geraint as he had been used to do when he was at arthur's court frequented tournaments
before geraint the scourge of the enemy i saw steeds white with foam and after the shout of battle a fearful torrent
these tidings came to erbin
not i by my confession unto heaven said she there is nothing more hateful unto me than this
and the tears she shed and the words she had spoken awoke him
and evil betide me said he if thou returnest here until thou knowest whether i have lost my strength so completely as thou didst say
then geraint went to see erbin
sir said he i am going upon a quest and i am not certain when i may come back
take heed therefore unto thy possessions until my return
but one person only will go with me
and he desired enid to mount her horse and to ride forward and to keep a long way before him
and unless i speak unto thee say not thou one word either
and though thou shouldst desire to see my defeat and my death by the hands of those men yet do i feel no dread
and he received him and that not feebly
and say not one word unto me unless i speak first unto thee
i will do as far as i can lord said she according to thy desire
ah maiden said he it is vain to attempt proceeding forward
i cannot by any means refrain from sleep through weariness said he do thou therefore watch the horses and sleep not
and when she saw the dawn of day appear she looked around her to see if he were waking and thereupon he woke
and they left the wood and they came to an open country with meadows on one hand and mowers mowing the meadows
my lord he added will it be displeasing to thee if i ask whence thou comest also
wilt thou follow my counsel said the youth and take thy meal from me
what sort of meal he inquired
then they washed and took their repast
i go now lord said he to meet the knight and to conduct him to his lodging
i will do lord said she as thou sayest
and after they had eaten and drank geraint went to sleep and so did enid also
the dates seem unimportant but throughout the period the officers and men of the ship have been unremittingly busy
bowers attacked the ship's stores surveyed relisted and restowed them saving very much space by unstowing numerous cases and stowing the contents in the lazarette
without steam the leak can now be kept under with the hand pump by two daily efforts of a quarter of an hour to twenty minutes
as the ship was and in her present heavily laden condition it would certainly have taken three to four hours each day
the large green tent was put up and proper supports made for it
the engine room staff and anderson's people on the engines scientists were stowing their laboratories the cook refitting his galley and so forth not a single spot but had its band of workers
the men's space such as it is therefore extends from the fore hatch to the stem on the main deck
under the forecastle are stalls for fifteen ponies the maximum the space would hold the narrow irregular space in front is packed tight with fodder
immediately behind the forecastle bulkhead is the small booby hatch the only entrance to the men's mess deck in bad weather
abaft the fore hatch is the ice house
we managed to get three tons of ice one hundred sixty two carcases of mutton and three carcases of beef besides some boxes of sweetbreads and kidneys into this space
the sacks containing this last added to the goods already mentioned make a really heavy deck cargo and one is naturally anxious concerning it but everything that can be done by lashing and securing has been done
forage i originally ordered thirty tons of compressed oaten hay from melbourne
the scene is wholly enchanting and such a view from some sheltered sunny corner in a garden which blazes with masses of red and golden flowers tends to feelings of inexpressible satisfaction with all things
a great mass of people assembled
k and i lunched with a party in the new zealand company's ship ruapehu
telegram to say terra nova had arrived sunday night
a third sledge stands across the break of the poop in the space hitherto occupied by the after winch
the quantity is two and a half tons and the space occupied considerable
the ship was over two feet by the stern but this will soon be remedied
they must perforce be chained up and they are given what shelter is afforded on deck but their position is not enviable
it is a pathetic attitude deeply significant of cold and misery occasionally some poor beast emits a long pathetic whine
there are generally one or two on watch which eases matters but it is a squash
later in the day the wind has veered to the westward heading us slightly
oates and atkinson with intermittent assistance from others were busy keeping the ponies on their legs
there was nothing for it but to grapple with the evil and nearly all hands were labouring for hours in the waist of the ship heaving coal sacks overboard and re lashing the petrol cases et cetera in the best manner possible under such difficult and dangerous circumstances
no sooner was some semblance of order restored than some exceptionally heavy wave would tear away the lashing and the work had to be done all over again
from this moment about four a m the engine room became the centre of interest
the water gained in spite of every effort
the outlook appeared grim
the amount of water which was being made with the ship so roughly handled was most uncertain
williams had to confess he was beaten and must draw fires what was to be done
the bilge pump is dependent on the main engine
on one occasion i was waist deep when standing on the rail of the poop
the afterguard were organised in two parties by evans to work buckets the men were kept steadily going on the choked hand pumps this seemed all that could be done for the moment and what a measure to count as the sole safeguard of the ship from sinking practically an attempt to bale her out
occasionally a heavy sea would bear one of them away and he was only saved by his chain
now this is how arthur hunted the stag
and the last dog that was let loose was the favorite dog of arthur cavall was his name
then they sounded the death horn for slaying and they all gathered round
one wished that it should be given to the lady best beloved by him and another to the lady whom he loved best
and after midday they beheld an unshapely little man upon a horse and after him a dame or a damsel also on horseback and after her a knight of large stature bowed down and hanging his head low and sorrowfully and clad in broken and worthless armor
i know not who they are said he but i know said guenever this is the knight whom geraint pursued and methinks that he comes not here by his own free will
but geraint has overtaken him and avenged the insult to the maiden to the uttermost
lady said he at the gate there is a knight and i saw never a man of so pitiful an aspect to look upon as he
i do said he he tells me that he is edeyrn the son of nudd
then she replied i know him not
so guenever went to the gate to meet him and he entered
and geraint greets thee well and in greeting thee he compelled me to come hither to do thy pleasure for the insult which thy maiden received from the dwarf now where did he overtake thee
sir said she when thinkest thou that geraint will be here
to morrow lady i think he will be here with the maiden
i am lord said he and i have met with much trouble and received wounds unsupportable
well said arthur from what i hear it behooves guenever to be merciful towards thee
the mercy which thou desirest lord said she will i grant to him since it is as insulting to thee that an insult should be offered to me as to thyself
thus will it be best to do said arthur let this man have medical care until it be known whether he may live
to guenever and her handmaidens said he
and the steward of the household so ordered her
and being young he changed himself and grew to hate the sin that seem'd so like his own of modred arthur's nephew and fell at last in the great battle fighting for the king
and when geraint came to the place where guenever was he saluted her
then they went in and dismounted
heaven protect thee said arthur and the welcome of heaven be unto thee
and inasmuch as thou hast vanquished edeyrn the son of nudd thou hast had a prosperous career
and from that time she became his wife
and the maiden took up her abode in the palace and she had many companions both men and women and there was no maiden more esteemed than she in the island of britain
and a year and a second and a third he proceeded thus until his fame had flown over the face of the kingdom
and he greets thee well as an uncle should greet his nephew and as a vassal should greet his lord
and the neighboring chiefs knowing this grow insolent towards him and covet his land and possessions
and arthur told geraint the cause of the mission and of the coming of the ambassadors to him out of cornwall truly said geraint be it to my advantage or disadvantage lord i will do according to thy will concerning this embassy
what discourse said guenever do i hear between you
said geraint i think i shall have enough of knighthood with me and they set forth
and never was there seen a fairer host journeying towards the severn
and he said to geraint i am a feeble and an aged man and whilst i was able to maintain the dominion for thee and for myself i did so
and every one asked that which he desired
and they were not long in giving so eager was every one to bestow gifts and of those who came to ask gifts none departed unsatisfied
then geraint sent ambassadors to the men of cornwall to ask them this
and they all said that it would be the fulness of joy and honor to them for geraint to come and receive their homage
so he received the homage of such as were there
and the day after the followers of arthur intended to go away
a number of other dates were observed by the christian church at various times as the birthday of jesus the gospels give no date and appear to be quite uncertain really ignorant about it
yet there is no evidence that he was born on that day
why this discrepancy in a historical document to say nothing about inspiration
again matthew says that to escape the evil designs of herod mary and joseph with the infant jesus fled into egypt luke says nothing about this hurried flight nor of herod's intention to kill the infant messiah
when we come to the more important chapters about jesus we meet with greater difficulties
while it is always on a friday that the crucifixion is commemorated the week in which the day occurs varies from year to year
good friday falls not before the spring equinox but as soon after the spring equinox as the full moon allows thus making the calculation to depend upon the position of the sun in the zodiac and the phases of the moon
the pagan oestera has become the christian easter
but in the absence of evidence origin offers the following metaphysical arguments against the sceptical celsus one
if we are to have any mythology at all he seems to argue why object to adding to it the mythus of jesus
the immediate companions of jesus appear to be on the other hand as mythical as he is himself
who was matthew who was mark
who were john peter judas and mary
there is absolutely no evidence that they ever existed
if peter ever went to rome with a new doctrine how is it that no historian has taken note of him
here again we see the presence of a myth
he was the only one who saw them
peter paul john james judas occupy the stage almost exclusively
it is impossible to explain why the contemporaries of jesus the authors and historians of his time do not take notice of him
could they have been in a conspiracy against him
how else is this unanimous silence to be accounted for
how then are we to decide which of the numerous candidates for divine honors should be given our votes
and such a faith is never free it is always maintained by the sword now and by hell fire hereafter
yet the most impossible utterances are put in jesus mouth
only a mythical jesus could virtually hand over the government of the universe to courtiers who have petitions to press upon his attention
moreover if jesus could keep his promise there would be today no misery in the world no orphans no childless mothers no shipwrecks no floods no famines no disease no crippled children no insanity no wars no crime no wrong
have these prayers been answered
how many self deluded prophets these extravagant claims have produced
and who can number the bitter disappointments caused by such impossible promises
the same which the preachers of today give he parried his answer with many words and at length said that the promise was to be taken with the provision that what we asked for would be given if god thought it for our good
but he said if ye ask anything in my name i will do it and if it were not so i would have told you
did he not mean just what he said
self effort and not prayer is the remedy against ignorance slavery poverty and moral degradation
but i am determined not only to know if it is possible the whole truth about jesus but also to communicate that truth to others
but there is more of a moral tonic in the open and candid discussion of a subject like the one in hand than in a multitude of platitudes
i never deliver a lecture in which i do not either directly or indirectly give full and free expression to my faith in everything that is worthy of faith
if i do not believe in dogma it is because i believe in freedom
oh he tears down but does not build up is another criticism about my work it is not true
no preacher or priest is more constructive
clapping truth into jail gagging the mouth of the student is that building up or tearing down
when bruno lighted a new torch to increase the light of the world what was his reward the stake
count your rights political religious social intellectual and tell me which of them was conquered for you by the priest
i wish to tell you something
but first let us be impersonal the epithets irreverent blasphemer atheist and infidel are flung at a man not from pity but from envy
not having the courage or the industry of our neighbor who works like a busy bee in the world of men and books searching with the sweat of his brow for the real bread of life wetting the open page before him with his tears pushing into the wee hours of the night his quest animated by the fairest of all loves the love of truth we ease our own indolent conscience by calling him names
as i approached the city i heard bells ringing and a little later i found the streets astir with throngs of well dressed people in family groups wending their way hither and thither
looking about me i saw a gentleman in a neat black dress smiling and his hand extended to me with great cordiality
he must have realized i was a stranger and wished to tender his hospitality to me i accepted it gratefully i clasped his hand he pressed mine
we gazed for a moment silently into each other's eyes
of course you are going there too i said to my friendly guide
yes he answered i conduct the worship i am a priest
an idol i whispered taken by surprise
they worshipped gods that did not exist
but the greeks loved their gods i protested my heart clamoring in my breast
no i said in a low voice
he was an idol then and not a god
it made athens a city of light it created the beautiful the true the good yes our religion was divine
it had only one fault interrupted my guide what was that
i inquired without knowing what his answer would be it was not true
produce him
i whispered to myself what blasphemy
then taking heart i told my guide how more than once i had felt apollo's radiant presence in my heart and told him of the immortal lines of homer concerning the divine apollo
do you doubt homer
i said to him homer the inspired bard
no no apollo is not an idol
he is a god and the son of a god
the air was heavy with incense a number of men in gorgeous vestments were passing to and fro bowing and kneeling before the various lights and images
observing my anxiety to understand the meaning of all this my guide took me aside and in a whisper told me that the people were celebrating the anniversary of the birthday of their beautiful savior jesus the son of god
forget apollo he said with a suggestion of severity in his voice
there is no such person he was only an idol
if you were to search for apollo in all the universe you would never find any one answering to his name or description
i want to see jesus i hastened turning toward him
will he not be here this morning
will he not speak to his worshippers i asked again
will he not permit them to touch him to caress his hand to clasp his divine feet to inhale the ambrosial fragrance of his breath to bask in the golden light of his eyes to hear the music of his immaculate accents
i asked my eyes filled with wonder and my voice quivering with excitement
would not that then i ventured to ask impatiently make jesus as much of an idol as apollo
and if faith that jesus is a god proves him a god why will not faith in apollo make him a god
a myth is a fanciful explanation of a given phenomenon
the mind craves for knowledge the child asks questions because of an inborn desire to know
now and then they came close enough to snap at each other
with this mythus the primitive man was satisfied until his developing intelligence realized its inadequacy science was born of that realization
the myth of a one eyed people living in india has been replaced by accurate information concerning the hindoos
and this is precisely the use to which myths have been put
is jesus a myth
there is in man a faculty for fiction
it thinks less than it guesses
it is reflection which introduces a bit into the mouth of imagination curbing its pace and subduing its restless spirit
we fill the space about and over us with spirits fairies gods and other invisible and airy beings
we covet the rainbow we reach out for the moon
our feet do not really begin to touch the firm ground until we have reached the years of discretion
science was not born until man had matured
grown up people create science
the cradle is the womb of all the fairies and faiths of mankind
the school is the birthplace of science
religion is the science of the child
in the discussion of this subject i appeal to the mature not to the child mind
he is god's mouthpiece and no one may disagree with him
the only way i may command your respect is to be reasonable
let us place ourselves entirely in the hands of the evidence
as intelligent beings we desire to know whether this jesus whose worship is not only costing the world millions of the people's money but which is also drawing to his service the time the energies the affection the devotion and the labor of humanity is a myth or a reality
and again when the artist following malicorne's advice was a little late in arriving and when saint aignan had been obliged to be absent for some time it was interesting to observe though no one witnessed them those moments of silence full of deep expression which united in one sigh two souls most disposed to understand each other and who by no means objected to the quiet meditation they enjoyed together
in a word malicorne philosopher that he was though he knew it not had learned how to inspire the king with an appetite in the midst of plenty and with desire in the assurance of possession
in this manner therefore without leaving her room and having no confidante she was able to return to her apartment thus removing by her appearance a little tardy perhaps the suspicions of the most determined skeptics
but the door remained closed and neither saint aignan nor the painter appeared nor did the hangings even move
go then dearest love said the king but return quickly
no no not to day sire
i knew but too well that you had not ceased to love me
la valliere with a gesture partly of extreme terror and partly as if invoking a blessing attempted to speak but could not articulate one word
at the moment however when the king threw himself on his knees a cry of utter despair rang through the corridor accompanied by the sound of retreating footsteps
the captain sitting buried in his leathern armchair his spurs fixed in the floor his sword between his legs was reading a number of letters as he twisted his mustache
d'artagnan uttered a welcome full of pleasure when he perceived his friend's son
raoul my boy he said by what lucky accident does it happen that the king has recalled you
these words did not sound agreeably in the young man's ears who as he seated himself replied upon my word i cannot tell you all that i know is i have come back hum
that the king has not recalled you and you have returned
i do not understand that at all
raoul was already pale enough and he now began to turn his hat round and round in his hand
what the deuce is the matter that you look as you do and what makes you so dumb
said the captain do people nowadays assume that sort of airs in england
i have been in england and came here again as lively as a chaffinch
will you not say something
i have too much to say
ah how is your father
forgive me my dear friend i was going to ask you that
d'artagnan increased the sharpness of his penetrating gaze which no secret was capable of resisting
you are unhappy about something he said
i am indeed and you know the reason very well monsieur d'artagnan
nay do not pretend to be astonished
i am not pretending to be astonished my friend
i have neither head nor arm do not despise but help me in two words i am the most wretched of living beings oh oh
she is deceiving you said d'artagnan not a muscle of whose face had moved those are big words who makes use of them
every one ah
if every one says so there must be some truth in it
not for a friend for a son
the deuce take it you are really ill from curiosity
no it is not from curiosity it is from love
good another big word
i tell you i love louise to distraction
well suppose it were only that
no sensible man ever succeeded in making much of a brain when the head was turned
i have completely lost my senses in the same way a hundred times in my life
you would hear but you would not understand me you would understand but you would not obey me
oh try try
i go far even if i were unfortunate enough to know something and foolish enough to communicate it to you you are my friend you say indeed yes
very good i should quarrel with you
i never complain as you know but as heaven and my father would never forgive me for blowing out my brains i will go and get the first person i meet to give me the information which you withhold i will tell him he lies and and you would kill him
and a fine affair that would be so much the better what should i care
you now assume a different tone instead of killing you will get killed yourself i suppose you mean very fine indeed
how much i should regret you
of course i should go about all day saying ah
what a fine stupid fellow that bragelonne was
as great a stupid as i ever met with
go then raoul go and get yourself disposed of if you like
i hardly know who can have taught you logic but deuce take me if your father has not been regularly robbed of his money
raoul buried his face in his hands murmuring no no i have not a single friend in the world
idle fancies monsieur i do not laugh at you although i am a gascon
a carpenter what do you mean
upon my word i don't know some one told me there was a carpenter who made an opening through a certain flooring
oh i don't know where
in whose room then
i have told you for the last hour that i know nothing of the whole affair
but the painter then the portrait
why you seem to have only that name in your mouth
i do not suppose it will concern you
yes you are right and he made a step or two as if he were going to leave where are you going
to look for some one who will tell me the truth
who is that a woman
you wish to be consoled by some one and you will be so at once she will tell you nothing ill of herself of course so be off
you are mistaken monsieur replied raoul the woman i mean will tell me all the evil she possibly can
well i admit it
and in point of fact why should i play with you as a cat does with a poor mouse
you distress me you do indeed
wait if you can
i cannot so much the worse
ah said raoul snatching eagerly at the pen which the captain held out to him
how very fortunate that is he was looking for you too
she said in the same tone of voice it is not i who am going to speak to him who then
i accompany my granddaughter to this this entertainment her ladyship responded
it is scarcely a joyous occasion to my mind
no need to dress yourself like that if it isn't ejaculated mister binnie
if i were sure this was the same man i'd go myself
when i find a fellow who's neither knave nor fool i stick to him believe i'll send to find out
the only time he had made any comment upon her was the first time he saw her in the dress she had copied from octavia's nice gown that he blurted out didn't get it here i'll wager
doesn't look like it he said gruffly
no she answered i am not afraid at all
i shall not be afraid again
in fact she had perfectly confounded her ladyship by her demeanor
i beg you will not speak to me of that again she said i will not listen
and turning about she walked out of the room
and nothing more had been said on the subject since
before breakfast miss belinda was startled by the arrival of another telegram which ran as follows
arrived to day per russia be with you tomorrow evening
friend with me martin bassett
well remarked octavia i suppose that would have been an advantage
octavia was a marked figure upon the grounds at that garden party another dress my dear remarked missus burnham
and what a charming color she has i declare she is usually paler
perhaps we owe this to lord lansdowne
she's prettier than ever to day and is enjoying herself
she was enjoying herself mister francis barold observed it rather gloomily as he stood apart
and then had come lord lansdowne who in crossing the lawn to shake hands with his host had been observed to keep his eye fixed upon one particular point burmistone he said after having spoken his first words who is that tall girl in white
and in ten minutes lady theobald missus burnham mister barold and divers others too numerous to mention saw him standing at octavia's side evidently with no intention of leaving it
not long after this francis barold found his way to miss belinda who was very busy and rather nervous your niece is evidently enjoying herself he remarked
octavia is most happy to day answered miss belinda
very few people understand octavia said miss belinda i'm not sure that i follow all her moods myself
she is not as frivolous as she appears to those who don't know her well
barold stood gnawing his mustache and made no reply he was not very comfortable
he felt himself ill used by fate and rather wished he had returned to london from broadoaks instead of loitering in slowbridge
he had amused himself at first but in time he had been surprised to find his amusement lose something of its zest
it's deucedly bad form on his part he said mentally what does he mean by it
octavia on the contrary did not ask what he meant by it
where he ejaculated i say what a name
i had not observed it answered her ladyship
but she glared at barold as he passed and beckoned to him where is lucia she demanded
i saw her with burmistone half an hour ago he answered coldly have you any message for my mother i shall return to london to morrow leaving here early she turned quite pale
what has happened she asked rigidly he looked slightly surprised nothing whatever he replied
i have remained here longer than i intended
she began to move the manacles on her right wrist
she had not brought lucia up under her own eye for nothing
chapter twenty three may i go
the very day after this octavia opened the fourth trunk
evidently something had happened octavia she said mister dugald binnie is at oldclough who is he
he is my grand uncle explained lucia tremulously he has a great deal of money
i do not quite understand grandmamma octavia she said
last night she came to my room to talk to me and this morning she came again and oh
she broke out indignantly how could she speak to me in such a manner
what did you understand
i am to run after a man who does not care for me and make myself attractive in the hope that he will condescend to marry me because mister binnie may leave me his money
do you wonder that it took even lady theobald a long time to say that
well remarked octavia you won't do it i suppose i wouldn't worry
oh i always knew it i didn't guess
and she smiled ever so faintly
that is one of the reasons why she loathes me so she added
lucia thought deeply for a moment she recognized all at once several things she had been mystified by before
octavia smiled a little again
lucia sat thinking her hands clasped tightly
i am glad i came here she said at length
i think i shall never be afraid of her any more
her delicate nostrils were dilated she held her head up her breath came fast there was a hint of exultation in her tone
she walked very fast after she left the house
but it was not against him that lucia's indignation was aroused
she wondered if he had heard her last words she fancied he had
he took hold of her shaking little hand and looked down at her excited face
i am angry she said you have never seen me angry before
i am on my way to my to lady theobald
he held her hand as calmly as before
what are you going to say to her he asked she laughed again
he held her hand rather closer
she has made you very angry he said
and then almost before she knew what she was doing she was pouring forth the whole of her story even more of it than she had told octavia
lucia he said i wish you would let me go and talk with lady theobald you she said with a little start
yes he answered let me go to her
if you will say yes to that i think i can promise that you need never be afraid of her any more
the fierce color died out of her cheeks and the tears rushed to her eyes
she raised her face with a pathetic look
i am desperately in love with you he answered in his quietest way
hallo colonel how d'ye sell your wood this time
why capting we must charge you three and a quarter this time the d l
supper was over and i retired to my upper berth situated alongside and overlooking the brag table where the captain was deeply engaged having now the other pilot as his principal opponent
head her in shore then and take in six cords if it's good see to it thompson i can't very well leave the game now it's getting right warm
this pilot's beating us all to smash the wooding completed we paddled on again
they were anxious to learn the game and they did learn it
still with all these disadvantages they continued playing they wanted to learn the game
oh pretty glibly sir replied the mate we can scarcely tell what headway we are making for we are obliged to keep the middle of the river and there is the shadow of a fog rising
this wood seems rather better than that we took in at yellow face's but we're nearly out again and must be looking out for more
i saw a light just ahead on the right shall we hail
yes yes replied the captain ring the bell and ask em what's the price of wood up here
i've got you again here's double kings
deal sir if you please better luck next time
the other pilot's voice was again heard on deck how much have you
only about ten cords sir was the reply of the youthful salesman
the captain here told thompson to take six cords which would last till daylight and again turned his attention to the game
the pilots here changed places when did they sleep
wood taken in the caravan again took her place in the middle of the stream paddling on as usual day at length dawned
i had risen and went out with the captain to enjoy a view of the bluffs
there it is exclaimed the captain stop her
he was gone
no more deep blue skies or crimson and amber tints
she sat by herself at the fire with unlighted candles on the table behind her thinking over the day the happy walk happy sketching cheerful pleasant dinner and the uncomfortable miserable walk in the garden
here was she disturbed and unhappy because her instinct had made anything but a refusal impossible while he not many minutes after he had met with a rejection of what ought to have been the deepest holiest proposal of his life could speak as if briefs success and all its superficial consequences of a good house clever and agreeable society were the sole avowed objects of his desires oh dear
her mother came into the room before this whirl of thoughts was adjusted into anything like order
mister hale sipped his tea in abstracted silence margaret had the responses all to herself
she forgot that he had not made them an offer
margaret was preparing her mother's worsted work and rather shrinking from the thought of the long evening and wishing bed time were come that she might go over the events of the day again
margaret
i want to speak to you about something very serious to us all
very serious to us all
mister lennox had never had the opportunity of having any private conversation with her father after her refusal or else that would indeed be a very serious affair
but she soon felt it was not about anything which having only lately and suddenly occurred could have given rise to any complicated thoughts that her father wished to speak to her
mister hale did not answer for a minute or two
margaret could not bear the sight of the suspense which was even more distressing to her father than to herself
but why dear papa do tell me
because i must no longer be a minister in the church of england
but nothing to the shock she received from mister hale's last speech what could he mean
it was all the worse for being so mysterious
why can you no longer be a clergyman
surely if the bishop were told all we know about frederick and the hard unjust
margaret i will tell you about it
i will answer any questions this once but after to night let us never speak of it again
i can meet the consequences of my painful miserable doubts but it is an effort beyond me to speak of what has caused me so much suffering
no not doubts as to religion not the slightest injury to that he paused
margaret sighed as if standing on the verge of some new horror
margaret how i love the holy church from which i am to be shut out
he could not go on for a moment or two
margaret could not tell what to say it seemed to her as terribly mysterious as if her father were about to turn mahometan
the one staid foundation of her home of her idea of her beloved father seemed reeling and rocking
he swallowed down the dry choking sobs which had been heaving up from his heart hitherto and going to his bookcase he took down a volume which he had often been reading lately and from which he thought he had derived strength to enter upon the course in which he was now embarked
listen dear margaret said he putting one arm round her waist
when god will not use thee in one kind yet he will in another
if when thou art charged with corrupting god's worship falsifying thy vows thou pretendest a necessity for it in order to a continuance in the ministry
as he read this and glanced at much more which he did not read he gained resolution for himself and felt as if he too could be brave and firm in doing what he believed to be right but as he ceased he heard margaret's low convulsive sob and his courage sank down under the keen sense of suffering
i have borne long with self reproach that would have roused any mind less torpid and cowardly than mine
he shook his head as he went on
margaret i tried to do it i tried to content myself with simply refusing the additional preferment and stopping quietly here strangling my conscience now as i had strained it before
god forgive me
he rose and walked up and down the room speaking low words of self reproach and humiliation of which margaret was thankful to hear but few
margaret i return to the old sad burden we must leave helstone
yes
i have written to the bishop i dare say i have told you so but i forget things just now said mister hale collapsing into his depressed manner as soon as he came to talk of hard matter of fact details informing him of my intention to resign this vicarage
they are but what i have tried upon myself without avail
that will be a trial but worse far worse will be the parting from my dear people
he will come to stay with us to morrow
was it to be so sudden then
what does mamma say
margaret i am a poor coward after all i cannot bear to give pain
yes indeed she must said margaret
perhaps after all she may not oh yes
she will she must be shocked' as the force of the blow returned upon herself in trying to realise how another would take it
to milton northern he answered with a dull indifference for he had perceived that although his daughter's love had made her cling to him and for a moment strive to soothe him with her love yet the keenness of the pain was as fresh as ever in her mind
milton northern
yes said he in the same despondent indifferent way
but he with his quick intuitive sympathy read in her face as in a mirror the reflections of his own moody depression and turned it off with an effort
you shall be told all margaret
only help me to tell your mother
i am going out for the day to bid farmer dobson and the poor people on bracy common good bye
would you dislike breaking it to her very much margaret
margaret did dislike it did shrink from it more than from anything she had ever had to do in her life before
mister hale shook his head despondingly he pressed her hand in token of gratitude
margaret was nearly upset again into a burst of crying
to turn her thoughts she said now tell me papa what our plans are
you and mamma have some money independent of the income from the living have not you aunt shaw has i know
seventy of that has always gone to frederick since he has been abroad
he must have some pay for serving with the spanish army
frederick must not suffer said margaret decidedly in a foreign country so unjustly treated by his own a hundred is left
no
said mister hale that would not answer i must do something
i can always decide better by myself and not influenced by those whom i love said he as a half apology for having arranged so much before he had told any one of his family of his intentions
i cannot stand objections
they make me so undecided
mister hale continued a few months ago when my misery of doubt became more than i could bear without speaking i wrote to mister bell you remember mister bell margaret
no i never saw him i think
at any rate he has property there which has very much increased in value since milton has become such a large manufacturing town
i don't know that he gave me much strength
a private tutor
said margaret looking scornful what in the world do manufacturers want with the classics or literature or the accomplishments of a gentleman
oh said her father some of them really seem to be fine fellows conscious of their own deficiencies which is more than many a man at oxford is
some want their children to be better instructed than they themselves have been
and in milton margaret i shall find a busy life if not a happy one and people and scenes so different that i shall never be reminded of helstone
discordant as it was with almost a detestation for all she had ever heard of the north of england the manufacturers the people the wild and bleak country there was this one recommendation it would be different from helstone and could never remind them of that beloved place
when do we go
i do not know exactly
i wanted to talk it over with you
you see your mother knows nothing about it yet but i think in a fortnight after my deed of resignation is sent in i shall have no right to remain
margaret was almost stunned
but she recovered herself immediately
yes papa it had better be fixed soon and decidedly as you say
poor poor maria
oh if i were not married if i were but myself in the world how easy it would be
no said margaret sadly i will do it
you must not deceive yourself into doubting the reality of my words my fixed intention and resolve
he looked at her in the same steady stony manner for some moments after he had done speaking
the blessing of god be upon thee my child
the next moment she feared lest this answer to his blessing might be irreverent wrong might hurt him as coming from his daughter and she threw her arms round his neck
she heard him murmur to himself the martyrs and confessors had even more pain to bear i will not shrink
they were startled by hearing missus hale inquiring for her daughter
in seventeen fifty he came forth in the character for which he was eminently qualified a majestick teacher of moral and religious wisdom
the vehicle which he chose was that of a periodical paper which he knew had been upon former occasions employed with great success
when i was to begin publishing that paper i was at a loss how to name it
i sat down at night upon my bedside and resolved that i would not go to sleep till i had fixed its title
addison's note was a fiction in which unconnected fragments of his lucubrations were purposely jumbled together in as odd a manner as he could in order to produce a laughable effect
whereas johnson's abbreviations are all distinct and applicable to each subject of which the head is mentioned
for instance there is the following specimen
publick calamities no sense of the prevalence of bad habits negligent of time ready to undertake careless to pursue all changed by time
confident of others unsuspecting as unexperienced imagining himself secure against neglect never imagines they will venture to treat him ill ready to trust expecting to be trusted
youth ambitious as thinking honours easy to be had
different kinds of praise pursued at different periods
of the fancy in manhood
bruy
scholar's friendship like ladies
drawn to man by words repelled by passions
common danger unites by crushing other passions but they return
equality hinders compliance
superiority produces insolence and envy
too much regard in each to private interest too little
of confederacy with superiours every one knows the inconvenience
with equals no authority every man his own opinion his own interest
man and wife hardly united scarce ever without children
computation if two to one against two how many against five
in this as in many other cases i go wrong in opposition to conviction for i think scarce any temporal good equally to be desired with the regard and familiarity of worthy men
i hope we shall be some time nearer to each other and have a more ready way of pouring out our hearts
the greatest benefit which one friend can confer upon another is to guard and excite and elevate his virtues
this your mother will still perform if you diligently preserve the memory of her life and of her death a life so far as i can learn useful wise and innocent and a death resigned peaceful and holy
i cannot forbear to mention that neither reason nor revelation denies you to hope that you may increase her happiness by obeying her precepts and that she may in her present state look with pleasure upon every act of virtue to which her instructions or example have contributed
if you write down minutely what you remember of her from your earliest years you will read it with great pleasure and receive from it many hints of soothing recollection when time shall remove her yet farther from you and your grief shall be matured to veneration
no thirty two on patience even under extreme misery is wonderfully lofty and as much above the rant of stoicism as the sun of revelation is brighter than the twilight of pagan philosophy
it must indeed be allowed that the structure of his sentences is expanded and often has somewhat of the inversion of latin and that he delighted to express familiar thoughts in philosophical language being in this the reverse of socrates who it was said reduced philosophy to the simplicity of common life
this idle charge has been echoed from one babbler to another who have confounded johnson's essays with johnson's dictionary and because he thought it right in a lexicon of our language to collect many words which had fallen into disuse but were supported by great authorities it has been imagined that all of these have been interwoven into his own compositions
their styles differ as plain cloth and brocade
our extremest pleasure has some sort of groaning and complaining in it would you not say that it is dying of pain
the highest and fullest contentment offers more of the grave than of the merry ipsa felicitas se nisi temperat premit even felicity unless it moderate itself oppresses
socrates says that some god tried to mix in one mass and to confound pain and pleasure but not being able to do it he bethought him at least to couple them by the tail metrodorus said that in sorrow there is some mixture of pleasure
nature discovers this confusion to us painters hold that the same motions and grimaces of the face that serve for weeping serve for laughter too and indeed before the one or the other be finished do but observe the painter's manner of handling and you will be in doubt to which of the two the design tends and the extreme of laughter does at last bring tears
and therefore common and less speculative souls are found to be more proper for and more successful in the management of affairs and the elevated and exquisite opinions of philosophy unfit for business this sharp vivacity of soul and the supple and restless volubility attending it disturb our negotiations
he who dives into and in his inquisition comprehends all circumstances and consequences hinders his election a little engine well handled is sufficient for executions whether of less or greater weight
when the lofty thucydides is about to enter upon his description of the plague that desolated athens one of his modern commentators assures the reader that the history is now going to be exceedingly solemn serious and pathetic and hints with that air of chuckling gratulation with which a good dame draws forth a choice morsel from a cupboard to regale a favorite that this plague will give his history a most agreeable variety
such are the true subjects for the historic pen
the fall of empires the desolation of happy countries splendid cities smoking in their ruins the proudest works of art tumbled in the dust the shrieks and groans of whole nations ascending unto heaven
thus those swarms of flies which are so often execrated as useless vermin are created for the sustenance of spiders and spiders on the other hand are evidently made to devour flies
ancient traditions speak much of his learning and of the gallant inroads he had made into the dead languages in which he had made captive a host of greek nouns and latin verbs and brought off rich booty in ancient saws and apophthegms which he was wont to parade in his public harangues as a triumphant general of yore his spolia opima
it was observed however that he seldom got into an argument without getting into a perplexity and then into a passion with his adversary for not being convinced gratis
his abode which he had fixed at a bowery or country seat at a short distance from the city just at what is now called dutch street soon abounded with proofs of his ingenuity patent smoke jacks that required a horse to work them dutch ovens that roasted meat without fire carts that went before the horses weathercocks that turned against the wind and other wrong headed contrivances that astonished and confounded all beholders
it is in knowledge as in swimming he who flounders and splashes on the surface makes more noise and attracts more attention than the pearl diver who quietly dives in quest of treasures to the bottom
the romans by this means erected their colonies for perceiving their city to grow immeasurably populous they eased it of the most unnecessary people and sent them to inhabit and cultivate the lands conquered by them sometimes also they purposely maintained wars with some of their enemies not only to keep their own men in action for fear lest idleness the mother of corruption should bring upon them some worse inconvenience
and we suffer the ills of a long peace luxury is more pernicious than war
and this also was one reason why our king philip consented to send his son john upon a foreign expedition that he might take along with him a great number of hot young men who were then in his pay
what other end does the impious art of the gladiators propose to itself what the slaughter of young men what pleasure fed with blood
prince take the honours delayed for thy reign and be successor to thy fathers henceforth let none at rome be slain for sport
let beasts blood stain the infamous arena and no more homicides be there acted
it was not enough for them to fight and to die bravely but cheerfully too insomuch that they were hissed and cursed if they made any hesitation about receiving their death
the very girls themselves set them on
beginning of revolt
at this unexpected command the surprise was great on board the forward
light the fires exclaimed some
what with asked others
and stuff the stove with the masts added warren
did you hear me
who spoke cried hatteras
i did said pen advancing towards the captain
i say answered pen with an oath i say we've had enough of it and we won't go any further
you shan't kill us with hunger and work in the winter and they shan't light the fires
if you repeat what the man says answered hatteras i'll have you shut up in your cabin and guarded
a murmur was heard
the engineer followed by plover and warren went down to his post
the steam was soon got up the anchors were weighed and the forward veered away east cutting the young ice with her steel prow
between baring island and beecher point there are a considerable quantity of islands in the midst of ice fields the streams crowd together in the little channels which cut up this part of the sea they had a tendency to agglomerate under the relatively low temperature hummocks were formed here and there and these masses already more compact denser and closer together would soon form an impenetrable mass
i am beginning not to answered wall
hatteras still hoped to find an open sea beyond the seventy seventh parallel as sir edward belcher had done
ought he to treat these accounts as apocryphal
the next day the sun set for the first time ending thus the long series of days with twenty four hours in them
the men had ended by getting accustomed to the continual daylight but it had never made any difference to the animals the greenland dogs went to their rest at their accustomed hour and dick slept as regularly every evening as though darkness had covered the sky
the doctor by following johnson's advice accustomed himself to support the low temperature he almost always stayed on deck braving the cold the wind and the snow
there's more than one amongst us who would like to imitate them i think
they are cowards mister clawbonny those animals have no provisions as we have and are obliged to seek their food where it is to be found
you hope that hatteras will succeed then
he certainly will mister clawbonny
i am of the same opinion as you johnson and if he only wanted one faithful companion he'll have two
prince albert land which the forward was then coasting bears also the name of grinnell land and though hatteras from his hatred to the yankees would never call it by its american name it is the one it generally goes by
on the eighteenth of august they sighted britannia mountain scarcely visible through the mist and the forward weighed anchor the next day in northumberland bay
and as a mortal apollo sought to earn his bread amongst men
afterward people wondered at admetus's ever smiling face and ever radiant being
that was before admetus sailed on the argo with jason and the companions of the quest
thereafter admetus having the love of alcestis was even more happy than he had been before
a radiant figure it was and admetus knew that this was apollo come to him again
but apollo turned to admetus a face that was without joy
what years of happiness have been mine o apollo through your friendship for me said admetus
but still apollo stood before him with a face that was without joy
he spoke and his voice was not that clear and vibrant voice that he had once in speaking to admetus
admetus admetus he said it is for me to tell you that you may no more look on the blue sky nor walk upon the green earth
it is for me to tell you that the god of the underworld will have you come to him admetus admetus know that even now the god of the underworld is sending death for you
if one will go willingly in thy place with death thou canst still live on go admetus
and then he came upon an ancient woman who sat upon stones in the courtyard grinding corn between two stones
there she was sitting as he had first known her with her eyes bleared and her knees shaking and with the dust of the courtyard and the husks of the corn in her matted hair
he went to her and spoke to her and he asked her to take the place of the king and go with death
but when she heard the name of death horror came into the face of the ancient woman and she cried out that she would not let death come near her
admetus took the man's shriveled hand and he asked him if he would not take the king's place and go with death that was coming for him
then admetus went into the palace and into the chamber where his bed was and he lay down upon the bed and he lamented that he would have to go with death that was coming for him from the god of the underworld and he lamented that none of the wretched ones around the palace would take his place
one should go in your place for you are the king and have many great affairs to attend to
now the footsteps seemed to stop
it was not so terrible for him as before
and the words he had spoken he would have taken back the words that had brought her consent to go with death in his place
death would soon be here for her
no not here for he would not have death come into the palace
he lifted alcestis from the bed and he carried her from the palace
no more speech came from her
and as for admetus he went within the chamber and knelt beside the bed on which alcestis had lain and thought of his terrible loss
to what god is that sacrifice due
and then heracles felt that another labor was before him
i have dragged up from the underworld he thought the hound that guards those whom death brings down into the realm of the god of the underworld
why should i not strive with death
and what a noble thing it would be to bring back this faithful woman to her house and to her husband
he left the palace of admetus and he went to the temple of the gods
you are held by me death and you will not be let go unless you promise to go forth from this temple without bringing one with you
and death knowing that heracles could hold him there and that the business of the god of the underworld would be left undone if he were held promised that he would leave the temple without bringing one with him
she was veiled and admetus could not see her features
here is a woman whom i am bringing back to her husband i won her from an enemy
this i cannot do said admetus i have had pangs enough
then admetus raised the veil of the woman he had taken across the threshold of his house
thus when dogmas lead it what the man really and in general wills remains still the same
for these are careful only for themselves for their own egoism just like the bandit from whom they are only distinguished by the absurdity of their means
the deeds and conduct of an individual and of a nation may be very much modified through dogmas example and custom
with an equal degree of wickedness one man may die on the wheel and another in the bosom of his family
it is conceivable that a perfect state or perhaps indeed a complete and firmly believed doctrine of rewards and punishments after death might prevent every crime politically much would be gained thereby morally nothing only the expression of the will in life would be restricted
we who here seek the theory of virtue and have therefore also to express abstractly the nature of the knowledge which lies at its foundation will yet be unable to convey that knowledge itself in this expression
he sees that the distinction between himself and others which to the bad man is so great a gulf only belongs to a fleeting and illusive phenomenon
he recognises himself his will in every being and consequently also in the sufferer
but the latter is the necessary and inevitable symptom of that knowledge
the opposite of the sting of conscience the origin and significance of which is explained above is the good conscience the satisfaction which we experience after every disinterested deed
the good man lives in a world of friendly individuals the well being of any of whom he regards as his own
therefore although the knowledge of the lot of mankind generally does not make his disposition a joyful one yet the permanent knowledge of his own nature in all living beings gives him a certain evenness and even serenity of disposition
for the interest which is extended to innumerable manifestations cannot cause such anxiety as that which is concentrated upon one
the accidents which concern individuals collectively equalise themselves while those which happen to the particular individual constitute good or bad fortune
thus though others have set up moral principles which they give out as prescriptions for virtue and laws which it was necessary to follow i as has already been said cannot do this because i have no ought or law to prescribe to the eternally free will
further than this it cannot go for there exists no reason for preferring the individuality of another to its own
yet the number of other individuals whose whole happiness or life is in danger may outweigh the regard for one's own particular well being
so died socrates and giordano bruno and so many a hero of the truth suffered death at the stake at the hands of the priests
weeping is accordingly sympathy with our own selves or sympathy directed back on its source
it is therefore conditional upon the capacity for love and sympathy and also upon imagination
when we are moved to tears not through our own suffering but through that of another this happens as follows
either we vividly put ourselves in the place of the sufferer by imagination or see in his fate the lot of humanity as a whole and consequently first of all our own lot and thus in a very roundabout way it is yet always about ourselves that we weep sympathy with ourselves which we feel this seems to be the principal reason of the universal and thus natural weeping in the case of death
first of all he certainly weeps for the fate of the dead but he also weeps when after long heavy and incurable suffering death was to this man a wished for deliverance
they were in the land this people said before the moon had come into the sky
and many of the magicians of egypt who had come with king sesostris stayed in that city of aea and they taught people spells that could stay the moon in her going and coming in her rising and setting
medea too his wise daughter knew the secrets taught by those who could sway the moon
for jason was the grandson of cretheus and cretheus was the brother of athamas their grandfather
jason took peleus and telamon with him
as they came to the city a mist fell and jason and his comrades with the sons of phrixus went through the city without being seen
the mist lifted and before the heroes was the wonder of the palace in the bright light of the morning
on each side of the courtyard were the palace buildings in one king a eetes lived with apsyrtus his son and in the other chalciope and medea lived with their handmaidens
and then a dove flew toward her it was being chased by a hawk and medea saw the hawk's eyes and beak
we pulled away from that place and thereafter we were driven by the winds back to the mouth of the phasis
with him there came the mightiest of the heroes of greece
already he has heard of your bitter foes the sauromatae
he with his comrades would subdue them for you
a eetes's heart was filled with wrath as he looked upon them and his eyes shone as a leopard's eyes
and then speaking to the king in a quiet voice jason said
his heart was divided as to whether he should summon his armed men and have them slain upon the spot or whether he should put them into danger by the trial he would make of them
it may be that ye are truly of the seed of the immortals
and it may be that i shall give you the golden fleece to bear away after i have made trial of you
she entered softly and she stood away from her father and the four who were speaking with him
she had a dark face that was made very strange by her crown of golden hair
know that on the plain of ares yonder i have two fire breathing bulls with feet of brass
then i sowed the furrows not with the seed that demeter gives but with teeth of a dragon
if you can accomplish this that i accomplished in days gone by i shall submit to you and give you the golden fleece
but if you cannot accomplish what i once accomplished you shall go from my city empty handed for it is not right that a brave man should yield aught to one who cannot show himself as brave
then jason utterly confounded cast his eyes upon the ground
i will dare this contest monstrous as it is
as he said this he saw the eyes of medea grow wide as with fear
phrontis and melas went to where their mother was
but what can i do so small and stupid and shy as i am
i must find some way to give the little ones a nice christmas
tommo will like to have me go with him and sing while he plays his harp in the streets
yes i will try and then if i do well the little ones shall have a merry christmas
but see then it is cold in the streets the wind bites and the snow freezes one's fingers
she thanked tommo and ran away to get ready for she felt sure her father would not refuse her anything
then she washed out little ranza's frock and put it to dry because she would not be able to do it the next day
she longed to make the beds and dress the children over night she was in such a hurry to have all in order but as that could not be she sat down again and tried over all the songs she knew
when she had told her plan peter benari shook his head and thought it would never do but tessa begged so hard he consented at last that she should try it for one week and sent her to bed the happiest little girl in new york
as soon as her father was gone tessa flew about and put everything in nice order telling the children she was going out for the day and they were to mind tommo's mother who would see about the fire and the dinner for the good woman loved tessa and entered into her little plans with all her heart
poor tessa's heart beat fast as she trudged away with tommo who slung his harp over his shoulder and gave her his hand
it was rather a dirty hand but so kind that tessa clung to it and kept looking up at the friendly brown face for encouragement
see now have no fear give them bella monica that is merry and will make the laugh whispered tommo tuning his harp
one fat old frenchman nodded to her and it seemed to help her very much for she began to sing before she thought and that was the hardest part of it
but tommo shook his curly head and answered soberly yes i took you there first for they love music and are of our country but up among the great houses we shall not always do well
but she had made half a dollar for tommo divided the money fairly and she felt rich with her share
her hands were covered with chilblains for she had no mittens but she put them under her shawl and scuffled merrily away in her big boots feeling so glad that the week was over and nearly three dollars safe in her pocket
how gay the streets were that day
how brisk every one was and how bright the faces looked as people trotted about with big baskets holly wreaths and young evergreens going to blossom into splendid christmas trees
but i can't so i'll fill the socks all full and be happy said tessa as she looked wistfully into the gay stores and saw the heavy baskets go by
who knows what may happen if we do well returned tommo nodding wisely for he had a plan as well as tessa and kept chuckling over it as he trudged through the mud
we'll try one more street and then go home thou art so tired little one
at the fourth some people let them sing all their songs and gave nothing
tessa felt so grateful that without waiting for tommo she sang her sweetest little song all alone
i'll ask mamma said rose and away she went into the dining room close by
as the door opened tessa saw what looked to her like a fairy feast all silver mugs and flowery plates and oranges and nuts and rosy wine in tall glass pitchers and smoking dishes that smelt so deliciously she could not restrain a little sniff of satisfaction
ah yes i shall come with much gladness and play as never in my life before cried tommo with a flourish of the old cap that made the children laugh
give these to your brothers said the fairy prince stuffing nuts and oranges into tessa's hands
ah so kind so very kind i have no way to say thank you but ranza shall be for you a heavenly angel and i will sing my heart out for your tree cried tessa folding the mittens as if she would say a prayer of thankfulness if she knew how
she got up early to see if the socks were all right and there she found the most astonishing sight
four socks instead of three and by the fourth pinned out quite elegantly was a little dress evidently meant for her a warm woollen dress all made and actually with bright buttons on it
tessa screamed and danced in her delight and up tumbled all the children to scream and dance with her making a regular carnival on a small scale
in her long stocking she found all sorts of treasures for tommo had stuffed it full of queer things and his mother had made gingerbread into every imaginable shape from fat pigs to full omnibuses
little ranza was accepted with delight by the kind lady and her children and tessa learned the song quite easily
arose from the crowd of children gathered to the festival
before they went home the kind mamma told tessa she should be her friend and gave her a motherly kiss which warmed the child's heart and seemed to set a seal upon that promise
the senator took his seat in the pulpit with the minister on one side of him and the superintendent of the sunday school on the other
so awed were they by the presence of a living united states senator that during three minutes not a spit ball was thrown
after that they began to come to themselves by degrees and presently the spell was wholly gone and they were reciting verses and pulling hair
the usual sunday school exercises were hurried through and then the minister got up and bored the house with a speech built on the customary sunday school plan then the superintendent put in his oar then the town dignitaries had their say
am i in some populous centre of my own country where the choicest children of the land have been selected and brought together as at a fair for a prize no
then where am i yes where am i
my soul is lost in wonder at the thought
earth has no higher no grander position for me
then what is it what did my consciousness reply
ah think of that now i could hardly keep the tears back i was so grateful
they could not give him a costly education but they were good and wise and they sent him to the sunday school he loved the sunday school
i hope you love your sunday school ah i see by your faces that you do that is right
always love your teachers my children for they love you more than you can know now
and by and by the people made him governor and he said it was all owing to the sunday school
why the people gave him a towering illustrious position a grand imposing position
it was senator of the united states
that poor little boy that loved his sunday school became that man that man stands before you
above all things my children be honest
when senator dilworthy departed from cattleville he left three dozen boys behind him arranging a campaign of life whose objective point was the united states senate
never mind polly said jasper there's all next summer and after our winter in dresden and all our hard work over music won't it be fine though to jaunt round again and his eyes glistened
and you'll go on drawing and painting until you get to be a great artist ran on polly enthusiastically and then we'll see something you've done in the louvre maybe the louvre cried adela o dear me polly pepper
tom selwyn had been very sober during all this merry chatter and now in his seat across the narrow aisle he drummed his heels impatiently on the floor
what's up little mother asked tom in surprise at her unusual manner it's just this tom
when the news was circulated as it was pretty soon that the party was not to be broken into at all till paris was a completed story the jubilation was such as to satisfy even tom
oh isn't it oats peas beans and barley grow cried polly as they watched them intently
and his long arm went out and picked a jacket end of an urchin who incautiously regarding such quiet travellers as not worth minding had hovered too near while trying to tease the girls
and presently a woman came and took little blue pinafore off and then the rest of the girls unclasped their hands and the ring melted away and the game was over
i'm glad the girls over here have fun said polly as grandpapa and his party moved off isn't it nice to think they do
two or three days of rest at martigny put everybody in good shape and gave them all a bit of time to pick up on many little things that were behindhand
that's my third letter polly announced jasper on the other side of the table now i am going to begin on joel's
one two said polly counting why i thought i'd written three well this one is most finished jasper
dare said tom delighted to think that no terrible result had really ensued from his words that after they were out had scared him mightily
