I had such a high-strung, sensitive, nervous organism as a child, you know. At a very early age my temperament began to show. And one CANNOT hide one's temperament. Especially if one is at all psychic, and I am, VERY. But if I ever have Children -- well, I will take no chances with them. To begin with, I will Select their Father. Mamma said, when I told her that: "Hermione, you are HORRID!" Poor dear Mamma! She's SO stupid! "Mamma," I said to her, of course I DON'T mean free love. I'm not that advanced, I hope! Though some VERY Nice People have written of it -- it's quite respectable, as a theory. But you're hopelessly old-fashioned. I WILL select the parent of my Off-spring; YOU were selected." Mamma only groaned and said: "Anything but a Cave-man, Hermione." But I am not sure. It comes back to me again and again how Primitive I am in some ways. And to wander barefoot in the dew! Not really quite barefoot, of course -- but with some of the new sandals on. FOTHERGIL FINCH TELLS OF HIS REVOLT AGAINST ORGANIZED SOCIETY BERTIE GRIGGS -- you know Ethelbert Griggs, don't you? He does the text for the Paris fashions for a woman's magazine, and on the side he writes the most impassioned verse. All about Serpents and Woman, and Lillith and Phryne, you know. Bertie said to me only the other day, "Fothy, you are too Radical. It will keep you down in the world." "Bertie," I said, "I know I am, but can I help it? I spurn the world! A truly virile poet must." "Some day, Fothy," he said, "you will come into contact with the law." I only laughed. Bitterly, I suppose, for Bertie looked at me quite shocked. "Bertie," I said, "I expect persecution. I welcome it. All great souls do. I look for it. On one pretext or another, I will be flung into prison when my next volume, "Clamor, Cries and Curses' comes out." And I will, too, if I ever find a publisher who dares to bring it out. But they are all too cowardly! "Fothy," he said, "you Revolutionists are always talking -- but what do you ever do? I arose with dignity. "Bertie," I said, "I am ready to suffer for the Cause." I turned and left him. I must have been pale with resolve, for he ran after me and caught me by the wrist. But I shook him off. I was in a desperate mood. "Curses upon all their Conventions!" I said, as I turned up the street toward Central Park. "Curses upon all organized society!" I stopped in front of Columbus's statue, at Columbus Circle. "Fool," I muttered bitterly, "to discover a new world" I shook my fist at the statue and went on. I wandered over to the place where they keep the animals, and stopped in front of one of the monkey cages. Dear, unconventional little beasts! They always charm my blacker moods away from me! So free, so untrammeled, so primitive! I smiled at a monkey. He smiled at me. I held up a peanut. He reached out his hand for it. I was about to fling it to him when I saw a sign that read: