large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_11
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"These West Indian years were the great days of the family," said Titbottom, with an air of majestic and regal regret, pausing, and musing, in our little parlor, like a late Stuart in exile, remembering England. THESE WEST INDIAN YEARS WERE THE GREAT DAYS OF THE FAMILY SAID TIT BOTTOM WITH AN AIR OF MAJESTIC AND REGAL REGRET PAUSING AND MUSING IN OUR LITTLE PARLOUR LIKE A LATE STEWARD IN EXILE REMEMBERING ENGLAND
s a matter of feeling, not of years. "And if, sometimes, as she sat by his side on the piazza, her fancy looked through her eyes upon that summer sea, and saw a younger lover, perhaps some one of those graceful and glowing heroes who occupy the foreground of all young maidens' visions by the sea, yet she could not find one more generous and gracious, nor fancy one more worthy and loving than my grandfather Titbottom. "And if, in the moonlit midnight, while he lay calmly sleeping, she leaned out of the window, and sank into vague reveries of sweet possibility, and watched the gleaming path of the moonlight upon the water, until the dawn glided over it--it was only that mood of nameless regret and longing, which underlies all human happiness; or it was the vision of that life of cities and the world, which she had never seen, but of which she had often read, and which looked very fair and alluring across the sea, to a girlish imagination, which knew that it should never see that reality. E SMILE OF IMMORTAL YOUTH IS A MATTER OF FEELING NOT OF YEARS AND IF SOMETIMES AS SHE SAT BY HIS SIDE ON THE PIAZZA HER FANCY LOOKED THROUGH HER EYES UPON THAT SUMMER SEA AND SAW A YOUNGER LOVER PERHAPS SOME ONE OF THOSE GRACEFUL AND GLOWING HEROES WHO OCCUPY THE FOREGROUND OF ALL YOUNG MAIDENS VISIONS BY THE SEA YET SHE COULD NOT FIND ONE MORE GENEROUS AND GRACIOUS NOR FANCY ONE MORE WORTHY AND LOVING THAN MY GRANDFATHER TIT BOTTOM AND IF IN THE MOONLIT MIDNIGHT WHILE HE LAY CALMLY SLEEPING SHE LEANED OUT OF THE WINDOW AND SANK INTO VAGUE REVERIES OF SWEET POSSIBILITY AND WATCHED THE GLEAMING PATH OF THE MOONLIGHT UPON THE WATER UNTIL THE DAWN GLIDED OVER IT IT WAS ONLY THAT MOOD OF NAMELESS REGRET AND LONGING WHICH UNDERLIES ALL HUMAN HAPPINESS OR IT WAS THE VISION OF THAT LIFE OF CITIES AND THE WORLD WHICH SHE HAD NEVER SEEN BUT OF WHICH SHE HAD OFTEN READ AND WHICH LOOKED VERY FAIR AND ALLURING ACROSS THE SEA TO A GIRLISH IMAGINATION WHICH KNEW THAT IT SHOULD NEVER SEE THAT REALITY
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