The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-10-21

| eOre, N0ul0 GO tue same. Dut uuucE hV
circumstances would l consent to link
myself again to the thread Of life which fate
had SO completely severed.
The cool breeze came in at the open win
dow. The scene looked on was enchant-
ment itself-like and unlike the city l had
known in that other life which it served to
put farther and farther away. Electricity
had come since my demise, and the diamond
white lights among the trees in the little
square were nothing less than magical sub
stilutes for the flarng gas jets in their
smoked and dingy cases, which had SO
often watched from the same outlook. How
they flashed and cleaned! How the fonn-
tain glimmered in their light! moved my
head hack and forth. playing hide and seek
with them among the leaves of the trees.
watched the people walking along the paths,
| their shadows as clear as at monday, and
| noted the curious sheen of the mammoth
| leaved foliage-plants seen under the stCely
| glare.
Beyond them thousands Of cleaning lights
markell some palace of trade or amusement
l knew not which while along the other
side of the Square, where the old numbering
coaches used to 80, flashed every few min
utes back and forth great cars all agow
with light and full Of men and women, who
l envied the delight OF being moved so
swiftly by an unseen io-ce On the morrow
l determined wond make trial OF the rap
ture, for rapture was sure i. must be. Like
the sweet poet had loved So veil,
II thought the air must seem % fresh
To swallows on the wing.
The horse-cars which still crept along one
side of the Square | greeted rs old friends.
How familiar the jingle Of their bells aud
IL, ,l,n ftpn
pavements!
The eternal roar Of the echoing streets
came up through the ray-pierced darkness
Over against where l sat- doomed the dark
outline of building judged yet unfinished.
I had read of the {" sky--crapers," but only
caught glimses of them from the cab windows
| on my way from the station. l counted the
stories in the grim gray skeleton. There
were Il or -, conld not make out which,
that showed above the five-storied build
ing across the Square.
Through the lace work Of leaves shone
| maze of lights into which the flushing
| cars disappeared on their downtown way,
aud out Of which they leaped on their re-
turn. How my heart beat with eagerness
| for the day to come, that l might try their
| delights! II never once occurred to me that
| l had only to 90 down the street, walk
| block and whirl through the lighted
thoroughfare back and forth TO my hearts
| content. 1t may seen strange that 1t did
not, but in eight years l had been but three
times outside the walls of the Institution
after dark. 1t still seemed as if all doors
locked on the outside.
How clean the streets we're! mad mover
seen anything like it. Looking down into
the circle of light, the pavements seemed
without trace of the days traffic. Over at
the corner of the Square were two white
spots, which Judged to be pieces of paper.
That WAS the only sign of stain or litter.
Could it be that this was the city l had
known, and that / was -? No, ! was not.
The city was the same, only glorified; but
IL was dead, and this man who looked out
of the window, alternately smiling and
weeping-he was another-a man without
any past to be recalled, without any future
to anticipate.
All night I sat and watched the never
slumbering city. All night the white lights
flashed and bllDked under the leaden sky.
All night the cars went back aud forth like
golden shuttles, somewhat rarer after mid
night but TO me an sver-growing marvel.
In the early morning some sweeping
machines went BY. The rain began to fall
gently. Men with white uniforms and
brooms began to sweep the streets, and brush
unseen particles out of the crannies between
the rough paving. The roar of the city came
up like the echo Of battle across the forgoite
years. With the dawn / closed the shutter
and lay down upon my bed to Sleep though
/ was not weary with my vigil.
had thought out my problem in those
silent hours, and determined on the course
l would pursue. had grown suspicious of
the Doctor, aud feared someone might be in
wait for me in the little town where / had
lived, hoping to identify me with the man
who was dead. So l determined to wait
aud see the city before making any effort to
learn more of those he had loved.
TTO5e continued