Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-10
A SACRIFICE,

the life we lead
His day dream, cherished for a long time
was to leave society, and choosing some re
tired spot, live there alone with nature, il
study and contemplation
Talk" his friend called it when the,
heard of it. But Kenneth, through all hi
work-and he was no idler-retained tn
notion of this plan. At last an unexpecte,
legacy enabled him to leave the bar anC
purchase the chosen site for his new home
1t was ruined chapel on the side of
mora place he had known all his life
OF the wayside chapel nothing was left bu
an archway. Behind this he had new wall
built, dividing the house into two rooms
one over the other. When all was com
pleted he went there. Some people.
know, thought him mad. His sister
laughed saying he would soon be tired o
his scheme | believed in him. l would
gladly have joined him, but man with
wife and child is not a free agent. He can.
not retire into life of cotemplation, how
ever much he may wish it.
went to see Kenneth in his new home
The place was almost inaccessible Had moi
Kenneth met me on the hilltop and shown
me the way over moor and moss should
never have found il. The chapel was in 8
copse; a wild stream brawled by it. The
oak, alder and holly We're restrained by q
fence from encroaehing on the chapel. and
marsh plants thrust their stems through
the bars. The nearest house was a farm
half mile away. Kenneth's bedroom was
simple, his sittingroom furnished in per
feet taste. On the walls some fine etchings
nfuHN .aNN e !. ! -
face of Socrates, on a bracket an image OF
Buddha. Between these was an engraving
of Dore's Vale of Tears. Books too, there
were in plenty, and the fox terrier-such
were Kenneths companions.
And nature, he said, when 1 made this
remark
And here it is that you will stay in
peace and quiet" | said, until your mis-
sion sends You forth ?"
Peace and quiet?" he answered smil-
ing; mo, those are not for me. l have q
presentiment that this ideal life will not
last long. l shall marry
looked increduously at him. He showed
me his hand. 1T is written here" he
said; see it only too plainly Far as it
IS from my desires, it is fated"
For more than six months | heard moth
ing OF Kenneth. We went for the winter
to Torremouth, and my wife. apd to our
surprise and 1,,.--a7ure found the Iamberts
mad the house next our own. We had 9
fiat, and on the fiat below rs lived Mrs.
Nernsy. Mrs. Vernay was the belle OF
Iorremoutn, and justly; never saw any
woman SO beautiful, never shall again see
such face. She was tall and slight, with
tairskin, blueey shaded with dark lashes,
and her shapely head crowned with really
golden hair. No art was there; it was all
nature, nature in her utmost perfection.
She was young, a widow, said TO be enor-
mously rich, but had she been beggar-
maid we all should have worshiped her.
Young, old, single, married there we're none
but paid homage at her shrine.
Frank Lambert was badly bitten by her
charms. He was tWO-and-twenty, home
for his first long leave. Mrs. Vernay en-
couraged him more than any of the others
being such boy she looked on him as a
safe game. | know that she stole his heart
with the frst glance Of her violet eyes, and
that she has never recovered from her in
fiuence
We We're sitting together one afternoon
in Lamberts drawing-room when Ken
meth walked in. Torremouth was moi
more than ten miles from his retreat, anC
he had walked over, not to pay his mother
a passing visit, but to stay if she would
have him.
Did any mother ever refuse to receive heI
eldest son? How the girls laughed at him
declaring their prophecies true and saying
he was weary of solitude. / felt a little sur
prised at him. Only one person preserved
her faith in him. this was Grace Cheslyn
the girls friend, almost like another sister
She was staying with them, and upheld
Kenneth whatever we might say
Mrs. Vernay dined that night with the
f.arafutr in liF-a hoo g
being from another world, jewels glinting
in her dress, and in her hair snake thai
glittered with diamonds ard rubies.
We all came and paid court to her, Ken.
meth included She looked with interest a
him, saying:
All the Hermit brother. l have sc
wanted to see you. Have you left your Sc
clusion p
Yes, as we all knew he would" quotf
Marie Lambert. The cold weather OF
that moor could not be endured"
" My sister is mistaken, said Kenneth
" l left for other reasons, and did not par
ticuiaTly like coming away from my soil
tude"
We win teach you the pleasures of so
ciety, Mrs. Vernay cried Solitude ].
horrible. Nan was not made to live alone.
Did l see Kenneth vince? l could no
tell
Then Grace came, asking Mrs. yernay t.
write in her birthday book. And the beauty
inscribed " Lilly Vernay in 4 clear, beau
tiful writing, matches rs herself
Kenneth read il over Grace's shoulder.
Your name is Lilith, he said 10 Mrs
Vernay,
Who told you that" She asked. and hi
replied
: I know it, without offering any expla
nation.
Bilith horridr' murmured Grace. as
with Frank, Mrs. Vernay moved toward tn
think it pretty; Why horrid Mari,
asked,
DO You know about Iilith - her friene
replied. " She was Adams first wife. anC
for transgTession was turned cut Of Para
disc. She is the enemy Of all the It'll.
children, and when Jewish babies are borr
the nurses write Lilith, avauntn agains
the wall, lest she should come and XIII IN,
child. And tradition says that she still
naunts the world as beautiful woman
who entiees men to marry her, and Their
strangles them in her golden hair
. \ tradition, said l. souethinp Ill,
the legends of the Greek Lamia.
How do you know that there is NO
truth in traditions and folly in reiectins
them ?" Kenneth asked.
Meanwhile Mrs. Nernay was singing sone
after song. and with every note stealine
away a bit of Frank heart. And her mn,
sic won Kenneth to her side, for he took l,i.
brothers place at the piano, and stood Their,
turning over her pages-I believe in all Tho
wrong places, for he looked more in he
face than at the music.
/ confess that in those DAYS was yeyad
with Kenneth, for he seemed 10 have taker
sudden and inexpheahle plunge into the
society which few months previously be
had abjured forever. There seemed onIy
one explanaton-his ideal life had proved
dull and irksome. Everywhere met him.
chiefly with Mrs. Yernay often Frank was
with them, woe-begone. unde.ired third
party. And the girls declared that II was
= shame Kenneth, who rallied againsl mar