The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-04-22
HIS IDEAL.
Written for the HERALD.

written for the HERALD.l
~If II had half the chance that you have,
old fellow, would be happy. You are
one of the luckiest mOrtals that l ever
saw; young, handsome, with a Ialr
able to you, and the daughters smiling
on you, and best of all splendid in
come, why on earth don't you get mar
ried and have the story completed Dy
charming wife and pretty estaDllsh-
mentW
The above remarks We're made
by Lucius Lockette, to his friend
Eugene Aubrey. They We're lounglhS
and smoking in the latter's handsome
bachelor apartments, in Louisville, ny:
well, l have never met my Ideal yet,
replied Eugene, removing his cigar.
Ideal bOsh, man, you never VIII meet
her; you'll be cynical old bachelor; in
fact, you are beginning to be looked
upon us a woman hater now; you know
we newspaper men catch on TO every,
thing. Only the other day l was-weI
never mind where-but there was
bevy of lovely girls, making up an lnVl-
tatiOn list to ghost dance; your name
was suggested and then refused, because
they said "he will only excuse hlmseI
and not come; that's the way he always
does, he is getting to be almost re-
cluse.D You have been petted and pam
pered too much; that's what the matter.
/ think society ought to quetly ignore
Eugene replied laughingly that he
must find his ideal before he could bow to
the fymeIiiaI yoke. Several days after
this conversation as Eugene was seated
i'm an up town car, two young lady ac-
duaintances entered; they bowed affect
edIy. and then began chatting to each
other Eugene watched them specula-
lively. They were really pretty girls but
eminently fashionable. Gould love this
type of womanhOOd"? he wondered:
Would be any happier to have one OF
these fashion plates to preside over
home? No, there could De no real COM
panionship with one of these SoulleSs
dolls. whose highest am bltIon is 10 be n
leader in her set; may be am a trlne
cynical and cOnceited but must ma
pure womanly woman, before marry"
Just then two sisters of charity entered
IN their picturesque garbs and quietly
took their seats. Eugene mentally con
trasted them to the giddy, laughIhS
girls baside them, and then with touch |
of curiosity he scanned them more |
closely. One was tall, PLAIN woman |
with a strong kindly face; the others
head was turned aside ana the quaint |
head dress concealed her face, but her |
form, even in the Disgusting draperIes
of her robe, was graceful, and the hands
folded in her lap were white ana |
deIicate, with childish dimples at the |
knuckIes and wrists. Suddenly she |
turned her head, and he looked straight |
into the Ioveliest face that he had ever |
bebeld. The smooth creamy complexion |
was untouched by color, save the eN-
uuisite lips; the dark shadowy grey |
eyes shaded by long curled lashes, and |
oVer-arched by perfect broWs, were |
entrancing; there were dainty Su@Ses-
tions Of dimples on cheeks ana Cnlh;
one soft rebelliOuS curl Of SunShlny |
hair had escaped its confinement ana
earessed her temple; the heavenly rest
and peace of her expression lnhue her |
seem like an inhabitant OF another
world that had wandered into the noisy |
misery of this terrestrial globe.
The intensity of Eugene's gaze must |
have disturbed her, for she turn |
cd and looked full into his eyes, |
In that instant aS he gaZed INTO |
the liupid depths of those haunting eyes, |
it Seemed that their souls slgnaled TO
each other, and recognized a mutual
sympathy and strength, ana thehi the
holy calm of her face WRs broken by |
dash of color in the pure pale cheeks,
and once more the dishguft4R bonnet |
bid her face as she turned away.
HOhI there is nothing artificial hefeiI
eOsmetics would look as much out OF
place on that heavenly face, as paint on |
a statue," thought Eugene" Home would |
be o paradise with such an one TO greet
nae night and morn; what soul looked
through those grand eyes; DuI S"e Is iio'
of the earth, earthly
He passed his stopping place but |
kept mis- seat, determined to ENJOY |
tbe peaceful influence OF her pres
anea As long as she remained on the carj |
and when at last she arose to leave the |
car. and her flowing gray draperles |
touched him, rs she passed, he felt IKE |
he had been brushed by an angeIs wing;
All day long that face haunted hlm, ana
changed the current of his thoughts |
He thought of her, going on her sanity
way in her beauty-crowned yonth, nurs,
ing the sick. cheeri ng the disparlnS anu
bushing sorrows walls He thought OF
her whose ewes mirrOred truth ana
whose Iips looked as II an angeis caress
fingered there, kneeling night after
night and day after DAY, WIN Wt. ner
hands folded over her siHless bosom,
bsseeching Gods forgiveness.
"What q useless butterfly existence the
most Of us lead after all" Eugene salh
to himself discOntentedly' RMS eter-
nal eating and drinking and trying to
be amusing and amused, and never per
forming a really noble action, ls IKE be-
ing figure in n wretched farce; we are
just put in to fill up, and make a Dhck
ground for real courage ana noDlntN: j
believe that nun who has thrown aside
the world and its short-lived joys, and
singing heart-aches and defeats, IL Ihr
happier than we wretched slaves OF GUS
tofn. who boast of our freedom, when we
all manaaled by thousand vices;
Weeks and months passed, and still
that face that had 50 enthralled his
imagination would Flse before ms Ileh-
tai vision and rebuke him In its grave
purity for his idle, useless life,
"SaY, what's the matter with you Eus,
gene; YOU scarcely ever come to the CLUB
and never to ball; bet you Will De a |
minister, and adorn the pulpit with more
elOquence than Talmage ever mastered,
IL you keep on looking as solemn and
impoffant as you have been looking for
the last Two months; you ought to fall III
love, that would wake you up-give you
something to 1.-Two for" said his friend
Iucius to him one day when he CHANGED
TO meet him in the park,
@What would you think, IuciuS, If l,
whom YOU have called so cold and de-
void Of sentiment, should tell YOU that |
/ am in love with dream, vision, not
of this M9rldg
SAIust be a ghost then, tell me some
thing about her"
~ can't tell you any more than this,
that she is dead to- me. l ought not even
to think of hers bat we are not masters OF
our brain; though duty and conscience |
NAV be stern sentinels, still thoughts
will awake that should remain asleep" |
HGracious: she must be married
them" said Lucins.
aNo, not that; l cant explain my
self and if l should you would only
laugh at my folly"
aNO, mo, tell me all about it,"
cried IIucius, but he begged in vain;
Eugene would not detile his dream
Idol bv such confidence. 1t seemed
lance. one who had dedicated her pure
Vouna life to her maker.
several months drifted by, and one
bright spring day Eugene found himself
en- Route to . distant southern city, on
DIaasIrre trip. With selfish exclusive
ness he placed his belongings on the seat
laefore him and by his side, to prevent
intrusion, and then settled himself to en-