The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-11-30
By The Fire Place
(By George Lizotte)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Every flame leaping out Oh Sign
in nv fireplace is romance wrose
Balzac. Balzac was imaginative ano
he was also in love- He loved
: woman he never saw for years. They
radiated their love through Ideals o.
: each other. When they finally met
In Switzerland, they both laughed
; so did the husband, but he never
ceased to love her and few months
before his death he married her. In
his arm chair, by the fireplace, ne
4 wrote the Human Comedy.
AS I sit now for the first time this
season by a cracking fire, am won
dering if Balzac did not find his In
spirations in the tortuous req
tongues that lap the side of the fire'
Mace. In the fantastic acrobatics Of
the flames, that once in a while
showers itself with million sparks
as if in an uproarious laugh, now and
then purple and greenish Fairies
seem to spring from the logs, and
dance up and down in gauze OF MI
radio scintillation.
| watched these Fairies, these g0r'
geous Salamanders whose beauty and
warmth was slowly setting me to
sleep. A greyish Sprite whose head
seemed to be decorated with gar
lands Of blush flames was slowly ris
ing from under a pine knot almost
consumed Hardly believing my eyes
got up and crouched before the fire
place, and to my establishment two
arms raised up from amidst thu
fame. A form perfect in its con
tours, crowned by head of infinite
beauty whose eyes and mouth were
smiling at me. "Who are you, criet
II. '"By what magic have you lost al
sense of pain? These flames, thes'
hot sparks do not seem to CONSUME
you. Your irridiscent beauty, as
purged by the fire, is SO radiant tina
it pales the coloring Of your SUI
roundings. Are you the Fairy of tn
fireplace? Do you reflect the Ions
ings, the memories, the dreams Q
your host, IL so, why so pure, VIII
so beautiful? Speak, whoever tho
art, tell me-"
A gentle voice rose slowly at frs
as If a thousand butterflies wer
\ winging their way through the flame
then louder but sweet tones: 81 al
e thy Genii l have always been wit
n you; from your birth ! have smile
l. and cried, suffered and rejoiced
e unison with thy life. When tho
n loved | smiled; when thou hated
). cried; | am the spark that animate
o your Soul am that Indefinite 20
o felt but never realized l am tn
loves-thy ambitions. / am tn
strength of your endeavors; in vol
dreams have carried you to the sid
of your beloved. | have inspire
your pen to higher Ideals; with you
~ have searched the world over for I'll
" realization of your most intima
thoughts; your lofty ambitions ca
ried on the wing of Hope, I ha,
gathered and brought back to you u
.gl realized, for you are not destined
reach the goal-the Supreme, Il
Highest But you shall seek and
- will seek with you. You have n
found as yet but am your consol
ton. | pour in your heart the bal
of hope. I animate your soul Wi
IN love, that expresses itself in feetir
4 moments of apparent joy. I am yol
n destiny. You seek blindly, fearles
I'd ly, but you seek, almost hopeless
I'd and I who alone can lead you to Il
OF seventh Heaven, I am an effigy.
I'd am consuming am thy joy Of sho
n duration. Goodnight"
re reached, scorching my hands
r. the hot Goals, grasping these blui
wings fiuttering amidst da
<. smoke. Tell me My Guarding A
a. gel, is there no hope?" A faint g,
% gle murmured behind a disappearil
q light of the dying fire. Seek, Seek
ar it said.
M. A rude voice woke me. 1t was Il
nd porter. phone, Sir, 'Hello-yt
IN. we'll really l can't tonight. You s
in / have just had an interview with r
Guardian Angel, consultation wi
a vision you might say, and l mt
-e think it over. Some other tin
Goodnight"