Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1897)
G JEDEN TH2D.NE. ‘Is ¡1 imt y«*ur power <»t loving J’m Cha li«\ T h a t’-ei.oiq W hat r . tha* g iv e s voli lie* um .-t a w fu l p a in ’; ” a r e nam » s, w lp re we ha v« m uch [A ROMANCE BY SA.MLr.E I*. Pt’TW M . , , ■ , * 11 1 ~, «I I* < 1 > f í* 11 * ni i n **v 1 1 I » ‘ 4 • »•/..» 1 » .»...I • . 1 :. » .. > e i m » rn* ¡n e v i in h ie. re a l: l v a n d s • li» Ge cer< m» »n * In W e a 'e o n ! v p i r.s i«I a .'i ap-*ndi»us 1 I«e urea’ st joy is mil. ;le<l w ith c iv iliz e d life , I ■Upp t h e v n t i 't g re a te st 'Itl’-ri ng.” have long nam es, for nam es is w h o le , a n d ¡1 IS imp»»s.-ibl<- I u* us “ But m e . it - »*•*” Io kli<n\ (lie o rig in u r I he i nd « i ahulit all tiiat people have to get “ Why a 4 : th a t? W e c a n n o t acqu tin te d with, and so thev need t h a t w h o le . \ \ c ( m ii h a v e ¿ m in in g i o d o w ith tip* li nil <• u ise s: th a t'- , judge of nece.-sjty. W e eau ortlv h a n d le s a n d ti le ; but a m tliin g h u u t i f u l b fe , t h a t so r a c k e d h it h e art an d bra u th a t <hs«a.-t w o rk e d i ts s u b t l e <*»>uise u n t i l it l'lo " n n d in the w» in- b l y «>. »Itat'i. She was I re»* m»w from the fever ish torture. I lie wav«s of suffer ing broke uj en, hut did not dis turb her n tailj.- <jui*t, while h**r I--. . . , ..j. kilon ita’ *' \ . (p i I'l taise iovtr was w rithing at her . ... e *.’'*• » » V < t I c . t II i I u n iv e rse m ight have been wi h I e a r’, and put on no s ty e . fee*. nature, with her infinite law and her infinite life, t«» lal.r eari* « f <»U’- Better, any more th an we <•« say Can I see y o u r sis « r now ? < )ur “ I do not und erstand it,” s a id selves; and from our !-tan<l-p< int, it m ight have been wo» se; for it frie n d sh ip i- so d e a r t at 1 would .Morton, as he ,t t length slow ly arose, and in our « xp«*i ¡.nee, tip re are was ip,t horn » f will, i was not have her image i i mv niein«>rv.” ar.d l'xed h ’s eves upon his dead It sim ply is. It c a n ’t “ You -ha 1 see M adeline, and re lov- . “ Was she tru e an«l was 1 a m any things d i d are w ro te, and made. we can ’t trust to nature to remove «•hang«* its T , nor < an we change it. m em ber her with me. I am glad fool ? < Bi. h iw heav ‘lily t r u e s h e them . We m ust tru st to our h u I t ’s u s s s t » d se»i-s po ssil>i.it i« s. ” \ ui have such a w ish.” look' in th»* unveil» d n aj»*siy of ‘'B ut ¡'H i hum an perfection a “ M adeline!” said C harlie, with m anity.” (h ath! IIow couhl I have be«*n de- mere j ossibilitv?” a liti le s ta rt. “ I once k m w a c* ived? Ai d iel 1 was hasty , 1 “ 1 d o n ’t f <! inueh like trusting “ It is, as some people dream of M adeline. She* wa< d ai to m e, <li-1rust» <l her be«*; u-e 1 distrusted our h u m anity. 1 th in k hum anity is a hum bug to«», as well as God ” B; a ,,B s<) B s a waste of tim e to hut now forgotten, because unwor- tin* world. < >h, wl at a curs«* it is i l ucre, 1 say, \o n are m istaken consider it. But progress is not a t >y.” to lose «»ms faith! P aradise “ Then this Mail» line shall take flashed hefor»* me, and I called it a G od is a hum bug, because he’s a mere posdhility, but a probability, matt« r of fact. All In r place, f< r she is w orthy. ’ m e te c r e a t u r e of the im agination; and a descr’ am i tm m d away. () M ade th e p<*r.‘»-e> ion that I th in k “ The two men w alked into the line, forgive mi-!” 