The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-09-28
STORM SHADOWS.

the Ordinary uruOgery at C00 museum
! was in q hurry to get my novel fin
ished. don't know how it is with
men who spin their brains habitual-
", but after hard days work the
effort of creation (save the mark),
though, it is pleasant at. the time and
does not seem to cost me anything,
leaves all my nerves Earring. 4. avg,
I In July we went down to the cot
tage on the river, and I wrote harder
than ever till I got into a morbidly
irritable and unreasonable state. l
was always nursing some grievance;
expecting Lucy to divine wishes I
never really felt, and deliberately 81
lent on things I wanted DONE that l
might fancy a grudge because they
were not seen to without my asking.
She, poor soul, was wonderfully pa
tent, but naturally it'depressed her,
and now and then she broke down.
That always brought me to my
senses, and there would be redinte-
CRATIC amoris. Still it was strained,
unhappy sort OF tlme.
On Sunday, July 20, had been
writing all the morning, and not to
my satisfaction, so that I was very
respondent about things in general.
In the afternoon Lucy suggested that
we should go to service at St. Peters
school, which is near us, and where
they have a reputation for, their sing
ing. The day had been sultry and
lowering, and at 4 o'clock when we
went in a thunderstorm was obvious
II coming up. I remember well a
curious, heavy effect of sunshine on
the blue mass of vapor. i s=&s = /; +.
Lucy went up into the gallery, and
Il was put into the stalls on the north
side. Next to me was one of the
masters. His face struck me as he
walked up the aisle. I never saw so
fine human being. Very tall-two
or three inches, probably, over the
six feet, and with that look of sup
pie strength that man gets from
constant athletic games But the
head was the thing-a long oval face
with olive tint, long, straight hair as
soft as woman's and silky black
mustache. He might have walked
out of a LEONARDO picture, if LEONARDO
had ever painted Hippolytus, for
this young man looked as if nothing
had ever occurred to disturb the SUI
premacy of cricket and football in
his mind.
But was in that overstrung tenn
per when one cannot command ones
thoughts, and mine flew off in self
criticism. I had staked all my hopes
on succeeding with this novel, and
the more I reflected the more was
convinced of my own futility. I'm
potent ambition that recognizes it's
own impotence is very pretty pur-
gatory, and to indulge in unpleasant
meditations in hot church on a sui
try July afternoon, with 10 prospect
ofliberation for an hour, is an indul
gence commend to no one.
The storm was coming up fast, and
the day had grown fearfully dark,
while the air, heavily charged with
electricity, became more and more
oppressive. The thunder was growl-
ing away in the Thames valley, COM
ing nearer with every roll. Opposite
me was a row Of stained glass win
dows. I remember their stupid sage
green's and thin reds and blues so
well. But they were open at top, to
catch a breath of air, and looked
out on to the leaden sky.
MI was in that nervous, twitching
frame of mind that makes you hear
steps in q house by night, and for
the first time in my life began to
speculate on the possibilities of dam
ger. Suddenly there came a really
awful flash and burst just above us
- saw the. reader start as he was
walking up the aisle to begin the
lesson. Lucy is timid about thunder,
and / looked up toward the gallery
to see that she was not fainting. AS
I raised my eyes there came another
flash across the open window, SO in
tense and forked and wickedly quiv-
ering that it dazed me and printed
itself on the eyeball that saw moth
ing Sc.
gaddenly - quicker than I could
say it-came the thought that was
blinded. l put my head on my hand
to ease the pain in the eye-we were
sitting of course while the lesson
went on-and a cold fear took hold
81 me. l supposed that the thermom-
eter was at 100, but I shivered with
aschill running down my spine, and
the sweat on my forehead was cold
70 my hand. Before / ventured to
look up knew that the sight was