Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-04-10

The sound of gay voices came in
family from the distant campus.
He looked at her and smiled.
81 wonder if they recall any part
OF The Higher Sacrifice they heard
this morning." she asked as she re-
turned his smile.
mot now, / think. The lecture was
not for the campus grounds. They
may remember it after awhile. Some
years hence, perhaps"
But doesn't it seem that anything
affecting life so deeply must be re-
membered all the timer
mo; | think not You, for instance,
are the dearest part of my life, and
I'm afraid l don't remember you al
ways. In my laboratory, for example.
in my work before those eager young
men and women, | forget you, Elinor
My demonstrations are never mixed
with thoughts of this couch with its
cool pillows and you"
But you do not really forget me.
You may not remember me in that
way. perhaps, but you are conscious
of me all the time, just as | am of you.
when my class and | go creeping inch
by inch through the Inferno, shrink.
ing and quivering before the sights
that confront us there. Ones con-
seriousness doesn't need to imply
couches nor pillows nor any objective
things at all, need it,"
He laughed happily. The voices on
the campus grew gayeT.
There" he said. They're filled
with the consciousness of The Higher
Sacrifice"
She smiled a little. 81 think he
made it beautiful" she said.
He made it too beautiful. Sacri.
fce-real sacrifice isn't like that. 1t
is harsh and horribly commonplace,
though it is not common. don't
think it especially productive OF the
qualities of character he described.
1t makes character neither sweet nor
great. On the contrary, it makes hard
lines, both mentally and physically.
1t ages and embitters. Look at Miss
Loswell. She has sacrificed. | don't
know of any one more unloved or UNI
lovely. She always makes me feel an
undercurrent of sarcasm or pessimism
or something equally disagreeable in
the smallest things she says and does"
"Winfred."
well, dear, thought you wanted
my opinion"
Yes, of course"
well, 1t isn't much longer. I
wasn't much impressed by the lecture
at ALL"
You don't believe in sacrifce?"
yes, l do, but ! don't believe it's
either attractive or beatific, and
don't think it should be presented in
that light to those who know so little
Of life. Sacrifice is difficult and for.
bidding"
ITO me it is beatifc," she said.
He patted her arm tenderly. PLAY
for me, DEAR" he said. Sing to me-"
She rose and went over to the piano.
He settled back into the cushions.
She played. She sang. 1t grew
dark. She had sung all the songs he
loved best.
How good you are, Elinor." he said.
Come here"
She went and sat down beside him.
where he had made room for her with
out raising his head from the pillows.
She smoothed back his hair with her
hand. She kissed him.
"Oh. Winfred." she whispered My
love, how love you"
He drew her closer to him and closed
his eyes contentedly.
The voices died away on the cam
pus. The moon came up.
He slept She did not stir for fear
of waking him. She sat looking out
into the quiet night. thinking of the
lecture they had heard that morning
and Of the divine sublimity of the high.
er sacrifice.
They had been spending their vaca.
ton together with her mother at her
cottage in the mountains. Her cou-
sin Lucie was with them.
And the time was near when they all
must return to the buster world.
On one of the last days, Winfred
and Lucie went off to the cliffs togeth
or. He begged Elinor to go with them,
but she had some reason for remain
ing. Neither could ever remember
what reason she gave, but then human
affairs do not turn upon reason. After
they had gone, Elinor's mother spoke
to her about her lover and her friend.
but Elinor only smiled. She knew
that it would come and she had pre-
pared to smile.
When they returned later in the
evening Lucie's face was flushed and
there was a light in her eyes that
EIinor knew. 1t was the light her own
had held when Winfred kissed her for
the first time.
She went I'M To ihPrn and tnnk IL.