The Plastic Age - Percy Marks (trending books to read txt) 📗
- Author: Percy Marks
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Where Art Thou Gone? Thy Love A Moment Only
Endured, And I For Ever Need Its Power;
Gone Like The Stream That Leaves The Lily Lonely,
When The Dam Breaks, To Mourn Her Dying Flower.
Thou Never Didst A Thing To Cause Me Anguish;
I Never Did A Thing To Work Thee Harm;
Why Should I Thus In Vain Affliction Languish?
Why Not Return To Bless Thy Grieving Charm?
Of Playful Chastisements Art Thou Reminded,
Thy Flirtings Punished By My Girdle-Strands,
Thine Eyes By Flying Dust Of Blossoms Blinded,
Held For Thy Meet Correction In These Hands?
I Loved To Hear The Name Thou Gav'st Me Often
'Heart Of My Heart,' Alas! It Was Not True,
But Lulling Phrase, My Coming Grief To Soften:
Else In Thy Death, My Life Had Ended, Too.
Think Not That On The Journey Thou Hast Taken
So Newly, I Should Fail To Find Thy Track;
Ah, But The World! The World Is Quite Forsaken,
For Life Is Love; No Life, When Thee They Lack.
Thou Gone, My Love, What Power Can Guide The Maiden
Through Veils Of Midnight Darkness In The Town
To The Eager Heart With Loving Fancies Laden,
And Fortify Against The Storm-Cloud's Frown?
The Wine That Teaches Eyes Their Gladdest Dances,
That Bids The Love-Word Trippingly To Glide,
Is Now Deception; For If Flashing Glances
Lead Not To Love, They Lead To Naught Beside.
And When He Knows Thy Life Is A Remembrance,
Thy Friend The Moon Will Feel His Shining Vain,
Will Cease To Show The World A Circle's Semblance,
And Even In His Waxing Time, Will Wane.
Slowly The Mango-Blossoms Are Unfolding
On Twigs Where Pink Is Struggling With The Green,
Greeted By Koïl-Birds Sweet Concert Holding--
Thou Dead, Who Makes Of Flowers An Arrow Keen?
Or Weaves A String Of Bees With Deft Invention,
To Speed The Missile When The Bow Is Bent?
They Buzz About Me Now With Kind Intention,
And Mortify The Grief Which They Lament.
Arise! Assume Again Thy Radiant Beauty!
Rebuke The Koïl-Bird, Whom Nature Taught
Such Sweet Persuasion; She Forgets Her Duty
As Messenger To Bosoms Passion-Fraught.
Well I Remember, Love, Thy Suppliant Motion,
Thy Trembling, Quick Embrace, The Moments Blest
By Fervent, Self-Surrendering Devotion--
And Memories Like These Deny Me Rest.
Well Didst Thou Know Thy Wife; The Springtime Garland,
Wrought By Thy Hands, O Charmer Of Thy Charm!
Remains To Bid Me Grieve, While In A Far Land
Thy Body Seeks Repose From Earthly Harm.
Thy Service By The Cruel Gods Demanded,
Meant Service To Thy Wife Left Incomplete,
My Bare Feet With Coquettish Streakings Banded--
Return To End The Adorni Wife Left Incomplete,
Mr His Audience Knew
That The Lyric Was Immortal, But Its Tender, Passionate Beauty Caught
And Held Them.
"The Wandering Airs They Faint
On The Dark, The Silent Stream--
The Champak Odors Fail
Like Sweet-Thoughts In A Dream;
The Nightingale's Complaint
It Dies Upon Her Heart,
As I Must Die On Thine
O Beloved As Thou Art!
"Oh Lift Me From The Grass!
I Die, I Faint, I Fail!
Let Thy Love In Kisses Rain
On My Cheeks And Eyelids Pale.
My Cheek Is Cold And White, Alas!
My Heart Beats Loud And Fast;
Oh! Press It Close To Thine Again
Where It Will Break At Last."
There Was Silence For A Moment After Hugh Finished. The Shadows, The
Moonlight, The Boy's Soft Young Voice Had Moved Them All. Suddenly A
Girl On The Veranda Cried, "Bring Him Up!" Instantly Half A Dozen Others
Turned To Their Escorts, Insisting Shrilly: "Bring Him Up. We Want To
See Him."
Hugh Jerked The Guitar Cord From Around His Neck, Banded The Instrument
To Collings, And Tried To Run. A Burst Of Laughter Went Up From The
Freshmen. They Caught Him And Held Him Fast Until The Tuxedo-Clad
Upper-Classmen Rushed Down From The Veranda And Had Him By The Arms.
They Pulled Him, Protesting And Struggling, Upon The Veranda And Into
The Living-Room.
The Girls Gathered Around Him, Praising, Demanding More. He Flushed
Scarlet When One Enthusiastic Maiden Forced Her Way Through The Ring,
Looked Hard At Him, And Then Announced Positively, "I Think He's Sweet."
