The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-02-23
A DIALOGUE
BY Harriet Monroe.

Copyright, 1893, by w. X. Hearst.)
Clorinda-Why do the poets and
writer's of tales always exalt constancy
in love, as though men and women
could not be good and true without 1t?
/, Clifford-It Is a dream, an ideal.
+ Clorinda-Unattainab and there
fore to be desired.
/ Clifford-Hard to reach and there
fore to be tried for.
Clorinda-Why to be tried for? In
my search through history find that
Ithe greatest men and women-yes, and
!women--haVe gotten on very com1ort-
ably without it.
Clifford-Their loss!
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES; but they act very
much as though it We're their gain.
How many loves had Sappho. or julius
Caesar, or Napoleon, or Sherley, or the
dowager empress of China?
Clifford-Unhappy ones! They never
found love.
thought they did-for a time.
Clifford-Then were they the more
deceived!
Clorinda-But look about you! How
many people marry their first loves!
And how many would marry for HE
IL neither law nor custom were IN Ia
vor of 1t?
Clfford---Hush! How dares your
tongue wag thus?
NylOilIud-f1OW uaiCo ~ IA oA'A''N
marry you?
Clfford-Indeed, lie awake nights
with wondering how it dares.
Clornda-The fragility of lore-doeS
not life preach from that text every
day? Look at Jane Rogers-who could
have been more in love than she i1Ve
years ago? For two years she lived IN
the seventh heaven of an ideal mar
riage. and when Frank died people
thought she would go mad with grief.
Yet already she is married again, and
just as happy with another man! Ana
she isn't tickle tritier, but an all
round, splendid woman. How dare we
marry, Cliff?
Cufford-But If I promise to die off
at the proper moment?
Clorinda-Ah but it's oftener the
woman who should die off. II women
are changeable, what of men! what
shall do when you look coldly on me?
Clifford-Smile-that will be enough.
Clorinda-Ah, but l may be weeping.
ord-Weeping-for me? l shall
never be worth that. II the hour comes
when you could weep for me, don't.
Clorinda-What shall do then In
that difficult hour?
Clifford-Cast me out OF your heart
like a dog, and initiate the empress of
China.
Clorinda-Ah that will be the test.
II love plays me false shall be great
enough to love again, or write books.
| or found charities, or rule a nation!
Would you have me one OF those en-
FILTERED women, who, when love fails
them, have nothing to do but sit in a
corner with aching hearts?
Clifford-The world is wide, and am
but one man in it.
| Clorinda-The world is wide, yet
some women-and men-have had
hearts big enough for the whole world.
l. lnSn
| shall plant what flowers you will ON
fits grave.
Clorinda-That's it-great things
should spring from the grave OF love.
1t should be garden not waste. II
your love for me dies my heart shall
bloom like the rose.
Clifford-Almost you persuade me TO
marry and desert you, in order to see
| what glorious use you VIII make OF
your freedom.
Clornda-Ah, that would be magnan-
imuus! But why should | not play
forget you, betray you. leave you in
the lurch, SO that your soul may rise
to higher things?
l. Clifford-But If I am not a hero or q
saint, / am not worthy OF being d
martyr.
Clorinda-Oh. but am sure you are
worthy of the highest!
Clifford-lf l am as weak as most
men, only strong enough for that hum
BILE virtue-for constancy in love!
| Clorinda-But how can you tell with
out the test?
/. { Clinord-If l dare not even-poor
grounding that l am!---be tested; if
l beg you merely to love me and be
true to me, and to accept my love and
truth!
Clorinda-And so narrow down our
lives to each other! How many peo-
pie feel that in so doing they are scal-
ing the heights of virtue!
Clifford-But you shall teach me not
to make happiness vice.
Clorinda-I will help you not to in
dulge in 1t to excess.
| Clifford-The world will attend to
that--you need not bother
Clorinda-Happiness Look at me
/! we have more than our share already
Clifford-With you in my arlns-yes!
And yet want more-and more!