The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-09-30

fall into train Of thought, alone her,
in his romantic twilight, and | suppose
! must have unconsciously been con
V, sing with myself. Deuced poor com.
ny, though. ] assure YOU. And be-
de. you have doubtless heard the old
,roverb which says. He who talks to
himself talks with the devil If such
be the case his Satanic Majesty and my
self were in close communication mo-
ment ago"
The cold, hard look had vanished from
his face, and wasreplaeed b. the reckless,
| devil me rare expression which he usual
ly wore,
"And what may have been the sub
jeot Of your meditatioos2 Rpiiding airy
castles, SUPPOSE
Pardon me, but you are wrong My
castles were NIL completed alr. demol-
ishcd long ago | was thinking of tie
onnitns panitat,im of the world in gen
oral. .uy life in particular
land suppose you prefer your own
cynical thoughts &c my company If
so -.
"And # so you will vanish ike II
bcantiful dream, i suppose he SAID,
With that old air of gaj!antry which was
characteristic of him IN years gone by.
"Yes, of course I'll not stay wncro
my company is neither wanted nor ap-
prcciatcd," she replied, with pretty
little pout.
"But do appreciate and want your
company, Nina 49, particularly at the
present time; for | am suffering from
one of those deprcssions of spirit COM
monty known us the 'hucs, and |
know of nothing that will SO soon dis
pei my present attack as an hour of your
company. The fact is, Nina, if there is
any good III me if always seems nearer
the surface when am with you. Wicked
though | am, with nearly every sin i'll
the calendar on my soul, | always seem
better from having been with you. Ali,
Nina, if all women were us true to their
better natures MS You are, there would
be fewer men with lives wrecked by
woman's inconsistency! He will indeed
be a happy man who can some day win
.your heart
The gathering shades of night were
too deep for him to note the glad flush
that spread over her face at his words OF
praise, and she only said in reply:
81 am glad you think well OF me, FL
mcr. But pardon me, if you think me
bold or presuming. Why is itthat YOU,
with your advantages and talents, live
the life you do? And why is it that in
your conversation you always speak of
| ut,th l,itt.rntgg and Il IL,
there not some wom9l in all this wide
world to make you happy, some one io'
whose sake you would give up your evil
ways, turn from the paths of sin, and
lead purer life? Is there not one,
| Elmer?"
He was too deeply absorbed with his
own bitter thoughts to notice with what
eagerness she asked the question. 1t
was several moments before he spoke,
and when he did the words came slowly
and mechanically, as though they were
forced from him against his will.
"Mina, years ago I loved-loved, did
say p worshiped a woman fair as IA
poets dream, and believed her as truth
full, III word and deed, as the white
robed angels that cluster around the
| glittcrng throne above. Every cncour-
agement that woman could possibly give
I to man she gave to me, and for timo
| was in blissful dream-u fools para
lise. But, Nina, God does not allow His
FEATURES to make Him subordinate in
their worship, and my love for Sh"lah
Fortescuc was greater than my love or
fear of God. Atlcrgth | told her Of my
devotion, and asked her to be my wife.
Nina, that woman whom | loved moro
than life, reputation, or honor laughed
at my passionate plcadings, and forbid
me speaking t. her again. From that
hour | have been Il changed man. My
life has been passed i'll one mad whirl OF
excitement, in the attempt to drown the
memory of that girl "
Nina had been standing near him and
looking directly i'll his face. As he
ceased speaking she advanced a step to-
ward him, and asked;
"And You have succeeded in forget
ting her, Elmer"
No; | think | now full v understand
what Tcnnvson meant when he wrote
those lines in Lockslcy Hail.
knowledge comes but wisdom fingers and linger
on the shore,
nd the individual sithers, and the world is more
| aud more;
Knowledge comes but wisdom fingers, and he bears
| laden breast m
Fun Of sad experience, moving toward the Stiffness
| oi his rest
81 do not love her as I once did, but
forget her never can"
But Elmer why will you not marry
some woman who can by her loving
kindness help you TO forget her?'
He pointed far off in the western sky
where one star alone sent out its rays
DER the earth, and said in low voice !:
"NIina, do You see yonder star? Ii
is bright aud beautiful - far brighter
than any Of the smaller ones that will
soon spanqlc the azure vault abOve--but
it is alone. When the others come forth
it will slowly disappear, as if drcading
their companionship SO it has done in
ages past, SO it will continue to do in
all time to come. Like that star my
life must he a lone and cherries one
fl, me there is no companlonship. 1t
is nv destiny, to fight against it is
fnliy. Yet if | thought there was one
person in all this cold, nnsympathizing
world who feels sufficient interest in my
being to offer al encouraging word, l
would struggle against fate, and strive
to. if possible, accomplish something
during the remaining years of my life.
But no. there is not one, and | have
only to drift with the tide until finally
launched into the broad ocean of eter.
nifty and be forgotten, or, if remembered
at all by those who once claimed to be
my friends, it will be to have my Pecca-
diiloes uncarthed and discussed.
Nina came close to him now, and lay
ing her hand on his arm, spoke hur-
riedly, as though fearful that her
courage would fail ere she had finished
what she wished to say:
"Elmer, you are wrong when yor say
\ g,x,-