He Was Intensely Embarrassed, In An Agony Of Confusion--But Very Happy.
The Girls Liked His Clean Blondness, His Blushes, His Startled Smile.
How Long They Would Have Held Him There In The Center Of The Ring While
They Admired And Teased Him, There Is No Telling; But Suddenly The
Orchestra Brought Relief By Striking Up A Fox-Trot.
"He's Mine!" Cried A Pretty Black-Eyed Girl With A Cloud Of Bobbed Hair
And Flaming Cheeks. Her Slender Shoulders Were Bare; Her Round White
Arms Waved In Excited, Graceful Gestures; Her Corn-Colored Frock Was A
Gauzy Mist. She Clutched Hugh's Arm. "He's Mine," She Repeated Shrilly.
"He's Going To Dance With Me."
Hugh's Cheeks Burned A Deeper Scarlet. "My Clothes," He Muttered,
Hesitating.
"Your Clothes! My Dear, You Look Sweet. Take Off Your Cap And Dance With
Me."
Hugh Snatched Off His Cap, His Mind Reeling With Shame, But He Had No
Time To Think. The Girl Pulled Him Through The Crowd To A Clear Floor.
Almost Mechanically, Hugh Put His Arm Around Her And Began To Dance. He
_Could_ Dance, And The Girl Had Sense Enough Not To Talk. She Floated In
His Arm, Her Slender Body Close To His. When The Music Ceased, She
Clapped Her Little Hands Excitedly And Told Hugh That He Danced
"Won-Der-Ful-Ly." After The Third Encore She Led Him To A Dark Corner In
The Hall.
"You're Sweet, Honey," She Said Softly. She Turned Her Small, Glowing
Face Up To His. "Kiss Me," She Commanded.
Dazed, Hugh Gathered Her Into His Arms And Kissed Her Little Red Mouth.
She Clung To Him For A Minute And Then Pushed Him Gently Away.
"Good Night, Honey," She Whispered.
"Good Night." Hugh's Voice Broke Huskily. He Turned And Walked Rapidly
Down The Hall, Upon The Veranda, And Down The Steps. His Classmates Were
Waiting For Him. They Rushed Up To Him, Demanding That He Tell Them What
Had Happened.
He Told Them Most Of It, Especially About The Dance; But He Neglected To
Mention The Kiss. Shyness Overcame Any Desire That He Had To Strut.
Besides, There Was Something About That Kiss That Made It Impossible For
Him To Tell Any One, Even Carl. When He Went To Bed That Night, He Did
Not Think Once About The Coming Football Game. Before His Eyes Floated
The Girl In The Corn-Colored Frock. He Wished He Knew Her Name....
Closer And Closer She Came To Him. He Could Feel Her Cool Arms Around
His Neck. "What A Wonderful, Wonderful Girl! Sweeter Than Helen--Lots
Sweeter.... She's Like The Night--And Moonlight.... Like Moonlight
And--" The Music Of The "Indian Serenade" Began To Thrill Through His
Mind:
"I Arise From Dreams Of Thee
In The First Sweet Sleep Of Night....
Oh, She's Sweet, Sweet--Like Music And Moonlight...." He Fell Asleep,
Repeating "Music And Moonlight" Over And Over Again--"Music And
Moonlight...."
The Morning Of The "Big Game" Proved Ideal, Crisp And Cold, Crystal
Clear. Indian Summer Was Near Its Close, But There Was Still Something
Of Its Dreamy Wonder In The Air, And The Hills Still Flamed With
Glorious Autumn Foliage. The Purples, The Mauves, The Scarlets, The
Burnt Oranges Were A Little Dimmed, A Little Less Brilliant--The Leaves
Were Rustling Dryly Now--But There Was Beauty In Dying Autumn, Its
Splendor Slowly Fading, As There Was In Its First Startling Burst Of
Color.
Classes That Saturday Morning Were A Farce, But They Were Held; The
Administration, Which The Boys Damned Heartily, Insisted Upon It. Some
Of The Instructors Merely Took The Roll And Dismissed Their Classes,
Feeling That Honor Had Been Satisfied; But Others Held Their Classes
Through The Hour, Lecturing The Disgusted Students On Their Lack Of
Interest, Warning Them That Examinations Weren't As Far Off As The
Millennium.
Hugh Felt That He Was Lucky; He Had Only One Class--It Was With Alling
In Latin--And It Had Been Promptly Dismissed. "When The Day Comes," Said
Alling, "That Latin Can Compete With Football, I'll--Well, I'll Probably
Get A Living Wage. You Had Better Go Before I Get To Talking About A
Living Wage. It Is One Of My Favorite Topics." He Waved His Hand Toward
The Door; The Boys Roared With Delight And Rushed Out Of The Room,
Shoving Each Other And Laughing. They Ran Out Of The Building; All Of
Them Were Too Excited To Walk.
