Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-19

1 vho paiehsc ~"N
trrs.v
Co,,le's heart fell again with great
force.
| "But did you never hear" said he
"of love for one who was not reis-
tivef"
| "Oh. yes" she answered, "for we
are told in that part Of the Bible which
science permits us TO believe that we
must love our neighbors as ourselves,
and I suppose we all do TO certain ex.
tent,-that is, I don't think much about
| il myself; but I have no objections to
any one who does not interfere with my
\ "Do / interfere with your work."
"No. in the least"
"Then you have no objection to
mc?"
"No, I can't say that l have any OBJ
lection to you" -.
"Do you think you ever will
havep"
"No, I think not"
"Do you think that you could always
be happy in my presenceP"
"Why, how strangely you talk !"
"Hypatis, it is useless for me TO con-
| cesl it longer--1 love you. Will you be
my wife'"
What for?"
"Because love you madly-despe-
| rately. l cannot live without you"
as that what you call poetry"
"Eo, no, it is the solemn Truth"
"Oh, no, it is not. You can live
very we'll without me. OF course |
am good cook, but you can find
others"
"0h, why will you not understand
me?"
~ cannot, Mr.. Cottle. l can CON-
prehend why you should wish to marry
me, but you do not seem to comprehend
it yourself. | Am the best cook in
Noesis, and all the young men are
striving to get me for life; but you do
not seem to care anything about that,
and insist on talking nonsense about
my face. l cannot discover any reason
why ] should want you. II you, were
great scientist you might have some
claim ; but all you can do is to write
that jingling nonsense which you call
poetry. We don't marry men in NoeSis
for such causes as that"
"Then you rsfuseI"
"0f course"
Cottle walked in silence by her side
until they had reached her dwelling.
He could not comprehend her utter
want of sentiment, nor could she find
any solution for his poetry. At the
door he turned to her once more and
said:
"Miss Green, is there no hope for
me?"
81 am afraid not" she answered,
"as long as you cling to poetry"
"Then farewell"
He turned upon his heel and left her.
The light had gone out Of his life, and
he bitterly lamented the day he had
first seen the town Of Noesis. Stunned
by the blow which had just fallen upon
him, he wandered, not knowing whittier
be went, far beyond the limits of the
town. Out into the soft, green fields
he went like one bereft Of sense.
The sweet scent Of the clover-blos-
SONS, and the twittering Of the birds,
and the soft murmur Of the wind
among the boughs Of the trees smote
upon his senses, not with the joyous
melody Of old, but with new ring Of
pain. The voices OF nature failed to
speak to him as they had done in days
gone by. Yet the soothing influence Of
solitude and beauty could not alto
gether be lost upon him.
What" he meditated, would the
world be without sentiment and
poetry? Could man live without
them ?"
Then he smiled as he thought of the
vanity Of his inquiry. Men lived with
out them in Noesis, and women too.
And they appeared to be healthy and
happy. Could he bring himself to such
a state Of mind? Could he dissect the
tender fancies Of poetry with the cruel
scalpel of fact? Could he analyze an
idea as Hypatia had done when he
quoted to her, "Roll on, thou deep and
dark-blue ocean, ROLL"
"What is the use," she asked, "of
telling the ocean to roll on? Of course
it will roll on. 1t always has rolled
on, and will continue to do 80 until its
waters are evaporated by the heat Of
the sun. Ten thousand fleets sweep
ever thee in vain. What nonsense
OF course they sweep over it in vain.
They couldn't possibly do the ocean
any harm, could they? Now, if your
poet had stated the fact that each ship
immersed in the dark-blue ocean
which every scientist knows is green
lost portion of its weight equal to the
weight of liquid displaced, he would
have said something sensible"
AS these thoughts were coursing
through Cottle's heated and bewildered
brain, in the midst Of the beautiful
fields, he came upon the only thing
needed to drive him to utter distrac-
tion--s class of girls from the Noesis
High School engaged in the practical
study of botany.
"Monoctyledon monoctyledonous :"
That was what the girls were chant
ing in nasal chorus.
Enough! enough" shrieked Cot
tie, as he rushed away.
His brain was in q mad whirl, and
the blood was coursing through his
veins like torrent Of fire. Across the
country he rushed like a maniac, never
pausing till he reached the door Of his
lodging-house. He sprang up the stairs
three steps at e time and dashed into
his room. In the solitary moment Of
consciousness that remained there floated
through his mind the dim remembrance
of q stsnza written by poet whom he
loved and initiated:
I'VE had grown as gods as the gods above.
| Filled from the heart TO the lips with love
Held fast in his hands. clothed warm with
| his wings.
o love, my love. had You loved but met"
And then the four walls Of his room
faded away, and in another moment Al
fred Swinburne Cottle had fallen prone
upon the floor. His good landlady,
| running up at the sound of the fall