The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-08-12
CHAPTER XVI.

Two years passed away quickly. To Alice
and Harlan they were years flied with
many varying emotions, though no strik-
ing Incidents occurred to change the even
tenor Of their lives. Harlan read law In q
ntful, cratic way, attended lectures at Co
iumbia and spent n good deal of valuable
time writing verses. Such poems as he
deemed worthy of preservation he sent to
the magazines, using nom-de-pittme for
fear that his father would be displeased at
his effort to conquer the severe ascent OF
high Parnassus." Manyo fhis poems were
published and the encouragement he thus
received whetted his desire for literary
fame. Once in awhile he would confess
his aspirations to Alice and, perhaps, tell
her OF his latest success. 1t soon became
evident to him, however, that she had no
sympathy with his literary ambitions.
1t is true that she was intensely fond OF
reading, and her tastes had always led her
toward the best fruits In tho garden Of
letters. But 1t Is one thing to admire
poetry and o very different one to be mar
ried to poet.
Alice possessed d certain i1arrowness Of
mind that was partially hereditary and
partially provincial. Though she had
spent hours In Westminster Abbey and
had seen there clearly written by
q nations hand the great truth that
the poet, be he worthy OF the name,
wins undying laurels fairer far than
! those that crown the brows Of warriors
and statesmen, still did abe retain some-
thing of that old-fashioned prejudice
against those who follow the Coryclan
nymphs that many wiser and broader
minded people than herself still entertain.
furthermore. her Judgment told her that
ma
True he was something more than O
clever versifier, and she realized that tho
verdict Of certain prominent critics In his
college days had established the fact that
when time had mellowed his muse he
would take fairly high rank among the
lesser poets OF America. Nevertheless she
could not overcome her dislike for those
who WELD the pen and are generally de-
scribed as literary men,"
Was Alice wrong2 Was Alexander Otis
wrong2 Would 1t not have been wiser, know
ing, as they did, the youths bent, to have
encouraged him In tho line no longed TO
take2 They were all three at fault. THO
father, always generous to the boy, had
been less sympathetic than was polite.
Alice, during the two years that followed
her marriage, had showed q lack OF tact,
to put 1t mildly, in notentering more close
iy into her husbands aspirations. Last OF
all, Harlan himself, was by no means
blameless. He had discovered at the end OF
the year, what he and others had long sus-
pected, that he had no love for tho law and
that In his case. as in 80 many others O.
round peg was to be thrust into q
square hole. IL would have boon
far better in the end If he had frank
ly acknowledged his detestation of the
profession before him, insisted upon his
right TO take tho path that nature had
formed for him, and, instead OF devoting
himself openly to the law and by stealth
TO literature, to have publicly chosen tho
only line In which success seemed certain.
But he knew that his father and his wife
would be bitterly disappointed IL he aban-
boned his books and lectures and devoted
his whole time to his pen. He did not pos
sess the strength to endure their dispeas,
ure, and so, disconnected and unhappy, no
continued to make certain n0ns-de-pl,sne
famous to magazine readers, while at
tempting to gain sufficient knowledge OF
the law TO save him In tho future from ut
ter failure.
Something Of all this was known to John
Arnold who had become constant visitor,
at the homo OF his former chun. One
evening, when Harlan and his father had
departed to spend an evening ut their
club, Arnold broached the subject to Alice.
Harlan was very ambitious to win
name In letters In the old days" he began.
Does he do any writing, now?"
Alice flushed as she met the steady gaze
Of her ques toner
Frankly. she answered, Idon't know.
think, however, that he writes poem
now and then, but / never see Them"
Arnold WAS st1rrrfapd This taQk NJ cou.