The Idle Thoughts of An Idle Fellow

id of catchingit a second time. The man who has had it can go into the mostdangerous places and play the most foolhardy tricks with perfectsafety. He can picnic in shady woods, ramble

end, venture into the very jaws

es or atwilight pull among the somber rushes. He can get over a stilewithout danger, scramble through a tangled hedge without being caught,come down a slippery path without falling. He can look into

eart is a firework that once inits time flashes heavenward. Meteor-like, it blazes for a moment andlights with its glory the whole world beneath. Then the night of oursordid commonplace life closes in around it, and the burned-out case,falling back to earth, lies useless and uncared for, slowly smolderinginto ashes. Once, breaking loose from our prison bonds, we dare, asm

lling of the spheres. Affection will burncheerily when the white flame of love is flickered out. Affection isa fire that can be fed from day to day and be piled up ever higher asthe wintry years draw nigh. Old men and wom

asant words, your gentle pressures of the hand, your thoughtful an

, for yourhearth will be warm and bright, and the faces r

n and Angelina, you ex

fuel. You willwatch it die out in anger and disappointment. To each it will seemthat it is the other who is growing colder. Edwin sees withbitterness that Angelina no longer runs to the gate to meet him, allsmiles and blushes; and when he has a cough now sh

, for Edwin has given upcarrying her old hand

other one, but neithersees their own change.

sof poor human nature--join hands over their common failing, and sta

r person'sfault. Angelina would have gone on loving Edwin forever and ever andever if only Edwin had not grown so strange and

not yet lit, and you have to grope aboutin the cold, raw dawn of life to kindle it. God grant it

enty it seems impossible that he will not loveas wildly at sixty as he does then. He cannot call to mind anymiddle-aged or elderly gentleman of his acquaint

world's experience can be no guide in his case. Alas! alas! ereth

or grieve, nor joy, nor despair in our thirties like we didin our teens. Disa

ore reasonable and convenientlyadapts itself to circumstances. And love--love dies. "Irreverencefor the dreams of youth" soon creeps like a killing frost upon ourhearts.

ir that they think his protestations atall worthy of attention. Young ladies take their notions of our sexfrom the novels written by their own, and compared with themo

od of abstruse mysteries. He resembles the whole familyof them, however, in being a blackguard, and perhaps this is what ismeant. To even the little manliness his classical prototypespossessed, though, he can lay no claim whatever, being a listlesseffeminate noodle, on the shady

, for us old sinners th

tells a truer tale than our bold eloquence. A boy's love comes fro

hen a boy's heart is struck withthe heavenly rod. If you would taste love, drink of the pure streamthat yo

at the pollution of its after-coursegives it a relish to your lips? Must we believe those who tell ust

ves and silly Adams that sin is sweet and thatdecency is ridiculous and vulgar? How many an innocent girl do theynot degrade into an evil-minded woman? To how many a weak lad do theynot point out the dirty by-path as the short

o love, and then the lass he loves has the making ormarring of him. Unconsciously he molds himself to what she would havehim, good or bad. I am sorry to have to be ungallant enough to saythat I do not think they always use their influence for the best. Toooften the female wor

world a little nearer heaven. Chivalry is not dead: it only sleep

orthy of knig

mind and soul as well asface, so that brave knights may win glory in your service! Oh, woman,throw off your disguising cloaks of selfishness, effrontery, andaffectation! Stand fo

st, and Fear, Avarice,Pleasure, and Ambition

e lived for her sake? Our love was areligion we could have died for. It was no mere human creatur

hen he said that there wasnothing half so sweet in life. Even when it brings misery it is awild, romantic misery, all unlike the dull, worldly pain ofafter-sorrows. When

believe you! In what awe you stood of her! Howmiserable you were when you had offended her! And yet, how pleasantto be bullied by her and to sue for pardon without having theslightest notion of what your fault was! How dark the world was whenshe snubbed you, as she often did, the little rogue, just to see youlook wretched; how sunny when she smiled! How

our life, and have been terribly burnedand injured! Anything to serve her. Even in little things that wasso sweet. How you would watch her, spaniel-like, to anticipate herslightest wish! How proud you were to do her bidding! How delightfulit was to be ordered about by her! To devote your whole life to herand to never think of yourself seemed such a simple t

ly. Shewas too sacred to be touched. It seemed almost presumption to gaze ather. You would as soon have thought of kissing her as

aith, and reverence! Ah, those foolish days of noblelongings and of noble strivings! And oh, these wise, clever days whenwe know that money is the o