Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-11-01
At the High Tide of Love.

peculiar appearance, habits and thoughts.
He was large in frame. He had long,
straight hair, that fell around his head
like SO many strings. His little dark
eyes went skipping from one thing 10 an
other. On one occasion he greeted
friends with ELUSIVE politeness; on the
next, passed them without recognition,
occupied with his thoughts. People
called him a crank. They smiled when
his name was mentioned, intimating that
something was not quite fright in his
upper story" He was known. however,
TO be a man of intelligence, scholar. His
neighbors said he made his living with
some horrid smelling stuffs he called
chemicals.
Victor had a hobby that overshad-
cwed all other peculiarities, which he
confided to those with whom he was in
timately acquainted. To these he i'll
variably explained a strange philosophy
that possessed him. He would introduce
it by speaking of the mysterious attrac-
ton of the sun and moon upon the great
oceans; how Inder their influence there
was the ebb and flow of the tide twice
n day. Then he would conclude by say
ing that the greater part of the human
same overwhelming watery composition
was subject to an ebb and flow as in the
oceans; and that it was n fact that he
recognized daily in his own body.
There was cause for this philosophy
Of Victor. His mother was of "A highly
nervous temperament and very deli
cate i'll health. Her physician had or
dercd her one year To the sea. She had
gode early in the spr1ng. In & cottage
Ia eli 10 raai~.
most of the time with her face toward
the great eXpanse of water.
AS the flow of the tide came with
rear and n boom, there was an OK.
hilaration in it that was conveyed to
her that gave her hope and courage.
1t was a stimulus to her spirits. Life
was richer than at any other time.
Then would follow the ebb. with its
muified break, with its subtle slipping
away of waters. 1t brought change
to the woman. There would be re-
lapse. passing away, a tameness, a
spirtessness.
Each day of the whole summer the
ebb and flow of the tides brought an
ebb and flow in the woman, in her
spirits. In the fall baby-Victor--
was born. lie came as midnight at
the greatest roar and rush of high
tide. Then the ebb set in. As the
mother lovingly gazed at her child she
family murmured, HE came at the
flow of the tide; ! so at the ebb.' So
it proved.
Thus the strange philosophy of the
ebb and flow entered the life of Victor
Irvine. The story of his mothers last
moments had never been told him. He
was, however not grown to manhood
when he first felt and recognized the
strange influence of the cbb and flow.
1t came to be to him that only in the
tiow-a few hours ut midday and at
midnigh t-Could he accomplish any
thing. Then he conducted his chemical
experiments, made his analyses. With
the rush of the flow thoughts, ideas, con-
ceptions, suggestions burst unanimously
upon him, pounding on the surf of his
brain. 1t was work of fevcrish inten-
sity to grasp and save them. If he failed
TO catch them, with the ebh they went
Work was a drudgcry the remainder of
| the day. At the midnight flow il was
his habit to put in permanent form, in
writing. the work he was engaged upon.
Any treatise finished then was usually
| received as brilliantly Scicutifc The mo
| mcnt the chh was on the pen became inn
| potent.
Into two tides of this mans life fioated
TWO objects which became of absorbing
interest to him. One was woman, the
other chemical mystery.
lie had come upon an element in his
| chemical studies that he could not salts.
| factorily explain to himself. He realized
| that il might be n new element He
might I've the diScoverer of that which
would startle the scientific world So
| far the element had eluded him, He had
| not only been unable to satisfy himself
| of It's existence, but also what it's char
! ncterlSticS were, or whether il might not
hc Z known element in a new form.
| The Mary Ames~-Was warm
| hearted, whole soucd woman: a woman
VINO, with a broad. tender human sym.
! pathy read life and the various specic>
| OF natures that possessed mankind she
| knew; q woman who could see good
| where Others saw dress. She understood
| Victor Irvine She gave him credit
where others had given rilicule. She
| respected the man. the student. Sh,
| found Il man who could he homes. ana
| true, man who could love.
| The love If Mary Ames became STAFF
Tor nun 10 lean on. Through her eyes
| ne took new view of the earth. of man.
hihd. lie was lrresiStaby drawn to her
lhen II was, when the rush of the in
| coming How was flooding itself through
nun that thoughts, feelings. affections for
| Mary possessed him. Ii was then. Whom
| the flow rounded on the surf Of his hoart
he cried to himself: This is life. life"
victor WAS 50 situated as only ~ hp
| able 10 see Mary in the evening Thsrn
! was always an inclination To remain lam
| with her which he never yielded To- IIr
| had alwal gone before the rush If tbo
midnight high tide. For this reason bs
had not spoken OF the rush thar posSesS"J
him, had not had Il chance to poar il ont
N a rush Of words in the flow. The ab6
brought lum timdity that was p9jnfui
| There was an ever-prcScut fear tb,t So
| would slip away from him in the undrr.
| tow. "'''N'
One day he came To her in The mornipc
| II was Il holiday As he fingered he ri.
the coming Of the midday fow. 'Tbc;r
conversation grew exceedingly bright
"a me waiting for, the highest tide he was
must tell Mary Of the love he had f"r bn ,,e
that consumed him. He broke out: ~ =
MARY darling. you are 81 swr.t 81,
| SMnt.f-Nnn mn N ,rrnra wv y ~