River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-06-19
OPHELIA.
Maine Farmer


Still, You are good-looking, humorous
and CHEEKY, and if you are sensible you
can enjoy yourself, and, maybe, do them
aworld of good. believe in electricity
as curative agent the quack non
sense of belts and chains and musical
boxes, that only shake the rerve cen
tres, but the real electricity Of animal
spirits, the tonic of good health
II shall do exactly as / am bid" said
Lord Grayton, a handsome, fforid, mus
cular young man, strong as horse,
bouyant as balloon. just back after a
self-imposed exhile of five years in In
dia with the big game.
Are you quite sure of that ?" said the
doctor, grimly; ''the rule issimple. BE
civil and don't contradict. Hold Crack
ton asks you to play chess, play He's
good player, and viii beat you fairly
if he can; if he can't he'll make a false
move and call 'checkmate, and you must
resign. If poor Snobly thinks you are
the Prince, and 'Sirs' you all over the
place, and throws out hints about being
asked to Sandringham; if you are asked
to listen to the Ginning clock in Bakers
interiors, or to avoid some one else be-
cause he's glass and might break, you
must do your best to be courteous to
them all, and on no account laugh at
their fancies."
Sounds rather iumpy And the
ladies?"
"I1l see to that and introduce you to
the incest, and tell you what to avoid
speaking about. The men will make
the talking for themselves, the women
don't talk much"
Sign of insanity, ] suppose. And
what am to talk about.
Everything save some one thing
the Empress of Austria, or the stage,
or white roses, or Mr.. Mallock, or black
stockings. I'll give you the cue-neyer
fear; only it may happen that one of
them will ask you to dance, and then
you must steer as best you can-talk
society or art on chance. My own girls
and their friends get on famously with
the male patients, and you must be off
and dress; nine sharp, mind, as they all
go to bed at midnight"
Gray had many strange adventures
that evening as he strolled about the
pretty ballroom at the Copswood pri-
vate asylum. He was duly defeated at
chess by the venerable Crackton, who
deliberately slid back a captured queen
on the board and performed progidies
of valor with her. He sympathized with
the gentleman who had swallowed
crocodile, and he noticed the pale,
cadaverous man who amused himself by
counting the lights on each side of the
room and singing softly to himself,
"Sorry can't admit it, sorry | can't adj
NIT it, He had been an acrostic editor
once upon a time. He noticed the fussy
little man with pale-blue shaver face,
who wanted to stage manage the sixteen
Lancers, and who piteously entreated
the dancers to Ego back over all that
again, please, and try and get it crisp
err" and the erratic journalist who wrote
paragraphs on his shirt cuffs, and many
other strange folks that passed by in
the motley pageant of unsettled reason.
"There's King Lear" whispered the
doctor, "as very foolish, fond old man,
fourscore and upwards, passed them
of
know who he was? and he whispered
a name in Grayton's ear that made that
nobleman whistle softly,
"And are there any Ophelias, whose
young maids wits should be as mortal
as an old mans life?" asked Grayton,
showing that he knew his Shakespeare as
well as the doctor.
"Yes, but we keep their secrets. Now
go and Dance" and the doctor took
King Loar off for q cup of coffee.
So there were Ophelies here! More
like Audreys, he thought, as he watched
some rather uneouth gamboling IN the
corner: His eyes wandered round the
room. and at last rested ON face.
1t was an exquisite oval face, some
what sad and wistful in expression, of
in the South with skin of so fine a
texture that the red flush springs up
through the vein tracery ut moments
excitement; the large brown eyes were
soft and dreamy, the chi5elled mouth
was half parted, and the dark brown
hair, looking black as night, was worn
Greek fashion, close to the head, sweep
ing in undulating lines past the tiny rose
tipped ears. She was seated on q low sofa,
carelessly clasping one knee with both
hands she wore simple white frock,
Just mysteriously frilled round the little
white column of throat, and a great
black-re rose nestled in her breast.
One little higharched foot, in peachnet-
ted silk, kept swinging to the music.
No one seemed to talk to her except the
doctor, who smiled pleasantly as he
passed her and said something to which
She answered with a nod.
"Ophelia at last" said Grayton to
himself; and in melancholy vein he
wished he were Hamlet and could lie at
her feet and watch the play.
"Poor Ophelia! divided from herself
and her fair Judgment" (the quotation
was irresistible). ~ wonder what sent
her here-some brute of a man, or
soldier lover killed at Kassassin. Gra-
cious / hope this terrible Meg Mer
rides is not going to ask nee to dance!"
and he moved away, as he saw Wild
eyed woman bearing down upon him, to
a seat somewhat nearer the pale girl
with the black red rose.
For time he watched her; then he
tried to magnetic her. At last their
eyes met; he stared her full in the face.
She never shrank from his look, only a
sort of pitying light seemed to glow in
the sorrowful eyes. A moment passed,
and then she rose quietly and with per-
feet self-possessed grace walked over to
him-to his intense establishment sat
down quietly by his side, and said in
soft musical voice:
"You seem sad tonight; am sorry"
For a moment he was tongue-tied;
then he recollected his instructions and
pulled himself together.
"Well, think ! was sad because you
were looking sad"
"Was L? suppose ] always do then.
OF course, being here naturally makes
one feel sad. But we wont talk of that,
she added quickly. do you care for
dancing? I'll dance with you, if you
like"
Dance? with you?"
90 yes, if you like many of the others
dance, you know"
How calmly she seems to recognize