Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-23

Conquered by Destiny, He Parts Forever
from His Faithful Friend.

Conquered by Destiny, He Parts Forever
from His Faithful Friend.
From the French of Henri D. MeivaL
"Bahl What does it matter--the die
is cast" he said In tone of resolution,
sin little while all will be over"
courage, courage, old fellow, be a
man-confound it !" murmured, turn
ing away my head to hide tear.
"Yes, know" was his answer,
ait is the common lot; little
sooner or little later we must
all make the dreadful leap. The only
difficulty is to do II gracefully. And
after all, is it not better to put an end
to things in this way, all at one blow,
| and while one is in ones prime, than to
go on dragging out miserable existence
until one grows old and helpless and
intirm, an object of ridicule and perse-
cution? am resigned"
sand we, your old friends, shall be
with you to the last l said; tive will
console, encourage, and even applaud
you You will not be left alone"
Thanks, thanks" he answered, "but
shall be equal to the ordeal. / give
you my word, though, that l have done
nothing to deserve such fate. did
not dream that it would come to this
Poor fellow So well-preserved, so
strong and self-reliant, in spite of his
wild, reckless life.
AS the fatal day drew near, we paid
him every possible attention, petting
him, fattering him. studying his tastes,
and satisfying his every whim, as far as
we were able.
You are fattening me for the sacri.
ticeV' he said, with smile of bitterness
Then he took his pipe from his pocket
and looked at ii long and lovingly. II
was an old, old friend, the companion
of weary days and lonely nights, II
had consoled and fortified him in adver'
sity, and faithfully sustained him, while
he with the daringand cunning of red
skin. when in pursuit of that widest Of
beasts, the almighty dollar; in the mo
ment of success it had not deserted him
it had been talisman, fetish to the
graceless Bohemian.
Although it was colored like a handiti
pipe, TO him II had ever been gentle ant
submissive; it had accompanied hin
. when he strolled along shady pathways
and had been sympathetic, though
silent witness of many Il loving tryst
Had il not. during half his life-and tn,
better half-bcen his faithful friend
coniidant, accomplish? And now, con
quered by destiny, he must part from
forever
my last pipe" he said, with sigh.
Tenderly lie kissed the blackeneC
: bowl. 1t was solemn moment. Hi
I filled the pipe slowly and with almos
2 motherly solicitude, then lighted it anC
! gravely watched the fragrant smoke ris
| in BLUSH spirals toward the ceiling
S where it spread itself out in grotesqu
arabesque designs, which seemed t
e embody the memory of his youthful
e days. The pipes soul was heverin
D around him and little by little hi
+ thoughts mounted on the smoke ring
e and flew back to the past, to the days q
b pleasure, the nights Of despair with III
: different emotions, sweet and sad.
Y Where were they gone, the merr
+ companions of the banquet hall an
a gaming table2 lie was never to Sc
i, them more, and never to smoke his pip
c again-to-morrow all would be over
0 only a few hours remained between hir
/, and the unfathomed, the unknown.
c Already he sees in the bare cold hal
e thS IcPlcetHtatlNc VI Tue law, hdNih
x before him the code which is to fette
J. and condemn. In the midst of the hui
II bub of the gaping crowd the merciles
i catechising goes on,and the poor fellow
Y unnerved losing his head answers Eyes
l. TO every question, hardly realizing Thu
rs he is sealing his own doom.
e Then he hears the chanting and I'll
]. exhortations OF the priests, secs the alt,
IS prepared for the sacrifice, and suddenl
+ his revery is interrupted by the piT
d falling from his lips and breaking
IS pieces on the floor.
v "rhat is the end " he says, with
h sigh which is almost d sob.
r. The next day we accompanied oil
d poor friend to the church and saw hi
! married.
N A nd he so Nnunr