The Equinox (Volume I, Number I)

THE EQUINOX black stain polluted the immaculate white of their leaves. Only the binding bore some words. They were the titles of those unwritten books. Thus they ran: “The book “ Advice to which Mankind contains all that I know for for a better use of their faculties.” certain.” No name of author was to be seen. In the fourth compartment was a little framed picture, and though I examined it very closely I was not able at first to realise what the subject of the picture was. From a shallow little boat a gigantic snake was seen to emerge, fiercely staring, and on the opposite corner wasa round black spot. As, when a child throws a stone in a river, the waves extend farther and farther, shunning the bruises which the child has inflicted.upon them, in a like manner waves of a grey lighter and lighter as they extended towards the snake were painted in methodically eccentric gyrations. The last wave was almost white, and stopped at the head of the monster. Ln the fifth compartment was a skull. Ln the sixth compartment was a white rose, with a delicious scent. In the seventh compartment, as well as in the eighth and last, I saw nothing, but a sweet music struck on my ear when I bent over them. The tunes were very different at first, one tender and soft, the other furious and thundering. Atthe end, however, both melted in a whisper, to die suddenly in a piercing cry of laughter. 362