The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-20
A DREAMER.


he opened his eyes. Everything looked
much as he had imagined and hoped II
would look. On tho wall opposite in q
black frame hung the picture of snow.
storm from The Illustrated London News
of half dozen years ago. BY his bedside
stood the table, with a tumbler of water
and bowl Of fresh fiowers-lilies of the
valley. On another table by the window
burned dim light. Here were medicine
bottle, some few articles always found In
a sickroom, couple of books, more flow-
ers and roll of white linen.
In low chair near the dim light a
woman sat. He could see only her head
and a narrow outline Of her face. Her
head was thrown far back against the pink
cushion. Her hair looked brown, streaked
with gold where the light touched 1t. Her
dress was black He could see the corner
of a white apron and the curve of a white
COLLAR and soft, white cuffs against small,
white hands.
He wished he could see more of her. He
was afraid to move lest she heard him.
Evidently she was young. That was good.
Was she also beautiful or even pretty?
with him or hard and stern and matter
of facts How peaceful 1t was In this little
room in the center of the great. silent hos
pitall Such pence he had never felt before
In his life, though he had often sought it.
No one could come and worry him here,
or stare at him, or ask him stupid ques-
tions He did not care now whether he
grew better or worse so long as he could
tb -
the snowstorm on the wall, and the lilies
by his side on the table, and the nurse
asleep In the chair, and everywhere the
calm and the peace. 1t was oven better
than his room at home There his mother
or his father, his sisters and his brothers
would have continually come, and looked
at him, and asked him how he felt, and
why he was 50 stupid, and why he was
different from other people.
Hero mono could worry him. He was
safe.
What time was ia Evening probably,
or perhaps night.
No light came through the blind and the
gray, drawn curtaina He could hear no
sounds from the street, not oven the dis
tant roar of traffic which never ceases.
Should he speak TO the nurse and see
what she was likes He very much wanted
her to be pretty. He still olung to the
stupid idea that IL she were pretty she
would be kind-and forgiving Did she
know all about him, all that other people
knew or thought they knew Would she
forgive him: But he did not need forgive
ness. He had done nothing wrong. She
wonld only consider him like other men.
Well, that would be better than thinking
him 80 different from every body else. He
was quite tired of bearing he was differ
ent"
He turned on his side again to sleep.
The nurse heard him. She rose and
came to the bedside and bent over him.
"Are yon comfortable? Do you want
snything'"
He opened his eyes gratefully. The voice
was low and deep and soothing The
thought also came to him that 1t was for
giving voice.
"No, thank you, nurse. / am all right
/ was just thinking bow-how quiet and
nice il was here. What time Is IL? Night
time surely|
at is early morning, nearly 3 o'clock.
You will hear the sparrows awake soon
and begin 10 chirp and chatter in the trees
beneath your window. Will you drink this
medicine DowS"
He smiled. 'Yes, II you like. But the
knowledge has come to me that medicine
ID 10 good. don't suppose I shall live
long. don't want TO live. have moth
Ing To live for. My ideals 1 have found
only ideals. My dreams will come to moth
ing. only want to-I seem to want TO
make my peace, to come 70 an understand
ing with some one or something"
Hush! You must not talk. There,
will make your pillow comfortable and
smooth your sheet. {"
II must talk, nurse will talk. Do
you know have been awake long timei
I have been lying looking at you. I was
wondering " npd hoping you were pretty.
am no glad you are / used to think, ]
believe still think, that beautiful women
have beautiful mindsI
"Hushl You Inuss not talk. You will
grow ezcited."
"Nurse, you know cannot live longl
Well, lot me bs happy y'-he gave a sort OF
sob laugh--"be happy for u few minutes.
Let me talk just for onoe. i have been
silent all my life. have thought all my
life. ] never found any one to talk to-
sxoept Ruby, and she ran away with an
other man. That was because was poor
Bring over your chair and sit beside me-
All, that 10 right am glad you are kirys
and understaDd ms. suppose you know
how first became III and my quarrel with
my relativesi OF course II 10 my own
fault / ought NOS 70 have bean different
from my brothers. You sec, was a bit oi
q dreamer. I read too many books when q
boy, and preferred painting pictures tc
studying law and writing stories 10 sit
ting In q London ofYice. dreamed a good
deal, and never went about town like my
brothers did I don't know why did not
My sisters noticed IL. They were jolly
girls, kind hearted, and that sort Of thing
Bot they didn't care for my taciturn, quiet
ways. II my brothers came home late from
n fellows rooms, they used to let them In
and help them ~ their rooms and say
nothing about H. They thought IL rather
good sport aud were annoyed with mo be
cause 1 didn't ever stop out late or ge
mixed up In n row or drink too much.
II never found any one who took an I'm
tercst In things liked. Because wouldn
mo t,t.s tho A. ~ or ,nodictpe or baukinQ