isa-normaladvance-1909-00067

Description:	THE NORMAL ADVANCE67forth along its rough surface. How his heartwent out to her when her head appeared againaround the end of the wall, how he lookedanxiously for the bruises she must have suffered, and how glad he was when he saw herpale beauty as perfect as ever. Yes, it evenseemed to him that it was more perfect, thatits radiance spread upon everything roundabout, and the days when the wind would bringher back his way were brighter than he hadknown them before. But the long, long dayswhen she was hidden by the wall, were dark.Then he could think only of her slender formbeing dragged along the rough surface, andhate himself for his strength which did nothing to help her. A great sadness fell over him,which scarcely vanished even when the windbrought her back to him.At last, one night, when the day had beendarker than ever, he had another dream. Itseemed to him that the wall was gone, and thatthe flower stood before him all alone, andlooked straight at him. And as she looked, herface changed. It was no longer pale and sad,but bright with a cheerful light, and it seemedto welcome his own gaze which was fixed uponit. And then the flower bowed slowly towardhim, nearer and nearer, until he seemed to feelthe soft petals upon his shaggy leaves. Oncemore the flower bowed, and then the vision departed, and when he awoke the wall was thereas before. But bright, as never before, werenow the days when the wind relented. For thesmile which he had seen in his dream was areality. Even though the wind blew harderand more merciless, at intervals the clear eyesyet turned in his direction. Strangely he nolonger thought of the danger to which thewinds violence might expose his flower. Hecould think only of her smile and the dreamwhich he had had.Then, finally, one day, everything seemedto stand still. A hush of apprehension fellupon the trees and the plants that grew in theplace, and upon the little bugs and insects thatinhabited them. In the midst of the stillness aflock of birds, black and white, rose straightup from beyond the wall, chattered loudly fora short space, and then flew away. Then thedead silence fell upon everything as before.It was the signal for the seasons end. Andthe hazel bush and all the growing things thatstood in the garden waited patiently andhumbly for the touch of the mysterious handwhich was to work their transformation.But once more, ere it came, slowly and reluctantly a fanning breeze blew round the endof the wall. And slowly the pale-faced flowerfollowed—no less bright, no less cheerful thanbefore. But the chattering flight of the birdshung like a weight upon the bush, and something told him that it was to be the last time.And yet, the parting with all its sadness wasso sweet, that for one brief moment he forgot,and closed his eyes in self-content. But whenhe looked again, it was no longer one flower,but two, that he saw before him. And la, whenthey smiled it was no longer as in the days goneby, for now they smiled only to each other,and the one which had bowed to him was evenas her companion, so that he could not tell themapart. So they stood till dusk, and when thelight was fairly gone and their slender formshad long faded from sight, he seemed yet tosee a single spot of lighter shadow which nodded to him ere it vanished.Then for the last time the wind shifted. Andwhen the morning came, the flowers were allgone, and the summer was at an end.Ambition is our idol, on whose wingsGreat minds are carryd only to extreme To be sublimely great, or be nothing.——Thos. Southerne.
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34097
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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