Page 19 - SampleIssue

EVE’S DIARY

misery; then I was full of interest, and my word, I had never heard of smoke
began to examine. before.
I was curious to know what the Soon brilliant yellow and red flares
pink dust was. Suddenly the name of shot up through the smoke, and I
it occurred to me, though I had never named them in an instant--FLAMES-
heard of it before. It was FIRE! I was -and I was right, too, though these
as certain of it as a person could be of were the very first flames that had
anything in the world. So without ever been in the world. They climbed
hesitation I named it that--fire. the trees, then flashed splendidly in
I had created something that didn’t and out of the vast and increasing
exist before; I had added a new thing volume of tumbling smoke, and I had
to the world’s uncountable properties; to clap my hands and laugh and dance
I realized this, and was proud of my in my rapture, it was so new and
achievement, and was going to run and strange and so wonderful and so
find him and tell him about it, beautiful!
thinking to raise myself in his esteem- He came running, and stopped and
-but I reflected, and did not do it. No- gazed, and said not a word for many
-he would not care for it. He would minutes. Then he asked what it was.
ask what it was good for, and what Ah, it was too bad that he should ask
could I answer? for if it was not such a direct question. I had to
GOOD for something, but only answer it, of course, and I did. I said it
beautiful, merely beautiful-- was fire. If it annoyed him that I
So I sighed, and did not go. For it should know and he must ask; that
wasn’t good for anything; it could not was not my fault; I had no desire to
build a shack, it could not improve annoy him. After a pause he asked:
melons, it could not hurry a fruit crop; “How did it come?”
it was useless, it was a foolishness and Another direct question, and it also
a vanity; he would despise it and say had to have a direct answer.
cutting words. But to me it was not “I made it.”
despicable; I said, “Oh, you fire, I love The fire was traveling farther and
you, you dainty pink creature, for you farther off. He went to the edge of the
are BEAUTIFUL--and that is burned place and stood looking down,
enough!” and was going to gather it to and said:
my breast. But refrained. Then I made “What are these?”
another maxim out of my head, “Fire-coals.”
though it was so nearly like the first He picked up one to examine it, but
one that I was afraid it was only a changed his mind and put it down
p l a g i a r i s m : “ T H E B U R N T again. Then he went away.
EXPERIMENT SHUNS THE NOTHING interests him.
FIRE.” But I was interested. There were
I wrought again; and when I had ashes, gray and soft and delicate and
made a good deal of fire-dust I pretty--I knew what they were at once.
emptied it into a handful of dry brown And the embers; I knew the embers,
grass, intending to carry it home and too. I found my apples, and raked
keep it always and play with it; but them out, and was glad; for I am very
the wind struck it and it sprayed up young and my appetite is active. But I
and spat out at me fiercely, and I was disappointed; they were all burst
dropped it and ran. When I looked open and spoiled. Spoiled apparently;
back the blue spirit was towering up but it was not so; they were better than
and stretching and rolling away like a raw ones. Fire is beautiful; some day it
cloud, and instantly I thought of the will be useful, I think.
name of it--SMOKE!--though, upon

19