The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-12-13

I
once relic and an heirloom. Orig
inally the property of Nell Gwynne,
1t had descended to him through
three or four generations OF maternal
ancestors.
The glass was framed in colored
beadwork, to which we're attached
wax figures in high relief: at the top,
miniature portrait of Charles ii. in
his state robes; at the bottom, one
Of Nell herself, in court dress. The
king appeared also on the right, in
hunting costume, and on the left was
another figure of his favorite in less
ornamental garb. According to the
legend which accompanied this in
teresting antique, it was Nell
Gwynne's own handiwork.
1t possessed for me a certain fas-
cination due more to its history than
its beauty, for it was not the most
artistic of creations, and as Cameron
poked about for his Baudelaire, l
stood gazing at the glass and think
ing of all l had ever read of the IL
literate, but saucy, sprightly actress
whose sole claim to fame hung on her
winning the favor of that easy-going,
royal hypocrite, Charles II.
Here's the binding!" / herd Cam
eron say, and turned from the mirror
to the table, where he had found his
sought-for treasure beneath a pile Of
heavier, grosser works.
You know something of book
binding" he went on, with enthusi-
asm. Now examine that carefully,
and tell me If you ever saw anything
more exquisite. l had it done in Lon
don, last year. It's a copy of one Of
lie Gascon's."
At first sight it seemed all glitter
ing gold, but on closer inspection
found that the groundwork was bright
red morocco, inlaid with buff, olive,
and marble leather, the spaces close
ly filled with very delicate and beau
tiful pointille traceries. It was a YER
liable gem in its way, and l could not
blame Cameron for his raptures
When l had applauded and be-
praised to his content, he took the lit
tie volume from my hand and open
Ing 1t, with a sort of slow reverence,
observed with something like patron
ish
I'm afraid you don't quite under
stand Baudelaire."
Does anybody" l flung back.
He is not so obscure as his critics
would have us believe" Cameron as
serted. "Sit down in that lounging
! chair moment, and I'll read you
something" And as obeyed, he
, drew up chair for himself, speaking
all the while In denunciation of Toll
stoi and the injustice of HIS criticism.
One poem after another he read,
while lay back listening. To his
credit he read them well, though he
: paused often in mid-verse to explain
, what he thought might regard as an
affectation or, as Tolstoi has put it,
IAN intentional obscurity."
There was one verse which inn
pressed me particularly as he read
it, and remained with me for a long
, while afterward, for, in view of every.
I thing, it seemed to have a special ap-
positiveness. The lines to which 1
refer have been translated In this
way:
d From Heavens high balconies
s See! in their threadbare robes the dead
s years cast their eyes,
And from the depths below regrets wan
: smile appears.
:. Cameron sat with his back to the
Il door leading to the passageway, and
facing, diagonally, across the table.
d the Nell Gwynne mirror. My own
) gaze was on him as he read.
Az hn fntahad tho varao uortiov,
? of which | have quoted, he lifted his
d eyes, thought to meet mine, but his
/ look rose over my head, aud chung,
while his lids widened, and into every
/ line of his face there came rigid,
e startled expression, half amazement,
% half horror And in that instant OF
n tense silence the "Fleurs du Nal"
h slipped from ibis nerveless fingers,
d struck the table edge, and dropped
!. with unseemly echo to the floor
d In a breath was on my feet and
e staring where his vision had focused.
n | hardly know what ] expected to see.
n am sure nothing would have sur
prised me. And yet l was scarcely
,r prepared for the inexplicable ruin
t. which my sight encountered. The
d glass of the Nell Gwynne mirror was
a. In atoms.
a Cameron rose, little unsteadily
A. thought, and coming around the table.
y Joined me in closer inspection Of his
5, wrecked hereditament. l can find no
lie word adequate to the description OF
T. what we experienced. Amusement
8. and all its synonyms are far too
ID feeble for the task. We were certain