Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-10-21
GOODBY.


spired poems and chanting nightingales
One of them, Henri Simon, said to his
companion, with profound sigh:
II feel that | am growing old, my
friend. On such night as this in days
gone by was keenly alive to the pleas
ures of existence. Tonight have moth
ing but regrets Life is short at. best"
He was man about As years old b
little stout and quite bald
The other. Pierre GARNER, not his sem
Tor in appearance by any means, but
more slender and vivacious, replied
Il, my friend, have grown old with
out noticing it. was always gay and
Jolly, vigorous and all that. For, when
one looks at himself in the glass every
day in the year, the ravages of age are
not apparent. They are slow and regu-
lar and work such gradual changes that
the transition is not noticeable. We can
hardly perceive it. To see it plainly, one
should not look into mirror for six
months at least, and then--ah, what
shock!
'sAnd the women, old fellow-how ]
pity them! All their happiness, their
power, their life, is in their beauty, and
that lasts but 10 years at best.
"As for myself, grew old without
suspecting it! l thought myself still :
youth when | was near 80 years of age.
Free from infrmities of any kind, was
going my way, happy and content. But
the revelation of my decline came upon
me in such simple yet startling man
ner that | felt the effects of the shock
six months afterward. Then / accepted
my fate gracefully.
Il have often been in love, like all
men, but once in my life l was quite
har6hi
II met her at the seashore-Etretat-
about 12 years ago, not long after the
war. There is nothing more delightful
than that beach in early morning at the
bathing hour. 1t is not very extensive.
is curved like a horseshoe and encircled
by tall, white cliffs, pierced with singu-
| lar holes called The Gates One of these
cliffs is enormous and stretches its gi-
gantic length to the waters edge. The
other is round and fiat. The women
swarm over this narrow strip, with its
pebbled walks, and transform it into
brilliant garden OF summer tollets Win
in walls OF rock. 1he sun SHINES lull
upon the coast, over parasols OF every
| imaginable color, and over the sea of to-
| paZ blue. IL Is Joliy picture eichah.-
| ing to the eye. Close by the water s
| edge the people lounge III the sdiiu'
watching the bathers as they come TRIP
ping down III their flannel path ropes,
which they discard with pretty move
ment as soon as the white frinSed waves
| play around their feet. Ihen they run
! in with swift little steps, while the water
sends thrills of delicious chill through
their veins.
Few women are made to endure the
cruclble test OF the path. 1helr inquire
stands revealed from ankle to throat.
As they emerge from the embrace OF the
briny waters, either their shortcomings
are made PLAIN to the eye or the rounded
contours of form and limb are enhanced
by the clinging, dripping garments.
1.-The first time saw the young wom-
an of whom have spoken was carried
away by her charms. Few women pos
sess the beauty OF form that Is startling
and overpowering at the first glance
that seems to man rs II ne had sudeeh-
ly met the creature he was born to love.
experienced that sensation ana that
shock.
Il was introduced to her and was more
deeply smltten than ever IN my Ire. one
made me her slave, and 1t was both ter
rible and delicious to submit thus to the
reign of a woman. 1t Is torture and III
describable felicity at once. Her LOOK,
her smile, the little tendrlls OF halr
round her neck RULED by the breeze,
every line In her race her silShiest
movement, captlvated my senses ana en-
shared and drove me to distraction. she
took complete possession OF me. 1t
| grieved me to see her veil lying on
chair or her gloves thrown careiessiy on
the sofa. Her toilets seemed matches
! in my eyes, and no other woman had
ever worn hats more becoming than hers.
"She was married. Her husband came
every Saturday and departed again on
Monday. was not in the least con-
cerned about him nor jealous OF his re-
lation to her. No living creature ever
seemed of less consequence to me than
this man.
"Ah, how loved her-she who was
SO gay, so pretty and so graceful! She
was youth, elegance and freshness per
sonifed. never felt more keenly than
| I did then that woman is sweet,
lovely and delicate being made of charms
and graces. Never before had | discov-
cred the beauty that lay in the rounded
contour of a cheek, the movement of a
lip. the curves and creases of little ear,
the shape even of that stupid feature,
| the nose.
This lasted three months, when was
called to America, whittier | went with
a crushed and broken heart Even away
| from her | was her slave still Years
went by. ! could not forget her. Her
charms were constantly before my eyes
ana IN my neaf.. cherished ner mem
DRY Win TENDERNESS that hau grown
eaihi' anu iofru hei as one io,es
orealii Oh u most oeau'iiui anu eiicnaii'-
ing lhins.
we've years 90 hot mean mucn IN
the life OF man. They pass almost I'M
nouced. one follows upon the other,
slowly yet swiftly. Each Is long, yet
soon at an emu. AithouSh they huiepiy
rapidly tney ieave rev traces Denind
anu sasish SO coihpieteiy that When one