The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-08-11
MLAS' RAPTURE.

G,Omenot the most familiar 3ipspes to tho
1.,ermasent residents Of kenncsley and,
me which ncverLfailed to attraotthe notice
tn tsecnasuAl visitor was that 'ofra middle
t%ged o,ytn. dressed In a seedy froEI coat In
= ILl SEASONS OF abe year. With llooee black
neoktie happirHir the wind, inn1 black,
4 soft Gssk hat. shapelcss with iDdoJont wear
and grry with undisturbed dust "A stout
:, staff sdsorange wood, unadorBadl l@nd with (
+ out !. .6aSrule, assisted him In itss walk, ;,
thouehlhis fgusemyas vigorous IN spite Dif
a the slLaht stoop off; thougbtful nan, and
4 commson string IbaR completed Hhe more
,, >noticeaftle featuses Of his appear1sree. /,
This fbag, often containing = %a6totrot
b manusufipt for uheppost on the jonzney In.
"a 70 the Aawrship, usually carried hsmewssdI
. - small parcel fTnm the butohers n cor gro
re- cars, and not infBsauently book ko0r' two.
r.ora revAew from rhe librnry. HemsuAtiy
walked in the rosd ~ nder the slsnapsof the
sitrees skartinR the pavement, apparently
preferrisg that posrnisn Of the tborulgifare
|a a., being free from tthe jostline M othe4
Il pedestrisns or the mrNoRant demands upoGt
ID the footpath made a8Y the exigenoGes of rel
|f sail trade
Though not long past the middle ycars
|pof life. 90 being ys6 n post on his lIfes
\ journey Invisible fv half decade, hc word
!. u look af age. His faas was pale and thin, !,
deep lines marking Aut clearly the heavy
\ brow, the deep sec eVes, the sentative
mouth, gray threads alaeady blanching his
long dark hair about nlse temples He had
nhe air Of "a lonely nsang taking but snall
Need Of tADse no passsd, exchanging noi
more than a civil gretsttrg with any one,
CRaiining anquaintanee. sthough he newer
| 6ailed TO stOp and his fsoe brighten az some;
- ,l- l. kt.<, ~ 4 t.,l
| Rsan, stood smiling An shis path. Then
w,suid Silas stop, and with hand quickly
dipping inhc the dcptbssof his bag, ex
caaim. as II with . noGel inspirat ation:
t'Lnlliesi Ar, yes, let ne.see now!' And,
Ql1ae enoughS lollies or fpnit never failed
| thesexpectant elrohin.
| n Els morning visit to thestradesmen, the
library or thehpostoffice Completed, he re-
tuHrcd q to hia home b. The way he had
| come.
| ,tIts0ae q plaesantly aktmated little cot
tage,s ,snestling among trees and shrubs on
a,gentle slope. Its wide veEarsia command.
ing az extensiRC and beautiful panorama
OF the distant poity, with ite spires and
dome&. the riverwith It's shfpoing, and the
/ still uacre remote horizon lineDf the ocean.
Here hs lived pie oidly with his old house.
|. keeper. servant Of his parepts' family,
H. 6B ul0 u,iE OOIQ HAkttOu btRN0ng, III VI uIO
| he desirH other society, and his,Leeds rwert
few and Of the simplest.
His most welcome companions wer his
xh0ughta and hias books, his eecnpar Mons
rthe weaving Of s0Tp anoes, essays and ,ooa.
eional verse, for adj Of which be hi ID q
reedy market, and his sole reoreation the
cultivation Of hisr garden, In whsOh bw.
esss, fruit and vegetables grew abuBdaI stly
and supplied the needs of bis naiGhhors' as
s!wnll as his own.
That his thoughts were for ,the. most
| pert, pleasant enouoh was evident, fol
Silas Seabnooke was af reflective but n,St
psn broodipg temperament. Hs. memory
contained much of happiness, and .ona
areat disillusion which he had long, since
compelled tc give up 1ts sting. He Per
mitted himself. while suffering secretiy,
only to dwell upon the, pleasanter aspects
OF that remem brance, excluding all of pain
in loyalty to the woman who caused lit
his tlpye for whom he permitted nothing
| to Impair.
The memory of his marriage, brief. iil
advised. Ill fated, was tolhim full of the
| qualification ptconquest-sthe capture OF q
beautiful woman, queen among har sex
| In her, ply sical attributes,xat the supreme
momept of her pride, when her beauty
,dazzledsand enslaved all who came within
Its influence. That he, of sall those wor
shippers, ,Svas chosen as her husband wac
pride to,bis simple soul, which, blind TO
her real ,,notives, never faded. Though
subsequent events might sbave disitlp
stoned him, he wrapped his heart about
with tho memory OF that brief time Of per
fe0t JOY, tho short,s ear Of physical hapfa
mess In the union with her perfection,
seating to retain latter exceeding Ill, "
little sweet" OF memory, and succeeding
In idealizing every word, every act of the
traeie comedy of his disastrous ,narriage.
To the faithful Margaret, his cid house
keeper. that period Of blind infatuation,"
as she called lit, bore altogether another
aspect. She knew that the queenir beauty
OF this woman svas her only wealth In
all attributes hut that,6 physical perfec
tion she was deplorably deficient, and tho
shrcwd old woman guessed that the fame
achieved by Seahrooke ane his popularity
with all grades o< society was the solo
reason OF her preference for tho sober
minded young author. then at tho brs,
flush OF his success. his name on every.
bodys lips.
Scabrooke's dream was ne brief as II
was brilliant. His wife passiyely accepted
HE homage, basked In tho sunshine OF his
social success and dragged him out of his
literary dreams To society functions In
which she was able to shine with increased
luster rs the bride OF famous writer.
Silas, delighted In his wifcs happiness,
found himself floating passivcly on the
ocean OF adulation which his genius and
his wife's beauty called forth, but his horl.
zon was not cloudloss, for while the earn
ings OF his pnst successes were rapidly di.
minishlng under the strain of her extraya-
gancc, no wac producing no now work
with which 10 supply the future for the
unaocustomcd gnyety of his new life ut.
tery untitled him and left him little lei
sure for his literary work.
Tho position soon grow grave. Econo-
mics became necessary. disillusion fol.
lowed, thcir fne house was given up, and
the comparative seclusiop Of country
cottage completed the ruin Of his wifc's