The Wife of his Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line, and Selected Essays

all revolving around a common centre, in obedience perhaps to the same law of motion that governs the planetary systems. T

casional engravings and colored pictures representing the dances of various nations, judiciously selected. The rows of chairs along the two sides of the room were left unoccupied by the time the

lip away to her own sitting-room, which was on the same floor of the block, for a few minutes of rest. Her day had been a hard one.

untenance, now lit up with the animation of pleasure. He seemed about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. His face was of the type one instinctively associates with intellect and character, and it gave the imp

if you had been a moment later I was going to the hall to look you up. You seem tired to-night," he added, drawing her nearer to

" she answered, "and then I

, Clara," he said, looking down into her face,-he was at l

you can get to-night?" s

t make me wait too long for that. Why, just t

g time," said Clara, as t

I have been waiting for my answer. I am turning gray under the suspense. Seriously, Clara dear, what

filled with tears. She repulsed him ge

give me a little more time to make up my mind before I can consent to bur

and beautiful, if you

er fa

olar, if you inherited from h

to believe it. But it is a serious matte

one, which was freely given

ce I have learned that it was not, it seems like a garment-something external, acces

yours; I lay it at your feet. S

osition the harder. Your great-grand

ard my mot

ncestors came over

been quite clear whether as s

u learned that I had none. I know you are proud of them, and that the memory of the governor and the judge and the

Now the one inspiration of my li

ur prof

ns to take you out of this;

treatise that is t

hard on it and accompl

at you might sh

e better or cared for me more faithfully had I been her own child. Yet-I am ashamed to say it-I always felt that I was not like them, that there was a subtle difference between us. They were contented in prosperity, resigned in misfort

me as they were," said her lover, "for t

r and certain tones. Then again when my mood changes, I am all at sea-I feel that even if I had but simply to turn my hand to learn

ded in mystery. Take my name, as you have taken my love, and I 'll make your future so happy that you won't have time to think of the past. What are a lot of musty, mouldy old gr

re and whence you came, you 'll be obliged to bring out the governor, and the judge, and the rest of them. If you should refrain, in order to forestall embarrassing inquiries about my ancestry, I should have deprived you of something you are

t woman on earth, who

I mean. You could only say-

n parents, who fled from their own country in '49 to escape politic

t true would be always with me, poisoning

s, most of them; thieves, murderers, and vagabonds, many of them, no doubt; and therefore the best of us have but little to boast of. Yet we are all made after God's own image, and formed by his hand, for h

lizations. And there are tests that even all your philosophy could not endure. Suppose you should marry me, and then some time, by th

our value in my eyes, by stamping you as a rare work of nature, an exception to the law of heredity, a triumph of pure beauty and goodness over the grosser limitations of m

them," said Clara,

e urged, "give

. "Grant me a little longer time

my sake,

t him take her in his a

too long, I may come back this way-if I see the lights in the hall still burning. Do