1» it hum anity is a f a c t. D o n ’t \ on ol is progress. W i»ere ’here’s ( ahit . Jen n ie u»• t 11 it rn, having h-'liexe th at a fact is of some “ It i> too late m»w. No prayers no progress ther«-’s no periecth»»», < • »mpleted her sacred task to the v a lm ? ” mo te e rsc a n w eal th»* light to her i-yes or the blessing to her lips. () “ 1 don’t k now. I s imetimes ami where tin r ’s no evil th ere’s no dead. progress, and s » j erf- ction and evil “ I'hank you, Je n n ie ,” said W ill think with a certain Frenchm an m an, she loved-\ou as you were not »hat I ’m a phaiit isy floating on the a n -in e x tric ab ly intertw ined. They as he took her hand. “ What w orthy t«> he loved.” bosom of an infinite phantasy, must go t - i h e r . Don t you sec?” should I do w ithout vou in this “ And I loved her too, oh. h«»w It s p rc.iy we 1 mixed up, th a t’s sad hour? Is sin* r»*ady f»»r h u r- fondly, how deeply! AU the foun lit a ly, I sometine-s h ard ly believe V. «* must hi* sick in order i d ? ” t h a t 1 exist, hut am only a night a fact. tains «,f my h ( art flowed to her. to get well, and getting well is p«*r- “ Yes, sweet as an angel.” said She was the id« al of mv voting m are.” “ Your orthodoxy has indeed haps the h ippiest ph is * of h u m a n .Jennie. “ S'n* seem s a lm o s t livin-r © 5 life.” c »nfonndtd she looks so beautiful.” h t*n a curse io you, and I don’t existence. W hat a “ Yet you gave her up, you de puzzl»* l'ft-is! bhev passe«! io the room where wonder. It tri» s to m ake things serted h e r .” “ \V lien th e puzzle census, life she lay, clothed in w him and right, hut a wi.a1 a violation of “ I did because I thought I h ad eyases. If we could unravel the uni- crowned with flowers. justice! It is ro t strange th a t it proof that she was false.” As th e y a p p ro a c h e d the bed sid e, drives iip ii t" ill -hleetu.il despair, verse, what a sorry affair i t w ould “ W hy did you accept th a t so- and d'*strnys a confidence an d he! B ut i is evei la -tin g ly woven a strange wild lo«'k cam e in to th e called proof so rem lily?” ex.-tenee like a ir o u b ’ed v'* ’h a millio-» c l o t s , w itii a million • ey»fs of C harlie. He stared stead- m mikes a k e s exist» nc< likt “ Alas! because I d is’rusied all. iniicie»ity sim ply a«*eepts l a n»»w bright, now dark; fast;y a t the face of the dead girl, d Iream. i T hat was the disease th at lurked in He t rem hied like a leaf. m at lire, g Hid a :id i>a»l: it «loesn’t try '*1 this is i he fond ol th o u g h t.' to explain aw.»y tin- had an d in so Don i you try to solve the mys- “ My G od!” In* cried, “ this is my blood and brain. I thought doing explain away the go«»d also. B*ry ol death by thinking tiiat it M adeline B urnham . Is you»1 nam e it wise to be sceptical. Io laugh at It takes n a ’u re as a reality, and n,a-V lu' a new f°rm of life, an d th a t B urnam ?” lie said, tu rn in g to hum an goodness, to s a v th a t every m an had his price. I his seemed takes evil as a re a lity ; and so it ' ol1 an<^ y t,ur sister will meet \V dh to be horn in me, or ra th e r it was limls g o o d a r e a l i t s . I a c c e p t th e a g t t I n - “ \«*s, W ill B urnham ; and what the result of m y train in g ; for I was evil of things, and I don’t propose I B<) not, because I cannot is your n m e?” ’aught, as the soul of orthodox re to explain it away into an airv m ind cannot accept tin* com “ M o rto n .” ligion, th a t everyone was totally nothing, t»ut to fight it as a s tu l- ( Bisiou, though niv heart perhaps . “ Alas! you m ade her w hat she depraved. Ami when, by force of born opponent. [ uui ail optim ist } ,,<,ll,s 1°’ B, I have not tin* slight- is.’ «»nlv in toe sense that we can get * eO o nec th at such is the case, “ She was niy betrothed, Oh, of reasoning, I r.-j.