Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-10-02

right to be, you WOULD be less perfect
and should love you less
But 1 wish to tell you how lovable and
how charming you are You alone do not
know 1t. You alone do not see the soft
flame Of your large eyes-the reflection OF
your heroic soul onyour young bus serene
brow.
your charm is over everything you do
your slightest gesture is engraYen on
me. Into the most ordinary duties OF
everyday life you carry g peculiar grace,
like q young priestess who recites her
daily devotions. Your hand, yonr touch,
your breath purifes eVerything-even the
most humble and the most wicked beings
and myself first Of ALL
"Oh, how am astonished at the words
which pronounce, and the sentiments
which animate me, to whom you have
made clear new truths. Yes, all the
rhapEodies of the poets, all the loves of
the martyrs, I comprehend in your pres
ence. This is truth itself. understand
those who died for their faith by torture
because should like to suffer for you
because believe In you-because re-
spect you'll cherish you-I adore you'll"
He stopped, shivering. and half pros
trating himself before her, seized the end
of her veil and kissed it.
Now" continued he. with kind of
grave sadness. go, Mrs. Denton; have
forgotten too long you require repose.
Pardon me-proeeed. shall follow
you at a distance, until you reach your
home, to protect you-but fear nothing
from me.
Clara Denton had listened, without
once interrupting him even by a sign.
Words would only excite the young man
more.
Probably she understood, for the first
time in her life, one of those songs of
love-one of those hymns living with pas
sion. which every woman wishes to hear
before she dies
Should she die because she had heard
She remained without speaking, as
though just awakening from a dream, and
let fall these words, soft and feeble, like
a sigh:
After another pause, she advanced
few steps on the road.
Give me your arm as far as my house,
Mr.. Leland, she said.
He obeyed her. and they continued
their walk toward the house, the light OF
which they soon saw.
They didnot exchange a word-only as
they reached the gate, Mrs. Denton
turned and made him a slight gesture
with her hand, in sign of adieu.
In return, Leland bowed low, and with
drew.
This man had been sincere.
When true passion surprises the human
soul, it breaks down all resolves, sweeps
away all logic, ard brushes all calcula-
tions.
In this lies its grandeur, and also its
danger.
When this sublime folly possesses you.
it elevafes you-it transfigures YOU 1t
can suddenly convert a common man into
O poet, a coward into a hero, an egotist
into O martyr, and Don Juan himself into
an angel of purity.
With women-and it is to their honor
this metamorphosis can be durable, but
it is rarely SO with men.
Once transported to this stormy sky,
women frankly accept their proper home.
and the vicinity of the thunder does not
disquiet them.
Passion is their element feel at
home there. There are few women
worthy of the name who are not ready to
put in action all the words which passion
has caused to bubble up from their lips.
If they speak of fight. they are ready
for exile. If they talk of dying. they are
ready for death. Men are far less con-
sistent in their ideas.
1t was not until late the next morning
that Leland regretted his outbreak OF
sincerity; for, during the remainder of
the night. still filed with his excitement,
agitated and shaken by the passage of the
god, sunk into a confused and feVerish
reverie, he was incapable of reflection.
But when, on awakening, he surveyed
light of day, and thought over the preced-
ing evening and its events, he could not
fail to recognize the fact that he had been
cruelty duped by his own nervous system.
To love Clara Denton was perfectly
proper, and he loved her still-for she
was q person to be loved and desired; but
to elevate that love or any other, as the
master of his life, instead of its play
thing, was one of those weaknesses in
terdicted by his system more than any
other.
In fact, he felt he had spoken and act
ed like schoolboy on holiday. He had
uttered words, made promises, and taken
engagements on himself which no one
demanded of him. No conduct could
have been more ridiculous.
Happily nothing was lost. He had yet
time to give his love that subordinate
place which this sort of phantasy should
occupy in the life OF man.
He had been imprudent, but this very
imprudence might finally prove of SER
vice to him. All that remained of this
scene was declaration-g gracefully made,
spontaneous, naturalization subjected
Clara Denton to the double charm of a
mystic idolatry which pleased her sex,
and to that manly violence which could
not displease her.
although he certainly would have pre-
ferred, taking the point of view from his
principles, to have displayed less child
ish weakness.
But what course should he now adopt2
Nothing could be more simple. He
would go to Mrs. Denton, implore her for
giveness, throw himself again at her feet,
promising eternal respect, and succeed.
Consequently, at about ten o'clock,
Leland wrote the following note:
DEAR MADAM: 1 cannot leave with
out bidding you adieu, and once more de-
handing your forgiveness.
-Wlll you permit me?
@W. LELAND"
This letter he was about sending. when
he received one contsining the following
words:
Il shall be happy. sir, if you viii call
upon me- to-day, about four o'clock.
CLARA DENTON"
Upon which Leland threw his own note