WILLIE WHISPER 15 



proved too strong at last. I wearied of the 

 pleasures. The sham patriotism and real selfish- 

 ness of politicians disgusted me. Everything was 

 so mercenary, even art and literature saturated 

 with it and degraded. I think had I found some 

 outlet in great commercial undertakings, engineer- 

 ing exploits, or trading adventure, I might have 

 stood it out ; but no, my lines were cast in 

 politics ; politics sickened me, and at long last I 

 cut clean adrift and sought the simple life. The 

 simple life ! Yes, fools play at it at home. Eat 

 nuts and get indigestion. Walk barefoot and 

 catch colds. No, my dear sir, that is of no kind 

 of use. If you cannot lead the life into which 

 according to the catechism God has called you — 

 if to you the simple Hfe becomes an absolute 

 necessity, a craving that cannot be denied, you 

 must seek it where only it can be found. Don't 

 play with nature. Give yourself wholly up to 

 nature and nature will give herself wholly up to 

 you, and you will find peace. 



" But don't suppose that peace and contentment 

 came to me all at once. I suffered from qualms of 

 conscience — thought that perhaps duty to others 

 made it necessary for me to struggle on in my 

 natural sphere, however disastrous the consequences 



