The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-08-15
THE
THE
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.
By OSCAR WILDE.

By OSCAR WILDE. $50
.My dear fellow, I am so sorry. When ]
am painting, ] can't thing of anything else.
But you never sat better. You were per
fectly still. And I have caught the effect !
wanted-thc half-parted lips, and the bright
look in your eyes. ] don't know what Harry
has been saying to you, but he has certainly
made you Il the most wonderful OK.
preston. j suppose he has been paying you
compliments. You mustn't believe a word
that he says"
"He has certainly not been paying me
compliments. Perhaps that is the reason ]
don't think 1 believe anything he has told
me-"
You know you believe it all," said Lord
Henry. looking at him with his dreamy,
hcavylidded eyes. 81 will go out in the
garden with you. 1t is horribly hot in the
studio. Basil, let us nave something iced
to drink, something with Strawberries i'll it. "
.Certainly, Harry. Just touch the bell,
and when Parker comes l will tell him what
you want ! ave got to work up this back
ground, so will join you later on. Don't
keep Dorian too long. nave never been in
better form for painting than I am to-day.
This is going to be my masterpiece. 1t is
my masterpiece rs it stanLs."
Lord Harry went into tho garden and
found Dorian Gray buYying his face in the
cool lilac blossoms. fevorishly drinking in
their perfume as if it had becn vino. He
came close to him, and put his hand upon
his shoulder. You are quite right to dc
that" he murmured. "Nothing can cure the
soul but the senses, Just us uoshing can cure
the senses but the soul"
The lad started and drew back. He was
bareheadel and the leaves had tossed his
rebellious curls and tangled all their gilded
threads. There was n look of fear in his
eyes such as people nave when they are
suddenly awakened. His finely chiseled
~nostrils quivered and some hidden nerve
shook the scarlet of his lips and left then
trembling.
'Yes." continued Lord Henry, "that is
one of the great secrets of life--to cure the
soul by means of the senses, and the senses
by means of the soul. You are a wonderful
creature. You know more than you thinl
you know, Just as you know less than you
want to know"
Dorian Gray froyyned and turned his head
away. He could not help liking the tall
| biaNSio S'hiS hAdi Nip Nuo Sbd.ltilS DN
him. His romantic olivc-colored face and
worn expression interested him. There was
something in his low. lunguid voice that was
absolutely fascinating. His cool, white
1ower-like hands, even, had n curious
charm. They moved, as he spoke, like
music, and seemed to nave a language Of
their own. Blu he felt afraid of him, ant
ashamed of being afraid. Why had it beer
left for a stranger to reveal him himself
He had known Basil Hallward / months
but the friendship between them had never
altered him. Suddenly there had come
some one across his life who seemed t.
have disclosed to him life's mystery.
And, yet, what was there to DO afraid Of
He was not Il school, boy or a girl. 1t was
absurd to be frightened.
Let us go and sit in the shade" sale
Lord Henry. Parker has brought out the
drinks, and if you stay any longer i'll this
glare you will be quite spoiled, and Basi
will never paint you again. You really
must not let yourself become sunbulned. L
would be very unbecoming to you"
What does it mattcr!' cried Dorian
laughing as he sat down on the seat st the
end of the garden.
'ito GNGiS biiiS W SOA, WI
Gray"
"Whyln
"Bccause You have now the most marvel
GUS youth, and youth is the one thing wortl
having"
II don't feel that Lord Henry"
mo, You don't feel it now. Some day
when you arc old and wrinkled and ugly
when thought has scared your forehead
with its lines, and passion branded your lips
with its hidcous fires, you will feel it terri
bly,, Now, wherever you go, you charm Tho
world. Will it always be SOL"
"You have u wonderful face, Mr.. Gray
Don't frown. You have. And Beauty is {
form of Genius-is higher, indeed, thar
Genius, as it needs no explanation. 1t j!
one of the great facts of the world, like sun
light, or spring-timc, or the reflection il
dark watcrs of that silver shell we cali Thu
moon. 1t can not be questioned. 1t has it:
divine right of sovereignty. 1t make.
princes of those who have it. You smile
All when you have lost it you Won't smile
people say sometimes that Beauty il
only superficial. That may be SO. But a
least it is not SO superficial as Thought. t,
me, Beauty is the wonder Of wonders. It il
only Shallow people who do not judge b,
appearances. The true mystery of tn,
world is the visible, not tho invisible.
Yes, MIR. Gray, the gods have been goot
to you. But what the gods give they quickl,
take away. You have only a few years il
which really to live. When your youtl
goes, your beauty will go with it, and thel
you will suddenly discover that there arc II,
triumphs left for you, or lave to conten
V,NIrGa1f with those moan tyi)In,,hc tbnt III.
memory of your past will make more bite
than defeats. Every month as it wane
brings you nearer to something dreadful
Time is jealous of you, and wars agains
your lilies and your roses. You will becom
sallow, and hollow-cheeked, and dull-eyed
You will suffer horribly.
Realize youth while you have it. Dom
s%luander the gold of your day, listening t
the tedious, trying to improve the hopeless
failure, or giving away your life to tn
ignorant. the common, and the vulgal
which are the aims, the false ideals, of on
age. Live! Live the wonderful life that i
in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. B
afraid of nothing.
"a new hedonism-that is what you
century wants. You might be its visibl
symbol. With your personality there i
nothing you could not do. The world be
longs to you for q season.
"The moment | met you I suw that 70
were quite unconscious of what you reall
are, what you really might be. There wa
so much about you that charmed Inc that
felt | must tell you something about you
self. / thought how tragic it would be
you were wasted. FOR tuerc is srIn = l.4..
time that your youth will last-such u littl
time.
1.-THE common hill-lowers wither, b,
they blossom again. The laburnum will /
as gold next June as it is now. In q mont
there will be purple stars on the clemati
nnd year after year the green night of il
leaves will have its purple stars. But "
never get back our youth. The pulse of JIG
that beats in lis at twenty, becomes stu,
gish. Our limbs fail, our senses rot. w
degenerate into hideous puppets, haunte
by the memory of the passions of which W
were too much afraid, and the exquisit
temptations that we did not dare to yield t
Youth! Youth There is absolutely not!
ing in the world but youth"
Dorian Gray listened, open-eyed and WOO
deripg. The spray of lilac fell from his har
upon tho gravel. A furry bee came an
buzzed around it for u moment Then it b
gan to scramble all over the frcttcd purp
u 4l,aHt;~,, 1io,-o,,, JJn ,,+,l,l. a. ,.:.