The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-09-23
G0ODBY.

down among the trees, somewhere, any
where, TO dream Of moonlit streams, In.
spired poems and chanting nightingales.
One Of them, Henri Simon, said TO his
companion, with profound sigh;
~ feel that ! am growing old, my
friend On such a 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 a man about As years old,
little stout and quite bald.
The other, Pierre GARNER, not his sem
Tor IN appearance by any means, but
more slender and vivacious, replied:
81, 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 a mirror for six
months at least, and then-ah, what a
shockl
AAnd the women, old fellow-how I
pity themi All their happiness, their
power, their life, is in their beauty, and
that lasts but 10 years at best.
has for myself, grew old without
suspecting It'll thought myself still
youth when was near 80 years Of age.
Free from infrmites 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 sho,k
six months afterward. Then l accepted
my fate gracefully.
~ have often been in love, like all
men, but once in my life was quite
hard hit.
Il met her at the seashore-Etretat-
about 10 years ago, not long after the
war. There is nothing more delightful
than that beach in early morning at the
bathing hour. It is not very extensive,
Is curved like horseshoe and enciroled
by tall, white cliffs, pierced with singu-
lar holes called The Gates. One Of these
cliffs is enormous and stretches its g.
gantic lengtu TO the waters edge The
other Is round and fat. The women
swarm over this narrow strip with Its
pebbled walks, and transform II into
brilliant garden Of summer toilets with
In walls Of ock. The sun shines full
npon the coast, over parasols Of every
Imaginable color, and over the sea Of to-
paz blue. 1t is jolly picture, enchant-
ing to the eye. Close by the waters
edge the people lounge in the sand,
watching the bathers as they come trip
ping down in their flannel bath robes,
which they'discard with pretty move
ment as soon as the white fringed waves
play around their feet Then they run
In with swift littlesteps, while the water
sends thrills Of a delicious chill through
their veins.
Few women are made to endure the
orucible test of the bath. Their figure
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.
"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 overpoweTing at the first glance
that seems to a man as if he had sudden
ly met the creature he was born to love.
experienced that sensation and that
shock.
II was introduced to her and was more
deeply smitten than ever in my life. She
made me her slave, and it was both ter
rible and delicious to submit thus to the
reign Of woman. 1t is torture and in
describable felicity at once. Her look.
her smile, the little tendrils Of hair
round her neck rufiled by the breeze,
every line in her face, her slightest
movement, captivated my senses and en-
shared and drove me TO distraction. She
took complete possession OF me, 1t
grieved me to see her veil lying on a
chair or her gloves thrown carelessly on
the sofa. Her toilets seemed matchless
In my eyes, and no other woman had
ever worn hats more becoming than hers.
S;tShe was married. Her husband came
STys Saturday and departed again on
MdRi9y. | was not in the least con.
cerS about him nor jealous of his re,
latioFAso her. No living creature ever
,pf less consequence 10 me thar
this moSA
.AhA ~ l loved her-she who wa:
SO gay, s0Pretty and so GRACEFUL She
was youfh II legance and freshness per.
sonfhed! never felt more keenly thar
aid then bat a woman is a sweet
lovely andtSa4cate being made Of charmi
Rnd graees.d lever before had discov
cred the hesEoS that lay in the rounded
contour of - Neek, the movement Of I
lip, the curyls2nl creases Of a little ear
the shape 3 Of that stupid feature
the nose.
"This a tfree months, when wa
called ~ lea, whittier | went witt
a.crusly broken heart. Even away
from, as her slave still. Year
went " fould not forget her, He
chad constantly before my eye
heart cherished her mem
- fith tenderness that had grow
III, and | loved her as one loves I
1ledm'df a most beautiful and enchant
ing thing.
r 'ettSelve years do not mean much II
the life Of a man. They pass almost un
noticed. One follows upon the other
slowly yet swiftly. Each is long, ye
soon at an end. Although they multipl!
rapidly, they leave few traces benin,
and vanish so completely that when on
looks back upon them there is nothing
left TO remind us of their fight, and ag
creeps on without warning.
at seemed TO me that only a few year
separated me from that delightful seasol
on the beach at Etretat.
zone day last spring ] went to din
with friends az Maissons-Laftte. Jus
as the train was about TO start portl
matron entered the coach / occupied aC
companied by four little girls. coul
not help looking curiously at this large
rOtund, motherly creature. whose fac
was like the full moon under a berit
boned hat She pulled and painted froI
the eNertion Of her hurried walk. TIL
children began TO babble, and unfolde
my newspaper and commenced to reat
As we passed Asnieres my neighbor sui
denly accosted me;
81 beg your pardon, sir Are you nC
n. Carnierr
"'Yes. madame.
"She laughed with the contented laug
Of a cheerful woman, but there was juI
q tinge of sadness In her voice.
edo you not recognize mey
81 hesitated. It seemed to me that
had seen her face before, but could M
tell when and where. / answered:
'Yes-and, mol certainly know yoi
but ] cannot rooollect your name 81
bluahed little.
"'Mme Julie Lefevre.'
a was startled out Of my wits. For
moment the earth seemed to reel arouI