The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-10

face. 1t was one with which he had once
associations, ten or fifteen years back,
q pure coincidence such as is constantly
happening to man who lives busy life.
Ordinarily the impression would have
been f1eeting, but now with all the ac-
companying circumstances stirring up
Old memories, and recalling the contents
OF those pages of his history which he
had fancied forever glued together, it
filled him with an absolute sense of dis
comfort.
A mild hustle on the platform aroused
MIN. The prize scholar of that large
and highly esteemed class was advancing
to the front, herself quiet and unmoved
by the newly-awakened attention of the
audience. which surveyed her small,
spare figure critically and then sank
pack IN Its chairs with shrug of disap-
polntment. the women particularly, who
saw in her only plain little person with
an utter lack Of style. 1t did not require
genius to perceive that she was also no
longer young. though the occupants Of
the front rows were the only people who
noticed the tell-tale wrinkles at the cor
ner Of her eyes and the lines of care and
WEAKNESS about her mouth. She had
brown eyes, full of pleading melan-
choly-the eyes of an animal in whom
we like to fancy human soul caught
and dumbly yearning to be made free
again. but very few of her classmates
except that ever since the freshman year
she had carried off all the honors, was
homely and poor and seemed to wish to
avoid making friends.
The president smiled indulgently and
stroked his chin, a way he had when he
was pleased. Then he settled back with
content to listen as the paper on "The
New Woman" began. The audience
pricked up Its ears when the first tones
OF the reader fell upon them-a very un-
usual voice in America, so richly modu-
lated, so round and clear, so capable of
infinite expression that it would have
made music out of phrases much duller
than it was giving out Fascinated and
delighted they sat under its SPELL the i'm
patient young things in muslin and blue
rlbbon the nearly exhausted chaperones.
the droWsy grandpas and grandmas,
while the distinguished visitors became
| wide awakeS recognizing the magnetic
| touch or genius In that dashingly written
essay, its well taken points sustained and
emphasized by many a cynical epigram,
many severe bit of philosophy of which
the youthful graduate is rarely mistress.
She has lived through a great deal,
that woman has," murmured the nov
elist half to himself. "She is no chicken.
would give great deal to know her
story-twould ready like a page out Of
Balzac. Hey, professor"
| II he had owned such thing as a
smelling bottle he would have offered it
to the professor on the spot that learned
gentleman's face having become fixed
and set in q way that suggested his
feeling very badly, or study of futurity
quite inexcusable at such a moment.
Futurity? All, no. 1t was Of the past he
was thinking. His thoughts had flown
back at the first sound of that charming
voice into time long gone by. He was
lad again, as young, as ambitious, as
q 6nv1f -
| with their feet on the threshold of the
world, and he strolled in the summer
time along the moonlit hedges and lanes
of the countryside. with a little hand on
his arm, futtering with happiness and
little heart beating TREMENDOUSLY as he
poured out glowingly all his hopes and
plans and aspirations, and yes, his love
She was only simple lass, heaven help
her! but she had loved him with a love
which absorbed all her being in the most
cruel, relentless, fatal of all loves ways
and she had promised to wait for him
years-10, 20. 50-till he had gone out and
made place for himself and her in the
world of men,
And so he went. He remembered the
night they parted. She moved about the
big farm kitchen singing Kathleen Ma.
Vourneen," with a shake in the voice
which sometimes when they were mar
rled and grown rich was to be cultivated
| al oOotO1l, IIldy Oe III Europe. linen Sne
had stolen down the long beach wall
in the shadows and sobbed her tears Out
on his shoulder, until himself distracted
ne had thrust her away and said goO(
by, promising to come back very soor
whit many VOWS and offerings to tn,
gods.
On the current of the readers voice
his recollections' f1oated along He saw
himself unexpectedly successful honor
Fed, respected, dignities thrust upon him
He remembered how, after five or ST,
years, he had returned to her for a few
days, finding her still loving, still pa
tlent, but very plain, very simple, will
such difference from the young womel
with whom his lot was cast in the bril-
laint university city. Her very affection
lrritated him and made him feel uncom
Portable. After a while he went back
and the marriage was still deferred. H
was coward. He dared not see her t.
break the cruel news to her in person, blu
, he wrote her at last a letter in which h.
said that time and circumstances ha,
changed him-her, too, no doubt; that a
, they had drifted apart perhaps it was TO
. the best to give up the enga cement
; was short letter, but to the point
and after all the keenest knives made tn
cleanest wounds and are the kindest il
. the end.
She never replied to the communicated
> neat packet everything he had ever give
her, and he noticed with much satisfac
l ton that the address was in a firm an
| steady hand.
Women have soft hearts,. he reflect
) ed. quick to take an impression, quic
> to lose it. They are too soft to break, a.
$ yes!' and wondered why he did not fee
1 more cOnsoled by this view, as he turne
e down those pages of his life, never in
= tending to open them again. He marie
/ Miss Roberta Van Ness, and her hundre
I thousand dollars and became an emf
nently prosperous and much esteeme
9 man, still young at 40 and with futur
! declared by prophets to be couleur d
: rose.
' Meantime 1.-THE New Woman" ha
r come to it's close. The valedictory wa
being pronounced, and every soul in tn
D vast crowd felt a responsive thrill as tn
appealing voice dealt out it's farewells
4 gay, gayer to the undergraduates. the
: with an ever-deepening note Of sadnes.
] The professor heard as in dream tn
: words Of Arthur Hugh Clough's verse:
/ Qua Cursum Ventu:"
h En- so, but why the tale reveal
v or those who year by year unchange
e Brief absence joined anew to feel
s Astounded, soul from soul estranged
f It was like song. He hung on ever
1 word, and could almost hear his hear
: beat as the end drew near, and tn
: speaker forced a jubilation into her tone
Y which. 1t was plain to see, she could nc
. feel
: One port methought, alike they sought
= One purpose hold where'er they fare
d o. bounding breeze, o. rushing seas,
1nrk