West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-12-24

Of being iyanrC'
time he experienced the poignant ha.
initiation of being ignored And wuru
he tried to reduce this brilliant. swiftly
Changing. ice cold city TO formula Doc
failed utterly. Poet though hc was. it
offered him no color. no slmllcs. no
points OF comparison. no flaw I'm its
polished facets, no handle by which he
could hold IL UP and view It's shape and
structure, as lie famlliarly and often
contemptuously had done with other
towns The houses were iutcrmnablc
ramparts loopholcd for defense; the
people were bright but bloodlcss spec.
ters passing IN sinister and selfish ar.
ray.
The thing that weighed heaviest on
Ragglcs' soul and ~Clogged his poets
fancy was the spirit OF absolute ego
tism that seemed TO saturate. the pee.
pie MS toys are saturated with paint.
Each one that he considered appeared
monster OF abominable and insolent
conccit Humanity was gone from
them. They were toddling idols Of
stone and varnish, worshlping them
selves and greedy for. though obllvlous
OF, worship from their fellow craven
Images. Frozen, cruel. implacablc. i'm.
pervious, cut 10 an Identical pattern.
they hurried on their ways like statues
brought by some miracles to motion.
while soul and feeling lay unaroused
I'm the reluctant marble.
Gradually Ragglcs became conscious
OF certain types. One was an elderly
gentleman with snow white. short
beard, pink, unwrlnkled face and
stony, sharp blue eyes, attlred I'm the
fashion of a gilded youth. who seemed
to pcrsonify the city's wealth. rlpcncss
and frigid unconcern Another type
was woman. tall, beautiful. clear as
n steel engraving, goddcss-llkc. calm,
clothed like the princesses Of old. with
eyes ms coldly blue as the reflection OF
sunlight on glacier And another
was n byprOduct OF this town Of mari
onettes-a "A broad. swaggering, grim.
thrcatcningly scdatc follow with
jowl as large as a harvested wheat
field, the complexion Of a baptized in
FAINT and the knucklcs Of a prize fighter.
This type leaned against cigar signs
and viewed the world with trapped
contumely.
A poet IS n sensitive creature, and
Raggles soon shrlvcled in the bleak
embrace Of the undeclphcrablc The
chill. sphlnx-like. ironlcal. ncgible. un-
natural, ruthless expression of the city
left him downcgst and hrw1nr.l
Had It no beartf Better trc wood pile.
the scolding Of vinegar fuccl house
wives at back doors. The nd'r .plc.n
OF bartenders behind u1vlu.. free
lunch counters, The am'ablc truoIIcnce
OF rural cOnsta1ics. the kicks. arrests
and happy go lucky chances of the
other vulgar loud crude cities than
this freezing hcartlcserc.e.
Ragglos summoned lis courage MI
sought aims from tlc popu'acc. Jr-
needing, regardiees tbor pas ed .u
without the wink or an cro'ash .l f
tlfy that they were con ci0us ..
existence. And then be said TO l.U r.
that this fair but pi'llcss city of N.l-
haitian was without n soul. that us ia-
habitants were manikins moved bv
wires and springs md that he was
alone I'm a great Wilderness.
Raggles started 20 cross thr street
There was a blast roar. Kissing
ana a crash 0s something struck him
and hurled him over and over six
yards from where he had been As me
was coming down like the stick OF "a
rocket the earth and o.l tIp cities
thereof turned 10 N fractured dream
Ragglcs opened bis eyes First an
odor made itself known to him. au
odor Of the earliest spring flowers OF
paradise. And then % band soft as %
falling petal touched DIS brow Bend
ing over him was the woman clothed
Ike the princess OF DID, with hluc
eyes now soft ana humid with human
sympathy Under his head ON the
pavement were silks oud furs. with
Ragglcs bat in his hand and with his
face piukcr than ever from ,cl..
mcnt burst Of orat0ry against reckless
driving stood the elderly gentleman
who personidcd The city's wealth and
riponcss. From "a nearby c0fc hurried
the byproduct with the vast iovl and
baby complexion, bearing n glass fuI
Of crimson fluid that suggested de-
lightful possibilities
Drink this. sport" said thc hy.
product holding the glass TO RaggIeF
lips
Hundreds Of people huddlcd around
I'm q moment. their faces wearing tho
deepest concern. Two naucring aud
gorgeous policemen got into tho circle
and pressed back thc overplus of Sa.
maritans. An old lady in n black shawl
spoke loudly Of camphor; uewsboy
Slipped one Of his papers beneath Rag
giles elbow whore 20 lay on the muddy
pavement A brisk young man with n
notebook was asking for names.
A bell changed importantly. and the
ambninnco cleaned n lane through tbe