The suburban citizen., 1900-12-15
:Thg Ensggn Singer :
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7 WAS alone in the little seaside
town, the solace Of work being
denied me because of the illness
that had brought me there to seek
for health. 1 was desperately tired,
and my nerves were in a state that
rendered all enjoyment impossible.
I used 20 lie late in the mornings,
for there was nothing to do but wan
der idly on the promenade, and the
trivial pleasures Of the crowd veXed
me unutterably because 1 could not
share them.
1t was only at night 1 realized that
possibly this irksome time Of rest was
bringing me nearer to the recovery Of
my health Then 1 used to wander un-
till all but the latest Of the visitors had
left the promenade. 1t was impossible
not to be at rest. The coolness of the
night, the soothing murmur Of the
sea, and the shining yellow lights of
fishing village across the bay, COM
bined to make a perfect world, and as
watched l knew that even the garish
day might presently give me pleasure
again.
had been perhaps a fortnight in the
place when first L saw the lady of
whom would tell you. 1t was only
for a moment, as she drove past in the
company of an older woman, bat that
moments sight was enough to fill my
thoughts until saw her egain upon
the morrow.
She was beautiful beyond all words;
fancied she could hardly have passed
the age Of twenty; and speech and
hearing had been denied her. She had
the innocent gladness that remains
while they are yet young with some
who are thus afflicted. She looked
upon the world with beautiful bright
eyes, and, in despite Of fate, was well
pleased to be alive.
But she was talking with her fingers
to the elder lady, her companion. in
whose eyes as they looked on the girl
saw an infinite pity expressed.
That pity instantly invaded my own
heart, though its object was gone out
of my sight within a few seconds Of
! her appearance; and, despite the fact
that / knew not so much as her name,
there was mixed with the pity a sense
of angry rebellion against the fates
who had thus afflicted her, wantonly
robbing Of its value a generosity that,
through her, might otherwise have
! gladdened the wide world.
Now, more than ever, l regretted my
! loneliness, for had no one from whom
1 might expect to gather any informa-
ton of my gaining the privilege of her
acquaintance. made some futile I'm.
quiries nt the hotel, and only got so
far as to be almost certain she was,
like myself, a visitor.
On the next day, at about the same
hour, the carriage passed along the
length Of the promenade. She was
still innocently glad to be alive, CON
tent to accept her burden so If it were
no burden at all; 1t was with smiles
she looked into the plying eyes Of her
companion, and 1 could fancy that the
messages she was conveying with
swiftly moving fingers were humorous
appreciations Of what she saw around
! her.
My earlier questions had been ad.
dressed to a quaint, elderly waiter at
the hotel, man who had in some sort
made 1t his especial task to see to nv
Well-being, and who was the nearest
approach to a friend 1 possessed with.
In a hundred miles Of the place. It
happened that 1 was lunchlng at the
open window one day when the car
riage passed, little earlier than usual.
THAT is the lady Of whom / was
speaking" l said to him.
He looked out Of the window with
quick interest. "a dear little maid, if
l may say so. Yes and the poor dear
Is deaf and dumb; she's talkin' upon
her fingers. Well, l thought from what
you told me that they must be strang-
ers IN these parts and so they are. /
don't even know the horses nor the
carriage"
Thus passed several days. I began
to find myself vastly better, and, with
the growth of energy, to look forward
pleasurably to the time when I sbouId
return to my work in London.
Ny good friend, the walter, had sue.
ceeded, much to his delight, in getting
me to go for numerous drives through
the lovely country that surrounds the