The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-01-10

i The glass was framed In colored
Deadwork, TO which were attached
wax figures in high relief: at the top.
a miniature portrait OF Charles H. 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
terestine antique. 1t was Nell
Gwynne's own handiwork
l. II possessed for me a certain fas-
tcination due more to it's history than
its beauty, for 1t was not the most
artistic OF creations. and as Cameron
poked about for his rBaudelaire, |
stood gazing at the glass and think
ing OF all ] had ever read OF the IL
llterate. but saucy. sprightly actress
whose sole claim TO fame hang oa ner
winning the favor of that easy-goiDg,
royal hypocrlte, Charles IL.
Here's the binding!" heard Cam
eron say. and turned from the mirror
to the table. where he had found his
sought-for treasure beneath 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. ] had 1t, done in Lon
don. last year. It's a copy of one OF
Lie Gascon's."
/ AT first sight II 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
| tifui pointille traceries IL was YER
liable gem in its way. and | could not
blame Cameron for his raptures.
When ! had applauded and be.
I praised to his content, he took the lit
tie volume from my hand and OPEN
ing II. with 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 an his critics
would have us believe" Cameron as.
| serted. "Sit down in that lounging
| chair a moment. and III read you
something" And as obeyed, he
drew up a chair for himself, speaking
all the while in denunciation of Tol-
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 Tolsto has put 1t,
IAN intentional obscurity"
There was one verse which i'm
pressed me particularly as he read
ii, and remained with me for long
while afterward. for. in view OF every
| thing. It seemed to have a special ap-
| positiveness. The lines to which |
refer have been translated in this
| way:
From Heavens high balconies
See! I'm their threadbare robes the dead
years cast their yves.
And from The depths yellow regrets wan
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
of which | have quoted. he lifted his
eyes, thought to NEE. mine, but his
look rose over my herd, and chung.
while his lids widened. and into every
line OF his face there came a rigid,
startled expression. hflf amazement,
half horror And In chat instant OF
tense silence the "F1enrs du Nal"
slipped from his nerveless fingers,
struck the table edge, and dropped
with unseemly echo to the floor.
In az breath | was on my feet and
staring where his vision had focused.
I hardly know what | expected to see.
am sure nothing would have sur.
prsed me. And yet J was scarcely
prepared for the irs-plicable ruin
which my sight encountered The
glass OF the Nell Gwrrne mirror was
.
Cameron rose. a little unsteadily I
thought. and coming around the table.
Joined me in closer inspection OF his
wrecked hereditament can find no
word adequate TO the description OF
what we experienced. Amusement
and all It's synonyms are far too
feeble for the task We were certain
ly more than appalled,. What we saw
suggested to me spontaneous disin-
tegration. n such thing were pos
sible. which | believe IL Is not, Il
might have explained the condition or
the mirro. No other ascription
seemed admissible; for. though the
glass remained in its frame not so
much as splinter having been
dropped. IL was fractured into a
thousand tiny pieces. resembling a
crystal mosaic. incapable of any but
the most minute reflections. And the
change to this condition from fair.