Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1912-12-12

quaintauce, explaining that u vas al
once q relic and an heirloom. Orig.
inaiiy the property Of Nell Gwynne.
II had descended to him through
three or four generations Of maternal
ancestors.
The glass was framed In colored
beadwork, to which were 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 favorits In less
ornamental garb. According to the
legend which accompanied this IN.
teresting antique. It was Nell
Gwynnes own handiwOfk.
, II possessed for me q certain fas
cination due more to It's history than
its beauty, for It was not the most
artistic OF creations. and as Cameron
poked about for his Baudelaire, !
stood gazing at the glass and think.
ing OF all | had ever read Of the IL
literate, but saucy, sprightly actress
whose sole claim to fame hung on har
winning the favor OF that easy going.
royal hypocrite. Charles II.
Here's the binding!" heard Cam.
eron say. and turned from the mirror
10 the table. where he had found hiS
sought-for treasure beneath q pile OF
heavier grosser works.
You know something Of book.
binding he went on. with enthusi-
asm. Now examine that carefully.
and tell me II you ever saw anything
more exquisite. ! had 1t done In Lon.
don. last year. It's copy Of one Of
lie Gascons."
At first sight 1t seemed all glitter.
ing gold, but on closer inspection I
found that the groundwork was bright
red morocco inlaid with bun. olive.
and marble leather. the spaces close
ly hlled with very delicate and beau.
tiful pointille traceries. II was . yer.
table gem in its way, and could not
blame Cameron for his raptures.
When ! had applauded and b.
praised TO his content. be took the lit.
tie volume from my hand and open.
ing It, with a sort Of slow reverence.
observed with something like patron.
ism:
I'm afraid you don't quite under.
stand Baudelaire."
Does anybody" I flung back.
He is not so obscure as his critics
would have us believe" Cameron as
serted. "Sit down in that loungins
| chair
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 l lay back listening To his
credit he read them we'll. though he
paused often in mid.verse to explain
what he thought | might regard a. an
anectation or. as Tols.oi has put II,
AN Intentional obscurity"
There was one verse which i'm.
pressed me particularly as he read
1t, and remained with me for q long
while afterward. for. in view OF every.
thing. II seemed to have a special ap-
positveness. The lines TO which I
refer have been translated In this
way.
From Heavens high balconies
See' In their threadbare robes the dead
years cast their eyes
And from the depths below regrets Wa
smile appears.
Cameron sat with his back to the
door leading to the passageway. and
facing, diagonally, across the table.
the Nell Gwynne mirror. MY own
gaze was on him as he read.
As he finished the verse, a portion
or which ] have quoted. he lifted his
eyes, thought to meet mine, but his
look rose over my head, and clunr.
while his lids widened, and into every
line OF his face there came a riRid.
startled expression. half amazement.
half horror And In that instant of
tense silence the "Fleurs du Nal"
slipped from his nerveless finger,
struck the table edge. and dropped
with unseemly echo to the floor.
In a breath | was on my feet and
staring where his vision had focused
| hardly know what | expected to see.
| am sure nothing would have sur.
prised me. And yet was scarcely
prepared for the inexplicable ruin
which my sight encountered. Ths
glass of the Nell Gwynne mirror was
in atoms
Cameron rose, little unsteadily I
thought. and coming around the table.
joined me In closer inspection Of his
wrecked hereditament. I can fnd No
word adequate to the descriptior NJ