Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-08

lOnger-SO near they Were-SO lOuu |
He hurried out in the middle of the |
prayer. 1t was a winter morning, but |
in that southern city it was like early
spring. The grass in the square was
green, and a border of white violets
had FASTENED to bloom. 1t was Fri
day, and he gathered a few of them
for her Saturday letter. He stood for
a moment holding them, conscious
only of the sunshine. 1t deadened him
to himself again. 1t filed the city as
wine fills a cup, with a life-giving.
sense-stealing potency. But even in
the sunshine the cough nagged him.
Listen" it whispered.
You need a rest" said Herrick's
mind to his body, "or you won't last
even your time. I've been going too
fast for you, curse you! but I've had
such a good time"
He looked at his arm with disgust.
Il couldn't row a mile with you," he
said. Il would be ashamed to go in
side any gym with you. You would
have let that tough knock me down
last night II hadn't had pistol along
4
need rest, only you can't have it,
you know. shan't go back home and
wait-by myself. And I'm not brute
enough to take her back, now-eyen
If her mother would kindly die and
give me the chance"
He went on through the sunshine
with his violets, and climbed to his
room, wrote his daily letter. shutting
the flowers up in the thin sheets for
her to dream over.
A few weeks later Herrick did
something he had not expected to do.
He returned home. He wrote the girl
that 1t was to get we'll In his heart
he knew that it was to die. He had
resisted coming back; but he did not
know what else to do. He was dying
so fast that he had not strength
enough for a pretense of work among
/ the living. He was just in the way.
and people. when they did not swear
at him, looked sorry for him. 1t was
simplest to get out OF the way and
away from the people.
The garden was greener than ever,
and he had violets of his own to put
in her letters. He wrote them every
day. They we're mostly lies. He de-
sired to keep her away. He did not
wish her to have his dying face to re-
member. He very well knew what IL
would look like. He heard the foot
steps all the time. They advanced
steadily. He could almost name the
date Of that gray spring morning when
they would enter his room, and that
CHASTITY occupation of his living. strug-
Cling body would ensue. Warm days
he dragged himself to the garden seat.
and looked lovingly back at his beau
tiful home, with the sunshine entering
at the wide doors.
The old house. the old pictures, the
room Of books, the green garden, and
the violets underneath the oaks-all
these things Herrick devised with a
lovers pleasure to the girl he loved He
seemed gathering a handful of flowers
to send her. and. indeed, when the
trifiing legality was concluded, IL was
as If he had done as slight a thing.
He smiled as he thought of the
stories he had meant to write They
seemed to be so little worth while. He
read Marcus Aurelius. as the author
best fitted to dwarf the footsteps. In
many moods he ignored them, OF
Knocked at them, but he always knew
that at the end Fear would possess
him. He did not mind waiting as
much as he had supposed that be
, would. He did not know if it wers
philosophy, or II death benumbed. H'
; had done with letters to the girl, be
, cause his brain served him no longel
! to invent lies, and he found 1t a relief
} He tried not to think about her; but ii
p May even a dying man may not forge
= his love.
, Perhaps Herrick's sick yearninl
( called her back in telepathic ways
3 but more likely some meddler ha,
!. written her the truth. At all events
3 / she came home to him one day. Blu
S her fresh youth and beauty could no
/. give him back life, and she had bette
/ have stayed away. She only made
e harder for him to die week later A
a. it CHANGED, he died in the night an
e alone. They would not let her Sc
$ his dead face. She sobbed that sh
e could never forgive them for that Blu
t those who found him dead probabl
). knew what they were about.
The Christian should remember tha
\ every good lick he strikes is helpin
!. to bring the millennium nearer.