merit being the fact of 
 having enriched the American vocabulary (*?). 
 
 You are a genius in one direction and have the 
 proper equipment for destroying a man's ideals. 
 I have known you liked the game, but I could not 
 know you were so enthusiastic in your choice of 
 amusements as you seem to be. 
 
 I deeply regret the fact of your being so inter- 
 ested as to attend the games and wish you would 
 discontinue. 
 
 If my request seems an impertinence, and a 
 presumption upon our slight acquaintance, I re- 
 call it, and will endeavor to avoid pitfalls of this 
 nature in the future. 
 
 Yours commandingly, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, June 19, 1913. 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 There is no strategy in a stroke of lightning, 
 but I am well protected, so it matters not 
 how hard I am hit. Your judgment, O Worthy
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 75 
 
 Judge, though so very smoothly and artfully ex- 
 pressed, has given me a chill, from which I shall 
 not soon be able to recover, and I am wondering 
 if you are the spirit of assurance incarnated in 
 human form, and sent to me for the purpose of 
 making a home-run on the lecture course. 
 
 In your frame of mind no argument will be 
 convincing, and I will not defend the baseball 
 game, but simply confess that the trouble with 
 me is, I cannot be both happy and wise at the 
 same time, and, therefore, will continue to attend 
 the great American Game because I find pleasure 
 there, and consider happiness to be more desirable 
 than wisdom. 
 
 Your letter plainly shows your apparently nat- 
 ural characteristics are prompting you to such an 
 extent that you are eager for a fight, and you have 
 chosen an unworthy antagonist. 
 
 Good-by, my unsympathetic comrade. 
 
 Yours guardedly, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, June 23, 1913. 
 Dear Kate: 
 
 You certainly understand the fall-away slide, 
 and as I want to be a top-notcher with you, I shall
 
 76 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 get some speed, and hasten right back to express 
 myself in the language you will understand. 
 
 I think Ancient history is a safer ground for 
 us than the diamond. Your disdain of my re- 
 quest I undoubtedly merit, but you know it is 
 not absolute justice I am seeking from you, it is 
 the quality of mercy I implore. 
 
 "We buy at a price the fool can't count, 
 And the coward's afraid to pay, 
 The most we gain is the blind black pain, 
 Yet we keep right on in the fray." 
 
 While the war cloud is hovering over us and 
 we are trying the hazardous and disenchanting 
 game of a word contest, allow me to suggest that 
 you may underrate your foe, as my nerve is steady, 
 and I am practicing repression. 
 
 Yours indifferently, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, June 27, 1913. 
 My Dear Frederick: 
 
 Do not injure your steady nerve by beating 
 against your cage. My poor bear! I will feed 
 you sugar so you won't bite any more. There! 
 be good! and let your forgiveness shine forth in 
 its brightest radiance, that the darkness encircling 
 me through your disapproval may disappear.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 77 
 
 I will make a great effort to understand you 
 in your own language, that you may not punish 
 yourself with anything so foreign to you as base- 
 ball slang. 
 
 While raising the white flag and suing for 
 peace I am sadly neglecting all those old wars, 
 which, as you say, prove to be a safe path for 
 you and me. 
 
 The real battles that we know have taken place 
 are not half so interesting as that imaginary one 
 of Troy, and the story of Helen in the Iliad never 
 grows old. 
 
 The mingling of gods and men in directing the 
 encounters between the Trojan and Greek armies 
 indicates how closely men encouraged the support 
 of their gods, believing in their assistance and 
 never doubting the blessings they would bring. 
 
 I am sending you Book VI as a peace offering, 
 for you can bear no malice nor unkind thoughts 
 while reading Plato. Not you ! Not I ! 
 
 I hope this will reach you while you are in a 
 loving and forgiving mood and before you have 
 accumulated a few tons of ''repression" to practice 
 on me. 
 
 Your loving, unsuppressed 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK VI. THEME UNITY OF STATE 
 
 No Comments 
 
 1. Is there anything more akin to wisdom than 
 truth? 
 
 2. Evil is a greater enemy to what is good than 
 to what is not. The finest natures when under 
 alien conditions receive more injury than the in- 
 ferior, because the contrast is greater. 
 
 3. Great natures only will accomplish great 
 things, either in the individual or the state 
 for good, or for evil. 
 
 4. All great attempts are attended with risk. 
 
 5. As life advances let them increase the gym- 
 nastics of the soul. 
 
 6. Can a man help imitating that which he 
 holds reverential*? 
 
 7. Glaucon urges Socrates to give an explana- 
 tion of the good as he already had given of justice, 
 temperance, and the other virtues. 
 
 8. Socrates answers: The good is the author 
 
 78
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 79 
 
 of all knowledge to all things known, and far ex- 
 ceeds essence in dignity and power. 
 
 9. Glaucon said, with a ludicrous earnestness, 
 By the light of heaven, how amazing! 
 
 10. The ear and voice need no addition to ful- 
 fill their requirements, and also the other senses, 
 except the eye. Sight depends upon light, for 
 light is a bond and no ignoble thing. The eye 
 is more like the sun, and the sun is the author of 
 sight, and in the relation to sight what the good 
 is in the intellectual world in relation to mind, 
 and the things of the mind. The eyes see but 
 dimly, and are nearly blind when looking upon 
 objects, by the light of the moon and stars only, 
 and the soul is like the eye when resting upon 
 that on which truth and being shine; the soul 
 perceives and understands and is radiant with in- 
 telligence, but when turned toward the twilight 
 of evil she seems to have no intelligence. 
 
 1 1 . Good is higher than science. It is the won- 
 der of beauty, the author of science and truth, and 
 yet surpasses them. Is pleasure the good 4 ? 
 
 12. A clearer notion of arts and of good can be 
 contemplated by the understanding than by the 
 senses. Let there be four faculties in the soul. 
 Reason first, the highest understanding second, 
 faith or conviction third, perception fourth.
 
 8o PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 These faculties have clearness in the same degree 
 that their objects have truth. 
 
 NEW YORK, July i, 1913. 
 My Dearest Kate: 
 
 To gratify your desires is a task I fully enjoy, 
 and I am ever ready to exert myself to the best 
 of my ability in accomplishing whatever you ask. 
 
 I own to selfishness in wishing you to seek other 
 amusements than those you most enjoy, and I 
 must plead that love for you alone robbed me of 
 deliberation of thought, or a sense of justice. 
 This alone is responsible for my hasty words, 
 and you know the more you love a person the more 
 furious with rage you can become, if something 
 meets with your disapproval. 
 
 Now that our heart-beats keep pace with each 
 hour of the day and all the threatening clouds have 
 vanished, we can again become interested in those 
 subjects which our present cessation of hostilities 
 will enable us to traverse smoothly. 
 
 Do not forget that you are my haven, and I 
 am like a distressed ship seeking a safe harbor 
 from the storm. Our love barque, which has 
 lately been so threatened, is safely in port and all 
 is forgiven.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 81 
 
 This gives me resolution to dispel the visita- 
 tion of dejection and melancholy which have been 
 taking possession of me. 
 
 I endeavored to conjure from some source a 
 solace, and I thought of how the never-at-fault 
 ingenuity of the Greeks assigned to each one of 
 the Muses a certain portion of human intelligence 
 for her special care, and I wish that we, in like 
 manner, had a guardian to superintend and keep 
 in curb our hasty tempers. 
 
 Though we weary ourselves in searching for 
 the good" and the beautiful, we must search in 
 vain, unless we find them in our own character. 
 
 You were sent to me as an emissary to direct 
 and lead me, and may your mission be not in 
 vain. Good-by, dear love. 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, July 5, 1913. 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 By means of the very lucid explanation which 
 you offer, I plainly see that the word "Love" is 
 obliged to carry a heavy load of responsibility, 
 and how nice it is to have something to shoulder 
 our faults and mistakes upon. 
 
 And yet we are not automatons endowed with
 
 82 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 no power to govern our thoughts and actions, and 
 can it be we are controlled entirely by sentiments 
 of love or hate? 
 
 Make yourself easy, dear sir, I am not intend- 
 ing really to question your statement, but to 
 recede quietly several thousand years and wander 
 to that land of mystery, Egypt. 
 
 This was such an early locality in the world, 
 before other countries had identified themselves, 
 that we are fortunate in knowing as much about 
 this interesting race of people as we do. 
 
 They were ambitious, clever, and great artisans. 
 The grandeur of their architecture still remains 
 unrivaled and probably will challenge with its 
 impressiveness the ages to come. 
 
