Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-03-20
FROM THE OUTSIDE.
by HOWARD FIELDING.

HI HOW ARD
! was without money, food or shell
ter; but the May evening was trem-
ulous with heat, and there was no dew
upon the grass so one might sleep any
where. Nevertheless, | was glad to
find a big shallow box by the side of a
rough lane OH the northern edge Of
the city. There were some bits of bag
ging and an old torn carriage robe
in it-probably the wrappings of
piano-and a thrill went through all
my bones at the sight of such a good
bed.
After l had lain down l was so com
Portable that | would not 60 to ask
for food at the door of the fine houses
that stood with their backs to me,
looking out towards the lane across
pretty yards like flower gardens. |
had had something to eat atnoon, and
the long tramp since then had worn
the hunger out of me- So lay upon
the ragged robe with the bagging for
a pillow, and stared out over the edge
Of the box with weary eyes, at the
lighted windows and the people
within.
No curtains were drawn on the rear
of the house opposite me. There were
three floors, and l could see quite well
in all those northward rooms, for |
had dragged my box upon a knoll
across the lane, and SO lay nearly as,
high as the second story.
1t seemed to be a sort of apart
ment house, and those rooms at the
back were not for cooking or eating,
but looked like we'll furnished parlors.
Clearly enough the people on the DIFF
ferent floors had no concern with the
lives above or below them; no more,
indeed, than with that of their chance
neighbor of a night, in the box upon
the knoll.
At the uppermost window there
was a figure in white, reclining in a
posture so easy that my first thought
was envious. | pictured her young
girl, beautiful and admired, with
parents who took every care from her
mind, with little knowledge of the
world and wondrous hopes of what
might be in it-a life of ease and of
dreams.
A curious fancy came to me that it
would be much easier to live a wom-
ans life than a mans. have always
wished to be somebody else-now one
and then another-and it came to me,
in that moment, that / would like to
change places with the girl at the
window. Almost Immediately, how
ever, some one turned up the light in
the room, and l saw that the girl lay
in an invalid's chair, and that there
was stand with bottles of medicine
within her reach.
l. have a horror of illness; the
thought that | had wished to change
places with that poor creature, vast
ing away perhaps with consumption,
gave me a start such as one has when
one escapes a peril. If l had indeed
been that girl, | should have been
tempted to take the bottle that held
the strongest poisonous drug and
drain it to the last dregs.
In the lowest room were man and
a woman, quarreling. OF course, /
could not hear word, but it was easy
to follow the conversation. 1t was like
a duel with swords, and many
thrust, upon each side, reached the
heart.
l hate to quarrel; if have hard
words with anyone, never wish to see
him again. would rather have been
myself, sleeping out Of doors upon a
castaway robe, than the man with a
scolding wife; and suppose such a
woman is no happier than she makes
Others.