Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-09
A Pantoum in Prose.

him suddenly Indeed, until he was thirty
he was a sceptic, and did not believe in
miraculous powers. And here. since 1t is
the most convenient place, must mention
that he was a little man, and had eyes
of hot brown, very erect red hair. mus
tache like the German emperor's, ana
freckles. His name was George Mcwhir-
ter Fotheringay-not the sort of name by
any means to lead to any expectation Of
niracles-and he was clerk at Gomshotts.
He was greatly addicted to assertive ar
gument. 1t was while he was asserting
the iTnpossibility of miracles that he had
his first intimation OF his extraordinary
powers This particular argument was be
ing held in the bar of the Long Dragon,
and Teddy Beamish was conducting the
opposition by mcnotonous but effective
so you say that drove Mr.. FotheringAy
to the very limit of his patience.
There were present. besides these two, a
very dusty cyclist. Landlord Cox, and Miss
Maybridge. the perfectly respectable and
rather portIy barmaid of the Dragon. Miss
Maybridge was standing with her back to
Mr.. Fotheringay. washing glasses; the
others Were watching him, more or less
amused by the present ineffectiVeness of
the assertive method Goaded by the Tor
res Vedras tactics of Mr.. Beamish Mr..
usual rhetorical effort. '-Looky here, Mr..
Beamish. said Mr.. Fotheringay. let rs
clearly understand what miracle is. It's
something contrariwise to the course of
nature, done by power of will something
what couldn't happen without being spe-
cially wi.led."
SO you say" said Mr.. Beamish, repuls
trg him
Mr.. Fotheringay appealed to the cyclist,
who had hitherto been a silent auditor.
and received his a. sent-gfven with hest
tsting cough and glance at Mr.. Beamish.
The landlord would express no opinion,
and Mr.. Fotheringay. returning to Mr..
Beamish, received the unexpected conces-
sion of qualified assent to his definition
of a miracle
For instance" said Mr.. Fotheringay,
greatly encouraged Here would be
miracle That lamp. in the natural course
of nature, couldn't burn like that upsy
down. could it, Bearaish?'
You say 1t couldn't said Beamish.
And you?" said Fotheringay. You
don't mean to say-eh?'
No said Beamish, reluctantly NO,
1t couldn't
Very WELL" said Mr. Fotheringay.
Then here comes some one, as it might
be. along here. and stands as it might be-
here. and says TO that lamp. as L do, coll
Letting all my will: Turn upsy-down with
out breaking. and go on burning steady,
and-Huilo.''
1t was enough to make any one say
Hullo. The impossible the incredible,
was visible TO the mall. The lamp hung
inverted in the air. burning quietly with
its flame pointing down. II was as solid
as indisputable as ever a lamp was. the
prosaic common lamp of the Long D. agon
bar
Mr.. Fotheringay stood with an extended
fcre1Eger and the knitted brows of one an
tcipatins catastrophe smash. The cyclist,
who was sitting next the lamp. ducked and
j. mped across the bar. Everybody Jumped,
more or less. Miss Maybridge turned and
screamed For nearly three seconds the
lamp remained still a faint cry of mental
distress came from Mr. Fotheringay- Il
can't keep it up" ne said. ANY longer"
He staggered back. and the inverted lamp
suddenly Jared fell against the corner of
the bar. bounced aside, smashed upon the
floor, and went out
1t was lucky 1t had a metal receiver or
the whole place would have been in a blaze
Mr.. Cox was the first TO speak, and his re-
mark shorn of needless excresceuces was
to the effect that Fotheringay was
fool FOtheringay was beyond disputing
even sc fundamental a proposition that!
He was astcnished beyond measure at the
thing that had occurred. The subsequent
conversation threw absolutely no light on
the matter so far Fotheringay was con-
cerned; the general opinion not only fol-
lowed Mr. Cox very closely, but very We
hemently. Every one accused Fotheringay
of a silly trick, and presented him to him.
self as a foolish destroyer of comfort and
security His mind was in tornado Of
perplexity- he was himself inclined to agree
with them and he made a remarkably in
enectual opposition to the proposal Of his
departure
He went home flushed and heated coat
collar crumpled, eyes smarting and ears
red. He watched each of the ten street
lamps nervOusly as he passed il. 1t was
only when he found himself alone in his
little bed room in Church row that he was
able to grapple seriously with his memories
happened?'
He had removed his coat and boots, and
was sitting on the bed with his hands in
his pockets repeating the text of his de-
Tense for the nth time. Il didn't want the
confounGed thing to upset" when it oc-
-
he had said the commanding words he
had inadvertently willed the thing he said
and that when he had seen the lamp in the
air he had felt that il depended on him to
maintain il there without being clear how
this was to be done. He had not a particu-
larry complex mind. or he might have
stuck for time at the Inadvertently will
ed embracing. as IL does, the ahstrusest
problems of voluntary action; but as 1t
was. the idea came TO him with a quite ac-
eeptable haziness. And from that follow
ing as j must admit. no clear logical path
he came 10 the test of experiment
He pointed resolutely to his CANDLE and
collected his mind. though he felt he did
foolish thing BE raised up" he said
But in second that feeling vanished The
candle was raised, hung in the air one
slddy moment. and, as Mr. Fotheringay
gasPed. fell with smash on his toilet ia
bic. leaving him in darkness save for the
expiring glow of its wick
Fer a time Mr. Fotheringay sat in the
darkness, perfectly still. 1T did hapoen
IT 1 don't know" He sighed heavily and
began feeling II his pockets for match
He could find none, and he rose and CROPPED
ABOUT the toilet table. Il wish l had a
Tatch. he said. He resorted to his coat,
and there was none there, and then 1t
daWned upon him that miracles were pos
slhIe even with matches. He extended a
hand ans scowled at II in the dark LEI
tnere be d match in that hand" he said
he 1elt some light object fall across his
palm. aad mis- fingers closed upon match.
After several Intellectual attempts to light
TINS. he discovered il safety match
he threw 1t down. and then it occurred to
MN that he might have willed II lit He
dld. and perceived il burning in the midst
or his toilet table mat. He caught IL IN
hastily. and II went out. His perception of
possibilities enlarged. and ne felt for and
replaced the candle in the candlestick
Here. you be Ill.,. said Mr.. Fotherinxay
anc forthwith the candle was fiaring and
he saw little black hole in the toilet COW
sT. with wisp Of smoke rising from it. For
time he stared from this TO the little
Tame and back. and then looked I'D and
net mis- own gaze in the looking glass BY
this help he communed with himself In
ailt a irna