 The massive tombs inspire the wonder of all 
 who see them, and "Breathes there" a tourist 
 "with soul so dead" as not to have had a kodak 
 picture of himself or herself (especially herself), 
 with the Sphinx in the distance? 
 
 Those men of immense fortunes, whom you 
 mentioned in one of your letters, are so busy in 
 their various pursuits for the elevation of man- 
 kind and for the progress of the multitude that 
 they have no time to build thirteen acre tombs, 
 even if the inclination beckoned them, and it does 
 not seem essential for them to do so, since they
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 83 
 
 will live forever in the minds of those receiving 
 the benefit of their good deeds, so much better 
 than a block of stone. 
 
 I do not believe the pyramids will be dupli- 
 cated right away. We have too many enticing 
 uses for our money at this date to reach so high 
 in the air for the sake of being remembered. 
 
 I will begin with the illustrious Rameses the 
 Third, who, knowing it was the main duty of a 
 king at the period in which he lived to prepare a 
 tomb for himself, was not slow to begin and con- 
 tinued along that line during the thirty-one years 
 of his reign. 
 
 He was the most renowned monarch of Egypt, 
 and he had the first fad for conquering the world, 
 and set the example for others. 
 
 There were many followers in this deeply cut 
 groove, the most celebrated being a Roman, who 
 redeemed himself by becoming a rattling good 
 talker, a great statesman, and a writer of perfect 
 Latin, which students of to-day are intent upon. 
 You know Heine says, "No wonder Julius Csesar 
 had time to conquer the world, he did not have 
 to learn Latin." 
 
 To get back to Rameses, he was effectual in 
 stopping the tide of the Barbarians, and treated 
 them with great cruelty. Vengeance had full
 
 84 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 course, and the suffering of the conquered is a tale 
 untold and impossible of telling. 
 
 He said, "The invaders of my territory will 
 gather no more harvests upon the earth, their life is 
 counted to them as eternity." 
 
 He vanquished so many enemies that he finally 
 seemed tired of slaughter and turned his attention 
 to building, commerce, and planting of trees, to 
 give his people the comfort of shade from the hot 
 rays of the sun. 
 
 His last years proved to be tranquil. He lived 
 in luxury and was so alert that he could detect 
 those aspiring against him and exterminate them 
 without any expressed wish of theirs as to the 
 manner in which this should be done. 
 
 I will write some more about this much written 
 of country in my next, if England has not by that 
 time appropriated it, and if its glory has not been 
 dimmed by the possession of this supposed-to-be 
 civilized barbarian. 
 
 Herein you will find Book VII, which I con- 
 sign to your care with the desire that Plato's words 
 will influence you for good. 
 
 Yours lovingly, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 P. S. "Trifles make perfection, but perfection 
 is no trifle." Michael Angela.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK VII. THEME INTELLIGENCE 
 
 HAS A DIVINE LIFE 
 
 1. Pure intelligence is necessary in the attain- 
 ment of pure truth. 
 
 2. I conceive that as the eyes are appointed to 
 look up to the stars, so are the ears to hear har- 
 monious motions. 
 
 3. The eye of the soul, which is literally buried 
 in some outlandish slough, is taught to look up- 
 wards, and she uses as handmaid the sciences. 
 
 4. Use such gifts as keenness and ready powers 
 of acquisition; for the mind often faints from 
 the severity of study; the toil is more entirely the 
 mind's own, and is not shared with the body. 
 Youth is the time of toil. 
 
 5. Study should never be forced, bodily exer- 
 cise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body, 
 but knowledge which is acquired under compul- 
 sion obtains no hold on the mind. 
 
 6. The comprehensive mind is always the dia- 
 lectical. 
 
 8s
 
 86 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 7. When a man with a questioning spirit asks 
 what is fair and honorable, he begins to cease to 
 respect them, and will he not pursue any life 
 which flatters his desires'? And from being a 
 keeper of the law, will he not be converted into 
 a breaker of it? 
 
 8. Glaucon says: You are a sculptor, Socra- 
 tes, and have made statues of our governors, fault- 
 less in beauty. 
 
 9. Yes, Glaucon, and of our governesses, too; 
 for you must not suppose that what I have been 
 saying applies to men only, and not to women, 
 as far as their natures can go. 
 
 10. Do not use compulsion, but let education 
 be a sort of amusement, and he who appears to 
 be most ready, to be enrolled in a select number. 
 
 11. There is no difficulty and, I say with you, 
 
 enough. 
 
 i 
 
 NEW YORK, July 8, 1913. 
 My Dear Friend: 
 
 Your kind consideration in accepting my de- 
 fense, though you found it inadequate, has quite 
 touched that organ supposed to be the seat of all 
 sentiment, and I again find myself under the do- 
 minion of the Sprite who has wielded the magic 
 wand, in so lasting and impressive a manner as
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 87 
 
 to hold sway over me during this hour of sixty 
 minutes, or, will I say, fifty-nine and a half? 
 
 I will now follow the way of wisdom, and join 
 you in Egypt. The monarch you mention was 
 illustrious, but Seti the First must not be over- 
 shadowed. The building of Karnak, the archi- 
 tectural wonder of the world, ought to place his 
 name high on the list of fame. 
 
 Some day I intend to travel there and see the 
 rock-tombs which are described as such splendid 
 palaces, hewn out of the rock. I also want to 
 see what is left of those colossal statues of Ram- 
 eses the Second, and try to imagine the original 
 four as they existed. Those stone monuments, 
 seventy feet high, the features of which were en- 
 larged ten times the natural size, with an expres- 
 sion of lasting repose, as befitted the location of 
 long reaches of sand. 
 
 Is it true that the desert impresses you the same 
 as the ocean? You, that have been there and have 
 seen all this that I long to see can tell me if the 
 majesty of the sea is repeated in the formidable 
 extent of sand reaching to the horizon line. 
 
 It is not surprising so many people journey to 
 Egypt, because the valley of the Nile is the re- 
 gion that introduces every variety of entertain- 
 ment.
 
 88 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 I will now conclude, wishing you a fond good- 
 night, and assuring you of my content in being 
 an. Italian, instead of an Englishman, since I 
 would have no chance of your favor had I the 
 misfortune to have been manufactured from the 
 dust of the British Isles. 
 
 Yours resignedly, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, July 12, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 From present appearances, I faintly perceive a 
 hesitancy in our acrobatic word vaulting, and 
 when I learned you had given me a full hour of 
 your time, with a possible loss of only one half 
 minute, I was so distressed over the terrible waste 
 of so much precious time that I at once made an 
 effort to distract my mind, and focus it hard on 
 something big, as mental Scientists tell us to do. 
 
 This I succeeded in doing, and concentrated all 
 thought on Paul's epistle to the Corinthians. 
 
 Though I speak with the tongue of men, and 
 of angels, and have no sense of humor, I am be- 
 come as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 
 
 I am not intending to squander an hour on you, 
 mv extravagant friend, but will continue my
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 89 
 
 story of Egypt, as that is time well spent. Do 
 you not think so? We are greatly indebted to 
 Rameses the Third for his many sculptured vic- 
 tories in battle, which are a history in themselves. 
 
 He pictured in stone the first representation of 
 a sea fight that is known. 
 
 He built the great temple of Ammon at Medi- 
 net Abou, not far from Thebes, and here may be 
 found in sculpture the story of his achievements 
 against the hosts which he fought and overcame. 
 
 One of his monoliths is in the Place de la Con- 
 corde, Paris, and how enraptured this vain mon- 
 arch would be could he see it there. 
 
 In fact, he was like a schoolboy writing his 
 name everywhere, he so enjoyed having everything 
 emblazoned. 
 
 He was often cruel, for that was the order of 
 the day, but he must have had a tender spot some- 
 where in his anatomy, or he would not have 
 planted those trees, you know. 
 
 He died B. c. 1280, and for more than a hun- 
 dred years his descendants occupied the throne he 
 left vacant. 
 
 There were healthier occupations than being 
 monarch of Egypt, previously and afterwards. 
 Just as a few hundred years later was shown in 
 Rome, when it certainly took a man of courage
 
 90 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 and one fearless of a tragic death, to occupy the 
 position of Emperor. 
 
 "Tyrants," said Plato, "stand in awe of 
 friends." 
 
 And we have a later saying with much the same 
 meaning: "God protect us from our friends, 
 we can take care of our enemies ourselves." 
 
 Yours for three thousand years and then some. 
 With a mind full of thought and a pyramid of 
 love for you, I am 
 
 Your own 
 KATE. 
 
