San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-12

She stood the mOvcless image fair!
The Earthly Paradise.
With slow and stately tread the statue
advanced towards the centre of the
hairdresser's humble sitting-room, and
stood there awhile, gazing about her
with something of scornful wonder in
her calm, cold face. As she turned her
head the wide, deeply cut sockets
seemed the home of shadowy eyes: her
face, her barred arms and the long
straight folds of her robe were all of the
same grayish-yellow hue; the boards
creaked under her sandalled feet, and
Leander felt that he had never heard of
a more appallingly massive ghost-if
ghost, indeed, she were.
He had retired step by step before her
to'the hearth-rug, where he now stood
shivering with the fire hot at his back,
and his kettle still singing on undis-
mayed. He made no attempt to account
for her presence there on any rationale
ing theory. A statue had suddenly
come to life, and chosen to pay him a
nocturnal visit; he knew no more than
that, except that he would have. given
worlds for courage't to show it the door.
The spectral eyes were bent upon
him as if in expectation that he would
begin the conversation, and at last, with
a very manageable tongue, he man.
aged to observe. "Did you want to see
me on-on business, mum?" But the
statue only relaxed her lips in haugh-
ty smile.
"For goodness sake, say something!"
he cried wildly, unless you want me
to Jump out of the winder! What is it
you've come about?"
1t seemed to him that in some way a
veil had lifted from the stone face, leav-
ing it illumined by a strange light, and
from the lips came'a voice which adj
dressed him in solemn, far-away tones
have said with certainty that the
language was his own, though somehow
he understood her perfectly.
you know me not?" she said, with a
| kind of sad Indifference.
"Well," Leander admitted as politely
| as his terror would allow, you certain
| ly have the advantage of me for the
| moment mum"
a. am Aphrodite the fOam-born, the
| matchless seed of Egis- bearing Genus.
| Many names have | among the sons of
| men. and many temples, and | sway the
| mortals-have burned for me, "a goddess,
| with an unconsuming, unquenchable
fire."
"Lor!" said Leander If he had not
| been so much furried, he might have
found a remark worthier of the occa.
| sion, but the announcement that she
was goddess took his breath away; he
| had quite believed that goddesses were
] l,nrr gcrpna ont
| you know wherefore l am come
hither?" she said:
Not at this minute l don't" he re-
| piled. you'll excuse me, but you can't
| be the statue out of those gardens?
You really are so surprisingly like, that
l couldn't help asking you"
| 81 am Aphrodite, and no statue. Long
how long | know not-have lain en-
tranced in slumber in my sea-girt isle
of Cyprus, and now again has the living
| touch of a mortal hand upon one of my
sacred images called me from my rest
( and given me power to animate this
| marble shell. Some hand has placed
this ring upon my finger; tell me, was
| it yours?"
Leander was almost treasured; after
all, he could forgive her for terrifying
him SO much, since she had come on Sc
| goOd-natured an errand.
"Quite correct, mum - miss" Che
wished he knew the proper form for
addressing goddess). THAT ring is
my property. I'm sure it's very civil
and friendly of you to come all this way
about it, " and he held out his hand for
it eagerly.
"And think you it was for this that ]
have visited the face of the earth and
the haunts of men, and followed your
footsteps hither by roads strange and
unknown to me? You are too modest,
youth"
81 don't know what there is modest