i'll post yours too polly give them here
then his face brightened and he said and she's right polly while polly fished a franc out of joel's little money bag that hung at her belt
do get the stamps please jasper and put them on as he took up her two letters and she gave the bag a little pat for joel's sake wishing it was his stubby black hair that her fingers could touch
i don't know where we are going to get nice white paper for our round robin said polly leaning her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands i know ejaculated tom whirling on his heel and dashing out
i want polly to said phronsie wriggling away from the pen that polly held out alluringly
phronsie who hadn't heard what polly said her small head being full of the responsibility of beginning the important letter and considering since it was to be done it was best to have it over with as soon as possible fell to scribbling the letters as fast as she could all of them running down hill
it's all right granddaddy'll like it he said
i tell you you don't know my granddaddy he's got lots of fun in him he added
i won't cry any more declared phronsie wiping off the last tear trailing down her nose
then i shall be all as well as ever said polly kissing the wet little face
we must put in little pictures said polly trying to make herself cheery as the work went busily on
polly you always do think of the best things exclaimed jasper beaming at her which made her try harder than ever to smile
i wouldn't feel so badly polly he managed to whisper when phronsie was absorbed with her work he'll like it probably just as father did the gingerbread boy
he seems to accomplish something every time he goes observed jasper drily halloo just look at him now
o dear me exclaimed adela as her scissors slipped now you've joggled the table again then she caught polly's eye
rather not much obliged tom bobbed his thanks
picture after picture cut from railroad guide books illustrated papers and it seemed to jasper gathered as if by magic with cunning little photographs broke up the letter and wound in and out with funny and charming detail of some of their journey
the rest of it is nice whispered jasper and i venture to say he'll like that the best of all
mister king thought so too and he beamed at phronsie so you did he cried now that's fine i wish you'd write me a letter sometime
i don't know how to say good by to you nellie told dorothy and nan next morning
oh that will be splendid declared nan
you are quite rich now aren't you remarked dorothy
and dorothy went up and down the room like the pictures of cinderella's proud sisters
and we will be on hand thank you replied the joking dorothy
come nellie called missus mc laughlin i am ready where is your hat
we might be able to manage that too nellie told him
my uncle is a fireman and he can take us through his engine house
most of them i guess answered bert
well we have had a good vacation and i am willing to go to work again
so am i declared nan vacation was just long enough i think
mister bobbsey was down from the city of course to take the family home and now all hands even freddie and flossie were busy packing up
there were the shells to be looked after the fish nets besides downy the duck and snoop the cat
and so our little friends had spent all their vacation
captain bull the commander of a small garrison at saybrook permitted him to land but when the governor began to read his commission bull ordered him to be silent
what has happened mister prince wadsworth asked for he could see that the man was greatly excited governor andros has come again gasped mister prince why should that alarm us the fellow though given to boasting is not dangerous or liable to put his threats into execution but he has grown dangerous declared mister prince the liberties of the colony are involved
captain wadsworth became a little uneasy though he was still inclined to treat the matter lightly
we have stubbornly refused to yield our charter voluntarily for it is the guardian of our political rights
that is true captain wadsworth continued mister prince and to subdue our stubbornness this viceroy has come to hartford with sixty armed men to demand the surrender of the charter in person
captain wadsworth bounded to his feet in a rage and placing his hand on the hilt of his sword declared he shall not have it
the day was well nigh spent when he arrived and the members were engaged in a heated debate on a subject of the utmost importance
he consented however to await the discussion but as soon as it was ended he declared that he would have the charter
after the captain had taken two or three turns across the room he paused and asked
what is the assembly doing engaged in a debate
and will he wait until it has ended he has promised to do so
mister prince fixed his amazed eyes on the captain's face and read there a desperate determination captain he began
mister prince bowed and hastily returned to the house where the assembly was in session
as soon as he was gone charles stevens said
yes charles you will answer what do you mean uncle
never did debaters take greater interest in a minor subject
what do you intend doing uncle will you fight them
remember the work must be done right at the time not too soon nor too late
the sun was setting and the captain said
come charles let us hasten to the assembly
by no means but i want you to be fully impressed with the seriousness of your mission
take your place charles and be prepared to do your part whispered captain wadsworth
charles got as close to the long table used by the secretaries as possible without attracting special attention
the discussion went on darkness came and four lighted candles were placed on the table and two set on a shelf on the wall
those two candles on the wall were a great annoyance to charles until he saw a man stationed near them
though the lights were extinguished through the windows the faint starlight dimly illuminated the scene
he followed him as rapidly as he could
the youth was close behind him and when they were outside seized his arm
boy have a care how you approach me
the soldiers began to crowd about the house when at a signal from captain wadsworth the train bands came on the scene and prepared to grapple with the soldiers
where is the charter
you have your soldiers at the door and we have the train bands of connecticut ready to defend us against violence
who of you has the charter
it was the boy cried the enraged governor
every member of the assembly shook their heads
we do not know him he does not live in connecticut where does he live
little did the captain or his youthful assistant dream that their simple act would make the old tree historic
the tree in which the document was hidden was ever afterward known as the charter oak
it remained vigorous bearing fruit every year until a little after midnight august eighteen fifty six when it was prostrated by a heavy storm of wind
when the order for the seizure of the charters was first made known the assembly of rhode island sent a most loyal address to the king saying
he formally dissolved the assembly broke the seal of the colony which bore the figure of an anchor and the word hope admitted five of the inhabitants into his legislative council and assumed the functions of governor but he did not take away the parchment on which the charter was written
from that time until the enforced union of the colonies for mutual defence at the breaking out of the french and indian war the inhabitants of rhode island bore their share in the defensive efforts especially when the hostile savages hung along the frontiers of new york like an ill omened cloud
the history of that commonwealth is identified with that of all new england from the beginning of king william's war soon after to the expulsion of andros
a beautiful day had grown out of the dreadful storm
and everybody was so happy
the neptune the vessel that had struck on the sand bar was now safely anchored near shore and the sailors came in and out in row boats back and forth to land just as they wished
then we had to go back to work at the logs went on the captain and then one of our crew took a fever
that was what delayed us so
finally we had every log loaded on the schooner and we started off
we counted on getting home last week when this last storm struck us and drove us out of our course
about the value asked mister bobbsey who was down from the city
the value repeated the captain aside so that the strangers might not hear
well i'm a rich man now and so is my mate mc laughlin for that wood was contracted for by the largest and richest piano firm in this country and now it is all but delivered to them and the money in our hands
yes indeed it would have taken us a lifetime to accumulate as much money as we have earned in this year
maybe aunt emily will take you down to the city on her shopping tour suggested nan
he made the clerks remove all the truck from the aisles and i guess everybody was glad the army fell down
the wonderful fresh air that these men lived in night and day had brightened their eyes too so that even the plainest face and the most awkward man among them was as nimble as an athlete from his perfect exercise
called bert who had heard his uncle getting ready to run down to the water's edge
it's a schooner said mister bingham to mister minturn and she has a very heavy cargo
to this cord was fastened a heavy rope or cable
what's that board for asked bert as he saw a board following the cable
that's the directions said hal
they are printed in a number of languages and they tell the crew to carry the end of the cable high up the mast and fasten it strongly there
oh i see said bert the line will stretch then and the breeches buoy will go out on a pulley
it was clear day now and much of the wicked storm had passed
with the daylight came girls and women to the beach
missus bobbsey missus minturn nellie and her mother besides dorothy and nan were all there flossie and freddie being obliged to stay home with dinah and susan
of course the girls asked all sorts of questions and bert and hal tried to answer them as best they could
it seemed a long time before any movement of the cable showed that the buoy was returning
nearer and nearer it came until now a man's head could be seen
the girls and women were too frightened to talk and nellie clung close to her mother
a big roller dashing in finished the work for the life guards and a man in the cork belt bounded upon shore
everybody gathered around and nellie with a strange face and a stranger hope broke through the crowd to see the rescued man
oh it is my father she screamed falling right into the arms of the drenched man
but the half drowned man rubbed his eyes as if he could not believe them then the next minute he pressed his little daughter to his heart unable to speak a word
and is george bingham out there anxiously asked the brother
safe and well came the welcome answer
i guess our prayers were heard last night
here comes another man exclaimed the people as this time a big man dashed on the sands
well i declare we did land on a friendly shore
just as mister bingham said the life saving work turned out to be a social affair for there was a great time greeting nellie's father and hal's uncle
and hal and his father too put in nan
what a morning that was at sunset beach
i'm so glad we prayed said little flossie to freddie when she heard the good news
pray captain quoth i as i was going down into the cabin is a man never overtaken by death in this passage
why there is not time for a man to be sick in it replied he what a cursed lyar for i am sick as a horse quoth i already what a brain upside down hey day
sick sick
sick sick
when shall we get to land
the wind chopp'd about
s'death then i shall meet him full in the face
captain quoth she for heaven's sake let us get ashore
was not democritus who laughed ten times more than i town clerk of abdera
nay if you don't believe me you may read the chapter for your pains
i see shoals of them depart not perhaps without an innate longing too to quit the island along with those happy snobs
farewell dear friends i say you little know that the individual who regards you from the beach is your friend and historiographer and brother
i went to day to see our excellent friend snooks on board the queen of the french many scores of snobs were there on the deck of that fine ship marching forth in their pride and bravery
they will be at ostend in four hours they will inundate the continent next week they will carry into far lands the famous image of the british snob
i have seen snobs in pink coats and hunting boots scouring over the campagna of rome and have heard their oaths and their well known slang in the galleries of the vatican and under the shadowy arches of the colosseum
my lady marchioness comes on board looks round with that happy air of mingled terror and impertinence which distinguishes her ladyship and rushes to her carriage for it is impossible that she should mingle with the other snobs on deck
there she sits and will be ill in private
the strawberry leaves on her chariot panels are engraved on her ladyship's heart
and davis you'd best take the pistol case into the cabin
look at honest nathan houndsditch and his lady and their little son
what a noble air of blazing contentment illuminates the features of those snobs of eastern race
what a toilette houndsditch's is
he will never spare himself any cheap enjoyment
i have said before i like to look at the peoples on their gala days they are so picturesquely and outrageously splendid and happy
yonder comes captain bull spick and span tight and trim who travels for four or six months every year of his life who does not commit himself by luxury of raiment or insolence of demeanour but i think is as great a snob as any man on board
bull passes the season in london sponging for dinners and sleeping in a garret near his club
see he is up to old carabas already i told you he would
that broad shouldered buck with the great whiskers and the cleaned white kid gloves is mister phelim clancy of poldoodystown he calls himself mister de clancy he endeavours to disguise his native brogue with the richest superposition of english and if you play at billiards or ecarte with him the chances are that you will win the first game and he the seven or eight games ensuing
the next person is but hark
when a gross instance of snobbishness happens why should not the indignant journalist call the public attention to that delinquency too
how for instance could that wonderful case of the earl of mangelwurzel and his brother be examined in the snobbish point of view
all we require is that a man should be recommended to us by the earl of mangelwurzelshire
o you pride of all snobland
o you crawling truckling self confessed lackeys and parasites
it was her snobbish sentiment that misled her and made her vanities a prey to the swindling fortune teller
how would you account for the prodigious benevolence exercised towards the interesting young french lady
the honest boarding house people were at her feet at once
good honest simple lord loving children of snobland
finally there was the case of the right honourable mister vernon at york
the right honourable was the son of a nobleman and practised on an old lady
then he cast his nets over a family of father mother and daughters one of whom he proposed to marry
one day the traitor fled with a teapot and a basketful of cold victuals
it was the right honourable which baited the hook which gorged all these greedy simple snobs
would they have been taken in by a commoner
alas and alas what mortal man that speaks the truth can hope for such a landlady
and yet all these instances of fond and credulous snobbishness have occurred in the same week's paper with who knows how many score more
we are three sisters from seventeen to twenty two
we are just the same to persons with a handle to their name as to those without it
if you do i cannot help it but i am of a sanguine disposition and entertain a lingering hope
excuse this scrawl but i always write headlong
we never write on perfumed paper in short i can't help thinking that if you knew us you would not think us snobs
i shall have a black crape round my white hat and my usual bamboo cane with the richly gilt knob
i am sorry there will be no time to get up moustaches between now and next week
from seventeen to two and twenty ye gods what ages
dear young creatures i can see you all three
seventeen suits me as nearest my own time of life but mind i don't say two and twenty is too old
no no and that pretty roguish demure middle one
peace peace thou silly little fluttering heart
you snobs dear young ladies
i will pull any man's nose who says so
there is no harm in being of a good family
you can't help it poor dears what's in a name
that very confidence savours of arrogance and to be arrogant is to be a snob
but are there no kindly natures no tender hearts no souls humble simple and truth loving
ponder well on this question sweet young ladies
interest however still runs on in both cases the periodical or accidental payments of it just serving to keep the memory of the affair alive till at length in some evil hour pop comes the creditor upon each and by demanding principal upon the spot together with full interest to the very day makes them both feel the full extent of their obligations
as the reader for i hate your ifs has a thorough knowledge of human nature i need not say more to satisfy him that my hero could not go on at this rate without some slight experience of these incidental mementos
to speak the truth he had wantonly involved himself in a multitude of small book debts of this stamp which notwithstanding eugenius's frequent advice he too much disregarded thinking that as not one of them was contracted thro any malignancy but on the contrary from an honesty of mind and a mere jocundity of humour they would all of them be cross'd out in course
eugenius would never admit this and would often tell him that one day or other he would certainly be reckoned with and he would often add in an accent of sorrowful apprehension to the uttermost mite
what inclined eugenius to the same opinion was as follows
yorick followed eugenius with his eyes to the door he then closed them and never opened them more
alas poor yorick
nevertheless in general appearance the harrier and the foxhound are very much alike the one obvious distinction being that of size
if you want to hunt your harriers on foot sixteen inches is quite big enough almost too big to run with but if you are riding to them twenty inches is a useful height or even nineteen inches
it is useless to lay down any hard and fast rule as to colour it is so much a matter of individual taste
but puppies are usually sent out to walk and may easily be procured to be kept and reared until they are old enough to be entered to their work
he is of course finer but with the length of neck so perfect in the bigger hound the little shoulders of the same pattern and the typical quarters and second thighs
and when he is fairly on a line of course he sticks to it as the saying is like a beagle
it is quite possible therefore that the beagle was crossed with the welsh southern or otterhound to get more size and power as there certainly was a welsh rough coated beagle of good eighteen inches and an almost identical contemporary that was called the essex beagle
that a great many of the true order were bred became very manifest as soon as the harrier and beagle association was formed and more particularly when a section of the peterborough hound show was reserved for them
then they seemed to spring from every part of the country
one hears now of the chauston the halstead place very noted indeed the hulton the leigh park the stoke place the edinburgh the surbiton the trinity foot the wooddale missus g w hilliard's missus price's and missus turner's
eyes brown dark hazel or hazel not deep set nor bulgy and with a mild expression
ears long set on low fine in texture and hanging in a graceful fold close to the cheek
neck moderately long slightly arched the throat showing some dewlap
shoulders clean and slightly sloping
fore legs quite straight well under the dog of good substance and round in the bone
feet round well knuckled up and strongly padded
coat smooth variety smooth very dense and not too fine or short
height not exceeding sixteen inches
all things which follow from the absolute nature of any attribute of god must always exist and be infinite or in other words are eternal and infinite through the said attribute
proof conceive if it be possible supposing the proposition to be denied that something in some attribute of god can follow from the absolute nature of the said attribute and that at the same time it is finite and has a conditioned existence or duration for instance the idea of god expressed in the attribute thought
in its nature infinite
must necessarily exist
we have now granted therefore thought not constituting the idea of god and accordingly the idea of god does not naturally follow from its nature in so far as it is absolute thought for it is conceived as constituting and also as not constituting the idea of god which is against our hypothesis
and beyond the limits of the duration of the idea of god supposing the latter at some time not to have existed or not to be going to exist thought would perforce have existed without the idea of god which is contrary to our hypothesis for we supposed that thought being given the idea of god necessarily flowed therefrom
bear in mind that the same proposition may be affirmed of anything which in any attribute necessarily follows from god's absolute nature
corollary hence it follows that god is not only the cause of things coming into existence but also of their continuing in existence that is in scholastic phraseology god is cause of the being of things essendi rerum
corollary individual things are nothing but modifications of the attributes of god or modes by which the attributes of god are expressed in a fixed and definite manner
such a corps such a time you never did see
i was wishing somebody would give the conversation a start when indiany made a break
this ain't no great stock country says he to the old gentleman with the cane
no sir says the old gentleman
there's very little grazing here and the range is pretty much wore out
the young lady smiled through her veil and the old lady snapped her eyes and looked sideways at the speaker
i'm gwine down to orleans to see if i can't git a contract out of uncle sam to feed the boys what's been lickin them infernal mexicans so bad
i've read some accounts of the battle says the old gentleman that didn't give a very flattering account of the conduct of some of our troops
the old preacher listened to him with evident signs of displeasure twistin and groanin till he couldn't stand it no longer
he shut his mouth right in the middle of what he was sayin and looked at the preacher while his face got as red as fire
swearin says the old preacher is a terrible bad practice and there ain't no use in it nohow
umphs but indiany kept shady he appeared to be cowed down
the old gentleman with the cane took a part in the conversation and the hoosier listened without ever opening his head
he was at sodom and gomorrow and seen the place whar lot's wife fell ah
yes says the preacher he went to the very spot and what's the remarkablest thing of all he seen the pillar of salt what she was turned into
yes sir he seen the salt standin thar to this day
what says the hoosier real genewine good salt
yes sir a pillar of salt jest as it was when that wicked woman was punished for her disobedience
right out in the open air he asked
we had then but little of that minute and accurate knowledge of the interior of the continent which was requisite for a determination of the problem
several different parties were therefore organized to examine the various routes supposed to be practicable within the northern and southern limits of the united states
the only discrimination made was in the more prompt and thorough equipment of the parties for the extreme northern line and this was only because that was supposed to be the most difficult of execution of all the surveys
inquiries were made with regard to gunpowder which subsequently led to the use of a coarser grain for artillery
the officers of these regiments were chosen partly by selection from those already in service in the regular army and partly by appointment from civil life
under instructions from the president the list was therefore revised and modified in accordance with this new element of geographical distribution
after some further discussion of the question the visitors withdrew dissatisfied with the result of the interview
the quartermaster general on hearing of this conversation hastened to inform me that it was all a mistake that the appointee to the office had been confounded with his father who was a well known whig but that he the son was a democrat
i assured the general that this was altogether immaterial adding that it was a very pretty quarrel as it stood and that i had no desire to effect a settlement of it on any inferior issue
the social attitude towards smoking in early victorian days and for some time later was curious
now missus quilp he says i feel in a smoking humour and shall probably blaze away all night
but sit where you are if you please in case i want you
the dwarf's tastes however were catholic
but quilp and brass were not in society
there were still plenty of active opponents and denouncers of tobacco
one of the most distinguished was the great duke of wellington who abominated smoking and was annoyed by the increase of cigar smoking among officers of the army
the ladies had a keen scent for the abominable odour of tobacco and distrusted the men who smoked
here is fitz boodle's or thackeray's comment on it what is this smoking that it should be considered a crime
i believe in my heart that women are jealous of it as of a rival
i would lay a guinea that many a lady who has just been kind enough to read the above lines lays down the book after this confession of mine that i am a smoker and says oh the vulgar wretch and passes on to something else
germany has been puffing for three score years france smokes to a man
psha look at his progress
thus the odour of tobacco was not brought into the drawing room
the journalists and bohemians who met at the cogers were above or below the dictates of fashion and smoking was always a feature of their gatherings
both queen victoria and the prince consort detested it so tobacco was taboo wherever the court was
at that very time at ten in the morning of the second of september napoleon was standing among his troops on the poklonny hill looking at the panorama spread out before him
the brightness of the morning was magical
but my clemency is always ready to descend upon the vanquished
yet here she is lying at my feet with her golden domes and crosses scintillating and twinkling in the sunshine
but i shall spare her
from the height of the kremlin yes there is the kremlin yes i will give them just laws i will teach them the meaning of true civilization i will make generations of boyars remember their conqueror with love
i will tell the deputation that i did not and do not desire war that i have waged war only against the false policy of their court that i love and respect alexander and that in moscow i will accept terms of peace worthy of myself and of my people
i do not wish to utilize the fortunes of war to humiliate an honored monarch
he will have to be told all the same said some gentlemen of the suite but gentlemen
a single report of a signaling gun followed and the troops who were already spread out on different sides of moscow moved into the city through tver kaluga and dorogomilov gates
his major domo came in a second time to say that the frenchman who had brought the letter from the countess was very anxious to see him if only for a minute and that someone from bazdeev's widow had called to ask pierre to take charge of her husband's books as she herself was leaving for the country
there was no one in the passage
the hall porter was standing at the front door
from the landing where pierre stood there was a second staircase leading to the back entrance
he went down that staircase and out into the yard no one had seen him
when he felt he was being looked at he behaved like an ostrich which hides its head in a bush in order not to be seen he hung his head and quickening his pace went down the street
he hired the first cab he met and told the driver to go to the patriarch's ponds where the widow bazdeev's house was
this was the authentic scotch acts with bazdeev's notes and explanations
he sat down at the dusty writing table and having laid the manuscripts before him opened them out closed them finally pushed them away and resting his head on his hand sank into meditation
makar alexeevich came twice that evening shuffling along in his galoshes as far as the door and stopped and looked ingratiatingly at pierre
the officers were about to take leave but prince andrew apparently reluctant to be left alone with his friend asked them to stay and have tea
seats were brought in and so was the tea
the officers gazed with surprise at pierre's huge stout figure and listened to his talk of moscow and the position of our army round which he had ridden
so you understand the whole position of our troops
not being a military man i can't say i have understood it fully but i understand the general position
well then you know more than anyone else be it who it may said prince andrew
and tell me your opinion of barclay de tolly
pierre looked at timokhin with the condescendingly interrogative smile with which everybody involuntarily addressed that officer
we see light again since his serenity has been appointed your excellency said timokhin timidly and continually turning to glance at his colonel
why so asked pierre
then why was it forbidden
at smolensk too he judged correctly that the french might outflank us as they had larger forces
he ordered us to retreat and all our efforts and losses went for nothing
so it has been with barclay
while russia was well a foreigner could serve her and be a splendid minister but as soon as she is in danger she needs one of her own kin
and they say he's a skillful commander rejoined pierre
i don't understand what is meant by a skillful commander replied prince andrew ironically
a skillful commander replied pierre
pierre looked at him in surprise
and yet they say that war is like a game of chess he remarked
the relative strength of bodies of troops can never be known to anyone
success never depends and never will depend on position or equipment or even on numbers and least of all on position but on what then
on the feeling that is in me and in him he pointed to timokhin and in each soldier
a battle is won by those who firmly resolve to win it
why did we lose the battle at austerlitz
we've lost so let us run and we ran
but tomorrow we shan't say it
but what awaits us tomorrow
the fact is that those men with whom you have ridden round the position not only do not help matters but hinder
that's the truth the real truth said timokhin
it's not the day for that they say
all were silent the officers rose
yes yes answered prince andrew absently
the french have destroyed my home and are on their way to destroy moscow they have outraged and are outraging me every moment they are my enemies
in my opinion they are all criminals
and so thinks timokhin and the whole army
since they are my foes they cannot be my friends whatever may have been said at tilsit
yes yes muttered pierre looking with shining eyes at prince andrew
they talk to us of the rules of war of chivalry of flags of truce of mercy to the unfortunate and so on it's all rubbish
they plunder other people's houses issue false paper money and worst of all they kill my children and my father and then talk of rules of war and magnanimity to foes
take no prisoners but kill and be killed
prince andrew who had thought it was all the same to him whether or not moscow was taken as smolensk had been was suddenly checked in his speech by an unexpected cramp in his throat
he paced up and down a few times in silence but his eyes glittered feverishly and his lips quivered as he began speaking
and when there was a war like this one it would be war
what is needed for success in warfare
and in spite of all this it is the highest class respected by everyone
how does god above look at them and hear them
i see that i have begun to understand too much
and it doesn't do for man to taste of the tree of knowledge of good and evil ah well it's not for long he added
however you're sleepy and it's time for me to sleep
go back to gorki said prince andrew suddenly
go go before a battle one must have one's sleep out repeated prince andrew
no he does not want it pierre concluded
and i know that this is our last meeting
one picture succeeded another in his imagination
on one of them he dwelt long and joyfully
his characters get drunk or go mad with jealousy or fall in epileptic fits or rave hysterically
if dostoevsky had had less vision he would have been strindberg
like them he is a novelist of torture
certainly the lust of cruelty the lust of destruction for destruction's sake is the most conspicuous of the deadly sins in dostoevsky's men and women
he may not be a cruel author
but they are never in balance they are always in demoniacal conflict
even the lust is never or hardly ever the lust of a more or less sane man
dostoevsky could not have described the sin of nekhludov in resurrection
this is a madhouse cries some one in the idiot
one result of this is a multiplicity of action
even the talk is of actions more than of ideas
he sows violent deeds not with the hand but with the sack
but one had noticed during those last two days that the other was wearing a silver watch on a yellow bead chain which he seems not to have seen on him before
he took a knife and when his friend had turned away he approached him cautiously from behind took aim turned his eyes heavenwards crossed himself and praying fervently god forgive me for christ's sake
he never paints everyman he always projects dostoevsky or a nightmare of dostoevsky
that is why crime and punishment belongs to a lower range of fiction than anna karenina or fathers and sons
we sympathize indeed with the fears the bravado the despair that succeed the crime
he is a grotesque made alive by sheer imaginative intensity and passion
one does not grudge an artist an abnormal character or two
he invents vicious grotesques as dickens invents comic grotesques
was very fond of hanging cats and burying them with great ceremony
as for the karamazovs themselves he portrays the old father and the eldest of his sons hating each other and fighting like brutal maniacs
serve him right shouted dmitri breathlessly
if i haven't killed him i'll come again and kill him
it is easy to see why dostoevsky has become a popular author
no melodramatist ever poured out incident upon the stage from such a horn of plenty
dostoevsky is always ready to show them all in at once
on two opposite pages of the idiot one finds the following characters brought in by name general epanchin prince s adelaida ivanovna lizaveta prokofyevna yevgeny pavlovitch radomsky princess byelokonsky aglaia prince myshkin kolya ivolgin ippolit varya ferdyshchenko nastasya filippovna nina alexandrovna ganya ptitsyn and general ivolgin
but the secret of dostoevsky's appeal is something more than the multitude and thrill of his incidents and characters
mister murry boldly faces the difficulty and attempts the definition
to him dostoevsky's work is the record of a great mind seeking for a way of life it is more than a record of struggle it is the struggle itself
and those voices take shape in certain unforgettable fragments of dialogue that have been spoken by one spirit to another in some ugly mean tavern set in surrounding darkness
ultimately they are the creations not of a man who desired to be but of a spirit which sought to know
because they are possessed they are no longer men and women
this is all in a measure true
to say this is not to deny the spiritual content of dostoevsky's work the anguish of the imprisoned soul as it battles with doubt and denial and despair
there is in dostoevsky a suggestion of caliban trying to discover some better god than setebos
the ultimate attitude of dostoevsky is as christian as the apostle peter's lord i believe help thou mine unbelief
and beyond the dark night of suffering and dissipating the night dostoevsky still sees the light of christian compassion
or even by the compassion of others like prince myshkin in the idiot
his work like his face bears the mark of this terrible conflict
the novels are the perfect image of the man
as to the man himself the vicomte de voguee described him as he saw him in the last years of his life
when he became excited on a certain point one could have sworn that one had seen him before seated on a bench in a police court awaiting trial or among vagabonds who passed their time begging before the prison doors
at all other times he carried that look of sad and gentle meekness seen on the images of old slavonic saints
that is the portrait of the man one sees behind dostoevsky's novels a portrait one might almost have inferred from the novels
it is a figure that at once fascinates and repels
he is not by temperament a singer
his music is a still small voice unevenly matched against his consciousness of midnight and storm
truth to tell mister hardy is neither sufficiently articulate nor sufficiently fastidious to be a great poet
he does not express life easily in beautiful words or in images
thus he writes in i found her out there of one who
there could not be an uglier and more prosaic exaggeration than is contained in the image in the last line
and prose intrudes in the choice of words as well as in images
take for example the use of the word domiciled in the passage in the same poem about
when we as strangers sought their catering care veiled smiles bespoke their thought of what we were
catering care is an appalling phrase
is a line of good poetry
you did not come and marching time drew on and wore me numb yet less for loss of your dear presence there than that i thus found lacking in your make that high compassion which can overbear reluctance for pure loving kindness sake grieved i when as the hope hour stroked its sum you did not come
there are hints of the grand style of lyric poetry in these lines but phrases like in your make and as the hope hour stroked its sum are discords that bring it tumbling to the levels of victorian commonplace
he has a temperament sensitive beyond that of all but a few recent writers to the pain and passion of human beings
one can remember poem after poem of his with a theme that might easily have served for mister hardy too late cristina the lost mistress the last ride together the statue and the bust to name a few
but what a sense of triumph there is in browning's tragedies
his world is a place of opulence not of poverty
to have loved even for an hour is with browning to live for ever after in the inheritance of a mighty achievement
to have loved for an hour is in mister hardy's imagination to have deepened the sadness even more than the beauty of one's memories
for then i undistrest by hearts grown cold to me could lonely wait my endless rest with equanimity
but time to make me grieve part steals lets part abide and shakes this fragile frame at eve with throbbings of noontide
and despair is by no means triumphant in what is perhaps the most attractive of all mister hardy's poems the oxen
we pictured the meek mild creatures where they dwelt in their strawy pen nor did it occur to one of us there to doubt they were kneeling then
the mood of faith however or rather of delight in the memory of faith is not mister hardy's prevailing mood
he can enter upon a war without ironical doubts as we see in the song men who march away
how long he cries in a poem written some years ago
when shall the saner softer polities whereof we dream have sway in each proud land and patriotism grown godlike scorn to stand bondslave to realms but circle earth and seas
but perhaps his characteristic attitude to war is to be found not in lines like these but in that melancholy poem the souls of the slain in which the souls of the dead soldiers return to their country and question a senior soul flame as to how their friends and relatives have kept their doughty deeds in remembrance
and general how hold out our sweethearts sworn loyal as doves
some fickle and fleet hearts have found them new loves
and our wives quoth another resignedly dwell they on our deeds
mister hardy has too bitter a sense of reality to believe much in the glory of war
the real world to mister hardy is the world of ancient human things in which war has come to be a hideous irrelevance
it may be thought on the other hand that mister hardy's poems about war are no more expressive of tragic futility than his poems about love
futility and frustration are ever recurring themes in both
his lovers like his soldiers rot in the grave defeated of their glory
lovers are always severed both in life and in death
in beyond the last lamp we have the same mournful cry over severance
no shade of pinnacle or tree or tower while earth endures will fall on my mound and within the hour steal on to yours one robin never haunt our two green covertures
they bring us face to face with an experience intenser than our own
nothing of tiniest worth have i wrought pondered planned no one thing asking blame or praise since the pale corpse like birth of this diurnal unit bearing blanks in all its rays dullest of dull hued days
in one corner of the little room kenneth forbes squatted upon a bench with an empty pine box held carelessly in his lap
while duncan worked the boy was busy with his pencil but neither had spoken for at least a half hour
then riding slowly up the hedge bordered road his troubles once more assailed him and he wondered if there was not some spot upon the broad earth to which he could fly for retirement until the girls had left elmhurst for good
nora shied and he looked up to discover that he had nearly run down a pedestrian a stout little man with a bundle under his arm who held up one hand as if to arrest him
where do you want to go asked the boy
then it's the same jane as ever he responded with a shake of his grizzled head
do you know i sort o hoped she'd reformed and i'd be glad to see her again they tell me she's got money
aunt jane's rich aunt jane
echoed the man quickly what's your name lad
don't like girls i take it
another long pause then the boy suddenly turned questioner
you know aunt miss merrick sir
i used to when we were both younger
kenneth stopped short and the mare stopped and the little man with a whimsical smile at the boy's astonishment also stopped
john merrick that's me
you were the tinsmith
they kept track of her because she suddenly became rich and a great lady and that was a surprising thing to happen to a merrick
thank you lad returned the man gratefully i thought a little exercise would do me good but this three miles has seemed like thirty to me
i will said the man
the boy turned away but in a moment halted again
his interest in miss jane's brother john was extraordinary
there's little danger in this quarter i'm sure so i may as well be friends with the poor child
ah why not
beth hesitated
the letter asking me to visit her was the first i have ever received from her
but since she asked me to visit her we judged she had softened and might wish to become friendly and so i accepted the invitation
surely two girls will have a better time in this lonely old place than one could have alone
oh yes she has corrected louise
you mean patricia doyle yes
then we may conclude she's left out of the arrangement said beth calmly
you'll fight for your chance and fight mighty hard
why my dear cousin i don't want aunt jane's money
my mother and i are amply provided for and i am only here to find rest from my social duties and to get acquainted with my dead father's sister that is all
my father teaches music and mother scolds him continually for not being able to earn enough money to keep out of debt
we've never seen a cent of her money although father has tried at times to borrow enough to help him out of his difficulties
i even kissed her when she asked me to and it sent a shiver all down my back
for my part i am fond of everyone and it delights me to fuss around invalids and assist them
you say you like to care for invalids and i don't
you're trying to make me think you don't want elmhurst when you're as anxious to get it as i am
they call me beth sullenly
i couldn't live in this out of the way corner of the world you know
but suppose she leaves it to you persisted beth
louise seemed to meditate
it's a magnificent estate said beth looking at her cousin doubtfully
now shall we be friends she asked lightly
to be sure i should want you to my dear
such a girl friend it had never been her privilege to have before and when her suspicions were forgotten she became fairly responsive and brightened wonderfully
silas she said when he entered what do you think of my nieces
they are very charming girls he answered although they are at an age when few girls show to good advantage
why did you not invite kenneth to dinner jane the boy
he is constantly saying disagreeable things
very well said the lawyer quietly which of my nieces do you prefer
asked the old lady after a pause i cannot say on so short an acquaintance he answered with gravity which do you prefer jane
they are equally unsatisfactory she answered
i cannot imagine elmhurst belonging to either silas
i must see that other niece the one who defies me and refuses to answer my second letter
there would be a dozen heirs to fight for my money and dear old elmhurst would be sold to strangers she resumed with bitterness
they are but lukewarm lovers who can content themselves with a dialogue carried on at bowshot distance
if there be an elysium on earth it is this
his own daughter his only daughter of the best blood of southern aristocracy beautiful accomplished everything to secure him a splendid alliance holding nightly assignation with a horse hunter
he could well concede so much to her caprice since her staying at home could be no disadvantage to the cause that had prompted him to the stern counsel
it is already known that this road passed the hacienda of casa del corvo at some distance from the house and on the opposite side of the river
on reaching the copse he dismounted led his horse in among the underwood hitched him by looping his bridle rein around the topmost twigs of an elastic bough then detaching a long rope of twisted horsehair from the horn of his saddle and inserting his arm into its coil he glided out to the edge of the island on that side that lay towards the hacienda
before forsaking the shadow of the copse he cast a glance towards the sky and at the moon sailing supremely over it
the droll conceit which has so oft amused the nocturnal inebriate of great cities appeared to produce a like affect upon the night patroller of the prairie and for a moment the shadow late darkening his brow disappeared
it's not likely at this hour unless it be the owner of a bad conscience who can't sleep
troth there's one such within those walls
if he be abroad there's a good chance of his seeing me on the open ground not that i should care a straw if it were only myself to be compromised
it's no use waiting upon the moon deuce take her
it is true he had designs upon the hacienda but these did not contemplate either its cash plate or jewellery if we except the most precious jewel it contained the mistress of the mansion herself
he tarried at genishau a few days and came up to gardow where i then resided he was apparently without any business that would support him but he soon became acquainted with my son thomas with whom he hunted for a long time and made his home with him at my house winter came on and he continued his stay
the enraged husband well knowing that he should feel a blow if he waited to hear the order repeated instantly retreated and went down the river to his cattle
we protected the poor nanticoke woman and gave her victuals and allen sympathized with her in her misfortunes till spring when her husband came to her acknowledged his former errors and that he had abused her without a cause promised a reformation and she received him with every mark of a renewal of her affection
the indians were soon answered by the american officer that the wampum was cordially accepted and that a continuance of peace was ardently wished for
my son thomas went with them with allen's horse and carried the goods
allen on finding that his enemies had gone came back to my house where he lived as before but of his return they were soon notified at niagara and nettles who married priscilla ramsay with a small party of indians came on to take him
nettles at length abandoned the chase went home and allen all in tatters came in
by running in the woods his clothing had become torn into rags so that he was in a suffering condition almost naked
allen made his trowsers himself and then built a raft on which he went down the river to his own place at mount morris
there an indian gave him some refreshment and a good gun with which he hastened on to little beard's town where he found his squaw
not daring to risk himself at that place for fear of being given up he made her but a short visit and came immediately to gardow
the love of liberty however added to his natural swiftness gave him sufficient strength to make his escape to his former castle of safety
his pursuers came immediately to my house where they expected to have found him secreted and under my protection
still unsatisfied and doubting my veracity they advised my indian brother to use his influence to draw from me the secret of his concealment which they had an idea that i considered of great importance not only to him but to myself i persisted in my ignorance of his situation and finally they left me
he came to my house in the night and awoke me with the greatest caution fearing that some of his enemies might be watching to take him at a time when and in a place where it would be impossible for him to make his escape
at that time allen lay in a secret place in the gulph a short distance above my flats in a hole that he accidentally found in the rock near the river
the pavlograds held feast after feast celebrating awards they had received for the campaign and made expeditions to olmutz to visit a certain caroline the hungarian who had recently opened a restaurant there with girls as waitresses
the guards had made their whole march as if on a pleasure trip parading their cleanliness and discipline
the regiments had entered and left the town with their bands playing and by the grand duke's orders the men had marched all the way in step a practice on which the guards prided themselves the officers on foot and at their proper posts
boris had been quartered and had marched all the way with berg who was already in command of a company
boris during the campaign had made the acquaintance of many persons who might prove useful to him and by a letter of recommendation he had brought from pierre had become acquainted with prince andrew bolkonski through whom he hoped to obtain a post on the commander in chief's staff
berg and boris having rested after yesterday's march were sitting clean and neatly dressed at a round table in the clean quarters allotted to them playing chess
well how are you going to get out of that he remarked
at that moment the door opened
dear me how you have changed
he was about to embrace his friend but nicholas avoided him
he wanted to pinch him push him do anything but kiss him a thing everybody did
but notwithstanding this boris embraced him in a quiet friendly way and kissed him three times
they had not met for nearly half a year and being at the age when young men take their first steps on life's road each saw immense changes in the other quite a new reflection of the society in which they had taken those first steps
i did not expect you today he added
you know of course that his imperial highness rode with our regiment all the time so that we had every comfort and every advantage
what receptions we had in poland
what dinners and balls i can't tell you
oh you guards said rostov i say send for some wine
he went to his bed drew a purse from under the clean pillow and sent for wine
yes and i have some money and a letter to give you he added
oh don't mention it count i quite understand said berg getting up and speaking in a muffled and guttural voice
go across to our hosts they invited you added boris
berg put on the cleanest of coats without a spot or speck of dust stood before a looking glass and brushed the hair on his temples upwards in the way affected by the emperor alexander and having assured himself from the way rostov looked at it that his coat had been noticed left the room with a pleasant smile
oh dear what a beast i am muttered rostov as he read the letter why
well have you sent gabriel for some wine all right let's have some
in the letter from his parents was enclosed a letter of recommendation to bagration which the old countess at anna mikhaylovna's advice had obtained through an acquaintance and sent to her son asking him to take it to its destination and make use of it
why have you thrown that away asked boris
it is some letter of recommendation what the devil do i want it for
he looked intently and inquiringly into his friend's eyes evidently trying in vain to find the answer to some question
would you believe it count i was not at all alarmed because i knew i was right
i came forward berg stood up and showed how he presented himself with his hand to his cap and really it would have been difficult for a face to express greater respect and self complacency than his did
well he stormed at me as the saying is stormed and stormed and stormed
it was not a matter of life but rather of death as the saying is
albanians and devils and to siberia said berg with a sagacious smile
still i remained silent and what do you think count
the next day it was not even mentioned in the orders of the day
that's the way count said berg lighting his pipe and emitting rings of smoke
yes that was fine said rostov smiling
rostov was a truthful young man and would on no account have told a deliberate lie
he began his story meaning to tell everything just as it happened but imperceptibly involuntarily and inevitably he lapsed into falsehood
prince andrew who liked to help young men was flattered by being asked for his assistance and being well disposed toward boris who had managed to please him the day before he wished to do what the young man wanted
in spite of prince andrew's disagreeable ironical tone in spite of the contempt with which rostov from his fighting army point of view regarded all these little adjutants on the staff of whom the newcomer was evidently one rostov felt confused blushed and became silent
boris inquired what news there might be on the staff and what without indiscretion one might ask about our plans
we shall probably advance replied bolkonski evidently reluctant to say more in the presence of a stranger
berg took the opportunity to ask with great politeness whether as was rumored the allowance of forage money to captains of companies would be doubled
i was there said rostov angrily as if intending to insult the aide de camp
with a slightly contemptuous smile he said yes there are many stories now told about that affair
but our stories are the stories of men who have been under the enemy's fire
our stories have some weight not like the stories of those fellows on the staff who get rewards without doing anything
however he added rising you know my name and where to find me but don't forget that i do not regard either myself or you as having been at all insulted and as a man older than you my advice is to let the matter drop
exclaimed prince andrew and with a bow to them both he went out
and he was still more angry at having omitted to say it
he ordered his horse at once and coldly taking leave of boris rode home
should he go to headquarters next day and challenge that affected adjutant or really let the matter drop was the question that worried him all the way
it was long since the rostovs had news of nicholas
not till midwinter was the count at last handed a letter addressed in his son's handwriting
on receiving it he ran on tiptoe to his study in alarm and haste trying to escape notice closed the door and began to read the letter
each time that these hints began to make the countess anxious and she glanced uneasily at the count and at anna mikhaylovna the latter very adroitly turned the conversation to insignificant matters
but for god's sake be careful you know how it may affect your mamma
no on my true word of honor said natasha crossing herself i won't tell anyone
and she ran off at once to sonya
she rushed to sonya hugged her and began to cry
it's true that all you women are crybabies remarked petya pacing the room with large resolute strides
you are all blubberers and understand nothing
natasha smiled through her tears
what nasty brutes they are
hold your tongue petya what a goose you are
sonya smiled do i remember nicholas
i remember nikolenka too i remember him well she said
no she shut her eyes
she felt that sonya was speaking the truth that there was such love as sonya was speaking of
she believed it could be but did not understand it
shall you write to him she asked
now that he was already an officer and a wounded hero would it be right to remind him of herself and as it might seem of the obligations to her he had taken on himself
i don't know
sonya smiled no
it's because she was in love with that fat one in spectacles that was how petya described his namesake the new count bezukhov and now she's in love with that singer he meant natasha's italian singing master that's why she's ashamed
petya you're a stupid said natasha
the countess had been prepared by anna mikhaylovna's hints at dinner
on retiring to her own room she sat in an armchair her eyes fixed on a miniature portrait of her son on the lid of a snuffbox while the tears kept coming into her eyes
the count put his ear to the keyhole and listened
at first he heard the sound of indifferent voices then anna mikhaylovna's voice alone in a long speech then a cry then silence then both voices together with glad intonations and then footsteps
anna mikhaylovna opened the door
when she heard this sonya blushed so that tears came into her eyes and unable to bear the looks turned upon her ran away into the dancing hall whirled round it at full speed with her dress puffed out like a balloon and flushed and smiling plumped down on the floor
the countess was crying
from all he says one should be glad and not cry
how charmingly he describes said she reading the descriptive part of the letter and what a soul
i always said when he was only so high i always said
i have been told that mister van brandt is in prison for debt i said
and i saw for myself last night that he had left you helpless
he left me the little money he had with him when he was arrested she rejoined sadly
his cruel creditors are more to blame than he is for the poverty that has fallen on us
even this negative defense of van brandt stung me to the quick i ought to have spoken more guardedly of him i said bitterly
i ought to have remembered that a woman can forgive almost any wrong that a man can inflict on her when he is the man whom she loves
she put her hand on my mouth and stopped me before i could say any more
how can you speak so cruelly to me she asked
you know to my shame i confessed it to you the last time we met you know that my heart in secret is all yours
what wrong are you talking of
is it the wrong i suffered when van brandt married me with a wife living at the time and living still
do you think i can ever forget the great misfortune of my life the misfortune that has made me unworthy of you
it is no fault of mine god knows but it is not the less true that i am not married and that the little darling who is playing out there with her doll is my child
and you talk of my being your wife knowing that the child accepts me as her second father i said
it would be better and happier for us both if you had as little pride as the child pride she repeated
in such a position as mine
a helpless woman with a mock husband in prison for debt
am i to marry you for my food and shelter
am i to marry you because there is no lawful tie that binds me to the father of my child
bad as he is he has not forsaken me he has been forced away
my only friend is it possible that you think me ungrateful enough to consent to be your wife
the woman in my situation must be heartless indeed who could destroy your place in the estimation of the world and the regard of your friends
the wretchedest creature that walks the streets would shrink from treating you in that way
oh what are men made of
how can you how can you speak of it
i yielded and spoke of it no more
every word she uttered only increased my admiration of the noble creature whom i had loved and lost
bitterly as i hated the man who had parted us i loved her dearly enough to be even capable of helping him for her sake hopeless infatuation
i don't deny it i don't excuse it hopeless infatuation you have forgiven me i said
let me deserve to be forgiven
it is something to be your only friend
you must have plans for the future tell me unreservedly how i can help you
complete the good work that you have begun she answered gratefully help me back to health
make me strong enough to submit to a doctor's estimate of my chances of living for some years yet
a doctor's estimate of your chances of living i repeated what do you mean
i hardly know how to tell you she said without speaking again of mister van brandt
does speaking of him again mean speaking of his debts i asked
why need you hesitate
you know that there is nothing i will not do to relieve your anxieties
never let me tell you the plain truth
there is a serious necessity for his getting out of prison
yes this is his position in two words a little while since he obtained an excellent offer of employment abroad from a rich relative of his and he had made all his arrangements to accept it
unhappily he returned to tell me of his good fortune and the same day he was arrested for debt
the snare that had been set for her was plainly revealed in those four words
in the eye of the law she was of course a single woman she was of age she was to all intents and purposes her own mistress
what was there to prevent her from insuring her life if she pleased and from so disposing of the insurance as to give van brandt a direct interest in her death
thanks to the happy accident of my position the one certain way of protecting her lay easily within my reach
i could offer to lend the scoundrel the money that he wanted at an hour's notice and he was the man to accept my proposal quite as easily as i could make it
you are quite mistaken i replied
i am only doubting whether your plan for relieving mister van brandt of his embarrassments is quite so simple as you suppose
are you aware of the delays that are likely to take place before it will be possible to borrow money on your policy of insurance
i know nothing about it she said sadly
will you let me ask the advice of my lawyers
they are trustworthy and experienced men and i am sure they can be of use to you
cautiously as i had expressed myself her delicacy took the alarm
promise that you won't ask me to borrow money of you for mister van brandt she rejoined and i will accept your help gratefully
i could honestly promise that
my one chance of saving her lay in keeping from her knowledge the course that i had now determined to pursue
i rose to go while my resolution still sustained me
kiss me she whispered before you go
it is only your goodness that overpowers me
it's a sad thing for a body to lack brains when she wants to be a teacher isn't it
penelope has studied so hard all winter and she hasn't gone anywhere thought the older sister wistfully
doris dreamed of pretty dresses all that night and thought about them all the next day
so it must be confessed did penelope though she would not have admitted it for the world
she knew that penelope had started out to say a new dress
doris hunter i believe it's an old quilt
listen penelope my dear doris
love to penelope and yourself
your affectionate aunt adella hunter
i don't see its beauty said penelope with a grimace
it may have been pretty once but it is all faded now
tell me dorrie does it argue a lack of proper respect for my ancestors that i can't feel very enthusiastic over this heirloom especially when grandmother hunter died years before i was born
it was very kind of aunt adella to send it said doris dutifully
why the wrong side is ever so much prettier than the right exclaimed penelope
what lovely old timey stuff and not a bit faded
i declare it is as good as new
well let us go and have tea said penelope i'm decidedly hungry
besides i see the poverty pucker coming
it is something to possess an heirloom after all
penelope was surprised as much as the tender sisterly heart could wish when doris flashed out upon her triumphantly on the evening of the party with the black skirt nicely pressed and re hung and the prettiest waist imaginable a waist that was a positive creation of dainty rose besprinkled silk with a girdle and knots of black velvet
so penelope went to blanche's party and her dress was the admiration of every girl there
penelope thought her altogether charming
she looks as if she had just stepped out of the frame of some lovely old picture she said to herself
my aunt adella gave me gave us the material she stammered
i am named after her missus fairweather suddenly put her arm about penelope and drew the young girl to her her lovely old face aglow with delight and tenderness
then you are my grandniece she said
when i saw your dress i felt sure you were related to her i should recognize that rosebud silk if i came across it in thibet
penelope was four years older than i was but we were devoted to each other
soon after this our mother died and our household was broken up
my dear i am a very lonely old woman with nobody belonging to me
now she patted missus fairweather's soft old hand affectionately
doris and penelope found their lives and plans changed in the twinkling of an eye
when missus fairweather had gone doris and penelope looked at each other
as she slipped into her blue print afternoon dress her aunt called to her from below
aunt jane was standing at the foot of the stairs with a lamp in one hand and a year old baby clinging to the other
she was a big shapeless woman with a round good natured face cheerful and vulgar as a sunflower was aunt jane at all times and occasions
i want to run over and see how missus brixby is this evening siddy and you must take care of the baby till i get back
sidney sighed and went downstairs for the baby
all her days were alike as far as hard work and dullness went but she accepted them cheerfully and uncomplainingly
but she did resent having to look after the baby when she wanted to write her letter
the room was small a mere box above the kitchen which sidney shared with two small cousins
her bed and the cot where the little girls slept filled up almost all the available space
just at that particular angle one eye appeared to be as large as an orange while the other was the size of a pea and the mouth zigzagged from ear to ear
sidney hated that mirror as virulently as she could hate anything
her mother had died the day after and sidney thereupon had come into the hands of good aunt jane with those books for her dowry since nothing else was left after the expenses of the double funeral had been paid
presently she began to write with a flush of real excitement on her face
only one answer came to ellen douglas and that was forwarded to her by the long suffering editor of the maple leaf
he wrote that although his age debarred him from membership in the club he was twenty and the limit was eighteen he read the letters of the department with much interest and often had thought of answering some of the requests for correspondents
he never had done so but ellen douglas's letter was so interesting that he had decided to write to her
would she be kind enough to correspond with him
he was two years out from the east and had not yet forgotten to be homesick at times
sidney liked the letter and answered it
she never expected to meet john lincoln nor did she wish to do so
in the correspondence itself she found her pleasure
john lincoln wrote breezy accounts of ranch life and adventures on the far western plains so alien and remote from snug humdrum plainfield life that sidney always had the sensation of crossing a gulf when she opened a letter from the bar n as for sidney's own letter this is the way it read as she wrote it
the evergreens plainfield dear mister lincoln
i love life and its bloom and brilliancy i love meeting new people i love the ripple of music the hum of laughter and conversation
the man i had been talking with was paul moore the great novelist
as it was i had contradicted him twice and he had laughed and liked it but his books will always have a new meaning to me henceforth through the insight he himself has given me
it is such meetings as these that give life its sparkle for me