 P. S. Of course I mean the small pyramid, 
 only five acres. 
 
 NEW YORK, July 15, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 Like Rameses the Third, I am weary of con- 
 test, and will employ my time of peace in planting 
 flowers of love in your mind. And the very sun 
 itself will shine out with more splendor to nourish 
 and make beautiful the white rose and the crim- 
 son, as they tell me the sweet old story in fra- 
 grance breathing of love. 
 
 I am often oppressed with the fear that the 
 dear one who appears constantly before me, and
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 91 
 
 who eludes me as constantly, will ever lead me on 
 in a never-to-be-forgotten illusion. 
 
 Do you recall Menelaus' lament over the flight 
 of Helen? 
 
 "For vain it is, when one hath seemed to see 
 good things, and lo, escaping through his hands, 
 the vision flies apace on wings that follow on 
 the paths of sleep." 
 
 In your enthusiasm over the architecture of 
 Egypt, you must not forget Hellas. 
 
 The Egyptian buildings combine enormous 
 extent with most elaborate ornamentation. This 
 is not to be disputed, but the Greeks excel them 
 in beauty of detail, and in their perfection of 
 sculpture. 
 
 The impressiveness gained by size should be 
 outdone by the rapture gained by unrivaled 
 charm. 
 
 The grandeur of Egypt is acknowledged, but 
 the grace of Hellenic architecture is accepted. 
 
 While dwelling upon the victories of Rameses 
 the Third, you must remember that some of his 
 enemies carried their wives and children with them 
 on the way to battle, and were thus very greatly 
 burdened, but Rammy left all such impedimenta 
 at home, and could give his entire attention to the 
 business in hand, and he does not pause, nor hesi-
 
 92 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 tate, in proclaiming, "I, Rameses the King, be- 
 haved as a hero who knows his worth." 
 
 How long ago that seems, and we have our lives 
 to live to-day, and would not exchange for all 
 the glories of a dead King. 
 
 The shade of the great Achilles says, "I would 
 rather till the soil for some poor master than reign 
 here." (In Hades.) 
 
 Good-by; with love for you, 
 
 I am your own 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, July 18, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 Please do not importune the sun to shine with 
 any more splendor just now. This is July and 
 the thermometer stands 90 degrees in the shade. 
 When this record is reached, no person is capable 
 of either love or hate. 
 
 And do you not know that thousands of roses 
 bloom in the garden of love, and one has only to 
 stoop and gather them? 
 
 Even had you transplanted the most lowly 
 flower that grows, instead of the most beautiful, 
 I should give it smiles for its daily food and nour-
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 93 
 
 ish it lovingly, for the sake of the one who had 
 given it into my keeping. 
 
 How can I write about roses, "white or crim- 
 son," when I am involved with ancient Egypt? 
 You must now bury yourself in the past. 
 
 Shishak got busy and took Jerusalem, robbing 
 Solomon's Temple of its treasures. 
 
 This seemed to be a favorite amusement of 
 conquerors, and that noted Temple furnished 
 relics for every vandal snatcher that came along, 
 a full supply and no questions asked. 
 
 Titus was the last despoiler, and oh! what a 
 day that was ! that despotic, wanton, cruel day ! 
 
 The Egyptians employed vivid, rich, and last- 
 ing color, in the embellishment of their buildings, 
 which so earnestly suggests luxury. 
 
 The industrial arts were greatly advanced, as- 
 tronomy received attention, and the inhabitants 
 were made to see stars unless a certain moral code 
 was observed. 
 
 The punishment for perjury and almost every- 
 thing else was death. Just a slight straying from 
 the straight and narrow path was so lightly con- 
 sidered that only their legs and arms were cut 
 off, or their tongues pulled out. 
 
 But then they did not have the electric chair 
 for killing men with a seductive name like Sing-
 
 94 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 Sing for location. How this would have de- 
 lighted them, and it certainly belongs to that cruel 
 age of the world. 
 
 After they lost their independence, which was 
 only twenty-five hundred years ago, they were 
 first a turbulent possession of Persia; next a look- 
 on-the-bright-side combination with Alexander 
 the Great; the Arabs then had a slice of the 
 Cherry pie; after this the Romans proceeded to 
 furnish gossip for all time and found the world 
 well lost for love of a Queen, who was dressed 
 to kill. More has been written about Mark An- 
 tony and Cleopatra than any two in all history; 
 then France made several fashionable calls, leav- 
 ing, finally, a scientific souvenir by opening the 
 Isthmus of Suez, thus making real the dream of 
 a Pharaoh who had been dead many hundred 
 centuries, and now the English but why say 
 more*? The red coats are everywhere enlivening 
 the landscape. 
 
 With this cheerful (?) ending I will now say 
 good-by to Egypt. 
 
 I am no philosopher with a cure for things, but 
 there ought to be some stolen bases in Egypt or, 
 since Plato's philosophy is good, let them sing a 
 song. 
 
 Paragraph six in those I enclose says that Mu-
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 95 
 
 sic can save a man, and if so, why not a nation*? 
 Good night, my horticultural friend. You 
 should plant bachelor buttons. 
 
 Jestingly yours, 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK VIII. THEME GOVERNMENT 
 
 No Comments 
 
 1 . There were four, forms and four individuals 
 corresponding with them worth examining. When 
 we have finally agreed as to who was the best, and 
 who was the worst of them, we might consider 
 whether the best was not also the happiest, and 
 the worst the most miserable. 
 
 2. The four governments are first the Cretan 
 and Spartan, which are applauded; next there is 
 the oligarchy; this is not equally approved, and 
 may have many evils; thirdly democracy; and 
 lastly comes tyranny, great and famous, and is 
 the worst disorder of the State. 
 
 3. Nay, the States are as men are : they do but 
 grow out of human characters. 
 
 4. A government which is united, however 
 small, cannot be moved. 
 
 5. Where marriages are not made geometric- 
 ally, the gold mingles with brass, and iron with 
 
 96
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 97 
 
 silver; hence there will arise a race promoting 
 discord, and arts of war will begin to prevail over 
 arts of peace. Men of this stamp will be cov- 
 etous of money like those who live in oligarchies ; 
 they will have a fierce, secret longing for gold 
 and silver, and will hoard their treasures. They 
 will also have castles which are just nests for 
 their eggs, spending large sums on their wives 
 or any others whom they please. 
 
 They will spend another man's money in their 
 craving, avoiding the law schooled by force, 
 not by gentle influences, and have no thought for 
 the true muse of reason and philosophy, and gym- 
 nastics is preferred by them to music. 
 
 6. The best guardian for a man is philosophy 
 tempered with music, who comes and takes up her 
 abode with man through life, and is the only 
 savior of his virtue. 
 
 7. When riches and virtue are placed together 
 in the scale of the balance, the one always rises 
 and the other falls. 
 
 8. Is the existence of criminals attributed, then, 
 to the want of education, ill-training, and an evil 
 constitution of the state? 
 
 9. Of all conversions there is none so speedy 
 or so sure as when the ambitious youth changes 
 into the avaricious one.
 
 98 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 10. You cannot have in a citizen the love of 
 wealth and the spirit of moderation. One or the 
 other will have to be disregarded. 
 
 1 1 . Necessary pleasures are those of which we 
 cannot get rid, and which benefit us when they are 
 satisfied. 
 
 12. One of these is the pleasure of eating, first 
 as beneficial, and also needed for the support of 
 life, and of the pleasures of love, and of all other 
 pleasures the same holds good. 
 
 Some are the satisfaction of good and noble 
 desires, and others of evil desires. If evil, his 
 life has neither order nor law. This he terms joy, 
 and freedom, and happiness. 
 
 13. Do not the leaders take the estate of the 
 rich and give it to the people, as much of them 
 as they can consistently with keeping the greater 
 part themselves. 
 
 14. The people have always some one as a 
 champion whom they nurse into greatness, and 
 this is the very root from which a tyrant springs ; 
 when he first appears above ground he is a pro- 
 tector. 
 
 15. Thus liberty, getting out of all order and 
 reason, passes into the harshest and bitterest form 
 of slavery.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 99 
 
 NEW YORK, July 22, 1913. 
 Dearest Kate: 
 
 Yes, Plato appreciated music and expressed 
 himself many times in its favor, and I often won- 
 der at the indifference many people show and the 
 lack of attention they give to music. 
 
 There is a song in my heart for you ever re- 
 peated- over and over again, and its melody is 
 coloring my life with richer tones than those you 
 describe as denoting luxury. 
 
 This rhythm is an indulgence to the poetry that 
 unconsciously forms through the influence of love. 
 
