El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-23
The Spring Festival
By NJ. Roda Roda.

1.-THE wind was bowling and the
rain was beating against the
- windows In the little room two
young people were sitting, the man
/ and the girl, alone in their home for
the first time In the stove a misera-
| bic fire was struggling. On the table
! were standing the empty dishes and
a slender wine bottle.
They were sitting closely huddled to-
gether. {
Look. Bruno" she said. lis it not
coy and beautiful here?"
Tt will be a hundred times more
beautiful yet. We Will get heavy car
! pets on the floor, big mirrors every
! glasses
1oh. we do not need all that" she
replied.
He bent back her head and kissed
her lips.
Your place is over there by the
window Eva. You are to sit there
with your embroidery. 1 will sit quite
near you at my desk
Yes, and I will be so quiet that you
won't even know I am here"
NO matter how quiet you are, you
will be ever present in my thought.
But you must think of your work,
Bruno"
"Ah, Eva, how 1 wish it were accom-
plished. and that those dear little fin
gers would never again have to work
II 1 succeed. Eva, things viii be diff
ferent.
They were silent for a while. enjoy
ing being together
when spring comes, Eva, we viii
take long walks in the woods
Yes, long, long walks she said,
and her eyes softened with the long,
ing
1--WE will celebrate our love festi-
val there. A real spring festival. We
will pick flowers and make wreaths
for your hair We will count the
cuckoo calls and tell our fortunes with
flowers We will be as happy as gods.
The wind was bowling and the rain
was beating against the window panes.
Bruno wrote for hours, his wife sit
ting at the window embroidering for
their daily bread
often she asked: Don't you want
to go and see your friends?"
And he replied: NO. I have you
And when they felt as happy as only
lovers can be, one said to the otner'
Think of our spring festival
They lived in perfect happiness for
At last one evening two Of Bruno's
friends came.
at last, Bruno. we have found you
Good Lord, where have you been hid
ing yourself?"
At first Bruno was cool and Eva
embarrassed.
But soon they felt at home. Eva
liked to play the housewife and Bruno
began to ask questions regarding the
happenings in the outside world.
They drank tea and beer, and the
little rooms filled with tobacco smoke.
One of the lilies in the window with
cred.
Now they have found us" whis-
pered Eva, when they had gone Now
our peace is over"
How you talk, little girl. Let them
just see how two people live when they
love one another"
Nothing changed for a long, long
time, almost a whole month. Then
their evenings began to grow silent
He began to listen to other voices.
when spring comes. Bruno dear, we
will go into the woods and count the
cuckoo calls, won't WEI"
why. yes; we have often talked
about it." He met the sad expression
of her eyes and went on: Yes, and
a bowl Our spring fevtival will be
beautiful"
After a long pause she asked: Don't
you feel like going out to meet your
friends? Just once?"
For five seconds he stared into the
air, and during these five heartbeats
he fought a hard struggle with HIM
self and was defeated
why, yes, darling. One must not
give up old friends entirely. I will
go for half an hour"