The morning news., 1894-09-09


Gabriel For he had golden hair that
flowed over his collar and a beardless,
angelic face; his soul was full Of the love
of great deeds and justice, and our com
mon conversation was the entire reform,
by q few simple expedients, of human So
ciety. Later, hover, it became necessary
to call him Thompson.
/ remember the evening when Gabriel
told me ne was in love.
She had read very few books. and vet
she had a most wonderful insight into
things. Several times as / have been
timidly feeling my way to this or
that advanced view of ours, she has come
out 10 meet me, as it were, and | found
that in the seclusiOn of her quiet country
town she had thought out things and
arrived at the same ends as we, with all
our advantages, have done"
'She must be quick witted2"
"She must indeed; a more subtle and
yet purer mind l never met. l am Civ
ing her some of Ruskin's books now. He
is a revelation to her she says. She finds
so much in him that has been in her own
mind dimly, perfectly expressed. Carlyle
she must read; after that Wordsworth,
Browning"
Perhaps that evening, or at any rate
some evening about that time, two other
friends discussed the same love affair OF
Gabriel.
L think Gabriel is pretty name,
dear" said one
Now, dearest, " said the other, hold
ing up one dainty finger with an air of
great soleInnity, 81 want you to tell me
Just exactly what you think of him"
He has lovely profile. Hou must
make him grow mustache."
And cut his hair, you want to say, and
dare not. Minnie, you have no moral
courage. Yes; he does look a little efem-
mate now, but he is awfully clever.
He writes, you know, and he sends me
such dreadfully difficult books 10 read. [
am getting quite learned"
''lt must be Jolly to have really clever
husband, one that is well known, and has
people rnnuing after his autograph, and
all that. You will be cutting poor ne
sunk to the besotted condition of VINE
merchants wife-dead.
understand that the correct thing to
do is to call upon your newly married
friends when they are settled, and see
what kind of furniture they have. / did
this, By way of quiet sarcasm l wore
my old velveteen jacket. Mrs. Thompson
said looked "quite Bohemian" and the
only consolation l had was to think that
Thomson had a conscience. l asked him
point-blank about the new reformation,
and she answered for him that he was
dreadfully busy at research.
! saw Thompson look across at me with
a dumb request not to press the matter.
But ] had no particular kindness for
Thompson. Was he not the man who had
murdered my Prophet Gabriel and buried
him away in himself ] insisted upon So
cial evils, the need of leaders for the peo-
pie and all our old themes. Presently
my Gabriel awoke in Thompson again,
and began to talk.
There was a passage" he said pres
emily, 'in Sesame and Lilies the book
you liked so much, dear. How does it go2
am sure you know it. All, here is the
book"
1t lay on the table, one of the many
volumes he had bought for her, one, re-
mem bered, that had come like revela-
tion" to her. He took it up and turned
aver the pages.
When | saw the pages were all uncut |
felt sorry for the man. He stared at the
book as though he hardly grasped the i'm
port of the thing. Then he put it down
again with force and an eXpletive.
"Gabriel!' said his wife.
rose to go. But Gabriel was white
with anger. "You never opened that
book he said to his wife, "and you told
me that you had read it.n
Mrs. Thompson turned to me. Must
yeH go2n she said.
So 1 left them face to face with each
other.
1t was what one might call their real
introd IctiOn to one another. Each had
played TO the other of being what the
other dreamt, and now that little comedy
was over. Mrs. Thompson had repeated
Gabriels conclusions after him to please
him, and he had acted as a gentleman ac-
cording to her lights. But that unfortu-
nate book had ended it,
AS | went out l heard her begin: "To
think, Gabriel, that in the second month
Of our marriage, you should curse me"
He is certainly going on badly, my dear,
but we all have our troubles. 1t is quite
enough to make you really il" "
Il should have been if had not kept so
cool"
'iYou bear up wonderfully. He does not
deserve it. OF course, dear, if you were
nl-wheu he comes home again-really
i'll mean, not just headache-sO that
all The house would be hushed-he might
have the grace to feel ashamed of himself.
You are too brave. 1t only makes man
rave worse than ever to stand up TO him
They all hate to be told the truth about
themselves, and they shout and bully
you down. But your Gabriel-any real
man-would not hit a really sick
woman"
lit IS almost a pity ] am so well then, -"
said Mrs Thompson, scarcely grasping
the new idea yet.
ITS the excitement, you poor dear"
said Minnie, THAT keeps you up now, but
you will find the reaction presently, mark
my wOrds'p
And sure enough, Mrs. Thompson had
hardly reached home when this reaction
came upon her, and she was helped up
stairs by the sympathetic and half-cOuti-
Dental parlor maid. And all the blinds
were straightway drawn and the house
hushed.
Meanwhile Gabriel has been with me-
Don't speak aDout it to me" l said
'l will not be the man to come between
husband and wife-especially when the
wife is Mrs. Thompson"
For heavens sake don't mock me"
SAID Gabriel; Il have been cruelty de
celved. Here am [ at tive-and twenty,
with al'my card castles in heap. IL is
not only that about Sesame and Lilies l
nave been finding her out ever since the
marriage. That book-with you there
was the last straw. She is no helpmeet
ior me. Her ideas are shallow and vain,
ner ways are always crooked; she is Just
a commonplace woman Of the world.
What can man do Tor others, what can
ne do for himself, with a woman like
u will not endure it," he shouted