A PARTING

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 14

A PARTING

"■y [Tboh: "Tee Ninbs.^]

When one is traUdng ■ languidly midar these trees .where, a few, gold'leaves are still hanging, and the scant of brown drying leaves .underfoot and. the-'sweet,:pun-gent Bcent'of .leaf' bonißros'is in the air, and-the';pursuing'nistle of one's dog padding,,amongst leaf-mortality .steals. along close; , behind; than; the 'beauty," and the pale,Vliigering sunshine, 'and- the sadness are almost more than one can bear. It.is. all a. {wistful incarnation of" the ghost that will sometimes.:visit even.'the sanest soul with", the words: Death!: And then?; - : ' '-•>-■ '.■"■""' ' • ■'-.'■'•'■■'■■ .'" "'■

On such a day there is no refnge. It does not seem ; worth-while to take interest .in' a' T world /touched' with mortality, it: is;.even impossible: to differentiate .between the 'prosperous: and the unfortunatej for, the pleasitres;aad. "pains of: the body, riches: and; • destitution,,; seem like. twin ■ sisters •m '■ the '•■ presence .of that .rustling .of dead, IeaTOS. The pale candles of "life are- 'flickering,'• waiting, to resign,. and.join'darinessU':' .' ' : " . '''■'/■

■: .On;such a \day.:the> sky ie' the'greatest comfort a mani\can have; for: though- ho .feels'-terribly'that' it'.will never "part; and ! let. his eyes peer' <m.: and.'bn' till 'they see the 'top of ..e'tenuty.i.still it,is ; high/ free, has , a semblance of immortality, and perhaps is made'up of all the spirit .braith that;has?abandoned:dead .leaves and the .corpses:'of- men.v : .r "■' '<: ', On such a day;'when love, like! a discouraged bird,, moves her wings faintly, it is-Trelltb stand.still, .and look : long at tho: sky: The'haunting■ scents,'the.pnr-suin(j;rnstle;;may.-then.for a'.brief while become •' deserters; 'for. up • there it■ seems, as :though-the'.wings of Harmony were snll-moving; .';.■■;•;.:■■:'■■ ':'■■.■-.■,■ - ■■■.-■■■ .-:■.■' :'lt ;wßs : on isnoh'a, day-that: in Kensington Gardens I; saw the parting of two poor Bonls.'..t ; .Tioy: had been- sitting..side'by' side t w : - the dim;. alley of .'chestnut trees whichileads down past '. the Speke monument • to: : ,the.« Serpentdne-a" tall,' , burly,bearded manjiand a white wisp of a-girl. Ujere : was ( nothing .in'- tt'e 'way "remarkable abootithemrthe- man -jnst'/an'iqrdm-' .ary,'-bnsines3.,type;,,the-.girl;-probably; ;'a ! governess.'.. And-they .sat. so -motionless;talking in; soch-' low -voices that I had :qmte--forgotten'-themi ifor on that/day,. •tlie tide: of'.interest,in -one's tures ;was«:at-:low- .ebb'.' -Bit"suddenly. I; | e( ?. m^,^ nso, ' 6n3 '- tliat;t,1 ey-had''. rieen.'-nnt;-.tree,. ; whose few-.broad' leaves ■ were ;80, like,.hands ..stretched o.ut'to"itheiipale s,TOli.ght > '.:.they..{stood.- close: .together, , in-' '.-.my -.presence;; and there 'was that in':thew,ay: they, were looking af. each OTherirhioh'maae-.one's heart'ache. Beep °?sn-,>n:the;eyee-of;bothi. , life was'surely quietly ■ as .'over ■ wereileaves gust:.abpnt'to -fall:: :And-I,knew,.-as certainly,'as. 'thongh,,.all -.their '■ little, history • oad -been .made':'plain,"- that this' -was a last:meeting./.'Some-fatal iorce■ ,w.as';sevfnne them,, and though ;bott'lnimT..that'.'.it'.was--fof'ever ••■'■■■■ • 'vr4 n 4-iJo^ll.'.Trafer.tb-.'meP: , .':,. ■■/■■;.'* ~'-..■ ::,.:/And'when'-I ; Vcbme-.backr.: : : r :";•.. : ;,f^' S" 8 . W opoken as though - ul y o ™ ; same lack. of; meaning' ■ '-'&:' 'desperate',;h'earts.- each trying. ,to comfort^.the'other.;-'Prom .their talk it .was;:,clear ; ;atttLthey:-were;'not.-.man. and ;too;;by the way •hey-touched : ,and';tooked';at : one, another, *5;'J? 1(l w^-:-the'.piuf.ting v 'of'. : those' who. ;had,been..lovers;VtheMeasl'of the'ir : looks' and: touches'., was.^fuU I .'of ■passion,' quiver- : r 'The;}prl^,hadl.a.:;little ;eold-,>-opfler;.":breast,-'-an,d. wlile th ?;^Dn^ea; ; :kepti playing:with-it,:,tufniiig.it;over and oyer, .■eviqenHyr with'ont:'.'.k'.npwing.'.what ' they were' han.dlin'g.-'v,Sli'eS*oro,: too,, a ■ nairW .band:of and when.-he.touclied'it, hereyesj-of.that' pale.blue:the-cblonr'bf flax flowers, dark- 1 enod-asJfVwitli'delight.