The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1898-01-04
Her Last Dance.

She was not beauty, perhaps, but
she was assuredly fascinating butter
fly of creature; even her women
friends admitted that. And though
seven-and-twenty, and the mother of
a girl of seven. She still retained so
much of virginia. expression and con-
tour that imagination was 10th to ac-
cept the fact of matronhood. One felt.
indeed, that II the "Ewige Weiblich,"
changefully changeless, radiantly soul
satisfying, were to be personified, here
was the model. Gracious and graceful,
gentle and joyous, she possessed
talents innumerable, all cultivated to
certain degree--to u degree that had
quite sufiiced former own enjoyment and
the edificaton of host of admiring
and not too exacting friends, who
thought her a delightful prodigy and
spoiled her accordingly.
But, now, cudgel the stunned brain
as she would, no real capability 'of
marketable value" as ii had been so
bluntly put to her even in these early
hours of misery-Cousin Selma always
put things bit bluntly, she felt with
little SILVER of annoyance-no resource
could she discover TO stand her in good
stead in the dreaded day that had come
at last. The bolt had fallen that morn
ing, and, with numb, folded hands and
dry, terror-filled eyes, she sat in the
darkest corner of her gay little draw
ing-room, beneath the CHASTITY chamber
whence were soon TO be borne the earth
ly remains of her husband
What was she TO do? How was she to
procure, not the luXuries without which
she scarce imagined her child could
exist, but the bare necessities of Lie?
Every piece, of furniture in the house
was mortgaged TO its full value, and
her last jewel had gone to pay the rent.
Thank heaven, they would have this
haven for some time TO come. She was
in debt to butcher and baker, and she
had not had new pair of gloves for
months. Shillings had become the basis
of expenditure as gumeas had been
hitherto.
In the morning sympathizing friends
came to support and assist her through
the trying ordeal. All passed like Il
said, over and over, "but my heart is
strong"
When, a month later, she sat with
Cousin Selma in the same room. in the
same chair, listening again to the gusty
rain as it beat against the windows, 1t
was to her as il no appreciable time had
interviewed Dreaimily she took up the
thread of her thoughts where she had
dropped it that sad night, and the
strange conceit came back to her.
Women, less brilliant but stolid and
plodding, were ensconced in journals
where abe had disdained even to allow
her verses to appear. With voices in no
way comparable to hers, she saw others
succeed while she, who sang like a
bird-but like bird. too. only when in
spired--could make no impression.
And 80, lowered as she was, she was
poorer and more helpless than the
humblest woman who could conscien-
tiously knit q pair of stockings or en-
broider teacloth.
The pretty face seemed pinched and
weary; two deep lines began to inclosc
the dropping mouth. II smile en-
parenthese," she said, to Cousin Selma.
as she turned from the mirror, where
she was trying to change the express
sion of those quivering lips. that even at
the moment curved upwards, Cupid's
bow, at the quaint conceit.
More surely than ever she knew she
could ask no favors, but must put her
own shoulder to the wheel. But what
to do when all else failed? To dance on
the stage! Why not? She could dance;
all her life she had loved to dance. In
her greatest joy'she had ever found full
est expression in dancing to her own re-
Elections before the long mirror in her
boudoir. A hundred times her darling
had been lulled to sleep, eased of her
pain by the dancing of her pretty
Mumsie." Once, with her husband. she
had seea famous actress woman
chaste az herselt-dance so gracefully
yet with AN abandone so perfect as to