The Dolores star., 1910-02-04

with verdure. while the giant honey.
suckle. clinging to the wall OF his
house. eahaled delicious odors. filling
the clear. warm air with a kind Of
sweetened. perfumed soul.
He began to take long breaths, drink.
ing in the air as drunkards drink wine.
as he walked slowly along. enchanted.
marveling, almost forgetting his niece.
As soon as he was outside of the
garden. he stopped to gaze upon the
plain all inundated by the caressinE
light. bathed In the tender. languish.
ing charm of the serene night. At
each moment was heard the short.
metallic note Of the toad. and distant
nightingales poured out their music
note by note. vibrating music that sets
one dreaming without thinking, made
for kisses. for the seduction OF moon.
light.
The abbe walked on again, his heart
failing. though he knew not why. He
seemed weakened, suddenly exhaust.
ed: he wanted to sit down, to rest
there, to contemplate, to admire God
in his works.
Down yonder. following the undu.
lations of the little river. a great line
OF poplars wound in and out. A fine
mist, white vapor that the moon.
beams traversed, silvered and made
shining. hung about and over the
mountains. enveloping all the tortu.
Gus course Of the water like kind Of
light and transparent cotton.
The priest stopped once again. pen
etrated to the depths of his soul by
growing and irresistible tenderness.
And doubt, vague feeling OF dis
quiet came over him: he was asking
one of those questions that he some.
times put to himself:
why did God make this! Since
the night is destined for sleep. uncon.
seriousness. repose. forgetfulness Of
everything. why make 1t more charm.
Ing than day. softer than dawn or
evening: and why this seductive
planet. more poetic than the sun. that
seems destined. SO discreet is 1t, to H.
illuminate things too delicate and mys.
terious for the great light, that makes
30 transparent the shadows?.
Why does not the greatest OF bird.
singers sleep like the others? Why
does 1t pour forth its voice in this
mysterious shade?
why this half-veil thrown over the
world? Why these tremblings Of the
heart. this emotion OF the spirit, this
languishing of the body?'
And the able could not understand
But see. yonder on the edge of the
meadow. under the arch of trees
bathed In a shining mist, two figures
walking side by side.
The man was the taller. and held
his arm about his sweetheart's neck
and kissed her brow every little while.
They impaired life to the motionless
landscape that enveloped them as q
frame worthy OF them The two
seemed but single being, the being
for whom was destined this calm and
silent night, and they came toward
the priest as living response, the re-
sponse Of his Master sent to his ques-
ton.
He stood still. his heart beating, all
upset. and 1t seemed to him that he
was beholding some biblical scene,
like the loves Of Ruth and Boaz, the ac.
complishment of the will Of the Lord,
in one of those glorious stories Of
which the sacred books tell. The
verses Of the Song of Songs began to
ring in his ears, the cries Of ardor, all
the poetry Of this poem Of love.
And he said unto himself: Perhaps
God has made such nights as these
to veil the ideal Of the love of men,"
He shrank back from this couple
with arms intertwined, that still ad.
vanced. Yet 1t was his niece. But
he asked himself now II he would not
be disobeying God. And does not God
permit love. since he surrounds It with
such visible splendor?
!, And he went back musing, almost
ashamed. as II he had penetrated into
temple where he had no right to
enter.