The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-06-20


smoke your melancholy away IN the
gloamingl Room, gentlemen, room for
the girls and cadets alone, for they Will
have none of you, neither in the mazes OF
melody and mirth, nor in the GOODNESS and
dim hush of the perfumed arches where
they shall wander, shy hand in hand, with
low-keyed voices, with pulses stirring to
the rhythm of higher and sweeter and
holier music, whose echoes will throb
in remembrance forever. Girl and cadet,
cadet and girl, valor and beauty, love and
love, proud eyes and saucy faces afiame-
happy girls, happy, happy kids-whirl,
dash, chatter, gush, gallantry and coquetry
in battle arTay-thread the labyrinths OF
pleasure! On, on with the dance YOURS
are now the rosy, swift-winged hours
yours for merriment and alteration, yours
for twitter and eloquent silence, yours for
vows as fairy-fine as if spun OF moonbeams
and as quickly dissolved-yours this even
ing OF all purple evenings, long expected
and come at last, this evening set apart
for love and for you-make the most of it
you can
Ply her devOutly, you gray-coated, white
trousered son of Bellona; seize now Oppor-
tunity's reckoning fingers and lose not a
step in the Chamber for your prize. See
the bright banners OF answering emotion
on your captured captor's young cheek /;
note the flashes from the parted petals of
her mouth, mark the soft; bright lamps
shy love has lighted in these dear heav-
ems, her modest, maiden, mischlevous
eyes. Woo her gently, but WOO her
boldly; WOO her as man and as soldier,
not as schoolboy or page; read your reply
in the play of her dimples, the swift droop
of her eyelids' dark fringeS, the flutter of
her exquisite fingers, the saucy yet timid
evasion OF those traitor glances which
betray her.
This is your waltz Hank how from the
silver Threats the cry of passion and plead
ing is poured out upon the palpitant air
Encircle her with your strong right arm,
and now, heart to heart and palm to palm,
plunge into the maze, hither, thither, in
and out the Notwithstanding whirl of
sparkle ana color, round and round in the
mad circle, upward on the broad wings of
that angel music, veering, eddying, sway
ing, now here, now there, not upon the
earth Of prose and pain, but aloft among
the clouds of fancy and romance, thrilled
and filled with the sensuOus spirit of the
hour, knowing not, caring not if the uni
verse itself is racked to chaos while this
paradise within the shelter of your arms
shall be yours and yours only. On! on!
faster and faster You feel the warmth
of her cheek-her breath is stirring your
hair, and
All, me! it is over. With gasp of the
trombone and a snort from the tuba, the
waltz was choked off by that miserable
mortal with giglamps and you are back
upon earth again.
Now wander forth How sweetly en-
trancing that cloud OF e she has fast
like a mist over those ton sunbeams,
her hairl If beautiful in the garish glare
of the lamps, how exquisite now her Mig
nome face upturned in this musky aisle
OF shadows, lighted only by the sapphire
seated starsl
At first your voice dwells in common
places, for your thoughts seem too tender
for words. She answers in like vein, but
the scarlet of her lips has lost the light OF
its smile, and over her young eyes there
has come a veil, but it makes them
brighter, softer, more adorable.
Here, turn in the path, a deepening
of the shadows. In this nook there is
rustic bench-you know it well, you dis
sembler. Together you sit; she ighs-
only a lovers ear could catch that sigh
and then-silence.
Silence? Demosthenes and Cicero in
their most voluble hour were never so ell
oquent to the ear as this hush. An idle
wind strays along the branches and veXes
a sleepy leaf. A weary bird in the nest
above futterS a moment and is still. The
shrlll quaver of a cricket breaks from the
grass and as suddenly ceases. Anoiseless
lat veers by on stealthy, leathern wing,
like the ghost of bird haunting the trees
he used to love. On high are burning
those mysterious fires, old and ever young
perennial blossoms in nights wonder
ful power
Silence? Yes. From affair comes the
murmur of the little brook, quarrelling
with the stones that beset its path TO the
river and sea. From the distant hall the
cOmmingling of laughter and music
another waltz is volleying its arrows of
pleasure.
Her little hand has somewhat fallen
within the grasp of your fingers; you can
feel its warmth and your pulses quicken.
Her head is dropped like a flower upon
its stem; her eyes are downward and you
cannot see them. Your fingers touch, and
on the instant the dainty treasure you so
fondly coveted is in your grasp-how,
YOU know not and care MOTT is there,
and your heart leaps with daring and
exultation-words rush to your lips, and
YOU itil IltI uOA lOlASs INV hOh
devotedly and forever you worship, adore,
love and idolize her-never have you
gazed on woman's face till you beheld
hers-never once has your heart strayed
from its selfish ends till now-never-
newer
Her head sinks lower and lower, her
bosom rises and falls with quick gasps-
you draw her towards you-does she love
Won n little ?-can she will she ?-her
head is upon your shoulder-your arm
has slipped about her-slowly her shy
face is upturned like flower-she whis-
pers-Ahl 1t is Yes Yesi
And then?
Why, then, you young scamp, if you
don't know what to do, you should be
taken to the cliff and dubbed to death
with bar of brown soap. All, mel You
cadets are having glorious time.
HENRY Guy CARLETON.