The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-03
VENUS ANNODOMINL.

Win azure eyes ana Win 0uredtc uhlrs
And all the folks, - they came or went.
Diana of Ephesus.
She had nothing to do with number
eighteen in the Braccio Nuovo of the Vati-
can, between Visconti's Ceres and the God
OF the Nile--she was purely an Indian
deity--an Anglo-Indian deity. that is to
say-and we called her the Venus Ammo
domini, to distinguish her from other An
nodominis of the same everlasting order.
There was q legend among the hills that
she had once been young, but no living
man was prepared to come forward and
say boldly that the legend was true. Men
rode up to Simla, and stayed, and went
away and made their name and did their
life's work, and returned again to find the
Venus Annodomini exactly as they had
left her. She was rs immutable as the
hills. But not quite 80 green. All that a
girl of IS could do in the way OF riding,
walking, dancing, picnicking and overexer-
ton generally, the Venus AnnodOmini did,
and showed no sign of fatigue or trace OF
WEAKNESS. Besides perpetual youth, she
had discovered. men said, the secret OF
perpetual health; and her fame spread
about the land. From mere woman. she
grew to be an Institution, insomuch that
no young man could be said to be properly
formed, who had not, at some time or an
other, worshlpped at the shrine OF the
Venus Annodomini. There was no one
like her, though there were many imita-
tions. Six years in her eyes were no more
than six months to ordinary women; and
ten made less visible impression on her
than does q weeks fever on an ordinary
woman. Every one adored her, and in re-
turn she was pleasant and courteous to
nearly every one Youth had been habit
of hers for so long that she could not part
with it-never realized the necessity of part
ing with it-and took for her more chosen
associates young people.
Among the worshippers OF the Venus
Annodomini was young Gayerson. Very
Young Gayerson's he was called to distin-
guish him from his father, young"
Gayerson, Bengal civilian, who affected
the customs-as he had the heart-of
youth. VERY Young" Gayerson was not
content to worship placidly and for forms
sake as the other young men did, or to
accept ride or dance, or q talk from the
Venus Annodomini in Q properly humble
and thankful spirit. He was exacting,
and, therefore, the Venus Annodomini re-
pressed him. He worried himself nearly
sick in futile sort of way over her; and
his devotion and earnestness made him ap.
pear either shy or boisterous or rude,
and his mood might vary. by the
side of the older men who, with him.
bowed before the Venus Annodomini.
She was sorry for him. He re-
minded her of Q lad who, three-and-
twenty years ago, had protested bound
less devotion for her, and for whom in re-
turn she had felt something more than a
weeks weakness. But that lad had fallen
away and married another woman less
than year after he had worshipped her;
and the Venus Annodomini had almost
at nxrsfa -fnpnntfon his
Young" Gayerson had the same big blue
eyes and the same way of pouting his
under lip when he was excited or troubled.
But the Venus Annodomini checked him
sternly none the less. Too much zeal was
. thing that she did not approve of, pre-
ferring. instead, tempered and sober ten
VERY Young" Gayerson was miserable.
and took no trouble to conceal his wretch
edness. He was in the army--a line regi-
ment. think, but am not certain-and,
since This face was looking-glass and his
forehead an open book, by reason of his
innocence. his brothers in arms made his
life O burden to him and embittered his
naturally sweet disposition. No one ex.
never told his views, knew how old VERY
Young" Gayerson believed the Venus An
nodomini to be. Perhaps he thought her
five and twenty, or perhaps she told him
that she was his age. every Young Cav
erson would have forded the Gugger in
flood to carry her highest word, and had
implicit faith in her. Everyone liked him,
him so bound a slave of the Venus Ammo
domini. Everyone, too, admitted that it
was not her fault; for the Venus Anno-
domini differed from Mrs. Hauksbee and
Mrs. Reiver in this particular-she never
moved finger to attract anyone; but,
like Ninon de lEnclos, all men were at.
tracted to her. One could admire and re-
spect Mrs. Hauksbee, despise and avoid
Mrs. Reiver, but one was forced to adore
the Venus Annodomini.
Very Young" Gayerson's papa held q
division or a collectorate or something ad-
ministrative in particularly unpleasant
part Of Bengai--full of Babus who edited
newspapers proving that Young" Gayer-
son was Nero" and q "Scylla" and a
"Charybdis"; and, In addition to the
Babus, there was good deal of dysentery
and cholera abroad for nine months of
the year. young" Gayerson-he was
about five and forty-rather liked Babus.
they amused him, but he objected to dys.
EMERY. and when he could get away went
20 Darjilling for the most part This par
ticular season he fancied that he would
come up to Simla and see his boy. The
boy was not altogether pleased He told
the Venus Annodomini that his father
was coming up, and she flushed a little
and said that she should be delighted to
make his acquaintance. Then she looked
long and thoughtfully at VERY Young
Gayerson; because she was very, very
sorry for him. and he was very, very big
idiot
my daughter Is coming out in q fort.
night, Mr.. Gayerson," she said.
"Your whatf" said he.
Daughter" said the Venus Annodom.
mi. .'She's been out for o year at home
already, and want her to see a little of
India She is IS. and very sensible. nice
girl, ] believe"
Every Young" Gayerson, who was q
short - years old, nearly fell out of his
chair with establishment; for he had per-
sisted in believing against all belief in the
youth Of the Venus Annodomini. She,
with her back to the curtained window,
watched the effect of her sentences and
smiled.
Very Young" Gayerson's papa came up
twelve days later, and had not been in
Simla twenty-four hours before two men.
old acquaintance of his, had told him how
Every Young" Gayerson had been con-
Quoting himself.
Young" Gayersen laughed good deal
and inquired who the Venus Annodomin
might be. Which proves thar he mad been
living in Bengal where nobody knows
anything except the rate of exchange.
Then he said boys will be boys" and
spoke 10 his son about the matter. VERY
Young" Gayerson said that he felt
wretched and unhappy: and Young
Gayerson said that he rep%nted OF having
helped TO bring fool into the world. He
suggested that his son had better cut his
leave short and so down to his duties.
This led TO an uRfihal answer. and relations
were strained, until Young Gayerson
demanded that they should call ON The