The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-08-16


the way that-As-had-eeme.
1t had become midday The fields
shone green and gold, and where water
flowed the sun had strewn thousands
upon thousands OF glimmering sparks
Other creatures rejpiced in the light, but
it panied the master to-day, and he sha-
ded his eyes with his hand. So be
walked on. There come to bim wan
derer who must already have journeyed
far, for be looked like a walking cloud
of Gust.
"Good FRIEND" said the stranger to
the master, "the sunlight dazzles you; is
it not SO ?"
The master replied in the affirmative.
'.See," the other continued, "there is
no better remedy for that than the gray
glasses, such as l carry. Try them" "
and with these words be took the glas-
ses from his nose and handed them to
the master.
He complied with the mans wishes,
and put on the sad-colored glasses.
They really relieved his hot eyes. The
sun lost its brightness, the meadow with
it's red and gold flowers, the trees and
bushes, and the vault of heaven-ail
we're gray, and this seemed to the master
to be just right.
"Will you sell the glasses ?" he asked
the stranger traveller.
"They are in good hands" he answer
ed, "and l always carry more such glas-
ses with me Take them from me for 9
keepsake, Master of Arts"
"Ah, you know me2 May ask
"Who l am ?" said the stranger. "My
name is Spleen. Farewell"
With these words he turned into 6
field-path, and soon vanished. But the
master pressed the gray glasses fast or
his nose, and went on.
Since The adventure years had passed
The master had become a morose bach
elor, and forgotten how to be pleased
with the world He still went out t,
take the air, but the green of the tree,
and the bright color of the flowers ne
more existed for him. The plants b,
tore up, carried them home, and pressed
and dried them Then be laid the flower
munmies IN gray blotting-paper. wrot,
Latin name on it, and that was bis sol,
pleasure il it could be called pleasure
One day the master came in his wan
derines to remote valley, through
which flowed stream that carried {
mill. He had become thirsty, and ask
ed the old woman who summed herse
at the door if he might have drink
She said that he could, invited him to
sit, and went in the house A young
girl soon brought milk and bread, anf
placed both on the stone table before
the guest 1t seemed to the master q:
if the maiden was not ugly, but through
his gray glasses he could not well dis
tipguish, and he could not take off thu
glasses because be thought the sunligb
would hurt his eyes. He silently con.
sumed what they had offered him, and
as the miler's daughter would take nc
pay, he pressed her hand and wen,
away. But she looked after the melan.
choly man till he vanished behind The
bushes.
The meadow vale in which the mil
stood must have fostered many singu
lar herbs, for the learned master came
again three days after bis first visit, and
stopped again at the mill He came
frequently, and was soon a welcome
guest. He brought sugar, coffee. snuff
and other judicious presents to the
grandmother be amused the miller witt
edifying discourse: but he never ad
dressed word to the blonde daughter
contentipg himself with sometimes con
templating her beauty through his gra,
glasses Then the miller lightly touch
ed the grandmother with his elbow, ant
the old woman nodded her white head
One day when the master had left tn,
mill and was going along the edge o