 As we look backward in those remote regions 
 we find that song, like all art in Greece, partook 
 of, or was connected with, their Nature-worship. 
 
 They made use of lyrical poetry upon many 
 occasions. Their marriages were celebrated by 
 suitable, enlivened, joyous music; solemn festi- 
 vals were made the occasion for processions of 
 young men and maids crowned with olive or 
 fragrant flowers, and singing as they went to 
 the shrines; victory in war was distinguished by 
 martial music, and the conquerors greeted with 
 garlands of flowers, the chanting of songs and 
 graceful dancing, accompanied by flutes and lyres. 
 
 It is not surprising they fought well, with so
 
 ioo PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 much honor awaiting them, if they defeated the 
 enemy and returned with the spoils. 
 
 Plato lays down the theory that poetic inspira- 
 tion is akin to madness, and we may conclude 
 from this opinion that all were not crowning the 
 poets in that day, the same as now ; in fact, poetry 
 in our time seems to be almost dying an ignomini- 
 ous death, with no one as chief mourner. 
 
 Poetry is so necessary to song that it must in 
 verse always achieve a slight resemblance to art, 
 while lending itself to the never failing, immortal 
 gift of music. 
 
 Your letter seems to tell me of your gradual 
 return to an undisturbed state of mind, and now 
 again I see the image of my beloved one before 
 me in all her beauty and grace. Just thou and 
 I ; no one else in all this wide world. 
 
 Then I awake from my reverie to find it just 
 the fanciful turn of my thoughts and you far dis- 
 tant. You will think me a dreamer and in my 
 every day life I am placed where I must be prac- 
 tical and forced to put aside the desire to be con- 
 stantly with you. 
 
 It is only at intervals I can travel to the realms 
 of joy, where you alone are found. 
 
 Good night, dearest. 
 
 Your own for ever and a day, 
 
 FRED.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 101 
 
 CHICAGO, July 25, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 Perhaps to dream well and happily is to live 
 well after all, and we are subject to so many in- 
 fluences at the present time that the barriers are 
 all being broken down and we both are becoming 
 dreamers while being subjugated by and brought 
 under the dominion of that little fellow who car- 
 ries his bow and arrow on purpose for those who 
 are willing to test and taste the joy of life. 
 
 The little tyrant certainly does make slaves of 
 his subjects, for I am feeling the bonds, and, 
 though they are of velvet, they bind with an im- 
 perious pressure which I am yielding to without 
 further resistance, and I find myself constantly 
 happy while living in this overpowering light. 
 
 "Look within," said Marcus Aurelius. 
 "Within is a fountain of joy, and it will bubble 
 up if thou will but dig," and we need not to dig 
 deep because this reciprocal exchange of thought 
 has created that within which does not require a 
 patent automatic excavating machine to bring to 
 the surface. 
 
 Happiness, after all, is only a state of the mind, 
 and I joyfully accept my present position and 
 watch for the postman. How freely we are ex- 
 empting ourselves from our chosen themes.
 
 102 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 Let us at once hasten to Athens and place our 
 minds on the great thoughts to be found there, 
 for we both know there is something ennobling in 
 the quest of knowledge which will carry the petty 
 and ordinary affairs of every day pursuits into 
 oblivion. 
 
 Yes, this is undoubtedly true, but it is a bewil- 
 dering process to obliterate the commonplace 
 from one's consideration entirely, and in spite of 
 all I can do, mine will turn to a hobo hungeroso 
 thought of that angel food cake with the straw- 
 berries and cream I am to have at supper time. 
 
 You need not remind me that this is imbecile. 
 You should quickly meet my proposition above 
 and allure my wandering thoughts back to the 
 aforesaid wonderful city. 
 
 They have now returned at your bidding, and 
 at my own desire, and I am bowing low to Greek 
 Art. 
 
 The familiar names of Phidias and Praxiteles 
 stand first, and their art must have been inspired 
 by the enthusiasm of all the populace for every- 
 thing beautiful and grand. 
 
 The religion of that time lent its aid to con- 
 ception, and Hellas was so thickly populated with 
 gods there was no limit to a satisfactory choice. 
 
 The Apollo Belvedere in the Vatican is distin-
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 103 
 
 guished as one of the finest specimens of Art, and 
 the alert poise of the figure inspires the thought 
 of youth and springtime. 
 
 The renowned artists of ancient Greece made 
 their gods in the image of man, and this com- 
 mingling of the human figure, with the ideal di- 
 vinity of those gods they worshiped, bestowed 
 upon art a perfection which has baffled artists 
 since that time to equal, and will forever forbid 
 their doing so, as like conditions will never again 
 be supplied. 
 
 You seem to worship music rare and well done ; 
 that is, all music is good music to you. It is not 
 so with me, and when I hear an opera I know it 
 is much better than it sounds or people wouldn't 
 go wild over it. I fear I belong to the indifferent 
 ones that excite your wonder. 
 
 You will find Book IX in this letter. There 
 is no restlessness about Plato. All is idealism, 
 and peace, and while teaching in the garden of 
 Academus the grace of his speech was such that 
 it was said the bees of Hymettus had deposited 
 their honeys upon his lips in the cradle. 
 Yours with love, 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK IX. THEME PARALLEL OF 
 
 THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE STATE 
 
 No Comments 
 
 1. Has not a drunken man also the spirit of a 
 tyrant*? 
 
 2. The tyrant never tastes of true freedom or 
 true friendship, and also they are utterly unjust, 
 if we are right in our notion of justice. 
 
 3. And is it not true that as State is to State 
 in virtue and happiness Man is to Man? 
 
 4. In this high argument of good and evil you 
 should not conjecture only. You should have a 
 certainty. 
 
 5. He is the most miserable of men who has 
 to be master of others, when he is not master of 
 himself. 
 
 6. Then we may assume there are three classes 
 of men lovers of wisdom, lovers of ambition, 
 lovers of gain? The philosopher estimates other 
 
 pleasures as nothing with the pleasure of know- 
 
 104
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 105 
 
 ing the truth. The lover of honor, will he not 
 think that the pleasure of riches is vulgar and 
 that of learning as all smoke and nonsense 1 ? The 
 Money-maker will contrast the vanity of honor 
 or of learning with the solid advantage of gold and 
 silver? 
 
 7. The lover of wisdom has a double experience 
 over the lover of gain, and he has tasted the great 
 sweetness of intellectual pleasures. 
 
 8. The wise man has the fullest right to approve 
 of his own life. Next the soldier or lover of 
 honor, and last comes the lover of gain. A sage 
 whispers in my ear that no pleasure except that 
 of the wise is quite true and pure; all others are 
 a shadow only. 
 
 9. Is not the noble that which subjects the beast 
 to the man; and the ignoble that which subjects 
 the man to the beast? 
 
 10. Are not luxury and softness blamed be- 
 cause they relax and weaken and make a man a 
 coward? 
 
 1 1 . Should not a man always be desirous of 
 performing the harmony of the body for the sake 
 of the concord of the soul? And he will, if he 
 has true music in him. 
 
 12. Then if this be his chief care, he will not 
 be a politician.
 
 106 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 NEW YORK, July 29, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 There seems to be an element bordering close 
 to a sympathetic feeling existing between us now. 
 
 I think I can detect a tinge of sadness between 
 the lines of your letter, and am I wrong in suppos- 
 ing it is a source of trouble to you that you had 
 no excuse to write in a sarcastic vein*? 
 
 It is surprising how little one can conceal their 
 true character and bias of mind in a letter. Con- 
 versation lends aid to deceit, but the spirit is 
 necessarily shown in a letter, with no possible de- 
 parture from accurate truth and sincerity. 
 
 All written words must be left to their fate. 
 You will soon finish the proposed ten books of 
 the Republic, and I have noted your selections, 
 even though I have not dwelt upon them in my 
 replies. 
 
 You remember our compact 1 ? 
 
 Your allusion to Julius Csesar a short time ago 
 awakens my enthusiasm. 
 
 In his time the master minds of the few seek- 
 ing for supremacy and working together with a 
 powerful and intelligent people instilled with 
 the belief that might is right, made Rome the 
 prominent city of olden times. 
 
 It gave to the world men whose names will
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 107 
 
 never die. The wonderfully versatile Julius 
 Caesar, from whose fertile brain issued adminis- 
 trative methods, and principles, which have been 
 of great use to other countries than his own, 
 stands preeminent. 
 
 There were men of great renown, such as 
 Cicero, Augustus, Pompey, and a long list of less 
 prominent names which claim admiration, but 
 Csesar outshines them all. 
 
