Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-11-18
A CONSUMING FIRE:
BY @. A. p. AND e. ". r.

He is q man who has failed IN this life
and says he has no chance of success in an
other; but out of the fragments of his failure
he has placed together for himself q fabric
of existence more satisfying than most Of
US make of our successes. It is kind Of
triumph to look as he does, to have his man
ner, and to preserve his attitude towards
advancing yesrs-those dreaded years which
he faces with pale but smiling lips.
If you would see my friend Hay den,
commonly called by his friends the connois-
seur, figure to yourself tall gentleman of
sixty five, very erect still and graceful, gray
headed and gray bearded, with fine gray
eyes that have the storm tossed look of
clouds on q windy March day, and bear
ing thai somehow impresses you with an
idea of the gracious and pathetic dignity OF
his lonely age.
myself am quiet young man, with but
one gift-I am finished and artistic LISTEN
or. 1t is this talent of mine which wins for
me q degree of Hayden's esteem aud place
at bis table when he has new story to tell.
His connoisseurship extends to everything
of human interest, and bis stories are often
of the best.
The last time that bad the honor of din
ing with him, there was present, besides
the host and myself, only his close friend,
that vigorous and successful man, DR.. Rich
ard Langworthy, the eminent alienist and
specialist in nervous diseases. The con-
noisseur evidently had something to relate,
but he refused to give it to US until the pret-
ty dinner was over. Hayden's dinners are
always pretty, and he has ideals in the mat
ter of china, glass, and nspery which it
would require woman to appreciate. 1t
is one of his accomplishments that he
manages to live like gentleman and en-
tertxin his friends on an income which most
people find quite inadequate for the pur-
pose.
After dinner we took coffee and refused
cigars in the library.
On the table, full in the mellow light of
the great lamp (Hayden has distate for
gss), was bit of white plush on which two
large opals were lying. One was an intense
ly brilliant globe of broken cleaning lights,
in which the red flame burned strongest
and most steadily; the other was as large,
but paler. You would have said that the
prisoned heart of fire within 1t had oeased
throb against the outer rim of ice. Lang
worthy, who is wise in gems. bent over
them with an exclamation of delight.
Fine stones, he said: where did you pick
them up, Haydenq,.
worthy's shoulder, smiled down on the
as if he looked into beloved eyes for an an
swering smile.
They came into my possession in sim
gular way, very singular. When was in
the West last summer, spent some time
in city on the Pacifcslope which has more
pawnbrokers' shops and that sort of thing in
full sight on the prominent streets than any
other town of the same size and respecta-
bility that have ever seen. Que day, when
had been looking in the bazars for some
thing a little out of the regular line in
Chinese curios and didn't find it, it OCCUR
red to me that in such cosmopolitan town
there might possibly be some interesting
things in the pawn-shops, 80 I went into
one to look. 1t was common dingy place.
kept by common dingy man with shrewed
eyes and COARSE mouth. Talking to him
across the counter was o man of another
type. Distinction in good clothes, you
know, one is never sure Of 1t may be only
that mans tailor is distinguished. But
distinction in Indifferent garments, that il
distinction indeed, and there before me
saw it. A young, slight, carelessly dressed
man, hls bearing was attractive and note
worthy beyond anything can express
His appearance was perhaps little too un
usual, for the contrast between his sof
straw colored hair and wine-brown eye
was such q striking one that it attracted at
tention from the real beauty Of his face.
On the desk between the two men lay ,
fine opal this one, said Hayden, touchlnl
the more brilliant of the two stones. Th
young man was talking eagerly, fingerinI
the gem lightly rs he spoke. inferre
that he was offering to sell or pawn it.
The proprietor, seeing that waited, ar
lparently cut the young man short. b
started, caught up the stQne. srll give 10