,,the ,,damsel ,,and ,,the ,,sage ,,the ,,damsel ,,and ,,the ,,sage ,a ,,woman',s ,,whimsies ,,by ,,elinor ,,glyn ,,harper ,,brothers ,,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,london ,,mdcccciii ,copyright1 #aijc1 by ,,elinor ,,glyn4 ,all rights reserved4 ,published ,october1 #aijc4 ,,to ,,the ,,sun',s ,,rays ,a tree stood alone surrounded by high and low hills4 ,it could be observed from all sides1 and it appeared different from each elevation4 ,the tree was the same1 only the point of view differed4 ,everything depends upon the point of view4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and as to the meaning1 it's what you please4 ,c4 ,s4 ,c4 ,,the ,,damsel ,,and ,,the ,,sage ,and the ,damsel said to the ,sage3 ,now1 what is life8 ,and why does the fruit taste bitter in the mouth8 ,and the ,sage answered1 as he stepped from his cave3 ,my child1 there was once a man who had two ears like other people4 ,they were naturally necessary for his enjoyment of the day4 ,but one of these ears offended his head4 ,it behaved with stupidity1 thinking thereby to enhance its value to him--it heard too much4 ,oh1 it conducted itself with a gross stupidity4 ',out upon you1' cried the man2 'since you have overstepped the limit of the functions of an ear1 ,i shall cut you from my head6' ,and so1 without hesitation1 he took a sword and accomplished the deed4 ,the poor ear then lay upon the ground bleeding1 and the man went about with a mutilated head4 ,and what was the good of all that8 said the ,damsel4 ,there was no good in it1 replied the ,sage4 ,but he was a man1 and he had punished the too-fond-and-foolish ear--also he hoped a new and more suitable one would grow in its place4 ',change1' he said1 'was a thing to be welcomed4' ,and tell me1 ,sage1 what became of the ear8 asked the ,damsel4 ,the ear fared better4 ,another man of greater shrewdness came along1 and1 although he had two ears of his own1 he said1 ',a third will not come amiss1' and he picked up the ear and heard with three ears instead of two4 ,so he became knowing and clever because of the information he acquired in this way4 ,the grafted ear grew and flourished1 and1 in spite of its remaining abnormal1 it obtained a certain enjoyment out of existence4 ,but who really benefited by all this8 inquired the ,damsel4 ,no one1 said the ,sage2 the first man went about with only one ear2 the second man made himself remarkable with three--and the cut-off ear1 although alive and successful1 felt itself an excrescence4 ,then what could be the pleasure of it all8 demanded the ,damsel4 ,out upon you6 exclaimed the ,sage1 in a passion4 ,you asked me what was life--and why the fruit tasted bitter in the mouth8 ,i have answered you4 ,and he went back into his cave and barred the door4 ,the ,damsel sat down upon a stone outside4 ,it seems to me that men are fools1 she said1 and she clapped her hands to her two ears4 ,when ,i am angry and offended with one of you1 ,i will cut the ear from off the head of some one else4 ,and she picked up an apple and ate it4 ,and it tasted sweet4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a man will often fling away a woman who has wronged him although in doing so he is deeply hurting himself4 ,a woman will forgive a man who has wronged her because her own personal pleasure in him is greater than her outraged pride4 ,hence women are more unconscious philosophers than men4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,damsel returned again to the cave of the ,sage4 ,there were other questions she wished to ask about life4 ,the door was hard to push ajar1 but at last she obtained entrance4 ,what do you want now8 he demanded1 with a voice of grumbling4 ,were you not content with my last utterances8 ,yes--and no1 said the ,damsel4 ,i came to quite other conclusions myself4 ,i would have kept the ear on my head1 since cutting one off1 however it had angered me1 would have upset my own comfort4 ,we have finished with that matter now1 said the ,sage1 showing signs of impatience--he was still a man4 ,what next8 ,i want to know1 said the ,damsel1 why a woman who has ,diamonds and ,pearls and ,emeralds and ,rubies in her possession should set such store upon a ,topaz--a yellow ,topaz--the color she dislikes--and a ,topaz of uneven temper and peculiar properties4 ,she never wears this stone that it does not bruise her1 now her neck1 now her arm4 ,it is restless and slips from its chain4 ,it will not remain in the case with the other jewels4 ,and at last she has lost it--she fears for good and all4 ,and so now all the other stones1 which seemed very well in their way1 have grown of even less value in her eyes1 and she can only lament the loss of her ,topaz4 ',i am brilliant1' cries the ,diamond4 ',i set off your eyes1 and ,i love you4' ',i am soft and caressing1' whispers the ,pearl4 ',i lie close to your white skin and keep it cool1 and ,i love you4' ',i am witty1' laughs the ,emerald4 ',i make your thoughts flash1 and ,i love you4' ',i am the color of blood1 and ,i would die for you1' chants