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Ninian Jamieson, and A Practical Novelist
Ninian Jamieson and A Practical Novelist Author:John Davidson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VII NINIAN AND MARJORY Cosmo, disgusted with Thomsina's unscientific spirit, drove back to Mintern, soliloquising all the way. 'Women,' he said,... more » 'are fools. The only hope for them is to change their appellation. Look at George Sand, George Eliot, Currer Bell! It was only by imagining themselves men that those women wrote their great novels; and the softer sex cannot be hardened until the word "woman" is abolished, and the word " man" substituted for it. All children must be called boys, and all adults men. It's infallible. Change the name and you change the thing. There's no getting over that. I am astonished that the importance of theory has never been recognised. Makea generalisation, believe it, act upon it, and there you are!' In this strain he continued until he arrived at the Mintern Arms. After lunch he went to fish, and lashed the water till five o'clock, catching nothing with much theoretical satisfaction. On his way home a voice hailed him. He looked behind, and saw a tall figure in a long waterproof running towards him. It was the Provost. ' Well, Cosmo,' said Ninian, when he came up to him, ' I hope you've had good sport.' 'I have,' said Cosmo. 'I hadn't a single rise, and I've caught a cold.' ' I'm very glad,' said Ninian, laughing. ' By-the-bye, have you any theory about putting your hand to the plough and turning back ?' 'I have,' said Cosmo. ' I could expound it better, however, if you would give me the example that occurs to you.' ' It is myself. I am, as you see, returning, and you know how little is accomplished.' ' I must know why you are returning.' ' Certainly. I left Tullibolton House very early this morning and walked rapidly for two hours. Then I began to be hungry, so I went into a little cottage by the wayside and su...« less