Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-02-10

1850 AA4 N"NAH ~ - 80 R"N = NN|NN
forever. yot never cause a mortal
wound-only an infnitude Of pain.
but that Of yesterday was the broad
blade that kills at one stroke.
And agnin. as it broadcnad and
doepened and faded. like a moonbeam.
away. THAT Of yesterday. +" he muir
INJURED. twas ronuncintion; with its
battle, It's victory. It's sublime triumph.
its TRANSIENT peace, today's is resigna-
tom submittanco which has naught
Of battle. q victory. Of triumph, but
only pain. To6ay's 10 tho end. an end
that has no onl
But 90 IA lay there, hands closped be-
hind his tired head. lirs parted in q
snlilo-a smile unlike his, for it had
nnught OF scorn IN it-thcfo broke upon
tho silcHca tho opon!ay bars Of 2 little
prcludo. d my and svoo in itself. but
the manner Of It's playsng a veritGble
triumph IN mcdiocrity. Is walled and
cried lahoiiously above The Poets head
and echoed atout tie window. Il broke
into painful euatches and Indifferent
rhythm.
The Poet sprons 70 his foot with MP
exclamation Of impaf'orce ITO spoil
that with thisl' he cli-A On. how
can shell Ho bit his lips wrcthfully.
bet lac Gil not intend 60 have his dream
altogether spoiled AID. his anger con-
q|ucring his w~oariucas. he ran lightly up
the narrow stair.
He burst into the broom Of the stranger
without preface or prelude. end began
in q high pitched, woTaniah voice.
"What IN the world Then he
paused, for ho found she waa crying. a
little. middle eyed woman. with Q
wrinkled face and funny clin loc..s that
fell In n cloud utoat It. She was stand
ing in the middle q the room with her
music stretched out fatly on the table
and her violin and bow in hcr hands-
standing. the tears running thickly
down hor pale checks. without milking
any attempt to wipe them away.
The Poet felt even angricr than be-
fore. Women OF that age had no right
to cry so openly, he thought. Il went
against all his theories He was arSry.
too, that no had imagined her 70 be
young.
"What al a~bomiEable row." he said
| OF FGENAsH AEn NAs4A AA1 1GA VI AiAh
aboutl Dut it IS enough to make any
n cryi' 10 was not far from tears
himself with voxation-
Sho looked up at him wistfully-sho
WIS but q little thing-and without
any apparent 5aTprisc at his presence
or abrupt entrance. "Ahl l should not
have played again. she sobbcd. latter
after I had given it up"
Then | had guessed arightl' cried
tho Poet. Yesterday Il was repuncia-
ton and today resignation. But what
had you given up7 What have you re
noulced4 To what axe you resigned?"
II don't understand you, she said
uncomPrehcndingly. She laid her violin
on tho table, hanging over 1t as u moth
er does over her child.
"Whon you played yesterday
"Dut l didn't play yesterday. she
cried. 81 wanted to-ob, 80 badly. The
storm cried 20 me, tho wind cried aud
the sea cried. and / heard them all l
took my violin in my hand. but ! could
tell nothing Of what 1 heard. Oh, how
unhappy l wasl Then l drew the bow
backward and forward across the
strings. but without touching them.
and imagined it all caught the sob
bling Of the SEQ god on tho end of my
bow. I sent out the cry Of the gulls'-
"And the spray of the sear' cried the
Poet.
"And tho eddy and gathering Of the
foam
"And tho matter CT tho waves"
"And l thought Of how ! might have
played had not Notwithstanding
been wanting. Oh. l cried to God 70
give me the power TO play as-as my
soul could play but for this thing-this
me that cannot"
"Ihe cry fer the unattainable, the
Poet whispered to himself. bat she did
not hear or heed him.
al made q resolution. She dried her
tears briefly ct the recollection Of it.
"God would not give me my desire, 80
l gave up my semblancQ Of It, for l
wanted to keep my ideal. Then, when ]
had quito made up my mind. how !
could have played then. But 1t would
not come"
1.-THE triumph, said the Poet He
smiled imperceptibly TO himself.
'But today it was all 30 dreary. II
was all over, and there was nothing
left. And after l had thought how II
was all over and my last note played ]
thought l would again say goodby tc
my fiddle. And / fetched It out and
played goodby, but without making a
sound And l felt not a bit sorry. but
only a strange feeling here" She put
her hand ON her heart. 80 l played O
real little bit to see if it would take II
away"
He did not speak. His dream had
come back to him, and his thoughts,
like white clouds. aoated far. far away.
Black and White.