Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-11-20

/ spent his days In that place pOfing oven
his books and making notes in a success
tion Of little diaries. Owing 10 his bowed
gray head and absent look, ItFitors L
the library often mistook him for some
| great oriental q Greek scholar engaged
on a profound and learned work, the
SLOW product of lifetime Of Labor But
could you have glanced over his shoul.
dera at the books on which he was SO
busily engaged you would have disoov.
cred that they were all curious and use.
less volumes, utterly valuolcss for the
present practical purposes Of tho world,
embracing old fads and fashions Of by
CONS timos-the equipment and pleasures
Of idle clHsses who have banished and
left only the memory Of their utilities.
Heraldry, venery, tho noble art Of self
defense, the pleasures Of chivalric ages,
nice points Of costume aud ceremonial,
tho accomplishments Of courtiers, the
etiquette Of kinga and queens--these were
among tho absorbing interests Of old
Renwick's hfei but above all no de-
lighted in the reeondite studies OF geneal-
ogy, In tracing out tho collateral branches
Of old and celebrated families, with roots
deep down in the annals of the English
aristooraoy.
Over these pursuits no labored with
grave and solemn earnestness, putting
into them the patience and assiduity
that should have been given to better
things, and primarily to the earning Of
daily broad. In his youth ho bad CON
sidered these curious inquirica the proper
pursuits Of gentleman. His Antiquarian
tastes all ran in the direction of things
that earn 40 dirty monoy-the strictly
monumental and patrician pleasures Of
man Of elegant leisure. Having In.
herited a lne old house and an ample
fortune for the town where no lived.
Renwick saw no reason why no should
not please himself Self indulgence had
been the rule Of his life, but gradually
through bad Investments the money had
all slipped through his 6ngers-tho fine
old pictures, the precious editions Of raro
old books had disappeared. Perjury took
up It's abode in the big bare rooms. The
old house had literally fallen to decay.
The roof loaked. The kitchen part was
crazy and ruinous. Snow aud rain came
in on the very bed where Judith slept.
but the old man was always the aame-
always Renwick, the provincial aristo.
orat, who, like tho Bourbons, forgot moth
ing and learned nothing. stif, rigid,
punctilious, methodical az clock, the
old man lived wrapped in the illnsory
aons5 Of the dead Ronwicks and of hjs
own.
$. Renwick had lost two wives and many |
but nothing changed his habits
of life. He seemed incapable even OF |
remarl,ing tho alteration in his circum.
stances now that bo was reduced to .
poverty and alone in tho world with his
girl, Judith Still no lived
wrapped ia the sense Of superiority to
his shopkcoping neighbors; n crystal
liEed egotism inclosed him as in n glass
house and preserved his health and
yigor Ills townspeople revengod them.
selyea for hia hauteur by making oltes
on old Renwick, who sat year in and
year out in nook OF the library sorib
bling notes apropos Of nothing, aud yet
some fow perhapa saw a certain pathos
in the depths Of delusion into which the
human soul can plunge
Now as the old nun trudged stiflv
down the street, his head knocking the
stars the bright haired Judith shut
the door, shiyering o little from the cold.
and turned back into tho room where a
moment before sho had been brushing
md patting tho impatient old gentle,
nan. It WIS large room, and once
lad been handsome, even elegant. for
he chimney piece now cracked and
imoke stained, was OF carved Italian
marble, and tho holdings and rich dee.
lrnnons OF the woodwork were In tho
best colonial style. The liberal windo,ya
ct IA floods Of sunlight, showing tho
nd contrasts Of this room that once had
}eeu the stately library Of tho old man.
ion, but had now fallen on OWL DAYS
Patches OF plaster had broken from tho
'eiling, aud tho wall paper showed sad
ents and discolorations where the carved
aiken bookcases had once stood Tho
ioor was bare save for few rusty
lraided rugs that lay on the boards and
he ragged chair coverings were patobnd
With stun Of another color. The Iarun
'ospitable fireplace had heon boarded
Up, and an old Franklin stove, propped
n bricks, ditfusod such heat as il coald
trough the large room.
Pitirully shabby and soantily furnishea
8 u was, Aorupulous neatuess and n
ertain refined touch Of arrangement
lade tho old room dignifed. The younr
mi stood there now like figure IN a
icture her Handicapped behind her. and
or head thrown little back. showing
he full white throat and tho pretty out,
me of hor form in It's rusty black gown.
yer which was tied whito apron. An
ho rays Of the Oots Dor sunshine seemed
Athered about her head making a glory.
ut the face was not regularly heauii.
oL The mouth was too wide for Der.
9os curve, though filed with even white
aeth that flashed out in brilliant
milo, matching the natural warmth OF
ho dark blue cyea The noso was not
uite Grecian, nor was the epmplexion
cry blooming, but frank, bright IN.
ependence--a spirit OF repressed fun
hat Jaw al tho humorous things In
fe--scemed to beam from this pictur.
sque face, in the eua moro bewitching
han the most perfect contour
u had ralned tho night before, and
later had como Ia on her bed through
10 broken roof. making little pool on
no old quilt with which she was COY.
ned, but that was the last thing that