the ,ruby1 'and ,i love you4' ,and all these things the stones say all the day to her1 and yet the woman only listens with half an ear1 and their words have no effect upon her because of the charm of this tiresome ,topaz4 ,what does it all mean1 ,sage8 ,it means1 first of all1 said the ,sage1 that the woman is a fool1 as what is the value of a ,topaz in comparison with a ,diamond or a ,ruby8 ,it means1 secondly1 that the ,topaz is a greater fool1 because it would be more agreeable surely to lie close to the woman's soft neck than to be picked up by any stranger or lie neglected in the dust4 ,but1 above and beyond everything1 it means that cherries are ripest when out of reach1 and that the whole world is full of fools of either opinion1 who do not know when they are well off4 ,upon which the ,sage1 with his usual lack of manners1 retired into his cave and slammed his door4 ,the ,damsel sat down upon the rock and came again to her own conclusions4 ,the stone that apparently was a ,topaz was in reality a yellow ,diamond of great rarity and worth1 and that was why the woman valued it so highly4 ,her instincts were stronger than her reason4 ,but if she had not made herself so cheap by adoring the stone1 it would not have become restless and she would not have lost it4 ,even stones cannot stand too much honey4 ,if ever the woman should find this yellow ,diamond again she must be told to keep it in a cool box and not caress it or place it above the others4 ,the ,damsel thought aloud and the ,sage heard her--he strode forth in a rage4 ,why do you come here demanding my advice if you moralize yourself8 ,out upon you again6 he thundered4 ,the woman will not find her ,topaz1 which is now revelling in the sun of freedom and will soon go down into nothingness and be forgotten4 ,and after lamenting until her eyes look gaunt1 the woman will begin to see some beauty in a ,sapphire and become consoled1 and so all will be well4 ,i do not care what you say1 said the ,damsel4 ,it is better to have what one wants one's self than to try and learn to like anything else that other people think better4 ,and she refastened a bracelet with great care--which contained two cat's-eyes of no value--as she went on her way4 99 99 99 99 99 ,seize the occasion lest it pass thee by and fall into the lap of another4 99 99 99 99 99 ,no man likes shooting tame rabbits4 99 99 99 99 99 ,most men like the hunt more than the quarry--therefore the wise woman is elusive4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is a good hostess who never inclines her guests unconsciously to look at the clock4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some things cause pride1 some pleasure4 ,there is only one thing which causes infinite bliss and oblivion of time1 and this one thing1 unless bound with chains1 is called immoral4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is a wise man who knows when he is happy and can appreciate the divine bliss of the tangible now4 ,most of us retrospect or anticipate and so lose the present4 99 99 99 99 99 ,seize ,love at whatever age he comes to you--if you can avoid being ridiculous4 99 99 99 99 99 ,more questions8 exclaimed the ,sage1 as the ,damsel tapped gently upon the door of his cave4 ,women are never satisfied2 they are as restless as the sea1 and when they have received all the best advice they invariably follow their own inclinations4 ,it was not to discuss women1 replied the ,damsel1 timidly2 this time it is of a man ,i wish to ask4 ,begin1 then1 and have done quickly1 growled the ,sage1 averting his head4 ,the ,damsel had an outline against the sky which caused ideas not tranquillizing for ,hermits4 ,i wish to know why a man who possessed the most beautiful and noble ,bird of ,paradise--a bird of rare plumage and wonderful qualities--should suddenly see more beauty in an ordinary ,cockatoo1 whose only attraction was its yellow feathers--a ,cockatoo that screamed monotonously as it swung backward and forward on its perch1 and would eat sugar out of the hand of any stranger while it cried ',pretty ,poll4' ,the man could not afford to buy this creature also1 so he deliberately sold his exquisite ,bird of ,paradise to a person called ,circumstance and with the money became the possessor of the ,cockatoo1 who pierced the drums of his ears with its eternal ',pretty ,poll' and wearied his sight with its yellow feathers4 ,why did the man do this8 ,the ,sage laughed at so simple a question4 ,because he was a man1 and even a screaming ,cockatoo belonging to some one else has more charm at times than the most divine ,bird of ,paradise belonging to himself4 ,but was it worth while to sell this rare thing for a very ordinary one8 demanded the ,damsel4 ,certainly not1 said the ,sage1 impatiently4 ,what childish questions you ask6 ,the thing was a folly on the face of it2 but1 as ,i said before1 he was a man--and the ,cockatoo belonged to some one else6 ,then what will happen now8 asked the ,damsel1 placing herself in the direction in which the ,sage had turned his head4 ,the ,bird of ,paradise will still be the most beautiful and glorious and desirable bird in the world2 and when the man realizes he has lost it forever he will begin to value its every feather1 and will spend his days in comparing all its remembered perfections and advantages with the screams and the yellow feathers of the ,cockatoo4 ,and what will the ,cockatoo do8 inquired the ,damsel4 ,it will probably continue to shriek ',pretty ,poll1' and eat sugar out of the hand of any stranger1 replied the ,sage1 plucking his heard4 ,and the man8 ,the man will go on telling every one he has bought the most divine bird in the world1 in the hope that some one will offer him a large sum of money for it4 ,the only person who gains in the affair is the ,bird of ,paradise1 who1 instead of being caged as when in the possession of the man1 is absolutely free to fly with its new master1 ,circumstance1 who only seeks to please and soothe this glorious bird and make life fair for it4 ,but what will be the very end8 persisted the ,damsel4 ,the ,sage turned and looked full at her4 ,he was angry with her importunity and would have answered sternly4 ,then he saw that the ripples of her hair were golden and his voice softened4 ,that will depend--upon ,circumstance1 he replied1 and he closed his door softly in her face4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a man wishes and a woman wishes1 but ,circumstance frequently wins the game4 99 99 99 99 99 ,life is short--avoid causing yawns4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is possible for a woman to retain the amorous affection of a man for many years--if he only sees her for the two best hours out of each twenty-four4 99 99 99 99 99 ,please open the door1 ,sage1 entreated the ,damsel1 and ,i will tell you a story4 ,the ,sage pushed it ajar with his foot1 but he did not come out4 ,there was once upon a time a man1 she said1 who unexpectedly and for no apparent reason became the possessor of a ,tiger4 ,it had been coveted by numbers of people and was of a certain value and beauty4 ,it had an infinite variety of tricks4 ,it was learned in caresses4 ,it was fierce1 and gentle1 and it could love passionately4 ,altogether a large price would have been offered the man for it by many others if he had wished to sell it4 ,in the beginning he had greatly valued the possession of this strange beast1 and had fed it with his own hand4 ,the little anxiety as to whether it would eat him or not1 or rush away1 had kept him interested4 ,but gradually1 as he became certain the ,tiger adored him1 and would show none but velvet claws and make only purring sounds1 his keenness waned4 ,he still loved it1 but certainty is monotonous1 and his eyes wandered to other objects4 ',the ,tiger is nothing but a domestic cat1' he said2 ',i will pet and caress it when the mood takes me1 and for the rest of the time it can purr to itself by the fire4' ,at last one day1 after the ,tiger was especially gracious and had purred with all essence of love1 the man yawned4 ',it is really a charming beast1' he said1 'but it is always the same2 and then he went away and forgot even to feed it4 ,the ,tiger felt hungry and restless4 ,its quietness and gentleness became less apparent4 ,the man on his travels chanced to think of it and sent it a biscuit4 ,so the ,tiger waited1 and when the man returned and expected the usual docile caresses1 it bit his hand4 ',vile beast6' said the man4 ',have ,i not fed and kept you for weeks1 and now you bite my hand6' ,now tell me1 ,sage1 which was right--the man or the ,tiger8 ,both1 and neither1 said the ,sage1 decidedly4 ,the man was only obeying the eternal law in finding what he was sure of monotonous2 but he mistook the nature of the beast he had to deal with4 ,tigers are not of the species that can ever be really monotonous1 if he had known4 ,the ,tiger was foolish to allow its true nature to be so disguised by its love for the man that he was deceived into looking upon it as a domestic cat4 ,it thought to please him thereby and so lost its hold4 ,and what will be the end8 asked the ,damsel4 ,the man's hand will smart to the end of his life1 and he will never secure another ,tiger4 ,and the ,tiger will go elsewhere and console itself by letting its natural instincts have full play4 ,it will not be foolish a second time4 ,but the ,damsel's conclusion was different4 ,no1 she said4 ,the man's hand will heal up1 and the ,tiger will caress him and make him forget the bite1 and they will love each other to eternity because they have both realized their own stupidity4 ,and without speaking further she allowed the ,sage to close the door4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is wiser to know the species one is playing with3 do not offer ,tigers hay--or ,antelopes joints of meat4 99 99 99 99 99 ,next day1 in a pouring shower of rain1 the ,damsel knocked at the ,sage's door4 ,it was for shelter1 she said1 this time1 until the storm should pass4 ,the ,sage was fairly gracious1 and to while away the time the ,damsel began a story4 ,a man once