Passaic City record., 1891-01-22
'TILDA'S KNIGHTS.
BY RAY LEDYARD.

A pretty American girl and an Eng
lish cathedral!
She stood under the great north win
dow and looked up and down. 1t
seemed very dark and quiet after the
bright sunlight on the grass of the close
outside. She waited a moment, winking
little harder than usual until her eyes
grew accustomed to the dim light.
"Ah, this is better than that stuffy lit
tie hole of an imp she thought, and
continued her explorations of the cathe-
dral together with her remarks to her
very companionable self.
'sHum 'The purest example of early
English architecture That's what the
"A B G. of architecture said, any way,
and although I know nothing about it.,
it certainly sounds well. Looks well,
too, declare!'
She stood for some time under the
east window, looking down the middle
aisle. On each side the grand pillars
seemed to grow misty and dim as they
reached upward. Far down shone the
gliding on the choir. screen, and the faint
light from the stained windows fell in
long slants across the stone floor.
ssWell, this will never do. l am ac-
tually beginning to feel reverence for
the place. Absurd sentimentalityl
will see if the choir is open"
1t wasn't, and she turned back down
the middle aisle. Long rows of chairs,
with kneeling attachments behind, and
little boxes for prayer book and hymnal
underneath. 'Tilda dropped into one.
II think I should like to be here at
evening service, she said. s'Let's see, u
consulting very small watch that S
not until 4. 1t is now 3 80. What can
/ do? Oh, know; I'll look at all these
old knights. How quiet they are, one
between each pillar" The click of her
heels sounded on the stones as she walked
across to the first. "Now, why in the
world don't they have bigger waists?
Every one of them with chest as big as
a German officers, and waist as small
as Frenchwoman's How uncomfort-
ablel So straight he lies, too. Head
back, toes up, hands down at each side.
No: you're no better,"- the next one
-s'eyen if you have your dog at your
feet. Oh, fora kni ght with a waist that
doesn't look as if it would break in two!
Now, how on earth could you ever sit a
horse, with all that armor on, and no
more waist2 If I find him I'll fall in
love with him on the spot; I'll even look
him up in the guide book, which is much
more to the point
She strolled along, her nose rather in
the air, and one hand in the pocket of
her short jacket. Knight after knight
passed under her inspection. Some had
been to the Holy Land, as shown by the
crossed knees. Some had died there;
but all had small waists. 'Tllda reached
the last space, near the door, and stopped
short. A broad ray from a window fell
on the efigy lying there, and softened
the gray stone with tender lights and
shades. A half-smile seemed to play on
the battered lips. The head was turned
easily to the right, the left hand thrown
across the breast, while the right grasped
q heavy sword resting at his side.
Very worn, and crumbling in some
parts, but the memory of brave and
valiant man lived in the stone so many
centuries old, and, ssOh," thought
'Tilda, shere's my man! The only one
with respectable waist"
Then she sat down beside him and
studied the worn inscription. She could
make nothing of it, not even his name.
So she sat and dreamed. The sweet,
calm face seemed turned to her, and the
sunlight shifted and included her in its
shaft. A sudden clatter, and process
sion of school-boys in quaint ruffies
marched by, very much out of step, soon
to be transformed into cherubs in cas-
socks. 'Tilda shook off her dream, took
up prayer-book, and presently followed
the stately service with the most laudable
precision.
But when the white-robed procession
had fluttered itself through the stone gate
way, and the few old women and lingering
black yelled ladies had departed, she
hesitated, and laying her hand tenderly
on the stone one of the old effigy, said,
softly: "Good- bye, Sir Knight"
"Whatever is the matter with 'Tildas
She's reading the guide-bookl"
"'Tilda, dear, do you feel ill2"
.sHow does your brain stand ita"
To which irrelevant remarks 'Tilda
raised pair of perfectly calm brown
eyes and coolly surveyed her brothers!
1.-THE matter with me- Thomas, ex-
lists in your own uncertain brain. I'm
quite well, thank you, Jem; only while
YOU were all off on that long, hot walk, l
had an adventure!"
Mrs. Turner looked across the table
at her daughter with little anxious
movement. Sometimes this same pretty
daughter gave her cause for nervousness,
simply from her extremely picturesque
way Of looking at things. This time,
however, she said: !.
s.Nothing to bother you, mamma, "
and proceeded to the boys. "You would