 Such men as these, coupled with a capable race 
 of people, made it possible for Rome to reach its 
 high pinnacle of fame. 
 
 Yours, with a world of affectionate thought, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, August 2, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 My hospitable heart gave your letter a place 
 in the nearest curve, and I am up in the clouds. 
 
 Thank you for putting me there and without 
 assistance from an airship, only two sheets of 
 paper with a few hieroglyphics, which are quite 
 as sacred to me as the Egyptian symbols, and 
 much easier to read. 
 
 There are days coming our way and patience
 
 io8 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 must be our watchword, while we carefully watch 
 our facial expressions. 
 
 In an article I read the other day the common 
 belief that expression indicates character is re- 
 futed. It claimed that personal appearance is 
 the worst fraud and humbug, showing nothing 
 of the true attributes by face, head, or form. 
 
 "Talk of the guilt of the eye ! Criminals often 
 have eyes like a dove and the innocent student 
 the expression of a rascal. A spiritually percep- 
 tive mind may have a face like an animal." He 
 quotes Socrates as an example, with his fine brain 
 enclosed in a monkey-like head. 
 
 "Dress the Governor, the parson, or banker in 
 striped clothes, shave their heads, put them in 
 cells, and everyone who sees them will say: 
 What perverted looking creatures! How true it 
 is that you can tell a criminal by his looks." 
 
 Do you believe this, Fred 4 ? And is it not ever 
 so much nicer, and more satisfactory, to think we 
 know our friends from their transient change of 
 countenances'? 
 
 I wonder if when I thought your eyes looked 
 soulful, you were only struggling to solve the 
 knotty problem of whether you would wear your 
 blue tie to-morrow to match your blue hose, or 
 would better wear dark red as more becoming to
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 109 
 
 your Italian handsome face. How do I know? 
 Really I do not know, but I believe, and have 
 faith in the romance and love and sentiment of 
 my beloved, still believing the expression of 
 his countenance as indicative of the beautiful 
 thoughts contained in the mind. 
 
 Why do you not say halt ! If you do not use 
 some compelling term, I shall write and write 
 forever. 
 
 I will close with a favorite quotation: 
 
 "The breeze of the evening that cools the soft air, 
 That kisses the blossoms with their fragrance so rare, 
 Is its fragrance less welcome, less sweet its perfume 
 That we know not the region from whence it has come? 
 Whence the wind comes, where the wind goes 
 Hither and thither, but whither who knows." 
 
 Good night, Comrade. 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 5, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 Your letter is here, and I clutched it as though 
 it were the most precious gift that could come to 
 me, and, indeed, I so deem it. 
 
 I would not hope to obtain from anything else 
 the pleasure I find in your letters, with the one ex-
 
 no PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 ception of being with your own charming self. 
 They often give me the impression that I am with 
 you, and blessed will be the day when I can whis- 
 per to you the pent-up love of a heart that has 
 long been in suspense. 
 
 In one of your letters you write of the well- 
 known admiration for Greek art, and I am equally 
 enthusiastic over the masterpieces of Italian ar- 
 tists, and proud of the possessions of my own 
 country. 
 
 They create an extraordinary adoration in even 
 the most callous mind, and the Transfiguration 
 by Raphael brings tears to the eyes unawares, as 
 the sacredness of the subject creates profound 
 thought and reflection. 
 
 The pictures that stand first with me are the 
 frescoes on the ceiling of St. Peter's Cathedral 
 the angels with a poise that tell you they are 
 singing anthems to heaven, and leading the way 
 for all mortals to follow. 
 
 It is quite usual for me to find a favorite in 
 each gallery I visit, for, although I know the pic- 
 tures are all asserting their right to be recognized 
 as the most beautiful, the most artistic, and the 
 most perfect of the entire collection, I can always 
 find one that makes a deeper inroad upon my 
 admiration than all the others.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY in 
 
 Our mutual adoration of art will forever ce- 
 ment a bond of familiar inspiration, giving us a 
 topic of conversation which will never produce 
 ennui. 
 
 This is one of the outlines supplied us, and we 
 have but to furnish the detail. 
 
 My everlasting love to you. 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, August 9, 1913. 
 Dearest 'Fred: 
 
 The intellectual barrenness of my thought is 
 as bleak as though mine were a minus quantity. 
 
 No need to attempt to give my little chat with 
 you an interesting and entertaining complexion, 
 for it must ever be the same haphazard letter that 
 I always write. 
 
 My only regret is that it does not make you 
 yield the best of which you are capable. 
 
 Your embrace of praise has mounted to my 
 head and rules there as Jupiter of old ruled his 
 subjects, not, however, in the intangible half 
 mystical, half superstitious way, established at 
 that time, but like a shrine devoted to the best 
 offerings of life, and my happy thoughts are the 
 candles perpetually burning at the altar there,
 
 112 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 and the hope of a beautiful future is my votive 
 offering. 
 
 I am glad to meet you on the plane of Italian 
 art, and please accompany me to the Uffizi Palace 
 in Florence, and see this wonderful storehouse of 
 art. 
 
 It was originated by the Medici and supple- 
 mented by the Lorraine families. The Tribune, 
 which is the finest room in the collection, contains 
 only masterpieces, as you know. 
 
 The most important is the statue of Venus de 
 Medici, which was found in the Hadrian villa, 
 having been brought from Hellas in times long 
 past. 
 
 She seems the first plan of woman and should 
 have been called "Eve, before the temptation 
 came." The Wrestlers is a statue full of energy 
 and life. 
 
 The dancing Faun makes one laugh in sympa- 
 thy, so great is the glee in the face. The Grinder 
 is a slave grinding his knife, but with face turned 
 toward heaven, as if imploring and seeking aid 
 from some power above to better his condition, 
 and free him from his bondage. 
 
 The Apollo of the school of Praxiteles com- 
 pletes the sculpture. 
 
 The paintings are by Murillo, Correggio, Ra-
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 113 
 
 phael, Michael Angelo, Titian, Rubens, and Rem- 
 brandt, making a collection requiring study. 
 
 Raphael excels in beauty; Angelo in strength; 
 Rubens in representation of flesh, and in mytho- 
 logical subjects; Correggio in the rapt expression 
 of the downcast eye in his wonderful picture of 
 the Madonna and Child, and in the contrast of 
 high lights with deep, dark coloring he reaches the 
 acme of perfection. (This, by the way, is my 
 favorite picture.) 
 
 Among the numerous paintings of great interest 
 in other rooms we will see Del Sarto's Madonna, 
 which is most beautiful; Christ in Limbo, a curi- 
 ous picture representing Jesus helping spirits out 
 of hell into heaven; the head of Medusa, by da 
 Vinci is ghastly, but fascinating. 
 
 The Corridors are filled with both sculpture 
 and paintings, among which are pictures by Ci- 
 mabue, the father of painting, and Giotto, his 
 pupil, both being represented here by religious 
 subjects. 
 
 Many rooms are en suite, showing Flemish, Ger- 
 man, Dutch, Northern Italian, French and Vene- 
 tian schools, and all containing such marvels of 
 beauty in art that one master seemed to vie with 
 another to produce all the beauty, and skill, and 
 goodness and religion there is in the whole world.
 
 114 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 I love to think of these pictures between the 
 day and the dark, when the shadows fall, and I 
 seem to hear a voice speak to the heart. Then 
 I know some great knowledge is being filtered to 
 me through the myriad atmosphere of imagination 
 that makes the world look quite new. 
 
 This may be a mushroom growth. Who can 
 dissect it"? At any rate, it's an awful bother to 
 be sentimental, so excuse me ! 
 
 You will find Book X the last of the series, 
 and in this Plato appears to be good friends with 
 poetry, and in taking my leave of this great work 
 I will venture to give an old Greek quotation: 
 
 "Go! take now these words within, and 
 weigh them; if thou find me false, say then that 
 divination taught me nothing." 
 
 Lovingly, 
 
 KATE.
 
 PLATO 
 
 REPUBLIC BOOK X. THEME IMMORTALITY 
 
 No Comments 
 
 1. There are three arts which are concerned 
 with all things ; one that uses, another that makes, 
 a third that imitates them. 
 
 2. And may we not fairly conclude that the im- 
 itator has no knowledge worth mentioning 1 ? 
 
 3. Imitation is only a kind of play or sport, 
 and is thrice removed from truth. It is remote 
 from truth, and has no true or healthy aim. 
 
 4. When a man loses what is dear to him, is 
 there not a principle of law and reason which bids 
 him resist, while passion urges him to indulge his 
 sorrow? 
 