owned a brown ,sparrow4 ,it had no attractions1 and it made a continuous and wearying noise as it chattered under the eaves4 ,it did the same thing every day1 and had monotonous domestic habits that often greatly irritated the man1 but--he was accustomed to it1 and did not complain4 ,after several years a travelling ,showman came along2 he had a large aviary of birds of all sorts1 some for sale1 some not4 ,among them was a glorious ,humming ,bird of wonderful brilliancy and plumage1 a creature full of beauty and grace and charm and elegance4 ,the man became passionately attached to it2 he was ready to perpetrate any folly for the sake of obtaining possession of it1 and indeed he did commit numbers of regrettable actions1 and at last stole the bird from the ,showman and carried it away4 ,then1 in a foreign palace1 for a short while he revelled in its beauty and the joy of owning it4 ,the ,humming ,bird did its best to be continually charming1 but it felt its false position4 ,and the worry and annoyance of concealing the theft from the ,showman1 and the different food the ,humming ,bird required1 and the care that had to be taken of it1 at last began to weary the man4 ,he chafed and was often disagreeable to it1 although he realized its glory and beauty and the feather it was in his cap4 ,finally1 one day1 in a fit of desperation1 the man let the ,humming ,bird fly1 and crept back home to the homely brown ,sparrow1 with its irritating noises and utter want of beauty4 ,why was this1 ,sage8 ,the ,sage had not to think long4 ,custom1 my child1 he said4 ,custom forges stronger chains than the finest plumage of a ,humming ,bird4 ,the man had to put himself out and exert himself to retain the ,humming ,bird in a way that was not agreeable to his self-love1 whereas the brown ,sparrow lived on always the same1 causing him no trouble1 and custom had deadened the sense of its want of charm4 ,then it seems to me it was rather hard upon the poor ,humming ,bird6 said the ,damsel4 ,it is always hard upon the ,humming ,birds1 replied the ,sage1 and his voice was quite sad4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the rain did not cease for a long time4 ,it was more than an hour before the ,damsel left the cave4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if you are a ,humming ,bird it is wiser for you to remain in the possession of the ,travelling ,showman4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a long period elapsed after this before the ,damsel again tapped at the ,sage's door4 ,he looked out morning and evening1 and attributed his lack of enthusiasm for his devotions to an attack of rheumatism from the damp of his cave4 ,at last1 one morning he spied her sauntering slowly up the hill1 and he retired into the back of his cell1 and the ,damsel had to knock twice before he opened the window shutter4 ,she was in a gay mood1 and demanded a story1 so the ,sage began3 ,there was once upon a time a ,fish with glittering scales who swam about in a deep river4 ,it had been tempted by the flies of many ,fishermen1 but had laughed at them all and swam away1 just under the surface of the water1 so that the sun might shine on its glittering scales to please the eyes of the ,fishermen and to excite their desire to secure it4 ,it was a ,fish who laughed a good deal at life4 ,but one fine day a new ,angler came along2 he was young and beautiful1 and seemed lazy and happy1 and not particularly anxious to throw the line4 ,the ,fish peeped at him from the sheltering shadow of a rock4 ',this is the most perfect specimen of a ,fisherman ,i have ever seen1' it said to itself4 ',i could almost believe it would be agreeable to swallow the fly and let him land me and put me in his basket4' ,the young ,fisherman threw the line1 and the sun caught the glittering scales of the ,fish at that moment4 ,the laziness vanished from the ,fisherman1 and he began to have a strong desire to secure the ,fish4 ,he fished for some time1 and the ,fish swam backward and forward1 making up its mind4 ,it saw the hook under the fly1 but the attraction of the ,angler growing stronger and stronger1 at last it deliberately decided to come up and bite4 ',i know all the emotions of swimming on the surface and letting my scales shine in the sun1' it mused1 'but ,i know nothing about the bank and the basket1 and perhaps the tales that are drilled into the heads of us ,fish from infancy about suffocation and exhaustion are not true4' ,and it mused again3 ',he is a perfectly beautiful ,fisherman and looks kind1 and ,i want to be closer to him and let him touch my glittering scales4 ,after all1 one ought to know everything before one dies4' ,so1 its heart beating and its eyes melting1 the ,fish deliberately rose to the surface and swallowed the fly4 ,the hook caught in a gristly place and did not hurt much1 and the novel experience of being pulled onto the green meadow delighted the ,fish4 ,it saw the ,fisherman close1 and felt his hands as he tenderly disengaged the hook4 ,he was full of joy and pride at securing the