large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_116
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"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. 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
ed him in the aimless effeminacy of clubs, nor in the clever gentlemen who cracked their thin jokes upon him over a gossiping dinner. "And there was your neighbor over the way, who passes for a woman who has failed in her career, because she is an old maid. People wag solemn heads of pity, and say that she made so great a mistake in not marrying the brilliant and famous man who was for long years her suitor. It is clear that no orange flower will ever bloom for her. The young people make their tender romances about her as they watch her, and think of her solitary hours of bitter regret and wasting longing, never to be satisfied. "When I first came to town I shared this sympathy, and pleased my imagination with fancying her hard struggle with the conviction that she had lost all that made life beautiful. I supposed 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. HE YOUTHS WHO PITIED HIM IN THE AIMLESS EFFEMINACY OF CLUBS NOR IN THE CLEVER GENTLEMEN WHO CRACKED THEIR THIN JOKES UPON HIM OVER A GOSSIPING DINNER AND THERE WAS YOUR NEIGHBOR OVER THE WAY WHO PASSES FOR A WOMAN WHO HAS FAILED IN HER CAREER BECAUSE SHE IS AN OLD MAID PEOPLE WAG SOLEMN HEADS OF PITY AND SAY THAT SHE MADE SO GREAT A MISTAKE IN NOT MARRYING THE BRILLIANT AND FAMOUS MAN WHO WAS FOR LONG YEARS HER SUITOR IT IS CLEAR THAT NO ORANGE FLOWER WILL EVER BLOOM FOR HER THE YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE THEIR TENDER ROMANCES ABOUT HER AS THEY WATCH HER AND THINK OF HER SOLITARY HOURS OF BITTER REGRET AND WASTING LONGING NEVER TO BE SATISFIED WHEN I FIRST CAME TO TOWN I SHARED THIS SYMPATHY AND PLEASED MY IMAGINATION WITH FANCYING HER HARD STRUGGLE WITH THE CONVICTION THAT SHE HAD LOST ALL THAT MADE LIFE BEAUTIFUL I SUPPOSED 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
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