A GENERAL CLEARANCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13737, 29 October 1908, Page 7

A GENERAL CLEARANCE.

Now ami then on»- hat. a graml clearup. 'l'hat i-< m» with mw! of u«T-tiun-IyT lit f«iuu»- th-- «r<lerly iiK-tlnHiii-.il j«ii|»ii* ntvcr g<» through thi-* «>rt!~al. They are always clear. But th.- of i>. \v«merely mortal human fniL, who at.- mi twly ami unpuiiotual ami uvkl«-»s awl lull of dream* awl illubiuu.', to iu rouie tl»:«.< uutiiuling* of ••«>ii.<fii-iic«-. When ihingn have K«.f tl» in-rlv.;. into .. really appalling jiiu.M!'. m-- re-olv.- to tnakt- .v cirjrMii-. Tint i* to >jy. that we j;o through <«iir draw, rs ami our pap.i... We rare fully th-- unpaid hd!*.. ami em-hrim? tli.. rate p-it-ips» in vo;w* hot thai hi worthy of tin-in ; wr html up thl'ttrrs ami jiivitatinn-. c.f whi.-h no mit.-e ha«i lieen tak>-ti. and inviir -tiit.ili!- lir* i'or cotirt«"!«y"w >.ik«-: «c d.i.u..y th- in:.— of w_ntt.ii ami punted mut.r uin.lt \uk {fathered round th- hiatus li-tuf.-u i.iir intention* awl otir a.ti. Two how:, I Ik-gati on» of the-' i aVarjni-vs. For a i.hurt time all w.nS well. Thar was .so 1..11.J a* Aui.m.fa w. Nt Through th- rna/e of i.-Tf^-ri, .u,d m.ut.liir- loot at the .h.uhrfnl ohm. U-t..r-' :h.-v u>ft- torn up. uliiN: I ■•v-ri.n.Li-I :h--pd-* of ilally |>a|i. i. . u. t.lv rrwvi... and monthly nkt ... I ..m . . »ur-.l had Urn pr-s«:y.-,l on .-.vomit, of Very i.uiit r»-"U«.«;- of mv ov.r.. Kv-n i*-r"- I tilt-red ».ni.!rni.-*, <h. ,kr.| by »t.i»i • Sour m>n:U. •>!,! Sp-.-::ifoi. • rerv »..rii ..f uhi.-h «j.. »• entirely noi 1.. li". I ui.uM tiinl .11 '! the |i.iiti.'Ui.ir in.li- r f..i ui..,. ...L.» I !. .1 k'pi th...|.v until I -hoiiM h.v.- I-i-ui, ;.. y. ...| »!i.i I m-ai.t i.. (....!. Tli-n I iv..:i!.l • ' jiu :«i r-.i>l it I li-n I wotil.l I,- in l*rrupt*d l.v a r.-imnd.-r •■! ihc Jerm- •■: a