you will be weary of my rhapsodies over her
she has sympathy and understanding for my every mood
yours sincerely sidney richmond
aunt jane came home presently and carried away her sleeping baby sidney said her prayers went to bed and slept soundly and serenely she mailed her letter the next day and a month later an answer came
sidney did not sleep that night but tossed restlessly about or cried in her pillow
the good woman shook her head
sidney trod the way of the transgressor and found that its thorns pierced to bone and marrow
you see that road out thar
and there was no harbour or glimpse of distant sea visible
had the hotel keeper made a mistake
this is his place nobody calls it the evergreens but myself
i don't understand he said perplexedly
oh sidney threw out her hands in a burst of passionate protest
no and you never will understand i can't make you understand
everything i told you about it and my life was just imagination
then why did you write them he asked blankly
why did you deceive me
oh i didn't mean to deceive you i never thought of such a thing
i just couldn't write you about my life here not because it was hard but it was so ugly and empty
and when once i had begun i had to keep it up
i found it so fascinating too
those letters made that other life seem real to me i never expected to meet you
these last four days since your letter came have been dreadful to me
oh please go away and forgive me if you can
it was worse than she had even thought it would be
he was so handsome so manly so earnest eyed
john lincoln opened the gate and went up to her
please don't distress yourself so sidney he said unconsciously using her christian name
i think i do understand
i'm not such a dull fellow as you take me for
after all those letters were true or rather there was truth in them
this young man was certainly good at understanding
you you'll forgive me then she stammered
but in the state of innocence there would have been no weakness of old age
on the contrary everything generated is first imperfect but in the state of innocence children would have been begotten by generation
therefore from the first they would have been imperfect in bodily size and power
therefore in the state of innocence there was no need for women to be born on the contrary nature's process in generation would have been in harmony with the manner in which it was established by god
four whether in that state man would have been master over men
therefore in the state of innocence man had no mastership of the animals
therefore in the state of innocence before man had disobeyed nothing disobeyed him that was naturally subject to him
secondly this is proved by the order of divine providence which always governs inferior things by the superior
thirdly this is proved from a property of man and of other animals
now whatever is participated is subject to what is essential and universal
therefore the subjection of other animals to man is proved to be natural
they would not however on this account have been excepted from the mastership of man as neither at present are they for that reason excepted from the mastership of god whose providence has ordained all this
this is signified by the fact that god led the animals to man that he might give them names expressive of their respective natures
so all animals would have obeyed man of their own accord as in the present state some domestic animals obey him
objection one it would seem that in the state of innocence man would not have had mastership over all other creatures
much less therefore would it have obeyed man in the state of innocence
therefore since it is by his reason that man is competent to have mastership it seems that in the state of innocence man had no dominion over plants
now in man reason has the position of a master and not of a subject
i answer that we must needs admit that in the primitive state there would have been some inequality at least as regards sex because generation depends upon diversity of sex and likewise as regards age for some would have been born of others nor would sexual union have been sterile
there might also have been bodily disparity
inequality might also arise on the part of nature as above described without any defect of nature
objection one it would seem that in the state of innocence man would not have been master over man
therefore in the state of innocence man would not have been subject to man
in another sense mastership is referred in a general sense to any kind of subject and in this sense even he who has the office of governing and directing free men can be called a master
such a kind of mastership would have existed in the state of innocence between man and man for two reasons
more than this he hath been heard to rail on you my lord who are now his judge
judge thy just doom would be to die on the spot still let us hear what thou hast to say
then the judge to sum up the case spoke thus you see this man who has made such a stir in our town
thus while one lost his life for the truth a new man rose from his death to tread the same way with christian
come good hopeful said christian let us walk on the grass
so they set off through the field
hopeful i had my fears from the first and so gave you a hint christian good friend i grieve that i have brought you out of the right path
hopeful say no more no doubt it is for our good
christian we must not stand thus let us try to go back
then said giant despair you have no right to force your way in here the ground on which you lie is mine
they had not much to say as they knew that they were in fault
and by this act we kill our souls as well
he now went on till he came to the house at the door of which he was to knock this he did two or three times
christian i have come to see the good man of the house
christian sir i am come from the city of destruction and am on my way to mount zion
i was told by the man that stands at the gate that if i came here you would show me good things that would help me
he stood as if he would plead for men and a crown of gold hung near his head
christian what does this mean
then he took him to a large room that was full of dust for it had not been swept and interpreter told his man to sweep it
christian what means this
then you next saw the maid come in to lay the dust so is sin made clean and laid low by faith in the book
just as christian came up to the cross his load slid from his back close to the mouth of the tomb where it fell in and i saw it no more
as he stood thus and wept lo three bright ones came to him and one of them said peace be to thee thou hast grace from thy sins
christian gave three leaps for joy and sang as he went ah what a place is this blest cross blest tomb
he went on thus till he came to a vale where he saw three men who were in a sound sleep with chains on their feet
christian sirs whence come you and where do you go
formalist and hypocrisy we were born in the land of vain glory and are on our way to mount zion for praise
know you not that he that comes not in at the door but climbs up to get in the same is a thief
they told christian that he had no need for care on that score for long use had made it law and they could prove that it had been so for years
yes said they no doubt of it
and if we get in the road at all pray what are the odds
is not our case as good as yours
i saw then that they all went on till they came to the foot of the hill of difficulty where there was a spring
now when christian got as far as the spring of life he drank of it and then went up the hill
now half way up was a cave made by the lord of that hill that those who came by might rest there
timorous said that zion was the hill they meant to climb but that when they had got half way they found that they met with more and more risk so that great fear came on them and all they could do was to turn back
yes said mistrust for just in front of us there lay two beasts of prey in our path we knew not if they slept or not but we thought that they would fall on us and tear our limbs
yet he thought once more of what he had heard from the men and then he felt in his cloak for his scroll that he might read it and find some peace
he felt for it but found it not
so he fell down on his knees to pray that god would give him grace for this act and then went back to look for his scroll
oh fool that i am said he to sleep in the day time so to give way to the flesh as to use for ease that rest which the lord of the hill had made but for the help of the soul
such was the lot of the jews for their sin they were sent back by the way of the red sea and i am made to tread those steps with grief which i might have trod with joy had it not been for this sleep
how far might i have been on my way by this time
now by this time he had come to the vale once more where for a spell he sat down and wept but at last as he cast a sad glance at the foot of the bench he saw his scroll which he caught up with haste and put in his cloak
words are too weak to tell the joy of christian when he had got back his scroll
he laid it up in the breast of his coat and gave thanks to god
with what a light step did he now climb the hill
ah thought he these beasts range in the night for their prey and if they should meet with me in the dark how should i fly from them
the name of the man who kept the lodge of that house was watchful and when he saw that christian made a halt as if he would go back he came out to him and said is thy strength so small
fear not the two wild beasts for they are bound by chains and are put here to try the faith of those that have it and to find out those that have none
keep in the midst of the path and no harm shall come to thee
then i saw in my dream that still he went on in great dread of the wild beasts he heard them roar yet they did him no harm but when he had gone by them he went on with joy till he came and stood in front of the lodge where watchful dwelt
christian sir what house is this may i rest here to night
when watchful told her why christian had come there she said what is your name
then christian bent down his head and went with them to the house
piety come good christian since our love prompts us to take you in to rest let us talk with you of all that you have seen on your way
christian with a right good will and i am glad that you should ask it of me
prudence and first say what is it that makes you wish so much to go to mount zion
there they say is no death and there i shall dwell with such as love the lord
charity have you a wife and babes christian yes i have
charity and why did you not bring them with you
but they would not come with me nor have me leave them
thus did christian talk with these friends till it grew dark and then he took his rest in a large room the name of which was peace there he slept till break of day and then he sang a hymn
and they brought out the jaw bone of an ass with which samson did such great feats and the sling and stone with which david slew goliath of gath
what is the name of this land said christian
then they told him it was immanuel's land
it was a night when sorrow may come to the brightest without causing any great sense of incongruity when with impressible persons love becomes solicitousness hope sinks to misgiving and faith to hope when the exercise of memory does not stir feelings of regret at opportunities for ambition that have been passed by and anticipation does not prompt to enterprise
still to a close observer they are just as perceptible the difference is that their media of manifestation are less trite and familiar than such well known ones as the bursting of the buds or the fall of the leaf
if anything could be darker than the sky it was the wall and if any thing could be gloomier than the wall it was the river beneath
an indescribable succession of dull blows perplexing in their regularity sent their sound with difficulty through the fluffy atmosphere
not long after a form moved by the brink of the river
this was all that was positively discoverable though it seemed human
the shape went slowly along but without much exertion for the snow though sudden was not as yet more than two inches deep
at this time some words were spoken aloud one
two three
four five
between each utterance the little shape advanced about half a dozen yards
here the spot stopped and dwindled smaller
then a morsel of snow flew across the river towards the fifth window
the river would have been seen by day to be of that deep smooth sort which races middle and sides with the same gliding precision any irregularities of speed being immediately corrected by a small whirlpool
the window was struck again in the same manner
then a noise was heard apparently produced by the opening of the window
said the blurred spot in the snow tremulously
i asked which was your window forgive me
well i said that you might
o must i it is when shall we be married frank
i have money
and we live in two parishes do we what then
if i said so of course i will
the fact is i forgot to ask
good night frank good night
he hoped nothing serious had happened to drag her out at such an untoward time
but as the rain gave not the least sign of cessation he observed i think we shall have to go back never
why not he inquired
i cannot understand how you should know me while i have no knowledge of you
oh but you know me about me at least
i should think so
he's my father indeed
but we have been tenants of sylvania castle on the island here this season
my father's is a comparatively humble residence hard by
but he could afford a much bigger one if he chose
you have heard so
i don't know he doesn't tell me much of his affairs
my father she burst out suddenly is always scolding me for my extravagance
was that this evening
and there on the nets they sat
jocelyn thought it strange that he should be thrown by fate into a position to play the son of the montagues to this daughter of the capulets
no i shall go on and get a lodging in budmouth town if ever i reach it
it is so late that there will be no house open except a little place near the station where you won't care to stay
the island was an island still
they had not realized the force of the elements till now
he steadied her bodily by encircling her waist with his arm and she made no objection
he pitied her and while he wondered at it admired her determination
their application for admission led to the withdrawal of a bolt and they stood within the gaslight of the passage
he could see now that though she was such a fine figure quite as tall as himself she was but in the bloom of young womanhood
i will tell the servant to do this and send you up something to eat
he felt ravenously hungry himself and set about drying his clothes as well as he could and eating at the same time
by the aid of some temporary wraps and some slippers from the cupboard he was contriving to make himself comfortable when the maid servant came downstairs with a damp armful of woman's raiment
you are sleepy my girl said pierston
he again became conscious of the change which had been initiated during the walk
the well beloved was moving house had gone over to the wearer of this attire
and how about little avice caro
things arrange themselves
but the countess never gave way an inch
the following was the answer which she returned to the note written to her by aunt julia
i should not know how to drink wine with them and should do a hundred things which would make them think me a beast
but the girl begged for some delay
it was a matter that required to be considered
pride in him might be as weak as pride in them
if they would put out their hands to him why should he refuse to put out his own
our tailor received him courteously having learned to like the man understanding that he had behaved with honesty and wisdom in regard to his client and respecting him as one of the workers of the day but he declared that for the lovel family as a family he did not care for them particularly
they are poles asunder from me he said
but by your good fortune and merit if you will allow me to say so you have travelled from the one pole very far towards the other
at present i think that the sense of the country is in favour of an aristocracy of birth
when you were foremost among them did you not wish to be their master
it is one to which all legislative and all human efforts should and must tend
when you make much water boil mister thwaite some of it will probably boil over
i quite agree with you that the silk gowns should be kept for their elders and so the conversation was ended
with her there was a real wish that the poles might be joined together by her future husband
if you really wish it you shall go he said
and a blue one to be married in alas me
must i have a pink silk gown to walk about in early in the morning
i'd sooner see you darning my worsted stockings sweetheart
i can do that too
and now i'll sit down and write a letter to my lord
she draws close and satisfies
he could not forget missus pine avon's eyes though he remembered nothing of her other facial details
afterwards they kept apart awhile in the drawing room for form's sake but eventually gravitated together again and finished the evening in each other's company
but this was not all
but was he able
it was unfair to go further without telling her even though hitherto such explicitness had not been absolutely demanded
he determined to call immediately on the new incarnation
she lived not far from the long fashionable hamptonshire square and he went thither with expectations of having a highly emotional time at least
but somehow the very bell pull seemed cold although she had so earnestly asked him to come
raising her eyes in a slightly inquiring manner from the book she was reading she leant back in the chair as if soaking herself in luxurious sensations which had nothing to do with him and replied to his greeting with a few commonplace words
just as they turn madeira into port in the space of a single night so this old air has been taken and doctored and twisted about and brought out as a new popular ditty indeed
she thawed a little and then they went on to talk about her house which had been newly painted and decorated with greenish blue satin up to the height of a person's head an arrangement that somewhat improved her slightly faded though still pretty face and was helped by the awnings over the windows
yes i have had my house some years she observed complacently and i like it better every year
don't you feel lonely in it sometimes o never
what an uncivil thing to say she murmured in surprise
it is rather uncivil
as a punishment she did not ring the bell but left him to find his way out as he could
i saw him at lady channelcliffe's the other night
jocelyn pierston
o didn't he marry her
said missus pine avon with a start
but jocelyn was receding from the pretty widow's house with long strides
lady iris had left the drawing room for a moment to see that all was right in the dining room and when he was shown in there stood alone in the lamplight nichola pine avon
she had been the first arrival
as the other guests dropped in the pair retreated into a shady corner and she talked beside him till all moved off for the eating and drinking
he had not been appointed to take her across to the dining room but at the table found her exactly opposite
the spring in the present case was the artistic commendation she deserved and craved
the lady on jocelyn's left wife of a lord justice of appeal was in like manner talking to her companion on the outer side so that for the time he was left to himself
it came from the wife of one of his father's former workmen and was concerning her son whom she begged jocelyn to recommend as candidate for some post in town that she wished him to fill
what is necessary to the completeness of the story at this stage is not to recapitulate but to take up some of the loose ends of threads woven in and follow them through until the clear and comprehensive picture of events can be seen
the way of the inventor is hard
he can sometimes raise capital to help him in working out his crude conceptions but even then it is frequently done at a distressful cost of personal surrender
when the result is achieved the invention makes its appeal on the score of economy of material or of effort and then labor often awaits with crushing and tyrannical spirit to smash the apparatus or forbid its very use
possibly our national optimism as revealed in invention the seeking a higher good needs some check
possibly the leaders would travel too fast and too far on the road to perfection if conservatism did not also play its salutary part in insisting that the procession move forward as a whole
on the contrary the conditions for its acceptance had been ripening fast
yet the very vogue of the electric arc light made harder the arrival of the incandescent
a number of parent arc lighting companies were in existence and a great many local companies had been called into being under franchises for commercial business and to execute regular city contracts for street lighting
thus in a curious manner the modern art of electric lighting was in a very true sense divided against itself with intense rivalries and jealousies which were none the less real because they were but temporary and occurred in a field where ultimate union of forces was inevitable
hence twenty years after the first edison stations were established the methods they involved could be fairly credited with no less than sixty seven per cent
it will be readily understood that under these conditions the modern lighting company supplies to its customers both incandescent and arc lighting frequently from the same dynamo electric machinery as a source of current and that the old feud as between the rival systems has died out
in fact for some years past the presidents of the national electric light association have been chosen almost exclusively from among the managers of the great edison lighting companies in the leading cities
the other strong opposition to the incandescent light came from the gas industry
there also the most bitter feeling was shown
the gas manager did not like the arc light but it interfered only with his street service which was not his largest source of income by any means
here again was given a most convincing demonstration of the truth that such an addition to the resources of mankind always carries with it unsuspected benefits even for its enemies
this was not long nor universally the spirit shown and to day in hundreds of cities the electric and gas properties are united under the one management which does not find it impossible to push in a friendly and progressive way the use of both illuminants
the most conspicuous example of this identity of interest is given in new york itself
so much for the early opposition of which there was plenty
but it may be questioned whether inertia is not equally to be dreaded with active ill will
of course a great many accounts were written and read but while genuine interest was aroused it was necessarily apathetic
we got it at a great bargain and only paid a small sum down and the balance on mortgage
we sold them for forty cents but there were only about twenty or thirty thousand of them
the fourth year i got it down to thirty seven cents and i made all the money up in one year that i had lost previously
one of the incidents which caused a very great cheapening was that when we started one of the important processes had to be done by experts
after feeling around for some days i got a clew how to do it
i then made another machine which did the work nicely
incidentally it may be noted as illustrative of the problems brought to edison that while he had the factory at harrison an importer in the chinese trade went to him and wanted a dynamo to be run by hand power
for making the dynamos edison secured as noted in the preceding chapter the roach iron works on goerck street new york and this was also equipped
to sigmund bergmann who had worked previously with edison on telephone apparatus and phonographs and was already making edison specialties in a small way in a loft on wooster street new york was assigned the task of constructing sockets fixtures meters safety fuses and numerous other details
in the early part of eighteen eighty one the edison electric light company leased the old bishop mansion at sixty five fifth avenue close to fourteenth street for its headquarters and show rooms
this was one of the finest homes in the city of that period and its acquisition was a premonitory sign of the surrender of the famous residential avenue to commerce
the experience with the little gas engine was rather startling
one day it was not going very well and i went down to the man in charge and got exploring around
for the next four or five years sixty five was a veritable beehive day and night
the routine was very much the same as that at the laboratory in its utter neglect of the clock
i was telling a gentleman one day that i could not keep a cigar even if i locked them up in my desk they would break it open
he suggested to me that he had a friend over on eighth avenue who made a superior grade of cigars and who would show them a trick
he said he would have some of them made up with hair and old paper and i could put them in without a word and see the result
i thought no more about the matter
i didn't remember anything about it
i was too busy on other things to notice
speaking of those days or nights edison says years ago one of the great violinists was remenyi
he would talk with me but i never asked him to bring his violin
one night he came with his violin about twelve o'clock
after that every time he came to new york he used to call at sixty five late at night with his violin
another visitor who used to give us a good deal of amusement and pleasure was captain shaw the head of the london fire brigade
he would go out among the fire laddies and have a great time
speaking of telling stories i once got telling a man stories at the harrison lamp factory in the yard as he was leaving
it was winter and he was all in furs
i had nothing on to protect me against the cold
then i got pleurisy and had to be shipped to florida for cure
it had merely enjoyed the delights of anxious anticipation and the perilous pleasure of backing edison's experiments
now active exploitation was required
london its guilt and glory
they say best men are molded out of faults and for the most become much more the better for being a little bad
standing on a broken column of the old steeple three hundred feet above primrose hill william struck an attitude of theatrical fashion and uttered the following oratorical flight
glorious london
sad how sad to think that the day will come when not a vestige of this wonderful mass of human energy shall remain where the cry of the wolf bat and bittern shall only be heard and nature again resume her rustic splendid desolation
the devil's tavern was a resort for actors authors bohemians lords and ladies who did not retire early to their downy couches
william and myself soon found rest in deep slumber and wafted away into a dreamless realm our tired bodies lay in the enfolding arms of morpheus until the porter knocked at our door the next morning as the clock of the tower struck the hour of nine
our first sight of sunrise in london gave us great expectations of fame and fortune for surely all we had was glowing expectations
oft expectation fails and most oft there where most it promises and oft it hits where hope is coldest and despair most fits
deuces won double and sixes treble coin
william to the great amazement of the dealer flung a guinea in the center pot which was immediately tapped by jack while the others looked on in silent expectation
the polite jack replied all right sir take your word for it
i have set my life upon a cast and will stand the hazard of the die
i immediately followed in his footsteps and found him joking with the landlady about a couple of infant bull pups she was fondling in her capacious lap
if he had dropped out of the clouds william could not have been more pleased or surprised and the feeling was reciprocal
the printing shop of field was only a short distance from the devil's tavern and we were invited to visit the establishment
james burbage gazed for a moment on the manly form of william and blurted out in his bluff manner what do you know
the next day everybody in the house began to make preparations for the journey
everything was done very leisurely though there was a lot of talking and disputing and the giving of contrary orders
the old porter was there directing and scolding the servants as they piled the rugs and blankets and bags of food and pots and pans and dishes into the wagon
there was quite a procession when at last the big wagon rumbled out through the gateway
behind it came the grandmother in her dhoolie dak a sort of a litter or easy chair swung between two long poles
besides the family there were many servants and several others walked beside the slow moving wagon
the cook too went with them
good bye shouted little nao from his garden wall as they went by good bye
they shouted greetings to their friend the potter as they passed him and also to the old fakir smeared all over with ashes who sat in a little brick hut by the bridge and pretended to make wonderful cures
this is more fun than going to school said chola as the oxen plodded along through clouds of dust
these lovely birds are found nearly everywhere in india and in some parts run quite wild
his long matted hair hung on his shoulders and he was saying his prayers with the help of a rosary of beads which he continually passed through his hands
as the wagon came up a young man who accompanied the holy man ran up and held out a begging bowl saying give oh charitable people to this holy one
no country in the world has so many beggars as india
many of them are called holy men because they do nothing but make pilgrimages from one sacred place to another living solely on the alms that are given to them
when they had eaten their lunch the young people went to explore the garden near them
perhaps there are dogs said mahala a little fearfully but they forgot about dogs when they saw a thicket of sugar cane down by a stream
perhaps we can buy some from the man there he is now ploughing by the stream said chola
it is looking for water said the farmer as he took a long stalk of cane and gently guided it down to the stream
the snake is another sacred animal of the hindus and they would not kill or injure one for anything
as they were about to move on again they saw a great cloud of dust down the road
it turned out that it was a great and powerful rajah going in state on a journey to visit another rajah or ruler of one of the small kingdoms or states of which modern india was formerly made up
first there came a big elephant all decorated with silk and gold and silver
on the elephant's back was a howdah which is like a big chair with a canopy over it and in this sitting cross legged was the rajah a big fat fellow dressed in coloured silks and jewels with a great diamond set plume in his turban
behind the howdah stood a servant holding a big umbrella of fine feathers over the rajah's head
the driver sat on the neck of the elephant and guided the big beast by prodding him on one side or the other with an iron shod stick or goad
isn't it fine to ride like that on a big elephant
and all the rest of the day the little folk talked of nothing but the great rajah and his escort
our party came to a halt among many other bullock carts the owners of which were already sitting around on the ground cooking their suppers or bargaining for food at the little booths
these they used for plates heaping them up with their boiled rice and curry and fish and all sorts of puddings and sweets
as supper was being eaten another party stopped at the parao and camped not far away
when the litter was put down a young boy stepped out looking very proud and haughty
his servants at once spread a handsome rug on the ground for him to sit on and rushed about waiting on him taking good care to keep every one at a distance
yes and how he orders every one about him
around the little brahmin's neck was a thin cord or thread which was the sign of his high caste
meanwhile the haughty little brahmin ate his supper with his head turned away so no one could see him eat and then growing tired of respectful glances of the crowd around him he got into his litter again and the servants fastened the curtains tightly around him
everybody slept soundly in spite of the fact that one of the servants was beating a drum most of the night which they really believed was the way to keep off evil spirits
oh the thieves he cried
they are as bad as the beggars
what art thou guarding so carefully shriya asked her brother
he and chola were walking beside the wagon for a change
the lattices were raised so shriya and her mother and aunt could enjoy the fresh air
they are my dolls said the little girl sadly as she patted the bundle beside her
i take them as an offering to the holy river poor little woman
must thou sacrifice thy toys too
smiled her uncle as he patted her head
chapter forty nine griggs is stubborn
the days glided by with the stiffness in chris lee's limbs growing less painful and the pony recovering fast for the clear mountain air seemed to act like a cure for wounds
every day that came showed the injured animal in better condition
its efforts to move no longer made chris wince and forget his own pains in those he felt at seeing the mustang suffer
every one was busy for the keeping watch regularly took up a good deal of time
it's all nonsense ned cried chris for them to think they are staying on account of us hullo griggs were you listening
how did your pony go this morning splendid
just halted a little on the bad leg but it's better than it was yesterday
did you canter this morning canter
we went at a good swinging gallop and what about you
oh i'm only a little stiff still
we shall get strong more quickly journeying over the plains or climbing in and out among the mountains
he says we're to start to morrow at daybreak
hurrah cried chris
but we shan't my lad why not
because i've seen indians again
oh you're always seeing indians again
well they showed themselves to me i didn't want them said griggs dryly
they're an artful lot never been away at all i believe
we couldn't see em but if we'd made a start they'd have been close upon our heels directly
ah you'll have to trap them chris said ned maliciously
look here if you say that again we shall quarrel hear that griggs
oh yes i hear serve you right
if you can't show us a better way you had better hold your tongue
very well i can do that said ned haughtily
there that's enough cried chris don't be so petty ned
that's right cried griggs
look here lads i've just been trying that place again
any time the doctor likes
being shot at by fellows with bows and arrows sounds bad enough but there's not much risk here
i don't know about that said chris anxiously
don't you well i do
i should be running fast and dodging in and out among the rocks and trees
but the enemy won't be standing still continued griggs
i don't believe there's a bit of risk for me i shall be all right
but our animals will be well back in that hollow said chris
yes my lad but i want them to be planted farther back still
i'm afraid father will say that the ponies ought to be close at hand
yes that's right if it can be done but it would go hard with us all if the indians gave up the bait of the trap and turned upon those who set it
well you must talk it over with father said chris
too many redskins about as i told you
there are always too many redskins about cried chris impatiently
i wish we could charge them boldly and send them flying over the plains
never to come back again said ned sharply
not quite my lads don't you see that we're playing a very ticklish game
just then the doctor came into the shelter where the boys had been talking bringing with him wilton who had been shooting or rather trying to shoot for he had had no success and they too were talking earnestly about ways and means
oh here you are griggs cried the doctor
had a good turn at scouting yes sir
the indians have shifted their quarters and they're in about as awkward a position as they could contrive for our purpose
we must get away from here to some good hunting ground
do the indians seem to be camping or only on the move
they seem to me to be hatching up some dodge or another replied griggs
then he began to walk up and down slowly evidently deep in thought
there he said i've made up my mind
it is very evident that we may wait here till our stores are exhausted and be as far off the opportunity we seek as ever
the indians can wait we cannot and they seem to know it
going to give up young chris's plan said griggs slowly
no i'm going to put it in force at once we start to night
but all the same we can be making our preparations
the barrels can be filled with water and every one's bottle
provisions can be packed in our wallets in fact everything held ready for a start
finally just at dusk the animals can be driven in for food and water and
exactly replied the doctor
but before any more is said griggs i want to offer you the opportunity to draw back
what for said griggs sharply
not a bit of it sir i'm going to take care they don't hit me
i mean to do a bit to carry out young chris's plan and shut up the redskins for a week or two perhaps a month while we get right away
there is a horrible side to it griggs
would be if we let them get the better of us sir
you mean the shutting up the enemy here to starve
ejaculated griggs so sharply that the boys started serve em right if they did sir
what business have they to want our scalps but we shouldn't shut them up to starve
they'd have weeks of work before they could get their horses out but without horses they'd be out in a week
starve nonsense
but there i don't want to make speeches it's all settled gentlemen
but you've got to tell the lookout what's coming off
now every one understands that he is to be ready without showing any watchful indian scout that there is something on the way
yet so strong was the effect upon him of contemplating a large fortune that in despite of reason and desire he lived in eager expectation of the word which should make him rich
a part of that impression was due to the engagement which he must now fulfil
to shuffle out of this duty would make him too ignoble even in his own eyes
because in his salad days he dallied with a girl who had indeed many charms step by step he had come to the necessity of sacrificing his prospects to that raw attachment
unable to think of work he left the house and wandered gloomily about regent's park
he felt himself ill used by destiny and therefore by marian who was fate's instrument
he wrote to marian
will you let me hear or come and see me
i scarcely thought of biffen as likely to kill himself
but why the deuce did he go all the way out there
i hoped you would bring me some news
poverty i can only suppose
but i will see whelpdale i hadn't come across biffen for a long time
was he still so very poor
asked amy compassionately
i'm afraid so his book failed utterly
oh if i had imagined him still in such distress surely i might have done something to help him
perchance his death was in part attributable to that hopeless love
he sent me a copy of his novel she said and i saw him once or twice after that
having this subject to converse upon put the two more quickly at ease than could otherwise have been the case
amy might take a foremost place among brilliant women
especially now that her father is threatened with blindness
is it so serious
even if mister yule recovers his sight it is not at all likely that he will be able to work as before
our difficulties are so grave that
he paused and let his hand fail despondently
i have a good deal of will you remember and what i have set my mind upon no doubt i shall some day achieve
there was silence
the last three years he continued have made no slight difference in my position
recall where i stood when you first knew me
just now i am in need of a little encouragement
you don't notice any falling off in my work recently
do you see my things in the current and so on generally
sometimes i believe i have detected you when there was no signature
her story in that girls paper has attracted attention
and i could so easily put her at rest by renouncing all claim upon her
i surmise that that you yourself would also be put at rest by such a decision
don't look at me with that ironical smile he pleaded
i couldn't go about declaring that i was heartbroken in any event i must be content for people to judge me according to their disposition and judgments are pretty sure to be unfavourable what can i do
the case is too delicate i fear for my advice
well i'll go back to my scribbling
again jasper held the white soft hand for a superfluous moment
yet for such feelings he reproached himself and the reproach made him angry
marian could not mistake the air of restless trouble on her companion's smooth countenance
she had divined that there was some grave reason for this summons and the panting with which she had approached was half caused by the anxious beats of her heart
he began abruptly
he gave her such details as he had obtained then added
there are two of my companions fallen in the battle
i ought to think myself a lucky fellow marian what
you are better fitted to fight your way jasper
more of a brute you mean
you know very well i don't
i have made up my mind about our affairs he went on presently
yes
will you marry me and let us take our chance
you feel yourself indispensable to your father at present
i should be so afraid of the effect upon his health jasper
she paused and looked up at him touchingly
dear i can't feel it would be my duty to renounce you because my father had become blind
has one thing occurred to you
will he consent to receive an allowance from a person whose name is missus milvain
and if he obstinately refuses what then what is before him
she listened anxiously and reflected
as i have said there is the very serious doubt whether your father would accept money from you when you are my wife
it isn't your fault marian and well then there's only one thing to do
except jasper that if father is helpless i must find means of assuring his support
do you think them insurmountable
that is just what i have decided is impossible marian you shall have the plain truth
i don't trust myself
but shall you face them willingly
put up your umbrella marian
what do i care for a drop of rain she exclaimed with passionate sadness when all my life is at stake how am i to understand you
every word you speak seems intended to dishearten me
why need you conceal it if that is the truth
is that what you mean by saying you distrust yourself
we must see each other again marian
how am i to live an hour in such uncertainty as this
i do wish it
her emotion had an effect upon him and his voice trembled
there is no natural law that a child should surrender everything for her parents
you know so much more of the world than i do can't you advise me
is there no way of providing for my father
good god this is frightful marian i can't stand it
i will be faithful to you
he had made a pretence of holding his umbrella over her but marian turned away and walked to a little distance and stood beneath the shelter of a great tree her face averted from him
moving to follow he saw that her frame was shaken by soundless sobbing
in what can there be more selfishness
but i couldn't say a word that would seem to invite such misery as this
you don't love me jasper and that's an end of everything
happiness or misery come to us by fate
is it in my power to make you happy
but if you had said you loved me before that i should have it always to remember
if i believe anything i believe that i did love you
what can you say to me more than you have said now
remember me as a man who disregarded priceless love such as yours to go and make himself a proud position among fools and knaves indeed that's what it comes to
soon enough you would thoroughly despise me and though i should know it was merited my perverse pride would revolt against it
what can be simpler than the truth
it is a thing that happens every day either in man or woman and all that honour demands is the courage to confess the truth
marian will you do this will you let our engagement last for another six months but without our meeting during that time
that seems to me childish
the rain fell unceasingly and with it began to mingle an autumnal mist
jasper delayed a moment then asked calmly
are you going to the museum yes
go home again for this morning marian you can't work
i must and i have no time to lose
good bye she gave him her hand
they looked at each other for an instant then marian left the shelter of the tree opened her umbrella and walked quickly away
jasper did not watch her he had the face of a man who is suffering a severe humiliation
his sister said very little for she recognised genuine suffering in his tones and aspect
a few weeks ago he actually proposed to a woman for whom he does not pretend to have the slightest affection but who is very rich and who seemed likely to be foolish enough to marry him
yesterday morning he received her final answer a refusal
you will understand though surely you need no fresh proof how utterly unworthy he is of you
you are the only friend i have of my own sex and i could not bear to lose you
several days passed before there came a reply
i must only ask that you will write to me without the least reference to these troubles tell me always about yourself and be sure that you cannot tell me too much
we have succeeded in amassing two hundred ounces of silver enough i trust to erect a handsome bronze figure
to be sure it seems a shame yet if i could steal the money this priest is boasting about i could live at ease for the rest of my days and so he began casting about how best he might compass his purpose
but the priest far from guessing the drift of his comrade's thoughts journeyed cheerfully on till they reached the town of kuana
here there is an arm of the sea which is crossed in ferry boats that start as soon as some twenty or thirty passengers are gathered together and in one of these boats the two travellers embarked
when the boatmen and passengers heard the splash and saw the priest struggling in the water they were afraid and made every effort to save him but the wind was fair and the boat running swiftly under the bellying sails so they were soon a few hundred yards off from the drowning man who sank before the boat could be turned to rescue him
when he saw this the ronin feigned the utmost grief and dismay and said to his fellow passengers this priest whom we have just lost was my cousin he was going to kiyoto to visit the shrine of his patron and as i happened to have business there as well we settled to travel together
now alas by this misfortune my cousin is dead and i am left alone
he spoke so feelingly and wept so freely that the passengers believed his story and pitied and tried to comfort him
then the ronin said to the boatmen
what think you gentlemen added he turning to the other travellers
they of course were only too glad to avoid any hindrance to their onward journey and all with one voice agreed to what the ronin had proposed and so the matter was settled
when at length they reached the shore they left the boat and every man went his way but the ronin overjoyed in his heart took the wandering priest's luggage and putting it with his own pursued his journey to kiyoto
fortune favouring his speculations he began to amass great wealth and lived at his ease denying himself nothing and in course of time he married a wife who bore him a child
since then all has gone well with me yet had i not been poor i had never turned assassin nor thief
he would have fled into the house but the ghost stretched forth its withered arm and clutching the back of his neck scowled at him with a vindictive glare and a hideous ghastliness of mien so unspeakably awful that any ordinary man would have swooned with fear
at length undone by such ceaseless vexation tokubei fell ill and kept muttering oh misery misery the wandering priest is coming to torture me
now it chanced that the story reached the ears of a certain wandering priest who lodged in the next street
and hiding his head under the coverlet he lay quivering all over
three years ago at the kuana ferry you flung me into the water and well you remember it
happily continued the priest i had learned to swim and to dive as a boy so i reached the shore and after wandering through many provinces succeeded in setting up a bronze figure to buddha thus fulfilling the wish of my heart
on my journey homewards i took a lodging in the next street and there heard of your marvellous ailment
thinking i could divine its cause i came to see you and am glad to find i was not mistaken
and would it not ill become me to bear malice
repent therefore and abandon your evil ways
to see you do so i should esteem the height of happiness
be of good cheer now and look me in the face and you will see that i am really a living man and no vengeful goblin come to torment you
in a fit of madness i was tempted to kill and rob you
fortune befriended me ever after but the richer i grew the more keenly i felt how wicked i had been and the more i foresaw that my victim's vengeance would some day overtake me
haunted by this thought i lost my nerve till one night i beheld your spirit and from that time forth fell ill
but how you managed to escape and are still alive is more than i can understand
a guilty man said the priest with a smile shudders at the rustling of the wind or the chattering of a stork's beak a murderer's conscience preys upon his mind till he sees what is not
every well ordered japanese home of the old fashioned kind has its little shrine which is the centre of the religious life of the house
she it is who sets the rice and wine before the ancestral tablets who lights the little lamp each night and who sees that at each feast day and anniversary season the proper food is prepared and set out for the household gods
these must be kept carefully by the mother as a safeguard against the many evils that beset child life
visits to noted temples by relatives and friends often result in additions to the child's collection
all these are put together by the careful mother and preserved as jealously as queen althea kept the charred stick that governed the destiny of her son
as the children arrive at years of discretion these treasures pass out of the mother's faithful keeping into the hands of their actual owners and they are usually kept stored away in some little used drawer or cabinet until death removes the necessity for any further safeguards over life
each animal brings its own kind of good or bad luck into the hour day or year over which it presides and only a skillful balancer of pros and cons can read aright the combinations and understand what the luck of any particular hour in any particular day of any particular year will be
for the greater events of family life the home prophecies are felt to be too uncertain and the services of the fortune teller must be called in
no well managed family would think of building a new house without finding in what direction to face the front door
after this matter has been settled and the house is fairly begun there are occasional crises in its construction upon which much depends
of these the most important is the day when the roof is raised
the house owner then decides whether the day set by the builder is a lucky one for himself and his family
a present of money to each workman is also in order and will conduce to the rapid and faithful execution of the job in hand when at last the house is finished and carpenters and plasterers are ready to leave it the local firemen who have assisted all along in the building as unskilled laborers often ascend to the roof and from the ridge pole cast down cakes for which the children of the neighborhood scramble joyfully
all come who can and those who cannot come send servants or provisions
on the day after the death often in the evening the body must be placed in the cask shaped coffin that until recently was the style commonly in use in japan
now among the wealthier classes the long coffin has superseded the small square or round one but the smaller expense connected with burial in the old way makes the survival of the old type a necessity for the majority of japanese
at an appointed time all the relatives assemble in the death chamber and preparations are made for the bathing of the corpse
there is no official ceremonial mourning of parents for their children nor does custom require them to perform any of the last rites or attend the funeral
upon the younger brothers and sisters falls the duty of attending to all the last sad ministrations
when the body has been washed it is dressed in white in silk habutai whenever the family can afford it
the body to be placed in the coffin must be folded into a sitting posture the chin resting upon the knees the position of the mummies found in many aboriginal american tombs
this difficult to us apparently impossible feat safely accomplished there are placed in the coffin a number of small things that the dead takes with him to the next world
the single exception to this rule about metal is that small copper coins may be put in to fee the old hag who guards the bank of the river of death
last of all the vacant spaces in the coffin are filled in with bags of tea
so long as the coffin is in the house it must be watched over continually
it is their duty to see that the incense burning before the coffin is never allowed to go out while the food for the dead is renewed at regular intervals by the mourners themselves
there are few enlightened japanese who will defend the present system of cruelty to the afflicted or who do not long for some change but so great is the force of conservatism in this regard so haunting the fear that any change may indicate a lack of respect for the dead that reform advances slowly
individual instances occur in which some of the worst features of these customs are modified
a case in point is that of the late mister fukuzawa a man whose life was devoted to the advancement of his countrymen in modern ways and who in his death continued his teaching
in his will he provided that his body was to be buried without washing in the clothing in which he died
through this growing feeling and the unselfishness of maternal affection may come in time the release from these mournful ceremonies
just before the procession starts a religious ceremony is held at the house which is attended by the friends of the deceased and which is substantially the same as that performed at the cemetery
on the day of the burial great bunches of natural flowers are sent to the dead each bunch so large as to require the services of one man to carry it
sometimes with the gift a man is sent to take part in the procession but if the giver feels too poor to hire a man this burden too falls upon the bereaved household for etiquette requires that all flowers sent be borne to the grave by uniformed coolies who march in the funeral train
another favorite present at this time among buddhists is a cage of living birds to be borne to the grave and released thereon
it seems more like a bridal than a burial
during this period the spirit of the deceased is supposed to be still inhabiting the house and a tablet or shrine is set up in the death chamber before which food and flowers are renewed daily
of course you must be elaine anne said diana
of course it would be romantic conceded jane andrews but i know i couldn't keep still
but it's so ridiculous to have a redheaded elaine mourned anne
and elaine was the lily maid
your complexion is just as fair as ruby's said diana earnestly and your hair is ever so much darker than it used to be before you cut it
it was splendid to fish for trout over the bridge and the two girls learned to row themselves about in the little flat bottomed dory mister barry kept for duck shooting
it was anne's idea that they dramatize elaine
those days she said were so much more romantic than the present
they had often gone down like this and nothing could be more convenient for playing elaine
the black shawl having been procured anne spread it over the flat and then lay down on the bottom with closed eyes and hands folded over her breast
it spoils the effect because this is hundreds of years before missus lynde was born
jane you arrange this
it's silly for elaine to be talking when she's dead
jane rose to the occasion
left behind at the landing
anne gave one gasping little scream which nobody ever heard she was white to the lips but she did not lose her self possession
there was one chance just one
under such circumstances you don't think much about making a flowery prayer
the flat drifted under the bridge and then promptly sank in midstream
ruby jane and diana already awaiting it on the lower headland saw it disappear before their very eyes and had not a doubt but that anne had gone down with it
the minutes passed by each seeming an hour to the unfortunate lily maid
why didn't somebody come where had the girls gone
her imagination began to suggest all manner of gruesome possibilities to her
anne shirley
how on earth did you get there he exclaimed
it was certainly extremely difficult to be dignified under the circumstances
what has happened anne
asked gilbert taking up his oars
we were playing elaine explained anne frigidly without even looking at her rescuer and i had to drift down to camelot in the barge i mean the flat
for a moment anne hesitated
her heart gave a quick queer little beat
her resentment which to other and older people might be as laughable as its cause was in no whit allayed and softened by time seemingly
no she said coldly i shall never be friends with you gilbert blythe and i don't want to be
all right
i'll never ask you to be friends again anne shirley and i don't care either
of course he had insulted her terribly but still
everything i do gets me or my dearest friends into a scrape
anne's presentiment proved more trustworthy than presentiments are apt to do
will you ever have any sense anne groaned marilla
i don't see how said marilla
ever since i came to green gables i've been making mistakes and each mistake has helped to cure me of some great shortcoming
vanity and vexation of spirit
the spring was abroad in the land and marilla's sober middle aged step was lighter and swifter because of its deep primal gladness
i must say with all her faults i never found her disobedient or untrustworthy before and i'm real sorry to find her so now
perhaps you're judging her too hasty marilla
of course i knew you'd take her part matthew but i'm bringing her up not you
demanded marilla anxiously going over to the bed
anne cowered deeper into her pillows as if desirous of hiding herself forever from mortal eyes no
get right up this minute and tell me
this minute i say there now what is it
anne had slid to the floor in despairing obedience
yes it's green moaned anne
i thought nothing could be as bad as red hair
you haven't got into any scrape for over two months and i was sure another one was due
now then what did you do to your hair
anne shirley didn't you know it was a wicked thing to do
yes i knew it was a little wicked admitted anne
i know what it feels like to have your word doubted
and missus allan says we should never suspect anyone of not telling us the truth unless we have proof that they're not
but i hadn't then and i believed every word he said implicitly
who said who are you talking about
oh i didn't let him in the house
in a trice i saw myself with beautiful raven black hair and the temptation was irresistible
oh marilla what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive
your hair must be cut off there is no other way you can't go out with it looking like that
with a dismal sigh she went for the scissors
but there is nothing comforting in having your hair cut off because you've dyed it a dreadful color is there
i'm going to weep all the time you're cutting it off if it won't interfere
it seems such a tragic thing
anne wept then but later on when she went upstairs and looked in the glass she was calm with despair
yes i will too
i never thought i was vain about my hair of all things but now i know i was in spite of its being red because it was so long and thick and curly
i expect something will happen to my nose next
anne's clipped head made a sensation in school on the following monday but to her relief nobody guessed the real reason for it not even josie pye who however did not fail to inform anne that she looked like a perfect scarecrow
it's hard to be told you look like a scarecrow and i wanted to say something back but i didn't
it makes you feel very virtuous when you forgive people doesn't it
i mean to devote all my energies to being good after this and i shall never try to be beautiful again
of course it's better to be good
i do really want to be good marilla like you and missus allan and miss stacy and grow up to be a credit to you
diana says when my hair begins to grow to tie a black velvet ribbon around my head with a bow at one side
i will call it a snood that sounds so romantic
my head is better now
it was terrible bad this afternoon though
junior avonlea found it hard to settle down to humdrum existence again
perhaps after a while i'll get used to it but i'm afraid concerts spoil people for everyday life
i suppose that is why marilla disapproves of them
i feel just now that i may grow up to be sensible yet
i just lay awake and imagined the concert over and over again
eventually however avonlea school slipped back into its old groove and took up its old interests
none of the sloanes would have any dealings with the bells because the bells had declared that the sloanes had too much to do in the program and the sloanes had retorted that the bells were not capable of doing the little they had to do properly
the winter weeks slipped by
on anne's birthday they were tripping lightly down it keeping eyes and ears alert amid all their chatter for miss stacy had told them that they must soon write a composition on a winter's walk in the woods and it behooved them to be observant
i can scarcely realize that i'm in my teens
it's a great comfort to think that i'll be able to use big words then without being laughed at
ruby gillis thinks of nothing but beaus said anne disdainfully
she's actually delighted when anyone writes her name up in a take notice for all she pretends to be so mad
i'm trying to be as much like missus allan as i possibly can for i think she's perfect
if i had alice bell's crooked nose said anne decidedly i wouldn't but there
i'm afraid i think too much about my nose ever since i heard that compliment about it long ago
oh diana look there's a rabbit
they're so white and still as if they were asleep and dreaming pretty dreams
i wrote it last monday evening
it's called the jealous rival or in death not divided
i read it to marilla and she said it was stuff and nonsense
it's a sad sweet story
cordelia was a regal brunette with a coronet of midnight hair and duskly flashing eyes
you know so much more than you did when you were only twelve
they grew in beauty side by side until they were sixteen
i asked ruby gillis if she knew anything about how men proposed because i thought she'd likely be an authority on the subject having so many sisters married
but she pretended to be geraldine's friend the same as ever
let you and me have a story club all our own and write stories for practice
you ought to cultivate your imagination you know miss stacy says so
only we must take the right way
this was how the story club came into existence
no boys were allowed in it although ruby gillis opined that their admission would make it more exciting and each member had to produce one story a week
each girl has to read her story out loud and then we talk it over
mine is rosamond montmorency all the girls do pretty well
i'm sure that must have a wholesome effect
the moral is the great thing mister allan says so
i read one of my stories to him and missus allan and they both agreed that the moral was excellent
jane and ruby almost always cry when i come to the pathetic parts
miss josephine barry wrote back that she had never read anything so amusing in her life
i'm sure missus allan was never such a silly forgetful little girl as you are
i felt so encouraged when i heard that
missus lynde says she always feels shocked when she hears of anyone ever having been naughty no matter how small they were
now i wouldn't have felt that way
peleg snuggers the general utility man of the hall had just brought the boys up from cedarville to which place they had journeyed from ithaca on the regular afternoon boat running up cayuga lake
with the rovers had come fred garrison larry colby and several others of their old school chums
oh how do you do mister strong
and he ran to meet the head teacher
well thomas i hope you have left all your pranks behind observed george strong
hullo aleck
i've gained fifteen pounds and
yo lemme go sah yo is stickin pins in my hand howled pop
he moaned as tom ran off throwing away several tiny tacks as he did so
so you've come back have you
observed missus green as tom stopped at the kitchen door
asked tom and then his face fell
oh dear you always did put me down as the worst boy in the school when i i do my very best and almost sobbing tom put his face up against his coat sleeve
missus green was very tender hearted in spite of her somewhat free tongue and she was all sympathy immediately
there there tom i didn't mean to hurt your feelings she said soothingly
i i don't know sobbed tom
come sit down and have the pie that's a good boy
it's really like home he murmured presently
missus green when you die they ought to erect an awfully big monument over your grave
what was her trouble tom consumption
and yet with it all she couldn't help but like the boy
an to think the term's just begun
and he mopped his brow with his red bandanna handkerchief
wot kind of a joke is that master rover
oh it's no joke you are handsome
have you got a camera to be sure here it is
sam drew a tiny box from his pocket
now stand still and i'll take a snap shot
now stand straight and look happy
cried sam as a crowd collected around
raise you right hand to your breast just as all statesmen do
now wait a minute and the picture will be finished
no this is a new patented process
sam drew a square of tin from the box
i don't see any picture growled snuggers looking at the square blankly
it's a little fresh yet
the boys gathered around set up a shout
sam rover i'll git square see if i don't
demanded sam innocently isn't it a good picture
show me off for a donkey
a donkey oh peleg i did nothing of the kind
it's a donkey's head i say
and i say it's your picture
i guess i know a donkey's head when i see it master rover
peleg there is some mistake here
oh you can't joke me no more
one night when both were sleeping the prince had a remarkable dream
they rushed into the room added their cries to hers and forgetting all their former precautions left the doors open so that the guards outside hearing the clamour entered and saw the prince
she is a disgrace to her family and shall soon see her husband impaled on a stake
then with his forehead disfigured by a fearful frown he continued to abuse the prince and having tied his hands behind him dragged him from the room
treated thus like some wild beast roughly shaken and neglected rajavahana would have suffered greatly had he not been protected by the magic jewel given to him in patala and which he had contrived to conceal in his hair
advancing therefore with a large army he prepared to besiege champa the capital city
a terrible battle ensued in which both kings performed prodigies of valour
should there be any pity for the violator of the harem
if the old king my father now in his dotage was foolish enough to favour the criminal for the sake of his worthless daughter you had no need of his permission and ought not to have been influenced by him
let that vile seducer be immediately put to death by torture and his paramour be shut up in prison till i come
have ready also a fierce elephant suitably equipped which i shall mount immediately after the wedding to overtake my army in march against the enemy and as i set out i will make the elephant trample the life out of that criminal
while he stood there calmly awaiting death which now seemed inevitable he suddenly felt his feet free and a beautiful lady appeared before him
she humbly bowing down said let my lord pardon his servant for the injury which she has unconsciously caused
i am an apsaras born from the rays of the moon
one day as i was flying through the air wearing a white dress a swan mistaking me for a lotus flower attacked me
in his anger he cursed me saying o wicked one for this offence you are condemned to be changed into a piece of unconscious metal
the change took place immediately and i fell to the ground turned into a silver chain
on his way he saw the silver fetter descended to the ground picked it up and continued his flight
the slayer of chandavarma hearing this came out of the palace and quickly mounting the elephant who held down his trunk to receive him placed himself behind the prince
great was their mutual astonishment and joy when they recognised each other the prince exclaiming is it possible
is it really you my dear friend apaharavarma who have done this deed
