Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-06-26
Bright Stories by Members of the Club
SILENCE.

Tired with the talscness OF women
and the cruelty or men. | fed from
the haun,s Of mankind, crying In Tn.
bitterness OF my soul. Where can 1
hide from the face OF man"
fed. ANA. nccin2. there rang In my
ears. the oaths OF men and the shrili
laughter OF fa!sc women.
And. behold came TO a great
woods, and entered it's cool shadows.
The birds sung sweetiy. the wind
whispered sot,iy through the tree
tops and cooled my fevered brow.
the laughing brook ran ripping over
the stones. thc bees and butterflies
h!ttcd h.iher and ihithcr. slipping the
nectar from the MOWERS. and peace.
Ike the wings of dove, settled on
my laccra,cd heart and soo,hcd It's
pain. and cried in ecstacy: NOW. !
can rest IA lcac" FAR from cruel !ncn
and false women. Here | can COM
munc With nature and Vim my soul
But even a spoke. broodimg
silence fcll over the woods. and /
shivercd with terror. The birdE for
got 10 sing. tn" sun hid hts face be-
hind the cloude. the brook paused long
enoug To inurmum softly. Alas! you
arc wrong. even here come cruel men
and falls. women" The flowers droop-
al thci; heads in sorrow. and the
breeze sighed gently. Nowhere can
you escape cruel men and false WON
en-" And even IS II sighed cruel men
and false. fair women entered my
woods. and ,hc reports OF guns awokc
the echoes while the bleeding forms
OF sweet. pretty birds Yell TO the
ground and oaths ale! my ears and
the sound OF chopping. and the trees
feu. dying. and false. fair women
plucked The beautiful flowers and their
false laughter rang on, as they
crushed tho life from the flowers.
Thrustug my fingers in my cars. ]
fed from that accurscd place, whose
onc-time blessed quiet was no more.
! fed. and - chance | met an old
man. whose gray locks We're few and
scarce and he wore the robe OF n
priest. and cried Holy father. tell
mo. thou who hast seen much OF life.
tell me. pray thee, where can
escape cruel men and false, fair WON
en-" Sadly he replied ALAS! my son,
you can only ESCAPE b. crossing the
dark river Of death" and h. would
have stayed no. but ! would not
And ! me, fair lady who smiled
RICH, swectly NJ me and cried, WHY
,hy e.emly haste. oh fair youth?
Tarry thou with me: am youth,
beauty and pleasure Rut cried:
II seek no, youth, beauty or pleas
urc. but only TO escape from crHe!
men and false women" she laughed
and stretched on, her ar,ne to clasp
me. but cluded her and ned. crying.
Where can escape cruel men ana
false women" 4 soft voice whisper
ed Through me" turned and ghzed
on n radiant vision OF lovciinesS. Il
Young girl dressed In white. SAID.
.lyho art rhou?" She said. Il am
hope" cried, Il have no hope"
came TO a beautiful valley and
entered. It was covered with green
Grass and flowers. and sluggish
yellow stream murmured through 1t.
sat GO" u vi u iD'h W 49,
over the entrance was the word
solitude" sat in solitude AID cried.
NOW. l am free from crue! men ana
false women" and as | spoke. cruei
men and false women invaded my
solitude. and cried. Can no one de-
liver ne from cruel men and fafe
women" and a mockinS voice cried
81 cam turned and ] looked in
the face OF a demon The demon
roin;ed at the entrance and laughed
a horrible. cruel. mirthlcse laugh I
Eazcd. and the word was now "Si-
lencc." and there came n stiffness.
The birds forgot to sing, the wind
blew the grass TO and fro silently.
and cruel men and false women fed
from that place and left me alone
with the deamon. With the silence,
and the deamon laughed a mirthless
laugh without sound. But I did not
laugh, but placing my fingers in my
ears TO shut out the silence. I fled
back 10 the haunts of men.
C.. A. BALLARD