The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-08-05
CHAPTER XIII.

To Alice Inman tho summer had been q
dream OF Joy. TO the delights Of travel
was added the intoxication that the pres
ence OF the man she loved begot. Harlan,
with more discretion than his impulsive
nature often showed, had, after that night
In London, remained silent regarding his
hopes. but they both knew that they were
In fact, II not by word, betrothed.
There was peculiar fascination to Har-
Ian about this unavowed bond. He seemed
to have found a calm. peaceful, sunny har-
Dor after a tempestuous voyage In storm
swept seas. The gentle womanhood re-
vealed to him during those weeks OF travel
soothed his soul, taught him that hereto
fore his conception OF human nature had
been narrow and unjust. made him for the
time less selfish, more manly.
Was 1t strange that for Alice and Harlan
the palaces and temples. the paintings,
sculptures, casteiiated mountains, pletuT-
ezqne rivers. famous cities. historic shrines
of the Old World took on an added fascina-
ton seen. as they were. through eyes
agiow with love- There is time ia life
does It come but onces-Ehen the sun
shines brighter than it, Hoat. when the
incaEise Of the flowers is sweeter than Of
old. when adj nature seems esor1fsed by the
10Y that Is ia as. 10 those days high a1n-
billions como 10 as. q great future seems TO
beckOn, our soul thrills with the music Of
the spheres. the world tseoInes q garden
through which We walk with proud bear
Ing and bounding heart. Are there dra-
CONS 20 be slains Let them come Our
sword Is sharp and our ARA is strong.
Are there serpents lurking In these flower
deeked Aeldss We fear them not Their
sting Is not poisonous % such as we. Are
there pitfalls beyond, and dangers manys
Ha, ha, what care we for that brave
knight and his lady shall walk unharmed
where others perish
To Harlan Otis the sweet coinpanionshiD
he now enjoyed came at crisis In his life
when he sorely needed an impetus toward
higher ideals. Having passed a mother
less boyhood. his nature had been warped
by lack Of that ennoblIng feminine infiu-
ence that comes only from a pure, un5el-
fish, loving woman. His associations with
Rhoda Barr had been distinctly injurious
10 character easily moulded by exterlors.
A mans ego or self, or whatever else 1t
may DO called, is always in n state of
transition. Character, like matter Is In
constant process OF change. A man Is
either better or worse one day than he was
the preceding. Unfortunately for the race
1t 10 much easier to go down than up and
what may be called tho ethical formation
bears strong resemblance TO a toboggan-
slide.
Pardon me, gentle reader. for this SEEM
ingly irrelevant disqulsitlon on subject
that should be left to more learned pens
than mine. There was a time when a
writer OF fiction was permitted by Gus
tom to have q little confidential chat with
his readers now and then on almost any
faf.fa m nffio af,.,, tai xut fh hta atorV
Those good old days have passed. howev-
or, and now the novelist Is compelled to
let his characters do all the talking. Con-
forming. therefore, to contemporary usage
i will subdue my inclination TO prose about
ethics. and II you will kindly replace the
ear-pieces TO your tympanum, will turn
on the monograph, and you may find in
| Harlan's last conversation with Alice be-
fore they left the ship on their return voy-
age something more entertaining than
the above observations On thu formation OF
| character.
| They were leaning ngainet tho rail and
booking out upon the moon-lit soa. The
| steamer had made quick run and thu
morning would find her Off Sandy Hook
| This last evening OF the passage was an
| ideal summer night phe smiling ocean
seemed to throbi with pleasure rs the
moonbeams tickled her heaving breast
The air was warm and soft and the voy.
| ayers, happy at tho morrow's prospect
laughed and talked and sang, utterly for
getful how they had suffered the first day
| out
Why are you so quiet9 Alice asked
after a long silence, during which Harlan
had pulled cigarette and gazed dreamily
out upon the silvery sea