The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-19
An Ideal.

Harriet T, cscOtt Sp0fgord IN The Continent
Age comes TO some people only like the
wider opening OF the rose, the gentle droop-
ing of the creamy outer petal, and one must
needs think. of this in looking at Mrs. Fer
nalde. II have had my threescore and ten, y
she used to say. "I have had all that nature
has to give, and now am living on grace. =
1t was sunny spirit that informed her, a
lightsomeness that never let the substance of
a teas penetrate beneath the surface that
could endure nothing but happiness. Her
unfailing good nature was like fairy wind
that sfnoothed every trouble out of her way
and out of the way Of every one about her.
III her hair was white, no great sorrow had
made it so; and it's contrast with the soft
brilliancy of the black eye and the velvet
flush OF cheek unwritten by many lines,
made her perhaps as lovely as one standing
in all the full radiance of youth. As for Mr.
Fernalde-tall, dark, spare-he was by no
means unattractive, and his courtIy 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, yexed him, as they usually do a nervous
person For the rest, he was one Of those
men who, having led singularly fortunate
life, 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 the sight and
reach.
The Fernaldes were neighbors of ours.
Wealth required no exertion of them, and
advancing age secluded them in some
measure from general society; their home
was always cheerful; they were always in it;
and if there had been no such person as
Grabbed old Mrs Talliafero. who had spent
the last six month with them, it would have
been hard to see how heaven itself could be
much Improvement ON it. However, she was
going at once, and then where would be the
crumple in the rose-leafl
They loved young people. 3'Tne new
generation lends us part Of its freshness,
they used to say. They always welcomed
any of us, and indeed made me SO particu-
larly conscious of their fattering favor that
/ spent a good portion of my time with
them, threaded the sweet little lady's needles,
read and wrote more or. less for Mr..
Fernalde, and was gradually staken into
their confidence in way / did not desire,
since / am about to violate it.
"Could l imagine happier old age than
this, my child, with my wife, my health, my
flowers, our birds and pets and friendsa" he
said once, repeating my question. 'sWhy,
yes, my dear, it was much happier before my
wife brought Mrs. Talliafero to stay with
us. Some old schoolmate or girl friend of
hers, don't quite know whom, for the fact
is she nettled me so the first day she came
that wouldn't ask Rosa1ie a word about
her, for fear should show my displeasure
at her having brought her home when she
turned up. It Is astounding how an invisibly
small thorn will destroy your equanimity.
And then this woman has a quality that
would turn honey into vinegar, do believe.
She has changed our quiet. peaceful, sun
shiny life, that seemed like one long day in
June, into a sharp, raw day In November.
There is something very rasping about her.
don't see why my wife invited her to spend
such season with US for. l wonder if she
thought that at the end of the time should
press for a continuances My dear, have
counted the days-it sounds sadly against
oil hospitabIe rites-I have counted the
days till should see her consult railway
timetable, as she did yesterday, about going
home to-day. believe she is not in affiuent
circumstances now. 1 would be glad to
meet the expense of boarding her awayl
am speaking strongly. Yes, Rosalie,n look
ing at his laughing wife, 81 know you say
too strongly. But 1t is argument, assertion,
contradiction, differing, pickering, finding
fault with the servants who have suited US
half q lifetime, questioning the expenditure,
| disordering the arrangements from one day
| to the next Think of it, when she comes
| into my study and declares that my wife
has the patience of the play to endure such a
| den of disorder in her house. She wonders
| that do not wear scratch. She warns me
| of indigestions, she threatens me with night
mares, she reminds me of my age, she inter-
| feres with my pipel And then she wants so
| much fresh airl Thank heaveni her time is
| up to-day, and my wife will not invite
| another guest for a half year with
out giving me time to arrange a residence
| elsewherei And such voice, too! When one
hears it, one longs for the proper infirmities
of age that dull the hearing-sha arp as a file,
piercing as a locust's whirr! What are you
laughing at, Rosalie!'
"Ah, you are not quite just, my love,n said
the sweet little lady. "Mrs. Ta1liafero has a
| fine mind She is really waking US up. She
prevents our. sinking down into a jelly-like
existence, SO many at our age do. She
keeps us bubbling.n
There, there there, my deari Don't say
another word about your Mrs. Talliaferol Go
and spend a season with her at Saratoga, if
! you ever want to see her any more. I'll go
| to Richfield. Bubblel She'd make sulphuric
acid bubble out of the sands of the desertl
| I've no doubt she worried Talliafero poor
man, into the gravel But there, I've said too
much" he added directly. 81 beg your par
| doD my sweet, if I hurt your feelings about
| an old friend, but really Now, Rosalie,
my love, If you don't care to go over
these accounts, our young friend win.
And then Mrs. Fernalde tripped of
! with as light foot as 3 girl of II,
and / drew up the great folding-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 brown study for
q little and let him stay.
cit was strange you should have asked me
| that question, child, " he said at length. 81
used, at your time OF life, to imagine very
/ different old age from this, il may SO call
that imagination, for, in fact, old age never
entered into my calculations. imagined
nothing about the passage Of time, only OF
the continuance Of o condition. And that
condition was the perpetual paradise Of
Alicia's smiles''
"Rosalie, you mean,n said I.
II beg your pardon said Mr.. Fernalde
shortly. II mean Alicia.n
"Alicia2n
Alicia, who, when was twenty, was the
light of my eyes and the loadstar of my life. ,
'I don't know what you mean, sirn
s'Of course you don't, of course you don't
I've half the mind to tell you, though. Its
long time ago-a long time-and no harm
done. One is perhaps a fool at TO-
said Mr.. Fernalde presently again. sTn
not quite so. One is certainly fool a
20. i was, at any rate, but I didn'
know it, and / walked in q fools paradise
And to be fool and not know it'll Is there
on the whole, any farther paradisea Pretty
pretty as peachln he began again, after an
other pause sAh! that sounds TO us lik