The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-03-20

beadwork, TO which were attached
wax figures in high relief: at the top,
a miniature portrait of Charles II. in
HE 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
terestng antique. It was Nell
Gwynne's own handiwork.
1t possessed for me certain ias-
cination 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 Baudelaire, |
stood gazing az the glass and think.
ing of all | had ever read OF the IL
Iitcrate. 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!" 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 II you ever saw anything
more exquisite. had It done in Lon
don, last year. It's copy of one Of
lie Gaseous"
At first sight 1t seemed all glitter.
ing gold, but on closer inspection
found that the groundwork was bright
red morocco, inlaid with bun, olive.
and marble leather. the spaces close
ly filled with very delicate and beau.
tiful pointille traceries. 1t was a YER
liable gem In it's way, and could not
blame Cameron for his raptures.
When | had applauded and be-
praised,to his content, he took the 1T.
tie volume from my hand and open
ing 1t, with a sort of slow reverence,
observed with something like patron
ism:
I'm afraid you don't quite under.
stand Baudelaire."
Does anybody" flung back.
He is not so obscure as his critics
would have us believe" Cameron as.
serted. sit down in that lounging
chair n moment, and I'll read you
something" And as | obeyed, he
drew up chair for himself speaking
all the while In denuncation 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 midverse to explain
what he thought might regard as an
affectation or, as Tolstoi has put 1t.
IAN intentional obscurity."
There was one verse which i'm
pressed me particularly as he read
It. and remained with me for a long
while afterward. for. in view OF every
thing It seemed to have n special ap-
positiveness. The lines to which
refer have been translated In this
way
From Heavens high balconies
See! in their threadbare robes the dead
years east their eyes,
And from the depths below regrets wan
smile appears.
Cameron sat with his back TO the
door leading to the passageway and
facing. dagonally across the table.
the Nell Gwynne mirror. My own
gaze was on him as he read
As he finished the verse, portion
OF which | have quoted. he lifted his
eyes, thought to meet mine, but his
look rose over my head. and chung,
while his lids widened, and into every
line of his face there came a rigid,
startled expression, half amazement,
half horror And In that instant OF
tense silence the ''Fleurs du Mali
slipped from his nerveless fingers,
struck the table edge. and dropped
with unseemly echo to the floor.
In breath was on my feet and
staring where his vision had focused.
hardly know what | expected to see.
| am sure nothing would have sur.
prlSeu me. Anu yet l Wab scarcely
prepared for the inexplicable ruin
which my sight encountered. The
glass OF the Nell Gwynhs mirror was
in atoms.
Cameron rose. n little unsteadlly
thought, and coming around the table.
Joined me in closer inspection of his
wrecked heredltament. can find n"
word adequate to the description OF
what we experienced. Amazeaent
and all Its synonyms are far too
feeble for the task. We were certain
ly more than appalled,. What we saw
suggested to me spontaneous disin-
tegrltion. II such thing were pos
sible, which believe 1t is not. It
might have explained the condition of
the mirror. No other Inscription
seemed admissible; for. though the
glass remained In Its frame not so
much as splinter having been
dropped, It was fractured into
thousand tiny pieces. resembling
crystal mosaic. incapable OF any but
the most minute reflections. And the
change to this condition from a fair.
unmarried panel had been wrough,