, 1885-05-24
THE WAITING VENUS.

but, happily, don't, for ] shouldn't get
II anyhow. But my soul scars superior
to a vain trihe of that nature, and fired
by a desire to interest and amuse my
kind, sacrifice all attempts at belief, and
merely ask n respectful hearing. The
story Is left in your own hands; If you
are a person of wide culture and refiec-
tive habit, if you realize, through your
large fund OF experience and ohserya-
ton, that strange things happen
sometimes which we fail to find
the reasonable explanation for
Though it no doubt existsh then |
trust myself confidently in your hands,
with the pleasant confidence one intelli-
gent person feels in the judgment Of
another. But IL you happen to be Of
narrow understanding, contracted sym
pathies and limited experience, why /
can only say / am sorry such is the case,
and that ] trust at least you will be
amused.
1t was a chill and dismal evening in
November Of 1874 when-candor com
pels me to acknowledge that | am not
at all sure it was unpleasant weather,
or late in the day, or even in the month
OF November, but | have always observed
that stories with a mystery, an unex-
DAhAAaolO mlnlCAl InNuilhDtJ ntitNt
lust that sort of weather, time and date
to begin upon, so l have not been too
proud or falsely strained after origi-
nality by choosing any other. At least
/ am sure it was in 1874.
The freight danced ftfully upon tho
walls of a-by the way why should fits
always be the result of the fires dane
ingl | solemnly declare that if /
couldn't dance without laying myself
liable, like the fire, to such unpleasant
consequences, | should utterly abjure
that fascinating amusement for the rest
OF my life; but then the world Is wide
chacun a son govt, as the French poet
says-bandsome library where the
honey gathered by great men in the
warm sweet hours of single-hearte0 la
bors were stored in the clear cells of
words, against the winter Of others dis
content; when the world seemed dull or
wrong and mon were cruel, that here
they might feed upon the limpid nectar
which had been industriously gath
cred from sweet and bitter, humble
daisy and lordly rose of human ma
ture, but strained and compounded
by chemical changes of their rich
natures into what was yea sweeter than
honey in the honeycomb. Also these
books-for of course they were books
you know and not wax or anything like;
a hyperbole must be permitted TO an en-
thusiastic nature-were all bound in
the best Turkey calf, and placed right
side up with care.
The great elusive shadows that were
never a moment still, paling, deepening,
shrinking TO nothings, and anon grow
ing. spreading, vastening irresistibly,
suddenly and noiselessly until
the darkness dominated the room tri-
umphantly for a moment, crept always
stealthily up to the ceiling, where the
painted Venus with the strange, dis
torted fore-shortened limbs aud myster-
ious, alluring eyes rose down from the
sea, 80 TO speak .fr..
The shadows never reached her,
though they would rise slowly, slowly,
end then give a mad leap, but they al
ways jest failed to touch her, and she
remained floating calmly in a circle of
rosy light. the only effect of their futile
aspirings being TO work a swift change
on her face. 1t was always SC swift a
change that it was impossible 10 quite
catch what is meant; it might have been
n thrill Of disappointment or a glance of
derision, at all events, the shadows al
ways fell suddenly and hopelessly down
to the floor and covered there a long
time ere recommending their stealthy
ascent.
The man who sat, or lay, in tho hugo
chair by the fire puzzled over this much.
He had been disturbing his mind owe
the matter many years. Long ago,
there rs a timid, motherless child,
and his grave old father sat read
ing big books by the light of the soli-
tary lamp, he had seen that Venus. lie
had no idea who she was then; he was
not even sure she was q woman; her
antique and nude voluptuousness was
so different from the spare, decently
clothed, white-capped maids who were
his only standard of femininity. And
then she was so remarkably foreshort-
encd, his conception of art had the bar
barity of childhood, and he was not
prepared TO accept the conventionalities
of necessity which ono must be familiar
with before pictured things seem real to
us. Animals and very young children
neyer perceive the likeness TO humanity
in a painting Zeuxis' birds, II must DO
remembered, were Greek birds with the
advantages of Attic culture.
lie used to lie in that great armchair
then, and look up until his neck aohed
and his big tired eyes would grow heavy
with sleep, for his father mover said any
thing TO him, and he had no amuse-
ments of any sort. The ring Of light
from the lamp shone straight up into her
eyes so that they dazzled him, but her
mouth could be seen and that smiled.
After n great while he asked his
father about her and as he was old
enough by that time the story was told
him. and he knew her name and had
that vague objective knowledge that all
children possess who are told simply by
school books, ''Nenus was the goddess
of love, and she rose from the sea- She
was much more to him, however; that
information only served to give her a
name and make him appreciate more
than ever how unlike she was TO the
maids.
At first he wanted her for a mother,
that unknown thing which he had not
but which he felt meant something
warm, and soft, and Misunderstanding
one might touch and cling to with bold
ness. Not in any way like a father, be-
cause he was sure a mother would never
read out of great books. Something
that would make one glad to come out
in the sunshine and play among the
daisies, willing to leave the and
the shadows-who would take the great
weight out of ones breast and make one
so light after that that n might lightly
fly as the butterflies did, or even spring
singing up into the blue air with the
larks. - m nrtL.
When he first thought of that his
heart grew 50 big he could hardly
breathe, and his head nearly burst with
tho blood that sung in his ears, and hef
was so much quieter and stranger all
Headquarters for tho Domestic sewing
machines. the best in the market. at the