Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-05-02

YOU Will; for | readily nd
nit my twenty-five sun
srrl 1j mers-of aspirations an
lEaI LEll! ideals. l thank heave
that it is so, and that an
endowed with 4 lofty nature-a natur
that scars above the petty details an,
sordid considerations of everyday eN
lstcnce, and seeks only to lead tn
higher life. 70 me Il mans perso
and possessions are us nothing. lOol
only at his mind, his soul, which ar
his real self. The one mate possibl
for me is Il man of beautiful, pXalte,
mind, Of pure, sublime soul. He alon
could ever he congcnial to me. Ill
alone could ever inspire my girlisl
love. Where may such n man b.
found! TO find him Is the dream of IN,
life. And | am not quite sure but
have already found him. ] speak o
Jack Rendlesham. In the first place
Jack is Il gentleman: and that, by it
self, denotes some graces of mind Blu
he is much more. He lives by litcra
turc; and although he has not achieved
any great work. yet many of tn,
smaller things that he has done, boil
IN prose and poetry, breathe in ever,
line the true spirit of sublime seEti
m"nt ana lofty Imagination.
Jack, OF course. is poor. That is 4.
| IT should be. Have not the great gen
fuses of the world-lhe poets, painters
ana muSicans-all started poor?
Jack Rcndlesham has always sought
my society. recognizing in me. no
doubt kindred mind. That he loved
me, | could see from the first. And
also felt that loved him. | used tC
picture myself in the capacity of Jacks
wife. his inspiring hclp,mept, his con
genial mate, his stimulating partner
in the higher life which we were both
resolved to lead.
Our home should he q dear little
/, cottage. covered with jasmine and
Woodbine. in the sweet retirement of
some rural paradise. And he and ]
should always be together. alone with
mature and natures Creator.
There came TO live in my neighbOr.
hood Il young man named Blobbsworth
lie was on the Stock Exchange, and
was making Il great deal of money.
This set me against him at once.
Nor did his conversation at the out
set give me any cause to vary my
opinion. II was goSSipy trihing. shall
low. He referred to no topic more
elCvating than the latest success at the
West End theatres. nor to any sub
1cct NOR" abStrusc than motor cars
and frcc-whccl bicycles
When | came To know him rather
better, | found reason to modify. In
some degree my former opinion. Little
by little signs pccpcd out, trivial in
themselves. but important as indicn
tors. which showed him to he less ma
tcriHl than | had originally supposed.
At first. l could not believe it: but
gradually, and somewhat against my
will, the truth forced itself upon me.
This young stock broker. in spite of
his profession. in spite of his wealth,
in spite of his cducAlion his bringing
up. in spite of the sordil atmosphere
which he had always been compelled
to brcathC-yct. in spite Of all this. he
still had mind: not. indeed, beautiful
ut present, nut capn le of becoming
beautiful: still had hidden away in
his inncrmoSt bosom warnings. long
ingS, vague aspirations towards the
higher life.
The more | reflected upon the matter,
ana the more | studied Mr. Hobbs,
worth. the more felt sure that in
him | had found the bright cX-
ccption. | was glad and yet
was sorry for him. when | realized
what Il narrow cage indeed it was in
which he found himself confined. This
was only brought home to me when
he asked mamma and me up one after
noon to the house which he had TO.
Gently purchased in our neighborhoOd
When | saw the perfect appointments,
the encrvating luxury of it all, the
lawns. the gardens. the greenhouses,
the stables-when noted 'he obsequi-
Gus menials. the butler, fOotmen, gar
denors and grOOmS who were every
where ut his beck and call. when | eX.
amincd the gorgeous new billiard room
he was just building. and the electric
dynamo that he was Just setting up for
the lighting of his housc-my heart
ached for him.
1t was just at this time that Jack
R"rllrsnam asked me to become his
wife. If he had asked me few weeks
hnfnr, mind bn Il IN
regard things in the light Of larger
Christian spirit; before | had begun ia
speculate so deeply upon the hidden
mysteries of life and the vast problems
of Providence; before l had begun to
soc that there are other and higher
mere Sclf-Satisiaction. ! should unhes
itatingly have replied in the atfirma.
tive. But now | paused. Was l justi
fed? Was it right for me to accept
the bliss for which my soul yearned, in
that dear little jasmine woodbine GOV;
cred cottage with the dear, congenial
partner whom so truly loved? All
how hard was it to resist the attrac
tions of that rural Eden,
Then followed for me the most trying
week | have ever spent.
1t resolved itself into a long hard
n bitter struggle between my own
selfish longings rs II woman and the
higher, larger. wider claims imposed
upon me rs Il Christian.
II was 40 on n Sunday afternoon
How well | remember the fateful day
and hour. Mr.. Blobbsworth had called
and was drinking his second cup of tea
Just then Jessie, our parlor maid, came
and summoned mamma from the draw
ing room on some domestic matter.
know not to this day what it was
whether the Kitchen boiler had burst
whether the Goals had suddenly run
short; whether the cool. had had mis-
fnptItnn nnl tnSnf th, uft s,,n