The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-24

the pictured walls Ha, this 10 happiness.
Float 1t on the smoking viands, sound II
in the music, whirl 1t in the Dance cast 1t
brilliant stairway, flash 1t In chandeliers
Happiness indeed
Something Lacking.
Let us build on the center of tho parlor
floor a throne to happiness; let all the
guests when come In, bring their flowers
and pearls and diamonds, and throw them
on this pyramid, and let 1t be throne,
and then let happiness the queen, mount
tho throne, and we will stand around,
and, all challces lifted, we will say,
"Drink, O queen; live forever" But the
guests depart, tho flutes are breathless, tho
last clash Of tho impatient hoofs is heard
In the distance. and tho twain Of the house,
hold come back to see tho queen of happi-
ness on the throne amid the parlor floor
But, alas, as they come back, the flowers
have faded, the sweet odors have become
the smell Of q charnel house, and instead
Of the queen Of happiness there sits there
the gaunt form OF anguish, with bitten
lip and sunken eye and ashes in her hair.
The romp Of the dancers who have left
seems rumbiing yet, like jarring thunders
that quake the floor and rattle the glasses
of the feast rim to rim. The spilled wine
on the floor turns into blood. The wreaths
Of plush have become wriggling reptiles.
Terrors catch tangled in tho canopy that
overhangs the couch. A strong gust of
wind comes through tho hall and tho
drawing room anu the bedchanber, in
which all the lights go out And from tho
lips Of tho wine beakcrs come the words,
Happiness is not In us!' And the arches
respond, ut Is not In usI" And tt 81
fenced instruments CT music, thrunmtd
on by invisible fingers, answer, "Happi-
ness is not In us!" And tho frozen lips of
anguish break open, and, seated on tho
throne Of wilted flowers. ghe strikes Ltr
bony hands together and groans. 1T IL
not In me!'
That very night clerk with salary Of
81 600 year-only $l,000-goes to lis
homo, set up three months ego, just after
tho marriage day Love meets him at tho
door, love sits with him at the table, love
talks over the work of tho day, lovo takes
down tho Billie and reads Of him who
came our souls to save, and they kncei,
and while they arc kneeling, right in that
plain room on tho plain carpet, tho angels
of God build a throne net out of flow ers
that perish and fado away, but out of gar
lands Of heaven, wreath on top Of wreath
amarapth on amaranth, until the throne
is DONE Then the harps of God sounded,
and suddenly there appeared enc who
mounted the throne with eye so bright |
and brow SO fair that the twain knew IL /
was Christian love- And they knclt at |
the foot OF the throne, md, putting ono
hand on each head, she blessed them and
said, Happiness is with mer' And that
throne Of celestial bloom withcrcd net
with the passing years, and tho queen left
not the throne till enc day the married
pair felt stricken in years felt themselves
called away and knew not which way to
go, and tho queen bounded from the
Throne and said, Follow me, and will
show you tho way up to the realm Of ever
lasting love-" And so they went up to
sing songs Of love and walk ON payements
If love, and to live together in mansions
If love, and to rejoice forever in the truth
hat God is love