 5. To be patient under suffering is best. 
 Nothing is gained by impatience, because no hu- 
 man thing is of serious importance, and grief 
 stands in the way of that which at the moment is 
 most required. Good counsel. 
 
 6. Yes, this is the best way to meet the attacks 
 of fortune. Is not the passionate and fitful tem- 
 per easily imitated? 
 
 "5
 
 ii6 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 7. The reflection is not often made that from 
 the evil of others the fruit of evil is reaped by 
 ourselves, or that the feeling of pity that has been 
 nursed and has acquired strength at the sight of 
 the misfortune of others will come out in our own 
 misfortune and cannot easily be controlled. 
 
 8. Does not the same hold good also of the 
 ridiculous anger, desire, pain, and pleasure, which 
 are held to be inseparable from every action 1 ? 
 In all of them poetry feeds and waters the pas- 
 sions, instead of withering and starving. She 
 lets them rule instead of ruling them as they 
 ought to be ruled. 
 
 9. There is an ancient quarrel between Philos- 
 ophy and Poetry, although Plato says he is fond 
 of this sister art, and also very susceptible to her 
 charms. 
 
 10. Is there a use in poetry as well as a de- 
 light? 
 
 1 1 . We see that poetry being such as she is 
 must not be pursued in earnest or regarded seri- 
 ously, as attaining to the truth; and he who lis- 
 tens to her will be on his guard against her se- 
 ductions. 
 
 12. Are you not aware that the soul is immor- 
 tal and imperishable 1 ? It cannot be dissolved
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 117 
 
 by any external evil, and if existing forever must 
 be immortal. 
 
 13. We shall pass safely over the river of for- 
 getfulness and our soul will not be denied, where- 
 fore my counsel is that we hold fast to the heav- 
 enly way, and follow after justice and virtue, 
 always considering that the soul is immortal, and 
 it will be well with us both in this life and in the 
 pilgrimage of a thousand years which we have 
 been reciting. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 12, 1913. 
 My Beloved: 
 
 Your fidelity is shown to me by the manner in 
 which you have so faithfully read the subject 
 which engaged our attention some time ago. 
 
 Your last selections from the Republic have 
 been read, and well I know my agreement with 
 you was to reply at the completion of Book X. 
 
 You did not, however, exact a limit of time, 
 which is an important business feature in making 
 a contract. 
 
 Since this gives me an advantage I will claim 
 a lifetime in which to answer, and in that period
 
 ii8 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 we will talk of more things than are dreamed of 
 in philosophy. 
 
 While thus we are under the dominion of Plato 
 we will know a love which will prove him to be a 
 magician, as well as a philosopher. 
 
 With this satisfactory spirit, may we feel the 
 allotment of content in all our undertakings. 
 As ever, devotedly yours, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 (Telegram, from Kate Holbrook to Fred Win- 
 selli.) 
 
 CHICAGO, August 14, 1913. 
 To-day I received an urgent invitation from 
 my friends in New York, who are soon to give a 
 ball in their new home as a sort of house warm- 
 ing. This has tempted me to make the trip. I 
 must be there by the 2oth, and have concluded to 
 start the eighteenth. 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 15, 1913. 
 Dearest Kate: 
 
 And you are coming to New York! I have
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 119 
 
 read your words, and as our hearts keep apace with 
 the fast approaching time the days will roll by, 
 drawing nearer and nearer to that golden day 
 when you arrive. 
 
 Words crowd for utterance in expressing my 
 joy at the fulfillment of our cherished hopes of 
 meeting once again. 
 
 Clear indeed is my picture of yourself, just as 
 you were when I saw you last, and a sensation of 
 tender admiration again takes full possession of 
 me, as at that time. Beauty is power. 
 
 This is a mistake, as your beauty your pert 
 beauty, shall I say? will perish, and this thought 
 should serve as a warning for me not to place my 
 heart entirely on that which will undergo such 
 change. 
 
 I ought rather to think only that you are good, 
 and light-hearted and companionable always, 
 and those are the qualities to endure. Well, I 
 know when I am with you I am robbed of a con- 
 nected train of thought and the opportunity is 
 lost for an equitable argument, or a bold and con- 
 vincing consideration of the future. I am inca- 
 pable of reasoning with myself, and have but one 
 thought to tell you I love you! Yes, I love 
 you. 
 
 Tell me when I may see you, and speed the
 
 120 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 time that will bring you to me. How gay and 
 happy we shall be to meet again. 
 
 Yours forever, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, August 17, 1913. 
 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 Your thoughts, I fear, are not very conducive 
 to a proper serenity of mind for one who travels 
 so closely the reason route. There may be more 
 disturbance in the locality of your heart when my 
 pert, evanescent beauty disappears in a vanishing 
 fashion, for your calculating spirit will then be 
 left stranded with no redress for yourself. 
 
 Better let reason have its way, and place your 
 love where you will not need a mind cure, or find 
 a wreck at the halting place. 
 
 Socrates says, "Know thyself," and if you can 
 bear up under the penalty of such an acquaintance, 
 this is good advice. 
 
 Anaxagoras tells us that "Reason rules the 
 world." 
 
 Plato taught that the ideas of reason, or our 
 intuitions, are reminiscences of a past experience,
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 121 
 
 and I know a whole lot more of things in this line 
 if I could only think of 'em. 
 
 Should you require more let me know, for I do 
 not want your process of mental deliberation de- 
 stroyed by so trifling a thing as a little love 
 affair. 
 
 Those attributes of goodness, gayety, and fa- 
 vorable companionship on my part are not to be 
 depended upon. Never am I tuned up to those 
 lofty qualifications you are endeavoring to invest 
 me with. I surely would wabble a little, and 
 then, you poor dear ! you would not have a straw 
 left to place that love upon, which you had so 
 carefully estimated through a series of subtrac- 
 tion. 
 
 I was intending to love you quite differently, 
 with a riotous love, without counterpoise, or bal- 
 ance, and abandon myself to the enchantment of 
 loving you all the days of my life, without any 
 fear that passion would grow less when you be- 
 came bald, and stooped a little, and wore glasses, 
 but now, alas! I see I am not to have this great 
 expansion of the heart. 
 
 Sufficient unto the day is the misery thereof. 
 
 I go to New York to-morrow, and will tele- 
 phone you my Long Island address.
 
 122 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 If you can find time and inclination to call 
 upon me, I will give you the ancient Greek greet- 
 ing, "REJOICE," and until such time as we may 
 meet, I am 
 
 Most graciously your Malapert, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 19, 1913. 
 Dear Kate: 
 
 Your message and address are received. You 
 are near me now, and my impatience and inclina- 
 tion prompt me to ask you to give me to-morrow 
 evening in which I may receive your promised 
 greeting. 
 
 You are to me the embodiment of all I wish, 
 and I am so eager to see you again that this close 
 date seems distant. 
 
 Please send me a line if this meets with your 
 approval. 
 
 Yours ever, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 20, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 In answer to your request, I am making an en- 
 gagement for this evening with a New York gen-
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 123 
 
 tleman who likes strangers, and who has actually 
 made the most wonderful love to me, whom he 
 casually met. 
 
 I am not sure whether he has done this in a 
 missionary spirit only, but I do know he succeeded 
 in making a convert, and said convert has learned 
 her lesson so gladly that she would not give back 
 the love she gave and is still giving, even to be a 
 barbarian again. 
 
 Could we but think with the intensity we love 
 what great things we would accomplish. 
 
 I had -a delightful trip, and when I arrived, a 
 few hours ago, my friends here welcomed me in 
 so cordial a manner that I was immensely glad 
 I came. 
 
 While awaiting your call to-night I shall keep 
 telling myself we must avoid debatable ground. 
 Please do not forget the ball to-morrow evening. 
 
 I am, my dearest loadstar, 
 
 Yours forever and anon, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 22, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 The two delightful evenings I have had with 
 you impels me to ask a great favor.
 
 124 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 Trusting I am not selfishly imploring you to 
 give me more time than your short stay in the 
 East would warrant, I am writing to ask you to 
 have dinner with me this evening. 
 
 If you can accept, in spite of the storm, please 
 send me a message without delay. 
 
 The party last evening dedicated your friend's 
 new home in a delightful way, and those dances 
 we had together were entrancing. I seemed to 
 forget everything but the music, and yourself, for 
 your face alone in all that throng was vivid to me. 
 
 I think the whole of life rests upon rhythmical 
 ebb and flow, though we are unconscious of this 
 influence. 
 
