Life — December 3, 1896 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

* LIFE: THAT FIRST AFFAIR. (Continued from last number.) FR this sleep she was gently awakened by the pressure of a diminutive hand upon her heart, and warm lips against her own. Opening her eyes, at first slowly, and then wider in alarm, she looked upon a curious little being who leaned’ over her with a mischievous smile. He was short, very plump, and quite a handsome boy. She sat up and pushed him back. But he continued to smile. “Oh, don't be angry. understand it later. me yet.” You will You don’t know “No, I do not.” “Tam the serpent.” “The serpent?" “Yes. Do I look it?” She did not answer, as she felt he was not seri- ous, and she ‘had begun to fear him. In his face and manner there recklessness and audacity that augmented her dis- trust; moreover, his lips were amorous and his eyes were bold. The impression given was of an impulsive, happy person, warm and open-hearted perhaps, but who loved the Devil and was full thereof. Had he worn a halo, it would not have been straight upon his head, but cocked to one side, and he would have doffed it to every girl he met. “Yes,” he went on, “I am the tempter, the thing that is to bring disgrace upon you—upon you—the mother of the human race.” His speech was meaningless, at least to her, and she began to regard him as some evil spirit. “‘Are you a man?” she whispered. “A man? No; I am the essence of all men—of the millions yet un- born. I am the sap and soul of human life, the realization of lovers’ dreams. I am the absorbing and re- sistless passion; the one undying thing; the everlasting joy and tor- ture. That's what I am!” He smiled as he spoke, yet there was enough of earnestness to con- vince his listener that he was some- thing of importance. The more she studied him the more she yielded to an indefinable bewitchment. He seemed to exercise a dangerous spell, and she looked uneasily about. Her thoughts flew to the man, whose ab- sence she now regretted, and she re- membered him with a warmer in- terest and a deeper longing than she had yet experienced. “You kind of half know what love is, don’t you?” exclaimed her new ac- quaintance. “Whenever you think of that fellow you feel thi .” And, reaching out his arms, he moved them slowly up and down, wiggling every finger; ‘‘ and it goes tingling all through you, up your spine, along your drunken nerves, and into your nice little heart. It brings the color to your cheeks and the light of Heaven to your eyes. Oh, it is the big thing of creation!" and then, she tried to hide her embarrassment by a careless smile, finally putting her hands before her face, he laugh- ed aloud, a triumphant, mocking laugh, threw himself upon the grass, and repeated, as he rolled over and over among the flowers, ‘* What fun this is!” Then he sat up and said with a smile - an exasperating smile of supe- rior wisdom: ‘Tell me honestly what you think of him?” In spite of herself, the color came into her cheeks, “Who?” ‘*Who?" he repeated ina jeering tone. ‘* Who, indeed! There are so many.” “You are an impudent little thing.” ‘* Worse than that,” he replied. “1 am the wicked thing that tempted Eve ;" and he hunched up his shoul- ders and rubbed his hands ina kind of reckless glee. ‘That tempted whom?" “You. But tell me honestly if the world is not pleasanter since you took that nap. Isn’t the sky bluer, the air softer? Aren't the flowers more fragrant? and isn’t your heart a heap sight fuller since I had the honor of awakening you?” Again the color came to her cheeks as she replied, with a frown, “IT don't know why I should talk about it to every along.” “True; but you are not likely ‘to encounter many strangers, and besides, I am an excep- tional person. I am an institution by myself—a whole principle, in fact —and a huge one, too.” “You are here for mischief, 1 am sure of that.” He laughed again, ‘‘ For love and trouble, that’s what I am here for.” ‘*Must they go together?” ‘Well, yes; I suppose they must. You see, love requires that two shall be in it.” She nodded. Then, with a solemn shake of his head, ‘* There's trouble right away.” She reflected a moment, then re- plied, ‘*I don’t see why.” ‘Because one at least is in love. If the man, for instance, could pine away for love of himself, for what is already his; if he could be satisfied with holding his own hand, sitting in his own lap, breathing love into his own ear, and after all, perhaps, changing his mind and throw- ing himself over at the end, you can see how much suffering would be avoided. And the same with a woman, 0; it's having two