The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-04-25
HECUBA
By ROssiter johnson.
" Els, old chum, will tell you all
about it.

l about it.
1t was a great procession, and l
stood at the northeast corner of -
street and watched it as it swept along
up the avenue with an even stride, and
at intervals with monotonous song.
j was not altogether comfortable; for
it was one long, moving column of en-
thusiasm, inspiring almost equal en-
thusiasm in two stationary columns
on either side of the way, and it was
enthusiasm for a ticket that L did not
intend to vote.
l busted myself with counting the
ranks and making large allowance for
the boys that were apparently I'M
der 81.
Suddenly my counting came to an
end-I forgot what total | had arrived
at, cared no more for the banners and
notices, and was deaf to the noise
of the captains and the shouting" By
one of those movements that occa-
sionally take place in a good-natured
crowd there was a little whirlpool
where | stood, everybody within two
or three yards was moved to a new
spot on the pavement and all relative
positions were changed. With this
change suddenly doomed up in front
of me one of the most delightful Vi
sions of my life. Che was taller than
most of the men that stood near her,
and was perfectly proportional. Her
dark brown hair was rolled into
smooth, solid mass at the back of her
head, and balanced it perfectly above
shoulders that seemed to have the
strength of mans without losing the
beauty of a woman's. She wore a
dormer-window hat, ornamented by a
single rosebud, with just the least
touch of jauntiness, and the October
sunlight fell athwart one of those
faces that words can never portray
and the painter can seldom do more
than attempt. 1t might be said that
it was almost Grecian, and it must be
said that it was wholly American. But
the chief glory was in the expression,
and as [ edged around to one side and
the other, through an arc of 240 de-
grees, | saw it from many different
puI uncovered llO ana L.
i have seen perfect profles on plain
faces and handsome faces with pitiful
profiles, but here it was impossible for
light and shadow, by any change, to
betray fault or a weakness, for there
was nothing to be betrayed. She
could have stood as the comprehensive
model for womanl<ind, whose separate
excellencies might be caught by one
and another of her sisters, but who
in her entirety was not likely ever to
be duplicated.
Twice only in my life had I seen
similar vision, and these two visions
were but pictures of a moment; yet
they never have faded from my MEM
ory. They are nameless, but immor-
tai. The third such, far more Impress
I've. more real and yet more romantic,
was-who was she? When the process
sion disbanded and l was walking
slowly home some fragment of con-
seriousness rose and said: what is she
to your" Thereupon l named her
Hecuba-and Hecuba she is and will be
to the end of time.
When the crowd dispersed after the
last troop had passed l watched her
as she climbed into an omnibus.
"Now, why" said I to myself after
dinner, SHOULD you think a second
time of Hecuba? You know absolute
~ nothing about her, except that her
personal appearance is remarkably
fine, and her politics remarkably
faulty. Not so. Every lover of fine
art knows there is something in it
which he cannot describe, and perhaps
cannot even account for; and we all
know that here and there, as we 90
through the world, we come upon
person whose evident qualities are not
to be summed up by any words that
the dictionary affords. ! wish | could
see Hecuba once more, but | never
shall-and yet the world is small"
For weeks [ found myself looking
intently at every stage that happened
to pass me on the avenue, as if had
expected to recognize a friend inside.
l could not pass the entrance of
photograph gallery without stopping
long enough to sean every portrait
that was displayed beside the door.
Ny religion was-well, the fact was,
j feared it was becoming too narrow.
A man should always try to broaden
himself, especially in his moral nature,
and should listen occasionally to the
services of other churches than his
own. Yes, l must broaden my reIi-
gion, and SO | attended a different
church every Sunday for many weeks.
They were little tedious, all of them.
Occasionally saw in the congregation
some person that / knew, but no one
particularly interesting.
1t was near the close of the season.
and l was telling myself how much l
had been disappointed in the elevation
of the stage when went one night to
see "As You Like It." The lights are
little dim; l will just sweep the circle
with my glass, lest l might have some
old friend in the house and overlook
him.
All! there's Hecuba! She sits beside
q middle-aged lady on the opposite
side of the house. The play has but
just begun. | will slip down to the box
office and see if can buy seat on
that side. No, that would be little
silly. I'll stay here and depend on the