do so no longer when you reflect that a burning anxiety as to the
running of Bolter is for many thousands the symbol--and the only
possible symbol--of the Doom of Troy and the wandering fields of foam,
and the Isle of Calypso, and the "strange surmise" of Pizarro and all
his men.
But here is the evening-paper in question. Yes, the colour is, perhaps,
a little sickly. A kind of pinky-green, it seems, doesn't it? But it
forced itself on my notice in the most extraordinary manner, and I
expect you will have to admit, when you have heard the story, that some
Powers were at work. Well, I was walking up and down the room, just as
it was getting dusk, and every now and then I stopped and looked out of
the window. Yes, I was making phrases as usual, and thinking of a new
story in the middle of the old one: hence the quarter-deck exercise. I
daresay you have remarked that I do not keep my window in a very
brilliant condition, and the air this evening, you will remember, was
rather misty--October, I always think, wears a peculiar dim grace in
Barnsbury--so I hope you will not find my impressions too incredible. I
was staring, then, out of the window, when to my vast astonishment, a
great pale bird seemed suddenly to shoot up into the air from the road,
and to flutter into the garden, where it became entangled in that
sapless old laburnum that weeps green tears upon the wall. I saw, as I
thought, the beating and fluttering of wings, and I ran out, imagining
that I was to secure a strange companion for my solitude. It was the
evening paper, not a bird, and I saw at once that it would be impious to
let it flutter there unread, so I secured it and brought it in,
meditating the adventure, and wondering what strange message was thus
borne to my eyes. So I went through its columns patiently, even to the
leaderettes, and I will do myself the justice to say that I at once
recognised the communication that was addressed to me in this singular
and even I may say Arabian fashion. It was a short comment upon some
agitation that is now appealing rather strongly to Progressive leaders;
but the subject-matter is of no consequence, since the significance lies
in the last sentence. Here it is: "We are glad to hear that extensive
arrangements have been made for the dissemination of literature."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account