The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-09-26

Whatever you may have missed IN
life, he said. lifting calm eyes to
mine, and smiling little, you whose
aspect is so sweet, decorous, and de-
pressing, whose griets, if you have
griefs, are the subtle sorrows OF the
old and Observation-Disclosures
his phrases literally. thought them
striking and descriptive, confessed
Hayden-I hope you have not
missed that last touch OF eXalation
which | knew then. 1t is the most
exquisite thing in life. The Fates
must hate those from whose lips
they keep that cup. He unused
awhile, and added, There is only
one real want in liie, and that is COM
radeship-comradeship with the di-
vine, and that we call religion with
the human, and that we call love.
Your definitions are literature, l
ventured to suggest, but they are
not fact. Believe me, neither love
nor religion is exactly what you call
it. And there are other things al
most as good in life, as surely you
must know There is art, and there
is work which is work only, and
yet is good.
You speak from your own ex-
perience? he said, simply.
1t was home thrust. l did not,
and | knew | did not. | am sixty
five years old, and | have never
known just that complete satisfaction
which believe arises from the per-
feet performance of distasteful work.
| said so. He smiled.
| knew it when | set my eyes
upon you, and | knew you would
listen to me and my vaporing. Your
sympathy with me is what you feel
toward ali forms of weakness, and
in the last analysis tits self-sympathy.
You are beautiful, not strong, he
added, with an air of fnallty, and l
i am like you. If l had been a
strong man :. Christ
l enjoyed this singular analysis Of
myself, but wanted something else.
You were telling ME of the opals,
suggested.
The opals, yes. Opals always
made me happy, you know. While
| wore one, l felt that a friend was
near. My father found these in
Hungary, and sent them to me-two
perfect jewels. He caid they were
the twin halves of single stone. l
believe it to be true. Their mutual
relation is an odd one. One has
paled as the other frightened. You
see them now. When they were
both mine, they were of almost equal
brilliancy. This, touching the paler,
is the one l gave to her. You see
the difference in them now. Hers
began to pale before she had worn ii
month | do not try to explain it,
not even on the ground OF the old
superstition. 1t was not her fault
that they made her send it back
to me. But the face remains her
opal is fading slowly mine is burn
ing TO a deeper red. Some day hers
will be frozen quite, while mine
mine-his voice wavered and fell on
silence, as the flame OF a candle
fighting against the wind fickers and
goes out.
I waited many minutes for him to
speak again, but the silence was un-
broken. At last 1 rose. Surely you
did not mean to part with either
stone. | said.
He looked up as if from dream
Part with them Why should sell
my soul? l would not part with
them Ii l were starving. | had a
minutes temptation, but that is past
now. Then, with a change Of man
ner, You are going?' He rose with
a gesture that l felt then and still
feel as a benediction. Good by.
wish for your own sake that you had
not been SO like my poor self that !
knew you for a friend.
We had exchanged cards, but
did not see or hear OF him again
Last week these stones came to me,
sent by some one here in New York
of his own name-his executor. He
is dead, and lett me these.
1t is here that want your coun'
sci. These stones do not belong tc
me, you know. 1t is true that we are
like, as like as blue and violet. But
there is that woman somewhere.
don't know where, and | know nc
more of their story than he told me
| have not cared to be curious re-
garding it or him. But they lovec
once, and these belong to her. Dc
you suppose they would be com
tort or a curse to her ? If-it-the
connoisseur evidently found difficulty
in stating his position. Of course
do not mean to say that l believe on'
of the stones waned while the othe
grew more brilliant. simply say no
thing of it but | know that he be
lieved it, and l, even l, feel super
stition about it. | do not want tn
light in that stone to go out, or If
should, or could, l do not want to se
it. And, besides, if l were a woman
and that man had loved me so,
should wish those opals. Here Hay
den looked up and caught Lang
worthy's amused tolerant smile. H
stopped, and there was almost tius
upon his cheek.
You think l am maudlin-doting
see, he said. Langworthy, | do hop
the Lord will kindly let you die in tn
harness. You haven't any taste fc