AN EARLY PARABLE
[In one of his early letters, written from Austin, O.
Henry wrote a long parable that was evidently to tell his
correspondent some of the local gossip. Here it is:]
Once upon a time there was a maiden in a land not far away--a maiden of
much beauty and rare accomplishments. She was beloved by all on account
of her goodness of heart, and her many charms of disposition. Her
father was a great lord, rich and powerful, and a mighty man, and he
loved his daughter with exceeding great love, and he cared for her
with jealous and loving watchfulness, lest any harm should befall her,
or even the least discomfort should mar her happiness and cause any
trouble in her smooth and peaceful life. The cunningest masters were
engaged to teach her from her youngest days; she played upon the
harpsichord the loveliest and sweetest music; she wrought fancy work
in divers strange and wonderful forms that might puzzle all beholders
as to what manner of things they might be; she sang; and all listeners
hearkened thereunto, as to the voice of an angel; she danced stately
minuets with the gay knights as graceful as a queen and as light as the
thistledown borne above the clover blossoms by the wind; she could paint
upon china, rare and unknown flowers the like unto which man never
saw in colors, crimson and blue and yellow, glorious to behold; she
conversed in unknown tongues whereof no man knew the meaning and sense;
and created wild admiration in all, by the ease and grace with which
she did play upon a new and strange instrument of wondrous sound and
structure which she called a banjo.
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