The Portland daily press., 1880-04-03
The collar of the shirt was very low, the
cuffs were very large. the tails of his coat

tire what it's owner would have called an ex-
aggeration of tone which seemed in his eyes
very fascinating. On his hands were gloves
with great many buttons going so far up
his arm that their beginning. like the source
of the Nile, could only be subject of specu-
lation, and on his left wrist he wore a heavy
gold bracelet, apparently of Indian work.
manship. In his button-hole bloomed a
single white rose, fastened to it's place by
pin in the form of dimnutive golden grass
hopper. In the middle of his vast eXpanse
of shirt front solitary effigy of the Egyptian
god Typhon did duty for a stud, and the
crush hat with which he was soemnly fan
ming himself was lined with silk of the deep
golden color dear to the Venetian masters.
This youth was, in fact, the aesthetic Young
poet Theocritus Marlowe, about whose vol
ume of poems, "Erotica," small part of
the world was talking at the time. Jack
Harris recognized him at once, not indeed
as the distinguished poet, but as one of his
comrades, or rather acquaintance, of the
Ballot days, when he was known as Adolf
plus Marlowe, he not then having adopted
the high-sounding Grecian name which he
afterward deemed so specially to suit his
| artistic nature, Jack, in great delight at
| meeting an old friend, rushed forward at
| once with a smile of recognition, just as the
poet dreamily raised his head and became
| conscious of Jack moving toward him. For
a moment the idea of fight crossed the
mind of Theocritus, but, observing no one
near, he resigned himself and returned
| Jacks greeting with sad civiity.
beautiful play" murmured Jack, after
| the usual commonplaces had been said "and
| admirably acted. How thoroughly the &C
tor brings out the meaning of the fine lines
| of the poet"
Theocritus looked at him with weary
smile.
''Does he%' he inquired in voice of Ian
| guild sweetness. 81 hadn't noticed him."
"Hadn't noticed himp' The observation
for the moment as completely disturbed the
balance of Jacks nature as if he had expe-
| rienced the shock of an earthquake. To go
to theatre where famous actor was play
ing and to observe that you had not noticed
the actor at all, revealed the existence of a
state of things as far removed from the mind
| of Jack Harris as is any number above ten
from that of an aboriginal savage. The
| truth was that Theocritus and few other
| aesthetic souls paid profound artistic hon.
| age to the leading lady of the company, and
were wont to testify their admiration by fire.
| quently visiting the theatre where she per-
| formed, and by only remaining in their seats
| so long as she was on the stage. The mo-
| ment she went off, the admiring band would
languidly rise and lounge about the Hobbies
| in melancholy manner till the time when
and fercer spirits among them called the
! young lady, came on the stage again, and
| brought them trooping back into the body of
| the house, loftily Indifferent TO the annoy-
ance they were causing. Seeing the bewil-
derment of poor Harris, Theocritus took
pity on his ignorance, and in a manner and
| tone of voice which seemed to claim as much
| authority as did the shade of departed Tro-
| phOnius, he Informed him that this particu-
lar actress was not only the most beautiful
woman living, but the most beautiful that
| ever had lived OR ever could live; that in her
| all the truths of art and all the religion of
the higher culture were incarnate, and that
| here the voice of Theocritus waned to a
reverentially musical whisper-in her were
presented all the graces of all the fair women
that had ever shone upon the earth. from
| Helen of Troy to NinOn De PEnclos Jack
listened in speeches. wonder to these out
pourings OF the poetic soul, and then, feel
| ing that he ought to contribute something to
| the praises OF so rare and radiant a maiden,
he ventured timidly to observe that he
| thought she seemed to interpret Shakes
peare's heroine admirably, that she thorough
ly understood the character, etc. He was
doing his best to appear poetic before his
| dazzling young friend, who did not appear
to be greatly interested, and he was warm
ing up into enthusiasm over the character
in question and over Shakespeare's heroines
| in general, when he was interrupted by
Theocritus, who coldly observed that had 10
doubt that what Jack said was very true, but
that really he had no opinion on the subject,
as life was not long enough to read Shak-
speare. This last axiom completely over
whelmed poor Jack. The lights began to
dance before his eyes, the floor and ceiling
seemed to be moving madly to meet each
| other, and Jack reeled for support against
the wall. He gazed wildly at Theocritus to
see if he was joking, but Theocritus rarely
condescended to joke, and on the present
occasion his countenance wore an aspect of
catafalquic gravity.
Jack pressed his hand to his forehead ana
| felt dimly conscious that he must be dream
ing or drunk, or out of his senses, or that
Theocritus must be. The aesthetic youth
looked at him with melancholy pity. 81 for
got," he murmnred; "you are evidently not
yet awakened to the truths of higher cul-
ture; the truly aesthetic is still unrevealed to
you: Yet, I remember" he added, "you
ought to be capable of better things. Why,
you used-yes, indeed you used-to write
poetry at Balliol; you have, not, am sure,
abandoned that religion. 1t is like the love
for beautiful women; once entertained it
rarely leaves its worshipper." Theocritus
smiled smile of faded sweetness as he
spoke. Jack blushed and family denied
having any capacity for poetry, but Theocri-
tus stopped him short. You ought to be
of u.s. he observed; "come and breakfast
with me tomorrow; here is my address,"
and Theocritus gave his friends card At
this moment another youth, of attire and ap-
pearance closely akin to that of the aesthetic
poet, came up to Theocritus, who, bidding
Jack good by, walked off languidly with the
new arrival. The act had begun, so Jack
hurried back to his seat, but his mind was
so disturbed by the new experiences forced
upon it during the strange interview, that
he could not keep his attention fixed on the
performance, and. his copy of the play lay
UNDECIDED in his pocket. He was relieved
when the dark curtain fell at last, and he
could go away. Happily for his excited con-
dition, there was no afterpiece- Jack
Harris would never have dreamed under any
circumstances of leaving theatre until TIE
very last moment AS he came out he saw
crowd OF young men, among whom was
Theocritus, to whom they all bore a family
resemblance, making for the stage door with
all the appearance of habitual frequenters of
that mysterious and, to the outer world,
awful portal. Jack sighed as he saw them
New emotions were beginning TO enter
Jacks mind which he could not have COM
pretended yesterday, and he arrived at the
Regents Park dwelling in a confused state
of intellect which he in vain sought to dis
pei in sleep. Strange visions, unknown ere
this, accompanied him in his slumbers,
forms of young men with long and dsor-
d9red hair thronged about him, murmuring,
Behold the lovliest lady upon earth',
snatches of song jingled in his ears, and
shapes of women fitted by, whom he knew
to be fair by the grace of their presence and
the tender turn of the neck, though he could