Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-10

an American writer OF romanceS ana
w Sll1I Sre Tbe Scarlet Letter. twice
Told Tales" and Moses From an Old
ManSe.'
A venerable gentleman, one Mr..
Smith, who had long been regarded as a
pattern OF moral excellence, was warm
ing his aged blood with glass or two
of generous wine. His children being
gone forth about their worldly business,
and his grandchildren at school, he sat
alone in a deep luxurious armchair,
with his feet beneath richly carved
mahogany table.
Suddenly, through the brilliant me-
dunn of his glass of old Madeira, he be-
held three figures entering the room.
These were Fancy who had assumed
the garb and aspect of an itinerant
Snowman. with box of pictures on her
back. and Memory. in the likeness of a
clerk with pen behind her ear and an
inkhorn at her button hole, and a
huge manuscript volume beneath her
arm. and lastly, behind the other two,
person shrouded in a duSky mantle.
which concealed both face and form.
But Mr.. Smith had q shreWd idea that
it was Conscience.
How kind of Fancy, Memory and
Conscience to visit the old gentleman,
just as he was beginning to imagine
that the wine he'd neither SO bright a
sparkle. nor so excellent a flavor. as
when himself and the liquor we're less
aged Memory, with q finger between
the leaves of her huge volume, placed
herself at his right hand Conscience,
with her face hidden in the dusky
mantle, took her station on the left, SO
as TO be next his heart, while EC1cy set
down her picture box on the table with
the m2gnifylng glass convenient to his
eye. Let us look at some of the pictures
which, at the pulling of a string, sue
cessiVely peoplcd the box with the SEM
blance of living scenes.
One was a moonlight picture, in the
background a loWly dwelling and in
front, partly Swallowed by q tree, yet
beSprinkled with flakes Of radiance, two
youthful figures. male and female. The
young man stood with folded arms.
haughly smile upon his lip and a CLEAN
Of triumph in his eye, as he glanced
downward at the kneelin2 girl. She was
almost PROSTATE at his feet. evidently
sinking under a weight of shame and
anguish, which hardly allowed her to
lift her clasped hands in supplication.
Her eyes she could not lift But
neither her agony. nor the lovely fea-
lures on which it vas depicted. nor the
slender grace of the form which it con-
vulsed, appeared to soften the Obduracy
of the young man. He was the per-
sonifcation of triumphant scorn.
Now, strange to say, as old MIR Smith
peeped through the magnifying glass.
which made the objects start out from
the canvas with magical deception, he
began TO recognize the farmhouse, the
tree and both the figures of the picture
often met his gaze within the looking
glass. the girl was the very image of his
first love-his cottage love--his Martha
Burroughs Mr.. Smith was scandalized.
"Oh, vile and slanderous pictured" he
exclaimed. When have l triumphcd
over ruined innocence? Was not
Martha welded IN her teens To David
Tonlklns VINO won her girlish love and
long enjoyed her affection as wife?
And ever since his death she has lived
reputable widow"
Meantime. Memoray was turning over
the leaves of her volume. rustling them
to and fro with uncertain fingers, until,
among the earlier pages, she found one
which had reference to this picture.
She read 1t close to the old gentleman's
ear II Is a record merely of sinful
thought, which never was embodied In
Conscience unveils her face. and strikes
a dagger to the heart of Mr.. Smith.
Though not death-blow, the torture
vas extreme
The exhibition proceeded One after
another Fancy displayed her pictures,
al OF which appeared TO have been
painted by some malicious artist on eur-
pose TO vex Mr. Smith. Not a shadow
Of proof could have been adduced, in
any earthly court. that he was guilty Of
the slightest Of these sins, which were
thus made to stare him in the face.
Why should we follow Fancy through
the whole series Of those awful pictures?
Painted by an artist of wondrous power
and terrible acquaintance with the Sec
ret soul, they embodied the ghosts OF all
the never perpetrated sins that had
glided through the lifetime of Mr.
Smith. And could such beings of
cloudy fantasy so near akin to moth
ingneSS, give valid evidence against him
at the day Of Judgment.
Be that the case or not, there Is rea-
son 10 believe that one truly repentant
tear would have washed away each
hateful picture and left the canvas
white as snow Mr. Smith, at prick
Of Conscience too keen to be endured,
beloved aloud with impatient agony. and
suddenly discovered that his three
guests were gone There he sat alone. a
silverhaired and highly venerated old
man in the rich gloom OF the crimson
curtained room. with no box of pictures
on the table, but only a decanter Of
most excellent Madeira Yet his heart
sttll seemed to tester with the venom
OF the dagger.
Nevertheless, the unfortunate old
gentleman might have argued the mat
ter with Conscience, and alleged many
reasons wherefore she should not smite
him SO pitllessly Were we to take up
his cause, 1t should be somewhat IN the
following fashion.
A scheme Of guilt till Il be put in
execution, greatly resembles a train Of
incidents In projected tale. The lat
ter, in order TO produce a sense of
reality In the readers mind, must be
conceived with such prOportonate
strength by the author as TO seem. in
the glow Of fancy. more like truth, past,
present or To come, than purely fiction,
The prospective sinner. on the other
hand, Weaves his plot of crime. but sell
dom or never feels perfect certainty