difficult ,fish and admired its scales4 ,he talked aloud and told it how bright he found it1 and he was altogether charming and delightful1 and the ,fish adored him and was glad it had been caught4 ,then after some time of this admiration and dalliance1 the ,fisherman put it in the basket among the cool rushes4 ,the ,fish lay quiet1 still content4 ,it had not yet begun to pant4 ,for an hour almost the ,fisherman gloried in his catch4 ,he opened the lid frequently and smiled at the ,fish4 ,then he lay down on the bank beside the basket and let his rod float idly in the stream4 ,the sun was warm and pleasant4 ',i wish1' he said to himself1 'after all1 ,i had not secured the ,fish yet2 the throwing of the fly and the excitement of trying to catch the creature are better fun than having it safely landed and lying in the basket1' and he yawned1 and his eyes gradually closed and he slept4 ,now the ,fish heard very plainly what he had said4 ,tell me1 ,damsel--you who ask questions and answer them finally yourself--tell me1 ,what did the ,fish do8 ,the ,damsel mused a moment4 ,she stirred with her white fingers the water in the basin of the fountain that sprang from the rock close by4 ,then she looked at the ,sage from under the shadow of her brows and answered1 thoughtfully3 ,the ,fish was stunned at first by this truth being uttered so near it4 ,it suddenly realized what it had done and what it had lost4 ',i1 who swam about freely and showed my glittering scales in the sun1 am now caught and in a basket1 with no prospect but suffocation and death in front of me1' it said to itself4 ',i could have even supported that1 and the knowledge that my scales will become dull and unattractive in the near future1 if the ,fisherman had only continued to lift the lid and admire me a little longer4' ,and it sighed and began to feel the sense of suffocation4 ,but it was a ,fish of great determination and resources4 ',i have learned my lesson1' it gasped2 'the ,fisherman has taught it to me himself4 ,now ,i will make a great jump and try to get out of the basket4' ,so it jumped and opened the lid4 ,the ,fisherman stirred in his sleep and put out his hand vaguely to close it again1 but he was too sleepy to fasten the catch1 and with less noise the ,fish bounced up again and succeeded in floundering upon the grass4 ,it lay panting and in great distress1 but it looked at the beautiful ,angler with regret4 ,he was so beautiful and so desirable4 ',i could almost stay now1' the ,fish sighed4 ,then it braced itself up and gave one more bound1 and this time reached the rock at the edge of the stream4 ,again the ,fisherman awoke1 and now casually1 with his eyes still closed1 fastened up the basket before he slept again2 but the ,fish with its third bound reached the river1 and darted out into the middle of the stream4 ',good-bye1 ,beautiful ,angler6' it said1 sadly4 ',you were sweet1 but you have taught me a lesson1 and freedom is sweeter4' ,the splash of its reaching the water fully awakened the ,fisherman1 but he saw the basket with the lid shut1 and had no anxieties until his eye caught the pink of the water where the ,fish sheltered under the rock4 ,its gill was still bleeding from the hook wound1 and colored a circle round it4 ,then he opened the lid and found the basket empty4 ',good-bye1' said the ,fish4 ',your wish has been granted1 and your pleasure can begin all over again6' ,but the ,fisherman suddenly realized that his rod1 while he slept1 had fallen into the river1 and was floating away down the stream4 ',good-bye again1' said the ,fish2 ',i have suffered1 but ,i have now experience1 and ,i am grateful to you1 and my gill will heal up1 and ,i will smile at you sometimes from just under the surface of the water1 and so all is well6' ,and it flashed its glittering scales in the sun before it darted away out of sight in the strong current4 ,and the ,damsel folded her hands and looked into distance4 ,thank you1 ,damsel1 said the ,sage1 gently for him2 but the ,fisherman could procure another rod--rods are not rarities4 ,what then8 ,that would be for another day1 said the ,damsel2 and--for another ,fish6 ,and she tripped away down the hill1 and was deaf to the ,sage1 who gruffly called after her4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when you have caught your ,fish1 it may be wiser to cook it and eat it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the sun was setting when the ,damsel next came to the ,cave4 ,she had a pet falcon with her1 and kept caressing it as she propounded her question4 ,there lived a woman in a ,castle who had three ,knights devoted to her4 ,she loved one1 and her vanity was pleased with the other two4 ,while she continued to play with them all1 they all loved her to distraction2 but presently her preference for the one ,knight became evident1 and the two others1 after doing their utmost to supplant the third without success1 at last left the ,castle and rode away4 ,they were no sooner gone1 and things had become quiet1 and no combats occurred to interrupt the