through these they forced their way employing with good effect the weapons placed on the elephant for the use of chandavarma
before however they had gone far they heard the noise of battle at a distance and saw the soldiers in front of them scattered in all directions
we have just now encountered and utterly defeated the enemy so that there is no fear of any further resistance
rajavahana agreed to this
out of curiosity he hung one of them outside his house
in cases of scorpion sting dommara medicine men rub up patent boluses with human milk or juice of the milk hedge plant euphorbia tirucalli and apply them to the parts
when the umbilical cord of a kondh baby sloughs off a spider is burnt in the fire and its ashes are placed in a cocoanut shell mixed with castor oil and applied by means of a fowl's feather to the navel
they then call the dead man by his name and eagerly wait till some insect settles on the cloth
blood was described as oozing out of his eyes
make the patient suck the milk of the breast of a woman whose baby is more than eighty days old
his camp boy told him of a case in which death was said to have resulted from eating one of these animals cooked with some jak fruit
a few years ago a scare arose in connection with an insect which was said to have taken up its abode in imported german glass bangles which compete with the indigenous industry of the gazula bangle makers the insect was reported to lie low in the bangle till it was purchased when it would come out and nip the wearer after warning her to get her affairs in order before succumbing
his body was long and slender hard and agile his sight keen his aim unerring
in the month of agrahayan kanti had gone out shooting near the swamp of nydighi with a few sporting companions
one morning as kanti was seated in his boat cleaning a favourite gun he suddenly started at what he thought was the cry of wild duck looking up he saw a village maiden coming to the water's edge with two white ducklings clasped to her breast
the girl put the birds into the water and watched them anxiously
looking round kanti saw one of his men pointing an unloaded gun at the ducks
kanti went on cleaning his gun
after kanti had eaten and drunk the brahmin begged him to introduce himself kanti gave his own name his father's name and the address of his home and then said in the usual way if i can be of any service sir i shall deem myself fortunate
so saying kanti repeated his salute and went back
the brick built mansion of the mazumdars had been borrowed for the wedding ceremony which was fixed for next magh as kanti did not wish to delay
in due time the bridegroom arrived on his elephant with drums and music and with a torchlight procession and the ceremony began
in that bashful downcast face crowned with the wedding coronet and bedecked with sandal paste he could scarcely recognise the village maiden of his fancy and in the fulness of his emotion a mist seemed to becloud his eyes
the light of the lamps seemed to grow dim and darkness to tarnish the face of the bride herself
at first he felt angry with his father in law the old scoundrel had shown him one girl and married him to another
close upon it followed the girl he had seen before
oh the mad girl cried the women as they made signs to her to leave the room
all the women in the room began to titter
the increasing laughter in the room betokened an amusing joke
with a sigh of intense relief as of escape from calamity he looked once more into the face of his bride
the fawn had taken his morning meal and now lay curled up on a bed of moss
whenever the fawn caught up he was quite content to frisk about
the danger was certain now it was near
the hounds had struck her trail where she turned and the fawn was safe
one was rowing the other had a gun in his hand what should she do
her tired legs could not propel the tired body rapidly
the doe saw the boat nearing her
in a moment more the boat was on her and the man at the oars had leaned over and caught her
i was tormented by thirst but had abstained from drinking for many days according to the doctors orders
that old man ceased to give so much annoyance yet sometimes he appeared to me in dreams
felice had given them orders not to speak to me of this
this maid had stolen from me certain little things of some importance and in her fear of being detected she would have been very glad if i had died
accordingly she allowed me twice to take as much as i could of the water so that in good earnest i swallowed more than a flask full one i then covered myself and began to sweat and fell into a deep sleep
they say that my poor friend was on the point of falling to the ground so grieved was he to hear this
afterwards he took an ugly stick and began to beat the serving girl with all his might shouting out ah traitress you have killed him for me then
she may indeed have saved my life so lend me a helping hand for i have sweated and be quick about it
felice recovered his spirits dried and made me comfortable and i being conscious of a great improvement in my state began to reckon on recovery
just then the other doctor bernardino put in his appearance who at the beginning of my illness had refused to bleed me
maestro francesco that most able man exclaimed oh power of nature
she knows what she requires and the physicians know nothing
that simpleton maestro bernardino made answer saying if he had drunk another bottle he would have been cured upon the spot
afterwards he turned to me and asked if i could have drunk more water
i answered no because i had entirely quenched my thirst
in like manner she was asking for what she wanted when the poor young man begged you to bleed him
if you knew that his recovery depended upon his drinking two flasks of water why did you not say so before
you might then have boasted of his cure
at these words the wretched quack sulkily departed and never showed his face again
the very evening i was taken with great precautions in a chair well wrapped up and protected from the cold
do not permit him any irregularities for though he has escaped this time another disorder now would be the death of him
then he turned to me and said my benvenuto be prudent commit no excesses and when you are quite recovered i beg you to make me a madonna with your own hand and i will always pay my devotions to it for your sake
so i made my mind up and prepared to travel
that day many friends came to see me among others pier landi who was the best and dearest friend i ever had
next day there came a certain niccolo da monte aguto who was also a very great friend of mine
i had harboured him in rome and provided for his costs while he had turned my whole house upside down for the man was subject to a species of dry scab which he was always in the habit of scratching with his hands
meanwhile that able physician francesco da monte varchi attended to my cure with great skill
there they seated me to wait until the duke went by
many of my friends at court came up to greet me and expressed surprise that i had undergone the inconvenience of being carried in that way while so shattered by illness they said that i ought to have waited till i was well and then to have visited the duke
at these words maestro agostino the dukes tailor made his way through all those gentlemen and said if that is all you want to know you shall know it at this very moment
giorgio the painter whom i have mentioned happened just then to pass and maestro agostino exclaimed there is the man who accused you now you know yourself if it be true or not
as fiercely as i could not being able to leave my seat i asked giorgio if it was true that he had accused me
he denied that it was so and that he had ever said anything of the sort
maestro agostino retorted you gallows bird
dont you know that i know it for most certain
giorgio made off as quickly as he could repeating that he had not accused me
then after a short while the duke came by whereupon i had myself raised up before his excellency and he halted
the duke gazed at me and marvelled i was still alive afterwards he bade me take heed to be an honest man and regain my health
when i reached home niccolo da monte aguto came to visit me and told me that i had escaped one of the most dreadful perils in the world quite contrary to all his expectations for he had seen my ruin written with indelible ink now i must make haste to get well and afterwards take french leave because my jeopardy came from a quarter and a man who was able to destroy me
i answered that i had done nothing to displease him but that he had injured me and told him all the affair about the mint
he repeated get hence as quickly as you can and be of good courage for you will see your vengeance executed sooner than you expect
i the best attention to my health gave pietro pagolo advice about stamping the coins and then went off upon my way to rome without saying a word to the duke or anybody else
you want them to immortalise that ferocious tyrant
you have never made anything so exquisite which proves you our inveterate foe and their devoted friend and yet the pope and he have had it twice in mind to hang you without any fault of yours
it was firmly believed that duke alessandro was the son of pope clement
messer francesco used also to say and swear by all his saints that if he could he would have robbed me of the dies for that medal
i responded that he had done well to tell me so and that i would take such care of them that he should never see them more
i now sent to florence to request lorenzino that he would send me the reverse of the medal
niccolo da monte aguto to whom i had written wrote back saying that he had spoken to that mad melancholy philosopher lorenzino for it he had replied that he was thinking night and day of nothing else and that he would finish it as soon as he was able
nevertheless i was not to set my hopes upon his reverse but i had better invent one out of my own head and when i had finished it i might bring it without hesitation to the duke for this would be to my advantage
i composed the design of a reverse which seemed to me appropriate and pressed the work forward to my best ability
this being so as he was a fellow of much humour we used often to laugh together about the great credit he had gained
i therefore dismounted at once got my fowling piece ready and at a very long range brought two of them down with a single ball
i never used to shoot with more than one ball and was usually able to hit my mark at two hundred cubits which cannot be done by other ways of loading
i lifted my foot and let the water run out then when i had mounted we made haste for rome
there was no answer and after one or two ineffectual attempts phronsie turned fearfully away
i'll try and she laid a quick hand on the knob
two red spots burned on her cheeks and her pale blue eyes snapped
oh i'm sure i heard it raging up and down
i don't want any dinner said charlotte drawing back
yes indeed said polly cheerily just as fine as can be
assuredly said old mister king with great satisfaction in polly's pleasure and at her success in drawing charlotte out
and after this there were no more quiet days for charlotte chatterton
oh bless me it's you phronsie in pleased surprise
yes grandpapa said phronsie coming in and shutting the door carefully i came on purpose to see you all alone
so you did dear said mister king highly gratified and pushing away his writing table he held out his hand
oh no grandpapa cried phronsie in a rapture i could never be too big for that so she perched up as of old on his knee then she folded her hands and looked gravely in his face
well my dear what is it
asked the old gentleman presently you've come to tell me something i suppose
yes grandpapa i have said phronsie decidedly and it is most important too grandpapa and oh i do wish it so much and she clasped her hands tighter and sighed
well then phronsie if you want it i suppose it must be said mister king quite as a matter of course
oh she left you everything she had phronsie a couple of millions or so it is why
charlotte poor repeated the old gentleman
why no not exactly her father isn't rich but charlotte i think may do very well especially as i intend to keep her here for a while and then i shall never let her suffer phronsie never indeed
grandpapa said phronsie wasn't missus chatterton aunt to charlotte
if missus chatterton was aunt to charlotte persisted phronsie slowly it seems as if charlotte ought to have some of the money it really does grandpapa
maybe said the old gentleman with a short laugh and i shouldn't wonder if cousin eunice was sorry over a few other things too phronsie
wouldn't it make her very glad if i gave charlotte some of the money
for answer mister king set her down hastily on the floor and took two or three turns up and down the room
oh i do so wish i might she said there's so much for a little girl like me
it would be so nice to have charlotte have some with me still no answer
i was writing a note to missus fargo said phronsie putting up her lips for a kiss
sure as i can be phronsie said old mister king smiling good by dear
there there my sister's boy shall never say that but come in come in
not to be ungracious the young man threw himself into a chair
oh hang it uncle why can't you let me alone
which is a wonder interpolated pickering
i know you did uncle said pickering you've done everything that's good
for heaven's sake pickering cried his uncle darting in front of the chair and its restless occupant don't say that again
i've been a lazy dog all my life and a good for naught but i hope i've not sunk to that
the church bells were ringing and people on the avenue going by to service turned curious inquiring looks up at the great house and then went on talking of the recent events which had so strangely entered into and made history in the city
and all through his impassioned appeal this morning there was a note of sadness and rebuke and stern condemnation that made many of the members pale with self accusation or with inward anger
raymond had voted to continue for another year the saloon
the christians of raymond stood condemned by the result
for that had been the fact in raymond for years the saloon ruled
president marsh sat there his usual erect handsome firm bright self confident bearing all gone his head bowed upon his breast the great tears rolling down his cheeks unmindful of the fact that never before had he shown outward emotion in a public service
what if he had begun to do as jesus would have done long ago
when had the first church yielded to such a baptism of tears
what had become of its regular precise conventional order of service undisturbed by any vulgar emotion and unmoved by any foolish excitement
they had been living so long on their surface feelings that they had almost forgotten the deeper wells of life
the meeting was tender it glowed with the spirit's presence it was alive with strong and lasting resolve to begin a war on the whiskey power in raymond that would break its reign forever
since the first sunday when the first company of volunteers had pledged themselves to do as jesus would do the different meetings had been characterized by distinct impulses or impressions
and all through it ran one general cry for deliverance from the saloon and its awful curse
gray and his wife were besieged by inquirers who wanted to know what loreen's friends and acquaintances were expected to do in paying their last respects to her
gray had gone up to virginia's and after talking it over with her and maxwell the arrangement had been made
i am and always have been opposed to large public funerals said gray whose complete wholesome simplicity of character was one of its great sources of strength but the cry of the poor creatures who knew loreen is so earnest that i do not know how to refuse this desire to see her and pay her poor body some last little honor what do you think mister maxwell
i will be guided by your judgment in the matter
i am sure that whatever you and miss page think best will be right
under the circumstances i have a great distaste for what seems like display at such times but this seems different
it happened that that afternoon a somewhat noted newspaper correspondent was passing through raymond on his way to an editorial convention in a neighboring city
she was a common street drunkard and yet the services at the tent were as impressive as any i ever witnessed in a metropolitan church over the most distinguished citizen
it struck me of course being a stranger in the place with considerable astonishment to hear voices like those one naturally expects to hear only in great churches or concerts at such a meeting as this
mister maxwell spoke of the fact that the dead woman had been fully prepared to go but he spoke in a peculiarly sensitive manner of the effect of the liquor business on the lives of men and women like this one
raymond of course being a railroad town and the centre of the great packing interests for this region is full of saloons
then followed what was perhaps the queer part of this strange service
it was one of the simplest and at the same time one of the most impressive sights i ever witnessed
there must have been a hundred of these women and i was told many of them had been converted at the meetings just recently
the next moment he fell back in amazement before the impetuous rush of a starry eyed flushed cheeked young woman who demanded
where is he pete miss billy gasped the old man
aunt hannah's cheeks too were flushed and her eyes starry but with dismay and anger the last because she did not like the way pete had said miss billy's name
it was one matter for her to object to this thing billy was doing but quite another for pete to do it of course it's she
retorted aunt hannah testily as if you yourself didn't bring her here with your crazy messages at this time of night pete where is he
interposed billy tell mister bertram i am here or wait i'll go right in and surprise him
pete had recovered himself by now but he did not even glance toward aunt hannah
miss billy miss billy you're an angel straight from heaven you are you are oh i'm so glad you came
it'll be all right now all right he's in the den miss billy
billy turned eagerly but before she could take so much as one step toward the door at the end of the hall aunt hannah's indignant voice arrested her billy stop
pete go tell your master that we are here and ask if he will receive us pete's lips twitched
but his face was preternaturally grave when he spoke
a flying figure brushed by him and fell on its knees by the couch with a low cry bertram's eyes flew open
dong ling found him there a minute later polishing a silver teaspoon with a fringed napkin that had been spread over bertram's tray
in the hall above aunt hannah was crying into william's gray linen duster that hung on the hall rack aunt hannah's handkerchief was on the floor back at hillside
then very gradually it dawned over them that there was after all something strange and unexplained in it all
as if to make sure that she was here like this he drew her even closer bertram was so thankful that he did have one arm that was usable
why of of course stammered billy i couldn't help thinking that maybe you had found out you didn't want me
demanded bertram angry and mystified
as for my not painting again you didn't understand pete dearie
she pulled herself half away from bertram's encircling arm
billy drew a quivering sigh
good heavens is kate in this too bertram's voice was savage now
well she wrote a letter
billy laughed gayly but she shifted her position and did not meet her lover's eyes
and you never did think for a minute billy that you cared for him
he had not been slow to mark that swift lowering of her eyelids
billy was so glad bertram had turned the question on her love instead of arkwright's
after a minute billy stirred and sighed happily
you see i wasn't in love with mister arkwright
and and you didn't care specially for for miss winthrop
billy put a soft finger on his lips
bertram kissed the finger and subsided humph he commented
well what is that is that kate too demanded bertram grimly
there was another silence then suddenly bertram stirred
billy i'm going to marry you to morrow he announced decisively
i don't know as i can trust you out of my sight till then you'll read something or hear something or get a letter from kate after breakfast to morrow morning that will set you saving me again and i don't want to be saved that way
i'm going to marry you to morrow i'll get he stopped short with a sudden frown confound that law i forgot
five days indeed sir
i wonder if you think i can get ready to be married in five days
don't want you to get ready retorted bertram promptly i saw marie get ready and i had all i wanted of it
if you really must have all those miles of tablecloths and napkins and doilies and lace rufflings we'll do it afterwards not before but
besides i need you to take care of me cut in bertram craftily
the tender glow on billy's face told its own story and bertram's eager eyes were not slow to read it
sweetheart see here dear he cried softly tightening his good left arm
billy my dear
it was aunt hannah's plaintive voice at the doorway a little later
we must go home and william is here too and wants to see you
you mean it'll be before october
aunt hannah glanced from one to the other uncertainly
yes nodded billy demurely
yes i know that is a good while cut in bertram airily
we wanted it to morrow but we had to wait on account of the new license law
in my recent travels in the west i have felt that out there freedom as an idea has become feeble and ineffectual
the same thing is happening now with the people of the west
they are flattered into believing that they are free and they have the sovereign power in their hands
thus it has become more and more evident to me that the ideal of freedom has grown tenuous in the atmosphere of the west
the mentality is that of a slave owning community with a mutilated multitude of men tied to its commercial and political treadmill
he who cares to have slaves must chain himself to them he who builds walls to create exclusion for others builds walls across his own freedom he who distrusts freedom in others loses his moral right to it
have they acquired a true love of freedom
the great epic of the soul of our people the mahabharata gives us a wonderful vision of an overflowing life full of the freedom of inquiry and experiment
when the age of the buddha came humanity was stirred in our country to its uttermost depth
it hardened into an age of inert construction
the organic unity of a varied and elastic society gave way to a conventional order which proved its artificial character by its inexorable law of exclusion
life has its inequalities i admit but they are natural and are in harmony with our vital functions
by squeezing human beings in the grip of an inelastic system and forcibly holding them fixed we have ignored the laws of life and growth
we have forced living souls into a permanent passivity making them incapable of moulding circumstance to their own intrinsic design and of mastering their own destiny
our stupefaction has become so absolute that we do not even realise that this persistent misfortune dogging our steps for ages cannot be a mere accident of history removable only by another accident from outside
they will be incapable of holding a just freedom in politics and of fighting in freedom's cause
it represents the active aspect of inertia which has the appearance of freedom but not its truth and therefore gives rise to slavery both within its boundaries and outside
it is at the foot of woman that we lay the laurels that without her smile would never have been gained it is her image that strings the lyre of the poet that animates our voice in the blaze of eloquent faction and guides our brain in the august toils of stately councils
is there no hope for them so full of hope
it makes the heart ache but to picture such vicissitudes to the imagination
the knowledge that such changes can occur flits over the mind like the thought of death obscuring all our gay fancies with its bat like wing and tainting the healthy atmosphere of our happiness with its venomous expirations
mine own
what did what could you do
i beat about my chamber like a silly bird in a cage
do not think of moving to day
do not keep the messenger an instant
he is on my pony
write only one word to your own henrietta
ferdinand to henrietta
god bless you my henrietta my beloved my matchless henrietta
what has that separation not cost me
pangs that i could not conceive any human misery could occasion
and yet i ought to be grateful that he was uninjured last night
i dare not now own how foolish i was
do not be angry with your henrietta but i am nervous about concealing our engagement from papa
days must elapse before you can reach bath and i know ferdinand i know your office is more difficult than you will confess
but come back my own as soon as you can and write to me at the post office as you settled
the consciousness that you are so near makes me restless
i wish to meet him with as much calmness as i can command
on the pratzen heights where he had fallen with the flagstaff in his hand lay prince andrew bolkonski bleeding profusely and unconsciously uttering a gentle piteous and childlike moan
suddenly he again felt that he was alive and suffering from a burning lacerating pain in his head
was his first thought
he feebly moved his leg and uttered a weak sickly groan which aroused his own pity
lift this young man up and carry him to the dressing station
prince andrew remembered nothing more he lost consciousness from the terrible pain of being lifted onto the stretcher the jolting while being moved and the probing of his wound at the dressing station
during this transfer he felt a little stronger and was able to look about him and even speak
he asked on seeing the prisoners
i commanded a squadron replied repnin
prince repnin named lieutenant sukhtelen
after looking at him napoleon smiled
youth is no hindrance to courage muttered sukhtelen in a failing voice
a splendid reply said napoleon
prince andrew who had also been brought forward before the emperor's eyes to complete the show of prisoners could not fail to attract his attention
his face shone with self satisfaction and pleasure
the soldiers who had carried prince andrew had noticed and taken the little gold icon princess mary had hung round her brother's neck but seeing the favor the emperor showed the prisoners they now hastened to return the holy image
prince andrew did not see how and by whom it was replaced but the little icon with its thin gold chain suddenly appeared upon his chest outside his uniform
how good it would be to know where to seek for help in this life and what to expect after it beyond the grave
how happy and calm i should be if i could now say lord have mercy on me
either to a power indefinable incomprehensible which i not only cannot address but which i cannot even express in words the great all or nothing said he to himself or to that god who has been sewn into this amulet by mary
the stretchers moved on
the quiet home life and peaceful happiness of bald hills presented itself to him
he is a nervous bilious subject said larrey and will not recover
that too sir you will of course undertake
then something has happened he has some special information some great news
when block appeared it was evident that something had gone wrong with him
gone now just when we most want him never
idiot triple idiot
you shall be dismissed discharged from this hour you are a disgrace to the force
it is that or your great gluttony
my gentleman made himself most pleasant
well at any rate for my sins i accepted
we entered the first restaurant that of the reunited friends you know it perhaps monsieur
i had no fear of him not till the very last when he played me this evil turn
i suspected nothing when he brought out his pocketbook it was stuffed full monsieur i saw that and my confidence increased called for the reckoning and paid with an italian bank note
excuse me one moment pray
he went out monsieur and piff paff he was no more to be seen
why let him out of your sight
it was only now at the eleventh hour that the italian had become inculpated and the question of his possible anxiety to escape had never been considered
he left everything behind
hand it me said the chief and when it came into his hands he began to turn over the leaves hurriedly
i do not understand not more than a word here and there
it is no doubt italian
of course such a consummate ass as you have proved yourself would not think of searching the restaurant or the immediate neighbourhood or of making inquiries as to whether he had been seen or as to which way he had gone
it was a note for a hundred lire a hundred francs and the restaurant bill was no more than seventeen francs hah
he was much pressed in a great hurry
directly he crossed the threshold he called the first cab and was driving away but he was stopped the devil
he wished to pass on to leave her she would not consent then they both got into the cab and were driven away together
but this thy host so wide dispread wakes in my heart one doubt and dread lest threatening rama good and great ill thoughts thy journey stimulate
he is my eldest brother he is like a father dear to me
i go to lead my brother thence who makes the wood his residence
no thought but this thy heart should frame this simple truth my lips proclaim
as guha thus and bharat each to other spoke in friendly speech the day god sank with glory dead and night o'er all the sky was spread
soon as king guha's thoughtful care had quartered all the army there well honoured bharat laid his head beside satrughna on a bed
thus sighing and distressed in misery and bitter grief with fevered heart that mocked relief distracted in his mind the chief still mourned and found no rest
rest duteous minded i will keep my watch while rama lies asleep for in the whole wide world is none dearer to me than raghu's son
harbour no doubt or jealous fear i speak the truth with heart sincere for from the grace which he has shown will glory on my name be thrown great store of merit shall i gain and duteous form no wish in vain
let me enforced by many a row of followers armed with shaft and bow for well loved rama's weal provide who lies asleep by sita's side
with words like these i spoke designed to move the high souled bharat's mind but he upon his duty bent plied his persuasive argument o how can slumber close mine eyes when lowly couched with sita lies the royal rama
he whom no mighty demon no nor heavenly god can overthrow see guha how he lies alas with sita couched on gathered grass
now as his son is forced to fly the king ere long will surely die reft of his guardian hand forlorn in widowed grief this land will mourn
but ah for sad kausalya how fare she and mine own mother now how fares the king
with hopes upon satrughna set my mother may survive as yet but the sad queen will die who bore the hero for her grief is sore
too late the king will cry and conquered by his misery die
when fate has brought the mournful day which sees my father pass away how happy in their lives are they allowed his funeral rites to pay
thus bharat stood with many a sigh lamenting and the night went by
when guha saw the long armed chief whose eye was like a lotus leaf with lion shoulders strong and fair high mettled prostrate in despair pale bitterly afflicted he reeled as in earthquake reels a tree
kausalya by her woe oppressed the senseless bharat's limbs caressed as a fond cow in love and fear caresses oft her youngling dear then yielding to her woe she said weeping and sore disquieted what torments o my son are these of sudden pain or swift disease
the lives of us and all the line depend dear child on only thine
rama and lakshman forced to flee i live by naught but seeing thee for as the king has past away thou art my only help to day
show me the couch whereon he lay tell me the food he ate i pray
then calm and still absorbed in thought he drank the water lakshman brought and then obedient to his vows he fasted with his gentle spouse
here stands the tree which lent them shade here is the grass beneath it laid where rama and his consort spent the night together ere they went
he ceased
where where is sita
scorched by the fiery god of day high on this mighty hill i lay
each morn and eve he brought me food and filial care my life renewed
swift to the south his course he bent and cleft the yielding element
the holy spirits of the air came round me as i marvelled there and cried as their bright legions met o say is sita living yet
thus cried the saints and told the name of him who held the struggling dame
then from the flood sampati paid due offerings to his brother's shade
seven nights in deadly swoon i passed but struggling life returned at last
around i bent my wondering view but every spot was strange and new
on comrades to the cave i cried and all within the portal hied
here thou with hospitable care hast fed us with the noblest fare preserving us about to die with this thy plentiful supply
but how o pious lady say may we thy gracious boon repay
he ceased the ascetic dame replied well vanars am i satisfied
a life of holy works i lead and from your hands no service need
then spake again the vanar chief we came to thee and found relief
now listen to a new distress and aid us holy votaress
our wanderings in this vasty cave exhaust the time sugriva gave
once more then lady grant release and let thy suppliants go in peace again upon their errand sped for king sugriva's ire we dread
and the great task our sovereign set alas is unaccomplished yet
and heard his waters roar and rave terrific with each crested wave
the month is lost in toil and pain and now my friends what hopes remain
your hearts with strong affection fraught his weal in every labour sought and the true valour of your band was blazoned wide in every land
come let us all from food abstain and perish thus since hope is vain
far better thus to end our lives and leave our wealth our homes and wives leave our dear little ones and all than by his vengeful hand to fall
our forfeit lives will surely pay for idle search and long delay and our fierce king will bid us die the favour of his friend to buy
then tara softly spake to cheer the vanars hearts oppressed by fear despair no more your doubts dispel come in this ample cavern dwell
thou fondly hopest in this cave the vengeance of the foe to brave
but lakshman's arm a shower will send of deadly shafts those walls to rend
thy loving kinsman true and wise looks on thee still with favouring eyes
he heard the prince's furious tread he saw his eyes glow fiercely red
swift sprang the monarch to his feet upstarting from his golden seat
ungrateful vanar king art thou and faithless to thy plighted vow
now if thy pride disown what he high thoughted prince has done for thee struck by his arrows shalt thou fall and bali meet in yama's hall
still open to the gloomy god lies the sad path thy brother trod
then to thy plighted word be true nor let thy steps that path pursue
he ceased and tara starry eyed thus to the angry prince replied not to my lord shouldst thou address a speech so fraught with bitterness not thus reproached my lord should be and least of all o prince by thee
from paths of truth he never strays nor wanders in forbidden ways
ne'er will sugriva's heart forget by rama saved the lasting debt
restored to fame by rama's grace to empire o'er the vanar race from ceaseless dread and toil set free restored to ruma and to me by grief and care and exile tried new to the bliss so long denied like visvamitra once alas he marks not how the seasons pass
the matrons of the vanar race see marks of fury in thy face they see thine eyes like blood are red and will not yet be comforted
she ceased and lakshman gave assent won by her gentle argument
so tara's pleading just and mild his softening heart had reconciled
the hero's side i will not leave but he the conquest shall achieve
so strong art thou so brave and bold so pure in thought so humble souled that thou deservest well to reign and all a monarch's bliss to gain
lend thou my brother aid and all his foes beneath his arm will fall
whatever hand it was that shot down bourbon rome after his death was plundered devastated and ravaged by a brutal greedy licentious and fanatical soldiery
wherefore for the future write us nothing at all but appoint us the time and place of meeting and we will bring our sword for you to cross protesting that the shame of any delay in fighting shall be yours seeing that when it comes to an encounter there is an end of all writing
sir answered the spaniard permit me to do my office and say what the emperor has charged me to say
nay i will not listen to thee said francis if thou do not first give me a patent signed by thy master containing an appointment of time and place sir i have orders to read you the cartel and give it you afterwards
burgundy without being put out began again sir
nay said francis i will not suffer him to speak to me before he has given me appointment of time and place
give it me or return as thou hast come
i am quite willing said the king let him have it
the peace of cambrai was called the ladies peace in honor of the two princesses who had negotiated it though morally different and of very unequal worth they both had minds of a rare order and trained to recognize political necessities and not to attempt any but possible successes
all the great political actors seemed hurrying away from the stage as if the drama were approaching its end
in fifteen sixty two at the battle of dreux he was aged and so ill that none expected to see him on horseback
he fully armed save only his head answered him right well sir this is the real medicine that hath cured me for the battle which is toward and a preparing for the honor of god and our king
the ladies peace concluded at cambrai in fifteen twenty nine lasted up to fifteen thirty six incessantly troubled however by far from pacific symptoms proceedings and preparations
at last he decided upon retreating
it was garcilaso de la vega the prince of spanish poesy the spanish petrarch according to his fellow countrymen
montmorency signed a similar one for piedmont
they all repaired together to the house prepared for their reception and after dinner the emperor being tired lay down to rest on a couch queen eleanor before long went and tapped at his door and sent word to the king that the emperor was awake
francis with the cardinal de lorraine and the constable de montmorency soon arrived
on entering the chamber he found the emperor still lying down and chatting with his sister the queen who was seated beside him on a chair
yes said charles i had made such cheer that i was obliged to sleep it off
francis did the converse with his own collar
only seven of the attendants remained in the emperor's chamber and there the two sovereigns conversed for an hour after which they moved to the hall where a splendid supper awaited them
the ghentese pleaded their privilege of not being liable to be taxed without their own consent
orders had been sent everywhere to receive him as kings of france are received on their joyous accession
lelechka was a delightful child
there was no other such child there never had been and there never would be
lelechka's mother serafima aleksandrovna was sure of that
lelechka's eyes were dark and large her cheeks were rosy her lips were made for kisses and for laughter
but it was not these charms in lelechka that gave her mother the keenest joy
she felt cold with her husband
he was always fresh and cool with a frigid smile and wherever he passed cold currents seemed to move in the air
it even seemed to serafima aleksandrovna that she was in love with her future husband and this made her happy
the bride was also good looking she was a tall dark eyed dark haired girl somewhat timid but very tactful
he had connexions and his wife came of good influential people
this might at the proper opportunity prove useful
after their marriage there was nothing in the manner of sergey modestovich to suggest anything wrong to his wife
later however when his wife was about to have a child sergey modestovich established connexions elsewhere of a light and temporary nature
serafima aleksandrovna found this out and to her own astonishment was not particularly hurt she awaited her infant with a restless anticipation that swallowed every other feeling
serafima aleksandrovna drifted farther and farther away from him
lelechka then ran away stamping with her plump little legs over the carpets and hid herself behind the curtains near her bed
where is my baby girl the mother asked as she looked for lelechka and made believe that she did not see her
then she came out a little farther and her mother as though she had only just caught sight of her seized her by her little shoulders and exclaimed joyously here she is my lelechka
her mother's eyes glowed with passionate emotion
her mother went to hide
lelechka turned away as though not to see but watched her mamochka stealthily all the time
where's my mamochka asked lelechka
a smile of absolute bliss played on her red lips
lelechka was getting nearer her mother's corner
her mother was growing more absorbed every moment by her interest in the game her heart beat with short quick strokes and she pressed even closer to the wall disarranging her hair still more
lelechka suddenly glanced toward her mother's corner and screamed with joy
through the half closed doors he heard the laughter the joyous outcries the sound of romping
even fedosya felt abashed now for her mistress now for herself
he liked coming here where everything was beautifully arranged this was done by serafima aleksandrovna who wished to surround her little girl from her very infancy only with the loveliest things
serafima aleksandrovna dressed herself tastefully this too she did for lelechka with the same end in view
one thing sergey modestovich had not become reconciled to and this was his wife's almost continuous presence in the nursery
it's just as i thought i knew that i'd find you here he said with a derisive and condescending smile
merely you see that the child should feel its own individuality he explained in answer to serafima aleksandrovna's puzzled glance
she's still so little said serafima aleksandrovna
i don't insist it's your kingdom there
i'll think it over his wife answered smiling as he did coldly but genially
then they began to talk of something else
that the mistress does it well that's one thing but that the young lady does it that's bad
why asked fedosya with curiosity
this expression of curiosity gave her face the look of a wooden roughly painted doll
yes that's bad repeated agathya with conviction terribly bad well
it's the truth i'm saying remember my words agathya went on with the same assurance and secrecy
it's the surest sign
the old woman had invented this sign quite suddenly herself and she was evidently very proud of it
madam madam she said quietly in a trembling voice
serafima aleksandrovna gave a start
fedosya's face made her anxious
what is it fedosya she asked with great concern is there anything wrong with lelechka
no madam said fedosya as she gesticulated with her hands to reassure her mistress and to make her sit down
lelechka is asleep may god be with her
only i'd like to say something you see lelechka is always hiding herself that's not good
i can't tell you how bad it is said fedosya and her face expressed the most decided confidence
i understand nothing of what you are saying
you see madam it's a kind of omen explained fedosya abruptly in a shamefaced way
nonsense said serafima aleksandrovna
who told you all this asked serafima aleksandrovna in an austere low voice
knows exclaimed serafima aleksandrovna in irritation as though she wished to protect herself somehow from this sudden anxiety
what nonsense as though lelechka could die
she saw clearly that there could be no possible connexion between a child's quite ordinary diversion and the continuation of the child's life
she made a special effort that evening to occupy her mind with other matters but her thoughts returned involuntarily to the fact that lelechka loved to hide herself
when lelechka was still quite small and had learned to distinguish between her mother and her nurse she sometimes sitting in her nurse's arms made a sudden roguish grimace and hid her laughing face in the nurse's shoulder
then she would look out with a sly glance
though she reproached herself at once for this unfounded superstitious dread nevertheless she could not enter wholeheartedly into the spirit of lelechka's favourite game and she tried to divert lelechka's attention to something else
she eagerly complied with her mother's new wishes
serafima aleksandrovna tried desperately to amuse lelechka
perhaps thought serafima aleksandrovna she is not as strongly drawn to the world as other children who are attracted by many things
if this is so is it not a sign of organic weakness
serafima aleksandrovna herself began the game once or twice though she played it with a heavy heart
she suffered as though committing an evil deed with full consciousness
it was a sad day for serafima aleksandrovna
her mother covered her with a blue blanket
lelechka drew her sweet little hands from under the blanket and stretched them out to embrace her mother her mother bent down
she seemed so small and so frail under the blanket that covered her
serafima aleksandrovna remained standing over lelechka's bed a long while and she kept looking at lelechka with tenderness and fear
i'm a mother is it possible that i shouldn't be able to protect her she thought as she imagined the various ills that might befall lelechka
she prayed long that night but the prayer did not relieve her sadness
several days passed lelechka caught cold
the fever came upon her at night
when serafima aleksandrovna awakened by fedosya came to lelechka and saw her looking so hot so restless and so tormented she instantly recalled the evil omen and a hopeless despair took possession of her from the first moments
a doctor was called and everything was done that is usual on such occasions but the inevitable happened
and lelechka grew feebler from hour to hour
nothing made her so unhappy as the reiterations of fedosya uttered between sobs she hid herself and hid herself our lelechka
fever was consuming lelechka and there were times when she lost consciousness and spoke in delirium
three days passed torturing like a nightmare
serafima aleksandrovna hid her face behind the curtains near lelechka's bed how tragic
a white mamochka whispered lelechka
mamochka's white face became blurred and everything grew dark before lelechka
she met her husband
serafima aicksandrovna was standing by the coffin and looking dully at her dead child
sima my dear don't agitate yourself said sergey modestovich in a whisper
you must resign yourself to your fate
she'll be up in a minute persisted serafima aleksandrovna her eyes fixed on the dead little girl
sergey modestovich looked round him cautiously he was afraid of the unseemly and of the ridiculous
sima don't agitate yourself he repeated
he was confused and annoyed
her face seemed tranquil and her eyes were dry
she went into the nursery and began to walk round the room looking into those places where lelechka used to hide herself
she walked all about the room and bent now and then to look under the table or under the bed and kept on repeating cheerfully where is my little one where is my lelechka
after she had walked round the room once she began to make her quest anew
fedosya motionless with dejected face sat in a corner and looked frightened at her mistress then she suddenly burst out sobbing and she wailed loudly
she hid herself and hid herself our lelechka our angelic little soul
when she entered the parlour there were several people between her and lelechka
there was an oppressive feeling of heaviness in serafima aleksandrovna's head as she approached lelechka
lelechka lay there still and pale and smiled pathetically
the little one did not reply
serafima aleksandrovna stood up erect sighed in a lost way smiled and called loudly lelechka
lelechka was being carried out
at this moment the heavy beat of the storm on the roof ceased with miraculous suddenness leaving the outside world empty of sound save for the drip drip drip of eaves
we had every sort of people with us off and on and as i was lookout at a popular game i saw them all
at the same instant i heard the rip of steel through cloth and felt a sharp stab in my left leg
then i scouted to see what had cut me and found that the fellow had lost a hand
in place of it he wore a sharp steel hook
there was no doubt of his being alive for he was breathing hard like a man does when he gets hit over the head it didn't sound good
when a man breathes that way he's mostly all gone
men got batted over the head often enough in those days
sour wine is fine to put a wound in shape to heal but it's no soothing syrup
their coffin was their ship and their grave it was the sea blow high blow low what care we and the quarter that we gave them was to sink them in the sea down on the coast of the high barbaree
it fair made my hair rise to hear him with the big still solemn desert outside and the quiet moonlight and the shadows and him sitting up straight and gaunt his eyes blazing each side his big eagle nose and his snaky hair hanging over the raw cut across his head
however i made out to get him bandaged up and in shape and pretty soon he sort of went to sleep
then again he'd sing that barbaree song until i'd go out and look at the old colorado flowing by just to be sure i hadn't died and gone below or else he'd just talk
he began when he was a kid and he gave his side of conversations pausing for replies
i used to listen by the hour but i never made out anything really important as to who the man was or where he'd come from or what he'd done
i didn't pay any attention to him for he was quiet
usually i didn't bother with his talk for it didn't mean anything but something in his voice made me turn
he was lying on his side those black eyes of his blazing at me but now both of them saw the same distance
where are my clothes he asked very intense
one little squeeze talk about your deadly weapons
but he'd been too sick and too long abed
in a minute or so he came to
now you're a nice sweet proposition said i as soon as i was sure he could understand me
they're safe enough let me have them he begged
now look here said i you can't get up to day you ain't fit
i know he pleaded but let me see them
just to satisfy him i passed over his old duds
i've been robbed he cried
where's my coat he asked
you had no coat when i picked you up i replied
he looked at me mighty suspicious but didn't say anything more he wouldn't even answer when i spoke to him
after he'd eaten a fair meal he fell asleep
when i came back that evening the bunk was empty and he was gone
i didn't see him again for two days
then i caught sight of him quite a ways off
guess he suspicions i stole that old coat of his thinks i and afterwards i found that my surmise had been correct
however he didn't stay long in that frame of mind
i ran up pulling my gun
the mex was flat on his face his arms stretched out
on the middle of his back knelt my one armed friend
anyway i thrust the muzzle of my colt's into the sailor's face what's this i asked
i ween heem at monte off antonio curvez said he
the gleam died from his eye the snarl left his lips
in any case he flew poco pronto leaving me and my friend together
during the next two months he was a good deal about town mostly doing odd jobs i saw him off and on
however i didn't pay much attention to that being at the time almighty busy holding down my card games
that's all right said i but you better stay right there
i want to make up to you for your trouble said he
what kind of a good thing i asked treasure said he
he looked all right enough neither drunk nor loco
sit down said i over there the other side the table
he did so now fire away said i
and it's a big thing said handy solomon to me for they's not only gold but altar jewels and diamonds
it will make us rich and a dozen like us and you can kiss the book on that
that may all be true said i but why do you tell me
why don't you get your treasure without the need of dividing it
why mate he answered it's just plain gratitude
didn't you save my life and nuss me and take care of me when i was nigh killed
look here anderson or handy solomon or whatever you please to call yourself i rejoined to this if you're going to do business with me and i do not understand yet just what it is you want of me you'll have to talk straight
it's all very well to say gratitude but that don't go with me
the devil's a preacher if you ain't lost your pinfeathers said he
well it's this then i got to have a boat to get there and she must be stocked
and i got to have help with the treasure if it's like this fellow said it was
it's money i got to have and it's money i haven't got and can't get unless i let somebody in as pardner
why me i asked why not he retorted
we talked the matter over at length
i stood out for a larger party
he strongly opposed this as depreciating the shares but i had no intention of going alone into what was then considered a wild and dangerous country finally we compromised
a third of the treasure was to go to him a third to me and the rest was to be divided among the men whom i should select this scheme did not appeal to him
but since there existed for us no responsibility we each reported dutifully at the roll call of habit and dropped back into our blankets with a grateful sigh
i remember the moon sailing a good gait among apparently stationary cloudlets i recall a deep black shadow lying before distant silvery mountains i glanced over the stark motionless canvases each of which concealed a man the air trembled with the bellowing of cattle in the corrals
seemingly but a moment later the cook's howl brought me to consciousness again
three were to care for the remuda five were to move the stray herd from the corrals to good feed three branding crews were told to brand the calves we had collected in the cut of the afternoon before that took up about half the men
the rest were to make a short drive in the salt grass
we were the only ones who did go afoot however although the corrals were not more than two hundred yards distant
between the upright bars of greasewood we could see the cattle and near the opposite side the men building a fire next the fence
we pushed open the wide gate and entered
one stood waiting for them to finish a sheaf of long j h stamping irons in his hand
all the rest squatted on their heels along the fence smoking cigarettes and chatting together
the first rays of the sun slanted across in one great sweep from the remote mountains
homer wooden and old california john rode in among the cattle
as the loop settled he jerked sharply upward exactly as one would strike to hook a big fish
homer wrapped the rope twice or thrice about the horn and sat over in one stirrup to avoid the tightened line and to preserve the balance
nobody paid any attention to the calf
behind him followed his anxious mother her head swinging from side to side near the fire the horse stopped
the two bull doggers immediately pounced upon the victim
it was promptly flopped over on its right side
thus the calf was unable to struggle
when once you have had the wind knocked out of you or a rib or two broken you cease to think this unnecessarily rough
hot iron yelled one of the bull doggers
marker yelled the other
the brander pressed the iron smoothly against the flank
perhaps the calf blatted a little as the heat scorched
the brand showed cherry which is the proper colour to indicate due peeling and a successful mark
then he nicked out a swallow tail in the other
it seems to me that a great deal of unnecessary twaddle is abroad as to the extreme cruelty of branding
undoubtedly it is to some extent painful and could some other method of ready identification be devised it might be as well to adopt it in preference
inextinguishable laughter followed the spread of this doctrine through arizona
imagine a puncher descending to examine politely the ear tags of wild cattle on the open range or in a round up
a calf usually bellows when the iron bites but as soon as released he almost invariably goes to feeding or to looking idly about
besides which it happens but once in a lifetime and is over in ten seconds a comfort denied to those of us who have our teeth filled
one of the little animals was but a few months old so the rider did not bother with its hind legs but tossed his loop over its neck
mister frost's bull calf alone in pictorial history shows the attitudes
and then of course there was the gorgeous contrast between all this frantic and uncomprehending excitement and the absolute matter of fact imperturbability of horse and rider
as he knew his business and as the calf was a small one the little beast went over promptly bit the ground with a whack and was pounced upon and held
he would catch himself on one foot scramble vigorously and end by struggling back to the upright
you can imagine what happened next
this is productive of some fun if it fails
by now the branding was in full swing
when the nooses fell they turned and walked toward the fire as a matter of course rarely did the cast fail
men ran to and fro busy and intent
sometimes three or four calves were on the ground at once
dust eddied and dissipated
no more necked calves they announced
then he would spit on his hands and go at it alone
if luck attended his first effort his sarcasm was profound there's yore little calf said he
would you like to have me tote it to you or do you reckon you could toddle this far with yore little old iron
toward noon the work slacked
finally homer rode over to the cattleman and reported the branding finished
the latter counted the marks in his tally book
one hundred and seventy six he announced
the markers squatted on their heels told over the bits of ears they had saved
the total amounted to but an hundred and seventy five
finally wooden discovered it in his hip pocket
they had been doing a wrestler's heavy work all the morning but did not seem to be tired
i saw once in some crank physical culture periodical that a cowboy's life was physically ill balanced like an oarsman's in that it exercised only certain muscles of the body
he was in a fevered state of mind owing to the blight his wife's action threatened to cast upon his entire future
he would have to pay her the money which she would now regularly demand or there would be trouble it did not matter what he did
hurstwood walked the floor mentally arranging the chief points of his situation
he also thought of his managerial position
how would the papers talk about it
many little wrinkles gathered between his eyes as he contemplated this and his brow moistened
he could arrange that satisfactorily for carrie would be glad to wait if necessary
he would see how things turned out to morrow and then he would talk to her they were going to meet as usual
for some reason he felt as if something might come that way and was relieved when all the envelopes had been scanned and nothing suspicious noticed
while the danger had not lessened it had not as yet materialised and with him no news was good news
so little did he consider drouet that it never once occurred to him to worry about his finding out
he grew restless as he ruminated and then decided that perhaps it was nothing
she had not been able to get away this morning
he would get one to day it would probably be on his desk when he got back he would look for it at once
after a time he gave up waiting and drearily headed for the madison car
he went in and examined his letters but there was nothing from carrie
fortunately there was nothing from his wife either
at one thirty he went to rector's for lunch and when he returned a messenger was waiting for him
his first impulse was to write but four words in reply go to the devil
but he compromised by telling the boy that there would be no reply
then he sat down in his chair and gazed without seeing contemplating the result of his work
what would she do about that the confounded wretch
later however his old discretion asserted itself
something had to be done a climax was near and she would not sit idle
he knew her well enough to know that when she had decided upon a plan she would follow it up
he arose from his chair and went and looked out into the street
the long drizzle had begun pedestrians had turned up collars and trousers at the bottom
hurstwood almost exclaimed out loud at the insistency of this thing
he put on his hat and looked around for his umbrella
he would have some arrangement of this thing
he began to wish that he had compromised in some way or other that he had sent the money perhaps he could do it up here
he would go in and see anyhow he would have no row
by the time he reached his own street he was keenly alive to the difficulties of his situation and wished over and over that some solution would offer itself that he could see his way out
then he rang the bell no answer
he rang again this time harder still no answer
when hurstwood got back to his office again he was in a greater quandary than ever
he could hardly realise how it had all come about
no letter had come no word of any kind and yet here it was late in the evening and she had agreed to meet him that morning
he saw that in the excitement of recent events he had not formulated a plan upon that score
he was getting some vague comfort out of a good cigar but it was no panacea for the ill which affected him
it was with great opposition after two or three hours of the most urgent mental affirmation and denial that at last he got an envelope placed in it the requested amount and slowly sealed it up
then he called harry the boy of all work around the place
you take this to this address he said handing him the envelope and give it to missus hurstwood yes sir said the boy
any answer i guess not
the boy hastened away and the manager fell to his musings
he was beaten for to night and he might just as well make the best of it
she would take the envelope and know that she had triumphed
if he only had that letter back he wouldn't send it
for relief he arose and joined in conversation with a few friends who were drinking
all the time his thoughts would run out to his home and see the scene being therein enacted
in about an hour and three quarters the boy returned
he fancied as he sat at his desk that nothing would be done for a week or two meanwhile he would have time to think
how about that now his pain at her failure to meet or write him rapidly increased as he devoted himself to this subject
he decided to write her care of the west side post office and ask for an explanation as well as to have her meet him
three o'clock came four five six and no letter
the helpless manager paced the floor and grimly endured the gloom of defeat
he saw a busy saturday ushered out the sabbath in and nothing done
all day the bar being closed he brooded alone shut out from home from the excitement of his resort from carrie and without the ability to alter his condition one iota
it was the worst sunday he had spent in his life
it seemed as if his family troubles were just beginning
he was quite certain now that she knew he was married and was angered at his perfidy
he had loved her earnestly enough but now that the possibility of losing her stared him in the face she seemed much more attractive
he would go to her and tell her all his family complications
he would explain to her just where he stood and how much he needed her
he did manage to bring himself into the mood to go out to carrie but when he got in ogden place he thought he saw a man watching him and went away
he did not go within a block of the house
he troubled over many little details and talked perfunctorily to everybody
he stayed at his desk long after all others had gone and only quitted it when the night watchman on his round pulled at the front door to see if it was safely locked
on wednesday he received another polite note from mc gregor james and hay it read
dear sir we beg to inform you that we are instructed to wait until to morrow thursday at one o'clock before filing suit against you on behalf of missus julia hurstwood for divorce and alimony
very truly yours et cetera compromise
so here it was spread out clear before him and now he knew what to expect
if he didn't go and see them they would sue him promptly
minnie's flat as the one floor resident apartments were then being called was in a part of west van buren street inhabited by families of labourers and clerks men who had come and were still coming with the rush of population pouring in at the rate of fifty thousand a year
to carrie the sound of the little bells upon the horse cars as they tinkled in and out of hearing was as pleasing as it was novel
to him the presence or absence of his wife's sister was a matter of indifference
he was of a clean saving disposition and had already paid a number of monthly instalments on two lots far out on the west side
his ambition was some day to build a house on them
she had some slight gift of observation and that sense so rich in every woman intuition
the walls of the rooms were discordantly papered
the floors were covered with matting and the hall laid with a thin rag carpet
then she walked and sang to it until hanson disturbed in his reading came and took it
one could see that he was very much wrapped up in his offspring
now now he said walking there there and there was a certain swedish accent noticeable in his voice
he seemed to be thinking of something else
minnie began to explain but her husband took this part of the conversation to himself
you could get home easy too it isn't very far
she asked minnie for ink and paper which were upon the mantel in the dining room and when the latter had gone to bed at ten got out drouet's card and wrote him
she wanted to make some reference to their relations upon the train but was too timid
anything was good enough so long as it paid say five dollars a week to begin with
a shop girl was the destiny prefigured for the newcomer
it was under such auspicious circumstances that she started out this morning to look for work
narrow board walks extended out passing here a house and there a store at far intervals eventually ending on the open prairie
it gave an imposing appearance to most of the wholesale houses whose offices were upon the ground floor and in plain view of the street
these vast buildings what were they
she was four years older than i to be sure and had seen more of the world but i was a boy and she was a girl and i resented her protecting manner
this change came about from an adventure we had together
one day when i rode over to the shimerdas i found antonia starting off on foot for russian peter's house to borrow a spade ambrosch needed
there had been another black frost the night before and the air was clear and heady as wine
it was on one of these gravel beds that i met my adventure
i whirled round and there on one of those dry gravel beds was the biggest snake i had ever seen
i know i am just awful jim i was so scared
i never know you was so brave jim she went on comfortingly
a faint fetid smell came from him and a thread of green liquid oozed from his crushed head
look tony that's his poison i said
i explained to antonia how this meant that he was twenty four years old that he must have been there when white men first came left on from buffalo and indian times
we decided that antonia should ride dude home and i would walk
i followed with the spade over my shoulder dragging my snake
otto fuchs was the first one we met
he could stand right up and talk to you he could did he fight hard
otto winked at me
a snake of his size in fighting trim would be more than any boy could handle
throughout this century the power of the church was constantly on the increase and is visible in many important changes
the ancestors of the present pretender congal surnamed the squint eyed had twice received and cherished the licentious bards when under the ban of tara and his popularity with that still powerful order was one prop of his ambition
it is pretty clear also that the last rally of druidism against christianity took place behind his banner on the plain of moira
the poets of succeeding ages have dwelt much in detail on the occurrences of this memorable day
like the two kings of sparta they reigned jointly dividing between them the labours and cares of state
it was the season when the ancient sun god had been accustomed to receive his annual oblations and we can well believe that those whose hearts still trembled at the name of bel must have connected the eclipse and the plague with the revolution in the national worship and the overthrow of the ancient gods on that plain of prostration where they had so long received the homage of an entire people
lastly the royal brothers fell themselves victims to the epidemic which so sadly signalizes their reign
the only conflicts that occurred on irish soil with a pictish or an anglo saxon force if we except those who formed a contingent of congal's army at moira occurred in the time of the hospitable finnacta
as leading to the mention of other interesting events we must set this inroad clearly before the reader
the saxons of kent and the southern kingdoms generally were converted by missionaries from france or rome or native preachers of the first or second christian generation those of northumbria recognise as their apostles saint aidan and saint cuthbert two fathers from iona
