El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-01
ASenSitiVeN Nature


! L am so strangely constituted that no
sooner do 1 enter a room than 1 become
conscious, in some way which I cannot
at all explain, of the deeds which have
been done within that room. 1t is as If
inaudible words sounded in my ear-nay,
that description does not satisfy me.
| Rather it is as if waves Of comprehension
broke over me successfully, AS the SEN
sitiZed plate records impressions, so does
my whole being appear to chronicle them.
One evening L was invited to dine with
my friend, Theodore Ransom, and his
bride and accepted with alacrity.
This hideously sensitive body of mine
will feel only happiness for once in its
existence" l said to myself. SO expect
ant of a sensation of delight was | that
when l entered the artistic drawing room
and became conscious with a shock of
wave of sin and pain it was as if | had
been dealt a blow in the face. Then,
while l exchanged greetings with my
hostess and laughed and talked with her
the details of a shameful scene enacted
within the walls of that room beat on my
brain and heart till | felt sick and faint.
Words of love spoken by the woman be-
fore me To another than my friend Iheo-
dorc. and spoken in trcachery and with
out shame. intridCd themselves upon my
Mortified understanding. To have been
able TO see the skeleton behind that glow
ing flesh would have been no more repui
sive to me than to discover. as | did the
false soul tsrhinG those innocent seeming
eyes.
But my ovcra Ut. SENSE finally brought
ms the JOY IF E!y HE. is y)u shall hear.
Max Raft. who had studied with me
the year | WAS at Weimar. asked me to
cali with him one evening upon two
young ladies, cousins OF his. who
i.--t l,A
with Il relative whom Max did not know.
he said. | remember that we had much
trouble to find the house. 1t WAS in an
old part of the town. in a sort of cul de
sac. and the yard was not ut all the sort
of thing one would have expected to find
in the city. 1t was thick with trees and
shrubbery. and through the starlt gloom
l perceived quaint summer house. 1t
evident from all these tokens that
we were about to visit a German family
for so these arboreal tokens indicated
to me.
We entered a long. old fashioned draw
ing room of nondescript color and char
acter, and l had just time to notice that
there was not an uncomfortable chair in
the place when the young ladies entered.
MaX's cousins We're certainly handsome
girls. They came from Philadelphia, and.
having never been west before, they had
ideas to which we listened with amuse-
ment and enjoyment. But while they
were talking l was submitting myself to
most delightful revealment. The old
walls of the house gave out deep, har-
monious vibrations. Peace settled upon
me. Thoughts of chaste sweetness, of
exquisite modesty tender joy filled my
mind. l became conscious of many dim
med visions-dimmed because the old
walls had seen much that the writing
they presented to my subconsciousness
was like that of ancient palimpsest-
In the new drawing room of Theodore
RanSom's house the scenes had been vio-
lent in their diStnctneSS, for compare
lively few emotions had been experienced
within those walls. l marveled vino
the being could be that shed the pure
and comforting influence about the room
in which | now sat 1t could not be Ell
Their of the Misses Roeder. for they had
only been in that house for a week. as
guests. Little by little, out of the cross
ing and recrossing impressions, L began
to be conscious of a soft voice, /. on of a
slender figure and of Il maiden's soul
But before / could succeed in diSentan
Cling this idea from the many with which
the place was haunted the embodiment Of
these perceptions entered the room.
The dark curtains at the door were lift |
ed aside by Il tiny white hand, and the
next moment there stood. framed by
these heavy draperieS. the maiden whose |
loneliness had been making itself known
to me from the second l entered the door
She was of medium height, with quiet
eyes, hazel in color, braided hair of
brown, a transparent complexion, a spir-
itual brow and smiling, rather timorous
lips. Her little summer frock had no or
nament except the violets at her belt. !
She was the embodiment of maidenhood. |
We all arose-and l was trembling.
MY cousin, Miss Shaur-Mare |
Shaur,' said the younger Miss Roeder.
Really" said Max in his hearty way,
81 think l ought to be able to claim some |
sort of a kinship, Miss Shaur, since you
are a cousin to my cousin"
Every one is kin who desir"s - ,
So" she replied, and for the first time it |
seemed to me that the brotherhood of
man was fact But l could say moth |
ing l held out my hand awkwardly, and |
as her soft palm touched mine that per-
picking palimpsest of impressions became |
but as backg ground to the one sweet in |
dividuality which stood out from the rest.
All that was gracious and unseltish and