The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-02-13
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A FANTASY.
BY NJ. MAC L.. HELLIwELL,

fragrance OF summer was IN the ar, ana
soft stiffness, broken only by the sweet
thrilling OF many birds, and the monotonous
droning of the great, yellow bees as they
buzzed in and out among the countless per
fume-laden flowers.
The woman mad thrown herself down
upon a slope of luscious clover, and off in
the distance she could see the sparkling
bosom of the ocean rising and falling with
a regular, rhythmic motion, as if nature had
her breathing chamber in its mysterious
depths. The tleecy, feathery clouds foated
airly through the misty azure OF the sum
mer sky, taking strange shapes as they
sailed
As the woman gazed, half-dreamily, sud.
denly her heart surged with hundred noble
yet vague impulses. Shadowy forms fit
Ted through the chamber of her mind--and
all were heroes; they spoke-their words
were music, and at each strange, sweet,
vibrating cadence something of the hidden
sin and darkness of the world melted away.
And there came upon the woman great
desire to write that which she felt and
saw and seemed to hear, that all the world
might read and its cOrroding crime be
washed away. There was joy for the light.
hearted. comfort for the sorrowng-
for all men.
SO she rose, and sought her own private
chamber; there she took paper and pen,
preparing herself to write; but the paper
stared blankly into her eyes, for the shad.
ows slipped away as she tried TO grasp them,
and the words they spoke sank into meaning.
less murmurings when she strove to repeat
them
Then a great anguish seized her soul and
she cried aloud in her impotent despair,
for crushngly it was borne in upon her
that the world unconscious, was hasten.
ing to its destruction, while she, possessing
The means of its salvation, was powerless
to avert its doom.
Then suddenly, softly, across her weep.
ing came gentle voice: peace, it is the
beginning. Wait in patience and lnspira.
ION will come to thee"
And hearing. she pressed back her tears,
and gave herself up to studying the shad-
ows as they came and went, strainlng her
ears that perchauce she might catch one
clear note of the music of their voices
Day by day she lay in the garden. watch.
ing the ocean rise and fall while the bird.
,ang, the bees droued, and the flowers flung
their scented breath on the heavy air. But
Inspiration came not,
Suns rose and set. The flower. faded slow
~. their beauty-shorn petals strcwing tn,
ground, the fragrance passing away in the
aj-ty, sitting perfume of death ard decay
The yellow bees buzzed no more amoul
the clover blossoms; the birds fluted PLAIN
i've tarewels and sailed FIR southwark:
the heaving Of the ocean became wild and
tumGItuous winter had supplanted sum
ler. The woman could no longer liEger il
the garden to dream beneath the azur,
sky, Yet Inspiration came not.
So she built shrine to him in her cham
Der, and kncelng before it she would pray
and plead Cea,elessly the anguish grew
within her, and the shadows ever fitting
wore her brain and tore her heart. iel
soul was racked with warnings and agon
lied longings, growing stronger day by day
as the shadows grew more elusive.
She plucked the sweetest flowers of hel
fancy, the brightest blossoms of her imagi
nation, to lay upon the altar she had built
and there they withcred and ,hrjveled, not
even her tears avaiing to refresh them
and still Inspiration came not.
And gradually her hands became veal
md trembling, until the pen slipped iron
her nervele>s fingers. and she realized thai
her power was failing Then she lent tn,
shrine and took her station by the window
through which she could see the ccear
.os.ing cold and gray in the distance. AnC
Is she gazed. sad-cyed, her youth an,
strength departed; 10, a shadow fell acres
fer She raised her eycs-In Inspiration stood
before hor.
Write" he said.
Eagerly the woman took the pen. hpt
.he trembling fingers encircled il 50 weakly
tlat. escaping from their grasp it fell tt
The floor.
Now the shadows grew clear and vivid in
Ne chamber Of her mind they stood be
fore her in their order. waiting FOR her {,
bind them c,crually to the papcr before her
Still She ,at motionless and again the shad
,w. fell and mspiration spoke:
81, i tho o,d - no said ..Nrife"
But slowly the woman SHOOT, her head
l'hh 'A'N - wy ''''i''''' '''''''N ''''
| Inc waiting mas Deen TOO long, Nh'
nun ,hutea. rover mas nov =. ana nov
! At the tardE coming OF lhspiratoi' p'Sir
leS dead cannot
And the music OF the voices oi the shad
owS fell soft ana sweet upon hef cars
| and the message that they spoke was clea