The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-12-31
Copyright. by Bobbs Merrill Coz
BY Ella w. Peattie

tic servitude which you now endure
with maudlin patience. viii you buy
it?"
mo, indeed" cried the woman in.
dignantly. THAT man is the only one
who ever kissed me on the lips.
remember well the first time he did
so. II was at sunset, in a beautiful
grove. The golden light fell down be-
tween the tree trunks, making them
black | felt all the beauty of the
world throbbng through me and
comprehended how incomplete it
would be without love, and how | was
blessed. A wonderful vision came to
me and | knew what life and work
meant, so put my hand in the mans,
and always he and have kept to-
gether And now we have a son and
are part of the future oh. you have
no idea what this man stands for to
met"
The old man smiled significantly.
He also is a symbol see" he
said with contempt. 1T Is not what
he is that makes him dear II Is. as
you say, what he stands for II is be-
cause you must feel the wifeliness in
you, because he gives you an excuse
for your feminine sarifces, that you
cherish him. He is the Symbol of
noble and protecting love-no more"
Then he revealed to her-somewh
doubtingly, for he was beginning to
see that he should not find in her a
ready purchaser-a little wondrous
iridescent sphere.
Here" he said, lis the Truth about
your SON"
Now, so curious a thing was this,
that even the sphere of Truth had
been affected by dreams, and it was
some time before their beautiful
prisms dispersed and showed her the
pitiful facts--a little spindling child.
petulant like his father narrow of
brow. with face in which selfishness
and affection ever kept war. The
woman spoke in great anger:
Il have a mind to show you the
door" she said, do you not know
that is my little child? He Is bone OF
my bone and flesh of my flesh. and
| day Why, wheH his little hands tug
at my skirt and | feel myself his pris-
oner, | would not change my service
for all the freedom in the world. When
| hear him cry out in the night, | am
filled with poignant joy, and at morn
ing when his bare feet come pattering
down to my room | give thanks for
hat h.iY tl,f
1t is true he is not so bright as some
children and that he he is fretful and
often i'll, but, after all, he is the core
of life to me-"
He is a symbol" said the old man
In terrible accents. 1T is not what he
is but what he stands for that makes
him so unutterably dear. Any other
child would do as we'll to quench the
mother.thirst."
The woman made n passionate dis
claimer and declared she '~ished for
none of his wares
IL am done with you, madam!"
shouted the man. yet, no, upon re-
Election. not quite done. For your dis
regard of the value of my wares YOU
shall be properly punished Behold,
here is the Truth about yourself!'
And he held up TO view another
sphere. The woman looked long and
the color came and went in her face.
Her little hands clasped and unclasped.
and once she would have fallen had
not the old man supported her But
after a time she pushed the sphere
away.
There is a mistake somewhere"
she said in voice at once joyous aud
humble "All Of these things are true,
| know, yet, somehow that is not |.
There is something within me, not
seen by anyone, not understood by
myself which makes me different from
that. II is the thing that causes me
to be careful of my life, which leads
me to believe that I shall 1--we again
and which lets me walk among my
fellows with my head held high II is
the iunermost self the secret and
eternal Me"
ut Is a iigmeut of your BRAIN"
sconed the old man, "A piece of leger-
demain of the psychologists, ghost
conjured up by the churchmen," He
was trembling with anger yet his
eyes betrayed defeat Come" he
cried, "confessl'
- can confess nothing sir except
that rs soon as YOU are gone ! shall
comfort myself for all the Truth you
have shown me, with my sweet Sym
bols. | did not know till now that
lived by them. But now that | know
It am all the more protected against
sorrow aud sin and falsehood am
only poor woman and ignorant, yet
this | know, that in my symbols hides
greater truth than your Truth
knows. Farewell sir, and come this
way no more"
Begins at Foot of Ladder.