Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-07-08


then feel free to do whatever want
ed to.
In fact, after had stolen it | was
beside my If with joy. l would
hide it un' II my pillow at night npd
would go 10 sleep ready to defend it.
would turn the picture to the wall,
and would myself fee outwa.d,
awakening numberless times during
the night with wild fear in NY
heart that somebody might snatch
my treasure from me At last |
| took it out from under my pillow
and slipped it in my breast, and on
the following day the impiints of the
embossed frame could still be seen
on my flesh.
The contact of that cherished min.
iature produced the most delightful
dreams. The fair dame. not her ef-
figy, but her own dear self, would
come toward me to carry me off in a
chariot to her palace. With sweet,
commanding air she would bid r:e
sit on cushion at her feet, and
would pass her fair hand caressingly
over my brow and my tlImbled hair.
/ would read to her in large missal,
or would play on the harp, while she
would deign to smile and thank me
for the pleasure my reading and sing
ing afforded her In fact these TO
mantle ideas completely filed my
brain, and | was ready to personate
either a page or troubadour for the
sake of my beloved.
With the working Of my disordered
fancy grew thin. My father and
my aunt observed my emaciation
with great anxiety.
"At this critical and dangerous
stage of development everything is
alarming" said my father, who
would read medical works, and then
anxiously study the dark circles un-
der my eyes, my pallid lips and,
above all, my total lack of appetite.
"Go and play, my boy he would
say to me, while would answer de-
jectedly, II don't feel like it."
They began to invent amusements
for me and offered to take me to the
theater. They made ME lay aside
my studies and gave me foamy milk
to drink fresh from the cow. Then
they drenched me in cold shower
baths to strengthen MY nerves, and
noticed that whenever | went to
my fathers room to bid him good
morning he would look as me fixedly,
while he would feel me oil over to
see whether my muscles were strong.
| would lower my eyes, determined
to die rather than confess what allied
me.
AS soon as could free myself from
my family's watchful care | would
hasten off alone again with my be-
loved. At last, in order to get near
er to her, took off the cold glass
which covered the ivory. | hesi-
tated as | was about to do so, but
love was stronger than the vague
fear that the desecration caused me.
While l pressed my lips to the
painting, and perceived the soft
fragrance of the lock of hair,
fancied, even still more than before,
that it was living person over
whom my trembling hands passed.
| felt giddy. Overcome by my feel
ings ! sank on the sofa insensible,
pressing the miniature to my heart.
When / came to myself | saw my
father, mother and aunt all anxious
ly leaning over me. Amazement and
fright were depicted on their faces.
My father felt my pulse and shook
his head while he mumured, His
pulse beats very feebly and seems
about to stop"
My aunt, with her hooked fingers,
was trying to get the picture away
from me, while | mechanically en-
deavored to hide and keep it from
her.
But my lad, let go of it," she ex-
claimed. Don't you see that you
are spelling it3 shall have to scold
you Be good boy and I'll show it
to you as many times as you want to
: see it, but don't spoil ii! Let go of
it, say, for you are injuuing it."
Let him have it, said my mother.
THE poor child is sick.
We'll, that's cool, replied the
good old maid. Let him have it.
And who will paint a. other one like
it, prayl Who will ever behold me
again as used to be thcn} Nobody
paints miniatures nowadays. That
is III ended and am ended, too, for
am no longer what l used to be-"
My eyes were starting from their
SOCKETS in amazement My hands let
fall the miniature. | hardly know
how managed to stammer "Yoursi
Is the miniature yours
Don't look rs handsome as that
to you, my boyl All, fifty years
makes a vast difference in ones looks
though l don't remember exactly
how long ago it was-for l have not
kept track of time-but anyway, no
body can take those years away
from me-"
7 My head fell forward ON my breast
and / tainted again. My father took
me up in his arms, put me in my
, bed and afterward made me take
several spoonfuls of port wine.
? | soon became convalescent, but
> my passion for the portrait had dis
5 APPEARED never cared TO enter my
. aunt's room again. Translated from
the Spanish OF Emilia Pardo for Ro
nance by Mary Springer,