The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-03
FAREWELL, DEAR.
Seaside Romance
By de Maupassant.

0reeZeS that sweep through the streets oil
Paris on warm summer nights famed
their cheeks, inviting them TO go down
among the trees, somewhere. anywhere, TO
dream of moonlit streams. inspired poems
and chanting nightingales.
One of them, Henri Simon, said to his
companion with profound sigh:
Il have often been in love, like all men.
but once in my life WAS quite hard hit.
II met her at the seashore-Eretat-
about twelve 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 aud encircled by
tall white cliffs, pierced with singular
holes called The Gates One of these
cliffs is enormous and stretches its gigan-
tic length to the waters edge. The other
iS>round aud fiat. The women swarm over
this narrow strip, with its pebbled walks,
and transform it into brilliant garden OF
summer toilets within walls of rock. The
sun shines full upon the coast, over para
soils of every imaginable color, and over
the sea OF topaz blue, L. Is Jolly picture,
enchanting to the eye. Close by the waters
edge the people lounge in the sand, watch
ing he batheTs 5 TREY come tripping down
in their flannel bath robes, winch they dis
card with pretty movement as soon as
the white fringed waves play around their
feet Then they run in with swift little
steps, while the water sends thrills OF
delicious chill through their veins.
1.-THE first time | saw the young woman
of whom | have spoken l was carried
away by her charms. Few women possess
the beauty of form that is startling and
OverpuwerIng at the first glance - that
m if bp had Suddenly m a
The creature he was born to love. ] expe-
renced that sensation and that shock.
Il was Introduced 10 her, ana was more
deeply smitten than ever III my life. She
made NE her slave, and it was both terri
ble and delicious to submit thus TO the
reign Of a woman. 1t is torture and indie
scribable felicity 1t once. Her look. her
smile. the little tendrils of hair around her
neck, ruffiad by the breeze; every line In
her face. her slightest movement, capii-
waited my senses aud t1snared and drove
me to distraction.
"Ah! how loved her-she who was so
gay, so pretty and so graceful. She was
youth, elegance and freshness persOnifed.
| never felt more keenly than l did then
that a woman Is q sweet. lovely and deli
cate being, made of charms and graces.
Never before bad / discovered the beauty
that lay in the rounded contour Of cheek,
he movement OF Up, the curves anc
creaSrs of n little ear. the shape even of
that stupid feature the nose.
Tins lasted three months, when | was
called to America, whittier | went with a
crushed and broken heart. Even away
from her l was her slave still. Years went
by. l could not forget her. Her charms
were constantly before my eyes and in my
heart. | cherished her memUry with a
tenderness that had grown calm, aud
loved her as one loves dream of most
beautiful and enchanting thing.
Twelve years do not mean much in the
life of a man. They pass almost un-
noticed. One follows upon the other.
slowly, vet swiftly. Each is long, vet sOun
at an end. Although they multiply rap
idly, they leave few traces behind, and
vanish sn completely that when ore looks
hack upon them there is nathing left to re-
miad us of their flight. and age crerps on
without warning.
1T seemed 10 me that only q few years
separated me from that delightful season
OIL the beach at Etretat.
''One day last spring | went 10 dine with
friends al MASS ons-Lafitte. just as the
train was about 10 start a pottly matrou
entered the coach | occupied. accompanied
Oy four little girls. | Could not help look
ing curiouSly at this large. rntund. motherly
creature, whose face was like a full moon
under beribboned hat. She pulled ami
painted from the exertiOn of her hurried
walk. The chlldIen began To GA bible. and
| unfOlded my newspaper and commenced
10 read AS we passed Asnieres my neigh
/ Dor suddenly accosted me-;
L beg vnur pardon, sir; are You not
NJ. CaInier?'
Yes, madame
''She laughed with the contented laugh
! of a cheerful woman, but there was iust a
] tinge of sadness in her voice.
"'Do you not recogn re me?'
II hesitated. II seemed to me that had
! seen her face before, bnt | could not tell
/ when and where. / answered:
'Yes-and, n0-I certainly know you,
but l cannot reeOllect your name
"She blushed a little.
mime. Julie Lefevre'
II was startled out of my wits. For
moment the earth seemed TO reel around
me. and veil was rudely torn from my
/ eyes which made me see things with ter.
| rihlP, heart-rending clearness.
1T was she This stout, common
woman, the mother of these four girls I
l eyed the little creatures with as much
establishment as did their mother, They
had followed her; they had taken their
places In Lille, already half women. and she
counted for nothing-she, who had once
been such marvel of delicate and CO.
Quettsh charms
ut seemed TO me that had known her
but yesterday, and to lind her thus again I
1t was impossible A violent pang wrung
my heart l rebelled against nature and
her brutal, Infamous work OF destruction.
/ looked at her with frightened ewes.
When | took her hand in mine tears
dmmed my vision. / wept for her youth !:
/ wept for her death. This stout woman
was stranger TO me.
"She,t too, was touched, and she faltered ::
L am much changed. / know, but il is
only natural l am mother now-noth-
ing but mother, good mother, Fare
well to everything else that has passed, |
did not think that you would recognize
me, or that we should ever meet again.
You yourself are not as you used 10 be-
| 1t took me some time TO decide whether /
was mistaken In my surmise Your hair
! has grown quite gray Think of it
twelve years is long time. NV oldest
daughter is nearly 10 years old
IL looked at the child and discover i'm her
some of the old charms OF her mother. nm
definabe as yet. uniformed and in the bud.
| and life seemed to me nothing more than a
rapidly passing train. We arrived at Mas
! sons-Lafitle. l kissed my old friends
hand and parted from her with few triy-
ial phrases. l was too deeply moved to
| speak.
"ln the evening when | was alone ex-
amined nv face a long time in the mirror.
and ended by recalling to my mind the
1 =