The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-22

balleros. but she whirled and doubled so
swiftly that every cascaron flew afield.
The pelting grew faster and more furi-
ous: every room was invaded; we chased
each other up and down the corridors
The people in the court had their casca-
rons also, and the noise must have been
heard at the mission. Don Guillermo
hobbled about delightedly, covered with
tinsel and -four. Estenega had tried Q
dozen times TO hit Chonita, but as If by
instinct she faced him each time before
the egg could leave his hand. Finally he
pursued her down the corridor to her IL
brary, where /, fortunately, happened to
be resting, and both threw themselves
into chairs, breathless.
"Let us stay here" he said. 1--WE have
had enough Of this"
Every WE'LL" she said. She bent her
head TO lift a book which had fallen from
shelf, and felt the soft blow Of the cas-
caron.
cat lastI' said Estenega contentedly.
al was determined to conquer If waited
until morning"
Chonita looked vexed for q moment
she did not like to be vanquished-then
shrugged her shoulders and leaned back
in her chair. The little room was plainly
furnished. Shelves covered three sides,
and the window seat and table were lit
tered with books. There were no cur
tains, no carpet, no ornaments; but Cho-
nitas hair, billowing to the floor, her
slender voluptuous form and radiant
face, the candle light half revealing, half
concealing, made picture requiring no
background. l caught the expression OF
Estenega's face and determined to re-
main II he murdered me.
Peals of laughter, joyous shrieks,
screams Of mock terror floated in to us.
/ broke a silence which was growing
awkward:
"How happy they are! Creatures Of
air and sunshinel Life in this Arcadia
is an idyl."
"They are not happy" said Estenega
contemptuously; "they are gay. They
are light Of heart through absence OF
material cares--an endless source of en-
joyment, which in its turn has bred
careless order Of mind. But did each
DduSt lOtlH tllOuSn W ioOh siilo IT'S O"A
heart would he not find stone some
where in its depths-perhaps skull
craven on the stone-who knows?'
"Oh, Diegop exclaimed impatiently,
''this is party; not funeral"
"Then is no one happy" asked Cho-
nita wistfully.
How can he be when in each mo-
ment of attainment he is pricked by the
knowledge that it must soon be over?
The youth is not happy because Che
shadow of the future is on him. The
man is not happy because the knowledge
of life's incompleteness is with him."
"Then of what use to live at alp
''No use. 1t is no use to die either;
80 we live. will grant that there may
be ten completely happy moments in
life-the ten conscious moments preced-
ing certain death-and oblivion"
II will not discuss the beautiful hope
of our religion with you, because you do
not believe, and should only get angry.
But what are we to do with this life2
You say nothing is wrong nor right.
What would you have the stumbling
and unanchored do with what has been
thrust upon them"
''Man, in his groupings down through
the centuries. has concocted, shivered
and patched certain social conditions
well enough calculated to develop the
best and the worst that is in us, making
it easier for us to be bad than good, that
good might be the standard. We feel
deeper satisfaction If we have con-
quered an evil impulse and done what
is accepted as right, because we have
groaned and stumbled in the doing; that
is all. Temptation is sweet only because
the impulse comes from the depths Of
our being, not because il is difficult TO
be tempted. II we overcome the salts
faction is deep and enduring only
goes to show that man is but petty
egoist, always drawing pictures of him.
self on pedestal. The man who eman-
cipates himself from traditions and
yields to his impulses is debarred from
happiness by the blindfolded generations
preceding him, which arranged that to
yield was easy and to resist difficult.
Had they reversed the conditions and
conclusions the majority Of the human
race would have fought each other to
death, but the selected remnant would
have had better time of it.
LET us suppose case as conditions
now exist. Assume, for the sake of ar
gument, that you loved me and that you
plucked from your nature your religion,
your fidelity to your house, your love for
your brother and gave yourself to me.
You would stand appalled, at the sac
rifice till you realized that you had
come to me only because it would have
been more difficult TO stay away. You
conquer the passionate cry Of love-the
strongest the human compound ever has
voiced-and you are miserably happy for
the rest of your life, no attitude being so
pleasing to the soul as the attitude of
martrydom. Many man and woman
looks with some impatience for the last
goodby TO be said, so sweet is the pros
pect Of sadness, of suffering, of resigna-
ton"
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