The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-09-16

sibIe as it is polite. But now he suf-
fered; he suffered dumbly as a dog,
passionately as barbarian; now he
was met by that which, in a moment,
pierced his panoplies of indifference and
escaped his light PHILOSOPHERS.
"On, God" he thought, eff it were
anything anything but this I love
her wildly, madly, and yet must give up
all hope of ever winning her. Can this
be the punishment for my past thought
less, giddy career. If so, the penalty is
Tar greater than is merited by the crime.
But, if she.had only given me the small
est ray of hope, how different my futuJ
would have been-hqw bravely woule.
have struggled to overcome those habits,
winch are more the result of circum-
stances than of inclination. And would
have succeeded; for, with her love as a
beacon to guide me, I would have found
no task too difficult nor any obstacle in
surmountable. But pow-wen. I'll only
live for pleasure. if there is snch a thing
for me. Henceforth / will worship at
no shrine but that of forgetfulness, know
no time but the present. and have no
friend but self. And, as the poet says,
That death will end this pain,
That on the shores of another world
And feel. with the fullest love and pride,
The olden, golden Joy,
That came of trusting in wonen--and God,
Ere love was q broken toy.n
And he went forth into the world
again unchanged in outward appear
ance, except that he was colder, prouder
and more cynical than before. And he
plunged into all the pleasures and dissi-
pations with a recklessness that bor-
dered on desperation. Elmer Royston
had always been great believer--if the
words are not too sonorous and too ear
nest to be applied to bis very inconse-
quent views upon any and every subject
In the philosophy of "Let us live in
the present, aud to this was added a
firm belief in destiny or fate, as he usu-
ally called it. He believed that per-
sons life was marked out for them upon
their entrance into this world, and moth
ing could change or deviate them from
the course. He was reckless to the ut
most stretch of recklessness, all serious
and quiet though his daily manner
and, though he forced himself by
strong will to a subdued and dull languor
in keeping with his former life. the pent-
up PASSION within would break out occa-
sionalIy in. a sudden burst of anger,
midnight debauch, or, worse still, not
nfreguent sitting at the gaming table.
He had gained the reputation among
the "boys" of his set as being the most
daredevil of the lot. His word was Ia.
among them when it was upon any par
hcular style of dress or question OF
etiquette. He had but to commend a
new kind of wine or smoke new brand
of cigars to make them popular, and had
only to adopt peculiar style or color OF
cravat to make it the "agony."
Dut was he happy-had he found in
this life the happiness without which
there can nbenocontentment? No; never
since that evening when he parted with
Shelah Fortescue had he known the
true meaning of that word. Her face
was before him ever; her voice came to
him even when surrounded by gay COM
panions, and when tossing upon his bed,
and in vain trying to compose himself
to sleep; it was there always. He
cursed himself for his folly, and tried to
believe that she spoke truly when she
said, "The dream is done :" but at that
very moment knew that one kind word
from her would still the troubled waters
of his soul.