The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-02-17
ONLY A PHOTOGRAPH.


It was only photograph-one of
those delicious shadow pictures, for
softness comparable to nothing but the
piles of feecy clouds which drift over
the wide blue spaces on Summers
day. Only photograph and yet there
| stood and drank III its beauty, and
got myself into such state at last, that
it seemed as though the lovely tace
stood out from the card, alive and real;
the tender, bright eyes smiled at me,
and the beautiful lips really seemed as
if they would part in gentle words. The
longer | looked at it, the stronger grew
my infatuation. For it was the picture
OF a new and fascinating 1rinao donna
whom all the world knows-a fair, in
nocent young girl, just begun her ca
reer OF devotion to her divine art. l
had seen her twice, and had fallen in
love with her
Up to that date, June Goth, of no
matter what year, my only experience
OF the tender passion had been such
romantic and adoring worship as this
f0r the young singer. Once it was an
actress, once a popular lecturess, and
again a CtGnSeu8e, who added to her
rare charms the obsolete one of mod
esty.
These maidens were to me thou
sand times more attractive than any [
1 had personally'known. They exact
ed nothing at my hands. They did not
turn pale or cry when [ got tired of
them And, also, / must confess that
what | saw of women in the routine of
my daily business was not calculated
to make me admire the sex en- Daasse.
held a position in the custom house.
Women came III by scores, who had
been caught trying to evade the duties:
| young women, old women, pretty wo-
men, ugly women, women laden down
with laces and ribbons and kid gloves,
bestowed in more ingenious ways than
even the female mind, unasSisted. could
deylse-but one and all utterly unscru-
pulous, and perversely unreasonable to
that degree that saint would have
lost his temper a dozen times in a day.
Now, 4 man may try to cheat YOU,
but when he is detected in the attempt,
he knows he deserves the penalty. But
a woman turns upon you as if You were
the culprlt, and she an innocent, injured
angel.
After having been subjected to trials
of this nature five years, do You wonder
that J said they were all story-tellers,
and there was no good IN any of them
no, not in one
| had worked harder than knew.
and at the end of the five years, [ broke
dOWn-callapsed all at once. Something
was the matter with my back, with nv
arms, with my head
EFr1rDy,, On, I ,.,-a
so here was |, on this loveliest of June
days, sauntering about Brussels
quaint, curious, pleasant old Brussels.
knew 1t by heart already, and felt
as if had been born there-as if /
would like to die there-only that it
would be a pity to die when one is so
content
Ny charming singer would, SO had
understood that morning, remain there
a month. Till the end Of that time I
could amuse myself very well. But
meantime [ must secure the photo
graph.
l went INTO the quaint, dimly light
ed shop with that intention
" NiltG p0rdOnS, monsieur, But
that IS the very last one we have.
Could monsieur wait 2 A fresh supply
would be Inlet us see-that very
evening. Thanks, monsieur. Mon
sieur was most obliging, like all his
countrymen."
The long Summer days do come to
an end at Brussels, as everywhere else;
but then it is only to give place to a
night of softer beauty. After the table
dhOte which was served at seven
O'Clock, was in the habit of gong to
the Camp DIES Fleurs, where the band
played every night in the warm wealth
er; and there, while the stately tree
made a tender darkness overhead. the
coiored lamps lit below illuminated
the whole square like ballroom; and
lovely faces and lovely figures passed
and repassed, and [ could dream
dreams that were too infinitely sweet
TO be realized, till the last note was
played and the lights grown dim. Then
home under the faint stars, past the
long row of tall dark houses.
To night [ bethought me to step in
TO my picture shop, and procure the
photograph which had been promised
me.
The shOpmen were charmingly obse-
1Stictio 1tAiAot'iF tt14bdlluSStU Us
| observed, with surprise.
"Ah monsieur has returned dc bon
ne hcurc."
"Oui. the pictures were come-in
fact, he had a pile of them in his
hand; and he dropped them down
upon the counter, for me to examine
and select from.
| uttered an exclamation of delight.
for there WAS my goddess, in variety
Of attitudes, each more bewitching
than the other.
Atmy hastily spoken words a young
girl, who had been standing by the
counter, turned suddenly, and as T
looked up and met the intelligent hazel
eyes, and saw the contour of the smooth
oval face, [ was absolutely dumb With
wonder and delight
No longer the ifeless photograph, |
but the radiant creature herself, glow |
Ing with life, and infinitely more beau
tiful than had dreamed
Perhaps my eager admiration had |
her. A deep blush ran
over her fair face; and before / could /
we'll arrange my perturbed senses, she
had slipped out.
6 Is that can that be-Mademoiselle |
-" | demanded.
"Oui. Omi' responded the auda- |