The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-01-03
UuunuuuuuuuHnnnnn II
IN THE VALLEY
OF DECISION.


last lingering rays of the setting sun
cast a golden light on church spire
and roof and the bluebird chants
forth in melodious voice the last
sweet notes OF his evening song.
High up in her room among the
stars face sits a girl, whose face and
figure are thrown into strong relief
against a background Of scarlet and
gold She sits at the open win low,
and the soft mellow rays of the set
ting sun cast gentle shadows that
seem to accentuate her isolation In
her face is expressed the remotehess
of the spirit that will ever see visions
and dream dreams, while In her
dwelt in sweet accord all those
qualities, those subtle elusive ele-
meuts of perfection that we esteem
but can never wholly fathom.
AS she raises her eyes her glance
takes in the room-the open fire, the
easy chair, the table on which rests
bundle of manuscripts, and a soft
smile creeps over her countenance.
Children of the Mist" she MUIR
murs. and lays caressins fingers on
the neat pile of papers. Her fancy
waLGers In and out through the vista
OF departed years and she sees her
self young and happy girl embark
ing on the sea Of literature. A brief
and hardworking period of noyltiate
found her at the height of fame. Her
books became a household possession
and her presence was sought at many
a gathering, not only for her fame as
a writer, but because her sweet, SYM
pathetic nature drew humanity to-
ward her, and her charity and sweet
helpfulness cheered many an unsuc-
cessful follower
One window of her room looked
out on many roof garden, but
one little opening that caught the
first sweet flush OF dawn and the last
lingering set of sun. She loved the
wide glory OF the purple sky, its
loneliness and its mystery. A sleep
ing princess, waiting for her prince,
she designated herself. This little
world had at time fairy brightness
that contrasted with its occasional
loneliness and the dark hour when
frost and snow shut out her view OF
sun and moon and stars. 1t made
one side Jf her life, one part OF her
existence. The other half of her
consciousness belonged 70 the world
outside, to the QStentation and yani-
ties that characterized her fellow
men. She found that standing on
the outskirts OF the dim multitudes
she could view here, as well as in
her high window, rising cnostella-
tions, fleeing eclipses and intermit-
tent silences.
The view fascinated her, and when
at last the prince came, her whole
heart had leaped responsive to the
great happiness; she was carried
along in the whirl; utterly swept off
her feet, robbed of all voiition. There
seemed no leisure hours to spend at
her high window, and she felt blind
ed and deafened by the clamor Of her
| heart. But at last there came q
quite moment when. seated in her
| nook among the stars, her thoughts
resolved themselves from chaos and
she could survey calmly and logi'
cally her position AS she glanced al
the solitaire he had placed upon her
! finger she seemed to see In its placs
a chain that bound her in rlvets OF
steel.
my Wife" he would cay in one
OF their plans for the future. must
not be a public woman The life OF
a woman in the public eye is utterly
distasteful to me-" That she SHOULD
give up her writing was the sum Of
his desires. At first in the poignancl
OF her grief she had tried to elimin
ate him from her life, but the Ions
stretches of loneliness and the insis
tent cries of her heart rendered fu
tile all attempts at separation, ant
she rea lized with a pang that she haC
come to a parting of the ways.
Now once more seated at her higl
| "iHuUN ia bhC Sicuhog AANA AttHN' va
ressingly, lingeringly laid upon he
manuscripts, she feels that some
thing she had begun to live for ha
gone for nothing; something sweet
ardent and keen must come to al
end
She crosses the room TO the opel
fireplace, where the fitful darts o
flame cast fantastic shadows on wal
and floor, and kneeling, she stirs tn
diving embers into a bright glo'
Then gently, tenderly. she places tn
neat parcel on the Goals "Childre
of the Mist" she whispers, fare
we'll" AS the papers catch the glo'
they quicken into fame, then df
out: a coal becoming detached fror
It's security falls with a sibilant, hiss
ing noise and in the rosy glare Is re
fected a subtle change In the face {
the kneeling girl--the old look
surprise in the brown eyes has gone
the old air or enchantment has DE-
parted; she seems TO have gained
equlpoise; she had lived throug