-cted the th eo l t ie better <-f evil things, pr-*vi«lcd al1’* therefore 1 have no ground for how I loved her, and then how ogy of my parents, th a t saddest, deepest lesson ol all I retained. I we work hard enough am i have B«»pe, ami do not hope. It is not I hated her! O m y love, m v plenty of patience and pluck; hut l Bt* future that becomes sweet to me lov«*, this is agony indeed! H ave T Could not get rid of it, 1 looked upon I'm n o t' an optim ist in tin* sens«« ^ l,oufr' 1 <hadi, hut the past. I been false, or you?” And lie Hung nu n as alm ost brutes. I believed M adeline an exception; but, when I t ’a t th ere’s uo *-uch thing as evil. ^ ‘Bm now of what she has been him self passionately a t her bedside, h e a r d the cunningly devise«! tale Such an optim ist is, I think, a ('«Mil, B eply th an ev» r before, hut and wailed ami sobbed like a a g a in s t her t i u ’h, then my d istru st lia t s >,u‘ h e w*ll will he. h e .” ’ who avoi«ls tin* real universe and n o t of " w 1,a^ c h id . o fa ll destroyed my tru st in her, “ You endure it b r a v e h .” C hapter V I. dw’tlls i»i a w«>rld of line phrases. and she seemed no better th an the “ Because I cannot help it. I f Tint grief of a m an. how «»rone A pes.-imist who 1»« lieves tin* world rest; and in my wild anger I left is the wo:st pm sihie, and lig h ts the prayers am i tears could bring her ¡t is, when for a m om ent lie is over" her, never to re tu rn .” devil with his heart lull of despair, laielt. I would shake th e s e .....tin- c o m e liv ih e utterm ost anguish of “ I was hut young th en , and is preferable to one who airs hi tain s witli m y petitions. 1 am not |ife! jlig h ly indeed must that suf- knew you not, for you met. and be selfishness in such a slush of 1|!“ "»»" ' 1 to «»■ep, if weeping would fering lie, which can solneak upthe do any good. I did weep, when bulw arks of the will, and the cam e acquainted w ith each other words.” at the A cadem y, and, when you n isn i'ii ’t i ii m e worst worst possible possitue ' " 1'Ul" ‘- O ' » tile hut w orld’s rough experience. W hen “ .in And it the visited home, I was away. T his Universe w ln rc there is such a thing h<U>J . 11 * KO<’B. I men wt<*p, it is because thev have is the first tim e I have seen you. as death? W hat can he more hor- 7 ? H ° *i But why 8houbl been struck by a blow t h a t ‘is like Oh, lmw I hated you! She loved rible ih hi th at. If we did not love (,n,1,U1» to am» n t. hi « • »- cv«*r the fierce throb of an earthquake. rible ill m th i ’. If wc did not love . . .........................— - arthuuake. you, she waited for you, and when new, and I m ust m eet n wi.h new B urnham was am azed and sile n t, ’hen we m ight «In* w ithout pam ; hope and desire.” (he revelatio„ w (lui|,|(.n an(| you came m»t the hope of her life h it, hiving, wiiat n curs*, what a ■I never saw your sister. She terrible. It tore tl,rough him like was quenched. The light of her curse it is to die!” was re t.n u g aud was not fond of the breath of a w hirlw ind. T h ein - soul seemed to fade out, and a g rad “ Y»t the loving is good at any eom paiiy, and 1 cm.Id not th in k of «„¡te sorrow oi his sister’s life ual and g e n tle insanity came over rale. For that I am thankful; and m tn .d m g n p o n your privacy. Yon rushed upou his m ind with hitter her; while the brightness of her loving m ay be more sweet, because i.n...v • w i 1. ! . •» 1 !•« -r-- L'tlfklV H . Ill’ .... *l-.k . . . la intellect was um lirninished. She wi-love in the m idst of danger and \V B v „ i . , , ‘ recol.ections. The tragedy was brooded over you. H er life was " b ' ’ " e sciucel-v kno" '« “c h O lbera wrought again th a t d ark en ed and s parution names yet. I eall you BiK, and disorder d h «*r once sunnv and fixe«! to you. Y our desertion left her like a wreck, to slowly waste V f