Then, aftt-r hesitation. 1 won!.! throw lite copy away, knowing wry well that the to-morrow of opportunity whieiu' I had originally promised myself would never com"-. Or 1 would stop over r.oin-e letter handed to me. and find myself cheating hy rereading carefully something c.f absolutely trivial importance. Vet the s :- interruptiocs were tolerably slight. In this way sonii real progwtii was made. But an evil suggestion followed that I should be left alon- in the study tr> clear out my own bureau. And that was how the four hundred and twentysecond clearance left confusion no less ill confounded. First. I mutU come upon a bundle of cuttings of those essays and veitvs which editors of earlier and more venttir«sonn' years had taken heart to print- And itneeds no explanation to other scrib-i; that this proof of human and literary decadence .should have beguiled me with sad thoughts for many precious moments vowed to sterner and inoiv practical work. After ilitr cuttings from a gold;-n agemust tome manuscripts—auimuicripts m which the- same or other editors ha.-l failed to find the merit. Here wa:; not onlv a uniijue opportunity for »H- Hie anitlyt! cal chemir.try of seJi-criticiein and for "the shedding of tears over the tarnished en thusiasms anJ «j'-.;i.doned ambit ions of youth— ns not one of the manuscripts a | three-act comedy, and another th,- tvpe written senario of a blank v-1.;.- drama of Hannibal an<l Hnsdtubal? -hut ..tie a!.-, for the nice consideration of a tHjint of ethics and policy. Should one ensign the-*- manuscripts to the dames, or should one, presuming on some alteration ~f cir euutetanee. fob on" as the original handiwork of a seriouK middle age thes- • eon fusions of :» wasted youth:"' H-re w.i.i a ' decision to tax the < ..ns. ieii.e ~f a saint, the judgment of a Daniel. When I had decide.!- -no matter how. for this wit. not one of the Hiatus, ripts more time li-ullv-en spilled, and the bureau was t;fil| lieaped with dusty lumber. And then .ante an old match lw.r made out of two caitridges. fashioned in boyish low for—some one or other: and in pulling this out of a corner of the drawer there came out also a bundle of letters which no one would dream of addressing to me now, and whicl It was Amanda's voice wanting to know how the. affair'wati going, which caught me repeating to myself with a melanclioly .satisfaction, " Eheu! fugarv-s. I'osthunie. Post hum—years gli.le away ami are lo»t to me, htit ti> me."' So 1 put the letters away at tie- bad; of the drawer, and pulled out an old faded envelope. This wsc; on itu way, unopeden, to tho waste-paper basket" when scarcely legible- words written on it caught. my eye. - Tin* Daisy," 1 made out. and curiously jiut my linger through tie- fa.* t.ning. On .shaking the envelope tin ie fell out a withered daisy, etill clinging feebly to a crumbled root l.i|> a nVti there returned to ni>- tie whole pitiful little story. It was a very little hoy who 1....1 Ikvh saving a p-tiny a week- tie- oth-'r penny had to go in sweets; even at si\ a man must recognise th<- claims of friendship and h<*spttality - for four vry long wecki", to hay the daisy, ...nipl-l- m its p,,t. which had Ih-en -ei/.-d l.y tie- .v.- of in :.|.nation in ill.- window of ;h- small Ih.Ucr t-hop joimd the i»imr. It was a v. iy .■.nine.n tl.tivy root, and the draw nig room wa> always full of delicate How. rs. If an ordinary uninspired p-r N-n had hen asked whether tht lady of the house would have gone out of h. r way to giv.- the plaee of honour to a common----u.vy more, a ill growing. ill nourished. and morilmu.l dak»y loot in a most inip-rfect. example of the dr..un earthenware jmtter'i, art. he> would have found his an»w. r pat enough. Isut he would have Uvii wi.ii'. The. little l„,y kll. w letter. 1"..r love had then taught him many . i.tlln: l*.*.r.ns, which, when a grown ij.au of tJimc tw. Iv.- :.um:iters. he u.i« at >,\vitt jains to forget. 11.- kn-w. th:. little hoy with a fold, u hta.i .mil a ipiii. «!iit.- heart. th.'t tiii- daUv w..ii!,| !»-. of all living tlouer.i. th- 100... .lu.iralAto the lady ol" th- lioiim-. Ai:d ... that da;.-.v v :v. li.>ui»l to l> ■ h . <»ii th- fourth jmv d.i\ that dii-v Has hi.. Tii.- . laie.rat'e r."as..n. f.. r ' i,, :Il g .«!!..«. .1 to i;.. en alone. th- Mi.-, 1.i0,, . • lipl'.m.i.y almost ani..iiiit:ii_' to «ulitri fuge. • h>- iiltimi-e t:nini|.!i of :!;.- ,i.|.'.. lin.-i. Mi. .•:.»- -not a ;r.at>. n-.t a .~u f rnie." .-0,i1,l shoe. th-:r" ...I!.-.! ' 'I i. Hi'.ley p»i.|. t1... me ~.'.\ .! .. \ ~r ii.vny of :!,,- ..lign'iai |-: ,ot _t ■.)...i titiniv hi a l-.t. tnuniph.n:. :..:.-!. thliMte' .1,1), hllttl,.! Sell, ..II tl. liJ.im. >ii-t e\. it-! I-' 'I he --.I .... in v.'h'. ii,,' a hun-tt-d \ ltd- ..« .\ . v. !.• ii Uhol.l' -the lady ..I ' t!,.- I„.i' e !..,., If ■nil- do« ii th-s't.p". At iha: :!.. ~.,.■ pl.r-. ii- <ti,.n unit i! : i!i i i e.-i I Inlv liat'ii.- « .. i.tt. ~,,1 is,.;, • ...t,:,..i .11 •■!" ' Mem,..-. 1.-!. • •!,. 1,.. i~. I : ;.'. ■l.-v !!• ,v ~1, u„l (■ II !.- ..|!..i, • : ;,, . I. is t- '. Ihe i.-.i n.... ~..; !,: Ii; i;. ■ ; .i-t -a 1. .i-str..v..l Li . t •:-!:,■ I '■-■!.•:■ >»..!!: „i, I , r-:!o ; .' -i..- t....; •!: da . v I -v 1. - !- ,:

And Hint was why for so long a time the table in the window of a certain drawing-room wax disfigured l>y a, derc lii-i daisv*. hanging a dismal dt-ad head f.wr a tied-up Malk. and Miick in an i;glv little brown pot. very carefully glued together. When the lady of the horse was asked about it .-die would only say that it- w;l< a secret. But. wh< n idle said a ceriain good-night, and. after the fui;ny (she did not- think them fiiimy) little prayers had been iepeate,l. In>w many times had she been lagged t<> tejirat the- assurance that no tfower w:-s more perfect, no plant more healthy. m» daisy ev.-r y more .xaozlv impi-owd and beautitied by a trivial and foitunai.- accident than the dai-v which hunt: '<*<■'■ <lismal dead h-ad r\vi"a li-d-np .-talk: I!, was tit- <lai<y that pul an •nd I" the four hundred and tw-nty second clearance. —ftuy (.'. lullock. in " >'t. .lain-G* Gazette."