the kingdom of northumbria as the name implies embraced nearly all the country from the humber to the pictish border
the barren rock about three miles in length was covered with monastic buildings and its cemetery was already adorned with the tombs of saints and kings
now every missionary that ever went out from iona had taught that to reduce christians to slavery was wholly inconsistent with a belief in the doctrines of the gospel
while the liberated exiles rejoiced on the plain of meath the tent of the abbot of iona was pitched on the rath of tara a fact which would seem to indicate that already in little more than a century since the interdict had fallen on it the edifices which made so fine a show in the days of patrick were ruined and uninhabitable
so slow and patient is the process by which christianity infuses itself into the social life of a converted people
here the holy prelate of ferns met him and related a vision in which he had been instructed to demand the abolition of the impost
the tribute was at this period enormous fifteen thousand head of cattle annually
saint moling survived him three years and saint adamnan so intimately connected with his reign ten years
nothing could be more natural than such an assembly in such a place at such a period
peter told his troubles to mister shimerda he was unable to meet a note which fell due on the first of november had to pay an exorbitant bonus on renewing it and to give a mortgage on his pigs and horses and even his milk cow
peter could give no very clear account of his transactions with cutter
she asked peter to wait a moment and when she came back from the kitchen she brought a bag of sandwiches and doughnuts for us
we lay still and did not talk
the little house on the hillside was so much the color of the night that we could not see it as we came up the draw
they made me think of defeated armies retreating or of ghosts who were trying desperately to get in for shelter and then went moaning on
i could not take my eyes off the man in the bed
the sharp smell of spirits went through the room
it seemed to me that he despised him for being so simple and docile
the sick man raged and shook his fist
he seemed to be cursing people who had wronged him
quickly it was covered with bright red spots i thought i had never seen any blood so bright
he lay patiently fighting for breath like a child with croup
antonia's father uncovered one of his long bony legs and rubbed it rhythmically
from our bench we could see what a hollow case his body was
gradually relief came to all of us
without a word peter got up and lit his lantern
mister shimerda went with him
after the ceremony at the church the party went to a dinner given by the parents of the bride
the first howls were taken up and echoed and with quickening repetitions
a black drove came up over the hill behind the wedding party
something happened to the hindmost sledge the driver lost control he was probably very drunk the horses left the road the sledge was caught in a clump of trees and overturned
the shrieks that followed made everybody sober
the road was clear and white and the groom's three blacks went like the wind
there are only three sledges left he whispered
and the wolves pavel asked enough enough for all of us
they were within a few miles of their village now
yes how many
twenty thirty enough
now his middle horse was being almost dragged by the other two
pavel knocked him over the side of the sledge and threw the girl after him
peter crouching in the front seat saw nothing
the first thing either of them noticed was a new sound that broke into the clear air louder than they had ever heard it before the bell of the monastery of their own village ringing for early prayers
they were run out of their village
wherever they went the story followed them
they worked in chicago des moines fort wayne but they were always unfortunate
during the auction he went about with his head down and never lifted his eyes
every one said peter kissed the cow before she was led away by her new owner
the loss of his two friends had a depressing effect upon old mister shimerda
when he was out hunting he used to go into the empty log house and sit there brooding
this cabin was his hermitage until the winter snows penned him in his cave
the narrative it may be is woven of so humble a texture as to require this advantage and at the same time to render it the more difficult of attainment
in good faith however he is not sufficiently imaginative to flatter himself with the slightest hope of this kind
the author has considered it hardly worth his while therefore relentlessly to impale the story with its moral as with an iron rod or rather as by sticking a pin through a butterfly thus at once depriving it of life and causing it to stiffen in an ungainly and unnatural attitude
if permitted by the historical connection which though slight was essential to his plan the author would very willingly have avoided anything of this nature
he trusts not to be considered as unpardonably offending by laying out a street that infringes upon nobody's private rights and appropriating a lot of land which had no visible owner and building a house of materials long in use for constructing castles in the air
the enclosure had formerly been very extensive but was now contracted within small compass and hemmed about partly by high wooden fences and partly by the outbuildings of houses that stood on another street
the white double rosebush had evidently been propped up anew against the house since the commencement of the season and a pear tree and three damson trees which except a row of currant bushes constituted the only varieties of fruit bore marks of the recent amputation of several superfluous or defective limbs
there were also a few species of antique and hereditary flowers in no very flourishing condition but scrupulously weeded as if some person either out of love or curiosity had been anxious to bring them to such perfection as they were capable of attaining
summer squashes almost in their golden blossom cucumbers now evincing a tendency to spread away from the main stock and ramble far and wide two or three rows of string beans and as many more that were about to festoon themselves on poles tomatoes occupying a site so sheltered and sunny that the plants were already gigantic and promised an early and abundant harvest
phoebe wondered whose care and toil it could have been that had planted these vegetables and kept the soil so clean and orderly
bees too strange to say had thought it worth their while to come hither possibly from the range of hives beside some farm house miles away
this was a fountain set round with a rim of old mossy stones and paved in its bed with what appeared to be a sort of mosaic work of variously colored pebbles
it now contained only chanticleer his two wives and a solitary chicken
it was evident that the race had degenerated like many a noble race besides in consequence of too strict a watchfulness to keep it pure
these feathered people had existed too long in their distinct variety a fact of which the present representatives judging by their lugubrious deportment seemed to be aware
they kept themselves alive unquestionably and laid now and then an egg and hatched a chicken not for any pleasure of their own but that the world might not absolutely lose what had once been so admirable a breed of fowls
the distinguishing mark of the hens was a crest of lamentably scanty growth in these latter days but so oddly and wickedly analogous to hepzibah's turban that phoebe to the poignant distress of her conscience but inevitably was led to fancy a general resemblance betwixt these forlorn bipeds and her respectable relative
the chicken crept through the pales of the coop and ran with some show of liveliness to her feet while chanticleer and the ladies of his household regarded her with queer sidelong glances and then croaked one to another as if communicating their sage opinions of her character
so wise as well as antique was their aspect as to give color to the idea not merely that they were the descendants of a time honored race but that they had existed in their individual capacity ever since the house of the seven gables was founded and were somehow mixed up with its destiny
he held a hoe in his hand and while phoebe was gone in quest of the crumbs had begun to busy himself with drawing up fresh earth about the roots of the tomatoes
they have known me much longer but never honor me with any familiarity though hardly a day passes without my bringing them food
miss hepzibah i suppose will interweave the fact with her other traditions and set it down that the fowls know you to be a pyncheon
ah but these hens answered the young man these hens of aristocratic lineage would scorn to understand the vulgar language of a barn yard fowl
i prefer to think and so would miss hepzibah that they recognize the family tone for you are a pyncheon
my name is phoebe pyncheon said the girl with a manner of some reserve for she was aware that her new acquaintance could be no other than the daguerreotypist of whose lawless propensities the old maid had given her a disagreeable idea
i turn up the earth by way of pastime
it is like a bandage over one's eyes to come into it
if you would permit me said the artist looking at phoebe i should like to try whether the daguerreotype can bring out disagreeable traits on a perfectly amiable face
most of my likenesses do look unamiable but the very sufficient reason i fancy is because the originals are so
there is a wonderful insight in heaven's broad and simple sunshine
while we give it credit only for depicting the merest surface it actually brings out the secret character with a truth that no painter would ever venture upon even could he detect it
yet the original wears to common eyes a very different expression
he exhibited a daguerreotype miniature in a morocco case
phoebe merely glanced at it and gave it back
i can assure you that this is a modern face and one which you will very probably meet
the sun as you see tells quite another story and will not be coaxed out of it after half a dozen patient attempts on my part
here we have the man sly subtle hard imperious and withal cold as ice look at that eye
and yet if you could only see the benign smile of the original
well i don't wish to see it any more observed phoebe turning away her eyes it is certainly very like the old portrait
if the original is still in the world i think he might defy the sun to make him look stern and hard
is there nothing wild in the eye continued holgrave so earnestly that it embarrassed phoebe as did also the quiet freedom with which he presumed on their so recent acquaintance
it is nonsense said phoebe a little impatiently for us to talk about a picture which you have never seen
since you are a friend of my cousin hepzibah's you should ask her to show you the picture
so we will be fellow laborers somewhat on the community system
she did not altogether like him
oh rejoined the daguerreotypist because like an old lady's cup of tea it is water bewitched
she was indistinctly aware however that the gaunt figure of the old gentlewoman was sitting in one of the straight backed chairs a little withdrawn from the window the faint gleam of which showed the blanched paleness of her cheek turned sideways towards a corner
but put it on the table in the corner of the passage
what an instrument is the human voice
how wonderfully responsive to every emotion of the human soul
fewer words than before but with the same mysterious music in them
pray go to bed for i am sure you must need rest
i will sit in the parlor awhile and collect my thoughts
while thus dismissing her the maiden lady stept forward kissed phoebe and pressed her to her heart which beat against the girl's bosom with a strong high and tumultuous swell
at some uncertain period in the depths of night and as it were through the thin veil of a dream she was conscious of a footstep mounting the stairs heavily but not with force and decision
long ago there lived a merchant who had three daughters
every year at a certain day of a certain month he went away to a distant city to collect money on an account
how do you know asked their father i am older and wiser than you are and i know that there are many evils which might come upon you
when it was evening he led his band into a nearby street and in his disguise approached the merchant's house he knocked at the door
have pity upon a poor unfortunate one he called out
let me enter i pray you to pass the night under your roof
it's surely a terrible storm outside said the merchant's eldest daughter as the wind rattled the tiles of the roof and the rain beat in torrents against the doors and windows
he is old as well as poor she said
if we decide to show mercy to this poor beggar it is not for you to oppose it
bui we should not forget our promise to our father cried the youngest daughter
however in spite of all she could say the elder sisters opened the door and admitted the beggar
it is a fearful night to send away a beggar said the eldest sister while they were eating
while they were talking the beggar had taken the apples which the girls were to eat for dessert and had sprinkled a sleeping powder over them
the two eldest ate their apples but the youngest could not eat that night she threw the apple away
she did not stir and he knew that the sleeping powder had thoroughly done its work
then she heard him go down the stairway and unbolt the heavy doors which led into the store
it was the youngest one who deceived me cried the robber chieftain
perhaps you can outwit her yet cried another
the merchant's daughter at first did not answer but as he kept on calling to her she finally asked him what it was that he wanted
i promise you i will do you no harm
you shall not come into my father's house
pass the charm out to me then said the robber
when she returned his hand was sticking through the hole in the door
the cries and curses of the robbers filled the air
they tried in vain to break down the great doors
all my worries about you were foolish
grant was only a few miles away but although commander in chief he knew nothing of the hardest fought battle of the civil war until it was over
my own regiment was in the advance
our brigade was fearfully outnumbered
there were no breastworks yet that one little brigade of hamilton's division stood there in the open and repulsed assault after assault
not balaklava nor the alma saw such fighting it was a duel to the death
no battery in the whole four years war lost so many men in so short a time
one daring rebel was shot down and bayoneted clear behind the line of company b where he had broken through to seize the flag of my regiment
that night the enemy slipped away leaving hundreds and hundreds of his dead and wounded on the field
with a few lanterns our men then went about and tried to gather up the wounded the dead were left till morning
it was not a question who was dead or wounded but who was not
fifteen officers of our little half regiment were dead or wounded
i remained awake all night talking with a comrade who shared my blanket with me poor jimmy king
he survived the war only to be murdered later on a plantation in mississippi
when morning came the firing opened and for all that day the battle raged fiercely at the left and center left we getting the worst of it too
that evening an order came for us hamilton's division to assault the enemy's left flank at midnight
under the same quiet moonlight and only six hundred yards away from us also lay the victorious rebel army
once in the night i slipped away from the bivouac and hurried to the old tishimingo hotel to see a lieutenant of my company who had been shot through the breast
i could not help my friend
go back to the regiment he said smiling all will be needed
my friend with many others was being carried out to die elsewhere
i hastened back to the lines
the cloud of rebels we had seen divided itself into three columns
a perfect blaze of close range musketry too mowed them down like grass
they lay in heaps of dozens even close up to the works
that night i stood guard under an oak tree on the battlefield among the unburied dead
indeed we of the rank and file had little confidence in grant in those days
rosecrans protested it was in vain
it required months and great events to make grant the hero of the army which he afterward became
for some reason the dead at hatchie bridge were not buried
a week after the battle my brother rode by there on a cavalry expedition and made the horrible discovery that hogs were eating up the bodies of our dead heroes that too was war
he had little enough to break or bite and once when there was a great famine in the land he could hardly procure even his daily bread and as he lay thinking in his bed one night he sighed and said to his wife what will become of us
how can we feed our children when we have no more than we can eat ourselves
oh you simpleton said she then we must all four die of hunger you had better plane the coffins for us
but she left him no peace till he consented saying ah but i shall miss the poor children
and as soon as their parents had gone to sleep he got up put on his coat and unbarring the back door went out
ah father said hansel i am looking at my white cat sitting upon the roof of the house and trying to say good bye
but in reality hansel was not looking at a cat but every time he stopped he dropped a pebble out of his pocket upon the path
but her husband felt heavy at heart and thought it were better to share the last crust with the children
early in the morning the stepmother came and pulled them out of bed and gave them each a slice of bread which was still smaller than the former piece
we are going into the forest to hew wood and in the evening when we are ready we will come and fetch you again
hansel thought the roof tasted very nice and so he tore off a great piece while grethel broke a large round pane out of the window and sat down quite contentedly
come in and stop with me and no harm shall come to you and so saying she took them both by the hand and led them into her cottage
the old woman behaved very kindly to them but in reality she was a wicked old witch who way laid children and built the breadhouse in order to entice them in but as soon as they were in her power she killed them cooked and ate them and made a great festival of the day
then she took up hansel with her rough hand and shut him up in a little cage with a lattice door and although he screamed loudly it was of no use
grethel began to cry but it was all useless for the old witch made her do as she wanted
grethel she cried in a passion get some water quickly be hansel fat or lean this morning i will kill and cook him
dear good god help us now she prayed
creep in said the witch and see if it is hot enough and then we will put in the bread but she intended when grethel got in to shut up the oven and let her bake so that she might eat her as well as hansel
see i could even get in myself
and she got up and put her head into the oven
and now as there was nothing to fear they went back to the witch's house where in every corner were caskets full of pearls and precious stones
then they began to run and rushing into the house they fell upon their father's neck
fuchs brought up a sack of potatoes and a piece of cured pork from the cellar and grandmother packed some loaves of saturday's bread a jar of butter and several pumpkin pies in the straw of the wagon box
occasionally one of the horses would tear off with his teeth a plant full of blossoms and walk along munching it the flowers nodding in time to his bites as he ate down toward them
it's no better than a badger hole no proper dugout at all
now why is that otto
presently against one of those banks i saw a sort of shed thatched with the same wine colored grass that grew everywhere
very glad very glad she ejaculated
you'll get fixed up comfortable after while missus shimerda make good house
my grandmother always spoke in a very loud tone to foreigners as if they were deaf
she made missus shimerda understand the friendly intention of our visit and the bohemian woman handled the loaves of bread and even smelled them and examined the pies with lively curiosity exclaiming much good much thank
the family had been living on corncakes and sorghum molasses for three days
i remembered what the conductor had said about her eyes
her skin was brown too and in her cheeks she had a glow of rich dark color
even from a distance one could see that there was something strange about this boy
he was born like that the others are smart
ambrosch he make good farmer
he struck ambrosch on the back and the boy smiled knowingly
at that moment the father came out of the hole in the bank
it was so long that it bushed out behind his ears and made him look like the old portraits i remembered in virginia
i noticed how white and well shaped his own hands were
we stood panting on the edge of the ravine looking down at the trees and bushes that grew below us
the wind was so strong that i had to hold my hat on and the girls skirts were blown out before them
she looked at me her eyes fairly blazing with things she could not say
she pointed into the gold cottonwood tree behind whose top we stood and said again what name
antonia pointed up to the sky and questioned me with her glance
she got up on her knees and wrung her hands
she was quick and very eager
we were so deep in the grass that we could see nothing but the blue sky over us and the gold tree in front of us
after antonia had said the new words over and over she wanted to give me a little chased silver ring she wore on her middle finger
when i came up he touched my shoulder and looked searchingly down into my face for several seconds
i became somewhat embarrassed for i was used to being taken for granted by my elders
in aristocratic communities the people readily give themselves up to bursts of tumultuous and boisterous gayety which shake off at once the recollection of their privations the natives of democracies are not fond of being thus violently broken in upon and they never lose sight of their own selves without regret
an american instead of going in a leisure hour to dance merrily at some place of public resort as the fellows of his calling continue to do throughout the greater part of europe shuts himself up at home to drink
i believe the seriousness of the americans arises partly from their pride
this is more especially the case amongst those free nations which form democratic communities
then there are in all classes a very large number of men constantly occupied with the serious affairs of the government and those whose thoughts are not engaged in the direction of the commonwealth are wholly engrossed by the acquisition of a private fortune
i do not believe in such republics any more than in that of plato or if the things we read of really happened i do not hesitate to affirm that these supposed democracies were composed of very different elements from ours and that they had nothing in common with the latter except their name
in aristocracies every man has one sole object which he unceasingly pursues but amongst democratic nations the existence of man is more complex the same mind will almost always embrace several objects at the same time and these objects are frequently wholly foreign to each other as it cannot know them all well the mind is readily satisfied with imperfect notions of each
chapter sixteen why the national vanity of the americans is more restless and captious than that of the english
the americans in their intercourse with strangers appear impatient of the smallest censure and insatiable of praise
if i say to an american that the country he lives in is a fine one ay he replies there is not its fellow in the world
if i applaud the freedom which its inhabitants enjoy he answers freedom is a fine thing but few nations are worthy to enjoy it
in aristocratic countries the great possess immense privileges upon which their pride rests without seeking to rely upon the lesser advantages which accrue to them
they therefore entertain a calm sense of their superiority they do not dream of vaunting privileges which everyone perceives and no one contests and these things are not sufficiently new to them to be made topics of conversation
they stand unmoved in their solitary greatness well assured that they are seen of all the world without any effort to show themselves off and that no one will attempt to drive them from that position
when an aristocracy carries on the public affairs its national pride naturally assumes this reserved indifferent and haughty form which is imitated by all the other classes of the nation
these persons then displayed towards each other precisely the same puerile jealousies which animate the men of democracies the same eagerness to snatch the smallest advantages which their equals contested and the same desire to parade ostentatiously those of which they were in possession
the two stray kittens gradually make themselves at home
somehow or other cat has taught them that he's in charge here and he just chases them for fun now and again when he's not busy sleeping
she doesn't pick them up but just having them in the room sure doesn't give her asthma
when are you getting rid of these cats i'm not fixing to start an annex to kate's cat home
right away when i bring home my new program he says how come you're taking one less course this half
i explain that i'm taking music and also biology algebra english and french music he snorts
pop it's a course
he does and for once i win a round i keep music for this semester
i'll be lucky if i have time to breathe
sometimes schools do let kids take a lot of soft courses and then they're out on a limb later huh
so he cares huh
besides says tom half the reason you and your father are always bickering is that you're so much alike me like him sure
as long as there's a bone on the floor the two of you worry it
i get the pillows comfortably arranged on the floor with a big bottle of soda and a bag of popcorn within easy reach
pop goes right on tuning his channel
you're getting altogether too upset about these programs stop it and behave yourself
it's your fault mop it up yourself
i hear the t v going for a few minutes then pop turns it off and goes in the kitchen to talk to mom
well i don't think you should turn a guy's t v program off in the middle without even finding out about it
i look at my watch it's a quarter to eleven
i turn off the television set i've lost track of what's happening and it doesn't seem to be the grandfather who's the spook after all
it's the first time hilda has been to our house and tom introduces her around
i told tom we shouldn't come so late says hilda
tom says thanks and looks at hilda and she blushes really
tom drinks a little more coffee and then he goes on the trouble is i can't get married on this flower shop job
you know i'd get drafted in a year or two anyway
i've decided to enlist in the army
i'll have to check some more says tom
here's to you a long happy life
all idealisation makes life poorer
then why indulge in prophetic phantasies
at best they can only interpret the mind of the prophet and can have no objective value
michaelis the ticket of leave apostle was speaking in an even voice a voice that wheezed as if deadened and oppressed by the layer of fat on his chest
and ever since he had never managed to get his weight down as much as an ounce
with his elbow presenting no appearance of a joint but more like a bend in a dummy's limb thrown over the back of a chair he leaned forward slightly over his short and enormous thighs to spit into the grate
yes i had the time to think things out a little he added without emphasis
when he rose painfully the thrusting forward of a skinny groping hand deformed by gouty swellings suggested the effort of a moribund murderer summoning all his remaining strength for a last stab
his enunciation would have been almost totally unintelligible to a stranger
the old terrorist turned slowly his head on his skinny neck from side to side
and i could never get as many as three such men together
the possessors of property had not only to face the awakened proletariat but they had also to fight amongst themselves yes
struggle warfare was the condition of private ownership it was fatal
ah he did not depend upon emotional excitement to keep up his belief no declamations no anger no visions of blood red flags waving or metaphorical lurid suns of vengeance rising above the horizon of a doomed society not he
don't you think that if i had not been the optimist i am i could not have found in fifteen years some means to cut my throat
a harsh laugh from comrade ossipon cut the tirade dead short in a sudden faltering of the tongue and a bewildered unsteadiness of the apostle's mildly exalted eyes
alexander ossipon got up tall in his threadbare blue serge suit under the low ceiling shook off the stiffness of long immobility and strolled away into the kitchen down two steps to look over stevie's shoulder
very characteristic perfectly typical
you would call that lad a degenerate would you mumbled mister verloc
it was karl yundt who was heard implacable to his last breath
lombroso is an ass
for him the criminal is the prisoner simple is it not
there was an extraordinary force of suggestion in this posturing
the famous terrorist had never in his life raised personally as much as his little finger against the social edifice
the shadow of his evil gift clung to him yet like the smell of a deadly drug in an old vial of poison emptied now useless ready to be thrown away upon the rubbish heap of things that had served their time
michaelis the ticket of leave apostle smiled vaguely with his glued lips his pasty moon face drooped under the weight of melancholy assent
he had been a prisoner himself
his own skin had sizzled under the red hot brand he murmured softly
you don't understand he began disdainfully but stopped short intimidated by the dead blackness of the cavernous eyes in the face turned slowly towards him with a blind stare as if guided only by the sound
he gave the discussion up with a slight shrug of the shoulders
stevie accustomed to move about disregarded had got up from the kitchen table carrying off his drawing to bed with him
the sheet of paper covered with circles dropped out of his fingers and he remained staring at the old terrorist as if rooted suddenly to the spot by his morbid horror and dread of physical pain
his scared eyes blazed with indignation it would hurt terribly his mouth dropped open
comrade ossipon's face twitched with exasperation
i don't say that protested michaelis gently
his vision of truth had grown so intense that the sound of a strange voice failed to rout it this time
the coals in the grate settled down with a slight crash and michaelis the hermit of visions in the desert of a penitentiary got up impetuously
the disdainful pout of comrade ossipon's thick lips accentuated the negro type of his face
he paused then added with modest firmness
i would call it cannibalistic that's what it is
they are nourishing their greed on the quivering flesh and the warm blood of the people nothing else
stevie swallowed the terrifying statement with an audible gulp and at once as though it had been swift poison sank limply in a sitting posture on the steps of the kitchen door
he closed the door behind their backs with restrained violence turned the key shot the bolt
he was not satisfied with his friends
with the insight of a kindred temperament he pronounced his verdict
there are natures too to whose sense of justice the price exacted looms up monstrously enormous odious oppressive worrying humiliating extortionate intolerable those are the fanatics
in any case he had not the time
loafing was all very well for these fellows who knew not mister vladimir and had women to fall back upon whereas he had a woman to provide for
these were but few and for the first time since he opened his shop he took a commercial survey of its value
this survey was unfavourable
he took the cash box out of the drawer and turning to leave the shop became aware that stevie was still downstairs
he looked dubiously at his brother in law but he did not ask him for information
mister verloc perceived with some surprise that he did not know really what to say to stevie
he stood still in the middle of the parlour and looked into the kitchen in silence
he watched him gesticulating and murmuring in the kitchen
stevie prowled round the table like an excited animal in a cage
the light thrown down by the shade fell dazzlingly on the white pillow sunk by the weight of her head reposing with closed eyes and dark hair done up in several plaits for the night
her bare feet as if poked through the bottom of an unadorned sleeved calico sack buttoned tightly at neck and wrists felt over the rug for the slippers while she looked upward into her husband's face
there is no occupation that fails a man more completely than that of a secret agent of police
it's like your horse suddenly falling dead under you in the midst of an uninhabited and thirsty plain
the comparison occurred to mister verloc because he had sat astride various army horses in his time and had now the sensation of an incipient fall
the prospect was as black as the window pane against which he was leaning his forehead
yes not at all well
down below in the quiet narrow street measured footsteps approached the house then died away unhurried and firm as if the passer by had started to pace out all eternity from gas lamp to gas lamp in a night without end and the drowsy ticking of the old clock on the landing became distinctly audible in the bedroom
that poor boy is in a very excited state to night she murmured after a pause which lasted for three ticks of the clock
this dread led him to make the remark that stevie had disregarded his suggestion to go to bed
there was no young man of his age in london more willing and docile than stephen she affirmed none more affectionate and ready to please and even useful as long as people did not upset his poor head
mister verloc's anxieties had prevented him from attaching any sense to what his wife was saying
that boy hears too much of what is talked about here
if i had known they were coming to night i would have seen to it that he went to bed at the same time i did
he was out of his mind with something he overheard about eating people's flesh and drinking blood what's the good of talking like that
mister verloc was fully responsive now
ask karl yundt he growled savagely
he isn't fit to hear what's said here he believes it's all true
he knows no better he gets into his passions over it
he glared at me as if he didn't know who i was when i went downstairs
i wish he had never been to school missus verloc began again brusquely
he gets a red face poring over them
i wouldn't give a halfpenny for the whole lot
the other day stevie got hold of one and there was a story in it of a german soldier officer tearing half off the ear of a recruit and nothing was done to him for it the brute
he can't stand the notion of any cruelty
comfortable dear
go do you hear
but in less than five minutes the staircase groaned beneath an extraordinary weight
at this moment the whole soul of the old man seemed centred in his eyes which became bloodshot the veins of the throat swelled his cheeks and temples became purple as though he was struck with epilepsy nothing was wanting to complete this but the utterance of a cry
and the cry issued from his pores if we may thus speak a cry frightful in its silence
d'avrigny rushed towards the old man and made him inhale a powerful restorative
d'avrigny unable to bear the sight of this touching emotion turned away and villefort without seeking any further explanation and attracted towards him by the irresistible magnetism which draws us towards those who have loved the people for whom we mourn extended his hand towards the young man
for some time nothing was heard in that chamber but sobs exclamations and prayers
what do you mean sir
oh you rave sir exclaimed villefort in vain endeavoring to escape the net in which he was taken i rave
do you know the assassin asked morrel
noirtier looked upon morrel with one of those melancholy smiles which had so often made valentine happy and thus fixed his attention
said morrel sadly yes replied noirtier
the old man's eyes remained fixed on the door
asked morrel yes
must i leave alone no
but can he understand you yes
gentlemen he said in a hoarse voice give me your word of honor that this horrible secret shall forever remain buried amongst ourselves the two men drew back
my father has revealed the culprit's name my father thirsts for revenge as much as you do yet even he conjures you as i do to keep this secret do you not father
morrel suffered an exclamation of horror and surprise to escape him
the old man made a sign in the affirmative
it was something terrible to witness the silent agony the mute despair of noirtier whose tears silently rolled down his cheeks
but he stopped on the landing he had not the courage to again visit the death chamber
the two doctors therefore entered the room alone
noirtier was near the bed pale motionless and silent as the corpse
the district doctor approached with the indifference of a man accustomed to spend half his time amongst the dead he then lifted the sheet which was placed over the face and just unclosed the lips
the nearest said the district doctor is a good italian abbe who lives next door to you shall i call on him as i pass
d'avrigny said villefort be so kind i beseech you as to accompany this gentleman here is the key of the door so that you can go in and out as you please you will bring the priest with you and will oblige me by introducing him into my child's room do you wish to see him
i only wish to be alone you will excuse me will you not
i am going sir and i do not hesitate to say that no prayers will be more fervent than mine
but with full ravishment the hours of prime singing received they in the midst of leaves that ever bore a burden to their rhymes
all waters that on earth most limpid are would seem to have within themselves some mixture compared with that which nothing doth conceal
thou makest me remember where and what proserpina that moment was when lost her mother her and she herself the spring
i do not think there shone so great a light under the lids of venus when transfixed by her own son beyond his usual custom
ye are new comers and because i smile began she peradventure in this place elect to human nature for its nest
some apprehension keeps you marvelling but the psalm delectasti giveth light which has the power to uncloud your intellect
the good supreme sole in itself delighting created man good and this goodly place gave him as hansel of eternal peace
by his default short while he sojourned here by his default to weeping and to toil he changed his innocent laughter and sweet play
this every other savour doth transcend and notwithstanding slaked so far may be thy thirst that i reveal to thee no more
between her steps and mine were not a hundred when equally the margins gave a turn in such a way that to the east i faced
nor even thus our way continued far before the lady wholly turned herself unto me saying brother look and listen
now helicon must needs pour forth for me and with her choir urania must assist me to put in verse things difficult to think
then back i turned my face to those high things which moved themselves towards us so sedately they had been distanced by new wedded brides
and i beheld the flamelets onward go leaving behind themselves the air depicted and they of trailing pennons had the semblance so that it overhead remained distinct with sevenfold lists all of them of the colours whence the sun's bow is made and delia's girdle
these standards to the rearward longer were than was my sight and as it seemed to me ten paces were the outermost apart
the interval between these four contained a chariot triumphal on two wheels which by a griffin's neck came drawn along
not only rome with no such splendid car e'er gladdened africanus or augustus but poor to it that of the sun would be
three maidens at the right wheel in a circle came onward dancing one so very red that in the fire she hardly had been noted
the second was as if her flesh and bones had all been fashioned out of emerald the third appeared as snow but newly fallen
in rear of all the group here treated of two old men i beheld unlike in habit but like in gait each dignified and grave
and when the car was opposite to me thunder was heard and all that folk august seemed to have further progress interdicted
and one of them as if by heaven commissioned singing veni sponsa de libano shouted three times and all the others after
as soon as on my vision smote the power sublime that had already pierced me through ere from my boyhood i had yet come forth
to the left hand i turned with that reliance with which the little child runs to his mother when he has fear or when he is afflicted
to say unto virgilius not a drachm of blood remains in me that does not tremble i know the traces of the ancient flame
dante because virgilius has departed do not weep yet do not weep yet awhile for by another sword thou need'st must weep
i saw the lady who erewhile appeared veiled underneath the angelic festival direct her eyes to me across the river
look at me well in sooth i'm beatrice
ye keep your watch in the eternal day so that nor night nor sleep can steal from you one step the ages make upon their path
therefore my answer is with greater care that he may hear me who is weeping yonder so that the sin and dole be of one measure
but by the largess of celestial graces which have such lofty vapours for their rain that near to them our sight approaches not
as soon as ever of my second age i was upon the threshold and changed life himself from me he took and gave to others
so low he fell that all appliances for his salvation were already short save showing him the people of perdition
confusion and dismay together mingled forced such a yes from out my mouth that sight was needful to the understanding of it
whence she to me in those desires of mine which led thee to the loving of that good beyond which there is nothing to aspire to
and what allurements or what vantages upon the forehead of the others showed that thou shouldst turn thy footsteps unto them
a laudable regard for the honor of the first proselyte has countenanced the belief the hope the wish that the ebionites or at least the nazarenes were distinguished only by their obstinate perseverance in the practice of the mosaic rites
their churches have disappeared their books are obliterated their obscure freedom might allow a latitude of faith and the softness of their infant creed would be variously moulded by the zeal or prudence of three hundred years
yet the most charitable criticism must refuse these sectaries any knowledge of the pure and proper divinity of christ
his progress from infancy to youth and manhood was marked by a regular increase in stature and wisdom and after a painful agony of mind and body he expired on the cross
he lived and died for the service of mankind but the life and death of socrates had likewise been devoted to the cause of religion and justice and although the stoic or the hero may disdain the humble virtues of jesus the tears which he shed over his friend and country may be esteemed the purest evidence of his humanity
the son of a virgin generated by the ineffable operation of the holy spirit was a creature without example or resemblance superior in every attribute of mind and body to the children of adam
nor could it seem strange or incredible that the first of these aeons the logos or word of god of the same substance with the father should descend upon earth to deliver the human race from vice and error and to conduct them in the paths of life and immortality
but the prevailing doctrine of the eternity and inherent pravity of matter infected the primitive churches of the east
many among the gentile proselytes refused to believe that a celestial spirit an undivided portion of the first essence had been personally united with a mass of impure and contaminated flesh and in their zeal for the divinity they piously abjured the humanity of christ
he first appeared on the banks of the jordan in the form of perfect manhood but it was a form only and not a substance a human figure created by the hand of omnipotence to imitate the faculties and actions of a man and to impose a perpetual illusion on the senses of his friends and enemies
but the rashness of these concessions has encouraged a milder sentiment of those of the docetes who taught not that christ was a phantom but that he was clothed with an impassible and incorruptible body
a foetus that could increase from an invisible point to its full maturity a child that could attain the stature of perfect manhood without deriving any nourishment from the ordinary sources might continue to exist without repairing a daily waste by a daily supply of external matter
in their eyes jesus of nazareth was a mere mortal the legitimate son of joseph and mary but he was the best and wisest of the human race selected as the worthy instrument to restore upon earth the worship of the true and supreme deity
when the messiah was delivered into the hands of the jews the christ an immortal and impassible being forsook his earthly tabernacle flew back to the pleroma or world of spirits and left the solitary jesus to suffer to complain and to expire
but the justice and generosity of such a desertion are strongly questionable and the fate of an innocent martyr at first impelled and at length abandoned by his divine companion might provoke the pity and indignation of the profane
their murmurs were variously silenced by the sectaries who espoused and modified the double system of cerinthus
the worthy friend of athanasius the worthy antagonist of julian he bravely wrestled with the arians and polytheists and though he affected the rigor of geometrical demonstration his commentaries revealed the literal and allegorical sense of the scriptures
yet as the profound doctor had been terrified at his own rashness apollinaris was heard to mutter some faint accents of excuse and explanation
he acquiesced in the old distinction of the greek philosophers between the rational and sensitive soul of man that he might reserve the logos for intellectual functions and employ the subordinate human principle in the meaner actions of animal life
but instead of a temporary and occasional alliance they established and we still embrace the substantial indissoluble and everlasting union of a perfect god with a perfect man of the second person of the trinity with a reasonable soul and human flesh
under the tuition of the abbot serapion he applied himself to ecclesiastical studies with such indefatigable ardor that in the course of one sleepless night he has perused the four gospels the catholic epistles and the epistle to the romans
ardent in the prosecution of heresy cyril auspiciously opened his reign by oppressing the novatians the most innocent and harmless of the sectaries
without any legal sentence without any royal mandate the patriarch at the dawn of day led a seditious multitude to the attack of the synagogues
such crimes would have deserved the animadversion of the magistrate but in this promiscuous outrage the innocent were confounded with the guilty and alexandria was impoverished by the loss of a wealthy and industrious colony
the zeal of cyril exposed him to the penalties of the julian law but in a feeble government and a superstitious age he was secure of impunity and even of praise
orestes complained but his just complaints were too quickly forgotten by the ministers of theodosius and too deeply remembered by a priest who affected to pardon and continued to hate the praefect of egypt
a rumor was spread among the christians that the daughter of theon was the only obstacle to the reconciliation of the praefect and the archbishop and that obstacle was speedily removed
which oppressed the metropolitans of europe and asia invaded the provinces of antioch and alexandria and measured their diocese by the limits of the empire
exterminate with me the heretics and with you i will exterminate the persians
at these blasphemous sounds the pillars of the sanctuary were shaken
but the vatican received with open arms the messengers of egypt
the vanity of celestine was flattered by the appeal and the partial version of a monk decided the faith of the pope who with his latin clergy was ignorant of the language the arts and the theology of the greeks
nestorius who depended on the near approach of his eastern friends persisted like his predecessor chrysostom to disclaim the jurisdiction and to disobey the summons of his enemies they hastened his trial and his accuser presided in the seat of judgment
sixty eight bishops twenty two of metropolitan rank defended his cause by a modest and temperate protest they were excluded from the councils of their brethren
by the vigilance of memnon the churches were shut against them and a strong garrison was thrown into the cathedral
during a busy period of three months the emperor tried every method except the most effectual means of indifference and contempt to reconcile this theological quarrel
return to your provinces and may your private virtues repair the mischief and scandal of your meeting
the feeble son of arcadius was alternately swayed by his wife and sister by the eunuchs and women of the palace superstition and avarice were their ruling passions and the orthodox chiefs were assiduous in their endeavors to alarm the former and to gratify the latter
but in this awful moment of the danger of the church their vow was superseded by a more sublime and indispensable duty
at the same time every avenue of the throne was assaulted with gold
the past he regretted he was discontented with the present and the future he had reason to dread the oriental bishops successively disengaged their cause from his unpopular name and each day decreased the number of the schismatics who revered nestorius as the confessor of the faith
a wandering tribe of the blemmyes or nubians invaded his solitary prison in their retreat they dismissed a crowd of useless captives but no sooner had nestorius reached the banks of the nile than he would gladly have escaped from a roman and orthodox city to the milder servitude of the savages
what are you doing here he asked
you have been to the hotel he burst out you have seen catherine
we have both seen the same newspaper of course and you have been the first to clear the thing up that's it isn't it
not satisfied with gossip in private the greedy public appetite devours gossip in print and wants more of it than any one editor can supply
supposing the report had been true
in the meantime after what missus presty had confessed the cruel falsehood which had checked poor kitty's natural inquiries raised an insuperable obstacle to a meeting between father and child
he had promised to do his best toward persuading catherine to grant sydney an interview
even the chance of successfully confiding her to bennydeck's protection had lost something of its fair promise since randal's visit to sydenham
be the results however what they might randal could see but one plain course before him now
considerations of delicacy seemed to forbid taking this liberty even with an intimate friend
what happier future could await her especially if she justified randal's past experience of all that was candid and truthful in her character than to become his friend's wife
shall i say that she may expect an early visit from you when i see her to morrow
he added sydney's address in a postscript and dispatched his letter that evening
but it might perhaps be excusable to infer that the marriage had not yet been decided on and that the captain's proposals were still waiting for catherine's reply
not having heard from captain bennydeck for some little time randal thought it desirable in sydney's interests to make inquiries at his club
the sailing master announced that he had orders to take the vessel back to her port with no other explanation than that the cruise was over
this alternative in the captain's plans terminating the voyage a month earlier than his arrangements had contemplated puzzled randal
randal waited a while in london on the chance that bennydeck might pay him a visit
he is staying at this hotel to try the air of sydenham and he finds that it agrees with him
had her beauty fascinated him
randal wrote to accept the invitation determining to present himself before the appointed hour and to question catherine privately without giving her the advantage over him of preparing herself for the interview
after months of separation he received a visit from herbert
you distress me herbert more than words can say
he drank the wine greedily
whatever reviving effect it might otherwise have produced on him it made no change in the threatening gloom of his manner
he put down the empty glass taking no notice of his brother's question
randal he said you know where sydney is
i will do neither the one nor the other
you don't know what it is to be used to seeing a pretty creature always nicely dressed always about the room thinking so much of you and so little of herself and then to be left alone as i am left out in the dark
i'm alone do you hear that alone
i haven't courage enough to do it for myself
oh why did i engage that governess
i'm afraid he said
i tried it yesterday it set my brains on fire i'm feeling that glass i took just now
he paused and put his hand to his fevered head
was his mind wandering into some other train of thought
you can't do it
let me hear what it is first
i feel for you herbert he said warmly
she shall have your message all that i can do to persuade her shall be done
let me rest a little he pleaded if i'm not in the way
he mentioned the name of one of the old servants at mount morven who had attached himself to randal after the breakup of the family
on the next day but one randal arranged his departure for sydenham so as to arrive at the hotel an hour before the time appointed for the dinner
the new number of a popular weekly journal had that day been published randal bought it
after reading one or two of the political articles he arrived at the columns specially devoted to fashionable intelligence
randal looked again at the first words in the paragraph
with his own suspicions steadily contradicting him he arrived at the hotel obstinately believing that the charming widow would prove to be a stranger
missus norman and her little daughter were out driving with a friend and were expected to return in good time for dinner
missus presty was at home she was reported to be in the garden of the hotel
how nice of you to come so soon she began
she added looking at him suspiciously
but you ought to have known that we are only half an hour behind you at sydenham in the matter of news
the report is premature my good friend
but if these newspaper people waited to find out whether a report is true or false how much gossip would society get in its favorite newspapers
you are to understand that catherine is a widow
sit down said missus presty
you shall hear how my divorced daughter and my poor little grandchild were treated at sandyseal after you left us
you would have seen her pining for the company of other children and would have had no mercy on her
he was introduced to missus norman and to missus norman's little girl and we were all charmed with him
when he and i happened to be left together he naturally wondered after having seen the beautiful wife where the lucky husband might be
and the captain of course concluded after having been introduced to kitty that missus norman was a widow
worse stories have been printed i do assure you worse stories have been printed
before i consented to answer the child's inquiries i came to an understanding with her mother
honestly
after that i had her mother's authority for telling kitty that she would never see her father again
she asked directly if her father was dead
that will do missus presty your defense is thoroughly worthy of your conduct in all other respects
randal passed this over without notice
a very wise decision she remarked
have you any message for captain bennydeck
not at the hotel just now
it was a relief to randal in the present state of catherine's relations toward bennydeck to return to london without having seen his friend
good by dear randal
arrived at the station randal found that he must wait for the train
while he was walking up and down the platform with a mind doubly distressed by anxiety about his brother and anxiety about sydney the train from london came in
the savage philosopher the dual mind
the original attitude of the american indian toward the eternal the great mystery that surrounds and embraces us was as simple as it was exalted
it was silent because all speech is of necessity feeble and imperfect therefore the souls of my ancestors ascended to god in wordless adoration
none might exhort or confess or in any way meddle with the religious experience of another
among us all men were created sons of god and stood erect as conscious of their divinity
that solitary communion with the unseen which was the highest expression of our religious life is partly described in the word bambeday literally mysterious feeling which has been variously translated fasting and dreaming
the first bambeday or religious retreat marked an epoch in the life of the youth which may be compared to that of confirmation or conversion in christian experience
knowing that god sets no value upon material things he took with him no offerings or sacrifices other than symbolic objects such as paints and tobacco
at the solemn hour of sunrise or sunset he took up his position overlooking the glories of earth and facing the great mystery and there he remained naked erect silent and motionless exposed to the elements and forces of his arming for a night and a day to two days and nights but rarely longer
when he returned to the camp he must remain at a distance until he had again entered the vapor bath and prepared himself for intercourse with his fellows
it was not then wholly from ignorance or improvidence that he failed to establish permanent towns and to develop a material civilization
to the untutored sage the concentration of population was the prolific mother of all evils moral no less than physical
in this type of prayer there was no beseeching of favor or help
from the sun as the universal father proceeds the quickening principle in nature and in the patient and fruitful womb of our mother the earth are hidden embryos of plants and men
this is the material or physical prayer
nothing of the marvelous could astonish him as that a beast should speak or the sun stand still
who may condemn his superstition
here is the supreme mystery that is the essence of worship without which there can be no religion and in the presence of this mystery our attitude cannot be very unlike that of the natural philosopher who beholds with awe the divine in all creation
in his own thought he rose superior to them he scorned them even as a lofty spirit absorbed in its stern task rejects the soft beds the luxurious food the pleasure worshiping dalliance of a rich neighbor
the historians of the white race admit that the indian was never the first to repudiate his oath
he had neither a national army nor an organized church
her attitude and secret meditations must be such as to instill into the receptive soul of the unborn child the love of the great mystery and a sense of brotherhood with all creation
the ordeal is best met alone where no curious or pitying eyes embarrass her where all nature says to her spirit tis love tis love the fulfilling of life
this wild mother has not only the experience of her mother and grandmother and the accepted rules of her people for a guide but she humbly seeks to learn a lesson from ants bees spiders beavers and badgers
in due time the child takes of his own accord the attitude of prayer and speaks reverently of the powers
indeed the distinctive work of both grandparents is that of acquainting the youth with the national traditions and beliefs
the family was not only the social unit but also the unit of government
the remoter degrees of kinship were fully recognized and that not as a matter of form only first cousins were known as brothers and sisters the name of cousin constituted a binding claim and our rigid morality forbade marriage between cousins in any known degree or in other words within the clan
when she fell the whole race fell with her
before this calamity came upon us you could not find anywhere a happier home than that created by the indian woman
his daily devotions were more necessary to him than daily food
whenever in the course of the daily hunt the red hunter comes upon a scene that is strikingly beautiful or sublime a black thundercloud with the rainbow's glowing arch above the mountain a white waterfall in the heart of a green gorge a vast prairie tinged with the blood red of sunset he pauses for an instant in the attitude of worship
when he becomes an old man he loves to make a notable effort to prove his gratitude
he cuts off the choicest morsel of the meat and casts it into the fire the purest and most ethereal element
the hospitality of the wigwam is only limited by the institution of war
our honor is the guarantee for his safety so long as he is within the camp
love between man and woman is founded on the mating instinct and is not free from desire and self seeking
but to have a friend and to be true under any and all trials is the mark of a man
this bond is between man and man is usually formed in early youth and can only be broken by death
reincarnation and the converse of spirits
therefore he courts death in battle on the other hand he would regard it as disgraceful to be killed in a private quarrel
the men blacken their faces and widows or bereaved parents sometimes gash their arms and legs till they are covered with blood
giving themselves up wholly to their grief they are no longer concerned about any earthly possession and often give away all that they have to the first comers even to their beds and their home
it was prepared by dressing in the finest clothes together with some personal possessions and ornaments wrapped in several robes and finally in a secure covering of raw hide
as a special mark of respect the body of a young woman or a warrior was sometimes laid out in state in a new teepee with the usual household articles and even with a dish of food left beside it not that they supposed the spirit could use the implements or eat the food but merely as a last tribute
if a man were slain in battle it was an old custom to place his body against a tree or rock in a sitting position always facing the enemy to indicate his undaunted defiance and bravery even in death
at every meal time a dish of food was placed under it and some person of the same sex and age as the one who was gone must afterward be invited in to partake of the food
at the end of a year from the time of death the relatives made a public feast and gave away the clothing and other gifts while the lock of hair was interred with appropriate ceremonies
it is well known that the american indian had somehow developed occult power and although in the latter days there have been many impostors and allowing for the vanity and weakness of human nature it is fair to assume that there must have been some even in the old days yet there are well attested instances of remarkable prophecies and other mystic practice
no doubt many predictions have been colored to suit the new age and unquestionably false prophets fakirs and conjurers have become the pest of the tribes during the transition period
this was carried out to the letter
this was only one of his remarkable prophecies
another famous medicine man was born on the rum river about one hundred and fifty years ago and lived to be over a century old
at the age of about seventy five years he saved his band from utter destruction at the hands of their ancestral enemies by suddenly giving warning received in a dream of the approach of a large war party
five years later he repeated the service and again saved his people from awful slaughter
there are many trustworthy men and men of christian faith to vouch for these and similar events occurring as foretold
at another time when i was fourteen years old we had just left fort ellis on the assiniboine river and my youngest uncle had selected a fine spot for our night camp
many of the indians believed that one may be born more than once and there were some who claimed to have full knowledge of a former incarnation
there was a well known sioux war prophet who lived in the middle of the last century so that he is still remembered by the old men of his band
she herself should have been a poem a lyric in a white gown and green scarf coming to him through the long grass under the blossomed boughs
her hands should have been full of bluebells and she should have held them up to his face in maidenly defence as he sprang forward to take her in his arms
you see that she knew exactly how a tryst is conducted in the pages of the standard poets and of the cheaper weekly journals
she had to the full limit allowed of her reading and her environment the literary sense
and curiously enough she was hardly curious at all about what he might have to say
she only wished for may and the orchard instead of january and the dingy dusty waiting room the plain faced preoccupied travellers the dim desolate weather
the setting of the scene seemed to her all important
it was bitterly cold but the embankment was more romantic than a railway carriage
he had been late he had offered no excuse no explanation
but here the only thing that occurred to her was to stop and look in one of the shops till he should ask her what she was looking at
the keen wind thrust itself even inside the high collar of her jacket
her hands and feet were aching with cold
she would have shared his sorrow and shown herself half wife half angel from heaven in this dark hour
she said how frightfully cold it is
and yesterday i had a letter from her and she seems to expect to think and i thought i ought to tell you darling
a shock of unbelievable relief tingled through her so that was all what was it compared with her fears
what opinion would he form of the purity of her mind the innocence of her soul if an incident like this failed to shock her deeply
following the tingle of relief came a sharp sickening pinch of jealousy and mortification these inspired her
i don't wonder you were afraid to tell me she began you don't love me you've never loved me i was an idiot to believe you did
those four true words wounded her more than all the rest
couldn't help it then how can i ever trust you
do you think i'm not sorry now
no it's only painful for both of us
i didn't think a decent man could do such things she was pulling on her gloves go home and gloat over it all
he stood up suddenly do you mean it
are you really going to throw me over for a thing like this
and he strode down between the marble tables and out by the swing door it was a very good exit
at the corner he remembered that he had gone away without paying for the tea and his natural impulse was to go back and remedy that error
he checked the silly impulse
so he enlisted and went to south africa and he never came home covered with medals and glory which was rather his idea to the few simple words of explanation that would have made all straight and repaid her and him for all the past
the last strains of the ill treated ill fated intermezzo had died away and after them had died away also the rumbling of the wheels of the murderous barrel organ that had so gaily executed that along with the nine other tunes of its repertory to the admiration of the housemaid at the window of the house opposite and the crowing delight of the two babies next door
the young man drew a deep breath of relief and lighted the wax candles in the solid silver candlesticks on his writing table for now the late summer dusk was falling and that organ please heaven made full the measure of the day's appointed torture
then there was silence then a sigh and the sound of light moving feet on the gravel
and again he listened with a quiet pleasure
never had any act seemed so impossible
there is a seat in the garden at the side of the house again she hesitated
then she turned towards the quarter indicated and disappeared round the laurel bushes
look here he said this is all nonsense you know you are tired out and there's something wrong what is it
do drink this and then tell me perhaps i can help you
he hurriedly cut cake and pressed it upon her
he had no time to think but he was aware that this was the most exciting adventure that had ever happened to him
is it only that you're poor why that's nothing i'm poor too she laughed
her little foot tapped the gravel impatiently
he told me to stay on at the hotel and i did and then one night when i was at the theatre my maid a horrid french thing we got in paris packed up all my trunks and took all my money and paid the bill and went
she said again you are kind
well then i went into lodgings that wicked woman had left me one street suit and to day they turned me out because my money was all gone
let me think he said oh how glad i am that you happened to come this way
