New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-18
VIVID WAS SHE:s
GY BAyARD TAYLOR

WI III " no S1AA
81 BAyARD TAYLOR.
Gomez now. there may As welt be an end
Of this2 Every time meet your eyes eGuare-
" detect the question just slipping out Of
them, II you had spoken it, or even boldly
looked it; If you had shown in your motions
che least sign Of fussy or fidgety concern
on nv account; If this were not the evening
of NV birthday. and .you the only friend
who remembered it: if confession were not
GOOD Sor the soul. Enough harder than sin
Ia some people. Of whom am one-well. 1t
ALI reasons were not at this instant COM
yerped into focus, and burning me rather
violently, in that region where the seat OF
emotion Is supposed to Iie. should keep
my trouble to myself.
Yes, have fifty times had i on my mind
90 tell you the whole story. But who can
be certain tina. his best friend will not
smile .-or, what j. worse, cherish o kind of
charitable pity ever afterwards-when tho
external fOrms Of very serious kind OF
Passion seem trivial. fantastic, foolish And
sho worst Of all Is that the heroic part
which imagined lwas playing proves to
have been almost the REVERSE The only
comfort which find in my humiliation is
that am capable of feeling it. There isn't
u bit Of paradox in this, as you will sec:
Uut AhNutiVu ~ ~" w PACPAs'c y
Tor. may be, q little morbid constituencies Of
aly moral nerve.
The documents are all in this portfolio.
under my elbow. I had just read them
again completely through. when yon were
annOuncedo SVu may examine them as
you like. afterwards: for the present. ELL
-FOUR glass. take another Cabana and keep
silent until my 'ghastly tale" has reached
its most iamentab!e conclusion.
- - uy-nH
Syringe. three years ago last summer. l
suppose most unmarried mea who have
reached. or pissed, the age Of thirty--and
was then thirty three-experience fnilder
return Of their adolescenI warmth. u kind
Of fainter second spring. since the first has
not fulfilled its promise. Ofcourse. | wasn't
clearly conscious Of this at the time: who is!
But had had my youthful passion and
shy tragic Disappointment. aa yeu know.
Rad looked far enough into what Thack.
cray used 60 call the cryptic mysteries to
save mo from the Scylla of dissipation. and
yet preserved enough of natural nature to
keep mo out Of tho Pharisaic Charybdis.
NV devotion 70 my legal studies had already
brought me . mild distinction; the paternal
legacy was a good nest egg for the incuba.
ZION Of wealth--in short, l was lair, re.
spectacle "paruy," desirable to the humber
mammas, and not to be despised by the
naughty exclusives.
Tie fashionable hotel at the Springs holds
800. and 1t was packed. l had meant to
lounge there for q fortnight, and then finish
my holidays at Long Branch: but eighty. at
least. out Of the hundred. were young and
moved lightly In muslin. With my years
and experience. felt so safe. that to walk,
talk or dance with them became simply u
luxury. such as had never-at leas: SD
before. My name and
standing. known to some families. were
ngresaby Exaggerated by she others. and
enjoyed that supreme satisfaction which Il
man always feels when he discovers. or
imagine., that he Is popular IN society.
There is . kin of premonitory apology i'm.
piled IN my sayf ing this. am aware. You
must remember that am culprif, and cul
prits counsel. at the same time.
You have never been ns Wampsocket'
Well. the hills sweep around a crescen. on
the north side. and four or tive radiating
gIeps. descending from them. unite just
t0 n waterfall (calied "Minne-he by the
lrreyerant young people. because there is 80
little Of IT., "a the fashion able drive ana
promenade: but tho second rayinc on the
left. steep. crooked and numbered with
powders which have tumbled from some. |
where and lodged in the mos. extvacr:in-
ary groupings. became my fayorite walk Of |
, morning. There was y footpath in it. !
~ell-irodden at first. but gradually falling
put rs II became more like u ladder than u |
path. and soon discovered that no other |
Ditv feet than mine were likely 20 scale
certain rough slope which seemed the end |
u n rayine. Wit, the aid OF the tough |
aurel stems climbed to the top. passed /
through cleft rs narsow as y doorway. /!
md presently :aund myself in a little upper |
iel!. ~ Wild and eweet and strange ia one
u the picture that haunt US Oh the brink |
u sleep.
There was . ponI-n", rather bowl-of |
water in the centre: hardly twenty yards !
across. get tho sky in il was 40 purple and }
ar down that The circle Ot rocks and sum
ner foliage incl,s-ing it seemed like little
planetary ring, floating off alone through I
psee. ! can't explain the charm OF the !
pot, nor ths selishness which Instantly !
usess:ed that should keep the discovery |
O myseli. Ten years earlier should have
oOked around tor some tair spisi: to be my
but now
One fog. n"o,.--I think Il was The third or I
Gnr,h time had visited the pfase.-l was
':artlei to find the s.int 81 . heel in the
'art.. hal: way up the SLOPE. There had
,eca ram d in. .he night. and the earth I
vas still fuois: 1nd soit. IT wss the marx
u . wGiuans boot. only 10 be distinguished
rom that az y w.sikiwg.s'ick by ''e semi
irSular form 4 little higher. found the
nt!!ne Of = :vo'. TO: so small rs 20 awake
II ecstaey. bat with suggestion of light.
sss. elasticity ana grace. II hands we're
hrnss Through in!-s in y hoard fence. and
Othins OF the attached SoIiies seen. can
aslly Imagine ih., eom. would attract and
theirs sepei Us: with tostysints the i'm.
fession is weaker. e.. coarse. i.us We can.
o. escape il. I am not cure whether
anteI to !ina sas Snkno ~ ~aarer Ut .he
GOT Wi.h:n ny precious pessona! solitude.
was AFRAID skould sea heg ~hil. passing
,seugis ihe rocky CT, vice. amt 81: was
isopp..n;.a Wien fuand Ne one.
Bat ON sh. si.'. warm rock NyeshaNcir:
l~ ssen-ms errciaI sh'oae--i.y com.
itherins Wild flowers and SbeOk: looked
p and DOWN. i.h: and left: :..':" ~: "
10 slighte.. sisn q; a,o:ae- sai :- 8.
lah minso Then I Iay dos" 60 !.
az lo'lf ssI J! ,'e.seS. i.rf.
use OF bird sSsi .9.r,s:, -. 90. :!
So s''s ny :i'. hcUA. ~. e ~ tsl:...
Mol 81. r....s On!s sketches. iA's" ,
tr,, indeed. e,sBe tH'sr.ol- st15;.e oi 8
ck. ard tSces ~ 'Ie tir.t page: % :c~ not {
ry striking 50. A,sr-s. " l.sb scen' d 70 !
W Soep evGce&>i ~ rJG:.s.aa. III: se'