lovers' intercourse1 when the chosen ,knight began to weary1 and he1 too1 at last rode away1 although before he had been the most ardent of all4 ,why was this1 ,sage8 ,and what should the woman do8 ,it was because the ,knight had won the prize and the woman gave him no trouble to keep it1 replied the ,sage4 ,he was bound to weary4 ,when a man's profession is fighting and he has fought hard and succeeded1 after sufficient rest he wishes to fight again4 ,so if the woman wants her lover back1 she had better first summon the other two4 ,for once the ,damsel had nothing to say1 and had no excuse to remain longer in the cave4 ,the ,sage1 however1 was not in the mind to let her go so soon1 so he began a question3 ,why do you caress that bird so much8 ,it appears completely indifferent to you4 ,surely that is waste of time8 ,it is agreeable to waste time1 replied the ,damsel4 ,upon an insensible object8 ,yes4 ,more so than if it returned your caresses8 ,probably--there is the speculation4 ,it might one day respond1 while certainly if it repaid warmly my love now1 one day it would not4 ,nothing lasts in this world4 ,you have told me so yourself4 ,the ,sage was nettled4 ,yes1 there is one thing that lasts1 that is friendship1 he said4 ,friendship6 exclaimed the ,damsel2 but that is not made up of caresses4 ,it does not make the heart beat4 ,we were not talking of beating hearts1 said the ,sage1 sententiously4 ,very well4 ,good-bye1 then1 ,sage1 laughed the ,damsel4 ,you must think of more stories for me before ,i come again4 ,and1 continuing to caress the falcon1 she walked away1 stately and fair1 into the setting sun4 ,when she had gone the ,sage wondered why there was no twilight that evening1 and why it had suddenly become night4 99 99 99 99 99 ,most men prefer to possess something that the other men want4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it would be a peaceful world if we could only realize that the fever of love is like other fevers4 ,it comes to a crisis1 and the patient either dies or is cured4 ,it cannot last at the same point forever4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,damsel came back again next day4 ,she had remarked1 the day she spent with him in the rain1 that the ,sage was not so old or so uncomely as she had at first supposed4 ,if he were to shave off his beard and wear a velvet doublet1 he would look as well as many a cavalier of the ,court1 she mused4 ,and she called out before she reached the door3 ,sage1 ,i have come back because ,i want to ask you just another question4 ,will you not come out and sit in the sun while you answer8 ,so the ,sage advanced in a recalcitrant manner1 but he would not sit down beside her4 ,then the ,damsel began3 ,a woman once possessed a ball of silk4 ,it was of so fine and rare a kind that1 although of many thousand yards1 it took up no space1 and she unwound it daily for her pleasure without any appreciable difference in the size of the ball4 ,at last she suddenly fancied she perceived some alteration4 ,it came upon her as a shock1 but still she continued to use the silk with the casual idea that a thing she had employed so long must go on forever4 ,then again1 in about a week1 there came another shock4 ,the ball was certainly smaller1 and felt cold and hard and firm4 ,the thought came to her1 ',what if it should not be silk all through and ,i have come to the end of matters8 ,what shall ,i do8' ,now tell me1 ,sage1 should the woman go on to the end and find perhaps a stone8 ,or should she try to rewind the silk8 ,which is the best course8 ,the ,damsel took up the ,sage's staff1 which he had dropped for the moment1 and with its point she drew geometrical figures in the sand4 ,but the sun made shadows with her eyelashes1 and the ,sage felt his voice tremble1 so he answered1 tartly3 ,that would depend upon the nature of the woman4 ,if she continues to unwind the silk she will certainly find a piece of adamant1 which has been cunningly covered with this rare1 soft substance4 ,if she tries to rewind1 she will discover the thread has become tangled1 and the ball can never again look smooth and even as before4 ,she must choose which she would prefer1 a clean piece of adamant or an uneven ball of silk4 ,but that is no answer to my question1 said the ,damsel1 pouting4 ,i asked which must she do for the best4 ,neither is better nor worse6 replied the ,sage with asperity4 ,and there is no best4 ,you are quite wrong1 ,sage1 returned the ,damsel4 ,there is a third course4 ,she can cut the thread and leave the ball as it is1 a coating of smooth silk still--and an undiscovered possibility inside4 ,you are too much for me6 exclaimed the ,sage in a fury4 ,answer your own questions1 to begin with1 in future6 ,i will have no more of you6 and he went into his cave and ostentatiously fastened the door4 ,the ,damsel smiled to herself and continued to draw geometrical figures with the point of the ,sage's staff in the sand4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are always three courses in life3 the good1 the bad1 and