i shall lock up all the doors and windows in the house and then i shall give you my latch key and you can let yourself in and stay the night here there is no one in the house
i will catch the night train and bring my mother up to morrow then we will see what can be done
you see papa's so very rich and at home they expect me to to get acquainted with dukes and things and she stopped
it wasn't i who said that said the girl smiling but that's so anyhow and then she sighed
all the same he added irrelevantly you shall have the latch key
you are kind she said for the third time and reached her hand out to him he did not kiss it then only took it in his and felt how small and cold it was then it was taken away
the lady and the guitar certainly passed the night at hill view villa but when his mother very angry and very frightened came up with him at about noon the house looked just as usual and no one was there but the charwoman
the silver is all right thank goodness she said but your banjo girl has taken a pair of your sister's silk stockings and those new shoes of hers with the silver buckles and she's left these
it was plain that his castanet girl his mother and sister took a pleasure in crediting her daily with some fresh and unpleasing instrument could have had neither taste money nor honesty to such a point as this
when she said good night to beenie and went to her chamber over that where the loved parent and friend would fall asleep no more she felt as if she went walking along to her tomb
at the time mary had noted nothing of these things now she saw them all as for the first time in minute detail while slowly she went up the stair and through the narrowed ways and heard the same wind that raved alike about the new grave and the old house into which latter for all the bales banked against the walls it found many a chink of entrance
when she opened the door of it the bright fire which beenie undesired had kindled there startled her the room looked unnatural uncanny because it was cheerful
she stood for a moment on the hearth and in sad dreamy mood listened to the howling swoops of the wind making the house quiver and shake
this was her dream as nearly as she could recall it when she came to herself after waking from it with a cry
she was one of a large company at a house where she had never been before a beautiful house with a large garden behind
it was a summer night and the guests were wandering in and out at will and through house and garden amid lovely things of all colors and odors
but she knew nobody and wandered alone in the garden oppressed with something she did not understand
at the end of it she was in a place of tombs
she entered and the servants soft footed and silent were busy carrying away the vessels of hospitality and restoring order as if already they prepared for another company on the morrow no one heeded her
she was lost lost utterly with an eternal loss
she knew nothing of the place had nowhere to go nowhere she wanted to go had not a thought to tell her what question to ask if she met a living soul
but living soul there could be none to meet
she had lost him years and years before and now she saw him he was there and she knew him
he came to her side and she gave him no greeting
i know it and there is no waking
the old time was but a thicker dream and this is truer because more shadowy
her only life was that she was lost
shall i pour out my soul into the ear of a mist a fume from my own brain
thus was she borne away captive of her dead neither willing nor unwilling of life and death equally careless
with that came a pang of intense pain
chapter seven the homecoming
colonel leonidas talbot regarded the white flag with feelings in which triumph and sadness were mingled strangely
but the emotions of harry and his comrades were for the moment those of victory only
boats put out both from the fort and the shore
the smoke itself which had formed a vast cloud over harbor forts and city was now drifting out to sea leaving all things etched sharply in the dazzling sunlight of a southern spring day
that white flag and those boats going out mean that sumter is ours
but the negotiations were soon completed
all the amenities were preserved between the captured garrison and their captors
the great state of virginia mother of presidents went out of the union at last and north carolina tennessee and arkansas followed her but maryland kentucky and missouri still hung in the balance
lincoln had called for volunteers to put down a rebellion but harry heard everywhere in charleston that the confederacy was now secure
the progress of president davis to the new capital set in the very face of the foe was to be one huge triumph of faith and loyalty
there was not a single note of gloom
europe which must have its cotton would favor the success of the south
an extraordinary wave of emotion swept over the south carrying everybody with it
beauregard at once wrote an order
colonel kenton writes wisely
we need kentucky and i understand that a very little more may bring the state to us go with your father i understand that you have been a brave young soldier here and may you do as well up there
harry feeling pride but not showing it saluted and left the room going at once to madame delaunay's where he had left his baggage
he intended to leave early in the morning but first he sought his friends and told them good bye
harry gave his farewells with deep and genuine regret
whether their manner was grave or frivolous he knew that these were good friends of his and he sincerely hoped that he would meet them again
it was a different harry who started home late in april
four months had made great changes he bore himself more like a man his manner was much more considered and grave
he had seen great things and he had done his share of them
he gazed upon a world full of responsibilities and perils
but he looked back at charleston the gay the volatile and the beautiful with real affection
it was almost buried now in flowers and foliage
he was going home after victory
he soon left charleston out of sight
he felt the difference as soon as he reached the hills of his native state
people were cooler here and they were more prone to look at the two sides of a question
the air too was unlike that of south carolina there was a sharper tang to it
it whipped his blood as it blew down from the slopes and crests
it was afternoon when he reached the little station of winton and left the train a tall sturdy boy the superior of many a man in size strength and agility
there were never before such times in old kentucky
bill skelly an his gang them mountaineers are up
he did not say the last as a boast but merely as an assurance to the liveryman who he saw was anxious on his account
if you've got pistols just you think once before you shoot said collins
harry thanked him threw his saddle bags across the horse a powerful bay and giving a final wave of his hand to the sympathetic liveryman rode away
this was not the fashion of a year ago when they exchanged a friendly word or two but harry knew its cause now nobody could trust anybody else
but he saw nothing that moved there no signal lights twinkled
one winter evening as soon as his work was over for the day joseph locked the door of his smithy washed himself well put on clean clothes and taking his violin set out for testbridge mary was expecting him to tea
it was the afternoon of a holiday and she had closed early
was there ever a happier man than joseph that night as he strode along the footpath
he pressed his violin case to his heart as if it were a living thing that could know that he loved it
earth was gone and heaven was all
blessed am i here now my god and blessed shall i be there then
when he reached the suburbs the light of homes was shining through curtains of all colors
just then he was in no mood to think of the sorrows
the nettle and the dock said joseph
he was in a mood for music was he not
he laid down his violin and seated himself where mary told him in her father's arm chair by the fire
letty finding herself not quite equal to the emergency came in her turn to call mary she went as quietly as if she were leaving a tiresome visitor
the music was broken and joseph left alone with the dumb instruments
but in his hands solitude and a violin were sure to marry in music
they sat down and listened in silence
her heart seemed to swell up into her throat and it was all she could do to keep from weeping
a little longer and she was compelled to yield and the silent tears flowed freely
letty too was overcome more than ever she had been by music
let but a mood be strong enough and the soul clothing itself in that mood as with a garment can walk abroad and haunt the world
it cried aloud that eternity was very long and like a great palace without a quiet room
nor was this exactly the shape the thing took to the consciousness of the musician
i love thee i love thee cried the violin and the worship was entreaty that knew not itself
hast thou yet to learn that the love of the human is love is divine is but a lower form of a part of the love of god
when thou lovest man or woman or child yea or even dog aright then wilt thou no longer need that i tell thee how god and his christ would not be content with each other alone in the glories even of the eternal original love because they could create more love
he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how shall he love god whom he hath not seen
a sob like a bird new born burst from mary's bosom
that enchantment had possessed him usurping as it were the throne of his life and displacing it when it ceased he was not his own master
he started to conscious confusion only neither knowing where he was nor what he did
how it happened he never could tell but he brought down his violin with a crash against the piano then somehow stumbled and all but fell
in the act of recovering himself he heard the neck of his instrument part from the body with a tearing discordant cry like the sound of the ruin of a living world
his violin was broken but his being was made whole
his treasure taken type of his self and a woman given him instead
it's just like him he murmured
you'll all be over if you don't have a care
looks like a clump of bushes down there but i ain't sure can you make it out
yes agreed tad that does look like bushes
don't move around lie perfectly still warned the guide are you hurt
and that tumble's enough to knock the sense out of a full grown man
i could not think of allowing any of my charges to take so terrible a risk and
no i am the lighter of the two urged tad
i am the one to go after walt if anyone has to i'll go down mister thomas
master tad is right decided the guide gazing at the two boys approvingly
i protest shouted the professor
you'd have both of us at the bottom if i left it to you to take care of this end
be sure to fasten him securely to the loop before you give the signal to haul up warned the guide
are you ready yes
he tilted his head to look up
the movement sent his body swaying giddily from side to side
cautiously placing a hand against the rocks to steady himself tad wisely concluded that hereafter it would not pay to be too curious
slowly but steadily the slender line was paid out amid a tense silence on the part of the little group at the top of the canyou
after what seemed to them hours a sharp call from the depths reached their ears
lige quickly made fast the line to a tree
i see him called tad his voice sounding hollow and unnatural to those above
he's so far to the right of me that i can't reach him
lodged in the branches of a pinyon tree i think it is but he doesn't answer me
lige leaning over the brink was able to follow the boy's movements by the aid of the thin arc of light made by the torch in tad's hand
but from the cautious movements of the light far below them the guide understood that the lad was at work carrying out his part of the task of rescue to the best of his ability
mebby you think he's having some sort of a picnic down there eh glared lige
shall we haul up asked lige making a megaphone of his hands yes haul away
sure thing answered the boy
nor was his sense of security increased when in shifting his position the torch fell from his grasp the fagots scattering as they slipped down between the limbs of the tree and whirling in ever diminishing circles until finally he heard them clatter on the rocks below
chapter four the first night in camp
even if i can't sing i can beat that
not on the range why not demanded the boy
a loud laugh followed at chunky's expense
the pony did most of it admitted the lad i just gave him his head and that's all there was to it
walter had gone out with the second guard and the others had gathered around the camp fire for their nightly story telling
none of you will be fit for duty to morrow
we've got a hard drive before us and every man must be fit as a fiddle
humph grunted curley adams
the cowboy did this very thing but within an hour he found himself alone the others having turned in one by one
the lads found that a pair of blankets had been assigned to each of them with an ordinary wagon sheet doubled for a tarpaulin
these they spread out on the ground using boots wrapped in coats for pillows
stacy brown proved the only grumbler in the lot declaring that he could not sleep a wink on such a bed as that
the horses of the outfit save those that were on night duty and two or three others that had developed a habit of straying had been turned loose early in the evening for animals on the trail are seldom staked down
in spite of their hard couches the pony riders slept soundly even professor zepplin himself never waking the whole night through
stacy grumbled turned over and went to sleep again
you won't be so fast to wake up hard working cowboys after that i reckon
lumpy bates came running toward him not daring to call out for fear of waking the camp
hi there hissed lumpy filled with indignation that anyone should attempt to mount a pony from the right side
stacy brown's left leg swung over the saddle
where are they asked the boy
keep a going and if you're lucky you'll run plumb into them was the jeering answer as the sleepy cowmen spurred their ponies on toward camp muttering their disapproval of taking along a bunch of boys on a cattle drive
almost before the echoes of his voice had died away a shrill voice piped up from the tail end of the chuck wagon
grub pi le grub pi le
who is the wrangler this morning asked the foreman glancing about at his men
a wrangler's a wrangler answered big foot stolidly
he's a fellow who's all the time making trouble isn't he asked stacy innocently
oh no this kind of a wrangler isn't laughed the foreman
he's a trouble curer not a troublemaker except for himself
pong tell the young gentlemen what would become of you if you were to serve bad meals to this outfit of cowpunchers
how asked tad
we had better start the drive this morning
he no doubt would bring food of some kind with him
with a shout the boys dashed pell mell to meet the pack train and falling in behind the slow moving burros urged them on with derisive shouts and sundry resounding slaps on the animals flanks
cold water is the most nourishing thing we've touched since last night
we did not it must have come to life some time during the night and dug its way out laughed tad
and we've got a surprise for you announced stacy swelling with pride
jam exclaimed chunky stretching his neck and eyeing the dish longingly
now fall to young gentlemen directed the professor
i am free to admit that i am hungry too
he buried his biscuit under a layer of jam over which he spread a thick coating of honey
president brown i withdraw my criticism i offer you my humble apologies
i reckon there are smiled the guide we are in the bear country now
yes the country is full of caves
this announcement filled the boys with excitement
but i know an old settler who will lend us his dog if it is not out
supper having been finished the party gathered about the camp fire for their evening chat after which admonishing stacy to keep within his tent and not to go borrowing trouble the boys turned in for a sound sleep
as yet they had been unable to attempt any fancy riding with their ponies owing to the rugged nature of the country through which they had been journeying
the boys were now all anxiety to start while the ponies after their sunday rest were almost as full of life as were their owners
the little animals were becoming more sure footed every day and ned said that before the trip was finished jimmie would be able to walk a slack rope
an early start was made so that the party reached the promised table lands shortly before ten o'clock in the forenoon
a temporary camp was quickly pitched
the great green field surrounded on all sides by tall trees made the place an ideal one for their purpose
it was a beautiful race the little indian ponies seeming to enter thoroughly into the spirit of the contest stretching themselves out to their full lengths and with heads on a level with their backs fairly flew across the great plot of green
all agreed that tad's superior horsemanship alone had won the race for him
galloping into camp the boy fetched his sombrero which he carried well out into the field and tossed away
then bidding the boys ride up near the spot to watch him he drew off some ten rods and wheeling spurred his pony to a run
grasping the pommel with the left hand he appeared to dive head first toward the ground
they saw his long hair almost brush the grass one of his hands swept down and up and once more tad butler rose standing in his stirrups uttering a cowboy yell as he waved the sombrero on high
the boys howled with delight that is all did save stacy brown
tad is an experienced rider
the first time he rode swiftly by it leaning over to look at the hat as he passed holding to the pommel firmly with his left hand
what's that for demanded ned wonderingly
hat too close to me i couldn't get it explained chunky the boys roared
why don't you move the pony
once more stacy approached the sombrero his pony running well and as he drew near it they saw him rise in his saddle just as tad butler had done a few minutes before
at the moment when he freed his left foot from the stirrup he threw his body sharply to the right reaching for the hat without taking the precaution to grasp the pommel
as a result instead of stopping when he reached the hat the boy kept on going
it had no ornamentation being exceedingly plain in appearance
here said one of their guides as the procession halted before the little stone building is the palace of tourmaline who is our queen
what that little cabin
exclaimed trot of course
did you suppose a palace would be like one of our handsome residences asked the woman evidently surprised
these intruders are very peculiar people remarked a man in the crowd
they seem very ignorant poor things said another in reply
the people must wait outside for there is no room for them in the palace
so they followed her through the low archway and in a room beyond very simply furnished sat a young girl engaged in darning a pair of pink stockings
she was a beautiful girl of about seventeen years of age not fat like all the rest of the pinkies but slender and well formed according to our own ideas of beauty
her complexion was not a decided pink but a soft rosy tint not much deeper than that of trot's skin
what is it coralie she asked the woman
the queen gazed upon our friends with evident interest
she smiled a little sadly at trot seemed to approve button bright's open frank face and was quite surprised because cap'n bill was so much bigger than her own people
are you a giant
perhaps you are trying to ridicule me she continued regarding the sailor's face closely
there is nothing majestic about me as you know very well
coralie do you consider majesty a proper word to use when addressing a queen
even in america ever'body bows low to our president an the blueskins are so fraid o their boolooroo that they tremble whenever they go near him
but surely that is all wrong said tourmaline gravely
therefore i am a mere agent to direct the laws which are the will of the people and am only a public servant obliged constantly to guard the welfare of my subjects
in that case said button bright you're entitled to the best there is to pay for your trouble
if i lived as luxuriously as my people do and had servants and costly gowns the good pinkies would say that their queen had more than they themselves and it would be true
no our way is best
the queen has nothing but the power to execute the laws to adjust grievances and to compel order
i have one great privilege
after my death a pink marble statue of me will be set up in the grand court with the statues of the other kings and queens who have ruled this land and all the pinkies in ages to come will then honor me as having been a just and upright queen that is my reward
a misfortune of birth placed me here and i cannot escape my fate
it is much more desirable to be a private citizen happy and care free
yes it was wet an sticky all right agreed the sailor but the big frog helped us an we got through all right
you are not like my people the pinkies and there is no place for you in our country
in all our history you are the first people from outside our borders who have ever stepped a foot in our land
we do not hate you as you say the blueskins do nor are we savage or cruel but we do not want you here and i am really puzzled what to do with you
i'll look in the great book first
it was about noon when captain waverley entered the straggling village or rather hamlet of tully veolan close to which was situated the mansion of the proprietor
the houses seemed miserable in the extreme especially to an eye accustomed to the smiling neatness of english cottages
occasionally indeed when such a consummation seemed inevitable a watchful old grandam with her close cap distaff and spindle rushed like a sibyl in frenzy out of one of these miserable cells dashed into the middle of the path and snatching up her own charge from among the sunburnt loiterers saluted him with a sound cuff and transported him back to his dungeon the little white headed varlet screaming all the while from the very top of his lungs a shrilly treble to the growling remonstrances of the enraged matron
the evil and remedy such as it is still exist but this is remote from our present purpose and is only thrown out for consideration of the collectors under mister dent's dog bill
yet the physiognomy of the people when more closely examined was far from exhibiting the indifference of stupidity their features were rough but remarkably intelligent grave but the very reverse of stupid and from among the young women an artist might have chosen more than one model whose features and form resembled those of minerva
this avenue was straight and of moderate length running between a double row of very ancient horse chestnuts planted alternately with sycamores which rose to such huge height and nourished so luxuriantly that their boughs completely over arched the broad road beneath
it was one of those effects which a painter loves to represent and mingled well with the struggling light which found its way between the boughs of the shady arch that vaulted the broad green alley
the house which seemed to consist of two or three high narrow and steep roofed buildings projecting from each other at right angles formed one side of the inclosure
it had been built at a period when castles were no longer necessary and when the scottish architects had not yet acquired the art of designing a domestic residence
neither did the front indicate absolute security from danger
stables and other offices occupied another side of the square
two battlemented walls one of which faced the avenue and the other divided the court from the garden completed the inclosure
this work of art was the wonder of the country ten miles round
the court was spacious well paved and perfectly clean there being probably another entrance behind the stables for removing the litter
everything around appeared solitary and would have been silent but for the continued plashing of the fountain and the whole scene still maintained the monastic illusion which the fancy of waverley had conjured up
chapter thirty three a confidant
mister morton replied that far from making any claim upon his good opinion his only wish and the sole purpose of his visit was to find out the means of deserving it
evil to him that thinks otherwise said mister morton or who holds church government and ceremonies as the exclusive gage of christian faith or moral virtue
mister morton seemed particularly struck with the account of waverley's visit to donald bean lean
when i was a young man like you mister waverley any such hair brained expedition i beg your pardon for the expression would have had inexpressible charms for me
he certainly possesses talents beyond the rude sphere in which he moves and being neither destitute of ambition nor encumbered with scruples he will probably attempt by every means to distinguish himself during the period of these unhappy commotions
mister morton then made a careful memorandum of the various particulars of waverley's interview with donald bean lean and the other circumstances which he had communicated
he had neither sympathy with my innocence nor with my wretchedness and the petrifying accuracy with which he attended to every form of civility while he tortured me by his questions his suspicions and his inferences was as tormenting as the racks of the inquisition
they held conventicles in the open fields and being treated with great violence and cruelty by the scottish government more than once took arms during those reigns
since that time their numbers have gradually diminished but a good many are still to be found in the western counties and several with a better temper than in seventeen o seven have now taken arms for government
in those very early times there was a man named deucalion and he was the son of prometheus
after jupiter had bound prometheus on mount caucasus and had sent diseases and cares into the world men became very very wicked
these men he said to his mighty company are nothing but a source of trouble
but men kept on fighting and robbing even while the rain was pouring down and the sea was coming up over the land
no one but deucalion the son of prometheus was ready for such a storm
the day is coming said prometheus when jupiter will send a flood to destroy mankind from the earth
but deucalion and pyrrha were very sad for they knew that they were the only persons who were left alive in all the land
is there anything that you wish he asked
we should like above all things said deucalion to see this land full of people once more for without neighbors and friends the world is a very lonely place indeed
go on down the mountain said mercury and as you go cast the bones of your mother over your shoulders behind you and with these words he leaped into the air and was seen no more
what did he mean asked pyrrha
surely i do not know said deucalion
when at last they reached the plain they found themselves at the head of a noble company of human beings all eager to serve them
when at last the queen gave birth to a daughter the king was so overjoyed that he gave a great christening feast the like of which had never before been known
one of the young fairies overhearing her and fancying she might work some mischief to the little baby went and hid herself behind the hangings in the hall so as to be able to have the last word and undo any harm the old fairy might wish to work
the turn of the old fairy had now come and she declared while her head shook with malice that the princess should pierce her hand with a spindle and die of the wound
it is true i cannot entirely undo what my elder has done
now fifteen years after the princess was born she was with the king and queen at one of their castles and as she was running about by herself she came to a little chamber at the top of a tower and there sat an honest old woman spinning for she had never heard of the king's edict
she had no sooner taken up the spindle than being hasty and careless she pierced her hand with the point of it and fainted away
he knew that she would not awake for a hundred years
one said it was an enchanted castle another that witches lived there but most believed that it was occupied by a great ogre which carried thither all the children he could catch and ate them up one at a time for nobody could get at him through the wood
the young prince at these words felt himself on fire
scarcely had he come to the wood when all the trees and thorns which had made such an impenetrable thicket opened on one side and the other to offer him a path
he entered a large forecourt and stood still with amazement and awe
but the faces of the men were rosy and the goblets by them had a few drops of wine left
he entered the guard room there the guards stood drawn up in line with carbines at their shoulders but they were sound asleep
he passed through one apartment after another where were ladies and gentlemen asleep in their chairs or standing
i have waited long for you
they talked for four hours and had not then said half that was in their heads to say
meanwhile all the rest of the people in the castle had been wakened at the same moment as the princess and they were now extremely hungry
the lady in waiting became very impatient and at length announced to the princess that they all waited for her
then the prince took the princess by the hand she was dressed in great splendour but he did not hint that she looked as he had seen pictures of his great grandmother look he thought her all the more charming for that
the violins and haut boys played old but excellent pieces of music and after supper to lose no time the grand almoner married the royal lovers in the chapel of the castle
he turned to show them the castle but behold
what a fuss is made about you my dear little friends
you surely cannot suppose that in a natural state you would be forced to climb regularly up one tall bare stick such as i see you upon now
your cousin the wild convolvulus whom i left in the fields this morning does no such thing i assure you
my young plants require heat or they would not live and the pots we are kept in protect us from those cruel wire worms who delight to destroy our roots
why not allow your silver tufts to luxuriate in a natural manner
still the rose tree stood out that there must be some great advantages in a gardener's care for she could not pretend to be ignorant of her own superiority to all her wild relations in the woods
then the wind took another frolic round the garden and made up to the large white lily into whose refined ear he whispered a doubt as to the necessity or advantage of her thick powerful stem being propped up against a stupid ugly stick
he really grieved to see it
did that lovely creature suppose that nature who had done so much for her that the fame of her beauty extended throughout the world had yet left her so weak and feeble that she could not support herself in the position most calculated to give her ease and pleasure
indeed not a flower escaped his mischievous suggestions
echoed the flowers tremulously as with a sort of fearful pleasure they awaited his approach
making a sort of eddying circuit round the garden he knocked over the convolvulus pole tore the strips from the stick that held up the white lily loosed all the carnation flowers from their fastenings broke the rose tree down and levelled the sweet peas to the ground
meanwhile how fared it with the flowers
oh that she were once more climbing up the friendly fir pole
the honeysuckle escaped no better and the carnation was ready to die of vexation at finding that her coveted freedom had levelled her to the dirt
before the day closed the gardener came whistling from his farm work to look over his pretty charges
but for the sight that awaited him he was not prepared at all
weeds meanwhile sprang up and a dreary confusion reigned in the once orderly and brilliant little garden
the mistress had returned and the young lady was with her and hurried at once to her favourite garden
in this position she remained until a gentle hand was laid upon her shoulder
i am not thinking about the garden mamma replied the young girl without lifting up her face we can plant new flowers and tie up even some of these afresh
grandfather came down wearing a white shirt and his sunday coat
morning prayers were longer than usual
he gave thanks for our food and comfort and prayed for the poor and destitute in great cities where the struggle for life was harder than it was here with us
because he talked so little his words had a peculiar force they were not worn dull from constant use
all afternoon he sat in the dining room
at about four o'clock a visitor appeared mister shimerda wearing his rabbit skin cap and collar and new mittens his wife had knitted
he sat still and passive his head resting against the back of the wooden rocking chair his hands relaxed upon the arms
his face had a look of weariness and pleasure like that of sick people when they feel relief from pain
he made the sign of the cross over me put on his cap and went off in the dark
they sat about the house most of the day as if it were sunday greasing their boots mending their suspenders plaiting whiplashes
anyway he would never allow one of his horses to be put to such a strain
i had wanted to get some picture books for yulka and antonia even yulka was able to read a little now
she cut squares of cotton cloth and we sewed them together into a book
on the white pages i grouped sunday school cards and advertising cards which i had brought from my old country
when he mounted his horse at the door i saw that he had a hatchet slung to his belt and he gave grandmother a meaning look which told me he was planning a surprise for me
i put on my cap and ran out to meet jake
he used to help my father cut christmas trees for me in virginia and he had not forgotten how much i liked them
by the time we had placed the cold fresh smelling little tree in a corner of the sitting room it was already christmas eve
from under the lining he now produced a collection of brilliantly colored paper figures several inches high and stiff enough to stand alone
i can see them now exactly as they looked working about the table in the lamplight jake with his heavy features so rudely moulded that his face seemed somehow unfinished otto with his half ear and the savage scar that made his upper lip curl so ferociously under his twisted mustache
how infinite the wealth of love and hope garnered in these same tiny treasure houses and oh
what bankrupts in the world we feel when death like some remorseless creditor seizes on all we fondly thought our own the twins
the ghoul like fever was not to be braved with impunity and baulked of its prey
the board not so formidable as she had imagined had inquired into her case and instead of sending her to stoke claypole her husband's buckinghamshire parish as she had dreaded had agreed to pay her rent
margaret met jem wilson several days after his brothers were seriously ill and heard from him the state of things at his home
she stopped with her hand on the latch of the wilsons door to still her beating heart and listened to the hushed quiet within
she opened the door softly there sat missus wilson in the old rocking chair with one sick death like boy lying on her knee crying without let or pause but softly gently as fearing to disturb the troubled gasping child while behind her old alice let her fast dropping tears fall down on the dead body of the other twin which she was laying out on a board placed on a sort of sofa settee in a corner of the room
over the child which yet breathed the father bent watching anxiously for some ground of hope where hope there was none
is there any chance for the other one think you
but earnest as the father was in watching the yet living he had eyes and ears for all that concerned the dead and sprang gently up and took his dead son on his hard couch in his arms with tender strength and carried him upstairs as if afraid of wakening him
wishing him said mary in a tone of inquiry
then the mother lifted up her voice and wept
her cries brought her husband down to try with his aching heart to comfort hers
mary and alice drew near the fire and stood in quiet sorrow for some time
then alice broke the silence by saying
afore christmas time i was as full as full could be of going home for good and all yo han heard how i've wished it this terrible long time
but he stayed long there and at last his sturdy frame shook with his strong agony
oh jem don't give way so i cannot bear to see you
he did not speak as though fearing to destroy by sound or motion the happiness of that moment when her soft hand's touch thrilled through his frame and her silvery voice was whispering tenderness in his ear
don't jem please don't whispered she again believing that his silence was only another form of grief
mary i almost loathe myself when i feel i would not give up this minute when my brothers lie dead and father and mother are in such trouble for all my life that's past and gone and mary as she tried to release her hand you know what makes me feel so blessed
he remained up stairs until after the early dawn showed mary that she need have no fear of going home through the deserted and quiet streets to try and get a little sleep before work hour
so leaving kind messages to george and jane wilson and hesitating whether she might dare to send a few kind words to jem and deciding that she had better not she stepped out into the bright morning light so fresh a contrast to the darkened room where death had been
her thoughts ran on jem's manner and words not but what she had known the tale they told for many a day but still she wished he had not put it so plainly
i cannot think what possesses me that i must always be wanting to comfort him when he's downcast and that i must go meddling wi him to night when sure enough it was his aunt's place to speak to him
i think i cannot go right for i either check myself till i'm downright cross to him or else i speak just natural and that's too kind and tender by half
but will he thank me for it
there was something of keen practical shrewdness about her which contrasted very bewitchingly with the simple foolish unworldly ideas she had picked up from the romances which miss simmonds young ladies were in the habit of recommending to each other yes
the old leaven infused years ago by her aunt esther fermented in her little bosom and perhaps all the more for her father's aversion to the rich and the gentle
it was a comfort to her when scolded by miss simmonds to think of the day when she would drive up to the door in her own carriage to order her gowns from the hasty tempered yet kind dressmaker
but the best of her plans the holiest that which in some measure redeemed the vanity of the rest were those relating to her father her dear father now oppressed with care and always a disheartened gloomy person
the week following christmas brought in a thaw and by new year's day all the world about us was a broth of gray slush and the guttered slope between the windmill and the barn was running black water
it was the first time missus shimerda had been to our house and she ran about examining our carpets and curtains and furniture all the while commenting upon them to her daughter in an envious complaining tone
your mama i said angrily wants other people's things
for ambrosch my mama come here
but you see a body never knows what traits poverty might bring out in em
they began to laugh boisterously when they saw me calling
you've got a birthday present this time jim and no mistake
kirkleatham yeast
seventeen seventeen
to make good home made bread
seventeen eighteen
mode put the flour into a large earthenware bowl or deep pan then with a strong metal or wooden spoon hollow out the middle but do not clear it entirely away from the bottom of the pan as in that case the sponge or leaven as it was formerly termed would stick to it which it ought not to do
next take either a large tablespoonful of brewer's yeast which has been rendered solid by mixing it with plenty of cold water and letting it afterwards stand to settle for a day and night or nearly an ounce of german yeast put it into a large basin and proceed to mix it so that it shall be as smooth as cream with three quarters pint of warm milk and water or with water only though even a very little milk will much improve the bread
look at it from time to time when it has been laid for nearly an hour and when the yeast has risen and broken through the flour so that bubbles appear in it you will know that it is ready to be made up into dough
then place the pan on a strong chair or dresser or table of convenient height pour into the sponge the remainder of the warm milk and water stir into it as much of the flour as you can with the spoon then wipe it out clean with your fingers and lay it aside
turn it then on to a paste board or very clean dresser and with a large sharp knife divide it in two make it up quickly into loaves and dispatch it to the oven make one or two incisions across the tops of the loaves as they will rise more easily if this be done
illustration italian millet
italian millet or great indian millet is cultivated in egypt and nubia where it is called dhourra and is used as human food as well as for the fermentation of beer
it will grow on poor soils and is extremely productive
it has been introduced into italy where they make a coarse bread from it and it is also employed in pastry and puddings they also use it for feeding horses and domestic fowls
a yellow variety called golden millet is sold in the grocers shops for making puddings and is very delicate and wholesome
another advantage the red wheats possess is their comparative immunity from the attacks of mildew and fly
mode boil the rice in water until it is quite tender pour off the water and put the rice before it is cold to the flour
illustration maize plant
maize next to wheat and rice maize is the grain most used in the nourishment of man
if carried any distance it should be stored away in air tight vessels
some of the preparations of maize flour are very good and when partaken in moderation suitable food for almost everybody
mode let the tartaric acid and salt be reduced to the finest possible powder then mix them well with the flour
sour milk or buttermilk may be used but then a little less acid will be needed
excellent rolls
hot rolls
seventeen twenty four
when they are quite hot divide them lengthwise into three put some thin flakes of good butter between the slices press the rolls together and put them in the oven for a minute or two but not longer or the butter would oil take them out of the oven spread the butter equally over divide the rolls in half and put them on to a very hot clean dish and send them instantly to table
to make dry toast
never use new bread for making any kind of toast as it eats heavy and besides is very extravagant
move it backwards and forwards until the bread is nicely coloured then turn it and toast the other side and do not place it so near the fire that it blackens
to make hot buttered toast seventeen twenty six
a loaf of household bread about two days old answers for making toast better than cottage bread the latter not being a good shape and too crusty for the purpose
cut as many nice even slices as may be required rather more than one quarter inch in thickness and toast them before a very bright fire without allowing the bread to blacken which spoils the appearance and flavour of all toast
soyer recommends that each slice should be cut into pieces as soon as it is buttered and when all are ready that they should be piled lightly on the dish they are intended to be served on
he says that by cutting through four or five slices at a time all the butter is squeezed out of the upper ones while the bottom one is swimming in fat liquid
muffins and crumpets should always be served on separate dishes and both toasted and served as expeditiously as possible
sufficient allow two crumpets to each person
plain buns seventeen twenty nine
mode put the flour into a basin mix the sugar well with it make a hole in the centre and stir in the yeast and milk which should be lukewarm with enough of the flour to make it the thickness of cream
from fifteen to twenty minutes will be required to bake them nicely
these buns may be varied by adding a few currants candied peel or caraway seeds to the other ingredients and the above mixture answers for hot cross buns by putting in a little ground allspice and by pressing a tin mould in the form of a cross in the centre of the bun
sufficient to make twelve buns seasonable at any time light buns
illustration buns
victoria buns seventeen thirty two
mode whisk the egg stir in the sugar and beat these ingredients well together beat the butter to a cream stir in the ground rice currants and candied peel and as much flour as will make it of such a consistency that it may be rolled into seven or eight balls
italian rusks
they should be kept in a closed tin canister in a dry place to preserve their crispness
it is not cultivated in england being principally confined to the east
when we take into account that the arabians are fond of lizards and locusts as articles of food their cuisine altogether is scarcely a tempting one
seventeen thirty four
illustration rusks
mode put the milk and butter into a saucepan and keep shaking it round until the latter is melted
when cold they should be put into tin canisters to keep them dry and if intended for the cheese course the sifted sugar should be omitted
mister quilter is the apostle of the middle classes and we are glad to welcome his gospel
nor is mister quilter's manner less interesting than his matter
he tells us that at this festive season of the year with christmas and roast beef looming before us similes drawn from eating and its results occur most readily to the mind
he has grave doubts whether sir frederick leighton's work is really greek after all and can discover in it but little of rocky ithaca
linnell's pictures are a sort of up guards and at em paintings and mason's exquisite idylls are as national as a jingo poem mister birket foster's landscapes smile at one much in the same way that mister carker used to flash his teeth and mister john collier gives his sitter a cheerful slap on the back before he says like a shampooer in a turkish bath next man
it is obviously unnecessary for us to point out how luminous these criticisms are how delicate in expression
on the general principles of art mister quilter writes with equal lucidity
painting he tells us is of a different quality to mathematics and finish in art is adding more fact
as for etchings they are of two kinds british and foreign
he laments most bitterly the divorce that has been made between decorative art and what we usually call pictures makes the customary appeal to the last judgment and reminds us that in the great days of art michael angelo was the furnishing upholsterer
near the fire and the ornaments fred brought home from india on the mantel board
in fact he is quite severe on mister ruskin for not recognising that a picture should denote the frailty of man and remarks with pleasing courtesy and felicitous grace that many phases of feeling
only unfortunately his own work never does get good
mister quilter has missed his chance for he has failed even to make himself the tupper of painting
by harry quilter m a
because you were sleeping instead of conquering the lovely rose princess has become a fiddle without a bow while poor shaggy sits there a cooing dove
he has gone and gone for good answered polychrome who had managed to squeeze into the room beside the dragon and had witnessed the occurrences with much interest
i have remained a prisoner only because i wished to be one and with this he stepped forward and burst the stout chains as easily as if they had been threads
the little girl had been asleep but she heard the raps and opened the door
the king has fled in disgrace and your friends are asking for you
i begged ruggedo long ago to send him away but he would not do so
i also offered to help your brother to escape but he would not go
he eats and sleeps very steadily replied the new king
i hope he doesn't work too hard said shaggy
he doesn't work at all
in fact there is nothing he can do in these dominions as well as our nomes whose numbers are so great that it worries us to keep them all busy
not exactly returned kaliko
where is my brother now
inquired shaggy in the metal forest
where is that
the metal forest is in the great domed cavern the largest in all our dominions replied kaliko
kaliko hesitated
however if we look sharp we may be able to discover one of these secret ways
oh no i'm quite sure he didn't
that's funny remarked betsy thoughtfully
i don't believe ann knew any magic or she'd have worked it before
i do not know confessed shaggy
true agreed kaliko
kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it just as ruggedo used to do but no one answered the summons
having returned to the royal cavern kaliko first pounded the gong and then sat in the throne wearing ruggedo's discarded ruby crown and holding in his hand the sceptre which ruggedo had so often thrown at his head
a man said to the universe sir i exist
sweat covered brion's body trickling into the tight loincloth that was the only garment he wore
the cut on his chest still dripping blood the ache of his overstrained eyes even the soaring arena around him with the thousands of spectators were trivialities not worth thinking about
his instant of panic was followed by a small sharp blow high on his chest
one minute a voice said and the time buzzer sounded
a minute is not a very large measure of time and his body needed every fraction of it
the buzzer's whirr triggered his muscles into complete relaxation
only his heart and lungs worked on at a strong measured rate
he was in reverie sliding along the borders of consciousness
the contestants in the twenties needed undisturbed rest therefore nights in the dormitories were as quiet as death
particularly so on this last night when only two of the little cubicles were occupied the thousands of others standing with dark empty doors
the other voice snapped with a harsh urgency clearly used to command
i'm here because the matter is of utmost importance and brandd is the one i must see now stand aside
the twenties
he must have drawn his gun because the intruder said quickly put that away you're being a fool out
there was silence then and still wondering brion was once more asleep
ten seconds
he asked the handler who was kneading his aching muscles
a red haired mountain of a man with an apparently inexhaustible store of energy
there could be little art in this last and final round of fencing
just thrust and parry and victory to the stronger
every man who entered the twenties had his own training tricks
there appeared to be an immediate association with the death trauma as if the two were inextricably linked into one
the strength that enables someone in a trance to hold his body stiff and unsupported except at two points the head and heels
this is physically impossible when conscious
others had died before during the twenties and death during the last round was in some ways easier than defeat
breathing deeply brion softly spoke the auto hypnotic phrases that triggered the process
when the buzzer sounded he pulled his foil from his second's startled grasp and ran forward
irolg looked amazed at the sudden fury of the attack then smiled
he thought it was a last burst of energy he knew how close they both were to exhaustion
brion saw something close to panic on his opponent's face when the man finally recognized his error
a wave of despair rolled out from irolg brion sensed it and knew the fifth point was his
then the powerful twist that thrust it aside in and under the guard
forgotten too the name of gillian the lovely captive
worse and worse he is even presumed to be the captive's sweetheart who wheedles the flower the ring and the prison key out of the strict virgins for his own purposes and flies with her at last in his shallop across the sea to live with her happily ever after
but this is a fallacy
the wandering singer approaches them with his lute
the emperor's daughter
lady lady my rose white lady but will you not hear a roundel lady
o if you play us a roundel singer how can that harm the emperor's daughter
she would not speak though we danced a week with her thoughts a thousand leagues over the water singer singer wandering singer o my honey sweet singer
but if i play you a roundel lady get me a gift from the emperor's daughter her finger ring for my finger bring though she's pledged a thousand leagues over the water lady lady my fair lady o my rose white lady
the wandering singer
but i did once have the luck to hear and see the lady played in entirety the children had been granted leave to play just one more game before bed time and of course they chose the longest and played it without missing a syllable
the ladies in yellow dresses stand again in a ring about the emperor's daughter and are for the last time accosted by the singer with his lute
the wandering singer
i'll play for you now neath the apple bough and you shall dream on the lawn so shady lady lady my fair lady o my apple gold lady
the ladies
now you may play a serena singer a dream of night for an apple gold lady for the fruit is now on the apple bough and the moon is up and the lawn is shady singer singer wandering singer o my honey sweet singer
once more the singer plays and the ladies dance but one by one they fall asleep to the drowsy music and then the singer steps into the ring and unlocks the tower and kisses the emperor's daughter
i don't know what becomes of the ladies
bed time children
you see the treatment is a trifle fanciful
how we must simplify
it seems to me more and more as i live longer that most poetry and most literature and particularly the literature of the past is discordant with the vastness and variety the reserves and resources and recuperations of life as we live it to day
it is the expression of life under cruder and more rigid conditions than ours lived by people who loved and hated more naively aged sooner and died younger than we do
we range wider last longer and escape more and more from intensity towards understanding
and already this astounding blow begins to take its place among other events as a thing strange and terrible indeed but related to all the strangeness and mystery of life part of the universal mysteries of despair and futility and death that have troubled my consciousness since childhood
for a time the death of mary obscured her life for me but now her living presence is more in my mind again
it was that idea of waste that dominated my mind in a strange interview i had with justin
i became grotesquely anxious to assure him that indeed she and i had been as they say innocent throughout our last day together
you were wrong in all that i said she kept her faith with you
we never planned to meet and when we met
if we had been brother and sister indeed there was nothing
but now it doesn't seem to matter very much
and it is upon this effect of sweet and beautiful possibilities caught in the net of animal jealousies and thoughtless motives and ancient rigid institutions that i would end this writing
in mary it seems to me i found both womanhood and fellowship i found what many have dreamt of love and friendship freely given and i could do nothing but clutch at her to make her my possession
what alternative was there for her
she was destroyed not merely by the unconsidered undisciplined passions of her husband and her lover but by the vast tradition that sustains and enforces the subjugation of her sex
he had never been father lover husband friend
the heart of that ex convict was full of virginity
his sister and his sister's children had left him only a vague and far off memory which had finally almost completely vanished he had made every effort to find them and not having been able to find them he had forgotten them
he suffered all the pangs of a mother and he knew not what it meant for that great and singular movement of a heart which begins to love is a very obscure and a very sweet thing
only as he was five and fifty and cosette eight years of age all that might have been love in the whole course of his life flowed together into a sort of ineffable light
cosette on her side had also unknown to herself become another being poor little thing
she felt that which she had never felt before a sensation of expansion
the man no longer produced on her the effect of being old or poor she thought jean valjean handsome just as she thought the hovel pretty
nature a difference of fifty years had set a profound gulf between jean valjean and cosette destiny filled in this gulf
to meet was to find each other
when these two souls perceived each other they recognized each other as necessary to each other and embraced each other closely
moreover jean valjean had chosen his refuge well
he had paid her six months in advance and had commissioned the old woman to furnish the chamber and dressing room as we have seen
week followed week these two beings led a happy life in that hovel
cosette was no longer in rags she was in mourning
and then he talked of her mother and he made her pray
he passed hours in watching her dressing and undressing her doll and in listening to her prattle
the best of us are not exempt from egotistical thoughts
he had returned to prison this time for having done right he had quaffed fresh bitterness disgust and lassitude were overpowering him even the memory of the bishop probably suffered a temporary eclipse though sure to reappear later on luminous and triumphant but after all that sacred memory was growing dim
who knows whether jean valjean had not been on the eve of growing discouraged and of falling once more
alas he walked with no less indecision than cosette
he protected her and she strengthened him
he was that child's stay and she was his prop
once there was a father who thought he would build for his children a beautiful home putting into it every thing they could need or desire throughout their lives
the sweetest perfumes floated through the air while thousands of birds answered the music of fountains with their songs
why did he give that so odd a shape or so strange a covering
and so through many questions and many experiments they learn at last how to use the contents of this one storehouse
the entrance is light because it opens so wide but we can see that the floor slopes downward and the way looks dark and narrow before us
walk down the sloping foot path now and be careful to keep out of the way of the little cars that are coming and going on each side of you loaded on one side and empty on the other and seeming to run up and down by themselves
look a little closer while our guide lets the light of his lamp fall upon the black wall at your side
see beneath your feet is the marking of great tree trunks lying aslant across the floor and the forms of gigantic palm leaves strewed among them
here is something different rounded like a nut shell you can split off one side and behold there is the nut lying snugly as does any chestnut in its bur
ferns and palms mosses and trees and animals all perfect all beautiful and yet all hidden away under this hill and turned into shining black coal now i can very well remember when i first saw a coal fire and how odd it looked to see what seemed to be burning stones
for when i was a little girl we always had logs of wood blazing in an open fireplace and so did many other people and coal was just coming into use for fuel
what should we have done if everybody had kept on burning wood to this day
these forests were of trees different in some ways from those we have now great ferns as tall as this house and mosses as high as little trees and palm leaves of enormous size
then the hills were piled up on top of it all but here and there some edge of a coal bed was tilted up and appeared above the ground
but by and by the wise men thought about it and said to themselves we must find out what useful purpose god made the gas for we know that he does not make any thing for harm only
it was only a trouble to the gas makers who had no use for it and even threw it away until some one more thoughtful than the others found out that water would not pass through it
don't you see how many uses we have found for this refuse coal tar
when your hands or lips are cracked and rough from the cold does your mother ever put on glycerin to heal them
fortunately will halley was not a man in a hurry and did not use a press of canvas or his masts would inevitably have come down
john mangles therefore hoped that the wretched hull would reach port without accident but it grieved him that his companions should have to suffer so much discomfort from the defective arrangements of the brig
their friends did their best to amuse them
their minds were so distracted at this change of route as to be quite unhinged
much as they had been interested in his dissertation on the pampas or australia his lectures on new zealand fell on cold and indifferent ears
his eyes wandered ceaselessly over the blank horizon
what then my lord
god keep us from such a meeting why john
we could not even fly fly john
yes my lord we should try in vain
we would fight to the death of course but after that
think of lady glenarvan think of mary grant
will halley is a brute but i am keeping my eyes open and if the coast looks dangerous i will put the ship's head to sea again
so that on that score there is little or no danger
but as to getting alongside the duncan god forbid
they were not to leave it again till the tops of the wahiti ranges were lit with the first fires of day
they had one night in which to prepare for death
the meal ended
sleep which keeps all sorrow in abeyance soon weighed down their eyelids they slept in each other's arms overcome by exhaustion and prolonged watching
if it is decreed that we die to morrow let us die bravely like christian men ready to appear without terror before the supreme judge
god who reads our hearts knows that we had a noble end in view
glenarvan's voice firm till now faltered
john you have promised mary what i promised lady helena what is your plan
i believe said john that in the sight of god i have a right to fulfill that promise
my lord whichever of us survives the other will fulfill the wish of lady helena and mary grant
at last the major said my friends keep that to the last moment
the jailer may forget that he is on guard the prisoner never forgets that he is guarded
on that side descent was impossible and had it been possible the bottom was shut in by the enormous rock
listen said he motioning them to stoop
animal or man answered the major i will soon find out
wilson and olbinett joined their companions and all united to dig through the wall john with his dagger the others with stones taken from the ground or with their nails while mulrady stretched along the ground watched the native guard through a crevice of the matting
what could be the object
did they know of the existence of the prisoners or was it some private enterprise that led to the undertaking
their fingers bled but still they worked on after half an hour they had gone three feet deep they perceived by the increased sharpness of the sounds that only a thin layer of earth prevented immediate communication
john mangles inserting the blade of his poniard avoided the knife which now protruded above the soil but seized the hand that wielded it
but softly as the name was breathed mary grant already awakened by the sounds in the hut slipped over toward glenarvan and seizing the hand all stained with earth she covered it with kisses
watch the savages outside said robert
round his body was rolled a long coil of flax rope
my child my child murmured lady helena the savages did not kill you
ferdinand meditates over his good fortune
in moments of deep feeling alike sudden bursts of prosperity as in darker hours man must be alone
it requires some self communion to prepare ourselves for good fortune as well as to encounter difficulty and danger and disgrace
this violent and triumphant revolution in his prospects and his fortunes was hardly yet completely comprehended by our friend ferdinand armine and when he had left a note for the generous mirabel whose slumbers he would not disturb at this early hour even with good news he strolled along up charles street and to the park in one of those wild and joyous reveries in which we brood over coming bliss and create a thousand glorious consequences
ferdinand felt his freedom as well as his happiness
it was indeed her handwriting
restless with impending joy he sauntered to the bridge and leant over the balustrade gazing on the waters in charmed and charming vacancy
how many incidents how many characters how many feelings flitted over his memory of what sweet and bitter experience did he not chew the cud
four and twenty hours ago and he deemed himself the most miserable and forlorn of human beings and now all the blessings of the world seemed showered at his feet
the most gifted individuals in the land emulated each other in proving which entertained for him the most sincere affection
he could not flatter himself that he indeed merited such singular blessings and yet with all his faults which with him were but the consequences of his fiery youth ferdinand had been faithful to henrietta
his constancy to her was now rewarded
as for his friends the future must prove his gratitude to them
it was indeed dancing on a volcano
and now all had ended so happily
was it not all a dream of his own creation while his eye had been fixed in abstraction on that bright and flowing river
he might be enchanted but that was the talisman
in the present unsettled though hopeful state of affairs ferdinand would not go home
in exactly ten minutes it is in the power of every man to free himself from all the tumult of the world the pangs of love the throbs of ambition the wear and tear of play the recriminating boudoir the conspiring club the rattling hell and find himself in a sublime sylvan solitude superior to the cedars of lebanon and inferior only in extent to the chestnut forests of anatolia
is papa alone enquired miss temple
through the influence of hon thomas l hamer he was admitted at west point in eighteen thirty nine
at this time grant was not taken with war and probably evinced little interest in army tactics
grant acted as mustering officer until being commissioned colonel of the twenty first illinois volunteers he took the field
general halleck in speaking of this battle said
indeed if ever a general deserved honor grant had won it he had opened the mississippi to navigation and had captured nearly one hundred thousand prisoners and arms
he was now commander of all the federal forces
the capture of lee was a far more difficult undertaking
time wore away and on the ninth of april eighteen sixty five grant captured the confederate army under lee thus virtually ending the war
when his public services were finished he started in company with his wife son jesse and a few friends
his success seems to have been the outgrowth of hard study and ability to perform the most exhaustive labor without fatigue
a person would think that after a family had lived so long in a place all the neighbors would be fond of them yet it is not so
it is disgraceful
they thought the trouble came from bad bringing up or no bringing up at all
they always ate plain food and plenty of it and they never ate between meals
you would think that with six legs apiece and three joints in each leg they might walk quite fast yet they never did
they did not breathe it into their mouths or through gills but took it in through some openings in the back part of their bodies
both lips asked the larvae
well our lower lips anyway answered the nymph
our upper lips are so small they don't matter
they knew that whenever they stuck out their lower lips at the small fishes and bugs they swam away as fast as they could
indeed the lower lip of a dragon fly child might well frighten people for it is fastened on a long jointed arm like thing and has pincers on it with which it catches and holds its food
but sometimes he straightens the joint and holds his lip out before him and then its pincers catch hold of things he does this when he is hungry
scared dah who's afraid answered he
here comes the snapping turtle
sure enough there he came through the shallow water his wet back shell partly out of it and shining in the sunlight
they thought he might be going to take a nap after his dinner
he began to draw in his legs very very slowly and just as his great hard lower shell touched the mud the last larva crawled out under his tail
the nymphs had already gotten away
some are wonderfully wrought pretty little homes for birdikins
indeed it is not a nest at all only the beginning of one
and there is an old story about this which i shall tell you
oh what shall we do for a home
and the poor silly things ruffled up their feathers and looked miserable as only a little bird can look when it is unhappy
she was indeed a clever bird
she popped into her new house and sat there comfortably peering out through the window slits with her sharp little eyes
and she saw the other birds hopping about and twittering helplessly
then all the other birds chirped eagerly yes yes let us ask her to teach us
