Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-08-01
THE CURSE
AND THE KEY


| quiet word-a word that meant the end
and beginning. that meant sleep, long
sleep; that meant change and darkness;
that meant calmness and rest.
And this wipeglass held the key.
How fine! He smiled as he grasped 1t
and held II up TO the light. How fine
and red and strong looking was the
wine. And it contained the key to
mysteTy-a subtle, quick poison. He
was sad and tired. and here were OBJ
Ivion aud rest
He was not as other men. He feared
neither the beginning nor the end. He
was brave with the bravery that dares
all. He was absolutely his own god.
He laid the wineglass back on the Ia
BILE He would not take the step just
now. He would wait till the night had
worn further on.
And suddenly he began TO think of
the time when he was alone and bag
gard and full of strange, wild dreams
Aye, in the great city he found some
one to care for him because he was
what he was. The fine sweet face Of
a woman arose before him as he walk
the tide of human life.
But the time came when he left her
and went forth TO a greater and a wild
er and a stranger city. He Went out
10 WOO that hard mistress, fame.
Often he thought of her, but he
thought of her dimly. She was to him
as a beautiful, faint memory. When
her face arose before him, it was as the
face of one who has long been dead or
as face seen in a dream. haunting,
tender face. He knew that she must
have sorrowed, but he believed that it
was better for a woman to sorrow than
not 10 know 1t was better for WON
an to eat of the fruit of the tree of
knowledge even though she brought
upon herself the curse of frightful
suffering.
And at last he heard that she was
dead. He was very wise. this student.
His philosophy was the philosophy that
believes in the realizing to the full the
possibilities of the present. For him
today was the day; tomorrow had not
come, yesterday was but vague dream
was dead.
And he became famous mainly be-
cause he possessed a pagan clearness
of sight and because he was bold He
had realized that a great philosopher |
was simply a man who talked convinc |
ingly concerning things of which he |
really knew nothing.
And now, on this his last night, he |
was sitting by the fire and thinking of /
the time long ago.
He thought sadly that he was a much !
better man then than now, famous /
though he was. If he had been really .
a brave and great man, he would have
taken his life in his hand and died |
fighting for the spread of liberty !
through the world.
Instead he had elected to perform in |
tellectual tricks before the inane, stu |
pid mass. And the mass rewarded him I
by giving him money and calling him
great. His success was liza cursed
lie He had been a panderer and a
coward
No, no; he was not a panderer. he |
was not a coward He had done the |
best for himself. He had grasped the
golden fruit Of life when it swung
within his reach. He had used his gifts
for the realizing of his desires
But was not his first desire his great
desire? He had wished to devote his
life to the freeing of man. and he had
not done so. Then he had not realized
himself after all. Perhaps he should
have gone on hungering and have died
on the scaffold
He had had everything - love, fame.
honor. riches and all things that men
madly strive for-and still he wished
sadly for the old terrible days when he
knew not what the morrow would bring
forth Then there were the excitement
Of struggle and the cheer of the distant
star of hope. And he had a grand
ideal And the shade of the man he
was in those days seemed TO arise be-
fore him-the young man haggard of
face and stern of eyes. And he bowed
his head IN shame. for there was fail
ure, fine and noble and grand and
here was success begotten of trickery
and pandering
Ave. his success had indeed been a
low. degrading failure. and be had been
punished by safety settling upon his
shoulders-that unspeakable vulture.
He had become tired Of everything.
and still he was young, but his soul
was old.
He arose suddenly and raised the
wineglasS aloft How like blood the
wine as il shone in the light.
Il drink" he cried. ITO change. or TO
rest or to wild, unheard of adventure!
Come. death. and strike me. Come"
But. 10. be saw a face. 1t was the
face of Ellen-Ellen, who had loved
him as no other woman had loved him;
Ellen who had endured disgrace for
his sake; Ellen. who was dead
lie had been thinking Of her tonight.
and She was here And now he loved
her Safety was gone from him. Again
the bower OF love had come to him.
This woman had loved him when he