Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-16
A MIDDLE-AGED DOOM


| tween Harold Markham and Alfred Jer-
| maine. 1, on the part of Germaine, my
| humble SELF can vouch for its unfeigned
sincerity, and as for Markham, why, /
would of course, vouch even the stronger
| for him. Naturally, SO close an intimacy
had such physical encouragements as Mrs.
| Holmes has eXemplified in Darkness and
Daylight and Sunshine and Shadow
| metaphors. Markham was big and forid
| Ike the advancing dawn; was slight and
swarthy like the retreating twilight. He
pulled Justify on an oar; 1, habltually. on a
cigarette: but in act and purpose we always
pulled amcably together.
One of our common designs was that after
graduation We should attend the law school
and side by side enter the legal lists In the
city; another, concerned certain tender pass
ages between his sister Jane and me. But
hardly had 1 translated the Latin OF my
| diploma when fate in the shape of my
father clipped these continuing ties. He
was taken sick, and. on nearing GONZALES
| cence. was orlered by his physicians in pain
of death to reside in a certain Italian sea-
port town. l was all his kindred in the
world, hence all the world to him: it fol-
lowed that 1 must share his exile. Mark
ham and l sorrowfully agreed that absence
would make our hearts yet fonder. and that
1 should. through private study. fulfill our
plans; and departed. confident I'm the ex-
pectation Of returning in a year or SO.
All. well. that year or SO :nexpllcably
| multiplied Time glided impercepdbly un-
der the Italian skies. as 1t had In those
olden days when Horace wrote "Eheu Flu
gaces." In that equable climate my father
maintained the equilibrium of invalidism.
and l. that Of inertia. Our life was tran
quill even unto torpidity. disturbed neither
by physical nor mental exigencies. He was
rich and l was young. Had been" and Ito
be- then alike could walt. He had his circle
Of old crony friends, with whom he gossiped
and played whist: me- who but recently had
felt the full responsibility of a senior. they
| treated as a mere lad. and bade disport in
the sunshine. And, little by little, the
charm of sweet nothingness allured Away
my energies. Why, when every one around
me cultivated leisure. should 1 alone be hur-
ried? 1 took little trips, 1 studied the Ian
GuagsS. i wrote magazine articles. / pub
lished a book OF sonnets.
At first my correspondence with Mark
ham had been a pleasure; II dwindled into
duty. and subsidized into a regret. After
all, / would see him before long, and an
hours talk would exceed miles of criss-
cross writing. And so l delayed. and daw-
died and dreamed. l was popular in the So
ciety OF the town; and. as 1t was composed
of married people. much petted. 1t was
gracious in its easy sloth: nothing was ever
required to be done in haste; II 1t were, 1
was the one to do IT. since I had plenty of
time And so the fugacious years glided as
little considered as the cycles Of eternity.
until a stop came in the death of my father
Beyond my grief. which was poignant.
this event was a shock to me- 1t seemed so
unnecessary. He was just becoming &C
customed to such a rational. comfortable
life. Wasn't 1t cruel that after we had
come abroad In search OF health, our plan
| should so soon be frustrated? All. cruel tn
hRadt N he O.
ity Of time. l was constrained to consider
lis length. Was 1t possible. fifteen years
| since we had arrived! And was 1 thirty-fve
years old: i. who was SO youthful, so un-
used to any responsibility! Come. now. 1
really ought to return before long and Join
Markham, who must be beginning to make
a start at the law.
For a day or 50 / studied over my neg
lected books. finding even more dust within
than had accumulated on their covers
But pshaw! what was the use; why should
l not take my time? My fathers old
friends ridiculed the idea OF my leaving.
'Festina lente.' my boy" they said, you
are young and independent; see q little more
Of the world before you get into harness"
With energy extraordinary since 1t rep
resented the reserve of quarter CEN
| tury. they put their hands together and
| wrote unusual letters and pulled unwonted
| strings. and 10! was appointed consul and
| thus bound to remain.
All. Amir labentes! The old. dreamy
round Was continued as IL, like a round, II
had no end. until-until received the news
that my successor had been appointed
Once more there was a shock with Its con-
| seQuent reflection. Again 1 took down my
| legal tones; but this time there came no
discussion from my fathers old friends
| And why? With dismay was forced to
leaves. they had been swept UP by the
great scavenger and carted away. So!
Even under sunny Italian skies there was q
period of life when Ave years made vast
differences.
Well. such a period had not yet come to
me; l was barely In my prime, not only
just as young as used to be when a grave
and reverend seignior but also not half so
old. My mirror told me that my face and
| form had remained practically unchanged.
My mustache perhaps. was q trifie heavier:
there We're few gray hairs lining my
brow. but these / had been often assured
were so becoming. intensifying, indeed, my
| youthful vigor. Still. there was Markham
lie could doubtless with justice claim that
was about time to begin. Well, 1 would 60
| to his aid Luckily, / was rich. and my
' connections would bring q certain import
ance TO our young firm. So I packed up
| what singulariy old-fashioned lot they
| were, too, on examination. babe farewell to
my butterfly companions, many Of whom
seemed 10 be deteriorating into grubs. and
sailed for home.
There was a pleasant company aboard,
quite number of jolly young people, Of
whom l quickly became the jolliest. with
due proportion from respectable middle age
| to reverend age. The Davenants were a
| conspicuous family. They sat at my table
and seemed to find zest in their meals from
the fact. Mrs. Davenant was a comely
well-preserved matron whose sweet nature
naturally attracted young mans conf
dence and regard. Mr.. Davenant was a
grave. dignified. gray-haired man, a Judge
! 80 learned. Of one of the state courts and
never without his judicial mantle Yet
| there was nothing severe about him; he
| would sometimes smile quite ahably at NV
witticism. / often intended asking him
| whether Chubby" Davenant Of 20 was a
| relation Of hts, but something always pre-
vented long conversation-somebody
rather, the most important, the most per-
| &C nal the sweetest body In the world. his
daughter Ethel Davenant
All, what charming girl she was to he
| sure! We became companions and good
| friends at once. There seemed Just the
right difference In age and experience be-
tween US. She had but recently come out
Of a convent. where she had been receiving
her instruction since childhood for her
| mother was Of French birth. Thus I was
doubtless the first unmarried young man
| she had ever associated with. Need 1 say
| that my pupilage Of years IN the most ex-
elusive circles Of one of the most exclusive
continental towns now stood me in good
| stead? 1t were idle to deny that she was
n anifestly impressed by my bearing fat
tered by my interest. and captivated by
my speech. AS for newell, II seemed that
| vacation days at old Pierson were renewed