Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1903-11-07
[ The Girl Of the
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] Goo ,,o,, = c,.,,.. W u.... Fielding
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SC uLLCACd. he gil UIO VI
somebody. and it seemed that If l
could but think of~that person all doubt
would vanish, Itzdid not vanish when
/ thought of Sibyl.
spent the afternoon in the woods
alone, "a book Of verses underneath
the bough," no loaf of bread, no jug of
wine. no girl. Yet, though lacking the
best part of old Omar's prescription, l
did not waste the hours. The trees
sang well in the wind, and the odors of
the wood were heady as wine. They
lured me away from my book; they
made me walk many miles without
WEAKNESS, indeed with an access of
strength for every step, and when at
last 1 strobe across the fields toward
Mrs. Witherspoon's with the western
sun giving me half mile of shadow,
viewed that part of the house which
held the kitchen with a certain uneasi-
ness. At that distance it did not look
big enough. 49, ~sr
But no man will starve at Mrs. With
erspoon's, no matter what his appetite
may be. She fed us amply and well
that evening, and I went forth after the
meal exceedingly content The breeze
had gone down with the sun, and the
lake seemed to be smooth as a mirror
when [ viewed it from the head OF the
long path. 1t invited me, and not in
vain.
There were half a dozen boats on
the strip Of beach, and chose the one
that pleased nae best. 1t was rule at
Mrs. Witherspoon's to follow ones i'm
pulses in such matters. judged that
person whose impulses proved to be
defective would be gently eliminated
from this idyllic spot and that the dis
covery of his .unhtness, would be
prompt. Such was my confidence in
this notion that at the end of the first
week would have gone into the With
erspoon stable and saddled a horse
with my eyes shut, sure that had I
been the sort of fellow to take the
wrong horse l should not have re.
NAMED so long guest of the house
padded out into the lake. There
was still a trace ofcolor in the sky, and
all the air seemed to be most delicately
rose tinted. The mere eye could not
see this, could not watch it fade into
the faint gray of the ashes of roses, but
it was none the less visible There were
whispers from all the shores. The rough
hill spoke in its own way; the low
ground where the willows grow had a
very different story and the orchard
another. I was naturally most inter
ested in the orchard, and / propelled
the boat to, favorable position, keep
ing my distance, however, as I had
been taught
Suddenly I became aware Of a light
upon the shore. The lake meanwhile
had clothed itself with indistinctness
that was not the dark, but scarcely
more penetrable. That light had red
dish glow, and it illuminated nothing
except the narTowest path upon the
water. 1 made it out to be a fire of
little sticks kindled upon the rocks that
were quite rugged at the eastern side
Of the orchards sea edge near the hill.
1t was SO placed as to be visible over
a small area only, and this knew from
having come so suddenly into the view
Of it. Now. what should light be kin
died for upon the shore except for the.
sailor who seeks a harbor? A beacon
is set upon rock as a guide to show
the way. But there are false lights, of
course, and the mariner must exercise
great caution; he must not set all sail
in a hurry. .-
I am good skipper of small craft. 1
can paddle over the rail Of boat, and
you shall neither hear nor see anything
that bears hint of propulsion. And
thus / floated in toward the shore
fhPOuUh tho gray
Presently there came a sound as il a
hand had been laid upon stringed In
strument; then there were chords very
lightly struck, and at last l heard q
wOman's voice singing softly an air
that was new to me. Considering this
matter in a coldly rational fashion, it
was evident that if the lady had wished
me farther away she would have sung
more loudly. Her voice was so won
derfully clear, even in this whisper of
singing, that / felt sure she could have
made the music audible across the lake
PLAINLY. then. this was an invitation.