, 1889-01-24
DEATH

DEATH.
Year after year went away into nothing
with great explosions and outcries in the
cities on the plain; red revolt springing up
and being suppressed in blood; battle sway
ing hither and thithCr; patient astronomers
vi observatory towers picking out and chris
sening new stars; plays being performed in
Eghted theatres; people being carried into
hospitals on stTetchers, and all the usual tur-
nIOil and agitation Of mems lives in crowded
centers. Up in Wits valley only the winds
and seasons made an epoch; the fish hung in
the swift stream; the birds circlcd overhead !;
the pine tops rustled underneath the stars;
the tall hills stood over all; and VIII went to
and fro, mindipg his wayside inn, until the
snow began to thicl,en on his head. His
heart was young and vigorous, and if his
pulses kept sober time they still beat stronc
and steady i'll his wrists. 10 carried a ud,iy
stain on either check, like It ripe apple; he
stopped little, but his step was still firm,
md his sinewy hands were reached out to all
men with a friendly pressure. His face was
covered with those wrinkles which are got III
open air. and which, rightly looked at, are
no more than 4 sort of permanent sunbmn-
ing; such wrinkles hcighten the stupidity Of
vupid faces, but to person like VIII, with
his clear eyes and smiling mouth, only give
smother charm by testifyinS to a simple
and easy life. His talk was full of wise say
ings. He had u taste for other people, and
Dther people had a taste for him. When the
galley was full of tourists in the season, there
Fcre merry nights in Wills arbor; and his
yiewS, which seemed whimsical to his neigh
aors, were often admired by learned people
Jut of town and colleges. Indeed, he had u
sery noble old age, and grew daily better
Pm hot his of r.
ities of the plain; and young men who had
been summer travellers spoke together in
afes of VIII o the Iii and his rough phi
psOphy. Many and many an invitation, You:
may be sure, he had, but nothing coulj
;empt him from his upland valley. He would
shake his head and smile over his tobacco
pipe with deal of meaning. You come
too late he would answer. Il am n dcau
alan now; / have lived and died already
Fifty years ago you would have brought my
lcart into my mouth: and now you do Hu:
aycu tempt me. But that is the object or
iGHg living, that man should cease to carv
ihuut life" And again: There is only one
Inference between a long life and u go,.i
Inner: that, i'll the dinner, the sweets ccms
asst Or once more: when was boy a,
.9as 4 bit puzzled and hardly knew whether
It was myself or the world that was curioIs
myself, and stick to that
lie never showed any symptoms of frailty,
1T kept stalWart and firm to the last but
icy say he grew less talkative toward tic
81, and would listen to other people 10y tn,
,.Ir III an amused and sympathetic silence.
?.!ly, when he did spcal, it was more TO til
ONT, and more charged with old experiencr
% drank bottle of wine gladly; above al
sunset on the hilltop or quite late at Light
rl.!cr the stars in the urbor The sight Cl
lcthing attractive and unattainable Sc:
cd his enjoyment, lie would say; and lie
.:,=sscd he had lived long enough to admir-.
..l;;tllc all the more wien lie could compare
.-ith planet.
ne night, in his I'D year, he awol;e in bed
=.g:ch uneasiness of body and mind that he
.'ar and dressed himself and went out 10
Gitatc in the arbor. 1t was pitch dark,
.out star; tho river was swollen, and
vet woods and meadows loaded ths an.
i perfume. 1t had thundered duril,. liz,
. and it promised more thunder fog
morrow. 4 murliy, sitting nigh.
- man of - Whether it va
weather or tho waEefuinesS, >.
10 little touch of fever in his old limbs
.iIsmind was besiegcd by tumultuous III, J..
.ging memories. His boyhoOd, the nigh;
ieh the fat young man, the death OF IN,
opted parents, the summer days with Mar
-, and many of those small circumstances
Itch seem nothing to another, and are VI
e very gist of q mans own life to himself
,.ings seen, words heard, looks misccastruo.i
arose from their forgotten corners an,
grped his attention. The dead theInseIvc
.rcrc with him, not merely taking part II
Is thin show of memory that defilcd bcfor
Is brain, but revisiting his bodily senses l.
( icy do in profound and vivid dreams. IL,
/ at young man leaned his elbows Oh the tal,i
| tgosite; Marjory came and went with Ill
4 Is-onful of flowers between the garden an!
| nc arbor; he could hear the old parsoG
--,oci,inS out his pipe or Blowing his resonant
.G5a. The tide of bis CONSCIOUSNESS cbbcj
/ nj flowed; lie was sometimes half asleep and
-aowned iii his recoliection5 of the pas,
I'd sometimes he was broad awake wonder
ls at himself. But about the middle
! I the night he was startled by thl
| .oice of the dead miller calling to him ont oi
! - house as he used to do on the arrival oi
-.-s,om- The hallucination was 50 perfect
! ct VIII sprang from his seat and stood
.cai.- fo- the summons to be repeated; and
g lo listened Ec became conscious of auothCI
nose Le5iGes the brawIing of the river am