the--indifferent4 ,the good gives you calm1 and makes you sleep2 the bad gives you emotions1 and makes you weep2 and the indifferent gives you no satisfaction1 and makes you yawn1 so--choose wisely4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one can swear to be faithful eternally1 but how can one swear to love eternally8 ,the one is a question of will1 the other a sentiment beyond all human control4 ,one might as sensibly swear to keep the wind in the south1 or the sun from setting6 99 99 99 99 99 ,and yet we swear both vows--and break both vows4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a woman is always hardest upon her own sins1 committed by others4 ,a man is sometimes lenient to them4 ,a fool can win the love of a man1 but it requires a woman of resources to keep it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,damsel did not go away from the cave1 as was her custom4 ,she continued to draw geometrical figures in the sand4 ,presently she called to the ,sage once more4 ,come out again1 dear ,sage6 ,listen1 ,i have something more to say4 ,he unfastened the window and stood leaning on the sill4 ,well8 he said1 sternly4 ,well8 ,a ,ring ,dove once was owned by a man4 ,it was the sweetest and most gentle of birds1 besides being extremely beautiful4 ,it adored the man and lived contentedly in its cage4 ,the perches1 which the man had had prepared especially for it1 were endeared to it from association with the happy hours when it had been caressed by the man4 ,altogether to it the cage appeared a palace1 and it lived content4 ,the man was a brutal creature1 more or less1 and at last he cruelly ill-treated the ,ring ,dove1 and exalted a ,cuckoo in its place4 ,this conduct greatly saddened the sweet ,dove1 but it over and over again forgave its tormentor1 so great was its love1 and even saw the ,cuckoo advanced to the highest honors without anger1 only a bleeding heart4 ,how long things would have continued in this way no one knows2 but the man suddenly gave the ,cuckoo the ,ring ,dove's cage1 and let the ,cuckoo sleep on the perches which the ,dove was accustomed to consider its very own4 ,this overcame the gentle ,dove4 ,its broken heart mended1 and it flew away4 ,tell me1 ,sage1 why did this action cure the ,dove of its great love for the man1 when it had borne all the blows and cruelty without resentment8 ,that is an easy question to answer1 replied the ,sage4 ,the ,dove was really growing tired and seized this as a good opportunity to be off4 ,oh1 how little you know of the female sex1 even of ,doves6 laughed the ,damsel4 ,i can give you the true reason myself4 ,it was the bad taste of the man in giving the ,cuckoo the cage and perches of the ,ring ,dove1 which he had consecrated to her4 ,that cured her1 and enabled her to fly away4 ,and the ,damsel curtsied to the ,sage and sauntered off1 laughing and looking back over her shoulder4 99 99 99 99 99 ,an action committed in bad taste is more curing and disillusionizing to ,love than the cruelest blows of rage and hate4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a man would often be the lover of his wife--if he were married to some one else4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there come moments in life when we regret the old gods4 99 99 99 99 99 ,time and place--temperature and temperament--and after the sunset the night--and then to-morrow4 99 99 99 99 99 ,all the winter passed and the ,damsel remained at the ,court and the ,sage in his cave4 ,both found the days long and their occupation insufficient4 ,at last1 when spring came1 the ,damsel again mounted the hill one morning before dawn and tapped at the ,sage's door4 ,his heart gave a bound1 and he flew to open it without more ado4 ,so you have come back8 he said2 and his voice was eager1 though it was a gray light and he could not see her plainly4 ,yes1 said she2 ,i want you to tell me one more story of life before ,i go on a long voyage4 ,so the ,sage began3 ,there was once upon a time a man of half-measures1 whose brain was filled with dreams for his own glory1 and he possessed a woman of flesh and blood1 who loved him1 and would have turned the dreams into realities4 ,but because he was happy with her1 and because her hair was black and her eyes were green1 and her flesh like alabaster1 he said to himself1 ',this is a fiend and a vampire4 ,nothing human can be so delectable4' ,so he ran a stake through her body1 and buried her at the cross-roads4 ,then he found life an emptiness1 and went down into nothingness and was forgotten-- ,oh1 hush1 ,sage6 said the ,damsel1 trembling2 ,i wish to hear no more4 ,come1 shave off your beard1 and put on a velvet doublet1 and return with me to the ,court4 ,see1 life is short1 and ,i am fair4 ,and the ,sage suddenly felt he had found the philosopher's stone1 and knew the secret he had come into the wilds to find4 ,so he went back to his cave1 and shaved his beard1 and donned a velvet doublet1 long since lain by in lavender4 ,and he took the ,damsel by the hand1 and they gladly ran down the hill4 ,and the zephyrs whispered1 and the day dawned1 and all the world smiled young--and gay4 99 99 99 99 99 ,remember the tangible now4 ,sic transit gloria mundi6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,humphry ,,ward ,,lady ,,rose',s ,,daughter4 ,illustrated by ,,howard ,,chandler ,,christy4 ,post #hvo1 ,ornamented ,cloth1 #a4ej4 ,this is ,mrs4 ,humphry ,ward's latest novel4 ,it has been hailed as undoubtedly her best1 while ,julie ,le ,breton1 the heroine1 has been called the most appealing type of heroine in ,english fiction4 ,a story that must be read4--,new ,york ,sun4 ,vividly alive from the first line4--,chicago ,record-,herald4 ,the most marvellous work of its wonderful author4--,new ,york ,world4 ,absolutely different from anything else that has ever appeared in fiction4--,brooklyn ,eagle4 ,love is not here the sentimental emotion of the ordinary novel or play1 but the power that purges the weaknesses and vivifies the dormant nobilities of men and women4--,the ,academy1 ,london1 ,england4 ,quite sure to be the most widely and most highly considered book of the year4--,chicago ,evening ,post4 ,the story is the combat between two powers of a brilliant woman's nature4 ,sometimes you are sure the lawless1 the vagabond1 and the intriguing side will win4 ,but it doesn't4444--,boston ,transcript4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london symbol3 pointing hand ,the above work will be sent by mail1 postage prepaid1 to any part of the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 or ,mexico1 on receipt of the price4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,henry ,,seton ,,merriman ,,the ,,vultures4 ,illustrated4 ,post #hvo1 ,ornamented ,cloth1 #a4ej4 ,a new novel by ,henry ,seton ,merriman is always eagerly welcomed by every reader of fiction4 ,this is a story of intrigue1 conspiracy1 and exciting adventure among the political factions of the great ,european nations4 ,one of the scenes is in ,russia at the time of the assassination of the ,czar4 ,the attachs of the various ,foreign ,offices play an important part4 ,it is full of exciting1 dramatic situations1 most of which centre around the love interest of the story--the love of a young ,english diplomatist for the beautiful ,countess ,wanda of ,warsaw4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london symbol3 pointing hand ,the above work will be sent by mail1 postage prepaid1 to any part of the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 or ,mexico1 on receipt of the price4 ,,by ,,robert ,w4 ,,chambers ,,the ,,maid-,,at-,,arms4 ,illustrated by ,howard ,chandler ,christy4 ,post #hvo1 ,ornamented ,cloth1 #a4ej4 ,mr4 ,chambers has long since won a most enviable position among contemporary novelists4 ,the great popular success of ,cardigan makes this present novel of unusual interest to all readers of fiction4 ,it is a stirring novel of ,american life in days just after the ,revolution4 ,it deals with the conspiracy of the great ,new ,york land-owners and the subjugation of ,new ,york ,province to the ,british4 ,it is a story with a fascinating love interest1 and is alive with exciting incident and adventure4 ,some of the characters of ,cardigan reappear in this new novel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london symbol3 pointing hand ,the above work will be sent by mail1 postage prepaid1 to any part of the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 or ,mexico1 on receipt of the price4 ,,by ,,john ,,fox1 ,,jr4 ,a ,,mountain ,,europa4 ,with ,portrait4 ,post #hvo1 ,cloth1 ,ornamental1 #a4be4 ,the story is well worth careful reading for its literary art and its truth to a phase of little-known ,american life4--,omaha ,bee4 ,,the ,,kentuckians4 ,a ,novel4 ,illustrated by ,w4 ,t4 ,,smedley4 ,post #hvo1 ,cloth1 ,ornamental1 #a4be4 ,this1 ,mr4 ,fox's first long story1 sets him well in view1 and distinguishes him as at once original and sound4 ,he takes the right view of the story-writer's function and the wholesale view of what the art of fiction can rightfully attempt4--,independent1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,hell ,,fer ,,sartain1 and ,other ,stories4 ,post #hvo1 ,cloth1 ,ornamental1 #a4jj4 ,mr4 ,fox has made a great success of his pictures of the rude life and primitive passions of the people of the mountains of ,west ,virginia and ,kentucky4 ,his sketches are short but graphic2 he paints his scenes and his hill people in terse and simple phrases and makes them genuinely picturesque1 giving us glimpses of life that are distinctively ,american4--,detroit ,free ,press4 ,a ,,cumberland ,,vendetta1 and ,other ,stories4 ,illustrated4 ,post #hvo1 ,cloth1 ,ornamental1 #a4be4 ,these stories are tempestuously alive1 and sweep the heart-strings with a master-hand4--,watchman1 ,boston4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,london symbol3 pointing hand ,any of the above works will be sent by mail1 postage prepaid1 to any part of the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 or ,mexico1 on receipt of the price4