The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-04-10
Selected story.
TANGLED THREADS.


death ana anguish winch mas Moved With
such heavy surge and celdness through so
many hearts of the land had passed her by,
to all outward seeming, quite untouched.
Sylvia Farnham's mental ailment was of
that kind, talking over which the best of us
are apt to shrug little, and say, "Nonsensep
SO reluctant we are to admit our belief OF
things we do believe. We knoac how Sylvia
Farnham might sit bereaved, though death
had neither touched nor threatened the least
OF her beloved. Think of the capacity for hui
man tenderness AID devotion gentle, clear
headed girl will garner up from her own ma
ture and our literature in the years which
pass between sixteen and twenty-three. AND
1.-THE time seeming full come-it seeks lay,
ish outlet, and is driven back ashamed, WIN
not the heart sink and culver under tne SICK
sning weight?
Sylvia had never been specially In love,
though she. knew very well that, as American
girls go, her wedding bells must ring before
many years, ii at all-and she thought marrl-
age the "true state" as we all think, whether
we saw it or not. Not long ago she had OBJ
served among the Office signs of the town a
new name, "Philip Ecaren," and by and by
she began to "include" its owner-a man firm
OF hand and step, with eyes and voice passing
those of most men in clear, kindly breadth
And fullness.
Will you tell me the common result of
gIl OF Sylvia FaInham's stamp seeing much
OF such man? The demand of right soul
for virtues like its own being apparently fully
met, how about the human instincts the no.
best truly feel? What need to go over the
old theme wherewith the sweet singers aud
ready writers have found their best occasion
1)r all times?
SYLVIA and Elcaren had not very long met
at social gatherings, and talked and played
chess, before, scarcely with her cognition-
silently, and, as it were, in the night-the
food-gates felt the opening pressure, and the
tide of her whole LIES love set forth in steady
flow toward this one man.
And SO, reader, if you have been in love, as
you very probably have, you will see how a
girl who had been cool and stately as Diana
Tor twenty three years, could come to thrill and
glow by virtue of a single step, and voice, and
touch. She was afraid OF herself, she was
coming to love him sol How could she, who
had "detested" such things, let her hand be
retained so long in his the last time they
parted? More easily, clearly, than to have
drawn it properly" away. tell you there is
painlulness almost counterposing the bliss
in that sort of incident. The high reserve of
q whole. pure maidenhood cannot be thrown
of, though but partially, with ease, even under
rising loves quickening light,
You having been in the state presupposed,
viii know how it was with Sylvia after an
event ike luc iOuOWluS. 0ut Was, YOU VIII
remember, in the mood We have Just discuss
ed, entering on passion which at its full
would have thrown herself and the whole
world besides at the feet OF this beloved.
And yet, back OF it all, was the maiden deli
cacy grown doubly sensitive and ready to
take keen alarm at a word.
1t was social evening at Mr.. Mayhews.
The parIors were full-the talk and passing
to and fro very brisk. Not specially observed
al,1 A.. ....l
but before long gay little piece OF the world,
in person OF Miss Euphrasia Lance, came be-
tween them in little breeze Of airy, vexa-
tious, yet insinuating de trop-ness, and the
result was that Sylvia found herself after a
brief eye-parley with her companion, separ-
ated from him, and seated at chess on a thor
oughly golden principle, with good but prosy
and purblind Dr. Akerly, the checkered field
before him his world for the time being.
For nearly an hour she saw nothing of e.
caren. She was beginning to really chaie at
this quiet puppet-hardling which the doctor
enjoyed SO much, when the voice again reach
ed her ear. Any other one at the same pitch
she would simply have heard and not under
stood, but you know there will be voices fer
us alone, whose most careless cadence rings
clear as silver bells.
She could just distinguish Alfred Mayhew's
words, though he spoke in a higher key. The
first were:
"Now, Phil, you may as well be honest, and
own you're trapped at last No girl in her
senses could ever have looked and acted that
way to fellow who hadn't made himself
pretty definite"
1t seemed to Sylvia as though the blood
had all gone out of her heart, for it hardly
seemed to culver in its still suspense, while
her whole face glowed turiously. So her
burning ears took in the second speakers
words:
"How little you know me, ALT, to jump at
that style of conclusionl / assure you that no
word of this kind has ever passed my lips.n
(But what had he not lookedD "If you
knew her as well as / do, you would never
have fallen into this mistake She either
wants to be married or wants to firt, and
wac hat they vulgarly call the dead set is her
plan of operation. / tell you ALT, / would
not marry Venus herself ifthat were her style
Of attack. Ny ideal of the sex can never
stoop quite so briskly nor so low TO conquer"
Then that was his estimate of her-Sylsia
Farmland How the tide rolled back upon
her sutocating hearth How she disengaged
herself from DIR. Akerly she never knew; but
what remained OF that evening she spent in a
shaded corner of the deserted dressing room
mot crying, but knowing for the first time
what real misery meant. Yet as she donned
her hood with the rest you must have looked
~oAStAhJ ob ASA duU huOWu ueI hcll, u lave
told that hers had not been generous share
of the enjoyment Of the occasion.
At the hall-door she met form she knew
quite toe well, waiting, before he went his
own way, to bestow her safelyin the carriage,
which bore her home some distance out OF
own.
What matter if she could not help thrilling |
under the old look? The one she gave back |
was as full OF gathered and naughty reproach |
put kQnr ouoc al,
heart. His own glance changed to one of sur
prised inquiry. But what oft? lie knew |
his part well enough, no doubt.
so you see it was quite over. The tide |
could not well be colder and wider which
flowed between her and him. She did not
meet him very often, but when she did, that
man must have been singularly obtuse who
did not see that the eIeunt omnes was thence
forth pronounced on all mental intercourse
OF his as concerned herself
Girls like Sylvia Farnham do not peak and
pine over things of that sort. She went about
her household tasks, as it were, with more
Sentleness and efficiency than ever. The only
change outside seemed that she was more
tender and thoughtful of actual suffering, or
possibility of it, than before.
Her nimble needles clicked and glittered
among the very first which unsheatbed
themselves, on comfortable deeds intent. for
those brave but chilly fellows dwelling for the
time being in material but too airy tents.
What If the lines of thought, meshed in with
every sock all these kind fair fingers are knit
ting this winter, were to become visible and
palpable as the homely fabric itself! In and
out, tears never shed, and lonesomeness new
er spoken, thoughts busy and sad as death.
Out and in, fancies warm and bright as a
midsummer of paradise-high, tender CLOVIS
frem ull-pulsed, healthful hearts. All these
very possible in single stockingi
The too quiet and almost too long DAYS
came and went for Sylvia "Winters wild
Dirthnight was passed, and now the winters
NE was full come in all its storm and cold. |
sylvia received note one day from Katinka |
Creevy, bustllng manageress of half the be- |
neVoient societies in town, requesting her |
presence at the organization and initia al meet |
ing OF the Soldiers Dorcas societyn
On the evening named Sylvia set ont. with
out companion except the boy who drove. on
her lonely ride to the town. Had her heart
been ever so light, the scene of the Journey
would have taken somewhat from its cheer
The snow stretched out in long ghastly
reaches under the dead grays, its Whiteness
only broken by distant strips of forest which
Lay along the land, as she thought, like dead
giants, prone and black-palled.
Reaching town finally, she found Miss
Creevy's parlor full of smiling, nimble-
handed company, among which she took her
place, glancing for moment at the gentle
men, variously disposed, many OF them hold
ing sReins OF yarn for ladies to wind, others,
IN heu OF that, keeping balls in .llgent ward.
NO uSuot mucn OF the most invigoratipe cleo