The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-04
AN OXFORD IDYLL

ton OF his red tie IN the glass, his new tie
and black coat his young and scholarly
face. ] wonder-but no. IT isn't too red: they
wear them red he continued. with at
tempted cheerfulness. No" but hear
ins the laughter OF ladies below his win
dow. he scuttled back hastily
His rooms were high up in the garden
tower. almost up among the topmost
b01ghs OF the high college elms, and when,
after "a moment, he returned to his window
aCl peered down, ne could see through the
green Of the trees patches Of white and
pink color the dresses OF many ladies,
dappling the lawn. and moving and meet
4us On the college paths Among the sum
Nor leaves the summer wind was breath
In. IL blew in at the window now and
then. laden with scents from the garden.
AM the faint stir and hum OF human
voices. and Christopher Craik. or the
COrn-Craik. as the undergraduates called
him. felt his heart beating high with un-
w0n,ed emotion Of youth and excitement
The early philosophers Of Asia Minor were
very remarkable and suggestive men, but
now that he had finished and published his
book about them. he meant to enjoy himself
little. And what shallow wisdom it was,
moreover. TO live in the almost solitary way
n had been living all the winter. All the
winter. All his life really; spending his
youth among books and almost shut out
from everything that is light and amiable in
experience. Why. the greenest of his under
graduate pupils might easily know more of
modern life than he did.
''Oh. don't harp 50 on modern lfe'' his
friend Ranken. the junior Dean of St.
Johns. often said 10 him in his acrid way
do FOR PHYS sake leave il alone and stick
70 your Asia Minor
But then Ranken was absurdly cynical
Craik remembered how often, on their way
home IN the winter evenings from their reg
ular sunday walks, his friend would pause
opposite an uncurtained window and make
bitter merriment over the domestic picture
they saw in the golden light within, a family
at tea very likely. or an academic parent
romping with his children.
As he looked down now, it was agreeable
u him to see so many ladies in the old gar
den. and he could not believe that Ranken
had very authentic grounds for his narrow
,-ejudice. For Ranken would have liked TO
shut ladies out of oxford altogether, would
have liked To keep it as it used to be- a
tranquil home of learning and celibacy. be-
fore the Royal Commission had granted the
fellows the liberty of marrying For that
unblest liberty, he maintained, by filling the
university with frivOlity and ladies, had so
destroyed the old character Of the place
that now. as was notorious, the whole of
the summer term, with good part of the
rest Of the academic year. was given over
10 dances and picnics and parties and other
silly and deteriorating trifies.
Craik had not been able to contradict his
friend for hitherto the sounds and echoes
or the social dissipation had hardly reached
him in his retired corner save as he had
heard them reverberating through the
gloomy caverns of Ranken's imagfnation
But he could not quite believe-here Craik
began To laugh. for his eye at that moment
was caught by the gargoyle just above him.
Nn.ch was also leaning over and looking
mo the garden. For four hundred years
that weather-beaten creature had sat there
making faces. but now it's visage seemed
more than ever twisted with look of
Gothic cynicism.
As Craik fingered. looking out, himself
almost Ike q second gargOyle, he thought
he could see in the garden below two ladies
81 his acquaintance. Mrs. Cotton and Mrs
Irotter How ridiculous Ranken was in his
Cratk took his hat and stick and started
DOWN stairs for the garden. He would see
Tor himself.
= was very worldly and brilliant in the
garden Besides crowd of ladies and young
men, three professors and two heads of
houses had already arrived and others were
expected. Mr.. White, Mr.. Long and Mr.
Maple Fetters, the young unmarried fell
lows who were giving the party, kept glanc-
Ing towards the gateway over the shoulders
OF their arriving guests all smiles, however
as they greeted their friends with opposite
remarks. On tables under the trees white
cloths were spread looking almost blue in
the vivid green. and on them were plates of
red strawberries, ancient silver bowls OF
sugar. rows OF shining spoons, cakes and
dewy jugs Of amber-colored lemonade
Sounds of discreet gayety, voices and
laughter and the tinkling OF glasses,
quckened the sleepy silence Of the garden.
while from beneath a high and fieecy cloud
the rays OF the westering sun frightened
the treetOps and walls, lingering on the
ladies' dresses and streaking with blue
shadows the green old lawn. 1t put Craik
IN mind OF old French colored prints he
had seen, or the country fetes he had read
OF he thought. too, Of the garden party in
loves Cottage" a pretty novel he had
Molyneux first meets Pastoral. the poet.
tie kept smiling as he moved about but
ne really felt rather shy and alien: If he
THy anew more people and could be seen
iddEhlng and talking and moving his
,t3nIs. IKE the other young meni But soon
a. met MS friend, Mrs. Cotton. the wife of
ttoIesSor Cotton. and he begged to be al
.oWei 10 get her an ice or some other re-
-ie>hnent. ne noticed q brilliant purple
FEATHER cOnspicuously waving from the top
- Mrs -COttOn's bonnet. and was glad
mat his tie was so bright. How pleasant
am harmless to play brilliantly at iifei
And did not Aristotle himself place mag
nlnceDca high among the virtues?
But the junior fellows sim had their anx-
hus eyeS fixed on the garden entrance
Miss Lamb has Miss Lamb Gomez Craik
uttI1 voices murmUring about him. ''\O
.ot Eet, but she's coming. Just heard Maple
tvtterS telling some one" Long saws he
ant understand H. In her note she said"
50 quiet 50 different They say in Lon
Ion oh. yes, and here everybody pro-
ISssors. heads 0f houses; it's too AMUSING
E eli she SAYS she wants 10 study all the
types. Al, look; there she comes
tralk turned With the others, and saw
Miss Lamb coming in through the Gothic
urchWay. Her face was shaded with a large
Write hat and her white dress. falling in
long plain lines at her t,et, swayc1 a little
as she walked slowly over the grass out
or ne shadow Of the building.
Long AMI Maple letters started forward
ard escorted Miss Lamb and her aunt
across the lawn. They drew near TO Craik
and Mrs. cotton
oh there IS Mrs. Cotton" Miss Lamb
exclaimed arl turned towards them. Dear
Airs. Cotton she SAID, ~ was 50 hoping /
should YOU here"
Crdik looked at Miss Lamb. She rested
her eyes on him for a second then press
'ng Mrs. CottOn's hand. she stopped down
with a graceful impulse and kissed the fat
Old thing. Craik overheard Mrs LYON
the wife OF the president OF All Saints
taking 10 the warden OF St Simons.
Dear Miss Lamb" she said. in a deep
and sentimental voice, ''she is Just as nice
10 women as she is TO men"