-r-Her lace,-which ■was Tather,foreign-looking, with .its- high cheek-bones and; ashen<'hair;, had' some•niDg of theiwilted' whiteness of- a flower, turned .up to: himV. and her hands/ stroking -and twisting -at'his sleeves, , could no ■ more'keep still/than :her.;rapid,•whispering' •voice .-.with its;.little'-'un-Bhglish accent I And he—that;,burly:;fellbw;-?-it: : w.as queer.' to'.see :the -twitching'^and;quivering-- or his face, -as. though';all; :; the".:memories', 'com-' , l.mori.to ,theso".t^6 : ;wer6 trying ltd -break thrbnghvthe:aiiok"-.inask-.of. his'.'flesh. '■'. It-must :have jieeiicsomething '.very -fateful, to.;drag.;them::.apartfin -the Ml tide of their passion ;!or'was" , this'-perhaps only one- more,.of-those- most pitifnl of all episodes,..when.vthe,> of money, ;and repntatibn.'have' tramped in on 10ve?.,: It•; was , .-, hard' to tell.-which was. ithe. stronger; emotion y on-. those faces ;•'. - so ; ;-. close ■' ■to one another; -pity- , for.; vself, j:.-or /.pity -for the other -heart,' about ;to be: left lonely, to .be.bereft of\itai Jittle.'shjrb/of immortal.ity.l:,;". v, ..■■■■•.;.•:/',,;■-::;; V.v.7..'.:-.'.." /■ I,;:' .;'■'.'.::.. And then,: without even a glance round ,tp\see if anyone ; .were'looking,-they ohing togsther. : :'-There'could-they felt-bo 'no •aoingv.that.'sini^''-;Sfaeot--;or-':'at , --tte l ,riil. wayjstatiqn;;.but:.herc,an:ish'adow, under trees ;.that" know f well enough 'what partings ...WCTeilike, ; . with, ho'one to .'see them 'except .'.'one ;;indifferent: 'stranger •■ and', a .spamel/dog.stirring','the .dea'd.'leayes with lts'^long;; black ■nose-'here ;.they could try ■once:again-..t0 forget.',o-_., ■■>■;■■'■'..:■':: ,: ';') '■> : i.'.VWhateyer, their. jpoor r story—common,place ;and-little,noble.in .'the-world's eye— they, ithiis clinging'together, in : their love and ■in'>the'.presence,:of, its .deatii,..were :syjnbolic:'.'of'.a' : world touched ■' with iin■mortality,: :where'all' things 'seem -to'love, and : yet.. lose,love, ■'. and', pass put .into no;thingDess..; .There'was no? statue-in-'.all those: Gardens like'.tfiis,: dark," pitiful group twovblo'tted into'each' other's arMs, trying' for.a'last'moment tocrush sorrow, to- death. , withihythe, :prison;..of ■their joined lips. : ■;./ ■:•':''• .■. . ■:'.'■■.■'; ". But ::when -.'that, kiss was ' bverrpwhat ■then? ~Would they.have' eourago- to turn and ' walk'-.-different' iWays,. leaving.' their :hearts;..hanging hero'.in the ; air; , framed ■;by.,,thej'sparse, •■wan ■■ leaves,* mid .taking, away; :justead, i within' i each-of ;them.-a-'lit-.' tie !hollow' 'of. rustling /sound? •""■ '■' - - , : ...Theyihad noVthat;coUrage. : They "went, together,, their!-'.arms' 'listless, -the' man trying"to'bear' himqelf -indifferently.,':.the- : B«rl,,cryinß;Ve'yer'.-sq v gKietly; 'And as they .camenearer/andineaver tothe'Gatej'theywalked■ always'slbwor,.'till'theyhad passed'• -through.' it,;, : and 'stood- still :om tlio' edge •of the .payement.; ,: ATid. as, thq-URh :.ih'deed' ■they -.had. left-..their:'hearts'jclirigitg.': in the :air. .'of the .Gardens, ■' evermoro-v to :haunt:under:-th'ose..trees, v -they/hardly 'even' touchoa.ohe; another,'vbut,.with, i'one'.long, , pitiful.look,■.■sarted;'.;,he'to-his'-cabi' she' toi stand ylpoking;.'aiter,'it.- , ." ";■■■■<■ : -":-:-.'y/.A high, butasgrey.-as a dove's'yingV-sun-' less, compound of .'unshed: tears. ■ And ; a little cold,.vtalking..-wind Had-risen, so thatvwheni.a ' leaf-:fell, , it\fledN 'away, tnrned•■ over, fluttered, .and • dropped. ■■'In' this ;wihd,'people, hurried'as though it were■ telling. them:. things. they wished; not to hear; and the. numbers of little birds balancing;.on , the.'bared' boughs seemed very, -suent; one -could not tell - .whether they wore:happy.; >'■ V. ; ■'. ". ■'' ',' ■ ■'-.. .In the alley of chestnut trees I tried fo nnd.-the. place where -those two' hearts had been left.. The wind.had.-blown over: u was.lost•in:the'-wilderness,ofigrey J air '' But though I. could'not see it,-! was there; that ■ kiss for ever imprinted : on'.tho Dale: sunlight And l l honied for it,, destrmg' its, warmth on this'; day that was'like the death of love: I.codd not find 't. andislowly walked the ohffl scents•. dyinßi.ronnd me, the pursuing • rue. : tie. of my, dogi, padding ■ in,leaf-mdrfe'lHy" creeping along ibobind. . . .; .'-, :■; :■■?. :. -';'v.!'.:;! JOBGS , GALSWOETKr. ''