Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-07-04

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would have been nothing astonishing in
such an act on his part. But now, when
his book was in every ones hands, his
name on every ones lips; when that recog-
milton for which he had longed was so
completely his; that success for which he
had thirsted was poured out for him in so
generous draught-t0 turn away, to van
ish without a word of explanation Che was
so fond of explaining hlmself) is the very
last thing one would have expected of him.
He came across the meadows toward the
sunset, his upturned face pushed forward
catching the light, and glowing also with
another radiance than the rich, reflected
glory of the heavens.
A curious figure; slight, ungainly; Shout
ders in the ears; an awkward, rapid gait,
half SLOUGH, half hobble. One arm with
its coarse hand swung like bell-rope as
he went; the other pressed a book close
against his side, while the hand belonging
to it held few bulrushes and marsh mari
Colds.
Behind him streamed his shabby gown
it was glorious afternoon of May-and
his dusty trencher-cap pushed to the back
of his head revealed clearly the oval con-
tour of the face, the full, prominent lips,
full, prominent eyes, and the curved beak
of the nose with its restless nostrils.
'Who is hep" asked of my companion,
one of the younger dons.
"Cohen of Trinity
He shook his head. The man had come
up on a scholarship, but had entirely failed
to follow up this preliminary distinction.
He was no good, no good at all. He was
idle, he was incompetent, he led a bad life
in a bad set.
We passed on to other subjects, and out
of sight passed the uncouth figure with the
glowing face, the evil reputation, and
that strange suggestion of latent force
which chung to him.
The next time saw Cohen was few
days later in the Trinity quad. There
WClc VI lOul DSD WIFI ulIh-hltlt
Cleaver of Sidney and others of the same
pattern. He was yelling and shrieking
with laughter-at some joke of his own,
apparently-and his companions were join
ing in the merriment
Something in his attitude suggested that
he was the ruling spirit of the group; that
he was indeed enjoying the delights of ad,
dressing an audience, and appreciated tc
the full the advantages of the situation.
came across him next morning, hang
ing moody over Kings bridge, a striking
contrast to the exuberant figure of yester
day.
He looked yellow and faccid as ,
sucked lemon, and eyed the water flowing
between the bridges with a suicidal air tina
its notorious shallowness made ridiculous
Little Cleaver came up to him and threw
out suggestion of lecture.
Cohen turned round with self-consclous
sham tragedy air, gave great gutfaw, ant
roared out by way of answer the quotation
from ''Tom Cobb:
1.-The worlds beast, and hate it."
H.
BY degrees scraped acquaintance wit
Cohen, who had interested me from tn
first.
Icannot quite explain my interest on 81
slight a knowledge; his manners were
distressing mixture of the bourgeois an,
the candille, and a most unattractive lacl
of simplicity marked his whole personality
There never indeed existed between u
anything that could bear the name Q
friendship. Our relations are easily stated
he liked to talk about himself and like
to listen.
have sometimes reprOached mysel
that never grew fond of him; but littl
reciprocity is necessary in these matters
and poor Cohen had not the art Of bein
fond of people.
/ soon discovered that he was de.
perately lonely and desperately unaI
proachable.
Once he quoted to me. with reference I
myself, the lines from Browning:
- Hath spied an icy fish
That longod to 'scape the rock stream where 81
lived"
And thsw herself with the lukewarm wasus
U the lazy sea-
Only she ever sickened, found repulse
At the other kind of water not her life.
Founced back from bliss she was ncs born
breathe,
And in her old bonds buried her despair.
Hating and loving warmth alike
OF the men with whom I OCCASIONAL
saw him-men who would have been will
ing enough to be his friends-he spoE
with an open contempt that did him lit
credit, considering how unscrupulously
made use Of them when his loneliness gre
intOlerable. There were others, too, b
sides Cleaver and his set, men of coars
stamp-boon companions, as the stoi
books say-with whom, when the fit W,
on, he consented to herd.
But as friends, as permanent compa
Ions even, he rejected them, one and al
with magnifcence, an arrogant and bl
ter scorn that had in 1t distinctly com
element.
saw him once, to my astonishmer
with Norwood, and 1t came out that
AAa the greatest admiration for Norwo
and his set
What connection there could be betwe
those young puritans, aristocrats al
scholars the flower of the university
prigs, little, and 5oraes-and man
Cohen's way Of life, 1t would be hard
say.
in aspiring to their acquaintance o
scarcely knew II to accuse the man Of
Insane vanity or pathetic hankering af
better things