Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-10-03

After hii dinner he tried to read a lit
tie. but he could not bring himself SO far,
and he grew angrier and angrier. When
it struck 10 he took his cane, n foimi-
dable oakcn club which he always carried
whep he had to 20 out at night to visit
the ldck. and he snilingly regarded the
enormous cudgcl, holding it in his solid
countryman's INST and cutting threaten
ing circles with it in the air. Then sud
denly he raised it. and grinding his teeth
he brought it down upon a chair, tho
back Of which. split in two, fell heavily
to the ground.
He opened his door to go out, but stop
ped upon the threshold, surprised by
such a splendor Of moonlight rs you
eeldom see.
And since he was endowed with an
exalted spirit-such a spirit as must
nave belonged to those dreamy poets,
thn-fathers of the churchA-hc felt him
self suddenly distracted. moved by the
grand and serene beauty Of the pale
faced night.
In his little garden, quite bathed with
The soft bfilliance. his fruit trees, al
arrow were outlining in shadow upon
the walk, their slender limbs of wood
scarce clothed by verdure. while the
giant honeysuckle climbing on the house
wall exhaled delicious, sugarod breaths,
and seemed to cause to hover through
the warm. clear night n p%erfumed soul.
He began to breathe deep. drinking
the mir rs drunkards drink their wine.
and he walled slowly. being ravished,
astounded und almost oblivious of his
niece.
As soon as he came into the open coun-
try he stopped to contemplate the whole
plain. SO inundated by this caressing
radiance, so drowned in the tender and
lauguishing charm of the serene nights
At every instant the frogs threw into
space their short metallic notes, and the
distant nightinGales mingled with the
seduction of the moonlight that itful
music of theirs which brings no thoughts
but dreams, that light and vibrant melody
of theirs which is composed Of kisses.
The able continued his course, his
courage failing, he knew not why. He
felt, as it were, enfeebleI, and suddenly
exhausted: he had a great desire to sit
down, to pause here, to praise God in al
his works.
Down there, following the bonds Of
the little river, wound u great line Of
poplars. On and about the banks.
wrapping all the tortuous w%atercourse
with a kind Of light, transparent
wadding, hung suspended a fine mist, a
white vapor which the moon rays crossed
and silvered, and caused to CLEAN.
The priest paused, yet again penetrat,
ed to the bottom of his soul by II strong
and growing emotion.
And Il doubt. a vague uneasincs5.
seized on him; he perceived that one OF
those questions which he sometimes put
to himself was nov being born.
Why had God done this? Since tn,
+ night is destined for sleep, for uncon.
e seriousness. for repose, for forgetfulnes!
!, of everything. why, then, make it NOR,
charming than the day. swceter THAI
the dawns and the sunsets? And thii
slow seductive star, more p~octical than
o the sun, and so discreet that it seems de
signed to light up things too delicate
too mysterious, for the great luminar!
why was il come to brighten all thu
shades2
w ny Olu nOL Auc tlcNtIFbL VI ~ SSuB
o sters go to rest like the others: AnC
: why did he set himself to singing in tn,
o vaguely troubling dark?
Why this half veil over the world
Why these quiverings of the heart, thi
emotion Of the soul. this languor Of tn
g body?
Why this display of seductions whicl
mankind never sees, being asleep in bed
For whom was intended this sublim
II spectacle, this food Of poetry poure
lie from heaven to earth?
r And the able did not understand a
all.
ID But now, see, down there along th
n edge of the field appeared two shadow
At walking side by side under the archie
8 roof of the trees all soaked in glitterin
ID mist.
The mar was the taller and had h
arm about his mistress neck. and froI
time to time he kissed her ON the fort
IN head. They animated suddenly the lift
~ less landscape which %enveloped thel
like n divine frame made expressly fl
rs this. They seemed, these two, like OF
It being, the being for whom was destine
ly this calm and silent night; and the
came up toward the priest like a livir
"a answer, the answer ~vOuchsafed by h
es muster to his question.
lg He stood stock still. quite overwhelr
Id ed and with a beating heart. And
Isl thought to see here some Bible stoI
Ike the loves of Ruth and Boaz. the a
les complishment of the will of the Lord
one Of those great scenes talked of in d
de holy books.
he Through his head began to hum Il
versicles Of the Song of Songs, the a
fe' dent cries, the calls Of the body, all t
m passionate poetry Of that poem viii
zee burns with tenderness and 1--we.
And he said to himself, 'God perha
IN, has made such nights rs this to clot
with the ideal the loves of men"
lg. He withdrew before this couple, W,
went ever arm in arm. For all that
was really his niece; but now he ask
himself if he was not about to disob
md God. And does not God indeed perm
3 If love, since he surrounds it yisibly wi
splendor such as thisY
ION And he fed in amaze, almost asham'
eet as if he had penetrated into a tenn
where he had not the right to go.-G