Gunnison news-champion and tribune., 1905-06-02
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Aersek soeaG relliaG s,ooss ~ TUFTS
of siry ssao. Dut sAe Kept ca. sss
forset scAta4 Sset. scast beeeth asd
biissersd hands whea she sseod AnailV
apon . broad plateau hundreds of feet
above the house. that had dwiadiee
Into q toy cottage and the environins
plantations Of trees like patches in an
herb garden.
This is lifer' she cried cut in q sud
den transport. and she sat her down
upon . cushion Of gray moas In the
shadow of a cedar. TO gaze and wonder
and rejoice.
She made q discovery presently. A
spring. clear and impetuous. burst
from between two everbanging rocks.
and chose the shortest route to the
valley. babblins with all its little
might. Ii was joined. before it had
gone many feet. by other rivulets. and
from q point midway In the descent.
where the cliffs were steepest. came up
the shout of a waterfall This. and the
tireless murmur Of the evergreens.
made up the music Of this upper sane
tuary until Constance voice rose from
the rocky table. sweet. full. exultant:
"The wild streams leap with headlong
sweep
in their curbless course DER the noun
tain steep:
All fresh and strong they foam along.
waking the rocks with their cataract
song.
Ny eye bears q glance like the beam on
lance
As l watch the waters dash and dance.
! burn with glse. for love to see
The path Of anything that's free.
! love-I love-Oh. love the free!
! l0ve-I love-I love the free!
The skylsrk springs with dew e. his
wiA0,
AnA sp in tAs arch Of Asaven ~
Tra-la-tra-lar Oh sweeter far
golden bar.
The thrall and the state OF the palace
gate
Are what my spirit has learned to
hate"
The strain ceased abruptly, and, in
place Of the rapt musician, borne above
the power of earthly woes to crush and
petty vexations to sting. a woman grow
elled upon the mossy cushion. weeping
hot, fast tears. and beating against the
rough rock with a child's folly Of des-
peration the white hand that wore the
badge of her servitude.
What was she but q Gagged bird, bid
den to preen its feathers and warble
the notes its master dictated between
golden bars? A slave to whom state
and thrall meant one and the same
abhorrent thing? What had she to do
and freedom-she. who had signed
away her liberty Of spirit and person,
voluntarily accepting in their stead
the most foul captivity q pure and up
right woman can know? She felt her
self to be utterly vile-plague-spotted
in soul and flesh in the lonely sublim-
ity Of this mountain temple-a leper.
condemned and incurable. constrained
to cry out at the approach OF every
passer-by, "Unclean, uncleanw 1t
would have been better for her to beg
her bread upon the doorsteps ef the
wealthy, and. failing that to die ~ the
waysidc with starvation and cold. than
to live the life Of nominal respectable
ity and abundance. OF real degradation
and poverty, which were now hers.
The tears were dried, but she still sat
on the gray carpet. clutching angrily
At 1t and the wild flowers peeping
through the crevices of the rock, rend-
Ing them rs passion had torn her; her
bosom heaving with the unspent waves
Of excitement and . mutinous pout
upon her lips. when q cracking among
the .brushwood thrilled her with an uA-
comfortable sensation of alarm.
Before she could regain her feet or
concert her scheme of defense or
flight, the nearest cedar boughs were
pushed aside. and man stepped into
the area fenced in by the hardy noun
tain evergreens With subsiding fears.
as her quick eye inventoried the vari-
Gus particulars of his neat travelling
suit ntlpm anlv hcarinx nleasant