so in a great company they came fluttering hopping twittering up to the elm tree where mother magpie nestled comfortably in her new house
o wise mother magpie dear mother magpie they cried teach us how to build our nests like yours for it is growing night and we are tired and sleepy
the magpie said she would teach them if they would be a patient diligent obedient class of little birds
and where each bird perched there it was to build its nest
she began to show them how to weave the bits of things together into nests as they should be made
and some of the birds who were attentive and careful soon saw how it was done and started nice homes for themselves
i thought that was the way to begin
certainly of course screamed the jackdaw
here wood pigeon said mother magpie you must place those sticks through and across criss cross criss cross so
criss cross criss cross so interrupted the wood pigeon
you say you know all about it then go on and finish your nests by yourselves
much luck may you have
and away she flew to her own cosy nest in the elm tree where she was soon fast asleep forgetting all about the matter
but the wood pigeon was in the worst case of them all
for she had only the foundation laid criss cross as the magpie had shown her
one who writes of such an era labours under a troublesome disadvantage
in the present case that disadvantage is doubled for while the sins of the church however heinous were still such as admit of being expressed in words the sins of the heathen world against which she fought were utterly indescribable and the christian apologist is thus compelled for the sake of decency to state the church's case far more weakly than the facts deserve
not be it ever remembered that the slightest suspicion of immorality attaches either to the heroine of this book or to the leading philosophers of her school for several centuries
that divine word who is the light who lighteth every man which cometh into the world had awakened in the heart of mankind a moral craving never before felt in any strength except by a few isolated philosophers or prophets
the very emperors had arrayed themselves on her side
julian's last attempt to restore paganism by imperial influence had only proved that the old faith had lost all hold upon the hearts of the masses at his death the great tide wave of new opinion rolled on unchecked and the rulers of earth were fain to swim with the stream to accept in words at least the church's laws as theirs to acknowledge a king of kings to whom even they owed homage and obedience and to call their own slaves their poorer brethren and often too their spiritual superiors
but if the emperors had become christian the empire had not
in the meanwhile the minds of men cut adrift from their ancient moorings wandered wildly over pathless seas of speculative doubt and especially in the more metaphysical and contemplative east attempted to solve for themselves the questions of man's relation to the unseen by those thousand schisms heresies and theosophies it is a disgrace to the word philosophy to call them by it on the records of which the student now gazes bewildered unable alike to count or to explain their fantasies
they brought before the minds of churchmen a thousand new questions which must be solved unless the church was to relinquish for ever her claims as the great teacher and satisfier of the human soul
but the health of a church depends not merely on the creed which it professes not even on the wisdom and holiness of a few great ecclesiastics but on the faith and virtue of its individual members
the mens sana must have a corpus sanum to inhabit
and the new blood at the era of this story was at hand
tribe after tribe was crowding down to the alps and trampling upon each other on the frontiers of the empire
the huns singly their inferiors pressed them from behind with the irresistible weight of numbers italy with her rich cities and fertile lowlands beckoned them on to plunder as auxiliaries they had learned their own strength and roman weakness a casus belli was soon found
how iniquitous was the conduct of the sons of theodosius in refusing the usual bounty by which the goths were bribed not to attack the empire the whole pent up deluge burst over the plains of italy and the western empire became from that day forth a dying idiot while the new invaders divided europe among themselves
the countless treasures which five centuries of rapine had accumulated round the capitol had become the prey of men clothed in sheepskins and horse hide and the sister of an emperor had found her beauty virtue and pride of race worthily matched by those of the hard handed northern hero who led her away from italy as his captive and his bride to found new kingdoms in south france and spain and to drive the newly arrived vandals across the straits of gibraltar into the then blooming coast land of northern africa
that extraordinary reform in morals which according to salvian and his contemporaries the vandal conquerors worked in north africa availed them nothing they lost more than they gave
climate bad example and the luxury of power degraded them in one century into a race of helpless and debauched slave holders doomed to utter extermination before the semi gothic armies of belisarius and with them vanished the last chance that the gothic races would exercise on the eastern world the same stern yet wholesome discipline under which the western had been restored to life
that wonderful metaphysic subtlety which in phrases and definitions too often unmeaning to our grosser intellect saw the symbols of the most important spiritual realities and felt that on the distinction between homoousios and homoiousios might hang the solution of the whole problem of humanity was set to battle in alexandria the ancient stronghold of greek philosophy with the effete remains of the very scientific thought to which it owed its extraordinary culture
to synesius's most charming letters as well as to those of isidore the good abbot of pelusium i beg leave to refer those readers who wish for further information about the private life of the fifth century
i cannot hope that these pages will be altogether free from anachronisms and errors
the place seemed fragrant with all the riches of greek thought and song since the days when ptolemy philadelphus walked there with euclid and theocritus callimachus and lycophron
the room had neither carpet nor fireplace and the only movables in it were a sofa bed a table and an arm chair all of such delicate and graceful forms as may be seen on ancient vases of a far earlier period than that whereof we write
but most probably had any of us entered that room that morning we should not have been able to spare a look either for the furniture or the general effect or the museum gardens or the sparkling mediterranean beyond but we should have agreed that the room was quite rich enough for human eyes for the sake of one treasure which it possessed and beside which nothing was worth a moment's glance
she has lifted her eyes off her manuscript she is looking out with kindling countenance over the gardens of the museum her ripe curling greek lips such as we never see now even among her own wives and sisters open
if they have ceased to guide nations they have not ceased to speak to their own elect
if they have cast off the vulgar herd they have not cast off hypatia
to be welcomed into the celestial ranks of the heroic to rise to the immortal gods to the ineffable powers onward upward ever through ages and through eternities till i find my home at last and vanish in the glory of the nameless and the absolute one
i to believe against the authority of porphyry himself too in evil eyes and magic
what do i care for food
how can he whose sphere lies above the stars stoop every moment to earth
ay she answered half bitterly and would that we could live without food and imitate perfectly the immortal gods
there is fruit with lentils and rice waiting for you in the next room and bread unless you despise it too much
strange that men should be content to grovel and be men when they might rise to the rank of gods
not that such a creature as that disturbs me no created thing i hope can move my equanimity but if i could stoop to hate i should hate her hate her
and her voice took a tone which made it somewhat uncertain whether in spite of all the lofty impassibility which she felt bound to possess she did not hate pelagia with a most human and mundane hatred
his excellency madam the prefect
and why should that disturb me let him enter
he had been a clerk in a banking house and was transported for embezzlement though by some grave doubts as to his guilt were entertained
when the muster bell rang and the gang broke up rufus dawes on his silent way to his separate cell observed a notable change of custom in the disposition of the new convict
i'm not to go in there says the ex bank clerk drawing back in dismay from the cloud of foul faces which lowered upon him
what is he more than anybody else said the wretched man to himself as he hugged his misery close
about dawn the next morning mister north who amongst other vagaries not approved of by his bishop had a habit of prowling about the prison at unofficial hours was attracted by a dispute at the door of the dormitory
a prisoner refractory your reverence said the watchman
wants to come out mister north
kirkland ghastly pale bleeding with his woollen shirt torn and his blue eyes wide open with terror was clinging to the bars
and beat on the bars with white and sweating hands
i order you sir north cried indignant
very sorry your reverence but your reverence knows that i daren't do such a thing
oh you ministers of christ wolves in sheep's clothing you shall be judged for this
let him out cried north again stamping his foot
there's more trouble with you bloody aristocrats than enough lie quiet
you can guess what that unhappy boy has suffered
impertinent young beggar said burgess
do him good curse him
it's hard for such young uns
have you ever been in that that place i was in last night asked kirkland
what does he care care
if you fall we must fall over you and then you're done for
he had hardly uttered the words when the boy flung himself beneath the log
hold on to me miss nancy said the giant i'm big enough to carry double
but kirkland kept steadily on for the river
just as he reached it however the figure of mister north rose from behind a pile of stones
kirkland jumped for the jetty missed his footing and fell into the arms of the chaplain
oh mister north says kirkland why did you stop me
must stop that fifty lashes troke
that last fellow you had ought to have been tied up himself
i won't have my men knocked up with flogging these rascals
very good your honour says troke
captain frere says that the scenery is delightful
abandoned indeed by god and man almost
in the valley of the shadow of death he is with us
you have not been long in the colony mister meekin
if you please said meekin gravely
pray help yourself to wine
have you many visitors captain burgess very few
i was quartered with him at sarah island
so he's a friend of yours eh
i had the pleasure of meeting him in society
he is just married you know is he said burgess
the devil he is i heard something about it too
yes one oughtn't to leave the colony without seeing it says burgess it's worth seeing
in fact the ringleader john rex gave me his confession and i sent it to the bishop
a great rascal put in north
well now said meekin with asperity i don't agree with you
he seems to me to be truly penitent for his offences a misguided but not a hypocritical man if my knowledge of human nature goes for anything i hope he is said north
there's no fear of him said burgess cheerily if he grows uproarious we'll soon give him a touch of the cat
i suppose severity is necessary returned meekin though to my ears a flogging sounds a little distasteful
i have these attacks at times
the reverend meekin eyed his clerical brother with horror the reverend meekin was not accustomed to clergymen who wore black neckties smoked clay pipes chewed tobacco and drank neat brandy out of tumblers
so they went on to the verandah and looked down upon the lights of the prison and listened to the sea lapping the shore
by and by a short figure smoking a cheroot came up out of the dark and proved to be doctor macklewain who had been prevented from attending the dinner by reason of an accident to a constable at norfolk bay which had claimed his professional attention
dead said doctor macklewain
delighted to see you mister meekin
but macklewain was tired and wanted to get home
our roads lie together doctor
before the two clergymen had got half way down the steep path that led from the commandant's house to the flat on which the cottages of the doctor and chaplain were built macklewain rejoined them
another flogging to morrow said he grumblingly
whom is he going to flog now
you don't mean to say he's going to flog kirkland
perhaps you'll have the goodness to allow me to be the best judge of that returned macklewain drawing up his little body to its least insignificant stature
mister meekin expressed some alarm but doctor macklewain re assured him
we can't do anything without evidence complain
i shall find my portmanteau in my room you said yes yes
he sleeps at the back and north hurried off
an impulsive gentleman said meekin to macklewain as the sound of mister north's footsteps died away in the distance
macklewain shook his head seriously
he has the strangest fits at times
unless it's a cancer in the stomach i don't know what it can be cancer in the stomach
doctor we all have our crosses have we not
how delightful the grass smells
good night sir i hope you will be comfortable
i'll teach my prisoners to attempt suicide
that's macklewain's business
then don't you interfere with me sir
i've given my orders sir
then captain burgess cried north his pale face flushing i tell you the boy's blood will be on your head
i am a minister of god sir and i forbid you to commit this crime
damn your impertinence sir burst out burgess
you're a dismissed officer of the government sir
this of course was mere bravado on the part of the commandant
north knew well that he would never dare to attempt any such act of violence but the insult stung him like the cut of a whip
show mister north out he said and go down to the barracks and tell troke that kirkland is to have a hundred lashes to morrow
i'll show you who's master here my good sir
this is murderous
the government may go to and you too roared burgess get out
they shall not flog that boy he said
i'll report this to the government
i wish i hadn't taken that brandy he said fool that i am
oh god give me strength aid me help me
o lord look down upon me
he mixed a teaspoonful of this in a pannikin of water and drank it
it relieved him for a while
it was as though he had reached the crisis of a disease which had been for days gathering force
i must have a teaspoonful he said to allay the craving
twice he paused on the way to the sitting room and twice was he driven on by a power stronger than his will
he smelt the nutty aroma of the spirit
that at all times debasing at this particular time it was infamous that a vice unworthy of any man was doubly sinful in a man of education and a minister of god in vain
in the midst of his arguments he found himself at the cupboard with the bottle at his lips in an attitude that was at once ludicrous and horrible
when we took our seats at the breakfast table it was with the feeling of being no longer looked upon as connected in any way with this case
instantly they absorbed all my attention though i dared not give them a direct look and continued to observe them only in the glass
yes and a very respectable one
the lady is not the mother of the boys but their aunt
the boys belong to the gentleman who is a widower
george nodded
the boys look wide awake enough if the father does not
do they still insist that miss challoner was the only person in the room with them at this time
george
have you ever thought that she might have been a suicide
i know it sounds foolish but the alternative is so improbable
the boys look wide awake enough but who can tell i would sooner believe that
a man was looking in from the corridor behind at the four persons we were just discussing
i inquired of george with my eyes still on this furtive watcher
i took quite a fancy to him why
i am looking at him now
just an everyday detective but ambitious i suppose and quite alive to the importance of being thorough
yes he's mercurial in all his movements
what does he want
i asked as soon as george had returned to my side
he wants me to stand ready to obey any summons the police may send me
i emphasised complacently
he appeared to know for he told me at once that he was detective gryce a man who had grown old in solving just such baffling problems as these
he gave up work some time ago i have been told my husband went on but evidently a great case still has its allurement for him
the trail here must be a very blind one for them to call him in
i wish we had not left so soon
he was late of course but when he did appear i almost forgot our usual greeting in my hurry to ask him if he had seen the evening papers
however a little later we had a comfortable chat
it was one which gave me a small triumph over george
the suggestion he had laughed at was not so entirely foolish as he had been pleased to consider it
their greeting was cordial and the lines on the latter's face relaxed a little as he met the still bright eye of the man upon whose instinct and judgment so much reliance had always been placed
this is very good of you he began glancing down at the aged detective's bundled up legs and gently pushing a chair towards him
it's the most inexplicable there
but clews there are absolutely none
that is we have not been able to find any perhaps you can
at least that is what we hope
it's a case in a thousand gryce
the old man's eyes shot fire and unconsciously one foot slipped to the floor
she had no companion near her
no word no cry just a collapse and sudden fall
in olden days they would have said struck by a bolt from heaven
what do you make of it gryce
i should like to see the desk you speak of and the spot where she fell
a young fellow who had been hovering in the background at once stepped forward
he was the plain faced detective who had spoken to george
this sweetwater as they called him was i have since understood one of his proteges and more or less of a favourite
been over the ground studied the affair carefully
very well then you're in a position to pioneer me
well well that's honest at all events
but i'm in no position to make promises
old days don't return for the asking
whether he got anything else it would be impossible to say from his manner as he finally sank into a chair by one of the openings and looked down on the lobby below
one or two of the musicians from the end of the hall
naturally they reached her first
mark sowerby and claus hennerberg
honest germans men who have played here for years
who came next on the scene some people from the lobby
anybody before the father came in
yes miss clarke the middle aged lady with the parrishes
i suppose she has been carefully questioned very i should say
and she speaks of no weapon
not till the doctor came her doctor who was happily in his office in this very building
yes mister slater the assistant manager who was in the lobby at the time says that ten minutes at least must have elapsed
no doubt
sweetwater someone drew that weapon out
not altogether by me
wherever she pleases only i can't walk far
it has not been running since last night or it would be full of curious people all the time hustling to get a glimpse of this place
but they'll put a man on for you
very good manage it as you will
i'll wait here till you're ready explain yourself to the lady tell her i'm an old and rheumatic invalid who has been used to asking his own questions
as her quiet figure appeared in the doorway sweetwater stole a glance at mister gryce
there was no doubting them in this instance
yes
for some little time that is it seemed long though i believe it was not more than a minute before two men came running from the musicians gallery
yes many times
what made the difference
miss clarke started and her sweet face showed a moment's perplexity did i she queried musingly
no a very natural one i should say
and the glance she cast him while not meeting his eye showed that she understood the importance of the admission
i know she said what you are going to ask me now
there was no poniard in the wound
the time is narrowed down to one and in that one miss clarke was the only person to touch her
i will trouble you no further
sweetwater help me out of this
but vigour returned to him before he had well reached the door and he showed some of his old spirit as he thanked miss clarke and turned to take the elevator
the next minute she was in this lady's arms
no weapon protruded from the wound nor was any found on or near her in the mezzanine what follows
she struck the blow herself and the strength of purpose which led her to do this gave her the additional force to pull the weapon out and fling it from her
it did not fall upon the floor around her therefore it flew through one of those openings into the lobby and there it either will be or has been found
he had written a number of books himself among them a history of dancing a history of costume a key to shakespeare's sonnets a study of the poetry of ernest dowson et cetera
hugh's written a delightful part for her and she's quite inexpressible
i happen to have mac connell's box for tonight or there'd be no chance of our getting places
alexander exclaimed mildly
myself i always knew she had it in her
do you know alexander mainhall looked with perplexity up into the top of the hansom and rubbed his pink cheek with his gloved finger do you know i sometimes think of taking to criticism seriously myself
when they entered the stage box on the left the first act was well under way the scene being the interior of a cabin in the south of ireland
as they sat down a burst of applause drew alexander's attention to the stage
of course hilda is irish the burgoynes have been stage people for generations and she has the irish voice
it's delightful to hear it in a london theatre
when she began to dance by way of showing the gossoons what she had seen in the fairy rings at night the house broke into a prolonged uproar
after her dance she withdrew from the dialogue and retreated to the ditch wall back of philly's burrow where she sat singing the rising of the moon and making a wreath of primroses for her donkey
mac connell let me introduce mister bartley alexander
the playwright gave mainhall a curious look out of his deep set faded eyes and made a wry face
he nodded curtly and made for the door dodging acquaintances as he went
i dare say it's quite true that there's never been any one else
he's another who's awfully keen about her let me introduce you
sir harry towne bowed and said that he had met mister alexander and his wife in tokyo
i say sir harry the little girl's going famously to night isn't she
the fact is she's feeling rather seedy poor child
a little attack of nerves possibly
he bowed as the warning bell rang and mainhall whispered you know lord westmere of course the stooped man with the long gray mustache talking to lady dowle
in a moment peggy was on the stage again and alexander applauded vigorously with the rest
in the half light he looked about at the stalls and boxes and smiled a little consciously recalling with amusement sir harry's judicial frown
he leaned forward and beamed felicitations as warmly as mainhall himself when at the end of the play she came again and again before the curtain panting a little and flushed her eyes dancing and her eager nervous little mouth tremulous with excitement
all the same he lifted his glass here's to you little hilda
i'm glad she's held her own since
it was youth and poverty and proximity and everything was young and kindly
on the last saturday in april the new york times published an account of the strike complications which were delaying alexander's new jersey bridge and stated that the engineer himself was in town and at his office on west tenth street
over the fireplace there was a large old fashioned gilt mirror
he rose and crossed the room quickly
of course i know bartley she said at last that after this you won't owe me the least consideration but we sail on tuesday
i saw that interview in the paper yesterday telling where you were and i thought i had to see you that's all good night i'm going now
let me take off your coat and your boots they're oozing water
if you'd sent me a note or telephoned me or anything
i told myself that if i were really thinking of you and not of myself a letter would be better than nothing
he paused they never did to me
oh bartley did you write to me
alexander slipped his arm about her
i think i have felt that you were coming
he bent his face over her hair
and i she whispered i felt that you were feeling that
but when i came i thought i had been mistaken
i've been up in canada with my bridge and i arranged not to come to new york until after you had gone
then when your manager added two more weeks i was already committed
i'm going to do what you asked me to do when you were in london
only i'll do it more completely
then you don't know what you're talking about
yes i know very well
alexander flushed angrily
i don't know what i ought to say but i don't believe you'd be happy truly i don't aren't you trying to frighten me
the last two days of the voyage bartley found almost intolerable
emerging at euston at half past three o'clock in the afternoon alexander had his luggage sent to the savoy and drove at once to bedford square
she blushed and smiled and fumbled his card in her confusion before she ran upstairs
the room was empty when he entered
a coal fire was crackling in the grate and the lamps were lit for it was already beginning to grow dark outside
she called his name on the threshold but in her swift flight across the room she felt a change in him and caught herself up so deftly that he could not tell just when she did it
she merely brushed his cheek with her lips and put a hand lightly and joyously on either shoulder
i never dreamed it would be you bartley
when did you come bartley and how did it happen you haven't spoken a word
she looked at his heavy shoulders and big determined head thrust forward like a catapult in leash
i'll do anything you wish me to bartley she said tremulously
he pulled up a window as if the air were heavy
hilda watched him from her corner trembling and scarcely breathing dark shadows growing about her eyes
it it hasn't always made you miserable has it
always but it's worse now
it's unbearable it tortures me every minute
i am not a man who can live two lives he went on feverishly each life spoils the other
i get nothing but misery out of either
there is this deception between me and everything
at that word deception spoken with such self contempt the color flashed back into hilda's face as suddenly as if she had been struck by a whiplash
she bit her lip and looked down at her hands which were clasped tightly in front of her
could you could you sit down and talk about it quietly bartley as if i were a friend and not some one who had to be defied
he dropped back heavily into his chair by the fire
i have thought about it until i am worn out
after the very first
hilda's face quivered but she whispered yes i think it must have been
she pressed his hand gently in gratitude weren't you happy then at all
something of their troubling sweetness came back to alexander too
presently it stole back to his coat sleeve
yes hilda i know that he said simply
i understand bartley i was wrong
she listened intently but she heard nothing but the creaking of his chair
you want me to say it she whispered
bartley leaned his head in his hands and spoke through his teeth
it's got to be a clean break hilda
oh bartley what am i to do
you ask me to stay away from you because you want me
i will ask the least imaginable but i must have something
hilda sat on the arm of it and put her hands lightly on his shoulders
you see loving some one as i love you makes the whole world different
and then you came back not caring very much but it made no difference
she slid to the floor beside him as if she were too tired to sit up any longer
don't cry don't cry he whispered
they also found a martian calendar the year had been divided into ten more or less equal months and one of them had been doma
bill chandler the zoologist had been going deeper and deeper into the old sea bottom of syrtis
that took the center of interest away from archaeology and started a new burst of activity
the civilian specialists in other fields and the space force people who had been holding tape lines and making sketches and snapping cameras were all flying to lower syrtis to find out how much oxygen there was and what kind of life it supported
they had four or five species of what might loosely be called birds and something that could easily be classed as a reptile and a carnivorous mammal the size of a cat with birdlike claws and a herbivore almost identical with the piglike thing in the big darfhulva mural and another like a gazelle with a single horn in the middle of its forehead
the daily newscasts from terra showed a corresponding shift in interest at home
tony's found the martians
it was locked from the inside and we had to burn it down with a torch that's where they are
gloria standish who had dropped in for lunch was on the mezzanine fairly screaming into a radiophone extension dozen and a half of them
well of course they're dead what a question
martha remembered the closed door on the first survey they hadn't attempted opening it
now it was burned away at both sides and lay still hot along the edges on the floor of the big office room in front
a floodlight was on in the room inside and lattimer was going around looking at things while a space force officer stood by the door
mass suicide that's what it was notice what's in the corners
yes charcoal
so they just came in here and lit the charcoal and sat drinking together till they all fell asleep
the terran public wanted to hear about martians and if live martians couldn't be found a room full of dead ones was the next best thing
tony lattimer the discoverer was beginning to cash in on his attentions to gloria and his ingratiation with sid he was always either making voice and image talks for telecast or listening to the news from the home planet
without question he had become overnight the most widely known archaeologist in history
not that i'm interested in all this for myself he disclaimed after listening to the telecast from terra two days after his discovery
bring it to the public attention dramatize it
so i believe i shall go back at least for a while and see what i can do
lectures
the organization of a society of martian archaeology with anthony lattimer ph d the logical candidate for the chair
i'll be glad to try sir he replied
inside a secret rocket telemetering device was mounted on its test stand
this isn't part of your testing routine is it
another engineer rushed toward the door to see what was happening outside
electronic equipment cascaded from the wall shelves and a heavy duty chain hoist came loose from its overhead track plunging to the floor with a terrifying crash
an instant later it crashed over pinning mark faber beneath it
bud threw up his arms to protect himself but too late
for minutes no one stirred among the wreckage
then tom who had been stunned by some falling debris raised himself to a sitting position
tom's eyes focused in horror on the wreckage enveloped by still billowing dust
the sky was visible through several gaping holes in the roof which was sagging dangerously on its supporting trusses
the young inventor had just noticed his friend lying pinned beneath a heavy beam nearby
his friend's eyelids flickered
we'd better not try to move him tom decided we'll get an ambulance
they picked their way through the wreckage and emerged on a scene of frightful destruction
let's see about getting help for mister faber
and the only truck we had available was in that burning shed the superintendent added bitterly
anyhow we want to help got a job for us
within minutes tom was in charge of clearing away rubble and extricating anyone who might be trapped inside the buildings
the telephone line was soon repaired and a steady stream of rescue vehicles began arriving from harkness fire trucks three ambulances and private cars driven by volunteers
the two girls were as much upset as tom's mother tom laughed
mister swift came into the living room just then and told tom how worried missus swift and sandy had been
he smiled guiltily as he added but i must admit i was more than a little concerned myself
he's a great scientist
tom nodded unhappily
male or female human or animal
mister swift's eyes twinkled
he was young no spear had touched him no poison lurked in his wine
i tell you it is not poison she cried
since his birth he has been guarded so closely that the cleverest poisoners of the east could not reach him
as you well know there are ten men and ten women whose sole duty is to taste his food and wine and fifty armed warriors guard his chamber as they guard it now
a low confused moan waned from his mouth
the man shrugged his broad shoulders and turned back into the arabesque chamber
this man was clad in a brown camel hair robe and sandals and a green turban was on his head
not until the heavens were in the proper order could they perform this necromancy
with a long stained fingernail he mapped the constellations on the marble tiled floor
the slant of the moon presaged evil for the king of vendhya the stars are in turmoil the serpent in the house of the elephant
point of contact inquired the other
all discarded portions of the human body still remain part of it attached to it by intangible connections
but at the urgent entreaty of the princess of khosala who loved bhunda chand vainly he gave her a lock of his long black hair as a token of remembrance
by which a soul is drawn from its body and across gulfs of echoing space returned the man on the mat
on the dais under the golden dome the king cried out again racked by awful paroxysms
they seek to snap the silver cord that binds me to my dying body
they cluster around me their hands are taloned their eyes are red like flame burning in darkness
their fingers sear me like fire
i know now what brings me to the pyre
there they strove to break the silver cord of life and thrust my soul into the body of a foul night weird their sorcery summoned up from hell ah
your cry and the grip of your fingers brought me back but i am going fast
there was the old imperious note in his failing whisper
you have never disobeyed me obey my last command
send my soul clean to asura
her father is a most remarkable person to say the least
but it is quite plain to me that all the arrangements for my wedding are going to be made by the snellings
i do not know when it is going to be but it will be either next week or the week after certainly at the earliest possible moment and i shouldn't be at all surprised to learn that all mary ann's things had been already bought and perhaps some of them marked
it is most delightful
it might just as well be some one else's wedding so unimportant is the part which i am set to play in it
for instance look at their behaviour in the matter of the ring
the accident in question occurred upon the sunday evening
the girl is fretting but you don't seem to notice it
i gasped positively gasped
that's it on your account
from a cousin of ours who's in that line
i never saw people like the snellings for possessing relatives in all sorts of lines
i was persuaded that somebody besides that cousin got a profit out of mary ann's engagement ring but i handed over the amount
it is from her action in that matter that my suspicion springs
there she owns a cottage or it may be a pigstye for all i know
when she heard of my engagement with mary ann she wrote and suggested that we should spend our honeymoon in her cottage or pigstye and that i should pay her rent for it
there were no signs of faltering about her flow of language
i found that as a woman of business she was beyond all my expectations
it turned out that she had a little money of her own about a hundred and thirty pounds a year
and of course i had my expectations and she had hers
it was plain that together we should manage most comfortably delightfully in fact
i shall make papa give me five hundred pounds at least
a bird in the hand is worth two in a bush' and it will be something to have by us
i know what mamma can afford to give and i will see she gives it
and i will see that there is no shirking about the boys or about the girls either
i have drawn up a list of all the people who ought to give us a present and i shall tell them what they ought to give it won't be my fault if i don't get it
of course there are some people with whom you can't be perfectly plain but i shall be as plain as i can there's a way and a manner of doing that kind of thing
hers has been prodigious
she has a knack of getting people to do what she wishes and to give her what she wants which is a little short of miraculous
i notice that they are generally persons who have already tendered their offerings
the fact of having given mary ann a wedding present seems to fill them with a feeling of rancorous acidity which to me is inexplicable
such is the selfishness of human nature
but why on that account they should pity me i altogether fail to understand
we have all been giving mary ann presents and i suppose you mister whiting have been giving her something too
that was what missus macpherson said to me only the other day
and what inquired missus macpherson has mary ann given you her love
someone sniggered
i cannot pretend to explain why except on the supposition that romance is dead at least in that circle of society in which the snellings move
as it is unless i am mistaken some of the rending will be on our side and they know it
p s the cards are out for the wedding
we are going for our honeymoon to italy and the south of france
a second cousin of mary ann's is in the cook's tours line
he has given us free passes all the way to the end of our journey and all the way back again and coupons for free board and lodging at the hotel it's a wedding present
besides which we can always sell the coupons and railway passes which we don't use
i imagine there were several kinds of old fashioned christmases but it could hardly be worse than a chop in my chambers or horror of horrors at the club or my cousin lucy's notion of what she calls the festive season
festive yes
the reply was written in a sprawling feminine hand it was a little vague
it appeared that the terms would be five guineas but there was no mention of the length of time which that fee would cover
the whole thing was a trifle odd
there was nothing said about the sort of accommodation which would be provided nothing about the kind of establishment which was maintained or the table which was kept
now it is a remarkable thing that i have always had an extraordinary predilection for the name madge i do not know why
i have never known a madge and yet from my boyhood upward i have desired to meet one
under such circumstances she was hardly likely to be lively herself but her name was madge and it was the accident of her christian name which decided me to go
i had no illusions
i did not expect a princely entertainment
all night it had been blowing and raining
i felt quite lively myself as i mingled with the christmas crowd looking for things which might not turn out to be absolutely preposterous
i even bought something for madge i mean missus wilson
it was a horrible journey
he was impervious to reason
it is some satisfaction for me to be able to reflect that i made it warm for the officials however cold i might have been myself
when at last i reached crofton my journey's end it turned out that the station staff consisted of a half witted individual who was stationmaster porter and clerk combined and a hulking lad who did whatever else there was to do
no one had come to meet me the village was about half a mile and hangar dene the house for which my steps were bent about four miles by the road how far it was across ploughed fields my informant did not mention
there was a trap at the boy and blunderbuss but that required fetching
when the trap did appear it looked to me uncommonly like an open spring cart
in it i was deposited with my luggage
i did not know what he meant
i did not ask i was beyond it
i was chilled to the bone wet tired hungry
i had long been wishing that an old fashioned christmas had been completely extinct before i had thought of adventuring in quest of one
here we be that might be so
there be the door in front of you you go up three steps if you can find em
there's a knocker if none of em haven't twisted it off
there appeared to be no knocker though whether it had been twisted off was more than i could say
no answer though i allowed a more than decent interval
better ring again suggested the driver hard
maybe they're up to some of their games and wants rousing
the bell reverberated through what seemed like an empty house
presently feet were heard advancing along the passage several pairs it seemed and a light gleamed through the window over the door
a voice inquired who's there
the information was greeted with what sounded uncommonly like a chorus of laughter
there was a rush of retreating feet an expostulating voice then darkness again and silence
who lives here are the people mad
i tolled the bell again
after a vast amount of unfastening the door was opened and on the threshold there stood a girl with a lighted candle in her hand
i'm mister christopher from london
we've lost the key of the cellar and there's nothing out except water and i don't think you'd care for that
with an education which ought to have ensured me an honourable standing in the world with some intelligence wit good literary and scientific knowledge and endowed with those accidental physical qualities which are such a good passport into society i found myself at the age of twenty the mean follower of a sublime art in which if great talent is rightly admired mediocrity is as rightly despised
i was compelled by poverty to become a member of a musical band in which i could expect neither esteem nor consideration and i was well aware that i should be the laughing stock of the persons who had known me as a doctor in divinity as an ecclesiastic and as an officer in the army and had welcomed me in the highest society
i felt that in my first profession as i was not blessed with the vocation necessary to it i should have succeeded only by dint of hypocrisy and i should have been despicable in my own estimation even if i had seen the purple mantle on my shoulders for the greatest dignities cannot silence a man's own conscience
besides i was of opinion that a man's profession whatever it might be ought to supply him with enough money to satisfy all his wants and the very poor pay of an officer would never have been sufficient to cover my expenses because my education had given me greater wants than those of officers in general
our scandalous proceedings often exposed us to the greatest danger
we would very often spend the whole night rambling about the city inventing and carrying into execution the most impertinent practical jokes
we did the same with physicians whom we often sent half dressed to some nobleman who was enjoying excellent health
whenever we could contrive to get into a church tower we thought it great fun to frighten all the parish by ringing the alarm bell as if some fire had broken out but that was not all we always cut the bell ropes so that in the morning the churchwardens had no means of summoning the faithful to early mass
this is the amusing adventure which closed our exploits
in every one of the seventy two parishes of the city of venice there is a large public house called magazzino
yet there are a few private rooms which contain a table surrounded with benches in which a respectable family or a few friends can enjoy themselves in a decent way
the waiter of the magazzino came to be paid and our chief gave him what was due enjoining silence under penalty of death
we took our three prisoners to a large boat
where is my husband
never fear you shall see him again to morrow
my readers may imagine whether we felt inclined to laugh when the charming creature bade us good night thanking us all with perfect good faith
two days afterwards our nocturnal orgy began to be talked of
it went on to say that the two men who had carried her off had taken her to such a place where they had an hour later been met by the other six and that they had all repaired to the two swords where they had spent an hour in drinking
there was no cowardly traitor amongst us although we were all poor but fear had its effect and our nocturnal pranks were not renewed
i picked it up and coming up to him just as he was going down the steps i handed it to him
i told him and he insisted upon my coming with him in the gondola saying that he would leave me at my house
i rubbed it with all my strength but he told me in a sort of indistinct whisper that the numbness was spreading all along the left side and that he was dying
i jumped out of the gondola and found myself on the very spot where three years before i had taught razetta such a forcible lesson i enquired for a surgeon at the first coffee house and ran to the house that was pointed out to me
taking everything upon myself i ordered a servant to hurry out for a physician who came in a short time and ordered the patient to be bled again thus approving the first bleeding prescribed by me
thinking i had a right to watch the sick man i settled myself near his bed to give him every care he required
they did not know who i was and did not like to ask me whilst i thought it better to preserve a modest silence
he had gambled and lost a great deal and his brother was his most bitter enemy because he was infatuated with the idea that he had tried to poison him
the physician who attended him was named terro he thought by some peculiar train of reasoning that he could cure him by applying a mercurial ointment to the chest to which no one raised any objection
delighted with such a fortunate result we lay down again
he entreated me to tell him the truth
what extraordinary things will sometimes occur from mere chance or from the force of circumstances
unwilling to hurt his vanity by telling him that he was mistaken i took the wild resolution of informing him in the presence of his two friends that i possessed a certain numeral calculus which gave answers also in numbers to any questions i liked to put
i obeyed implicitly and met your excellency
the three friends were astounded
i declared myself quite willing for it was necessary to brazen it out after having ventured as far as i had done
he wrote the question and gave it to me i read it i could not understand either the subject or the meaning of the words but it did not matter i had to give an answer
if the question was so obscure that i could not make out the sense of it it was natural that i should not understand the answer
they all asked me how long i would require to teach them the rules of my sublime calculus
not very long i answered and i will teach you as you wish although the hermit assured me that i would die suddenly within three days if i communicated my science to anyone but i have no faith whatever in that prediction
they believed that through me they possessed the philosopher's stone the universal panacea the intercourse with all the elementary heavenly and infernal spirits they had no doubt whatever that thanks to my sublime science they could find out the secrets of every government in europe
but although believing fully in my oracles they were too kind hearted to think them the work of the devil and it suited their natural goodness better to believe my answers inspired by some heavenly spirit
they were not only good christians and faithful to the church but even real devotees and full of scruples
as for the eucharist transubstantiation the real presence it was all no mystery to them but palpable evidence and yet they were not jesuits
i might be told that if i had wished to follow the rules of pure morality i ought either to have declined intimate intercourse with them or to have undeceived them
besides i found it very flattering to my vanity to become the subject of the speculative chattering of empty fools who having nothing else to do are always trying to find out the cause of every moral phenomenon they meet with which their narrow intellect cannot understand
whoever you may be i am indebted to you for my life
your apartment is ready you may send your clothes you shall have a servant a gondola at your orders my own table and ten sequins a month
you need not think of the future think only of enjoying yourself and take me as your adviser in everything that may happen to you in everything you may wish to undertake and you may be certain of always finding me your friend
i threw myself at his feet to assure him of my gratitude and embraced him calling him my father
shasta rambles and modoc memories
arctic beauty and desolation with their blessings and dangers all may be found here to test the endurance and skill of adventurous climbers but far better than climbing the mountain is going around its warm fertile base enjoying its bounties like a bee circling around a bank of flowers
perhaps the profession of doing good may be full but every body should be kind at least to himself
go quietly alone no harm will befall you
but it is far better to go afoot
one blanket will be enough to carry or you may forego the pleasure and burden altogether as wood for fires is everywhere abundant
only a little food will be required
thus one saunters on and on in the glorious radiance in utter peace and forgetfulness of time
yet strange to say there are days even here somewhat dull looking when the mountain seems uncommunicative sending out no appreciable invitation as if not at home
at such time its height seems much less as if crouching and weary it were taking rest
every crystal dances responsive to the touches of the sun and currents of sap in the growing cells of all the vegetation are ever in a vital whirl and rush and though many feet and wings are folded how many are astir
slight rainstorms are likely to be encountered in a trip round the mountain but one may easily find shelter beneath well thatched trees that shed the rain like a roof
then the shining of the wet leaves is delightful and the steamy fragrance and the burst of bird song from a multitude of thrushes and finches and warblers that have nests in the chaparral
a thousand thousand voices are heard but so finely blended they seem a part of the night itself and make a deeper silence
in setting out from strawberry valley by bearing off to the northwestward a few miles you may see
in approaching it its suspicious looking yellow spotted hood and watchful attitude will be likely to make you go cautiously through the bog where it stands as if you were approaching a dangerous snake
it is lined with emerald algae and mosses and shaded with alder willow and thorn bushes which give it a fine setting
it is three or four miles long and terminates at an elevation of about nine thousand five hundred feet above sea level in moraine sprinkled ice cliffs sixty feet high
the long gray slopes leading up to the glacier seem remarkably smooth and unbroken
most of the drainage of the glacier vanishes at once in the porous rocks to reappear in springs in the distant valley and it is only in time of flood that the channel carries much water then there are several fine falls in the gorge six hundred feet or more in height
tracing this wild changing channel gorge gully or canyon the sections will show mount shasta as a huge palimpsest containing the records layer upon layer of strangely contrasted events in its fiery icy history
regaining the low ground at the base of the mountain and holding on in your grand orbit you pass through a belt of juniper woods called the cedars to sheep rock at the foot of the shasta pass
here you strike the old emigrant road which leads over the low divide to the eastern slopes of the mountain
mount bremer is the most noted stronghold of the sheep in the whole shasta region
large flocks dwell here from year to year winter and summer descending occasionally into the adjacent sage plains and lava beds to feed but ever ready to take refuge in the jagged crags of their mountain at every alarm
while traveling with a company of hunters i saw about fifty in one flock
the mule deer are nearly as heavy
their long massive ears give them a very striking appearance
but neither the glorified woods on the one hand nor the lake on the other could at first hold the eye
then fell the gloaming making everything still more forbidding and mysterious
then darkness like death
two or three miles farther on is the main stronghold of the modocs held by them so long and defiantly against all the soldiers that could be brought to the attack
the ducks less wary kept their places merely swimming in and out through openings in the rushes rippling the glassy water and raising spangles in their wake
they are broad rugged crevassed cloudlike masses of down grinding ice pouring forth streams of muddy water as measures of the work they are doing in sculpturing the rocks beneath them very unlike the long majestic glaciers of alaska that riverlike go winding down the valleys through the forests to the sea
thus the shasta river issues from a large lake like spring in shasta valley and about two thirds of the volume of the mc cloud gushes forth in a grand spring on the east side of the mountain a few miles back from its immediate base
should the volume of the stream where you strike it seem small then you will know that you are above the spring if large nearly equal to its volume at its confluence with the pitt river then you are below it and in either case have only to follow the river up or down until you come to it
under certain conditions you may hear the roar of the water rushing from the rock at a distance of half a mile or even more or you may not hear it until within a few rods
the vivid green of the boulders beneath the water is very striking and colors the entire stream with the exception of the portions broken into foam
asplenium epilobium heuchera hazel dogwood and alder make a luxurious fringe and setting and the forests of douglas spruce along the banks are the finest i have ever seen in the sierra
tracing rivers to their fountains makes the most charming of travels
as the life blood of the landscapes the best of the wilderness comes to their banks and not one dull passage is found in all their eventful histories
tracing the mc cloud to its highest springs and over the divide to the fountains of fall river near fort crook thence down that river to its confluence with the pitt on from there to the volcanic region about lassen's butte through the big meadows among the sources of the feather river and down through forests of sugar pine to the fertile plains of chico this is a glorious saunter and imposes no hardship
the ascent of lassen's butte is an easy walk and the views from the summit are extremely telling
the lofty icy shasta towering high above all seems but an hour's walk from you though the distance in an air line is about sixty miles
the big meadows lie near the foot of lassen's butte a beautiful spacious basin set in the heart of the richly forested mountains scarcely surpassed in the grandeur of its surroundings by tahoe
the great wilds of our country once held to be boundless and inexhaustible are being rapidly invaded and overrun in every direction and everything destructible in them is being destroyed
every landscape low and high seems doomed to be trampled and harried
it was established at southwark
the dome of saint paul's was a delight to ursus
saint paul is a saint only with extenuating circumstances
he entered heaven only by the artists door
it might have been ordered for the green box
it was a theatre ready made
against this wall was placed the green box which they were able to draw into the yard owing to the height of the gate
the placard gwynplaine the laughing man taken from its nail in the green box was hung up close to the sign of the inn
by the side of the door was constructed off hand by means of an empty barrel a box for the money taker who was sometimes fibi and sometimes vinos
we are in london said ursus we must be prepared for the gentry
they began their performances
with that exception their success became so great that no mountebank memory could recall its parallel
all southwark ran in crowds to admire the laughing man
the merry andrews and mountebanks of tarrinzeau field were aghast at gwynplaine
gwynplaine ate up their public
besides the small fry the swallowers of swords and the grimace makers real performances took place on the green
even this comedian of jaws and claws was eclipsed in success
that success was prodigious still it remained local
it took a hundred and thirty years for the name of shakespeare to penetrate from england into france
the glory of gwynplaine had not passed london bridge
these were remarkable talents
besides this he harangued like cicero as we have just seen sold his drugs attended sickness and even healed the sick
ursus was satisfied with the applause of southwark but by no means astonished
at every performance the yard of the inn transformed into a pit was filled with a ragged and enthusiastic audience
the emptying of tankards did not decrease their success
this connoisseur was suddenly fascinated and had adopted the laughing man
he did not come every evening but when he came he led the public applause grew into acclamation success rose not to the roof for there was none but to the clouds for there were plenty of them
which clouds seeing that there was no roof sometimes wept over the masterpiece of ursus
his enthusiasm caused ursus to remark this man and gwynplaine to observe him
they had a great friend in this unknown visitor
one evening ursus was in the side scene which was the kitchen door of the green box seeing master nicless standing by him showed him this man in the crowd and asked him
what a pity that he should not be a lord
he would make a famous scoundrel
at that hour there was no one in the fair ground except perhaps some reeling drunkard making staggering shadows in dark corners
what true things are told in stories
in gwynplaine evil thoughts never ripened and he had therefore no remorse
what was this nothing
from sixteen eighty to seventeen o four a great change had taken place
the wheels were all of the same size and high as wagon wheels
this green colour had succeeded in drawing attention to the carriage which was known in all the fair grounds as the green box
on the roof from a tube painted green like the rest smoke arose
the astonishment with which the villagers regarded this machine was overwhelming
this was the old establishment of ursus its proportions augmented by success and improved from a wretched booth into a theatre
unknown people had worked upon his face he on the other hand had worked on his mind and behind this well executed mask he had placed all that he could of thought
the effect of his appearance had been surprising
some believed it to be natural others declared it to be artificial and as conjecture was added to reality everywhere at every cross road on the journey in all the grounds of fairs and fetes the crowd ran after gwynplaine
the curiosity of one place exhausted they passed on to another
this fortune had allowed ursus who was the administrator of gwynplaine's success to have the chariot of his dreams constructed that is to say a caravan large enough to carry a theatre and to sow science and art in the highways
for these read fibi and vinos that we may conform to english pronunciation
phoebe cooked venus scrubbed the temple
ursus and homo took charge of each other
this hut in a corner at the back to the right of the door served as bedchamber and dressing room to ursus and gwynplaine
the caravan was divided into three compartments partitioned from each other
a loft under the arch of the roof contained the scenes and on opening a trap door lamps appeared producing wonders of light
ursus was the poet of these magical representations he wrote the pieces
then i look perhaps like what i am
this opening looked for all the world like a mouth of hell in the words of the itinerant puritan preachers who turned away from it with horror
ursus was in everything in the piece in the company in the kitchen in the orchestra
but is laughter a synonym of joy
such perfect completeness is not in nature
had gwynplaine when a child been so worthy of attention that his face had been subjected to transmutation why not
according to all appearance industrious manipulators of children had worked upon his face
it seemed evident that a mysterious and probably occult science which was to surgery what alchemy was to chemistry had chiselled his flesh evidently at a very tender age and manufactured his countenance with premeditation
gwynplaine was a mountebank
he showed himself on the platform
it was gwynplaine's laugh which created the laughter of others yet he did not laugh himself
the outside did not depend on the interior
no one could escape from this rictus
all his emotions whatever they might have been augmented his strange face of joy or to speak more correctly aggravated it
an everlasting laugh
the manichaeans believed the absolute occasionally gives way and that god himself sometimes abdicates for a time so also of the will
the whole of existence resembles a letter modified in the postscript
with this exception gwynplaine's laugh was everlasting
the joyous convulsion of laughter was as a tribute paid they submitted to it gladly but almost mechanically
besides we must remember that they had in those times means of putting patients to sleep and of suppressing all suffering only then it was called magic while now it is called anaesthesia
besides this face those who had brought him up had given him the resources of a gymnast and an athlete
gwynplaine had yellow hair
his hair having probably been dyed with some corrosive preparation had left it woolly and rough to the touch
its yellow bristles rather a mane than a head of hair covered and concealed a lofty brow evidently made to contain thought
the operation whatever it had been which had deprived his features of harmony and put all their flesh into disorder had had no effect on the bony structure of his head
we remained several months but soon we were on the tramp again
the federal army was concentrating at nashville there was no rest for the weary
our army stopped at murfreesboro
from time to time different regiments were sent forward to do picket duty
the yankee picket lines were not a half mile off
i am a videt you know the responsibility resting on me
says he i would not trust a secesh on his word oath or bond march i say
i soon found out that he had caught sight of the relief on the road and was afraid to shoot i quickly made up my mind
my gun was at my feet and one step would get it
i made a quick glance over my shoulder and grabbed at my gun
he divined my motive and fired the ball missed its aim
i think we must have killed a good many in the old field because we were firing all the time at the solid line as they advanced upon us
we kept falling back and firing all day and were relieved by another regiment about dark we rejoined our regiment
line of battle was formed on the north bank of stone's river on the yankee side
bad generalship i thought it was christmas
the private could but he was no general you see
i called lieutenant colonel frierson's attention to the yankees and he remarked well i don't know whether they are yankees or not but if they are they will come out of there mighty quick
the yankees marched over the hill out of sight
we were ordered forward to the attack
we were right upon the yankee line on the wilkerson turnpike
we were not twenty yards off from the yankees and they were pouring the hot shot and shells right into our ranks and every man was yelling at the top of his voice cease firing you are firing on your own men cease firing you are firing on your own men
oakley color bearer of the fourth tennessee regiment ran right up in the midst of the yankee line with his colors begging his men to follow
the leaden hail storm swept them off the field they fell back and re formed
we were at that time at least a hundred yards in advance of the brigade cheatham all the time calling upon the men to come on
i saw and felt that he was not fighting for glory but that he was fighting for his country because he loved that country and he was willing to give his life for his country and the success of our cause
i thought it had been torn from my shoulder
as i went back to the field hospital i overtook another man walking along
i looked at it pretty close and i said great god
he was walking along when all at once he dropped down and died without a struggle or a groan
but i could not bear the thought of wearing dead men's shoes
he was stone dead but i dropped that foot quick
before we arrived at the house we saw a body of yankees approaching and as we started to run back they fired upon us
our pickets had run in and reported a night attack
shiloh
this was the first big battle in which our regiment had ever been engaged
i do not pretend to tell of what command distinguished itself of heroes of blood and wounds of shrieks and groans of brilliant charges of cannon captured et cetera
about daylight on sunday morning chalmers brigade relieved gladden's
as gladden rode by us a courier rode up and told him something
on sunday morning a clear beautiful and still day the order was given for the whole army to advance and to attack immediately
we were supporting an alabama brigade
that's right my brave first tennessee give em hail columbia
the fact was kept from the troops
we had to pass over the ground where troops had been fighting all day
i had heard and read of battlefields seen pictures of battlefields of horses and men of cannon and wagons all jumbled together while the ground was strewn with dead and dying and wounded but i must confess that i never realized the pomp and circumstance of the thing called glorious war until i saw this
i had been feeling mean all the morning as if i had stolen a sheep but when the order to charge was given i got happy
officers could not curb the men to keep in line
on monday the tide was reversed
but as i said before reader a private soldier is but an automaton and knows nothing of what is going on among the generals and i am only giving the chronicles of little things and events that came under my own observation as i saw them then and remember them now
should you desire to find out more about the battle i refer you to history
about the time he pulled trigger a stray ball from some direction struck him in the side and he fell off dead and his horse becoming frightened galloped off dragging him through the confederate lines
on monday morning i too captured me a mule
he was wise in his own conceit
i frequently thought it would be pleasant to split the difference with that mule and i would gladly have done so if i could have gotten one half of his no
mule did not desire to cross while i was trying to persuade him with a big stick a rock in his ear and a twister on his nose
so he got a large two inch rope tied one end around the mule's neck and the other to the caisson and ordered the driver to whip up
the rope however was stronger than the mule's no and he was finally prevailed upon by the strength of the rope to cross the creek
on my taking the rope off he shook himself and seemed to say you think that you are mighty smart folks but you are a leetle too smart
advance into tennessee
yank says what you doing johnny
we passed around atlanta crossed the chattahoochee and traveled back over the same route on which we had made the arduous campaign under joe johnston
outside of these occasional reminders we could see no evidence of the desolation of the track of an invading army
we saw the united states flag flying from the ramparts and thought that yank would probably be asleep or catching lice or maybe engaged in a game of seven up
he walked up and says hello boys what is it boss
a yankee always says nager
they persuaded eloquently
a man in the well
the voice appeared to be overhead
right before me i saw the long dry grass all bending toward a common center and i knew that it was an old well and that my comrade had fallen in it
but how to get him out was the unsolved problem
the poor fellow stayed in that well all night
we looked all around and thought that the coast was clear
i don't think his gun was loaded though because we did not hear the ball whistle
we walked over this floating bridge and soon found ourselves on the tennessee side of tennessee river
we had beef for supper that night
how every pulse did beat and leap and how every heart did throb with emotions of joy which seemed nearly akin to heaven when we received the glad intelligence of our onward march toward the land of promise and of our loved ones
we were inured to privations and hardships had been upon every march in every battle in every skirmish in every advance in every retreat in every victory in every defeat
