The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1901-04-19
.HE:CUBA
BY Rossiter johnson.
" ES, old chum, will tell you al

street and watched it as it swept along
up the avenue with an even stride, and
at intervals with a monotonous song.
! was not altogether comfortable; for
it was one long, moving column Of en-
thusiasn, inspiring almost equal en-
thusiasm in two stationary columns
Oh either side of the way, and it was
enthusiasm for ticket that did not
intend to vote.
busted myself with counting the
ranks and making large allowance for
the boys that were apparently un-
der 81.
Suddenly my counting came to an
end-I forgot what total l had arrived
at, cared no more for the banners and
notices, and was deaf to 1.-The noise
of the captains and the shouting By
one of those movements that occa-
sionally take place in 4 good-natured
crowd there was a little whirlpool
where 1 stood, everybody within two
or three yards was moved to new
spot on the pavement and Ill relative
positions were changed. With this
change suddenly doomed up in front
of me one of the most delightful vi
sions OF my life. She was taller than
most of the men that stood near her,
and was perfectly proportional. Her
dark brown hair was rolled into a
smooth, solid mass at the back of her
head, and balanced it perfectly above
shoulders that seemed to have the
strength of man S without losing the
beauty of woman's. She wore a
dormer-window hat. ornamented by
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 I edged around to one side and
the other, through an arc of 24O de-
grceS, I saw it from many different
angles, but discovered no abatement.
] have seen perfect protlles on plain
faces and handsome faces with pitiful
rrotiles, but here it was impossible for
light and shadow, by any change, to
betray a fault or a weakness, for there
was nothing to be betrayed. She
could have stood as the comprehensive
model for womankind, 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 a
similar vision. and these two visions
were but pictures of a moment; yet
they never have faded from my men,
DRY. 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 you:" Thereupon I named her
Hecuba-and Hecuba she is and will be
tc the end If time.
When the crowd dispersed after the
last troop had passed I watched her
as she climbed into an omnibus.
"Now, Why" said + to myself after
dinner, "should you think a second
time Of 1iecuba? You know absolute
" nothing about her, except that her
personal appearance is remarkably
fine. and her politics remarkably
faulty. Not so. Every lover of 4 fine
art knows there is etting in it
which he cannot describe, and perhaps
cannot even account for; and we all
know that here and there, as we go
through the world, we come upon 4
person whose evident qualities are not
to be summed up by any words that
The dictionary airn'::. ! wish could
see IIecuba once more, but I never
shall-and yet the world is small"
For weeks I found myself looking
intcntly at every stage that happened
expected to recognize friend inside.
could not pass the entrance of a
photograph gallery without stopping
long enough to scan every portrait
that was displayed beside the door.
My religion was-wel1, the fact was,
] 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
yervices of other churches than his
own. Yes, I must broaden my reli-
gion, and so ! attended different
church every Sunday for many weeks.
They were a little tedious, all of them.
Occasionally saw in the congregation
some person that l knew, but no one
particularly interesting.
1t was near the close Of the season.
and I was telling myself how much
had been disappointed in the elevation
Of the stage when went one night to
sec AS You Like It." The lights are
little dim: I will just sweep the circle
with my glass. lest might have some
old friend in the house and overlook
him.
All! there's Hecuba! She sits beside
. uiddle-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 y scat on
that side. No, that would be little
silly. I'll stay here and depend on the