The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-04-20

giOriest Remove the mask, i entreat you
that may behold the divine object
which is to kindle admiration into
poetry"
90 poctl poet! trust to the ideal,
/ advise YOU. The actual is always
disappointing. Alas! my poor face
could hardly kindle the flame of genius.
Imagination viii give you higher in
SEPARATION. -
Imagination! Yes, We poets know
it we'll A mere cloudland of frozen
icicles. But true poetry requires
passion; aud passion only comes from
the actual. the visible, and the glorious
reality of the beautiful"
And if ] lift my mask, senior poet,
will you find the glorious reality of the
beautiful in my face? All, do not dare
the trial. Your pOet-soul would recOil
from the actual, and IL should lose
your homage and your batteries"
9 Nevern 1 exclaimed impetuously.
90 enchantress of my soul, try me
unmask. / shall worship; 1 shall
ADORE
a. Enough! enoughp' she murmured,
laying her fan upon my lips. Wor-
ship, adore! mere idle poet-falsehOods.
Truly, Plato was right. Poets should
be banished from every well-ordered
state"
"And why, alma min ?
g Because you poets are all pagans
and periurers. You set up idols to wor-
ship, and you simulate false homage.
/ Poets do not need to wear mask; their
! whole life is a falsehoOd."
SO like women, then; but confess
! Poets, at least, know how to love, and
are worth loving. Lift the mask, and
| you will judge if | can love"
Il cannot. Sympathy and praise and
| homage are enchanting to a woman.
| Why should L risk losing these subtle
| batteries, that make me believe / am
| lovely enough to be loved? If unmask,
/ the words will freeze on your lips; the
poet will be turned to stone"
% Impossible! Your conversation
! charms me. What mind! what intel
| lect! Yes, even beyond beauty
worship intellect; and l feel
! drawn to you by a strange spiritual
affinity, wholly mental, believe me
Beauty is mere ephemeral adjunct
the true perfection is in the soul y"
Z" This appreciation Of intellect is, in
| deed, touching" she said earnestly.
'Yet-shall l confess it'll would
rather be thought beautiful, even for a
moment, than hear all your praises of
! III lAAhNiiNCNs w. i Cdulub IlSh IllC
| trial The flame kindled by intellect
would be soon extinguished by-must l
say the word?-a fatal ugliness.'
20, fear not, serrana! | deny and
/ defy the ugli1ess. And where could it
exist? The features may be irregular.
but there is the grace of expression-a
very lovely thing. Indeed, prefer it
| to positive beauty. And if the mind
! charms, the face will also. 1 could
swear it. From long experience 1 have
| acquired a certain instinct for the dis
eernmcnt of masks. No; 1 cannot be
deceived. | have too good a nose for
that
My companion started slightly, and
| averted her head, as if offended by such
a vulgarism; but was soon herself again,
and, extending her hand, assured me,
by this graceful gesture, that was al
ready forgiven.
There is but one thing to regret if
you unmask," / continued, clasping the
little hand fervently. +" / shall lose all
the delicious privileges of the Carnival
ball. / do not want to know your name
and rank. l only want permission to
utter the one phrase love your
" You forget" she said; and the little
/ hand was nervously withdrawn. You
have not seen my face. If l unmask,
| you will scarcely wait to utter frigid
a los pies dc atsted before you fly from
my side in horror
.'Neverr' exclaimed. 1.-The
idea is an insult to the holy instincts
of the poets soul. And grant even
that some unhappy accident has
married your beauty, can that affect the
brilliancy of your conversation, the
music of your voice, the seductive grace
of your figureP No, no! A woman
with such gifts must be always fascinat-
ing. And if the face be, indeed, ugly, /
shall pardon the casket for the sake OF
the jewel it contains. "
She was evidently touched, and muir
INJURED, as she scattered the petals of a
rose from her bouquet:
"Yet-yet-is not ugliness the one
objectionable sin in woman? DO not
the poets feel this? Do not you know
itP"
"A calumny. serranita. None but
shallow minds hold such a creed-nOt
natures like mine. Let me unite the
maSk-where can be the risk? Do not
see this perfect form, and the glorious
eyes that flash on me like stars of night,
with those golden tresses falling on
neck whittier than the pearls
that encircle it? And think YOU ]
have not noticed the perfect form
of your head and the delicious smile OF
that roseleaf mouthP'
"Ah, there may be still something
left to terrify-eyes and mouth alone
do not make a face beautiful. Have
you seen ALP"
- may say all Misunderstanding
", is the only feature" Chere / was
interrupted by her laughter). You
laugh, my sweet serrana. 1t is-ROman,
perhapsP'
Or Carthaginian, for aught l know. ]
really cannot take upon myself to affirm
its order. "
" No, no, nor' L exclaimed. ut /.
not possible that an abnormal, al
anomalous nose could co-exist witt
other beauties so perfect, so harmonious
However, / take the consequences
With that mouth, those eyes, that sirer
sylphlike form-what more could
desirep Any woman simply with YOU
intellect and your eyes must bt
charming, irresistible, divine! I'm
mask, then, alma del mia alma
, My heart is yours already! The mer,
, accident of feature can have no influ
ence on love as deep as MINER
Rash man, you tempt a dreadful
, fate!' she said gently, laying her hand
on mine with warning gesture.
Away with fearsl" / cried "B7
r this little hand now held in mine,
r swear to love you now and forever
, forever! The homage of my whole If,
is yours.
, ''Well, then-alas, how weak w,
women arer' and her voice trembled
"Will love, indeed, survive the ordeal
Here, unite the mask yourself-my hanC
trembles so, I cannot do it. 1t is tn,
/ supreme moment of my life! VIII YOU
| still love me when the mask falls?''
g" ANGEL of nv life, can YOU doubt me-