he wanted to go by home and tell his wife and children good bye and to get his clothes it was no go
but after awhile jim says gentlemen ay ganny the law
you see jim knowed the law
those old soldiers had long long ago forgotten about that old law of the long gone past but jim had treasured it up in his memory lo these many years and he thought it would serve him now as it had no doubt frequently done in the past
the third day it was reported that the yankees had taken position on the murfreesboro pike
a regiment was sent to the attack it was jim's regiment
he hadn't seen anything to shoot at but he blazed away he loaded and fired the second time when they were ordered to retreat
shortly after passing one of these chapels we came suddenly upon a village which started up out of the mist and i was alarmed lest i should be made an object of curiosity or dislike
my guides however were well known and the natural politeness of the people prevented them from putting me to any inconvenience but they could not help eyeing me nor i them
the streets were narrow and unpaved but very fairly clean
the vine grew outside many of the houses and there were some with sign boards on which was painted a bottle and a glass that made me feel much at home
even on this ledge of human society there was a stunted growth of shoplets which had taken root and vegetated somehow though as in an air mercantile of the bleakest
each feature was finished eyelids eyelashes and ears being almost invariably perfect
their expression was divine and as they glanced at me timidly but with parted lips in great bewilderment i forgot all thoughts of their conversion in feelings that were far more earthly
even in middle age they were still comely and the old grey haired women at their cottage doors had a dignity not to say majesty of their own
the men were as handsome as the women beautiful
i have always delighted in and reverenced beauty but i felt simply abashed in the presence of such a splendid type a compound of all that is best in egyptian greek and italian
the children were infinite in number and exceedingly merry i need hardly say that they came in for their full share of the prevailing beauty
i expressed by signs my admiration and pleasure to my guides and they were greatly pleased
the country was highly cultivated every ledge being planted with chestnuts walnuts and apple trees from which the apples were now gathering
i saw a few sheep with rounded noses and enormous tails
in about four hours of walking from the time we started and after passing two or three more villages we came upon a considerable town and my guides made many attempts to make me understand something but i gathered no inkling of their meaning except that i need be under no apprehension of danger
suffice it that i found myself taken before the chief magistrate and by his orders was placed in an apartment with two other people who were the first i had seen looking anything but well and handsome
in fact one of them was plainly very much out of health and coughed violently from time to time in spite of manifest efforts to suppress it
the other looked pale and ill but he was marvellously self contained and it was impossible to say what was the matter with him
they felt my pulse they looked at my tongue they listened at my chest they felt all my muscles and at the end of each operation they looked at the chief and nodded and said something in a tone quite pleasant as though i were all right
but by and by they came to my watch which i had hidden away in the inmost pocket that i had and had forgotten when they began their search
again there was a very old carriage whose wheels in spite of rust and decay i could see had been designed originally for iron rails
we passed many cases and at last came to one in which there were several clocks and two or three old watches
the design was different but the thing was clearly the same
this had some effect in calming him
he began presently to relent and spoke to me in a kinder manner
if the reader will excuse me i will say nothing of my antecedents nor of the circumstances which led me to leave my native country the narrative would be tedious to him and painful to myself
it will be seen that i did not succeed in my design and that however much i may have met with that was new and strange i have been unable to reap any pecuniary advantage
no one who is himself honest will doubt my being so
i reached my destination in one of the last months of eighteen sixty eight but i dare not mention the season lest the reader should gather in which hemisphere i was
sheep and cattle were introduced and bred with extreme rapidity men took up their fifty thousand or one hundred thousand acres of country going inland one behind the other till in a few years there was not an acre between the sea and the front ranges which was not taken up and stations either for sheep or cattle were spotted about at intervals of some twenty or thirty miles over the whole country
i was delighted with the country and the manner of life
i was to see the sheep not necessarily close at hand nor to get them in a single mob but to see enough of them here and there to feel easy that nothing had gone wrong this was no difficult matter for there were not above eight hundred of them and being all breeding ewes they were pretty quiet
there were a good many sheep which i knew as two or three black ewes and a black lamb or two and several others which had some distinguishing mark whereby i could tell them
it is surprising how soon the eye becomes accustomed to missing twenty sheep out of two or three hundred
it was a monotonous life but it was very healthy and one does not much mind anything when one is well
the country was the grandest that can be imagined
so lonely and so solemn with the sad grey clouds above and no sound save a lost lamb bleating upon the mountain side as though its little heart were breaking
each must cry louder and wander farther yet may luck be with them both that they may find their own at nightfall
i had no money but if i could only find workable country i might stock it with borrowed capital and consider myself a made man
there was no one in the whole world who had the smallest idea save those who were themselves on the other side of it if indeed there was any one at all could i hope to cross it
i would try the nearer range and see how far i could go
preface to second edition
this is a mistake though a perfectly natural one
on my return i purposely avoided looking into it until i had sent back my last revises to the printer
then i had much pleasure in reading it but was indeed surprised at the many little points of similarity between the two books in spite of their entire independence to one another
i regret that reviewers have in some cases been inclined to treat the chapters on machines as an attempt to reduce mister darwin's theory to an absurdity
i am surprised however that the book at which such an example of the specious misuse of analogy would seem most naturally levelled should have occurred to no reviewer neither shall i mention the name of the book here though i should fancy that the hint given will suffice
but this had an effect of which i have little reason to complain for i was allowed almost to call them life long self deceivers to their faces and they said it was quite true but that it did not matter
i must not conclude without expressing my most sincere thanks to my critics and to the public for the leniency and consideration with which they have treated my adventures
it was written in the upper rangitata district of the canterbury province as it then was of new zealand and appeared at christchurch in the press newspaper june thirteenth eighteen sixty three
i also wrote about this time the substance of what ultimately became the musical banks and the trial of a man for being in a consumption
i see from my second preface that i took the book to messrs chapman and hall may first eighteen seventy one and on their rejection of it under the advice of one who has attained the highest rank among living writers i let it sleep till i took it to mister trubner early in eighteen seventy two
i attribute its unlooked for success mainly to two early favourable reviews the first in the pall mall gazette of april twelfth and the second in the spectator of april twentieth
there was also another cause
the first edition of erewhon sold in about three weeks i had not taken moulds and as the demand was strong it was set up again immediately
i made a few further very trifling alterations before moulds were taken but since the summer of eighteen seventy two as new editions were from time to time wanted they have been printed from stereos then made
i am still fairly well satisfied with those parts of erewhon that were repeatedly rewritten but from those that had only a single writing i would gladly cut out some forty or fifty pages if i could
this however may not be for the copyright will probably expire in a little over twelve years
in the last communication which he had received from lady milborough she had scolded him in terms that were for her severe because he had not returned to his wife and taken her off with him to naples
and now it had come to pass that his sole remaining ally mister samuel bozzle the ex policeman was becoming weary of his service
at last he sent word to say that he himself would be in england before the end of march and would see that the majesty of the law should be vindicated in his favour
in making this he had expected no success though from the energetic nature of his disposition he had made the attempt with some zeal
missus bozzle was disposed to think that ladies of quality among whom madame t was entitled in her estimation to take rank were seldom better than they ought to be and she was quite willing that her husband should earn his bread by watching the lady or the lady's lover
and had the case been brought before the judge ordinary by means of her husband's exertions she would have taken pleasure in reading every word of the evidence even though her husband should have been ever so roughly handled by the lawyers
a distinct promise of a hundred pounds was made to him if he would have the child ready to hand over to trevelyan on trevelyan's arrival in england
of course it ain't said missus bozzle
the paternal parent has a right to his infants no doubt that was bozzle's law
he can't suckle em can he
when a married woman has followers and the husband don't go the wrong side of the post too or it ain't proved again him that he do they'll never let her have nothing to do with the children
i'll tell you what it is b exclaimed missus bozzle it's my belief as he ain't quite right up here and missus bozzle touched her forehead
drat em all what is it they wants they don't know what they wants
it's that as makes em i won't say what
but as for this here child b
trevelyan had followed his letter quicker than he had intended when it was written and was now with his prime minister before his prime minister had been able to take any action on the last instruction received
does one mister samuel bozzle live here asked trevelyan
then bozzle came forward and introduced his wife
but trevelyan was of a different opinion and he was disgusted and revolted most unreasonably by the appearance of his minister's domestic arrangements
bozzle had always waited upon him with a decent coat and a well brushed hat and clean shoes
it is very much easier for such men as mister bozzle to carry decency of appearance about with them than to keep it at home
perhaps you could put on your coat and walk out with me for a few minutes said trevelyan
missus bozzle who well understood that business was business and that wives were not business felt no anger at this and handed her husband his best coat
bozzle away from his own home out on business with his coat buttoned over his breast and his best hat in his hand was aware that he commanded respect and he could carry himself accordingly
i do not suppose that anybody will question my right to have the care of my own child said trevelyan
if you would have gone to mister skint sir suggested bozzle
as he went about his eyes were ever cast downwards and he walked with a quick shuffling gait and he suspected others feeling that he himself was suspected
and all work had ceased with him
he's up in town sir a minding of his parliamentary duties
i've watched as sharp as watching can go pretty near
but if you ask me my opinion why in course they've been together somewhere
and bozzle as he said this smiled almost aloud
and he did go away leaving bozzle standing in the middle of stony walk
sir edward not wholly discouraged by the denial with which dorriforth had with delicacy acquainted him still hoped for a kind reception and was so often at the house of missus horton that lord frederick's jealousy was excited and the tortures he suffered in consequence convinced him beyond a doubt of the sincerity of his affection
every time he beheld the object of his passion for he still continued his visits though not so frequently as heretofore he pleaded his cause with such ardour that miss woodley who was sometimes present and ever compassionate could not resist wishing him success
yet did the watchful miss woodley oftentimes hear a sigh escape from her unknown to herself till she was reminded of it and then a sudden blush would instantly overspread her face
night after night his sleep had been disturbed by fears for her when abroad morning after morning it had been broken by the clamour of her return
i hope miss milner you pass this evening at home
i thought miss milner you gave me your word that you would pass this evening at home
yes indeed and i believe it is right that i should keep my first promise is it not
missus horton rose from her seat moved the decanters and fruit round the table stirred the fire and came back to her seat again before another word was uttered
nor had this good woman's officious labours taken the least from the awkwardness of the silence which as soon as the bustle she had made was over returned in its full force
miss milner you shall not leave the house this evening sir
and he walked immediately out of the apartment by another door
her hand fell motionless from that which she held she appeared motionless herself till missus horton beseeching her not to be uneasy at the treatment she had received made her tears flow as if her heart was breaking
it was not from any real cause of grief that she wept but there was a magnetic quality in tears which always attracted her's
do you think i would go answered miss milner with an eagerness that for a time suppressed her tears in contradiction to his will
if you think so madam i see nothing that should prevent me now
niece i command you not to stir out of this room this evening
miss woodley obediently sat down and though her thoughts and heart were in the chamber of her friend she never marked by one impertinent word or by one line of her face the restraint she suffered
at the usual hour mister dorriforth and his ward were summoned to tea he entered with a countenance which evinced the remains of anger his eye gave testimony of his absent thoughts and though he took up a pamphlet affecting to read it was plain to discern that he scarcely knew he held it in his hand
miss woodley thought it her duty to be mute and now the gingle of a tea spoon was like a deep toned bell all was so quiet
missus horton too in the self approving reflection that she was not in a quarrel or altercation of any kind felt herself at this moment remarkably peaceful and charitable
miss woodley did not recollect herself so but was so in reality in her peace and charity were instinctive virtues accident could not increase them
he coughed drank his tea endeavoured to talk but found it difficult sometimes read and in this manner near two hours were passed away when miss milner came into the room not dressed for a ball but as she had risen from dinner
dorriforth read on and seemed afraid of looking up lest he should see what he could not have pardoned
after a few minutes pause and some little embarrassment on the part of missus horton at the disappointment she had to encounter from this unexpected dutiful conduct she asked miss milner if she would now have any tea
dorriforth then laid the book out of his hand and by the time the servant had left the room thus began
it is often the ungrateful task of a friend to be troublesome sometimes unmannerly
forgive the duties of my office and believe that no one is half so much concerned if it robs you of any degree of happiness as i myself am
what he said he looked with so much sincerity that had she been burning with rage at his late behaviour she must have forgiven him for the regret which he so forcibly exprest
she was going to reply but found she could not without accompanying her words with tears therefore after the first attempt she desisted
on this he rose from his chair and going to her said once more shew your submission by obeying me a second time to day
keep your appointment and be assured that i shall issue my commands with more circumspection for the future as i find how strictly they are complied with
master and man dismounted from their beasts and as soon as they had settled themselves at the foot of the trees sancho who had had a good noontide meal that day let himself without more ado pass the gates of sleep
but don quixote whom his thoughts far more than hunger kept awake could not close an eye and roamed in fancy to and fro through all sorts of places
at one moment it seemed to him that he was in the cave of montesinos and saw dulcinea transformed into a country wench skipping and mounting upon her she ass again that the words of the sage merlin were sounding in his ears setting forth the conditions to be observed and the exertions to be made for the disenchantment of dulcinea
who is touching me and untrussing me
dulcinea is perishing thou art living on regardless i am dying of hope deferred therefore untruss thyself with a good will for mine it is here in this retired spot to give thee at least two thousand lashes
seeing this sancho got up and grappling with his master he gripped him with all his might in his arms giving him a trip with the heel stretched him on the ground on his back and pressing his right knee on his chest held his hands in his own so that he could neither move nor breathe
how now traitor exclaimed don quixote
dost thou revolt against thy master and natural lord
dost thou rise against him who gives thee his bread
don quixote gave his promise and swore by the life of his thoughts not to touch so much as a hair of his garments and to leave him entirely free and to his own discretion to whip himself whenever he pleased
sancho rose and removed some distance from the spot but as he was about to place himself leaning against another tree he felt something touch his head and putting up his hands encountered somebody's two feet with shoes and stockings on them
he trembled with fear and made for another tree where the very same thing happened to him and he fell a shouting calling upon don quixote to come and protect him
don quixote did so and asked him what had happened to him and what he was afraid of
sancho replied that all the trees were full of men's feet and legs
don quixote was on foot with his horse unbridled and his lance leaning against a tree and in short completely defenceless he thought it best therefore to fold his arms and bow his head and reserve himself for a more favourable occasion and opportunity
he was mounted upon a powerful horse and had on a coat of mail with four of the pistols they call petronels in that country at his waist
he saw that his squires for so they call those who follow that trade were about to rifle sancho panza but he ordered them to desist and was at once obeyed so the girdle escaped
he saw me he paid court to me i listened to him and unknown to my father i loved him for there is no woman however secluded she may live or close she may be kept who will not have opportunities and to spare for following her headlong impulses
in a word he pledged himself to be mine and i promised to be his without carrying matters any further
give me my horse and arms and wait for me here i will go in quest of this knight and dead or alive i will make him keep his word plighted to so great beauty
nobody need have any doubt about that said sancho for my master has a very happy knack of matchmaking it's not many days since he forced another man to marry who in the same way backed out of his promise to another maiden and if it had not been for his persecutors the enchanters changing the man's proper shape into a lacquey's the said maiden would not be one this minute
they made haste to overtake them which as the party moved slowly they were able to do with ease
the wounded gentleman opened his all but closed eyes and recognising claudia said i see clearly fair and mistaken lady that it is thou that hast slain me a punishment not merited or deserved by my feelings towards thee for never did i mean to nor could i wrong thee in thought or deed
it is not true then said claudia that thou wert going this morning to marry leonora the daughter of the rich balvastro
on perceiving this claudia when she had convinced herself that her beloved husband was no more rent the air with her sighs and made the heavens ring with her lamentations she tore her hair and scattered it to the winds she beat her face with her hands and showed all the signs of grief and sorrow that could be conceived to come from an afflicted heart
cruel reckless woman she cried how easily wert thou moved to carry out a thought so wicked
o husband whose unhappy fate in being mine hath borne thee from the marriage bed to the grave
the servants wept claudia swooned away again and again and the whole place seemed a field of sorrow and an abode of misfortune
claudia told him she meant to go to a monastery of which an aunt of hers was abbess where she intended to pass her life with a better and everlasting spouse
claudia would not on any account allow him to accompany her and thanking him for his offers as well as she could took leave of him in tears
sancho said they had but that three kerchiefs that were worth three cities were missing
what are you talking about man
said one of the bystanders i have got them and they are not worth three reals
at this instant one or two of those squires who were posted as sentinels on the roads to watch who came along them and report what passed to their chief came up and said senor there is a great troop of people not far off coming along the road to barcelona
what led me into it was a certain thirst for vengeance which is strong enough to disturb the quietest hearts
and if you have any desire to shorten the journey and put yourself easily in the way of salvation come with me and i will show you how to become a knight errant a calling wherein so many hardships and mishaps are encountered that if they be taken as penances they will lodge you in heaven in a trice
and now the squires despatched to make the prize came up bringing with them two gentlemen on horseback two pilgrims on foot and a coach full of women with some six servants on foot and on horseback in attendance on them and a couple of muleteers whom the gentlemen had with them
the captains showed plainly the concern they felt the regent's lady was downcast and the pilgrims did not at all enjoy seeing their property confiscated
the regent's lady ordered one of her servants to give the eighty crowns that had been assessed as her share at once for the captains had already paid down their sixty
one of the squires observed in his mixture of gascon and catalan this captain of ours would make a better friar than highwayman if he wants to be so generous another time let it be with his own property and not ours
they were all taken aback and not one of them dared to utter a word such deference did they pay him
but this power of discernment was denied them and only in after years with the loved ones of their own firesides close about them was the whole picture revealed
one dark night at the head of a score of his tribe he fell upon wabigoon's camp his object being the abduction of the princess
while the attack was successful in a way its main purpose failed
a counter attack was made upon woonga and he was driven deep into the wilderness with great loss
three days later minnetaki became newsome's wife at the hudson bay post
from that hour dated one of the most sanguinary feuds in the history of the great trading company a feud which as we shall see was destined to live even unto the second generation
meanwhile two children came to bless the happy union of newsome and his lovely indian wife
the other was a girl three years younger and newsome insisted that she be called minnetaki
curiously enough the blood of wabi ran almost pure to his indian forefathers while minnetaki as she became older developed less of the wild beauty of her mother and more of the softer loveliness of the white race her wealth of soft jet black hair and her great dark eyes contrasting with the lighter skin of her father's blood
wabi on the other hand was an indian in appearance from his moccasins to the crown of his head swarthy sinewy as agile as a lynx and with every instinct in him crying for the life of the wild
one of newsome's chief pleasures in life had been the educating of his woodland bride and it was the ambition of both that the little minnetaki and her brother be reared in the ways of white children
consequently both mother and father began their education at the post they were sent to the factor's school and two winters were passed in port arthur that they might have the advantage of thoroughly equipped schools
the children proved themselves unusually bright pupils and by the time wabi was sixteen and minnetaki twelve one would not have known from their manner of speech that indian blood ran in their veins
it was at about this time in their lives that the woongas became especially daring in their depredations
at last so daring did he become that the provincial government placed a price upon his head and upon those of a number of his most notorious followers
but each week added to his loneliness and his longings for minnetaki and his forests
necessity had become his grim master and the following week he was going to work
a thousand plans were made a thousand adventures pictured and the mother would smile and laugh and plan with them
but in time the end of it all came and wabi went back to the princess mother to minnetaki and to his forests
there were tears in the boys eyes when they parted and the mother cried for the indian boy who was returning to his people
spring came and passed and then summer
we shall make more money up here this winter than you could earn in detroit in three years
we will hunt wolves the country is alive with them and the government gives a bounty of fifteen dollars for every scalp taken
three weeks later came wabigoon's reply
on the tenth of october he would meet rod at sprucewood on the black sturgeon river
there was little time to lose in making preparations and the fourth day following the receipt of wabi's letter found rod and his mother waiting for the train which was to whirl the boy into his new life
i began to enjoy the exhilarating delight of traveling a life of desire gratification and liberty
hans our extraordinary guide went first walking with a steady rapid unvarying step
our two horses with the luggage followed of their own accord without requiring whip or spur
geographers have divided it into four parts and we had to cross the southwest quarter which in the vernacular is called sudvestr fjordungr
we took our way through poor and sparse meadows which made a desperate effort every year to show a little green
they very rarely succeed in a good show of yellow
i could not help smiling to see him look so big on his little horse his long legs now and then touching the ground made him look like a six footed centaur
snow tempest impracticable roads rocks icebergs nothing stops him
we may do so was my reply but what about our worthy guide
i should have a violent attack of the cramp if i were not to have some sort of exercise
my arms are right but my legs are getting a little stiff
here and there could be seen an isolated farm some solitary bur or icelandic house built of wood earth fragments of lava looking like beggars on the highway of life
a few stray cows and sheep were only seen occasionally
little did i expect however the spectacle which awaited us when we reached the peninsula of sneffels where agglomerations of nature's ruins form a kind of terrible chaos
it consists simply of a few houses not what in england or germany we should call a hamlet
i took occasion to consult the map to see where gardar was to be found
these sacred edifices are however very much like these people who do without watches and never miss them
to ride over salt water upon the back of a little horse seemed to me absurd
in any case i shall trust rather to my own intelligence than theirs
but my uncle was in no humor to wait
at length the sturdy little pony spreading out his legs in a stiff and ludicrous attitude got from under the professor's legs and left him standing with both feet on a separate stone like the colossus of rhodes
he says tide replied my uncle translating the danish word for my information
i thoroughly understood and appreciated the necessity for waiting before crossing the fjord for that moment when the sea at its highest point is in a state of slack water
accustomed as i had been to the steam ferry boats of the elbe i found the long oars of the boatmen but sorry means of locomotion
on the second of the month at two in the morning our precious cargo of luggage was taken on board the good ship valkyrie
but in the cause of science men are expected to suffer
well and have we a fair wind
my uncle was delighted for myself moody and dissatisfied i appeared almost to expect a glimpse of the ghost of hamlet
but no ghost or anything else appeared upon the ancient walls
the fact is the castle is much later than the time of the heroic prince of denmark
no mister hardwigg said the captain no fear of that
at all events we shall get there some day
on the eleventh day we sighted cape portland over which towered mount myrdals yokul which the weather being clear we made out very readily
the valkyrie kept off the coast steering to the westward
on all sides were to be seen whole schools of whales and sharks
nearly the whole population of the town was on foot to see us land
the fact was that scarcely any one of them but expected some goods by the periodical vessel
then without further remark he put his finger to his lips frowned darkly and descended into the small boat which awaited us
he was however but a civil servant a magistrate the governor of the island baron trampe
the professor knew whom he had to deal with
this modest scholar spoke no languages save icelandic and latin
when therefore he addressed himself to me in the language of horace we at once came to understand one another
now harry said my uncle rubbing his hands an goes well the worse difficulty is now over
in the meantime there is not an hour to lose
very likely i may find there some manuscripts from the hand of saknussemm
i shall be glad to consult them
they were now however absent on duty
though not very large it appeared not likely to be filled for centuries
i have not the slightest doubt that in high winds its red tiles were blown out to the great annoyance of the pastor and congregation
thanks to the heat of these residences grass grows on the roof which grass is carefully cut for hay
i saw but few inhabitants during my excursion but i met a crowd on the beach drying salting and loading codfish the principal article of exportation
the men appeared robust but heavy fair haired like germans but of pensive mien exiles of a higher scale in the ladder of humanity than the eskimos but i thought much more unhappy since with superior perceptions they are compelled to live within the limits of the polar circle
san francisco's care free spirit was fully exemplified before the ashes of the great fire of nineteen o six were cold
thompson opened a large restaurant in o'farrell street just above fillmore and for two years or more did a thriving business his place being noted for its good cooking and its splendid service
one of his waiters phil tyson was one of the earlier ones to go back into the burned district to begin business and he opened a restaurant called the del monte in powell street near market but it was too early for success and closed after a short career
here as well as in a number of other places one can well appreciate the colloquial definition of cabaret
here there is always good music and food well cooked and well served and always a lively crowd during the luncheon dinner and after theatre hours the room is not large but its dimensions are greatly magnified owing to the covering of mirrors which line the walls
this garish display of mirrors and elaborate decoration of ceiling and pillars gives it the appearance of the abode of saturnalia but decorum is the rule among the patrons
john tait is the presiding spirit here he having made reputation as club manager and then as manager of the cliff house
the poodle dog has a hotel attachment where one may get rooms or full apartments
if you know how to order and do not care to count the cost when you order probably the best dinner at these restaurants can be had at either blanco's or the poodle dog
the cuisine is of the best and the chefs rank at the top of their art
at the two mentioned one pays for the surroundings as well as for the food and sometimes this is worth paying for
the restaurants of the present day that approach nearest the old bohemian restaurants of pre fire days of the french class are jack's in sacramento street between montgomery and kearny felix in montgomery street between clay and washington and the poodle dog bergez franks in bush street between kearny and grant avenue
in either of these restaurants you will be served with the best the market affords cooked the right way
in this same district is the mint in commercial street between montgomery and kearny streets
it has changed from what it was in the old days but is still an excellent place to dine
it is an idea that is worth while but unfortunately the proprietors depend too much on the decorative feature and too little on the food and how they serve it
the fly trap and charlie's fashion the first in sutter street near kearny and the other in market near sutter serve well cooked foods especially soup salads and fish
of course these are not the entire menus but of all the well prepared dishes these are their best
both serve good spanish dinners at reasonable prices
his prices are moderate and his cooking and viands of the best and will satisfy the most critical of the gourmets
at the corner of market and eddy streets is the odeon down in a basement with decorations of most garish order
one can almost imagine himself in one of the famous rathskellers of old heidelberg not at the schloss of course for here you cannot look down on the weiser as it flows beneath the windows of the great wine stube on the hill
but if you really love good music music that has melody and rhythm and soothing cadences go to the heidelberg inn and listen to the concert which is a feature of the place every evening
we finally got him to select the one prized above all others and this is what chef scheiler gave us
to the pickle add two large onions cut in quarters two fresh carrots and about one ounce of mixed whole allspice black peppers cloves and bay leaves
put in the oven and brown to a golden color
then take it out of the roasting pan and put it into a casserole after sprinkling it with two ounces of flour
put into the oven again and cook for half an hour basting frequently with the original brine
when done take the meat out of the sauce
strain the sauce through a fine collander and add a few raisins a piece of honey cake or ginger snaps and the meat of one fresh tomato
season with salt and pepper and a little sugar to taste
the hof brau however is less distinctively german as the greater number of its patrons are americans
the specialty of the hof brau is abalone's and they have as a feature this shell fish cooked in several ways
they also have as the chef in charge of the abalone dishes herbert formerly chef for one of the yacht clubs of the coast who claims to have the only proper recipe for making abalone's tender
under ordinary circumstances the abalone is tough and unpalatable but after the deft manipulation of herbert they are tender and make a fine dish either fried as chowder or a la newberg
in addition to abalone's the hof brau makes a specialty of little oregon crawfish
never drink any hard liquors such as whisky brandy gin or cocktails with oysters or clams as it is liable to upset you for the rest of the evening
with soup and fish serve white wines such as rhein wine sauterne or white burgundy
with entrees serve clarets or other red wines such as swiss bordeaux hungarian or italian wines
austrian burgundy is one of the finest wines possessing rich flavor and fine perfume other burgundies are
chablis a white burgundy dry and of agreeable aroma
clarets are valued for their flavor and for their tonic properties
german wines are of lighter character and are generally termed rhein wines
hochheimer a light pleasing and wholesome wine
dry and of magnificent bouquet
lacrima christi a still wine of excellent flavor and bouquet
sauterne is a white bordeaux a strong luscious wine the best known varieties being
vintage years have much to do with the quality of wines
rhein and moselle eighteen ninety three
claret eighteen ninety eight and nineteen o four
asparagus salad cook the asparagus in salted water drain and chill
birds nest salad have ready as many crisp leaves of lettuce as may be required to make a dainty little nest for each person
serve with french dressing hidden under the leaves of the nest
cabbage salad chop or shave fine half a medium size head of cabbage that has been left in cold water until crisp then drain
add two tablespoons thick sour cream two tablespoons sugar a sprinkle of mustard and half cup of vinegar
beat until thoroughly mixed pour over the cabbage and toss lightly until uniformly seasoned
cauliflower mayonnaise take cold boiled cauliflower break into branches adding salt pepper and vinegar to season
surround with a garnish of cooked and diced carrots turnips green peas
pour mayonnaise over all chill and serve
celery and nut salad cut enough celery fine to measure two cups add one cup of finely shredded or shaved cabbage and one and one half cups of walnut meats broken in small pieces but not chopped
stir the soaked gelatin in while the cucumber is hot
set into a cold place to chill and become firm
salad two cups of apples cut into small pieces one cup celery cut into small pieces one cup english walnuts
serve on a lettuce leaf with mayonnaise dressing made without mustard and thinned with cream
garnish dish that dressing is made in with a little garlic
put the pulp into a basin with two ounces of melted butter two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice half a pound of chestnuts boiled and grated and seasoning of salt and white pepper to taste
tomato baskets tomato baskets are charming accessories for holding vegetable salad chicken shrimps cold beans asparagus tips shredded celery cucumbers cut in cubes and minced peppers
handles of watercress may be attached to these baskets
this dressing should stand in the ice box four or five hours to become seasoned
when thickened strain and cool
strain and bottle and put in ice box shake before using each time
every elevation of the type man has hitherto been the work of an aristocratic society and so it will always be a society believing in a long scale of gradations of rank and differences of worth among human beings and requiring slavery in some form or other
the distinctions of moral values have either originated in a ruling caste pleasantly conscious of being different from the ruled or among the ruled class the slaves and dependents of all sorts
we truthful ones the nobility in ancient greece called themselves
it is obvious that everywhere the designations of moral value were at first applied to men and were only derivatively and at a later period applied to actions it is a gross mistake therefore when historians of morals start with questions like why have sympathetic actions been praised
he honours whatever he recognizes in himself such morality equals self glorification
probably a pessimistic suspicion with regard to the entire situation of man will find expression perhaps a condemnation of man together with his situation
here is the seat of the origin of the famous antithesis good and evil power and dangerousness are assumed to reside in the evil a certain dreadfulness subtlety and strength which do not admit of being despised
according to slave morality therefore the evil man arouses fear according to master morality it is precisely the good man who arouses fear and seeks to arouse it while the bad man is regarded as the despicable being
everywhere that slave morality gains the ascendancy language shows a tendency to approximate the significations of the words good and stupid
or he will even say for many reasons i can delight in the good opinion of others perhaps because i love and honour them and rejoice in all their joys perhaps also because their good opinion endorses and strengthens my belief in my own good opinion perhaps because the good opinion of others even in cases where i do not share it is useful to me or gives promise of usefulness all this however is not vanity
in fact conformably to the slow rise of the democratic social order and its cause the blending of the blood of masters and slaves the originally noble and rare impulse of the masters to assign a value to themselves and to think well of themselves will now be more and more encouraged and extended but it has at all times an older ampler and more radically ingrained propensity opposed to it and in the phenomenon of vanity this older propensity overmasters the younger
the most varied experience teaches it what are the qualities to which it principally owes the fact that it still exists in spite of all gods and men and has hitherto been victorious these qualities it calls virtues and these virtues alone it develops to maturity
variations whether they be deviations into the higher finer and rarer or deteriorations and monstrosities appear suddenly on the scene in the greatest exuberance and splendour the individual dares to be individual and detach himself
at this turning point of history there manifest themselves side by side and often mixed and entangled together a magnificent manifold virgin forest like up growth and up striving a kind of tropical tempo in the rivalry of growth and an extraordinary decay and self destruction owing to the savagely opposing and seemingly exploding egoisms which strive with one another for sun and light and can no longer assign any limit restraint or forbearance for themselves by means of the hitherto existing morality
nothing but new whys nothing but new hows no common formulas any longer misunderstanding and disregard in league with each other decay deterioration and the loftiest desires frightfully entangled the genius of the race overflowing from all the cornucopias of good and bad a portentous simultaneousness of spring and autumn full of new charms and mysteries peculiar to the fresh still inexhausted still unwearied corruption
danger is again present the mother of morality great danger this time shifted into the individual into the neighbour and friend into the street into their own child into their own heart into all the most personal and secret recesses of their desires and volitions
what will the moral philosophers who appear at this time have to preach
this is the problem of race
in our very democratic or rather very plebeian age education and culture must be essentially the art of deceiving deceiving with regard to origin with regard to the inherited plebeianism in body and soul
the noble soul accepts the fact of his egoism without question and also without consciousness of harshness constraint or arbitrariness therein but rather as something that may have its basis in the primary law of things if he sought a designation for it he would say it is justice itself
on this account the people of one nation understand one another better than those belonging to different nations even when they use the same language or rather when people have lived long together under similar conditions of climate soil danger requirement toil there originates therefrom an entity that understands itself namely a nation
the greater the danger the greater is the need of agreeing quickly and readily about what is necessary not to misunderstand one another in danger that is what cannot at all be dispensed with in intercourse
also in all loves and friendships one has the experience that nothing of the kind continues when the discovery has been made that in using the same words one of the two parties has feelings thoughts intuitions wishes or fears different from those of the other
whichever groups of sensations within a soul awaken most readily begin to speak and give the word of command these decide as to the general order of rank of its values and determine ultimately its list of desirable things
a man's estimates of value betray something of the structure of his soul and wherein it sees its conditions of life its intrinsic needs
profound suffering makes noble it separates one of the most refined forms of disguise is epicurism along with a certain ostentatious boldness of taste which takes suffering lightly and puts itself on the defensive against all that is sorrowful and profound
the highest instinct for purity places him who is affected with it in the most extraordinary and dangerous isolation as a saint for it is just holiness the highest spiritualization of the instinct in question
occasionally too the waking call comes too late the chance which gives permission to take action when their best youth and strength for action have been used up in sitting still and how many a one just as he sprang up has found with horror that his limbs are benumbed and his spirits are now too heavy
and whoever thou art what is it that now pleases thee
only name it whatever i have i offer thee
but you misunderstand him when you complain about it
there must be a sort of repugnance in me to believe anything definite about myself is there perhaps some enigma therein
probably but fortunately nothing for my own teeth perhaps it betrays the species to which i belong but not to myself as is sufficiently agreeable to me but what has happened to you
i do not know he said hesitatingly perhaps the harpies have flown over my table
to suffocate with his memories to him who has the desires of a lofty and dainty soul and only seldom finds his table laid and his food prepared the danger will always be great nowadays however it is extraordinarily so
and to choose for company that roguish and cheerful vice politeness
he lives thy loss he dies from every limb mangled by thee lightnings of godhead shine from which thy darkness hath not where to hide
quinci impara a stupirti
in flesh was raimented how he was killed and buried from the dead how he arose to life with victory and reigned in heaven how all of us shall be glorious like him whose hearts to his are wed how they who die for love of reason give hypocrites tyrants sophists all who sell their neighbours ill for holiness to hell how the dead saint condemns the bad who live how all he does becomes a law for men how he at last to judge shall come again
this world's thick vapours whelm your eyes unworthy of that glorious show blind to his splendour bent upon his shame
money is false and light unless it be bought by a man's own worthy qualities and blood is such that its corrupt disease and ignorant pretence are foul to see
il popolo e una bestia
the people is a beast of muddy brain that knows not its own force and therefore stands loaded with wood and stone the powerless hands of a mere child guide it with bit and rein one kick would be enough to break the chain but the beast fears and what the child demands it does nor its own terror understands confused and stupefied by bugbears vain
most wonderful
that penance hath no blame which magdalen found sweet purging our shame self punishment is virtue all men know
organ of rut not reason is the lord who from the body politic doth drain lust for himself instead of toil and pain leaving us lean as crickets on dry sward
well too if he like love would filch our hoard with pleasure to ourselves sluicing our vein and vigour to perpetuate the strain of life by spilth of life within us stored
heaven help that body which a little mind housed in a head lacking ears tongue and eyes and senseless but for smell can tyrannise
due to thee their praise of maiden pure of teeming motherhood
thou like arcturus steadfast in the skies with tardy sense guidest thy kingdom fair bearing alone the load of liberty
he translated at an early age chiefly between eighteen forty five and eighteen forty nine a great number of poems by the italians contemporary with dante or preceding him and among other things he made a version of the whole vita nuova prose and verse
this book in its original form was received with favour and settled the claim of rossetti to rank as a poetic translator or indeed as a poet in his own right
the life blood of rhythmical translation is this commandment that a good poem shall not be turned into a bad one
the only true motive for putting poetry into a fresh language must be to endow a fresh nation as far as possible with one more possession of beauty
poetry not being an exact science literality of rendering is altogether secondary to this chief law
often would he avail himself of any special grace of his own idiom and epoch if only his will belonged to him often would some cadence serve him but for his author's structure some structure but for his author's cadence often the beautiful turn of a stanza must be weakened to adopt some rhyme which will tally and he sees the poet revelling in abundance of language where himself is scantily supplied
and if you have time it would be a great service to translate the analyses of the poems which i omitted
on january twenty fifth he wrote many and many thanks for a most essential service most thoroughly performed
my notes which you have taken the trouble of revising are of course quite paltry and useless
it is therefore and on all accounts unnecessary to say much more of the work here than it says for itself
throughout the vita nuova there is a strain like the first falling murmur which reaches the ear in some remote meadow and prepares us to look upon the sea
a word should be said here of the title of dante's autobiography
this has induced some editors of the vita nuova to explain the title as meaning early life
thereafter this sonnet bred in me desire to write down in verse four other things touching my condition the which things it seemed to me that i had not yet made manifest
which thing being thus there came a day when certain ladies to whom it was well known they having been with me at divers times in my trouble were met together for the pleasure of gentle company
but when i still spake not one of them who before had been talking with another addressed me by my name saying to what end lovest thou this lady seeing that thou canst not support her presence
and now that it hath pleased her to deny me this love my master of his great goodness hath placed all my beatitude there where my hope will not fail me
then those ladies began to talk closely together and as i have seen snow fall among the rain so was their talk mingled with sighs
and i declare that when i speak thereof love sheds such perfect sweetness over me that if my courage failed not certainly to him my listeners must be all resign'd
whatever her sweet eyes are turned upon spirits of love do issue thence in flame which through their eyes who then may look on them pierce to the heart's deep chamber every one
to her i wend along in whose much strength my weakness is made strong
so to the road thou shalt be reconciled and find the lady and with the lady love
the second begins here an angel the third here dear song i know
the first part is divided into four
in the third i say what it is i purpose to speak so as not to be impeded by faintheartedness
in the fourth repeating to whom i purpose speaking i tell the reason why i speak to them
in the second i tell what is understood of her on earth here my lady is desired
this second part is divided into two for in the first i speak of her as regards the nobleness of her soul relating some of her virtues proceeding from her soul in the second i speak of her as regards the nobleness of her body narrating some of her beauties here love saith concerning her
this second part is divided into two for in the one i speak of the eyes which are the beginning of love in the second i speak of the mouth which is the end of love
and at the first it seemed to me that i saw certain faces of women with their hair loosened which called out to me thou shalt surely die after the which other terrible and unknown appearances said unto me thou art dead
and so strong was my phantasy that i wept again in very truth and said with my true voice o excellent soul how blessed is he that now looketh upon thee
whereby other ladies who were about the room becoming aware of my discomfort by reason of the moan that she made who indeed was of my very near kindred led her away from where i was and then set themselves to awaken me thinking that i dreamed and saying sleep no longer and be not disquieted
when being aroused i opened mine eyes and knew that it had been a deception
and my hue was such that they look'd at each other and thought of death saying under their breath most tenderly o let us comfort him then unto me what dream was thine that it hath shaken thee so much
and therewithal such a bewilderment possess'd me that i shut mine eyes for peace and in my brain did cease order of thought and every healthful thing
then saw i many broken hinted sights in the uncertain state i stepp'd into
these wildering phantasies then carried me to see my lady dead
the second part begins here i was a thinking the first part divides into two
this lady's right name was joan but because of her comeliness or at least it was so imagined she was called of many primavera spring and went by that name among them
and in his speech he laugh'd and laugh'd again then while it was his pleasure to remain i chanced to look the way he had drawn near and saw the ladies joan and beatrice approach me this the other following one and a second marvel instantly
the second part begins here saying be now the third here then while it was his pleasure
illustration long pepper
long pepper this is the produce of a different plant from that which produces the black it consisting of the half ripe flower heads of what naturalists call piper longum and chaba
originally the most valuable of these were found in the spice islands or moluccas of the indian ocean and were highly prized by the nations of antiquity
the long pepper is less aromatic than the black but its oil is more pungent
then add the yolks of the eggs well beaten stir them to the sauce but do not allow it to boil and serve very hot
mode pare and slice the cucumbers as for the table sprinkle well with salt and let them remain for twenty four hours strain off the liquor pack in jars a thick layer of cucumbers and salt alternately tie down closely and when wanted for use take out the quantity required
illustration the cucumber
mode choose the greenest cucumbers and those that are most free from seeds put them in strong salt and water with a cabbage leaf to keep them down tie a paper over them and put them in a warm place till they are yellow then wash them and set them over the fire in fresh water with a very little salt and another cabbage leaf over them cover very closely but take care they do not boil
put the sugar with one quarter pint of water in a saucepan over the fire remove the scum as it rises and add the lemon peel and ginger with the outside scraped off when the syrup is tolerably thick take it off the fire and when cold wipe the cucumbers dry and put them in
seasonable this recipe should be used in june july or august
solid rocks of salt are also found in various parts of the world and the county of chester contains many of these mines and it is from there that much of our salt comes
some springs are so highly impregnated with salt as to have received the name of brine springs and are supposed to have become so by passing through the salt rocks below ground and thus dissolving a portion of this mineral substance
mode put the milk in a very clean saucepan and let it boil
beat the eggs stir to them the milk and pounded sugar and put the mixture into a jug
place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water keep stirring well until it thickens but do not allow it to boil or it will curdle
when it is sufficiently thick take it off as it should not boil
illustration the lemon
the lemon this fruit is a native of asia and is mentioned by virgil as an antidote to poison
it is hardier than the orange and as one of the citron tribe was brought into europe by the arabians
the lemon was first cultivated in england in the beginning of the seventeenth century and is now often to be found in our green houses
this juice which is called citric acid may be preserved in bottles for a considerable time by covering it with a thin stratum of oil
to pickle eggs
seasonable this should be made about easter as at this time eggs are plentiful and cheap
a store of pickled eggs will be found very useful and ornamental in serving with many first and second course dishes
illustration ginger
the ginger plant known to naturalists as zingiber officinale is a native of the east and west indies
in jamaica it flowers about august or september fading about the end of the year
beat the yolks of the other two eggs add them with a little flour and salt to those pounded mix all well together and roll into balls
boil them before they are put into the soup or other dish they may be intended for
lemon juice may be added at pleasure
mode put the whole of the ingredients into a bottle and let it remain for a fortnight in a warm place occasionally shaking up the contents
they ought to be taken up in the autumn and when dried in the house will keep till spring
add the wine and if necessary a seasoning of cayenne when it will be ready to serve
note the wine in this sauce may be omitted and an onion sliced and fried of a nice brown substituted for it
simmer for a minute or two and serve in a tureen
sufficient to serve with five or six mackerel
various dishes are frequently ornamented and garnished with its graceful leaves and these are sometimes boiled in soups although it is more usually confined in english cookery to the mackerel sauce as here given
forcemeat for cold savoury pies
pound well and bind with one or two eggs which have been previously beaten and strained
illustration marjoram
it is a native of portugal and when its leaves are used as a seasoning herb they have an agreeable aromatic flavour
mode mix all the ingredients well together carefully mincing them very finely beat up the egg moisten with it and work the whole very smoothly together
sufficient for a moderate sized haddock or pike
now beat and strain the eggs work these up with the other ingredients and the forcemeat will be ready for use
boil for five minutes mince it very small and mix it with the other ingredients
if it should be in an unsound state it must be on no account made use of
illustration basil
other sweet herbs are cultivated for purposes of medicine and perfumery they are most grateful both to the organs of taste and smelling and to the aroma derived from them is due in a great measure the sweet and exhilarating fragrance of our flowery meads
french forcemeat
it will be well to state in the beginning of this recipe that french forcemeat or quenelles consist of the blending of three separate processes namely panada udder and whatever meat you intend using panada
place it over the fire keep constantly stirring to prevent its burning and when quite dry put in a small piece of butter
put the udder into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover it let it stew gently till quite done when take it out to cool
illustration pestle and mortar
when the three ingredients are properly prepared pound them altogether in a mortar for some time for the more quenelles are pounded the more delicate they are
if the quenelles are not firm enough add the yolk of another egg but omit the white which only makes them hollow and puffy inside
any one with the slightest pretensions to refined cookery must in this particular implicitly follow the example of our friends across the channel
fried bread crumbs
the fat they are fried in should be clear and the crumbs should not have the slightest appearance or taste of having been in the least degree burnt
fried bread for borders
when quite crisp dip one side of the sippet into the beaten white of an egg mixed with a little flour and place it on the edge of the dish
continue in this manner till the border is completed arranging the sippets a pale and a dark one alternately
mode cut up the onion and carrot into small rings and put them into a stewpan with the herbs mushrooms bay leaf cloves and mace add the butter and simmer the whole very gently over a slow fire until the onion is quite tender
sufficient half this quantity for two slices of salmon
illustration sage
her meeting with letty was indescribably tender and the days that followed were pretty equally divided between her and her brother in nursing the one and loving the other
but even while she enjoyed every hour of life and begrudged the time given to sleep she felt as if the dream was too beautiful to last and often said
so christie turned a deaf ear to her prophetic soul and gave herself up to the blissful holiday that had come at last
nothing can surprise me now i'm prepared for any thing even the sight of my quakerish lover dancing a jig
i feel like a boy out of school or rather a man out of prison and must enjoy my liberty in some way
i'm not a talker you know and as the laws of gravitation forbid my soaring aloft anywhere i can only express my joyfully uplifted state of mind by prancing as you call it
i don't want you to i love to see you so young and happy only you are not the old david and i've got to get acquainted with the new one
i hope you'll like him better than the frost bitten old david you first knew and were kind enough to love
mother says i've gone back to the time before we lost letty and i sometimes feel as if i had
in that case you will find me a proud impetuous ambitious fellow christie and how will that suit
excellently i like pride of your sort impetuosity becomes you for you have learned to control it if need be and the ambition is best of all
i shall wait for time to show
then they went back to their work little dreaming as they tied roses and twined smilax wreaths how near that other chance was how soon they were to be called upon to keep their promise and how well each was to perform the part given them in life and death
to no home in the land did the great trouble bring a more sudden change than the little cottage in the lane
david was sober enough now and went about his work with a grim set to his lips and a spark in his eyes that made the three women look at one another pale with unspoken apprehension
it is terrible and yet glorious
david held it close in both of his saying gratefully thank you mother then fixing his eyes on the younger yet not dearer women he added with a ring in his voice that made their hearts answer with a prompt ay ay in spite of love or fear
the boys bless their brave hearts have done nobly but older men are needed now we cannot sacrifice all the gallant lads and we who have more to lose than they must take our turn and try to do as well
yes david sister and sweetheart answered bravely forgetting in the fervor of the moment what heavy consequences god might see fit to send good
bennet will take the garden and green house off my hands this autumn for a year or longer if i like
he's a kind neighborly man and his boy will take my place about the house and protect you faithfully
i knew you would go i saw you getting ready and i made up my mind to follow
you will let me do it and in return i will marry you whenever you ask me answered christie sealing the promise with a kiss that silenced him
you've something to tell me i see it in your face dear i must go
next evening as missus sterling sat alone in the twilight a tall man in army blue entered quietly stood watching the tranquil figure for a moment then went and knelt down beside it saying with a most unsoldierly choke in the voice
the loyal frenzy fell upon the three quiet women and they could not do too much for their country
it would have taken many knapsacks to hold all the gifts showered upon him by his friends and neighbors
finding that lisha showed little enthusiasm on the subject she tried to rouse him by patriotic appeals of various sorts
very well said missus wilkins resolutely to herself ef i can't make no impression on his soul i will on his stommick and see how that'll work
we can't afford no nice vittles now when our men are sufferin so
he was not as unmoved as he seemed by the general excitement and had felt sundry manly impulses to up and at em when his comrades in the shop discussed the crisis with ireful brandishing of awls and vengeful pounding of sole leather as if the rebels were under the hammer
to say that the fish rose at once and swallowed the bait hook and all but feebly expresses the justice done to the cakes by that long suffering man
can you remember what hepsey told us and call them poor long sufferin creeters names
no he ain't it's a trainer added ann lizy
now cynthy be you satisfied
and the inconsistent woman fell upon his buttony breast weeping copiously
his wife fed him with the fat of the land regardless of consequences his children revolved about him with tireless curiosity and wonder his neighbors flocked in to applaud advise and admire every one treated him with a respect most grateful to his feelings he was an object of interest and with every hour his importance increased so that by night he felt like a commander in chief and bore himself accordingly
then the good soul openly shouldered the burden she had borne so long in secret and bravely trudged on alone
the women dropped their work to look and listen for his visits were few and short and every instant was precious
they knew what it was without a word missus sterling clasped her hands and bowed her head
now let's be brave and enjoy every minute of it
we will what can i do for you davy asked christie wonderfully supported by the thought that she was going too
as a married woman you will get on better as my wife you will be allowed to come to me if i need you and as my he stopped there for he could not add as my widow you will have my pension to support you
nothing can part us any more not even death for love like ours will last for ever
not one david that's true love christie
then they stood quite still for a time and in the silence the two hearts talked together in the sweet language no tongue can utter
surely i shall if i give you and myself to the cause and i do it gladly though i know that my heart has got to ache as it never has ached yet when my courage fails as it will by and by and my selfish soul counts the cost of my offering after the excitement is over
david caught the exaltation and gave no further thought to any thing but the duty of the hour finding himself stronger and braver for that long look into the illuminated face of the woman he loved
the roses are for they remind me of poor helen and the first work i did with david was arranging flowers like these for a dead baby's little coffin
but i think few brides dress with a braver happier heart than mine though i do choose a sober wedding gown answered christie smiling again as she took from a half packed trunk her new hospital suit of soft gray woollen stuff
mister power is waiting are you ready love quite ready
you young folks take a wedding trip to the green house while we see how well we can get on without you
david and christie went smiling away together and if they shed any tears over the brief happiness no one saw them but the flowers and they loyally kept the secret folded up in their tender hearts
a very simple little marriage feast but more love good will and tender wishes adorned the plain table than is often found at wedding breakfasts and better than any speech or song was letty's broken whisper as she folded her arms round david's empty chair when no one saw her heaven bless and keep and bring him back to us
all watched with quickened breath and proud souls that living wave blue below and bright with a steely glitter above as it flowed down the street and away to join the sea of dauntless hearts that for months had rolled up against the south and ebbed back reddened with the blood of men like these
then she saw david and the regiment became one man to her
i could not love thee dear so much loved i not honor more