Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-02-11
GREAT GOD
PAN
BY
KEITH COR DON

Trenham arrived at Cantico at 80.
At Norton's silent. efficient serving
man was formally introducing him TO
the Hutch-his for a month"; squat,
oriental looking building standing in
the tempered shade of the pines and
larches and containing all those touches
of home comfort usually ascribed to
feminine hands, but found in the mod
eru bachelor quarters.
AT $50. his tweed suit changed for a
more informal costume, he emerged
from the low, broad doorway. stirred
by IL pagan desire to get closer still to
nature. ont into the dim. cloisteral
places of the woods. where he might
float deliciously upon sea of silence,
whose calm was unbroken save by the
ripple of bird note or the swapping of
a twig.
Il say. this is greatr' burst from
his lips luXuriously as he drew in long
whiffs of the suave air with its warm,
elusive scent of sweet growing things.
This is life. This is what man was
meant for"
As lie ceased speaking he lifted his
face To the soft breeze that caressed
his cheek like spirit hand and thought
unhattering things of civilization. What
after all did this boosted condition
mean: What but crowded cities with
stone where turf should be- the roar of
trains. shrieking of whistles. whiZZing
of autos. gathering of hoofs and the
grind. grind grind of office life. AS he
thought of il now, looking as he was
straight into natures smiling. inscruta-
BILE face. it all seemed supremacy ridic-
ulous. Fauns and satyrs. hamadryads
and naiads had been wiser.
At the END of an hours walk he
found that the path ended abruptly at
a grassy knoll. For few moments
Trenham gaZed with an appreciation
too deep for words Then. with sigh
of contentment, he sank down upon the
thick grass and stretched himself out,
his head resting in the hollow of his
clasped hands. his eyes narrowed to
Sits like gatekeepers who would say
to the beauties about them, lone at
time. please"
And presently the Sits became mar
rover aud narrower
Spring" he murmured musingly. rs
just bursting into young summerhood."
Then his lips twitched slightly. and he
tried again.
THAT apple tree looks like some
sweet, sedate Quaker lady
He stretched his eyes open wide. as
If to fling Off some irresistible influ-
ence
Good Lord, am | a poet after all:"
he demanded comically Of the shad-
owy self that always attends us, but
never so palpably as In solitudes. And
then he smiled and lay staring up into
the great arch of the blue above him.
Again the Sits grew narrow. almost
imperceptible. A line from a poem
learned in youth trailed across his
mind, Great Pan is dead"
Its Il lic." he murmured drowsily.
"Great Pan is not dead. Great Pam
The murmur ended in a knowing
smile. the smile Of one who has learned
for a certainty what fools most mortals
be. and that in turn faded into gravity.
Trenham slept.
Its a regular sleeping beauty of
place-has breathless. charmed air.
as If it were under spell. l believe
there are fairies or godlings to be dis
covered.
So had Natica Duke written to a
friend soon after coming to Cantico
for the summer. There We're few
houses in the region "A half dozen
within twenty mileS-and her first i'm
preston of the country was only deep
ened by her long. solitary strolls. She
had a mystical feeling that there was
something to be discovered-some Sc
cret that she was forever on the verge
of.
Cooling. gnome or fairy. she fancied,
might rise in her path at any moment
without causing her any surprise. and
so 1t was without dismay that she
stopped short at the edge of the wood
one day upon finding her favorite spot
already occupied.
For the fraction of second she half
believed. Then she wholly disbelieved.
No godlings would appear in tan OK
fords. Sandals were the utmost one
could concede, Still, as mortal the
sleeping youth before her was worth
consideration. A glance told her that,
and she cautiously drew step nearer.
He lay so that the spreading branch
of tree shaded his face. his soft linen
hat tossed on the grass beside him, thus
revealing the thick dark hair that look
ed as II 1t might have curled had not
its owner sternly refused 70 hear of
such thing. His features reminded
her strangely of certain marbles she
had seen. they were so massive. yet so
finished. and with grlish attention to
dress she bestowed an approving
glance on his white negligee shirt. the
sleeves rolled up to the elbow. and the
duck trousers TO match. If he was not
a godling lie was at least most at
tractive mortal
Daringly she stood and gazed at him.