The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-27
Vanita's Vanitum.

in this weary. haartbroken world of ours,
and at the same time trod TIE courts Of
q perfect bliss, I an that person But
must explain. Al first sight possibly
this view might not strike the outsider;
Cor, TO come 10 plain facts. 1 am poor.
embarrassing and a drawing mistress
and YOU say: What is the lie history
OF ore who answers 20 this desc-ip-
tion?"
OF truth most people would reply:
Al my sister; this IS a grey existence.
WIKI htt4e JOY. many struggles. weary
work ard much loneliness
a few months back should have said:
True. o man my life is indeed set In
minor key. and very weary are the days
OF IL" But now ! great JOY has come
10 me. and the whole wide world seems
| hardly large enough 10 hold the sum OF H.
God, In His Infinite goodness, mas taken
pity on my loneliness. and no longer do
1--we 20 myself. but for my beloved whom
He has sent to me.
Our friendship began with literature
! Harry is a writer. and /, when my teach
ing hours are over. am always borrow
| ing and reading books. hunting after
subjects for my brush. for have ! not
set my whole heart and soul on being an
/ artist? And IL hard work and persever-
| ance avail anything. an artist l shall
be-
! Harry and ! are very different. HIS
| virtues are not mine: neither are my vir-
/ tues his. He is sweet-tempered, kindly.
| and good. but not in the least fitted 10
| look after himself or get on in the world.
| am determined. persevering and self
| reliant: so. you see, together We shall
make a good whole
| Nowadays people are perpetually writ
! ing 10 prove the superiority Of women.
! and consequently the inferortty Of men
| Now. whenever l read these outbursts
| always think that the worthy person who
writes them has never known what Il Is
to love or be loved. Somehow. poor souli
| she has missed that perfect happiness in
! which each gives and takes. and neither
| wishes to be above the other, for, in
! that sunny. sprng-llke land Of bliss. when
: once past the ivory gates of courtship.
everyone is equal whether clever or stu
| pid. up to date or dowdy.
But to return to ourselves. Every az
| ternoon Harry comes TO write in my little
sitting-room while ! paint my picture.
| my chef d oeuvre, which is the outcome of
much mutual thought One day We were
reading John Inglesant" together. and
as we finished that wonderful scene where
l. Cavaliere di San Giorio comes down
the pass in the early morning, his heart
full of thoughts Of vengeance upon his
brothers murderer. suddenly 1 seemed
10 see before me the little narrow chapel
the sun streaming over the painted Christ
the men-at-arms guarding the prisoner,
the astonished peasants. the wonderlngs
priest, and Inglesant himself sheathed in
jeweIed armor. standing before the al
tar with his drawn sword held length
wise across his hands"
Thus / found my subject. What a word
picture, and why in the world had no one
Z. he aa,-irf e,r76
a half have 1 worked. and tonight Harry
and 1 stand looking at the finished pic
ture. Tomorrow it goes to take its chance
at the academy. If it is accepted and
sells We shall be able to marry, if not
but no, 1 will not look on the gloomy
side Tonight is ours, and as we stand
hand in hand lay my head on Harry's
shoulder, he rests his cheek on mine, and
slowly a great peace descends on US, and
l know that whatever the future holds,
whether of evil fortune or good. it mat
tiers not, so long as we have one an
other, for 1 am my beloved's and my be-
loved is mine and truly.
Love is the incense which doth sweeten
earth.
CHAPTER II.
And womans tears and wo-
mans love.-Shorthouse.
At last it has come. and with the fate
full letter in my hand l stand at the
breakfast table. 1t is a sunny breezy
morning. and all the world is breaking
forth into soft foliage and happy song
Accepted or rejected" ] whisper, and
then nerve myself to open the envelope.
Accepted" With a rush of relief and
thankfulness 1 sit down suddenly and
gasp. Then up l jump. for on the strength
of this good news must not afford a tel
egram TO Harry? So, ] sit down again.
and as / write my past loneliness my
dear dead artist father. Harry's beloved
face our future life and all the joys and
sorrows have ever known seem to rise
and fit through my mind, followed by an
intense feeling of rest and happiness
Why, in moments of great JOY. do the
ghosts of old sorrows long since laid TO
rest in memory's green graveyard arise
and look at us with their tear-dmmed
eyes? Is it that they would say. Be
ware, on, mortal, that which has been
may yet again come TO pass; tears and
joy-jOy and tears-are they not so subtly
intertw!ned that, behold, oftentimes man
knoweth not the one from the other?'
Still, in spite of quivering hearts and
sobbing breath, how goodly a place Is
this world. and how easy a thing it is 20
be happy herein.
The door opens hurriedly, and again l
find myself standing at the breakfast ia /
bic, this time with a telegram, not let |
ter, in my hand. My landlady gives me |
a note. l omen and read 1t, and pres |
emily l seem TO have known for quite |
a long time in a numb sort of way that |
my Harry viii never get his telegram. |
and that for the frs. time in my life /
must have wasted sixpence. then l |
look down at the table, see the paper. |
and know that Il has not been sent. 50 4
IA sr~.,rr 7
did not spend that sixpence; for. with our /
house 10 furnish. and many other--all /
at once il comes over me that never shan i
a little house be furnished: never shan 4
arrange my treasures il q litt.e study, /
never, never, as long as I live. shall I 4
have one place 1 can call home" and (
so l sit and cry over my lost home
I do not cry for my dead lover. because /
somehow l cannot help thinking that /
when the big church clock outside strikes .
(. Harry VIII come bounding up the stairs. /
and I shall open the door. with ny i2ug I
expected letter in my hand and then 1
HaTry-ah, ! know 50 well what NJ viii 4
do and happy blush rises TO my face. I
Here my thoughts are suddenly interrupt
ed as I catch sight OF the telegram. Why 4
has IL not gomez How stupid OF ne. OF 4
course. il was kept 70 save that SIX
pence.
IN an lnane Sort o. way lAke 0nl ana
open my purse. intending % put away my
saved CON. but I cannot find II anywhere.
and a. ! look about the room there smiles
up al me from q photograph frame on
the writing table my Harry.s dear face
forget my sixosLce-uy lost h0ma-ev-
erg-th.rg-as with a sudden rush az awful
anguish fling mvse.f on The aoor, yearn-
ing in dumb agony f5- one. Just one sisat
OF my darling. one sound Of rs voice.
Outside 2 pass. - dUstrnar picks Up
far-ar which has b.ov-- through an t,pel