Come with me out into the starlight night. So calm, so serene, ye lights of
heaven, so high above earth; so pure and majestic and mysterious; looking down
on the mad struggle of life here below, is there no pity in your never closing
eyes for us mortals on which you shine?
Come with me on to the bridge. Ah, see there, far below, the dark, turbid
stream. Rushing and whirling and eddying under the dark pillars with ghostly
murmur and siren whisper. What shall we find in your depths? The stars do not
reflect themselves in your waters, they are too dark and troubled and swift!
What shall we find in your depths? Rest?—Peace?—catfish? Who knows? 'Tis but a
moment. A leap! A plunge!—and—then oblivion or another world? Who can tell? A
man once dived into your depths and brought up a horse collar and a hoop-skirt.
Ah! what do we know of the beyond? We know that death comes, and we return no
more to our world of trouble and care—but where do we go? Are there lands where
no traveler has been? A chaos—perhaps where no human foot has trod—perhaps
Bastrop—perhaps New Jersey! Who knows? Where do people go who are in McDade? Do
they go where they have to fare worse? They cannot go where they have worse
fare!
Let us leave the river. The night grows cold. We could not pierce the future
or pay the toll. Come, the ice factory is deserted! No one sees us. My partner,
W. P. Anderson, will never destroy himself. Why? His credit is good. No one will
sue a side-partner of mine!
You have heard of a brook murmuring, but you never knew a sewer sighed! But
we digress! We will no longer pursue a side issue like this. Au revoir. I will
see you later.
Yours truly,
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE INGOMAR JUNIUS BRUTUS CALLIOPE SIX-HANDED
EUCHRE GROVER CLEVELAND HILL CITY QUARTETTE JOHNSON.
AN EARLY PARABLE
[In one of his early letters, written from Austin, O.
Henry wrote a long parable that was evidently to tell his correspondent some
of the local gossip. Here it is:]
Once upon a time there was a maiden in a land not far away—a maiden of much
beauty and rare accomplishments. She was beloved by all on account of her
goodness of heart, and her many charms of disposition. Her father was a great
lord, rich and powerful, and a mighty man, and he loved his daughter with
exceeding great love, and he cared for her with jealous and loving watchfulness,
lest any harm should befall her, or even the least discomfort should mar her
happiness and cause any trouble in her smooth and peaceful life. The cunningest
masters were engaged to teach her from her youngest days; she played upon the
harpsichord the loveliest and sweetest music; she wrought fancy work in divers
strange and wonderful forms that might puzzle all beholders as to what manner of
things they might be; she sang; and all listeners hearkened thereunto, as to the
voice of an angel; she danced stately minuets with the gay knights as graceful
as a queen and as light as the thistledown borne above the clover blossoms by
the wind; she could paint upon china, rare and unknown flowers the like unto
which man never saw in colors, crimson and blue and yellow, glorious to behold;
she conversed in unknown tongues whereof no man knew the meaning and sense; and
created wild admiration in all, by the ease and grace with which she did play
upon a new and strange instrument of wondrous sound and structure which she
called a banjo.
She had gone into a strange land, far away beyond the rivers that flowed
through her father's dominion—farther than one could see from the highest castle
tower—up into the land of ice and snow, where wise men, famous for learning and
ancient lore had gathered together from many lands and countries the daughters
of great men. Kings and powerful rulers, railroad men, bankers, mighty men who
wished to bring up their children to be wise and versed in all things old and
new. Here, the Princess abode for many seasons, and she sat at the feet of old
wise men, who could tell of the world's birth, and the stars, and read the
meaning of the forms of the rocks that make the high mountains and knew the
history of all created things that are; and here she learned to speak strange
tongues, and studied the deep mysteries of the past—the secrets of the ancients;
Chaldic lore; Etruscan inscription; hidden and mystic sciences, and knew the
names of all the flowers and things that grow in fields or wood; even unto the
tiniest weed by the brook.
In due time the Princess came back to her father's castle. The big bell
boomed from the high tower; the heavy iron gates were thrown open; banners
floated all along the battlemented walls, and in the grand hall, servants and
retainers hurried to and fro, bearing gold dishes, and great bowls of flaming
smoking punch, while oxen were roasted whole and hogsheads of ale tapped on the
common by the castle walls, and thither hied them the villagers one and all to
make merry at the coming of the dear Princess again. "She will come back so wise
and learned," they said, "so far above us that she will not notice us as she did
once," but not so: the Princess with a red rose in her hair, and dressed so
plain and neat that she looked more like a farmer's daughter than a great
king's, came down among them from her father's side with nods of love and
welcome on her lips, and a smile upon her face, and took them by the hands as in
the old days, and none among them so lowly or so poor but what received a kind
word from the gracious Princess, and carried away in their hearts glad feelings
that she was still the same noble and gracious lady she always was. Then night
came, and torches by thousands lit up the great forest, and musicians played and
bonfires glowed, with sparks flying like myriads of stars among the gloomy
trees.
In the great castle hall were gathered the brave knights and the fairest
ladies in the kingdom. The jolly old King, surrounded by the wise men and
officers of state moved about among his guests, stately and courteous, ravishing
music burst forth from all sides, and down the hall moved the fair Princess in
the mazy dance, on the arm of a Knight who gazed upon her face in rapt devotion
and love. Who was he that dared to look thus upon the daughter of the King,
sovereign prince of the kingdom, and the heiress of her father's wealth and
lands.
He had no title, no proud name to place beside a royal one, beyond that of an
honorable knight, but who says that that is not a title that, borne worthily,
makes a man the peer of any that wears a crown?
|
