The morning call., 1893-03-02
OLD ESON.

Judge between NE and my guest, the
stranger within my gates, the man whom in
his extremity clothed and fed.
remember well the time of his coming,
for it happened Mt the end of five days and
nights, during which the year passed from
strength to age; In the interval between the
swallows departure and the redwing's
coming; when the tortoise in my garden
crept into his winter quarters. and the
equinox was on us, with an east wind that
parched the blood In the trees, so that their
leaves for once knew no gradatons Of red
and yellow, but turned at a stroke to brown,
and cracked like tinfOil.
Ats o'clock in the morning Of the sixth
day looked out. The wind still whstled
across the sky. but now without the OBJ
struction of any cloud. Full in front Of my
window Sirius flashed with a whiteuess
that pierced the eye. A little to the right
the whole constellation of Orion was sus-
pended clear over wedge-like gap in the
coast, wherein the sea could be guessed
Father than seen. And, travelling yet fur
theT. the eye fell on two brilliant lights, the
one set high above the other-the one steady
and fiery red. the other yellow and blaz-
Ing inteTmittentiy-th one AldebaTau, the
other revolving on the lighthouse top, fifteen
miles away.
Halfway up the east the moon. nov in
her last quarter and decreplt, climbed with
the dawn close at her heels. And at this
hour they brought IN the Stranger, asking if
my pleasure were to give him clothing and
hospitality.
Nobody knew whenca he came-sxcept
that it was from the wind and the night
seeing that he spoke in a strange tongue,
moaning and making sound Ike the twit-
tering of birds in a chimney. But his jour
ney must have been long and painful, for
his legs bent under him and he could not
stand when they lifted him. So, finding it
useless to question him for the time, l
learned from the servants all they had to
tell, namely, that they had come upon him
but few minutes before lying Oh his face
within my grounds, without staff or scrip,
baTeheaded, spent and crying feebly for
Buccor In his foreign tongue, and that in
pity they had carried him in and brought
him to me.
Now for tie look of this man, he seemed
a century old. being bald, extremely
wTinkled, with wide hollows where the
teeth should be, and the flesh hanging loose
and faced on his cheekbones; ana what
color he had could have come only from
exposure to that bitter night. But his eyes
chiefly spoke of his extreme age. They
were blue and deep, and filled with the
wisdom OF years, and when he turned them
in my direction they appeared to look
through me, beyond nae, and back upon
centuries of sorrow and the slow endurance
OF man, as II his immediate misfortune
were but an inconsiderable item in long
list. They frightened me. Perhaps they
conveyed warning of that which / was to
endure et their owners hands. From COM
passion l ordered the servants to take him
TO my wife, with word that wished her TO
set food before him and see that it passed
his lips.
- So much 1 did for this Stranger. Now
- learn how he rewarded me.
He has taken my youth from me, and the
most OF my substance, and the love Of my
wife.
From the hour when he tasted food In my
g. house. he sat there without hint of going
Whether from design, or because age and
his suferings had really pasied him, be
.sreRme back tediously to life and warmth,
:. nor for many days pTofessed himself able to
. stand erect. Meanwhile he lived on the
: best OF our hospitality. My wife tended
him, and my servants ran at his bidding;
for he managed early to make them under
p. stand scraps of his language, though slow
In acquiring OuTs-I believe out of calcula-
tioB, lest some one should Inquire his busi-
ness (Which was mysteTy) or hint at lis
= departure. l myself often visited tile room
he had appropriated, ana would sit for an
hour watching those fathomIess eyes while
/ tried to make head or tail OF his discourse.
When we were alone, my wife and / used
to speculate at times on his probable profes
sion. Was be merchant Pan aged mar
lner2-a tinker, tailor. beggerman, thief?
We could never decide, and he never dis
closed.
Then the awakening came. ! sat one day
in the chair beside his. wondering as usual.
had felt heavy Of late. with soreness and
. laDguOr in my bones, as il a dead weight
hung continually on my shoulders and an
=; other rested on my heart. A warmer color
In the Strangers cheek caught my attention,
and l bent forward. peering under the peGi-
dulous lids. His eyes were livelier and less
profound. The melancholy was passing
from them as breath fades off a pane Of
glass. He was growing younger. Starting
up | ran across the room TO the mirror.
-: There were two white hairs in MY fore
!. lock, and al the corner of either eye half a
dozen radiating lines. l was an old man.
Turning, / regarded the Stranger: He
p sat phlegmst tic as an Indian idol, and in my
fancy felt the young blood draining from
/: my own heart and saw it mantling Ia his
cheeks. Minute by minute l watched the
slow miracle-the old man beautIfed. AS
=: buds unfold he put on a lovely youthful
ness, and drop by drop left me winter
-, hurried fromHhe room, and, seeking my
wife. laid the case before her. This is "a
Rh0nl." said, that we harbor; he is suck
Ing my best blood, and the household is
:sciean bewltched" she laid aside the book
3 In which she read and laughed at me- Now,
!. my wife was well looking and her eyes were
the light Of my soul. Consider, then, how l
: felt as she laugh ed, taking the Stranper,s
: part against me. When l left her IL was
with a new SIsDicion in nv haart tIIt -