Then a laugh, clear ami rcsoncnt, liko
tbo voice, rang out on the drowsy atmos
phere, "Take care! That is nicely done,
only you don't look pleanod enough.
How do you know I am not the benefi
cent spirit you were so carnebtly invck
ing a moment ago?"
Stanley was silent for a moment, cool
ly scanning her from head to fret Then
dropping lazily back upon the grans, ho
smiled skeptically.
44 Tho spirit of reposodoea not harrow
men's souls by sitting and laughing at
them, nor does she make them gel up
and bow to her."
"Indeed?"
44 No; she cornea like a breath of sum.
mer air, laden with tho intoxicating fra
grance of flowers, and tho drowsy hum
of lec8. Lightly as a thistle-down, she,
touches brow, and lips, and hair, and
tired humanity sinks into tho somno
lence, tho oblivion, of perfect rent"
Tho brown eyes contemplated him,
for a moment or two, reflectively, and in
silence.
44 Evidently you aro a very tired mor
tal. I imagine you aro overworked, and
if I may hazard a guess, I should say
that your labor baa been mental, rather
than physical. Your brain jiower and
nervous forco aro overdrawn, and al
most exhausted. Were I your physi
cian, I should proserin a week's rent, a
fishing excursion, or something of tho
sort, in order to give iinpoTeriidicd na
ture a chance to replenish her reoure
cs." 44 A week's rest! " reju-atM Stanley,
almost contemptuously. " As well offer
a bite of picklo to a starving wretch!
And & fishing excursion! It is plainly
evident that you can not conceive utter
weariness of tho world and all it con
tains. Why, if a Cab were to com to
mo and bg, with team ia its '-yea, to I?
impaled upon my hook, I could not sum-
TIIK ISLAND OF KKST.
mon up sufficient energy to grant it re
quest No, no; what rest can there W
for tho mind, but that born of oblivion?"
M Hush!" said his listener, solemnly,
"Oblivion means death. Would you
court oblivion, at tho cost of existence?"
" I scarcely know," ho answered, mcd
itatively. 44 So much depends upon what
death really is. I only know that tho
supremo with of my heart is that I might
close my eyes, this sunny afternoon,
only to open them in some realm where
care, anxiety, effort and ambition aro
unknown; where tho sweet spirit of re
joho holds supremo sway, assiated only
by such hand-maidens as touch tho sin
uous nature Into fullest and most volup
tuous enjoyment Imagine the unal.
loyed bliss of an e xistenc in which you
could gnzo at the yellow orb of day,
without having to n memU'r how many
millions of miles lay Mwwn it ami your
planet; without harboring a suspicion
of tho existence of a solar system. Think
of ln'ing able to inhale tho fragrance of
sweetest blossoms, without ever d ream
ing of trying to name and clarify them!
Think of a fellow clasping to his breast
some fair U'ing of his love, and closing
his eyes in blissful unconsciousness of
such dark shadows a house rent, gro
cer's bills, and jarsgoric bottles. Think
of - " Ho paused suddenly, and lis
tened. as h heard, not far away, the
shouting of childish voices, and the
scamper of small fret among the bushes.
She aro smiling, and sJd: 44 My
children are searching for me, and I
must bid you adieu."
44 Your children!" ho echoed, litcrrd
ulously.
44 Yes, my claw; I am a teacher, out
liolanizing with my pupils."
44 A b acher! Then you can not be a
stranger to wearin-. You want know
what it is to tired"
A 'softened, addend-light cam into
tkJUautiful eye. M Wearing and I