 Anticipating your appetite will assist me in 
 directing your way toward the dining table, I am 
 
 Expectantly, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 22, 1913. 
 Dear Fred: 
 
 Your invitation is accepted with pleasure, and 
 even though the rain storm seems persistent, the 
 elements have no power to discourage me, as you 
 know of "Eld."
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 125 
 
 In contemplating our dinner event, I will give 
 you a little toast: 
 
 Deep, deep we are drinking of life's choicest wine, 
 And all kinds of weather is sunshiny weather, 
 Because I am yours, dear, and you are mine. 
 
 Joyfully, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 (Kate Holbrook to Florence Bows field.} 
 
 NEW YORK, August 23, 1913. 
 My Dear Pal: 
 
 A secret is no pleasure! Certainly not! For 
 what is the use of knowing anything unless you 
 let somebody know you know? 
 
 I now propose to tell you all I know, and con- 
 siderably more. You have already anticipated 
 me and divined what I am to say, and there re- 
 mains nothing for me to do but verify your hasty 
 conclusion. 
 
 Yes, it is true! I have promised to marry 
 Fred, and this will occur on the 25th day of next 
 month. 
 
 This early date will surely surprise you, and it 
 surprises me as well, and what do you think ! He 
 was so sure of my answer that he had already
 
 126 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 bought a love of a cottage for us. I did not 
 know whether to be angry with this certainty or 
 not, but when I went to see the place to-day, it 
 fairly created a numbness in my heart, so great 
 was the joy I knew. 
 
 Mr. Carnegie has said: 
 
 "Earth can make a heaven only when there's 
 a happy home to live in. It is not so much that 
 heaven's our home, as home's our heaven." 
 
 This will be a new experience for me, as I have 
 been such a transplanted flower of the thistle 
 variety, thriving even in barren ground. 
 
 How glad I am to have learned to make those 
 puddings and cakes, and potato salad, and things 
 in school, for now I am to be a regular cook, in- 
 stead of a baseball fan. 
 
 I do not understand any more than a clam how 
 he ever selected me, unless it is because I am an 
 orphan, and that must have been a great recom- 
 mendation in my favor. 
 
 You will laugh when I tell you that almost 
 everything I say to him proves a shock. He said 
 at dinner last evening that "our characteristics 
 were greatly dissimilar," when I saucily answered : 
 "That is too true, but we live in a good age, and 
 by the time we have analyzed each other's attri- 
 butes, and passed unfavorable opinions on them,
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 127 
 
 some great man or woman, or several of them, 
 will have established a matrimonial peace com- 
 mission, and we can ask that Tribunal to adjust 
 our difficulties." 
 
 I wish you could have seen the expression on 
 his face. I have been laughing about it ever 
 since. I do not know why he is so precise, and it 
 amuses me. 
 
 This is not a criticism, for I am really very 
 deeply in love with him. He is so handsome, 
 strong, and about one hundred per cent, truth- 
 ful. : Do you see that line I am 
 
 making"? It is to save you from one solid hour's 
 talk upon the same transparent subject. 
 
 There is one thing more I must say: I do so 
 much wish he loved me for what I really am, in- 
 stead of what he would like me to be. 
 
 We shall have a quiet wedding in Chicago, and 
 we trust that you and Mabel, together with two 
 of his friends here, will help us through, and into 
 the marriage state of discipline. 
 
 I shall return home in a few days, with all plans 
 matured and a trunk full of pretty things, having 
 extended my visit here somewhat longer than I 
 had intended. 
 
 The stores here are fine and filled with the 
 choicest fabrics. The tall buildings are so close
 
 128 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 together, and loom to such heights in the air, in 
 a tower-like fashion, that I am wondering how 
 many millions, or billions, has been spent to shut 
 out the light and sunshine. They seem to crush 
 the mind, and this is the very good reason why 
 I have only written you a word or two. Do you 
 not wish they had been yet more crushing? Have 
 patience; I am ending now. 
 
 I know you and my other chums there will be 
 glad of my new found happiness, and we will 
 not lack words to "talk it over." 
 
 Yours ever lovingly, 
 
 KATE. 
 
 (Telegram, from Kate Holbrook to Fred Win- 
 selli.) 
 
 CHICAGO, August 27, 1913. 
 Arrived safely. Had an enjoyable trip. 
 
 KATE HOLBROOK. 
 
 NEW YORK, August 28, 1913. 
 My Betrothed: 
 
 The test of love for you alone is such that I 
 can look henceforth upon the happy side of life
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 129 
 
 constantly, and it is proving to be a splendid rem- 
 edy to draw me from the dull care of my business 
 life, and make shorter the long hours of my day. 
 It is given to you to make all my days, henceforth, 
 either bright or dark. 
 
 I have been wondering whether or not we have 
 been giving sufficient credit to Brighton, and if it 
 is not time to pay up our dues. This place by the 
 sea has been the inspiration to us; therefore, it is 
 not surprising to note the prominence it has been 
 given and why it has been made the theme of 
 practically the greater part of our correspond- 
 ence. 
 
 We have also been under the spell of Plato, 
 and he has PAVED THE WAY to our happiness, the 
 golden way bordered by the sweetest flowers that 
 grow. 
 
 The angels themselves will envy us the unmeas- 
 urable haven that we have found. 
 
 I will not attempt a description of the belong- 
 ings, one by one, which I am placing in our home, 
 only partially completing them until the ap- 
 pointed time when you will reign there with a 
 despotic rule, hidden under a saucy, dexterous 
 sway, that will hold your subject as a willing cap- 
 tive. 
 
 Let me know your plans and mine will be in
 
 130 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 accordance with your wish in all arrangements 
 you make for our wedding. 
 
 Good-by, dear one. 
 
 Your own 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 You surely knew you could write a love letter 
 which would make the heart vibrate one hundred 
 and sixteen beats to the minute, and it was no idle 
 boast of yours when you said what you did. 
 
 I have responded with the aforesaid one hun- 
 dred plus; are you content, or should I make 
 it two hundred, in spite of the limitations of that 
 organ"? 
 
 Let me tell you again and yet again that I am 
 grateful for the gift of love bestowed upon me, 
 and not one little trivial doubt concerning this 
 treasure can ever assail my thoughts. 
 
 You are my first love, nor would it be possible 
 for me ever to forget. You know this too well, 
 and now, instead of repeating a twice told tale. 
 I will tell you about a funny decision by an all- 
 wise umpire on the diamond out West. 
 
 When the baseball teams lined up for play it 
 was found that one team was shy a man.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 131 
 
 Thompson of the cork leg volunteered and was 
 accepted. 
 
 The game proceeded and the score was six to 
 six in the ninth inning and very exciting. 
 Thompson came to the bat and the first thing he 
 did was to knock a two-bagger. He then stole 
 third and started home, when one of his team hit 
 to the short stop. 
 
 The ball was then tossed to the catcher, ten 
 feet ahead of the runner, when suddenly the cork 
 leg flew off and luckily crossed the plate, while 
 the owrier of the leg dropped to the ground. 
 
 The catcher stepped out and tagged the prone 
 figure of Thompson, but the umpire was watching 
 the game and ruled that the foot at the end of 
 the cork leg touched the base, making a safe run, 
 and winning the game. 
 
 After consulting the rule book he declared there 
 was no precedent and held firmly to his decision. 
 Then the last baseball game of the season broke 
 up in a row. 
 
 I would have liked to see the festive joy of 
 those fans, and wish I could have been there. 
 What fun ! and was it not a good play? 
 
 Some of the players in our team here ought to 
 have cork legs, considering the way they are 
 playing.
 
 132 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 I wonder if I am to attend a game semi-occa- 
 sionally after I am a promissory note, made le- 
 gally over to you, without interest. Do I have 
 your promise that I shall go, with yourself as an 
 escort? 
 
 Sometimes I have a deep, dark fear that as 
 domestic goods I shall be a total failure, and you 
 should not have abundant faith in me, even though 
 I say honestly I intend to try hard for success 
 with a fireless cooker and those glorious prize 
 receipts in the newspapers. As time passes from 
 day to day why should not I become expert? 
 Sure thing! 
 
 Good-by. All the joys of earth to you. 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 1913. 
 My Dear Kate: 
 
 Moved by your letter into that region in which 
 your own feeling has led you, I find reflected 
 therein an image of all that is cheery and bright. 
 Not even the prospect of the latest scientific cook- 
 ing has power to discourage me. 
 
