Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-03

"Eve's Legend"


il is generally admitted that 'e' is
the most used Of the five vowels. 1t
would be safe wager that no one
can read at random two lines from a
book or newspaper without encounter.
ing it. But did its prominence among
the letters OF the alphabet ever sug-
xest the possibility OF writing a
story"-a real story, with characters
and Modernism which all the VOW
els except "e" should be omitted?
In quaint old book, not very well
known, there is an example OF this in
Senuity. 1t is little story written by
Lord Holland, in 1874, entitled Eyes
Legend but has nothing to do with
the "hrst mother Of the human race,
or with the Garden OF Eden, altho that
locality would appear TO invite the at.
tention OF any author from whose use
all yowels save &c" were excluded.
Here is the story
Men were never perfect, yet the
three brethren, Neres, were ever
esteemed, respected, revered, even
when the rest $3.50 whether the select
few, whether the mere herd were
left neglected.
Peter welded Hester Green the
slender, stern, severe, erect Hester
Green. The next, clever Ned, welded
sweet Ellen Heber.
Stephen, ere he met the gentle
Eve. never felt tenderness, he kept
kennels, bred steeds, rested where the
deer fed, went where green trees.
where fresh breezes, greeted sleep.
There he met the meek the gentle
Eve: she tended her sheep, she ever
neglected self, she never needed peif
yet she needed the shepherds even
less.
Nevertheless her cheeks redeemed
when she met Ste phen, yet decent re-
serve, me, K re- 1eCt. tempe cd htr
speech even when she sheN ed ter
derness.
Stephen felt the sweet effect he
felt he erred when he fed the sex, yet
felt defenseless when Eve seemed ten
der. She, he reflected never deserved
neglect, she never vented spleen; he
esteemed her gentleness, her endless
deserts, he reyerenced her steps, he
greeted her:
Tell me whence these meek, these
gentle sheep-whence the yet meek
Ell, the gentler shepherdess?'
"Well bred, we were exc better
fed, ere we went where reckless men
seek heeces. There we were feeced
Need then rendered ME shepherdess,
need renders me sempstress.
See me tend the sheep, see me
sew the wretched shreds. Ewes need
preserves the steers, preserves the
sheep; Eyes needle mends her dres-
ses, hens her sheets; Eve feeds the
geese; Eve preserves the cheese.
Her speech melted Stephen. He
bent the knee where her feet pressed
the green; he blessed, he begged, he
pressed her
Sweet, sweet Eve, let me wed
thee; be led where Hester Green.
where Ellen Heber, where the breth-
zen We're dwell. Free cheer greets
thee there. Be led there, sweet
Eve!'
"Never. We well remember the
h,r no a al c a
entered the cell --- we begged the de-
cree:
Where, whenever, when, 'twere well
Eve be weddeds Ed Seer tell
"'He rendered the decree; see here
the sentence decreed.' Then she pre-
scented Stephen the Seers decree:
ERE the green reed be red,
Sweet Eve, be never We'd
Ere be green the red cheek.
Never wed thee, Eve meek
"The terms perplexed Stephen, yet
I've jeered, lie resented the senseless
credence, 'Seers never err Then he
repented, knelt, wheedled, wept. Eve
sees Stephen kneel she relents. yet
frets when she remembers the Seer's
decree. Her dress redeems her. These
were the events
Her wel.kempt tresses fell; sedges,
reeds, bedecked them. The reeds fell,
the edges met her cheeks; her cheeks
bled. She pressed the green sedge
where her cheeks bed Red then be-
dewed the green reed, the green reed
then speckled her red cheek. The red
cheek seems green, the green reed
seems red
These were cen the terms the Ed
Seer decreed. They then were We'd