The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-11


as midday, II the printers insist upon IL
and II the editors are agreeable. That there
are cool winds in Africa we learn a little
further along. The heroine was journey
ing into the desert in railroad train. The
story says:
"The wind was really cold and blowing
glstily. She drank it in as IL she we're tast-
ing new wine and she was conscious
at once that she had never before breathed
such air. There was a wonderful. a startling
flavor in it, the flavor Of gigantic spaces
OF rolling leagues OF emptiness. Neither
among mountains nor upon the sea had
she ever found an atmosphere 80 fercely
pure, clean and lively with unutterable
freedom. She leaned out TO 1t, shutting
her eyes And now that she saw nothing
her palate savored 1t more intensely. The
thought of her father domestic sorrows
had detached him from the habit OF reli gious
observance fed from her. All detailed
thoughts, all the minute OF the mind
were swept away She was bracing herself
to an encounter with something gigantic,
something unshackled. the being from
whose lips this wonderful breath flowed.
II is possible that the reader will stop
to inquire OF himself what he thinks OF
this wind We dare say that in thoughtful
moments he has looked for a weathercock
to instruct or confirm him as to the quarter
from which the wind blew. Perhaps he
has detected In the wind in the course OF
his experience the favor OF rolling leagues
Of emptiness. II there was sand in the
wind he may have had sharp impressions.
Our heroine was alive to the qualities OF
this wind. The story says: When two
lovers kiss their breath mingles, and II
they really love. each is conscious that
in the breath Of the loved one is the loved
ones soul coming forth from the temple
Of the body through the temple door. AZ
Domni leaned out seeing nothing she
was conscious that in this breath she drank
there was a soul, and IL seemed to her that
it was the soul which flames in the centre
Of things and beyond.
For Domini many things were full OF
luminous and strong impressions. There
was Androvsky's hand. They were on
tho Counts hotel towor together. The
man laid one OF his brown hands on the
top Of the parapet. She looked at IL and
1t seemed to her that she had never before
seen the back OF a hand express so much
OF character. look so intense. so ardent and
so melancholy as his There is something
about the veins in his hand which we omitted
to mark. We are sorry. His voice was
also remarkable. There was an odd
muttcring sound in his voice which vas
deep and probably strong, but which he
kept low Domin thought it was the most
male voice she had ever heard. 1t seemed
to be full Of sex, like his hands"
There was novelist once who took note
OF the wonderful power Of expression that
is lodged in human buck. Our memory
is that the back which was the subject Of
his particular observation was being logged.
II will be noticed that the hand studied by
Domini was merely lying on n parapet;
that the most male voice she had ever heard
was speaking with much reservation
and embarrassment Hearing Androvskys
voice and rcmarking his hand, it ia natural
that she should have regarded him further.
We read
She glanced at him again. He was a
big man. but very thin. Her experienced
eyes Of an athletic woman told her that he
was capable Of great and prolonged mus
cularexertion. He was big boned and deep
chested and had nervous az we'll as mus
cular strength
II does not surprise us to read what is
recorded later on. It is chronicled at
page 25a She loved Androvsky. Every
thing in her loved him, all that she had been,
all that she was. all that she could ever be
loved him: that which was physical in her,
that which was spiritual. the brain. the
heart. the soul body and flame burning
within all that had made her the wonder
that is woman, loved him. She was love
for Androvsky.-
We approve of this. It will be noticed
that it occurs only at page 25o. 1t ia at
page POI that we find Androvsky first de-
claring his love. When he comes to it he
docs 1t with commendable ardor. We
read
Then Androvsky came back quickly
till he reached the place where Domini
was standing He pat his hands on her
shoulders Then he sank down on the sand,
letting his hands slip down over her breast
and along her whole body till they clssped
themselves around her knees He pressed
his face into her dress against her knees
81 love you, he said, I love you-but
don't listen 10 me-you mustn't hear it
You mustn't. But ! must say it. l can't
i can't go till say 1t. love you'll love
you
-She heard him sobbing against her knees.
and the sound was as the sound Of strength
made audible She put her hands against
his temples.
IT am listening. abe said must hear
IL
He looked up. rose to his feet, put his
hands behind her shoulders held her. and
set his lips on hers pressing his whole body
against hers.
Hear It, he said muttering against her
lips Hear it, / love you'll love you
The two birds they had seen few back
beneath the trees. turned in an airy circle.
rose above the trees into the blue sky, and
side by side winged their way out Of the
garden to the desert
The birds were not essential TO our graft
fcation The question remains whether
it was proper for Trappist monk for twenty
years incarcerated thus to manifest
natural and perhaps gross disposition.
The story is full Of observations that
interest IFS. "a very famous stories have been
before. The palm trees had long, thin
stems and dropping. feathery leaves that
we're living and pathetic as the night
thoughts Of a woman who has suffered,
but who turns, with a gesture that will not