Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-12-16
CHAPTER III.

II III iuAui y, W Lle, hcV AbuSSa'
CHAPTER II.
It is said that cats track the young and
unsuspecting thrush by the swe. tness OF
it's song-fancy diting, with an pstite,
on SO much murdered music and with
like subsltty did stalk the river that lay
far away smorg the trees. Led by the low
grooming OF its sweet monotorous chant,
took my way over the fields in the first
fresh hour of the morning. | was as
giant ref eshed" seemed to have
grown young in night-a night Of deep,
unbroken slumbsr such as bad not visited
nv eyes for many long and weary
week. sleep that kni:s mp the rayeled
sleeve Of care" Oh master mind,
that $50 read human nature like q book
and told its story to listening world
for surely no other expression OF which
language is capable could so express the
renewal of the droopiug energies, the resto-
ration of the hacoii nerves, as thnse two
happily. chosen woIds, knit Up" Step
ping briskly over the dew-laden, flower
pied grass toward where, in the deep heart
of the wood, the river called to me with
grooming voice, sylvan Lorelei-thus ran
my thoughts. The day was still very
Young day, and the level sun-rays stemtd
lust to tip the grasses and flowers, and
pierce through ths holes Of the thick
serritd trees, and touch the ripples OF the
river to q smile.
How delicious the plunge beneath that
suu-lit water, how like q river god ore
felt, and then the pleasant return after the
BATH VISA done! The sense Of inyigoration
in every vein, as sn ir ging my towel in my
hand, and with hat SGT well back on my
head in fashion that would haro led New
Bond street to look upon me a. an escaped
lunatic, betook mytelf once more toward
OrCbard Farm.
| was fsted to see two idyls-both
equally beautiful in their wagon that re-
turn Journey Of mine. First, Just at the
turn of the lane, against background
formed by bank all ablazs with golden
bu!tercups, two st9rlipgs engaged in iuri-
Gus COD fict. | stood still to watch TIE
battle. What shrill cries Of rage, what
quick darling Of beaks, what mad whirl Of
wings. And ell the time the glorious
prisms Of the two swelling ihroats gleam-
ing in the sunlight with every tint and
glowing color-row richest purple, now
shining gold, now n wondrous metallic
green! Truly, conflict OF rainbows.
A few PAGES further brought me In view
of another idyl, snd this time picture
never TO be effscsd from my memory.
Many q year has gone By since my Sum-
mer trip to Orchard Farm, but every line,
every shade of that picture Ia as clear in
nv mind at this moment rs when my eyes
lighted upon it..
A man Young, good TO look upon, s'eE-
der in form, and with a strange, eager look
upon his face, sat upon low bench, near
which grew, tall and straight, perfect
forest Of lavender bushes, softly purified
with thu u sand spear.like blossoms In
this eager face, turned upward toward me |;
vet utterly uuobservant Of me, ss felt, in
stinctiyely, what noticed most were tho
ewes dark, blight, beautiful-but blind.
! II vas easy TO zee by their lack Of oil tx-
pression-indeed the attitude OF the mans
whole figure told the same piteous tale. The
/ thought struck me like blow. Yourger
by some years than myself, sittirg there in
the balmy sunshine, with tie iains. OF nat
ure's pictures stretched o1t BIZ fore him, and
vet se eking ro.bing. Seeming the wild
] howers' sweet air; feeling tie warmth OF
the rsys that touched the world and bade
! il live and blossom and pulsate; bat living
| in void Of perpetual darkness Stand
| ing there. baIeheaded to the Summer light,
my hat swipgipg in my ba1d, my whole
being strengthened and refreshed by the
plunge into the sun-bright river, my very
: saul gladdened by the teiuty Of earth ADD
sky around me, this mans isolation seemed
a thing to shudder Lt-as though in the
midst Of exquisite verjure and flower
fdeckei meadows one should stumble upon
a CoJse.
/ Yet in the moment In which these
thoughts, lightning swift, darted through
nv mind realized afro that the darkened
! life had It's sun and light-the sun Of per-
| feet love; the light Of an exquisite symps-
thy. For standing behind the blind man
( leaning little toward him, az II swsyed
upconsciouslJ by an impulse OF Tenderness,
one hand toying with the spears OF laven-
der that spraug back elastic from her touch,
the other resting on the shoulder OF his
old brown velvsteen shooting cost-was .
woman, tall, slender. yet some way pest
the freshrsss Of youth; sad.eyed, sad. fact d,
indeed in strange enough contrast to the
cheerful sweetness OF her voice. All the
lines of her figure were moiled With Q
perfect grace that mutt thought, make
eyefy movement like music. Her hair,
ripplirg cr:sply shave her thoueheful brow
was touched with silver In broad lights.
like the light that edged the ripples Of TIE
river where the tree shadows were broken
overhead. AId there were lines in her
face that told OF pain ard ~atcbfulness in
the past-at least ! fancied so-takine
everything in at q giarcs, ss it were, and
dszsd with that strange. uusccountAble
feeling of having gone through exactly the
same thing before, which most Of as have
experienced at one time or another, and
of which no acceptable explanation ha'
ever been offered by mortal man.
I'm RI coSTTyTTyD