By Half-Past One The Stands Were Filled. Most Of The Girls Wore Fur
Coats, As Did Many Of The Alumni, But The Students Sported No Such
Luxuries; Nine Tenths Of Them Wore "Baa-Baa Coats," Gray Jackets Lined
With Sheep's Wool. Except For An Occasional Banner, Usually Carried By A
Girl, And The Bright Hats Of The Women, There Was Little Color To The
Scene. The Air Was Sharp, And The Spectators Huddled Down Into Their
Warm Coats.
The Rival Cheering Sections, Seated On Opposite Sides Of The Field,
Alternated In Cheering And Singing, Each Applauding The Other's Efforts.
The Cheering Wasn't Very Good, And The Singing Was Worse; But There Was
A Great Deal Of Noise, And That Was About All That Mattered To Either
Side.
A Few Minutes Before Two, The Raleigh Team Ran Upon The Field. The
Raleigh Cheering Section Promptly Went Mad. When The Sanford Team
Appeared A Minute Later, The Sanford Cheering Section Tried Its Best To
Go Madder, The Boys Whistling And Yelling Like Possessed Demons. Wayne
Gifford Brought Them To Attention By Holding His Hands Above His Head.
He Called For The Usual Regular Cheer For The Team And Then For A Short
Cheer For Each Member Of It, Starting With The Captain, Sherman
Walford, And Ending With The Great Half-Back, Harry Slade.
Suddenly There Was Silence. The Toss-Up Had Been Completed; The Teams
Were In Position On The Field. Slade Had Finished Building A Slender
Pyramid Of Mud, On Which He Had Balanced The Ball. The Referee Held Up
His Hand. "Are You Ready, Sanford?" Walford Signaled His Readiness. "Are
You Ready, Raleigh?"
The Shrill Blast Of The Referee's Whistle--And The Game Was On. The
First Half Was A See-Saw Up And Down The Field. Near The End Of The Half
Raleigh Was Within Twenty Yards Of The Sanford Line. Shouts Of "Score!
Score! Score!" Went Up From The Raleigh Rooters, Rhythmic, Insistent.
"Hold 'Em! Hold 'Em! Fight! Fight! Fight!" The Sanford Cheering Section
Pleaded, Almost Sobbing The Words. A Forward Pass Skilfully Completed
Netted Raleigh Sixteen Yards. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
The Timekeeper Tooted His Little Horn; The Half Was Over. For A Moment
The Sanford Boys Leaned Back Exhausted; Then They Leaped To Their Feet
And Yelled Madly, While The Raleigh Boys Leaned Back Or Against Each
Other And Swore Fervently. Within Two Minutes The Tension Had Departed.
The Rival Cheering Sections Alternated In Singing Songs, Applauded Each
Other Vigorously, Whistled At A Frightened Dog That Tried To Cross The
Field And Nearly Lost Its Mind Entirely When Called By A Thousand
Masters, Waited Breathlessly When The Cheer-Leaders Announced The
Results From Other Football Games That Had Been Telegraphed To The
Field, Applauded If Harvard Was Losing, Groaned If It Wasn't, Sang Some
More, Relaxed And Felt Consummately Happy.
Sanford Immediately Took The Offensive In The Second Half. Slade Was
Consistently Carrying The Ball. Twice He Brought It Within Raleigh's
Twenty-Five-Yard Line. The First Time Raleigh Held Firm, But The Second
Time Slade Stepped Back For A Drop-Kick. The Spectators Sat Silent,
Breathless. The Angle Was Difficult. Could He Make It? Would The Line
Hold?
Quite Calmly Slade Waited. The Center Passed The Ball Neatly. Slade
Turned It In His Hands, Paid Not The Slightest Attention To The Mad
Struggle Going On A Few Feet In Front Of Him, Dropped The Ball--And
Kicked. The Ball Rose In A Graceful Arc And Passed Safely Between The
Goal-Posts.
Every One, Men And Women Alike, The Raleigh Adherents Excepted, Promptly
Turned Into Extraordinarily Active Lunatics. The Women Waved Their
Banners And Shrieked, Or If They Had No Banners, They Waved Their Arms
And Shrieked; The Men Danced Up And Down, Yelled, Pounded Each Other On
The Back, Sometimes Wildly Embraced--Many A Woman Was Kissed By A Man
She Had Never Seen Before And Never Would Again, Nor Did She
Object--Wayne Gifford Was Turning Handsprings, And Many Of The Students
Were Feebly Fluttering Their Hands, Voiceless, Spent With Cheering, Weak
From Excitement.
Early In The Fourth Quarter, However, Raleigh Got Its Revenge, Carrying
The Ball To A Touch-Down After A Series Of Line Rushes. Sanford Tried
Desperately To Score Again, But Its Best Efforts Were Useless Against
The Raleigh Defense.
The Final Whistle Blew; And Sanford Had Lost. Cheering Wildly, Tossing
Their Hats Into The Air, The Raleigh Students Piled Down From The Grand
Stand Upon The Field. With
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