 My health is normal and appetite good, and I 
 venture to say you can fearlessly practice upon 
 me until you achieve the numerous victories which 
 you are sure to attain.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 133 
 
 I feel confident I can serve with absolute free- 
 dom from danger my probation of servitude, and 
 we will finally have dishes that will make us con- 
 noisseurs in table delicacies. 
 
 "Oh, the fairies' charm shall forever hold, 
 Forever for you and me." 
 
 Someone has said that he who creates a new 
 dish does more for the human race than he who 
 discovers a star. 
 
 Right here while thinking of those who have 
 helped -mankind, what do you think of the seven 
 wonders of the modern world, as compared to 
 those of long ago*? 
 
 The latter consisted of magnificent structures, 
 lovely hanging gardens, matchless statuary, 
 tombs, walls, and a lighthouse, all of which were 
 great performances, and no doubt desirable, but 
 of very little benefit to the world in general. 
 
 Compare these with to-day's wireless, elec- 
 tricity, airships, automobiles, tall buildings, rail- 
 roads and steamships, making life good and valu- 
 able to almost the whole universe. 
 
 Any one of these add more to the comfort and 
 happiness of the multitude than did any of those 
 celebrated wonders of old. Do you not think so? 
 
 The Greeks in the period six hundred years
 
 134 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 before Christ really obtained electricity by rub- 
 bing amber, and the word Elektron, meaning am- 
 ber, gives us our word electricity. That splendid 
 word that heralds modern civilization. 
 Yours ever lovingly, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 How you rob my days of loneliness by your 
 loving devotion. I cannot write to you, dear one, 
 the myriad of thoughts that have passed through 
 my mind concerning you, and as this letter speeds 
 on its way toward Manhattan, it carries all of love 
 in its enclosure. 
 
 The uncompromising martyrdom you are as- 
 suming in the servitude line makes me eager to 
 become proficient that I may rescue you from the 
 evils that flesh is heir to, and I am preparing a 
 book of receipts, a few of which I will copy, and 
 I truly hope they will produce a pleasurable ap- 
 petite. 
 
 i . Plato's "Demi-tasse. 
 One cup of justice. 
 Two pounds of argument, filtered.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 One thousand interrogation marks. 
 One tiny salt-spoon of poetry. 
 A multitude of remedies against evil. 
 Served with honey. 
 
 2. Rameses' Blackberry Pie. 
 Choice portions of wrath. 
 A shipload of spoils flavored 
 With a bundle of conceit, blended 
 Together with arrogance. 
 
 3. Socrates' Deviled Eggs. 
 
 One dozen eggs with no recall. 
 Beaten thoroughly with a shrew's jeers. 
 Seasoned with plenty of pepper. 
 Served with future Bacon. 
 Submitted to the homage of the world. 
 
 4. Alexander the Great's Pancakes. 
 One Georgian knot, sliced. 
 Big bits of book companionship. 
 First quality of rubber. 
 Served with Aristotle's finest 
 Grade of syrup. 
 
 5. Cleopatra's French Pastry. 
 Pearls dissolved in vinegar.
 
 136 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 Crust flaked with beguiling smiles and wiles. 
 Filling of whipped cream. 
 Served on gilded barge. 
 
 Many demands upon my time are interfering 
 with my study of cuisine, and I must now leave 
 you and the pretty home that is no longer to be an 
 imagination, but a reality. 
 
 All the tenderness of my nature has full sway 
 as I indulge myself in the arrangement of each 
 detail in the interior. The table where we are 
 indulging in my theoretical cooking is placed in 
 the middle of the room, with its white linen; its 
 rosy-posy china; its bright silver; and blossoming 
 flowers. Looking further I see the pretty living- 
 room with artistic though simple furnishings. 
 
 Best of all, you are interpreting every moment 
 the heretofore foreign language of love to me. 
 
 A King and Queen might be willing, and glad, 
 to lay their crowns aside for such joy as will be 
 ours. 
 
 And now the scene undergoes a change, and I 
 must give my attention to the trousseau that is 
 so necessary an adjunct to the satisfaction of all 
 brides. 
 
 The lovely wedding dress which is under way, 
 snowy white and daintily embroidered, is telling
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 137 
 
 me when I gaze upon its filmy fleeciness that my 
 happy thoughts are etching a more beautiful pat- 
 tern on the dawn of another day, and that love 
 is caught and held closely in all the threads and 
 meshes of the fabric. 
 
 Lovingly your own 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 1913. 
 My Beloved: 
 
 The exhilaration I knew when I read your ref- 
 erence to our future nest was more than I can tell, 
 and I now believe that the wish I had dared to 
 entertain will become a reality, and it is revealed 
 to me that your presence will make our unpreten- 
 tious home a beautiful palace. 
 
 Only the shortest possible time, in accordance 
 with your plans, now intervenes between this time 
 and that to-be-envied hour when I claim the one 
 I have long set forth as the pledge of all that I 
 desire to find in truth and loyalty, and I am lifted 
 to the heights of joy, with the thought of giving 
 my love in return for the love given me. 
 
 Your own 
 
 FRED.
 
 138 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 1913. 
 My Dear Fred: 
 
 You are looking for a letter, I know, the last 
 of our long correspondence, and I trust the inter- 
 pretation of the sentiments contained therein will 
 continue in unselfishness. 
 
 I am still exulting in the lovely creations, pre- 
 pared for me, and they take me back in imagina- 
 tion to the luxury described in the Arabian Nights, 
 and I will take a tip right here and tell you a 
 thousand and one times the living truth I love 
 you! 
 
 When you have heard the words repeated over 
 and over so many times I think you will be grate- 
 ful if I suddenly say : 
 
 "My dear Fred, kindly come down to earth, 
 from the remote portion of the solar system you 
 have climbed to, and we will discuss the proper 
 manner to tie the knot." 
 
 Florence and Mabel, with the assistance of your 
 two friends, will direct our steps in the way in 
 which we should go, and see we do not wander 
 in the way we should not go. 
 
 There will be a host of friends present, and 
 everything artistic and pretty. We have had a 
 song composed for the occasion, each verse ending 
 with the two lines:
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 139 
 
 "Here comes the bride. 
 God save the groom." 
 
 i 
 
 After the ceremony and congratulations, there 
 will be a symposium followed by dancing. 
 
 This will suggest to you and me the first time 
 we met, when Fate got busy and started us on the 
 road to find the most essential things in life, com- 
 panionship and love, and very many thousand 
 and one times will we tell the old and yet ever 
 new story to each other, knowing the earth and 
 heaven and all things bright and lovely were 
 created for our sakes alone, and that not to be 
 happy would be a sin impossible to our sweet en- 
 chantment. 
 
 When this reaches you the time for your de- 
 parture is near, and now in saying a final farewell 
 to our many letters, I must refer to the immemo- 
 rial company we have been in, and once again 
 quote Plato: 
 
 "True love is a love of beauty and order 
 temperate and harmonious." 
 
 Your own 
 
 KATE. 
 
 NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 1913. 
 My Dear Love: 
 
 Your plans require no criticism, and anything
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 
 
 nice you can think of in addition my unspoken 
 acquiescence is implied. 
 
 My two friends and I leave for Chicago 
 to-morrow, and I count over and over my good 
 fortune, as a miser counts his gold. 
 
 My words you can read in a short space of 
 time, but the strata of thought which cannot be 
 explained or expressed should entertain you 
 longer. 
 
 Not to be outdone by you I will close our cor- 
 respondence with Plato's words: 
 
 "And when a beautiful soul harmonizes with a 
 beautiful form, and the two are cast in one mold, 
 that will be the fairest of sights to him who has 
 the eye to contemplate the vision." 
 Yours eternally, 
 
 FRED. 
 
 (Telegram, to Kate Holbrook.} 
 
 BUFFALO, Sept. 24, 1913. 
 
 My friends and I are en route. Reach Chicago 
 to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock. 
 
 FRED WINSELLI.
 
 PLATO PAVED THE WAY 141 
 
 CLIPPING 
 
 The wedding of Miss Catherine Holbrook and 
 Frederick Winselli took place Thursday evening, 
 September twenty-fifth, at the home of the bride's 
 guardian, Mr. E. P. Willard, 2906 Huntington 
 Avenue. The ballroom, which was used for the 
 occasion, was beautifully decorated with flowers 
 deftly wrought in bowers of green foliage. 
 
 The Rev. Carlton Stephens officiated. The 
 bride was attended by Miss Florence Bowsfield 
 and Miss Mabel King. Mr. H. W. Battalia and 
 Mr. Louis Romani of New York city acted as 
 attendants to the groom.
 
 8 
 
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