For instance, she had once imagined that all the men and women of
culture who followed the higher professions must perforce be a sort of
"Joyous Fraternity," superior to other mortals not so gifted,--and,
under this erroneous impression, she was at first eager to know some of
the so-called "great" people who had distinguished themselves in
literature or the fine arts. She had fancied that they must of necessity
be all refined, sympathetic, large-hearted, and noble-minded--alas! how
grievously was she disappointed! She found, to her sorrow, that the tree
of modern Art bore but few wholesome roses and many cankered buds--that
the "Joyous Fraternity" were not joyous at all--but, on the contrary,
inclined to dyspepsia and discontentment. She found that even poets,
whom she had fondly deemed were the angel-guides among the children of
this earth,--were most of them painfully conceited, selfish in aim and
limited in thought,--moreover, that they were often so empty of all true
inspiration, that they were actually able to hate and envy one another
with a sort of womanish spite and temper,--that novelists, professing to
be in sympathy with the heart of humanity, were no sooner brought into
contact one with another, than they plainly showed by look, voice, and
manner, the contempt they entertained for each other's work,--that men
of science were never so happy as when trying to upset each other's
theories;--that men of religious combativeness were always on the alert
to destroy each other's creeds,--and that, in short, there was a very
general tendency to mean jealousies, miserable heart-burnings and utter
weariness all round.

On one occasion, she, in the sweetest simplicity, invited two lady
authoresses of note to meet at one of her "at homes,". . . she welcomed
both the masculine-looking ladies with a radiant smile, and introduced
them, saying gently,--"You will be so pleased to know each other!" But
the stony stare, stiff nod, portentous sniff, and scornful smile with
which these two eminent females exchanged cold greetings, were enough to
daunt the most sympathetic hostess that ever lived--and when they at
once retired to different corners of the room and sat apart with their
backs turned to one another for the remainder of the evening, their
attitude was so uncompromising that it was no wonder the gentle Thelma
felt quite dismayed and wretched at the utter failure of the
_rencontre_.

"They would _not_ be sociable!" s