The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-04-07
For the National Era.
JASPE A ROMA nee.
BY EDWARD SPENCER.
XVI.
Hov they Loced and Lired.


"Our work shall still be better for our love-
And sill our love be sweeter for work"
Eagerly had Jasper come, over Pacific wave,
over mule-path, over Atlantic wave-steamer
went not fast enough, railcar seemed to creep
at snail-pace, so much did his longing heart
outrun their utmost speed. In his mind there
boiled whirl of thought, wild wooG mingled
of Joy, hope, shame, love- regret, resolution /; in
his blood the quick vigor of returning strength.
None had kept up with him, save the untiring
Abdullah and him he had left in the city-no
one must be present when he met them it was
too holy thing for curious eyes. First he
would 60 to the cottage, a pilgrim to the anchor,
ana yet the meeting was very slmpIe one.
Only those whispered words; the quick, soul
deep kisses, that meant so much beyond words
the long, convulsive, silent embrace. There
was nothing wild, passionate, hysterical, about
it-emotion so deep seeks the undertone, per-
force.
Only when at last they went into the Cottage,
and had lights to look at each other by, and
his quick eyes saw the change in HIS mother
the silvering hair, the deepening lines, the bow
ed shoulders, the thin, palld cheeks, the uncer-
tain step-he burst into tears, and, bowling his
head, said, with great gasp that half choked
him:
ooh, mother, mother, forgive mel did not
dream of this; wretch that | am, did not
dream of this
But his mother, with that sweet, quiet smile
which was SO new to him, and so touching, sale,
softly:
"Better this way, my Jasper, far better, than
as you left me. Then it was but the husk now,
thank God, it is the sweet and precious kernel.
Better far"
And so, full of love and bliss, they returned
to the Hall, How much they had to say and
see, in those pregnant days This Jasper
why, he was new man, not the one they re-
membered, at all. How tall he was, how broad,
how brown-what a man, in fact, in whom
worthily to invest their wealth of love! Such
hard, snewy arm he had-'twas good to rest
on it; such magnificent brown beard such a
brown, hard hand--how he must have worked,
to render the palm so callous Poor Jasper,
delving like a day lahorer, while they were
dawdling at the Hall Twas strange, twas
piteous. They could not realize it all. What
| a firm, free, wide, easy tread he had, man that
he was; what voice, rather loud, cordial, ge-
| NAL, the voice of one who had lived much in the
| Open air, and among men; and his manners
were SO open, easy, selfcon6dent, nothing OF
| the rather egotistc boy, Jasper, in them. No;
| b< raof
honest, lovable man. Be sure they loved him
And then his followers came, faithful Rich
ard, honest, hearty Brawny Back, straight-eyed
Abdulah. There was a long welcome for them,
and ten thousand thanks. The women could
not do enough for them, could not find adequate
| means of expressing their gratitude to these
men, who had seen the nobility of their Jasper,
and Joined them in worshipping it. How they
petted old Richard, and nursed him into a halt
belief that he ought to need nursing and petting,
since he had gone so far, and done so much.
| How they amused themselves with and admired
old B. BIS hearty forecastle ways, so full of the
sailors rough but genuine and chivalric tender
ness for women. How they puzzled over the
Malay silent, retentive, inscrutable, only watch
ing Jasper, and waiting on him-their help
meets in this regard And what questions they
asked, and listened to the stories of adventure
| Inat CAME itoil oil ups, save hUuuildu anu
Jasper s--tales of most disastrous chances, of
moving accidents by food and field"
| aWherein of vsst, and deserts idle
| Rcngh quarries, rocks, and him, whose heads
Il touch heaven,
i II their hint 10 speak, such was the process
II And of the csnnibals that each other eat,
| The An hropophsg, and men whose heads
| Do grow beneath their shouldersp
Jasper had noAeea to be his own rhapsodist,
for was not here Els Journal, fairly written out,
which 81 devoured, even Plato Classic? The
latter found much tp interest and surprise him !;
but why had not Jasper set down the number
of pistils and stamen of that blue flower seen
| in the Polar region? Every note upon Aeschy-
| lus filed him with delight.
any boy" said he, as he returned the man.
nscript, it makes me proud to see that you
have not forgotten what tried to teach you.
Some of your notes and hints are admirable,
| especially as they are original.
| I am really amazed at the critical acumen
displayed. 1t is in the spirit of Dindorf, him.
self, who has made similar observations upon
this very text, though not as deliberately as you
have. Go on, my Dear pupil, only persevere,
and you may expect in time to rank among
critics with such names as Bentley, Herman,
: Person. and Heyne" 81