Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-20

and revelled on the floors again, and reflected
itself in glass and gliding and china, brought
out into bloom again the faded flowers on the
carpets. and insisted on the punches of roses
and jessamine and nondescripts on the wall
papers putting on their colors anG pretense OF
| beauty.
| But there was no sunshine streaming into the
shadowed hearts of Philip and Salome, because
over both the hand of Philip held down the
blinds.
Philip, always cold, uncommunicative, al
lowing no one to lay finger on his pulse, resent
ing the slightest allusion to his apart from
business-Philip had made no friend In Mer-
gatroyd, only acquaintances-drew closer
about him the folds of reserve.
At one time much fuss was made about the
spleen, but We have come now to disregard it,
to hold it as something not to be reckoned
with, and Philip regarded the heart as we DO
our spleens.
Philip was respected, but was not popular
with his own class, and was respected, but not
popular, among the operatives of his mill
Some men, however self-contained, are self
revealing in their efforts after concealment.
So was it with Philip.
Shrewd public opinion in Mergatroyd had
gauged and weighed him before he supposed
him proud and honest, and capable, through
integrity of purpose, of doing cruel, even a
mean, thing. He had been brought up apart
from those modifying forces which affect, or
ought to affect, the conduct governed by prin-
ciple. Principle is good thing as a direction
of the course of conduct, but principle must
swerve occasionally to save it from becoming a
destructive force. In the solar system every
planet has its orbit, but every orbit has its de-
Elections caused by the presence of fellow plan
cts. Philip as child had never lain his head
on gentle bosom, from which, as from bat
terry. love had streamed enveloping him, vivi-
flying, warming the seeds of good in him. He
reckoned with his fellow men as with pieces of
mechanism, to be used or thrown aside as they
served or failed. He had been treated in that
way himself, and he had come to regard such a
cold, systematic, material manner of dealing
with his brother men as the law of social life,
That must have been strange experience
the coming to life of the marble statue created
by Pygmalion. How low long did it take the
veins in the alabaster to Hquefy? How long
before the stony breast heaved and pulsation
came into the rigid heart? How long before in
that eye stood the testimony to perfect lquefi-
cation tear2
There must have been in Galatea from the
outset great deficiency in emotion, infexibility
of mind, absence Of impulse; stony way of
thinking of others, speaking of others, dealing
with others; an eYer-present supposition that
everyone else is, has been, or ought to be
stone.
Philip had only recently begun to mollify
under the influence of Salome. But the change
had not been radical. The softening had not
extended far below the surface, had not
reached the hard nerves of principle.
In fho Of rpifa
himself in light in which no one else saw him.
AS the sun makes certain flowers expand, and
these flowers close the instant the sun is with
drawn, so was it with him. He was cheerful,
easy, natural with her, talked and laughed and
showed her attentions; but when he came forth
into the outer world again he exhibited no
signs of having unfurled.
Now that his confidence in his wife was
shaken, Philip was close, undemonstrative in
her presence as in that of his fellows. He was
not the man to make allowances to weigh de-
grees of fault. Allowances had not been made
for his shortcomings in his past life, and why
should he deal with Salome as he had not been
dealt by2 Fault is fault. whether in the grain
or in the ounce.
When Philip said the prayer of prayers at
family devotions. and came to the petition,
Forgive us our trespasses. as we forgive them
that trespass against u.s." he had NO qualms of
conscience, not a suspicion that his conduct
was ungenerous.
He forgave Salome-most certainly he for
gave her. He bore no malice against her for
having deceived him. He was ready to make
her an allowance of s40 per snnum for her
clothing, and ESQ for pocket or pin money
Should she fall i'll, he would call in specialist
regardless of expense; if she wanted to re-fur.
nish the drawing-room he would not grudge
the cost. Would man be ready to do all this
unless he forgave trespass against him? He