'em to the child," she said, pointing to the sleeping Piney. "You've starved yourself," said the gambler. "That's what they call it," said the woman querulously, as she lay down again, and, turning her face to the wall, passed 5 quietly away. The accordion and the bones were put aside that day, and Homer was forgotten. When the body of Mother Shipton had been committed to the snow, Mr. Oakhurst took the Innocent aside, and showed him a pair of snowIo shoes, which he had fashioned from the old pack-saddle. "There's one chance in a hundred to save her yet,” he said, pointing to Piney; "but it's there," he added, pointing toward Poker Flat. "If you can reach there in two days she's safe." "And you?" asked Tom Simson. "I'll stay 15 here," was the curt reply. The lovers parted with a long embrace. "You are not going, too?" said the Duchess, as she saw Mr. Oakhurst apparently waiting to accompany him. "As far as the cañon," he replied. He turned suddenly and kissed the 20 Duchess, leaving her pallid face aflame, and her trembling limbs rigid with amazement. Night came, but not Mr. Oakhurst. It brought the storm again and the whirling snow. Then the Duchess, feeding the fire, found that some one had quietly piled 25 beside the hut enough fuel to last a few days longer. The tears rose to her eyes, but she hid them from Piney. The women slept but little. In the morning, looking into each other's faces, they read their fate. Neither spoke, but Piney, accepting the position of the stronger, drew near 30 and placed her arm around the Duchess's waist. They kept this attitude for the rest of the day. That night the storm reached its greatest fury, and, rending asunder the protecting vines, invaded the very hut. Toward morning they found themselves unable to feed the fire, which gradually died away. As the embers slowly blackened, the Duchess crept closer to Piney, and broke the silence of many hours: "Piney, can you pray?” "No, dear," said Piney simply. The Duchess, without knowing exactly why, felt relieved, and, putting her head 5 upon Piney's shoulder, spoke no more. And so reclining, the younger and purer pillowing the head of her soiled sister upon her virgin breast, they fell asleep. The wind lulled as if it feared to waken them. Feathery drifts of snow, shaken from the long pine boughs, 10 flew like white winged birds, and settled about them as they slept. The moon through the rifted clouds looked down upon what had been the camp. But all human stain, all trace of earthly travail, was hidden beneath the spotless mantle mercifully flung from above. 15 They slept all that day and the next, nor did they waken when voices and footsteps broke the silence of the camp. And when pitying fingers brushed the snow from their wan faces, you could scarcely have told from the equal peace that dwelt upon them which was she that had sinned. 20 Even the law of Poker Flat recognized this, and turned away, leaving them still locked in each other's arms. But at the head of the gulch, on one of the largest pinetrees, they found the deuce of clubs pinned to the bark with a bowie-knife. It bore the following, written in 25 pencil in a firm hand: BENEATH THIS TREE LIES THE BODY OF JOHN OAKHURST WHO STRUCK A STREAK OF BAD LUCK ON THE 23D OF NOVEMBER 1850, AND HANDED IN HIS CHECKS ON THE 7TH DECEMBER, 1850. And pulseless and cold, with a Derringer by his side and a bullet in his heart, though still calm as in life, beneath the snow lay he who was at once the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat. 1 OBJECT: EXERCISE XIII SOME RECENT STORIES To analyze some recent stories, applying the principles of the preceding studies. MATERIAL: I Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Merry Men." II A. Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches." III Rudyard Kipling's "The Man Who Was." The student should not be limited to the study of the above named stories. Other stories by these authors, such as: Stevenson's "Will o' the Mill," "Markheim," and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde;" Doyle's "The Blue Carbuncle," "The Scandal in Bohemia," and "The Boscombe Valley Mystery;" Kipling's "The Man who would be King," "They," and "Without Benefit of Clergy,"may all be studied to advantage. DIRECTIONS: Try to determine, in each of the following stories, what the chief idea of the author is in telling the story, and how he accomplishes it. Most probably the author wants first of all to tell a good story; but the student should determine if possible what dominated the mind of the author, what particular effect, if there is one, the author seeks to produce. I Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Merry Men." (1) After reading the story through carefully, determine which of the authors of our previous study it resembles most closely. (2) To what extent is it a story of plot? Of character? (3) What is to be said of the setting, or spirit of place? Local color? (4) How much realism is present? (5) Is the story told merely for the story? Is there anything typical or especially significant in the story? (6) Following the details of topography given in the story, draw a map, and compare it with an actual map of the country. What does this comparison prove to you? Stevenson at one time referred to "The Merry Men" as his favorite tale; and again he said, "You may take a certain atmosphere, and get actions and persons to realize it. I'll give you an example-"The Merry Men." There I began with the feeling of one of those islands on the west coast of Scotland, and I developed the story to express the sentiment with which the coast affected me." (Graham Balfour's Life and Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson.) Compare the above with what Irving said about his own story writing. (7) Compare "The Merry Men" with "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," as regards setting and local color. What resemblances and differences can you find? II A. Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches." (1) Apply the first five "suggestions" in section (1) of this exercise to this story. (2) Compare this story with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." Note the introductory remarks in each. What |