Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-01-01

shouted themselves hoarse
sESXgo$eHl as the great general had
sIsszzsa===s.91 passed through the streets
in his handsome carriage, bowling to
right and left or chatting pleasantly
with the president of the United States,
who sat by his side. And now the
night was bringing a more brilliant
repetition Of the days festivities.
Best of all, no envious voice was
raised in all the multitude. For not
only had the great man saved the hon
or of the country by his intrepidity
in a moment of peril, but he fiattered
the national pride because he realized
in every way the highest and finest
type of American manhood. Then, too,
he wore his laurels with quiet dignity
and modesty that the people, tired OF
blatant heroes, appreciated; so, in re-
turn they loved him, and as national
love can only be expressed by badges
and parades and Examinations, and
much speech-making all these things
had their places in the swiftly-moving
panorama of the day.
The finest feature of all, at least in
the eyes of the ragged street gamins,
was to be the great dinner that night,
when under canopies of rare flowers
and to the soft accompaniment OF beau
tiful music, the men Of highest position,
and the fairest ladies were to welcome
their returned hero.
In the meantime the object Of all this
adulation had been driven quickly to
the hotel for an hours rest before the
banquet, and after reaching his apart
ments had thrown himself into an easy
chair in utter exhaustion Of mind and
body.
Don't call me until l have barely
time to dress, Matthew'S" he said to his
,alet, and the man, after carefully at
tending to the few wants Of his master,
left the room. Then the general, left
to himself, walked slowly to the win
dow and looked down into the street,
where his name was still being shouted,
and where remarkable presentments of
himself in electric lights har begun to
flash across the darkness Of the sky.
Evening papers!" rang out the shrill
voices of the newsboys; "all about the
great gen'ral," etc.
Some one slipped copies of the late
editions under his door and he arose
and glanced at their glazing pages.
But he soon threw them from him
and sought the refuge Of his chair
Then he looked around him. The room
was radiant with flowers sent by count
less admirers, and the soft light gleam-
ed upon pictures of himself over which
the national colors we're draped. High
est pinnacle of fame! Everything with
in his reach!" The absurd headlines
contained in the afternoon papers rang
persistently in his ears. He shrugged
his shoulders little YEARLY. Yes, peo-
pie must think him q happy man, he
said to himself. He could put himself
| in the attitude Of the toilers Of the
work-a-day world, to whom no prizes
fall, and could realize that the heights
| 10 which he had climbed might seem
to them the summit of all earth-borr
ambitions. Well-fame, honor, wealth
all had come to him at last, but, after
all, was he the happy man which, &C.
cording to all known precedent, he
| should be?
Again he picked up a newspaper. He
moved restlessly In his chair, glanclng
down its columns. Then he gave low
exclamation and sat with staring eyes
looking at the page before him.
Two roughly-executed wood cuts had
caught his eye, taken from two old pho
tographs which some enterprlsng
young reporter had unearthed-one OF
the general himself, in his young man.
hod, and the other of his girllsh wife
taken soon after their marriage-the
merry, patient little wife, who had al
ways believed In his coming greatness;
who had stinted and saved that he
might have the opportunity to develop
himself, and who had slipped quietly
away into the Unknown Country long
before there were any signs or portents
that the world shared her convictions
concerning her husband. The poor lit
tie picture brought back what the great
general had been trying to put away
from him all day-the thought that he
had at last accomplished all that she In
her love had dreamed Of; and now she
to whom the credit of whatever glory
he had won was due, was not there to
share II with himl The world had new
err known-how could II know-that In
the heart OF the man whom II delighted
to honor there was a shrine where
sweet incense was always burning be-
fore the image of the wife Of his youth;
an Image never supplanted by any 9TH
er woman. Nor could the world know
the anguish his unshared honors
brought him.
The paper dropped from his hand I'M
needed, the tumult of the street was
heard no longer as he liver over again
the two short years when the one soul
which had ever fully understood and
loved him was ever by his side. There
had not been much money In those
DAYS, and the new book or fine photo
graph meant many pretty economies
which only made each acquisition TO
the little household stock more priced.
But they had been very rich In love and
happiness. When they sat together by
their cosy freslde on the long winter
evenings (they were always together)
how they dreamed and planned for a
golden future when they would wander
through enchanted lands across the sea
and share the treasures Of the agesl
What drives they had taken, too, In the
mellow autumn days. over quiet coun-
try roads, gay with foliage which We'd
In its scarlet and gold with the rich
coloring OF the old Venetian painters
drives when the whole beautiful world
seemed theirs alone, and no words were
,,ood.d IN exnresa the Derfect gymnafhv