As pastor of a Negro church at a period when almost the entire
leadership of the race was centered in that functionary, Ensal was
accustomed to having all sorts of matters placed before him, but the
present requirement was rather unique in all of his experience as a
pastor. He arose from the chair and began to walk slowly to and fro
across the room, having asked the indulgence of the young woman for
resorting to his favorite method of procedure when engaged in serious
reflection. If we must tell the truth of this young man, the question
which he was debating most was somewhat at variance with those raised by
her requests.
Ensal had come to the conclusion many years previous that marriage was
not for him, and hitherto woman had had no entrance into the inner
chambers of his thoughts. And this beautiful stranger, nameless and
homeless, had almost wrested the door of his heart from its hinges,
without even an attempt thereat, and the young man was trying to
grapple with the new experiences born into his consciousness.
Finding that he lost ground by trying to reason with his heart, Ensal
let the wilful member alone and engaged in the more honest task of
naming his visitor. Turning toward the young woman, glad that he had
something to say, so that he might look into her beautiful face again,
he said:
"I name you Tiara."
Ensal assigned the name with so much warmth that Tiara dropped her eyes,
and the faintest symptoms of a smile appeared on her face.
"You have forgotten the latter part of my name," she remarked.
Ensal resumed his walking. Happening to look up at the top of his desk
he caught sight of a sculptured bust of Frederick Douglass. He paused,
and pointing to the bust, said:
"Behold one whose distinctive mission in the world was to serve as a
harbinger for his race! A star of the first magnitude, he rose in the
night of American slavery, attracted the admiring gaze of the civilized
world, and so thrilled the hearts of men that they broke the chains of
all his kind in the hope of further enriching the firmament of lofty
human endeavor with stars like unto him. I name you Tiara Douglass."
Ensal turned to Tiara, his face enkindled with enthusiasm. He stepped
back, threw up his hands, and plainly showed in his eyes the unbounded
surprise which he felt at the way in which Tiara had received his
suggestion for a surname. There Tiara sat, tears evidently long pent-up
freely flowing and her body shaking with, emotion.
To find a word expressive of Ensal's bewildered state of mind is a
problem to be handed over to the type of man engaged in the search for
perpetual motion and does not come within the purview of a simple
author. Man who tames the lion, harnesses the winds, makes a whimperer
of steam and cowers the lightning--this same vainglorious, triumphant
man is simply helpless in the presence of a woman's tears! Ensal stole
quietly to his seat and sat there in a state of amazement.
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