Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-07-12
RAYNER'S ROMANCE.

ance during my last term at oxford.
lie came up, for commemOration, 10
stay with a friend of mine at Balliol,
AMI | met him at luncheon in the lat
tiers room. A large party was as
sembled 10 do honor TO the distin-
guished novelist ! believe most of US
were disappointed in him. We ex-
pected 20 Gnd his conversation as
brilliant as his books. Every time he
opened his lips we priclled our ears for
something striking. But it did not
come lie talked little, and that little
by no means above the common level,
Jones, the hero of our debating society,
could have given him points. The gem
eral verdict was that, as a lion at
luncheon, Martin Rayner had failed.
In the middle of luly-a month or
so after our last meeting at Oxford
had a letter from Rayner asking me 20
spend a few weeks with him at his
country cottage in Somersetshire. |
gladly accepted the invitation. Ray
ncr lived on the eastern side of that de-
iightful country, near where il adjoins
the Wiltshire border. 1t was a quaint
little hamls five miles from station
and seven from a town. II lay in a
hollow among wooded slopes and un-
dulating pastures. Away down the
valley eastward ran nameless little
river, showing, on sunny days, silver
patch here and there among the mead
ows, until it lost itself in the distant
shadows under Salisbury plain.
1t was just the spot for poet a
very paradise for a dreamer. a sleepy
stiffness held possession everywhere;
silence that TO me, a Londoner, was
positively startling.
During my first few days with Ray
ner | could not get rid of the inn
preston that something had stopped
in the earth's machinery. 1t made me
feel "unked, as they say down there.
But, of course, | soon grew accustomed
TO il. And besides SO much of an alb
sorbing nature happened to me there
as quite TO withdraw my notice from
external surroundings. However, |
must not anticipate.
arrived at Rayners on Saturday
evening. The next morning broke fine
and pleasant, and Rayner took me to
the village church. This place OF wor-
ship was queer little building more
queer than pretty. The architecture
was mixed. II REPRESENTED nearly
every order from early English to early
Georgian. There were also repairs ex-
ecuted after a still more modern style.
BY what title TO dignity the latter do
not know. should imagine, however
that il had been especially invented by
some enterprising local builder The
service was equally hybrid. Old-fash-
toned and new-fsngled.
should have fallen fast asleep. but
my attention was ATTRACTED to rust e
beauty in neighboring pew am
not generally at all susceptible to
female charms, but the girls face
struck me at once. ! have never seen
another in the least Resembling it.
do not think it conformed to the
the proper canons of beauty But
cannot be sure. When you see SPLEEN
did sunset, you do not stop TO con-
slider whether the details of the land
scape, which that crimson glory floods.
are in themselves artistic. ! was con-
scious Of two glorious eyes, Of a sweet
expression thereupon reflected, but of
| nothing else. 1t created rather an odd
sensation. II you believe me, il raised
something of lump in my throat.
have felt the same kind OF emotion
when have read the story of Thomas
Newcome answering adsum. Queer is
IL not? ! told Rayner about ii some
time afterward. He did not call me a
sentimental ass as any of my Oxford
cronies would have done; on the con-
trary he smiled on me very kindly.
My dear boy" he said, "a quarto
volume might be written on the init
mate connection between the beautiful
and the pathetic. ! am inclined TO
think that there is something touching
in all true loveliness You speak of
Thomas Newcome's death Does il
make you feel sad 20 read it? venture
20 say not Its sublime beauty touches
you-springs the trap of your higher
emotions. But you cannot feel sad at
the lovely ending OF so lovely a life
The pathos OF that incompatible scene
depends upon, nay, consists Of, its sur
prising beauty. BE thankful that true
beauty in any Of its shapes is able TO
call up in you these higher sensations"
After service was over Rayner and |
stood waiting outside the church door
1t was his custom, he told me, 10 have
the vicar and his family dine with him
every sunday and they always walked
back together
I'VE are very intimate, " said Rayner
81 am godfather Of two of his children.
They regard me quite as one of the
family"
heard this with some surprise.
That obvious dullard of a parson
seemed hardly the sort of man with
whom Rayner should be intimate. But,
of course, did not express my sur
prise, merely asking of whom the vi
cars family consisted.
His wife, a daughter and three
sons" Rayner told me. But here they
come. | must put you through the
ceremony of introduction.
looked toward the church porch.
scarcely noticed the others. My eyes
were fixed on one face. So my rustic
beauty was the wears daughter, and |
was about 20 make her acquaintance.
An unaccountable excitement came