The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-12-16
Laughter
Amid Tears
BY MARGARET ]. GATES


HE car was almost due at the sum-
NIT of the Gornergrat. The chill
cir from the glacier fields pressed q
stimulating finger on the pulses. The
ice of the surrounding glaciers was dull
green and deep.
The Little Traveller, wound to the
meek in thick plaid shawl, stood wait
ing with her aunt They were going
down on the last car which made the
trip that day. They had wished to spend
the night on the top, for Elizabeth, the
captain of this brief summer outing,
had but to give the orders and Die
Tante obeyed like soldier.
But, alas, the money was lacking.
They had added once and again the col
umns in their account book, and the
result came ever the same, with the
tiresome infiexibility of mathematics.
The two hungry sightseers were at last
enjoying Switzerland after months OF
longing. But their rule must be kept
so many marks a day, and prices at the
tip-top houses have all the rarity OF
the altitude where they flourish. So
this pleasure must be given up.
For once I am almost satisfied"
sighed Elizabeth. 1T would be too
glorious to see a sunrise here, too. We
must be content with our half-loaf."
The electric car came slowly creeping
up the steel way, bringing noise, dis
turbing element, a taste of modern i'm
provement, into these silent heights.
Elizabeth's green touring hat bore a
puff of feathers on a quivering wire.
Each time they trembled, if you cared
for Elizabeth you must look to see it
she, too, trembled. t'One look, dear
aunt. one long look to fix this picture
in my mind. How dull the four walls
and the sewing will be after this feast
of ice and snow. Just see how clear the
air is, and how near the other peaks
look. [ am going to that rock to look
at the Matterhorn. There is time to
spare. The car is not up yet, and it waits
before going down again. Come"
The rose color of the afterglow on
snowy SUBMITS defies the common
sense. Even the solid fields of white
sloping down the channels between
soaring peaks, these have a chilled
sorcery of their own Imprint the scene
on your mind, Elizabeth. 1t will always
stay. 1t is, as you say, SO hauntingly
beautiful and remote.
The dependence, the finiteness of
daily life is the chain by which the spir-
itual delights must be confined. And no
JOY is sufficient to itself, even observa-
tion Of the Gornergrat panorama The
little Swiss watch, delicate toy, the
- LoI ~L Al
ure trip two weeks, the watch pinned
on Elizabeth's breast, continued tick
ing and ticking, leading time captive
and leading Elizabeth and her aunt from
the rock with it's mighty outlook back 20
the little station. The car stood ready
for the descent, with perhaps a 80 Sec
onds TO spare.
The morning of the same day George
Werner, a young student, had arrived
at Zernlatt. His face was long by ma
ture, and now it was long from fatigue
and what else? Perhaps it was fatigue
alone. He was always jolly in con-
versation, therefore he must be always
happy. A smile came quickly to his
face when he met friend. When lett
alone it died quickly away. But always
his interest in others was there.
Young blood must flow little faster
at seeing the noble view which is the
hearts desire. George had dreamed of
this hour, and now as he sat on the
ascending car, here was reality. His
reddish hair blew back from his tenn
pies, white from the confinement OF
study.
The summer was almost past, but near
the summit there were no plants to
mark the change of season by their
brighter coloring. The stony bed of the
new steel way was hardly adjusted, and
barrenness ruled under foot
But raise your eyes, George. There
stand the monarchs of Switzerland.
The eyes must be kept always open. He
knows this, for when the lids shut quiet
ly he sees many far-away things.
Though the scenes shift, in each one
is a figure buoyant with life and some
times wearing plaid shawl and an AL
zine hat which shades the blue eyes be-
meath In fact, the familiar eyes are
SO shaded that when George looks into
them the vision always fades; he opens
his own eyes and sighs himself back into
the present moment
Life would be quite another thing II