St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-07-14

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defined consciousness young people have
OF the great outlying issues all about
them feeling their way with touch and
sense, in Il labyrinth for which as vet
they have found no clGr, and perhaps
clad for while TO encourage the uncrr-
tanty; t" acrust"m their eyes to the
darkness, and venture something IN paths
hncNPlorcd The possible danger adds
(" the excitement, for they all know and
feel that when the clue Is found, the
path made straight Ia their feet, then
must their feet he trained and compelled
/" walk in it and liberty Is sweet, and
youth Is fond of wanderings. 81 stand
inc at the entrance OF my labyrinth with
ont Il clur, | saw much 10 br@ulc my
lingering footsteps, AMI many riffs of
sunshine through the trees. And much
OF the sunshine cmanatcd from my cnus-
in Philip.
For my cousin Philip now occupied
the position of hero 10 my tale, and like
| many of wCmcn'S heroes he had but lit
| tie OF the heroic element about him.
Hnt Philip and were engaged we
N;lnntrrrd about together in the moon
light; W. vowed such vows rs young
lovers mean 10 keep. lie looked into
my eyes and >wurc | WAS fair; rs mine
sank hcn9alh his, feel. lac was
-charmlng and we We're happy, till
the serpent entered into Eden Ny ser
l'rnt Wa of course 4 woman, handsome,
clever, and unsrrupulnus; and as think
M Of her always SUCCEEDS tlat gor%c-
r"nr Egyptian serpent of odd times, -hnIl
call her here Cleopatra.
She sailed into my life one day in a
Skinner of silks and u Glitter of jewels;
'laIk eyed, dark haired, Il lu>trous wo-
man whD prrvadcd the room the moment
>he entered 1t diiiu>ing subtle odor Of
Jca~amInr. When she raised her dark
eyes 10 mine felt my spirit was in arms
AGAINST her, though we had exchanged
no words but such as society listens To
with comPltI>ance at il morning call
W hen she sailed out of the room again,
waited 10y soft JcSsamine scented zrplyrs,
u well bred murmur ran about
lrrathcd irccr without knowing had
felt oppressed, and joined the polite cho-
rus-"lcs, Il splendid woman" "By
.Iove, yes, Il dcvilish handsome woman"
| overheard young man saying to a
friend and it echoed in my cars ~ |
10" went down stairs, u devilish hand
some woman, Il deNili-h handsome wo-
man. though | WAS fur too well brought
up Ia echo IT with my voice. Cleopatra
thought me worth cultivatin@, and i'm
perccpllhly we %lidcd into Il show OF
friendship. sometimes thought she
liked me To be- seen hcsi,.c her a. n foil
To her own brilliant Oriental charms.
My Saxon complexion and tnwny hair
made Il hl;k Ground against which she
shnne more resplcndcntly, and she liked
the whisper Of might and Morning."
lS We appeared together. But there was
no sympathy and no real intimacy he
tween us; hut by careles-ly woven
threads Cleopatra established its sem
blancc to suit at first whim OF her VAN
ity, and afterwards apurposc which took
shape in her wayward brain and stub
born will.
My cousin Philip was <ingularly
handsome man, and quite as conscious
of his advantages a. sin"ularly handsome
men, who have dallird through many
Seasons in the jar HHHtc of drawing room
lite are apt to become. And yet one
could rot call him vain. a sense of his
advantages, personal and intellectual.
rave him II rather noble charity for
what, in his lorlly way, he no doubt
cllsScd as the ordinary herd OF m"rtal-
1t was simply no case ior comparison,
81 hc always found something To- like or
commend in others. But he was indu-
lent and quite content with the applause
of what hc chosc-what in those days
we both choSc-to call ''Ihc world"
limiting that term, after the fashion OF
our caste. To the elect who wore the pur-
pie and fine linen of fortunes providing.
And was used to Philip; his worldly
wisdom was the sort of wisdom | had
grown up To believe in. He was far
clcvcrcr than any man | knew. lie had
plcuary Indulgence 10 gather honey from
any flowers that pleased him, and in
the freshness ofhappy girlhood and guar
antccd liberty, with the bond between us
understood and accepted, gave myself to
the enjoyment of life is it was. On n
rainy morning Philip would entertain
me i'll his own irresistible way with his
sayings and dongs Of the last week or
fortnight; and sometimes moonlight
made us sentimental, and dropped into
poetry and praised my eyebrows in we'll
chosen quotations. In short, we suited
one another, and had 50 thoroughly ac-
ccptcd our position as future husband
and wife, that our days glidcL by undis-
turbcd even by lovers quarrcls.
Perhaps it was this that drifteI into
my mind one day, rs we idlcd away the
sunny morning beside Il brook in the
country.
"Philip," said 10 the great hand
some figure behind Il great cloud of
smoke ut my feet, ''it seems odd that we
never quarrel. We scarcely disagree
enough to make our relations interest
ing"
"Name the subject, my dear girl" lac
lazily rejoined "Fd even quarrel with
you for quiet life. What shall it be ?
The whole sweep of nature and art, be-
sides the fruitful field of our mutual ac-
quaintance, is open for discussion. Shall
it be your antipathy for Offenbach ? |
will defend him with all the obstinacy
of Ignorance and the persistence Of a
dcvotce you shall declare him degra-
der of your sublime art, demoralizing
agent, a trespasser in the temple of the