Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-27
AN IDEAL.
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT spoFFoRD.
From The Continent.

From The Continent
Age comes to some people only like the wider
opening of the rose, the gentle dropping of the
creamy outer petal; and one must needs think of
this IN looking at Mrs. Fernalde. 81 have had
my threescOre and ten," she used to saw 81
have had all that nature has to give and now I
| am living on grace" 1t was sunny spirit that
informed her, lightsOmeness that never let the
substance of tear penetrate beneath the sur
face that could endure nothing but happiness
Her unfailing good nature was like a fairy wand
that smoothed every trouble out of her way and
out OF the way of every one about her. If her
hair was white, no great sorrow had made it so:
ana its contrast with the soft brancy of
| black eye and the velvet flush of a cheek un-
written by many lines, made her perhaps as
IoVe'y as one standing in all the full radiance of
youth As for Dir. Fernalde-tall dark, spare.
lie was by no means unattractive. and his
couftly manners had a unique elegance He
loved his ease; and annoyances when they
CHANGED to break through the magic circle his
wife drew about him, veXed him, as they usually
do a nervous person. For the rest, he was one
vi those men VINO. having led singuarly tOrtu-
nate Ife. maintain to themselves a fancy that
they have Just missed the last stroke to make
the crystal complete, who have a vanishing
ideal always just beyond sight and reach.
Inc Fernades were neghbors Of ours
vanclng age secluded them in some measure
from general society; their home was always
cheerIui; they were always in it, and if there
had been no such person Grabbed old Mrs
Iatiiaiero who had spent the last six months
with them. it would have been hard to see how
heaven itself could be much Improvement ON il.
However. she was going at once, and then
where would be the cruInple in the rose-leaf?
They loved young people. ''The new genera
ton lends us part of its freshness" they used
a6
indeed made me so particularly conscious of
their flatterng favor that | spent good por-
ton of my time with them, threaded the sweet
little lady needles, read and wrote more or less
lof MI. Fernalde. and was gradually taken into
their confidence in way did not desire. since
am about to violate it.
Could imagine happier old age than this.
my enid, with my WIFE, my health my flowers
our birds and pets aud friends?' he said once,
repeating my question. why YES nv dear it
was much happier before my wife brought Mrs.
Ia.llaler0 to stay with us. Some Old schOolmate
or girl friend of hers, don't quite know whom.
Tor the fact Is she nettle me SO the first day she
came that wouldn't ask ROsaile a word about
her. for fear | should show nv displeasnre at
her having brought her home when she turned
up IL is astonishing how an invsibly snlalI,thorn
VIII destroy your equanimity. And this woman
mas quality that would turn honey into vine
saf, 90 DeiieVc- She has changed our quiet,
peaceful. sunshny life. that seemed like one
day In June into sharp, raw day in November
There is something very rasping about her. I
don't see what my wife invited her to spend
such season with us for. l wonder If she
thought that at the end of the time shOnld
press for a continuance? Nv dear 7 have
counted the days-it sounds sadly against all
hospltabe rites-I have counted the days till I
should see her consult a railway timetable as
she did Yesterday, about going home to-day |
believe she is not in atiiuent circumstances now.
l would be glad to meet the expense of board
ing her at buckingham Palace if that wOnld
keep her away. l am speaking strongly. Yes.
Rosahe, looking at his laughing wife. II know
you say too strongly But it Is argument as
sertlon. contradiction, differing pickering find
ing fault with the servants who have suited us
nall lifetime, questioning the expenditure.
dlsordering the arrangements from one dav to
the next. rink of it. when she comes into nv
Study and declares that my wife has the patience
ol tne play TO endure such a den of disorder in
her fouse. She wonders that do not wear q
scratch She warns me of indigestiOns she
threatens me with Nightmares, she reminds me
Oh my age, she lnterIeres with my pipe. And
then she wants so much fresh air! Thank
heaven. her time is up To-day. and my wife will
not invite another guest for a half year without
giving me time to arrange residence else
where: And such a voice, too! When one
heafs IL. one longs for the proper infirmties of
age that dull the hearing-sharp as file. pierre
ing as iocust's whrr What are you laughing
at, ROsalie?'
'Ah, you are not quite just my love-" said
the sweet little old lady. Mrs. Taiafero has
fine mind She is really waking nsnn Shn
prevents our sinking down into a ielly-like ex
lstence. as so many of our age do. Size keeps
US bubbng'
There. there. there, my dear Don't say
another word about your Mrs. TalliaferO Go
and spend season with her at Saratoga. if Won
ever want to see her any more. I'll 90 to Rich
held Bubble. She ID make suphuric acid bub-
Die out OF the sands of the desert! I've no
doubt she worried Talliatero, poor man, into
the grave But there, I've said too much" he
added directly. IL beg your pardon. nv sweet.
If hurt your feelings about an old friend. but
really Now. Rosale, my love, if YOU don't
care to go over these accounts our yOuup friend
will" And then Mrs. Fernalde tripped off with
as light foot as girl of seventeen, and drew
w the great fOiding-screen around our chairs
stirred the fire little, and took pencil and
paper to add up the figures Mr.. Fernalde was to
read out to me.
But Mr.. Fernalde was in a brown study for a
little; and let him stay.
1T was strange you should have asked me-
that question, child he said at length 81
used, at your time of life to imagine a very
different old age from this, if may SO call that
imagination. for. in fact old age never entered
into my calculations. / imagined nothing abont
the passage of time only of the continuance of
condition. Aud that condition was the per-
petual paradise of Alicia's smiles"
"Rosalie, you mean," said I.
II beg Your pardon" said Mr. Fernalde
''Alicia?"
Alicia who. when l was twenty, was the
light Ofmy eyes and the loadstar of nv life.n
Il don't know what you mean. SIR
"Of course you don't, of course YOU don't.
I've hal T the mind to tell you, though. 1t s
long time ago-a long time-and, no harm
done. One is perhaps a fool at seventy" said
Mr.. Fernade presently again. 81 IN not quite
eighty. One is certainly fool at twenty I
was. at any rate: but didn't know it. and I
walked i'm FOOLS paradise. And to be a fool
and not know it. Is there, on the whole. apy
farther paradise! Pretty, pretty as IA peach!'
he began again, after another pause. "Ahi
that sounds to US now like profanity. That
heavenly fair face. those eyes like the stars in a
blue midnight! that smile of exquisite inno-
cence and purity l used to trembe before her
sometimes as before some young saint stepped
from shrine zQne that / dared to desecrate by
loving. All. how loved her. The sight of GER
tain flowers brings her back to me now! When
the apples are In blossom. that pink and white
snow. that ineffable delcacy of perfume, calls
her before me like revelation! There are
times when this eternal smoothness of things
In my life pals on me-times when l cannot
bear the sound Of evening bells coming across
the water. 1t so renews for me that evening
that evening when lost her-when lost her if