The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-24

Algy D'Allancourt, an immaculate
masher, stoou al two o'clock in the
morning, on the moon-suffused verge of
Eppfng Forest--or Buchey Park-he
was unware of his exact neighborhood
For he had fallen asleep in his hansom
and the drunken fool OF a driver had
given hm some two hours i'm an un-
known direction. before half-scrambl-
ing half-tumblng off the box, he had
subsided into slumber in a ditch by
the roadside
Agy was inclined 20 mink IL was
Epping e crest. For one thing IL was
so Wild. then some curious association
out of John Dayidson's novels linked
hansoms and sta "e adventures and
Eppng Forest an his mind. Anyhow, 1t
was a beastly sort of a place with
gusts of ouu. creepy noises, there was
something uncomfortable in the cold
stare OF the moon: II defined your lone
liness and at the same time set
circle OF mist "A. round you Whlch
might De full OF lurking things-in-
deed, there were patterinss OF feet now
and again and attenuated cries. IL
was altogether an awkwar- mess. AS
n last alternative, he could of course,
get into the hanson and SIT there until
morning; but the night was abomin-
ably cold. and gimmer OF light up
inn and a roaring fire. SO, full or tns
hope, he determined TO venture off the
open road into the unknown and awful
dimness of the moon confused wood.
The light proved elusiye-and shifted
and vanished. Algy pursued IT bravely
His nea. patent leather shoes became
grimed with mud, an aggressive
branch Knocked OFF his chimney-pot
hat moss and licnen srains appeared
upon his psotless shirt front, while his
cuffs grew limp with the damp OF drip
pings and dew. He came 10 the con-
cluslon that l. light must be one OF
those beastly will-o'- -the-wisp and
that he had better get back as soon as
he could to his hanson. But he found
himself hopeessly entangled in thicket
upon thicket-a maze closer ana more
puZZling than that OF Hampton Court.
Algy lost his temper and swore. las
thin shoes were quite wet and let in
water at every step-there were thorns
in his socks. He had never known such
an extreme OF physical discomfort. He
was OF the class that live leisurely In
dull luxuriance a life within doors as
artificial and bounced as a stage scene.
Thickness of wal land dimness OF cur
tain had always drawn "A veil between
himself ana actually. and the Outside
world caug..- i'm odd glimpses from club
windows ana hansoms, was as unreal
ized as city In lars. This harsh
and ghostly forest came as revela-
tion to him and. though he sw re and
shiverel with wet and cold, yet as he
went on his blood began TO course
through his veins with unwonted quick
ness and exhiliaration. He lost the
sense OF terror-the pitit, anxiety
about his own we'll -being-and crunch
ed through bush through brier with a
growing light n the exertion mat
soon tore away the last shreds OF his
dandyism. He emerged az last into an
omen space--a scarecrow hgure-ciVih-
zatIon corrected by" Mother Nature.
There he came upon woman in the
moonlight. blurred and iiilmy, STOPPING
-stooping.
Algy thought at first that she must
be doing washing. He had heard that
the working classes rose at lnconcelN-
able hours. and perhaps this was some
ingenious device TO avoid the "beastly
fag" of "wahing day" But the woman
syvas not washng she was not doing
anything commonplace or ordinary.
AlgN watched her with quickly rising
interest. 1t was like tiptop scene IN
play. His experience was entirely
bounded by the theatre. by popular
picture by sensational nov els, and at
first she reminded him of the witches
at the Lyceum: then. as she came near
er TO him. still STOPPING, her garments
resolvey themselves into dim puppies
and blues. like the colors or that PAIN
ter CnaO, w atefnnuSt. AT the A'dutihS
--purples and blues dulled and silNered
by the moon. Then some vague Eton
rem niscence fuated into his mind; an
old Greek Johnny had written about a
woman gathering herbs by moonlight
to poison-no, To boil--her uncle-lh-
law. or some one. Medea, that was the
name. who pretended she could make
old people young again, and 10 prove IL,
changed ram into calf.
The woman passed quite close To him.
Her face was young and smooth "Aw
say--what are you doing. you know
asked Algy. She raised her eyes. They
had the mystery in them of unutterable
age.
Her hands were full of grasses and
flowers. and queer-leaved things, ana
she held them up TO him. II am gain
erng up the potentiahty OF youth she
said.
"Aw-what forg' said Algy.
The woman stood looking at him. The
crumpled cuffs the soiled shirttront.
seemed TO proclaim him an alien spe-
cips-infnitely far away from the earth
she loved and embodied. II think you
are one of those who do not know what
youth is," she said. "or you would not
ask"
II never did feel young" replied Al
gy:: Il was always bored and thought
| knew lot. Does il feel nice to be
young?'
Can you imagine how star feels
how a sunset feels-how a river feelsy
asked the woman; always fresh, al
ways full of light--changing. change
less? To be young is TO be immortal
Snnd the oldest things are the young
est. The Oldest thing I'm the world Is
Nature. and she Is the youngest too
To be truly young. young man, is tC
have abounding v'tality-a vitality that
makes every moment live. every though'
burn. every word tingle. You city folb
are old even at birth--your life IL q
sluggish stream through murky under