Evening star., 1927-12-02

lecturer and Journalist. was born in 1924
for his delightfully."- conversational volume
Of story-sketches entitled "Prue and l." pub
lished in 1865 The present story was first
perhaps you would have different
impressions of things if you saw them
through my spectacles," said Titbot
tom to Prue and me one night wher
he was our guest.
"Titbottom,'' said, II did not know
that you used glasses. ! have never
seen you wearing spectacles."
mo. I don't often wear them.
am not very fond of looking through
them. But sometimes an irresistible
necessity compels me to put them on
and cannot help seeing" Titbottom
sighed.
''Is it so grievous a fate, to seer
inquired I.
Yes; through my spectacles." he
said, looking at me with wan solem
nifty.
II will gladly tell you the history
of my spectacles," began Titbottom
'It Is very simple; and l am not al
all sure that great many other peo
pie have not pair of the same kind
I have never heard of them being
sold in quantity, or, in fact, being
sold at all-it is kind of article fo1
which the demand does not increase
with use. Most people choose to be
short-sighted in such matters, if not
actually blind.
"My grandfather Titbottom was a
West 1ndian--wealthy, and all that
He lived much alone and was what
people call eccentric, by which / un
daY~ q TSd ta l. = 1ix,1
self, refusing the influence of other
people. Well, he thought much about
life, and it was he who gave me the
spectacles when l was still lad. I've
had them ever since.
"He gave the spectacles to me as
he lay dying. When 1 put them or
and looked at him, he disappeared
and I saw instead luxuriant palm
| tree, waving broadly over a Tranquil
landscape. bathed in a warm mellow
atmosphere. 1t is as that palm tree
that I always remember my grand
father
Having the special sight that these
spectacles gave me, I became a soil
tary youth. They seemed to know
had such spectacles. and they feared
lest I look at them through the glasses
too often. For example, il I saw two
boys quarreling about a marble, ant
stole behind tree to observe then
through my spectacles, / saw-not q
big boy bullying a little one-but g
young wolf with glittering teeth ant
young lamb covering before him
Or it was dog that 1 saw. when
looked at boy. faithful and famish
ing. Or a star going slowly into
eclipse--or rainbow fading-or g
flower blooming-or a sun rising-ol
waning moon.
Sometimes in the city have pu
on the spectacles and peered at the
people. When / thought I saw
| nymphs. or at least women, house
wives, I could only find broomsticks
mops or kettles hurrying about rat
tling. tinkling, in state of shrill ac
tivity. Among delicate ladies, instead
Of gentlewomen. / saw a peacock:
feather. or an iron rod, thin, sharr
and hard. Or, mysteriously chilled
I saw statue of perfect form, bu
| without heart, and often made of ice
II saw many youth who though
that iron rod was flexible or tina
the statue could bend in the grace
full forms of glowing life. I watched
the grace, the ardor. the glory of de
votion-but these stiff things had n,
love to give in return for what wal
offered them. 1t was terrible to see s,
clearly.
GAS boy I often wept to see lif,
| so stripped of illusion. / sought solac,
from my kindly and sympathetic
grandmother. And when I looked a
her through the spectacles l saw onl.
calm lake, whose shores were low
| and over which the sky hung un
broken. It had an atmosphere o
| solemn twilight tranquility th
vision seemed to me all heaven an,
| stars.
II became constantly lost in worl
| of which my fellow beings were
| part. but of which they knew nothing
I grew cold and hard, almost morose