The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-04

COPYRIGHT, 1891
The evening when saw her first, is
much more distinct IN my memory than
either the one which followed or pre-
coded it. Indeed, my recollection Of
the period as a whole, is extremely
hay. But that evening when | ar
rived, and was told l might go into the
Enclosure and play with her, has re-
Cured to me often, like the fragments
of line of music of which the other
bars are loss.
/ suppose | must have been, 1T the
time, eleven years old. | was rather d
delicate child, and. for an English boy,
abnormally advanced in my ideas do
not mean that was particularly clever,
but whereas the physical Development
had been slow the mind, to myself at
least, gave certain compensations. l
found much more pleasure in the novels
that | borrowed or annexed from my
sisters than in amusements of the kind
which was persistently told were far
more fitting to my age. The gymna-
SUM | remember l abhorred and the
hesitation hours when I was expected
parallel and horizontal bars were so
distressing TO me that frequently en-
deavored by reInissness in the prepare
ton of my lessons to be punished" by
detention within doors.
had gone down from town with my
father to view some apartments which
had been advertised as vacant for the
ensuing months in Brighton. If they
were found desirable my mother and
the others were to join US the next
day. For what reason it had been de-
cided | should accompany him 1 can
not pretend to conjecture, but l know
the rooms had pleased my father very
much We had tea together he and l,
in great contentment; and the window
was open and the sunset was redden-
ing the square.
Ii is all quite plain to me even to the
Temperatures of the owner of the
house who my father said was "a
lady" She led by the hand a little
girl, my Junior by year or two, with
soft golden curls framing a face which
seemed to me the most beautiful thing
possible to conceive.
Her name, / was told. was Lillian,
and presently was strolling with her
ewkwardly among the trees and grass
plots to which she had given me en-
trance with key she took from the
table in the hall. can recall a senti-
ment OF envy at hearing she enjoyed
the privilege of coming in here every
day in the year.
What we talked to each other about,
Heaven only knows-which means l
don't-but an indescribable melan-
choly, which 1 liked while l did not
understand it, was with me when we
said goodnight" and / remember
that when / awOke next morning my
first though was not My mother and
sisters will be there to-day" bat ITO
day shall go out again with Lillian"
The square was the scene of all our
subsequent condolences Every even
ing during the visit, and often in the
day time, she and l would let ourselves
into it with the big key off the shiny
table, and wander side by side between
the gravel paths and bushes, while we
told each other solemnly the innocent
secrets of our lives. One of the bushes
was very big, and there was seat be-
hind it; and because at this point we
were hidden from the windows of the
house-though, if truth be told, we
had nothing to conceal-it grew TO be
our favorite spot, and there we would
for half an hour or SO on each occasion,
regularly ensconce ourselves.
/ do not know whether / ever pro
posed TO her-how | should have pro-
posed | have often wandered: butt be-
came quite settled thing between US
that when we grew up Lillian and /
were to marry each other. ! used to
call her my wife" IN anticipation. and
she. shaking back those long golden
curls, would reply tenderly: My lit
tie husband"
Behind the big bush or the morning
that my holiday came TO az end she
cried bitterly. and nobody will ever
understand how I feltl Ny parents
smiled at me. and when ! was seated
with them IN the train, and Brighton
was already distant, they asked ME
playfuQy if / was not sad. an
swercd: ''Oh no, why should / be?"
and looked. with knot in nv throat,
at the flying banks and fences / was
ashamed to show them what I felt
For long afterwards frequent dream
Of mine was that was hurrving ex-
citedlv down the hill from the
Brighton station. ! reached the
square and knew Lillian was inside
But could never get the key 10 sur
prise her, and before she saw me I
awoke.
It was more than ten years before I
happened 70 visit Brighton again in
the flesh. and ! had long ceased to see
it in my dreams, ! had come don"
from 0xford-where I had run up
more bills than fair allowance justi-
fed, or than my people could afford TO
pay. l had read for the bar-which
was not career that had any right
10 choose-snd had been called" SIX
months when ! next CHANGED 10 stand
IL LOndon-super-na
Il WIS the long vacation, and though
! was still waiting for my first brief, it
had looked % me desirable 70 forget
the courts and chambers awhile in the
freshness Of the sea.