Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-03-02
THE 0MELET.

the prairie We had just finished dining.
Baby, who had grown sleepy at dessert, had
been put in his cradle, and we two, Louise
and I, were standing before the open window
and singing softly as we watched the clouds.
'Shall we go out of the ark, Father Noah!'
said my wife.
~ don't see the bow of promise my dear"
s'The best of reasons; let us go and find it,"
She went out and soon returned wrapped
in her hood, booted and gloved. She took my
arm, clinging to it and leaning against me
she did in the happy days when we met after
long absence
'Ah! how happy am to go out! Do you
scent the fresh air? | want to walk and walk.
Can we take long walk? The day is still
bright"
And saying this she leaned against me
laughing, taking long strides to regulate her
steps with NINE We walked along by the
hedge and turning to the left entered the
forest We loved it SO much, our dear forest.
At that hour it was quiet, wet, and dripping.
The moss swollen with moisture, yielded to
the foot like sponge, and from each leaf of
the heavy boughs hung transparent drop
just ready to fall.
''You will get wet, my DEAR" said I to
Louise, stopping moment
''Bahl l have on my thick boots. Let us
go on"
So we walked on through the thick woods
which softly dripped like the beard of some
marine god.
l was pleased that my wife was in so
courageous a mood on that evening, for
nothing in the world is more beautiful than
the forest after a rain: at that hour in the
day above all, when everything is so quiet
and peaceful, when the wind has ceased, and
the weary clouds have fed, when sleep is
stealing over the birds that are pluming their
wet wings How charming then for the two
who are one, and would feel themselves alone,
to walk together through the great green
aisles, to breathe the penetrating odor of the
wet forest, to strike the great trunks of the
oak trees with ones cane till the hollow sound
comes echolng back from tree to tree, to
listen to the sound of breaking branch, Or
to the murmur of the drops of water which
from time to time whisper as they fall from
leaf to leaf, to fill the lungs with air washed
pure by the rain, and to hear with the eyes,
If | may so phrase it, a harmony delicate in
every fine and subtitle tone.
1t is not for the pleasure of stringing out
words that | have used Il metaphor grown
commonplace by reason of its truth. At the
close of a charming day, when the sun sinks
toward the horizon, over everything there is
u
of lovely girl who spins before the fire.
The tones are warm and animated; nature is
instinct with'h One who feels that through
the day she has loved much, played MUCH
worked much. The forest is warm, and its
foliage is sprinkled with emeralds, rubes
and diamonds, while the sunlight paints
golden plaques upon the messy trunks. 1t is
an orchestra complete a rich harmony, and
it dazzles like 4 casket of rich jewels thrown
suddenly open, like a cathedral where the
t1umpets sound while all the people sing
Hallelujah On a gray and soinber day it is
quite another thing; without animation
with no hum of life, without drum or trum-
pet, but with humid eyes, nature seems to
rest, and even to yawn a little On such
time the violins, charged with the duty of
lulling a restless world, play slowly and
with mutes upon their strings; the bows,
with gentle touch, scarce Craze the strings;
one has to listen with attentive ear for music
that resembles dream. But the sound is so
sweet, the harmony SO delicate, that the SYM
pathetic stroller who loves the music of the
eyes would find it hard to choose between
the trumpets and the violins, between the
forest yelled in gray or dazzling in golden
shadows
We were passing under some beeches when
a light wind caressed the tree tops far above
our heads till they whispered together, and,
lightly shaking themselves like a wet bird,
they threw down upon us a deluge of dia-
monds
''Good heavens" cried Louise, stopping
suddenly "The wicked winds. I am
soakedm
Her skirts were lifted by the wind, and
saw her two little wet boots pressed one
against the other, and half hidden in the
grass
''Soaked, soaked; my hood was loose, and
deluge went down my neck-a river!"
| wiped the water from her neck, and
when she was dry again she said to me, smil-
ing:
"You are a darling"
think that kissed her This put her in
fine humor, so that we danced on over the
ferns. she leaning on my arm; then suddenly,
as we re-entered the sonorous silence of the
old forest, she began to sing, to the air of
the ''Marscillaise'
March on, wicked little man
Who does not love his little wife,
Not at all, at ALL at all,
At all, at ALL
She said this with such little swagger,
marching with long steps, showing her
pretty white teeth, and pressing my arm so
tendeIly that began to sing with her.
We were children, conscious that we WERE
playing together, and knowing that we did
we'll
Suddenly we stopped before a bog,
drained pond, tangled swamp. l don't
know why, but there the sun did not seem to
shine the trees looked stunted, and ugly
roots twisted themselves among the thorns
and brambles.
''You don't think that we are lostg' said
Louise, looking at me.
"Why, no, my dear"
"And if we were lost, what would he say
tomorrow, poor baby sleeping in his cradlee
Shall we go back, say? Shall we go backsn
''We are only twenty minutes away from
home, not more"
eyes, yes, every one who gets lost in the
woods imagnes that he is only twenty min
utes away from home. 1 don't like these
twisted trees. What horrid creatures may
be among the roots!n
She shivered, and, bending forward to
listen, said: 'Stop, do you hear? Don't you
hear that hollow sound? Hush-listen, listen
it is hollow, hollow AT this hour, in the
forest, what can it be? The sun is setting;
let us go back"
listened and heard a hollow sound. the
cause Of which 1 knew at once. L should
have told her that cause at once but it was
so pleasant to see her there near me, serious,
eagerly listening, with half parted lips, her
eyes questioning mine; l was so happy to
feel her tremble on my breast, seeking her
refuge in me, that like an egotist, soberly
replied:
Eyes, really it is strange! I hear hollow
sounds. Let us go and see; it cannot be far
away"
cool Are you crazy, George, my dear!"
She threw her arms around me, and lifting
herself to my ear:
Il am afraid" she whispered. ''Let us go
back, please, let us so back"
GLOW frightened you are Don't you rec
ognize the sound of the wood spitter's
mallets"
'Do you think that you con soothc me with
your wood splitters? What do they split,
these splitters!'
''They are splitting logs of wood to make
barrel slaves. That is the mystery"
"You are very sure"
eyes, my dear"
Sand they are good men, these wood split
ters?"