The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-06-21
THE TWO LOVERS.
How My Skeptical Views Of True
Love Were Removed.

I was tired. l had worked in the
school-room until, now that vacation
had come, l felt that i had earned q
rest, and determined it should be had
where l would not be hampered by
formal regulations and conventional
rules. / wanted to ramble in the green
fields, among the wild-fowers. wanted
TO liuger by the riverside and watch
the ripples, or read my favorite books,
or listen to the song of birds and feel as
free as they. l would sketch little,
perhaps, or catch fish If could. would
forget care, be happy child once more,
and rest.
knew just where to go. l had been
there once, and two days after my
school closed / was there again. 1t was
q quiet country town. The surround
ings were picturesque and romantic.
There were bluffs crowned with trees
on the north and east; rolling hills,
adorned with wild-fowers, on the south
and west and beautiful little river,
fed by numerous springs under the
bluffs, almost encircling the town.
These were the general features, but
there were numberless grassy slopes,
messy glens, rocky caves and cozy
nooks. Here it was that l proposed to
spend the greater part of my vacation.
/ had passion for painting and sketch
ing and here brush and pencil would
find use.
But my two lovers! They were on the
hotel piazza when l arrived, though /
did not know then that they were
lovers. l merely noticed the respectful
attention with which a gentleman
listened to some remark of lady and
the kindly smile with which he re-
sponded. l changed my dusty garments
and sat by the open window of my room
to enjoy the beauty without There
were people on the piazza but did
not heed them. | did not even glance
at them until heard the landlord NUT
ter: Two lovers!" He stood in the
doorway, and / wondered what had oc-
casIoned his comment i looked around.
Two gentlemen were smoking and talk
ing politics in tones which precluded
the idea of their being lovers. A group
of schoolgirls were laughing and chat
ting with the hosts daughter. "They
may be lovers" thought /, but there
are more than two"
on the walk just beyond; of course, the
landlord did not mean them, and / was
about to conclude that / had mistaken
his words or that they had no connec-
tion with what was transpiring on the
piazza when my eyes fell on the couple
! had noticed on my arrival. They were
sitting little apart from all the others,
conversing in low, tender tones and ev-
identity very much interested in each
other, and almost aloud l echoed the
landlords words
Lovers are to me a very attractive
class of people, and though gazed with
enjoyment at the bluffs, the trees and
the sunset clouds, thought and glance
would turn involuntarily again and
again to these lovers. The lady was
beautiful, with beauty that seemed in
creased at every glance. That broad,
pure brow, those earnest, soulful eyes,
that sweet, quiet smile, the whole face
radiant in the rosy glow of light,
seemed made to bless the beholder.
What beautiful face! o! that might
see it daily. What an inspiration it
would be! No wonder he loves her.
could not see her companions face
30 we'll, but tone and attitude were elo-
auent, and ] remembered the gentle,
kindly expression of his face when /
had noticed him first. just the ex-
preston one would naturally acquire in
such a presence, / thought, and my
glance again sought the lady's lovely
face. A sudden determination seized
me. / would make sketch of her
face, and 1T should hang where l could
see it always, and rejoiced in the con-
sciousness of possessing gift which
rendered SO precious an acquisition pos
-sible-
began Immediately and worked as
long as / could see, but the results were
unsatisfactory. / could not obtain the
desired expression. i decided to take
time to study her face. / did not see
her again until the next afternoon. She
was sitting in the ladies' parlor, read
ing; and, mindful of my sketch,
looked for the beauty that had so
thrilled me on the previous evening.
To my astonishment, 1T seemed to have
vanished. / could scarcely recognize
sber She looked quite ordinary had
seen hundreds Of women fully as beauti-
full was disappointed and puzzled,
and started for ramble, almost ready
to adopt the theory that beauty was
merely subjective; not the quality of an
object, but an emotion of ones own
mind. ] concluded that did not care
TO make sketch
ii was late when returned and found
fine Iady sitting on the piazza Present.
ly. 1 noticed her lover coming down the
street She saw him, and her face
1igFsad up with wondrous glow, and
as she rose to greet him it was fairly
fransflgured. The puzzle was solved;
the mystery was plain to me. 1t was
love that made her lovely, and it was
love that made him look so grand and
mobile, and pondcred over my discoy-
cry. had seen schoolgirl and school
boy love, and love, so-called, In other
various phases, and had seen the ar
ficie transferred from one object to an
Other with apparently the greatest