The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-20

0Atco IA So1ocSS-m III prayers
You have called me the Goddess of the
Hill. Let me keep the name. 'Twould be too
notifying to confess to plain Mary Jane
after that" She had begun to walk away,
but paused to add kindly. Il wish you much
success with your pictures"
II shall have It," he cried. gazing after
her longingly; 1.-The efficacy OF the blessing.
you know. But will you never come here
again?"
Il do not know she answere gravely,
and turning, left him.
Some instinct OF honesty prompted Lorri-
mer that night to write to Marie. Dear
Marie" he began. And for the first time
since their engagement the words looked
cold. He took another sheet and wrote
rapidly: My dearest Marie, I wish you
could have been with me to-day. / was
loafing over my bonny nillside-my sanctu-
airy. my temple, 1 shall call it. 1 resorted to
the temple there to loaf and invite my soul.
You remember Walt whitman
!" i loaf and invite my soul,
l lean and loaf at my ease
1 exist as L am-that is enough.
III no other IN the world be aware, 1 sit
content,
And if each and all be aware. 1 sit content"
We'll, somebody was aware. For the first
time l met a human being on the hill-the
temple-and the spell is broken. 1 was in
advertently speaking aloud TO myself art
lists and lunatics do, you known, at times),
and had just delivered myself of some very
un-Whitmanlike sentiments about getting to
work, when up rose the presiding Goddess
OF the Cliff, poured her blessing on said
sentiments and disappeared. She was the
most beautiful woman / ever saw, Marie,
and I know you will not mind my saying
so to you. who are still a child and my
sweetheart. And just think 1 didn't even
know her name, nor where she lives, nor
whether I will ever see her again. 1 assure
you / am in despair. She was tall-rather
tall, and perfectly formed-I could tell that
by her poise; and she had the deepest eyes,
yellow as clay. Her coloring reminded me
Of those insects that have the color of their
habitat. She was all brown and yellow.
like the hillside. Don't get the idea that
she looked like an Indian. 1 could describe
her much better with my paint brush than
with clumsy words. She had the ~loveliest
mouth. one lip just resting on the other;
and her voice! Seriously, / am desperate
about losing her. Fancy what a model she
would make. Write to me, dearest; advise
me. console me, or you will have me back in
the city at once. if not sooner and 1 have
not painted a stroke"
If the candor of this peculiar love-letter
deceived the writer of it, it did not deceive
the girl whom Lorrimer called a child. She
was nineteen for all her ethereally youthful
appearance. and had a woman's passionate
and courageous spirit under a gentle blonde
exterior. A spirit that could hope and wait.
Lorrimer. waiting for his goddess upon the
heights was not half so patient. When he
found her many days after. it was in a
winding alley of catalpa trees in full bios
som, high along the western summit of the
hill. AS she came toward him unconscious
ly. in her summer draperies, blown against
by the light afternoon breeze. his mind
flew to the lines of the Gentle Goddess
over mems heads walking aloft
With tender feet treading so soft"
She did not hesitate when she saw him,
nor seem to be surprised, but smiled I'M
affectedly as she lifted her head to inhale
the fragrance Of the overhanging blossoms.
They're delicious, aren't they"
Yes" answered Lorrimer, in a voice he
could not make steady. Il begin to think
this hill is the home of all righteousness. L
was here when the locusts were in bloom"
80 long as that? You must have been
able TO paint a great deal in that time"
as If TO remind him that it was only in
his character of artist that she deigned to
converse with him. Lorrimer answered de-
family.
ION the contrary, / didn't do a thing.
Oh, just lived; and that was all. The very
day 1 met you 1 had just been debating
with myself as to whether 1 was even real
ly alive or not"
"O! And what conclusion did you come
to? Were you alive?"
mo. Until / met you I had not really
lived"
II suppose that means you met me on
the day hat Hooker's Green became a pos
sibility. To an artist life and work are syn
onymous terms L know. You see. 1 have a
logical mind"
TOO logical, I'm afraid, for contemplate
ing an illogical creature like myself. The
fact is I have not found Hooker's Green a
possibility, nor any other color for that
matter. But then. 1 suppose you've not
done so either of late"
II see no reason why you should suppose
at all about it," coldly.
Because the goddess has been absent
| from her niche for twenty-one days in sue
cession."
She looked down at him as he stood below
her with some scorn. IF you have been
| every day at the cliffs for the last three
weeks and nave not seen me there that does
not prove that 1 have been as idle as your
| self heretofore. The hills are large. for
tunately. and there are many points of
view"
Blu none so beautiful as that from the
cliffs"
THAT is q matter of opinion. You seem
to have found it so. 1 hope you obtained
good results In your pictures"
MY pictures?"
Ibid you not say you had been there on
the cliffs every day? Naturally. then. you
| painted steadily-at last"
The taunt in the last words fired Lori
mer. Nothing of the sort. / didn't go
TO paint" he exclaimed roughly and with
some secret shame. II went to see the
goddess. Oh, / know that is an imperti-
hence, but I can't help II. / went every
day, rain or shine. and three or four days
II rained. / didn't care. 1 know / am i'm
pertinent now; but TO see my ideal, my
dream Of beauty realized. that is worth the
preparation of some few impertinences.
Are you an artist and do not yet know that
beauty is the bres IN of life to the soul that
loves IL? Life and work. you say are syn
onymous. No! But life and beauty are
for me. How dare you be so beautiful and
accuse me of impertinence." He suddenly