Evening journal., 1902-04-05
BilIParSOn'S 'SCOIul
Published Now and Then
The Closed Sh nttors


but inside every gas jet was
The door was unbolted, and tha
maid servant who stood at the
met the stream of guests and al
them to the dressing rooms
.riages rolled up and emptied
laughing, chattering loads, while
garbed figures, and fiuttering fer
|ity pass up the steps.
1t is a wedding. Of course. and
the passers-by smile sympatheti
some a little sadly thinking of
ings missed. or blessings which
been too lightly treasured. wbil
urchins in the block irrepressible
persistent. peep through the win
and catch glimpses of the h,
through the constantly opening dc
Inside all is laughter, talk and
fusion. the perfume Of flowers is
in the air. and in the backgroun
dowagers gossip Of past and pr
events. till a carriage swings up a
door. and a clerical figure h,
within.
An hour or two later carriage
ed up to the station, containine
newly welded pair From the W
Istreamed white ribbon and an old &
dangling from the rear. A laugN
band was there to greet them and
rice pelted the young couple likl
shower of hail.
Every piece of baggage was ma
by some expression significant OF
event. and when the train rolled
the station there was a demonstrs'
which published to the whole ira
Of people that a newly welded pairI
to be their fellow passengers.
That was years agO-if / have|
forgotten, in the year 1902. How
passes, and impresses us that wei
getting old. At that time Theot
Roosevelt was President. and wird
telegraphy had just been discoverd
1t was a cold night in Decei.
l9lO.when messenger breathlessly
tered my office and asked me to
at once at a certain house on Ro
welt avenue. saying that their Il
girl was dangerously sick with d
liberia.
l snatched my case and hurried to
house. The shutters we're closed,
only dim light could be seen f
the upper windows. l entered.
there was a stiffness such as so
times brOOds over a house when
unbidden guest is about to enter.
In a moment I found myself in
room and there were the bride
groom Of eight years before. IT
were no flowers noW-these were
come later-but stretched on her
was frail little thing suffering (
a malignant form of that dread disc
and standing strong-eyed and T
was the father. There was a dasl
gray in his unkempt hair, and
lines in the face bore evidence that
struggle Of life had taxed all his e
gies.
And this was the woman who
plighted her troth to the youth e
years ago. Then she was a mere
mated doll. but now character
stamped on her face. and her :
ANXIETY did not mar her exqu
beauty, the beauty of motherl
which has known lf-effacement
trial.
l did what / could. and left theI
the trial that l knew was coming,
although l am accustomed to
scenes. l wondered why it had not
ordained that character might be
veloped by less heroic means.
April, 10
In looking through my desk l
lust discovered the manuscript OF
above. which has lain there these n
years. Why / should have cha
upon it tonight is one of those
lteries which men lay to chance,
which l am loath to believe could c
without some intelligent purpose.
In company with many friend
went to the house of my friend
lafternoon-his house no longer.
lshutters again were closed and
them huttered streamers of black
bon. There were many people 4
and a scent of flowers hung in tn,
but voices were hushed and the I
OF the clergyman sounded more
emn and less buoyant than that ]
so many years ago.
There in the room lay my +
asleep. On his face was a smi
gentleness and benevolence, such
only seen on the faces Of the aged
such as never comes even to thes
the struggle to live has passed.
thought Of the scene Of that
many years ago when he had
by the bedside Of his suffering
and wondered if he had found
conversations for which he had
ed-and was it all right?
There was the bride of nearly a
century, more beautiful than ever
II youth has its charms and mo
hood its beauty. only one who
held her grand-child in her arm
the look of divinity. a touch of
other world she is soon to enter.
The fires of passion were bl
= out. and there was left a gentlenes
a sweetness that cannot be desc
land faith that answers all dc
. The dead man was dearer TO her
u than he had been that wedding /
Their lives had been knit together
!, thousand strands. and yet il was
to lose him now.