Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-17
Social and Otherwise.

IAlI items ot social interest will be gladly
 noted In this column fl sent to Mrs. George
 O. Ball. Tenth avenue, between Nineteenth
 and Twentieth streets, South Highlands-i
 It was dreary path we trodl Upon one side rose bleak, gray cliffs, whose height made dizzy my weary brain. On the other side the s"bbiug sea rolled and murmured and forever told it's tales of woe! The nar- row path, twixt sea and rock, was damp with the never ceasing spray. Still on we went, faint and weary, but consumed with desire to penetrate further into that realm made familiar to us by Dantc's in- spired pen. My guide stopped where the path grew narrowest, folded his white wings and asked in weary accents: 'Hast thou not seen enough7 Need we go farther into an even darker sphere?' had begun to crave earthly sights and sounds, to crave another glimpse of Gods sunlight, and to hear once more human speech, and in this moment of desire for familiar things I was about to say: ..Yes, let us retrace our steps, let us go back to earth with it's sweetness and brishtness;'' but ere l had time to speak, so overwhelmed was l with awe, a sound fell upon our ears. It was not as any other noise; it was so full of woe that the very air did pulsate with its sad- ness. l begged of my tranquil guide ex- planation of 1t all. Just then a door in the huge rock caught my eye. approached it, but my companion attempted to hold me back. As drew nearer to this door, heavy with bolts aud bars, the sounds in- creased and the agony of more than human sorrow moved me 10 tears. "Tel me,n cried, "what does all this mean? What awful place does this dark door shut in?'' Just then sobs, piteous sobs, fell upon our ears, and l remem bered Rachel of old latp ptotio hau through all the ages, and wondered if she it was who still refused to be comforted. My guide urged me not to persist in my desire 10 fathom the awful mystery, but Still besought him to carry me thither. Reluctantly he went towards the door; at his touch the heavy bolts and hinges moved and we stood upon the threshold. A dim light pervaded the apartment; sob pings and complainings met our ears
 When our eyes became familiar with the darkness we began 10 distinguish objects
 We observed that there was gathered about goodly company, which was divided into groups. Upon a dais sal a man of ma jestic mein, unto whom all present made complaint. In one group. on the right of the judge, were men and women of varying stature, with faces ra- diant with genius, but with bodies gaunt and emaciated. This group poured forth their distress in the whining tones of sick ness and, 10 my horror, as drew nearer l recognized the once robust forms of Scott, Shakespeare, Byron, Goldsmith. Pope, Charles and Mary Lamb. It was Mary Lamb whose hysterical cries had first heard. Iu another group to the left of the judge stood George Eliot, Shelley, Keats, Buwer, Emerson, Tennyson and many others. These earlier and later lights were drawn close to each other, and to George Eliot was given the task of tell ing their dis 'ss to the silent judge. As1 approached them this gifted woman cried out: "Obl judge,%e appeal for protection earth bore the criticisms of my race. For years they made allowance for the ec- centricties of genius or of morals, yet bore it all without complaint, but this too deep for tears.'' The judge commanded quiet, for from out corner, surrounded with smoke, there came an ineligible sound. My companion wondered at my failure to recognize the voice. Said be; ..Insije that smoke, which is but the in- eense burned at his shrine by an admir- ing contn gent beh nd the mists of his own makiugs, sits Robert Browning-Mrs. Browning sat near him and with gentle voice tried to soothe his troubled soul. "What is the matterqo I exclaimed. .sTell me, for 1 can no longer bear this sight" 'sPoor things,' said my companion, "they thought that each one in his earthly life had had his share of torture, but never had 1t entered into the heart of any of them to conceive of suffering such as has been theirs for many weary months. Eighteen months ago these men and women looked well, were cheerful and endured their fate as be- came philosophers; now they are emaci- ated, nervous and desperate. The ordinary means of control are inadequate and new methods must be found to control them. l am alarmed when consider the future.o In horror l asked the cause of all this mis- cry. In plying tones my guide answered thus: ''In some unexplainable way these poor creatures have lislened for months to papers written about them by the literary women of Birmingham Just then Mary Lamb clught the words ''iiterary womeno and rushed at us with all the fury of maniac. We fled in haste and gladly closed the door, but ere it fastened l heard the martial voice of Napoleon call to us: ''Tell the new preachers there is future punish ment, eternal punishment too, and if they do not believe 1t send them 10 look upon our torture since we fell into the hands of the literary women of Birmipghm.' The door closed and just outside stood one whose garments held the perfume oi hawthorn hedges, and his face had the sweet ness of faith and love, and about him was an atmosphere of great content, for he had. just left the earth with the