Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-08-06
BRATTLEBORO, VT, FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1876.

10 talklnB Ol MS O1allOu'
at all depends" said he, ION the way
pronounce my first sentence. If 1 can get
through that with the right infection all
will go wel but If l fail to get my audi
ence on that first sentence, / shall never
get them at all, and shall be like a man
running after stage coach--the only eff
feet will be that shall keep my audi
ence little loHger in sight than If 1 stop
ped as soon as 1 lost them. Now, hear
me !" he added, standing theatrcally on
the rock, land see if you know what 1
mean,"-
"'Thought is the DEVIL"
"I say, Shrub, how do you feel after thatS
You ought 10 shver, and catch your breath
for the next sentence, or it's no use for me
TO go on"
"Tve shivered," said Ego on"
"But the devil himself was an angel of
light before he fell" Now, you see,
must be meditative when begin. l must
come forward on the stage in thoughtful,
downcast way, like ST. Johns Hamlet
half lift my eyes and calculate my first
sentence, hesilating afterthe word thought
as If 1 had como to the conclusion Of the
whole matter, and then come down hard
on devil as if had banged him down on
the stage. Then, in a sort OF allegretto
movement, you see, announce the COM
Elementary phrase, and my theme Is fairly
before the startled periwgs."
How oflen-how very oflen have gone
over this scene, and repeated our conver-
sation, for clew 10 after silence, so that
his words are deeply imbedded in my
mind. II is needless TO give our talk. We
rolled ourselves in our comfortables, and
lay side by side on the rough rocks, look
ing up at the stars. The heavens looked
kindly down; they seemed TO hold a fair
future for us both. We talked of college
days, but not so much as OF days 10 come.
The night crept on, and our talk grew
more and more infrequent. At length, as
I felt drowsiness come over me, 1 heard
his voice for the last time:
"Good night, Shrub. Everything?"
eyes"
1t was an old formula, eiernally ending
quarrels or differences. Read in fuil, it
meant, "Do you forgive everything that l
have said or done that was unfair or un-
kind?" and many a time since, when
wearied with doubts and speculation con-
cerning my lost friend, have whispered
to myself Everything, Ralph? ?" and so
nave striven to banish every possible in
Justice to him from my mind. | went 10
sleep, and slept soundly, too, waking once,
and then only to feel Ralphs hand upon
me, as l thought and TO sleep again. l
awoke at last as the sky in the east was
broadening with light.
"Good morning, Ralph" said /.
There was no answer. l turned. His
comfortable lay there, and he had evident
ly thrown il off on the other side furthest
from me. He was not there.
never saw my friend again!
The exercises at commencement were
shortened by the absence of ole Of the mas
ter's oia,ions. No explanation was given
upon the stage, aud little surprise was felt
in the audience. My own classmates, such
OF them as were there, were both pqued
and annoyed. They bad counted much ON
Ralph's Grafton, and they could not under
stand either his sudden al sence or my si-
lence in regard TO it.
carried back the wraps 10 Treats room,
and was questioned by him and others
where Ives had gone, why he had gone so
suddenly. maintained a reserve which
covered an aching heart. Whittier he had
gone, l knew not. Why, was equally an
enigma to he; bul there was one fact that
sealed my lips against the disclosure Of any
OF the circumstances Of his disappearance.
When | arose that morning 1 found my
watch and purse had been taken from me.
Always that hid0ous fact rose up in mock
cry when recalled the image Of my noble
friend. l could not explain it away
could not lay il bare to the impertnent
gaze Of haf-interested persons. hid it
almost to myself, striving to make the fair
presence Of my friend light enough to ex-
tinguish this blot. As If had explained
and vindicated my friends character, it
constantly came forward to arrest my judg.
ment when disposed to mete out some re-
ward of condemnation. "Wait aud see,"
had at such times said. So have waited
these many years so, at last, see.