large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_204
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"Could I be misanthropical when I saw such fidelity, and dignity, and simplicity? COULD I BE MISANTHROPICAL WHEN I SAW SUCH FIDELITY AND DIGNITY AND SIMPLICITY
her through my spectacles, I should see that it was only her radiant temper which so illuminated her dress, that we did not see it to be heavy sables. "But when, one day, I did raise my glasses, and glanced at her, I did not see the old maid whom we all pitied for a secret sorrow, but a woman whose nature was a tropic, in which the sun shone, and birds sang, and flowers bloomed for ever. There were no regrets, no doubts and half wishes, but a calm sweetness, a transparent peace. I saw her blush when that old lover passed by, or paused to speak to her, but it was only the sign of delicate feminine consciousness. She knew his love, and honored it, although she could not understand it nor return it. I looked closely at her, and I saw that although all the world had exclaimed at her indifference to such homage, and had declared it was astonishing she should lose so fine a match, she would only say simply and quietly-- "'If Shakespeare loved me and I did not love him, how could I marry him? UPPOSED THAT IF I HAD LOOKED AT HER THROUGH MY SPECTACLES I SHOULD SEE THAT IT WAS ONLY HER RADIANT TEMPER WHICH SO ILLUMINATED HER DRESS THAT WE DID NOT SEE IT TO BE HEAVY SABLES BUT WHEN ONE DAY I DID RAISE MY GLASSES AND GLANCED AT HER I DID NOT SEE THE OLD MAID WHOM WE ALL PITIED FOR A SECRET SORROW BUT A WOMAN WHOSE NATURE WAS A TROPIC IN WHICH THE SUN SHONE AND BIRDS SANG AND FLOWERS BLOOMED FOR EVER THERE WERE NO REGRETS NO DOUBTS AND HALF WISHES BUT A CALM SWEETNESS A TRANSPARENT PEACE I SAW HER BLUSH WHEN THAT OLD LOVER PASSED BY OR PAUSED TO SPEAK TO HER BUT IT WAS ONLY THE SIGN OF DELICATE FEMININE CONSCIOUSNESS SHE KNEW HIS LOVE AND HONORED IT ALTHOUGH SHE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT NOR RETURN IT I LOOKED CLOSELY AT HER AND I SAW THAT ALTHOUGH ALL THE WORLD HAD EXCLAIMED AT HER INDIFFERENCE TO SUCH HOMAGE AND HAD DECLARED IT WAS ASTONISHING SHE SHOULD LOSE SO FINE A MATCH SHE WOULD ONLY SAY SIMPLY AND QUIETLY IF SHAKESPEARE LOVED ME AND I DID NOT LOVE HIM HOW COULD I MARRY HIM
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
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