Wichita eagle., 1888-07-07
STORY OF A PRESENT.

June mornings IN Antwerp three hun
dref years ago were a. bright as they are
IN our own land in those later times, and
young men were muck the same IL 1850 az
they are today The earliest worshiper
in the cool. shadowy cathedral hurried
through his prayers, fancy and made his
way quickly out into tbs sunshine OF the
Grand place and through the narrow
crooked old streets toward his lodging In
the Rue d 'Orfevres
He would be thought a singularly de-
vout young man nowadays to 60 to church
at all IN the early morning Of his wedding
day, but times have changed. and d2re
Say be was 10 better and no worse
than lots CT US who have not been reared
Under tbs eternal vigilance Of careful
priests or under the no less constant
watch OF stone saints and Madonnas look
ing down from every street corner shrine
be was strapping young fellow. and a
gallant figure for q bridegroom as he
STROBE along toward the street OF the gold
smiths Now see the compelling power
OF girls eyes' They had drawn QJIinten
Massys from his humble anvil at Louvain
az TO magnificent, queenIy Antwerp,
where wealth and power and luxury were
st tier highest tide just then, to run his
Lie race with 0Sher Dlen. and not as a
blacksmith. but rs an artist Frans Floris,
the famous painter. wrnkIeG his ragged
old brows and hoiseed his shoulders up TO
bis ears ct the idea of a son IN law who
swung a hammer instead of welding q
brush; and the young man determined TO
show himself capable Of work as worthy
&c live through years TO come as anything
that even Florts could produce
So TO Antwerp he came and labored for
his prize, and now he had wun her. and
today he was to claim his wife His
painting was praised by all the great arts
tic city, and even the emperor himself
had looked with approval ut his WORK
And the favor OF Charles ' WIS splendid
marriage portion with which 70 endow
the girl whe had created his ambition for
him
But-human nature is q queer thing
Quinten Massys had begun Is worker Ii
metal. and his heart was Ia the cunning
article of hammer and forge And so be
had made wedding present for his bride
with his Owl hands, and Il was not the
production Of painter. but OF smith
With the most loving care he had fash
Toned tiny silver box, whose double
cover showed she hand Of master It's
outer case was deliberately beaten and
chased with the device of the order that
the emperor had bestowed upon him. and
which he had taken for his family arms
The inner clasp was q network OF silver
cobwebs, wrought in q design that he
copied from a piece of tapestry from
Bruges. And in the tiny hollow he had
placed little ball of aromatic gum that
- 49,
werp-the1 only city where such costly
perfumes could be sold
No thought then of the dreadful days
that were ooningl No hint OF that bright
June morning of the gathering cloud Of
the Inquisition, Of the Spanish soldieTy,
or of the fourteen months siege that
should leave barely two-thirds of Ant
werp 5 citizens 10 open the gates a. last 10
the Duke Of Parmal
As the young artist and his wife came
out OF the cathedral that summer after
noon into the cool shade OF the gray
tower. people said so radiant a bride had
not trodden the stones Of the Grand place
since Charles was king.
Il
The solid old houses of Blocker street
sheltered no happier young people, Ii the
wear OF grace 1910. than William Van
Corlear and dis wife Lucy Ellsworth had
led her lover the usual dance to which
popular girls are apt to treat their ad
rnirers, but the Dutch incapacitv 10 give
way to Encouragement conquered IN the
end. and St. Georges bells had rung IN
their married life With SO merry a peal
that It's echoes had not ceased vibrating
through the I've years that mad passed
since the wedding day
The young husband was walking home
from his business on the afternoon of his
anniversary and trying to think Of sore
pretty trlde TO slip lEto his wife's hand as
she met him at the door For. would you
believe that this foolish young matron,
unless kept away by accident. vas sure
TO be watching for her spouse and to De
the first to greet his comlng7 But, then,
you must remember it was fifty years ago.
and st that time New Workers had not
doffed all their provincial manners.
Van Corlear paused q few doors below
Dew street, st MarquRad's. entered and
wandered from case 10 case. Els Sife
ALREADY had all the ornaments che cared
to wear What was he to select? The
salesman finally fshed out little antique
pungent box. whose cover bore a strange
coat of arms. nearly efaced by long years
of use In many generations OF soft hands
whose dust would now scratch the
smooth silver. Here was dainty trihe,
surely
You VIII not find anything Ike it IN
New York. sir. said the salesman This
was picked up at an auction of the bric-a-
brsc collected from every corner OF the
world by German prince who committed
suicide last year at Monaco think il Is
the most beautiful example Of early Flsul-
ish metal work that ever saw, though 1t
Is but trl1ie."
Il was a quaint little box. indeed
Hardly more than an inch long and half
IS wide, Of silver. at tbs touch Of spring
its cover few up, showing a second hinged
cover or clasp Of intricate hligree work-
This. when closed. held II place fluff OF
cotton. which WAS 20 be drenched II
whatever salt or essence madame chose
The coneeIt struck the young man favor
ably, and he waited till it was marked, in
tiny Letters ca the tiny case, just IL the
center o. the worn cd Flemish family
shield:
u co L
ic@S-lS&1
s--------.-----
Then he carried II horre to his wife
And at the gayest moment OF the even
ing, for the young couple INDUCED IL q
little spree in heror OF the Slv. Lucy
found time to escape from the light
hearted party OF friends and 90 and spoon