The End of the World: A Love StoryEggleston, Edward
General
The End of the World: A Love Story
Eggleston, Edward
Fiction; Love stories
August stopped long enough to take in the full measure of his sacrifice.
So far from being deterred by it, he was more than ever determined to
act. Not the love Julia, so much, now, but the farewell prayer and
benediction and the whole life and spirit of the sweet Moravian mother
in her child-full house at home were in his mind at this moment. Things
which a man will not do for the love of woman he may do for the love of
God--and it was with a sense of moral exaltation that August entered
into the lofty spirit of self-sacrifice he had seen in his mother, and
caught himself saying, in his heart, as he had heard her say, "Let us do
anything for the Father's sake!" Some will call this cant. So much the
worse for them. This motive, too little felt in our day--too little felt
in any day--is the great impulse that has enabled men to do the bravest
things that have been done. The sublimest self-sacrifice is only
possible to a man by the aid of some strong moral tonic. God's love is
the chief support of the strongest spirits.
August touched Norman on the arm. The face of the latter expressed
anything but pleasure at meeting him, now that he felt guilty. But this
was not the uppermost feeling with Norman. He noticed that August's
clothes were spotted with engine-grease, and his first fear was of
compromising his respectability.
In a hurried way August began to explain to him that he was betting with
gamblers, but Smith stood close to them, looking at August in such a
contemptuous way as to make Norman feel very uncomfortable, and Parkins
seeing the crowd attracted by August's explanations--which he made in
some detail, by way of adapting himself to Norman--of the trick by which
the upper card is thrown out first, Parkins said, "I see you understand
the game, young man. If you do, why don't you bet?"
At this the crowd laughed, and Norman drew away from the striker's
greasy clothes, and said that he didn't want to speak any further to a
burglar, he believed. But August followed, determined to warn him
against Smith. Smith was ahead of him, however, saving to Norman, "Look
out for your pockets--that greasy fellow will rob you."
And Norman, who was nothing if not highly respectable, resolved to
shake off the troublesome "Dutchman" at once. "I don't know what you are
up to now, but at home you are known as a thief. So please let me alone,
will you?" This Norman tried to say in an annihilating way.
The crowd looked for a fight. August said loud enough to be heard, "You
know very well that you lie. I wanted to save you from being a thief,
but you are betting money now that is not yours."
The company, of course, sympathized with the gentleman and against the
machine-oil on the striker's clothes, so that there arose quickly a
murmur, started by Smith, "Put the bully out," and August was "hustled."
It is well that he was not shot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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