The Arkansas banner., 1849-11-20
TERMSi
MarssilIss Hymn--Ths sons and the Singer.
SY PERcT D. sT. JOHN.

If was during the early days of the great Revo. tutiou of I7S9, in the year l792, when young of. cer In delicate health took up his quarters ip the city of Marseilles for the six months of his leave o absence. I seemed strange retirement for young man. for in the town he knew no one, and In the deptb of winter MarseiIles was tempting resi- dence The officer lived In garret looking out upon the street, which had for it's sole furniture hsrpslchOrd a bed, table, and a chair. Little bn, paper ever entered that apartment. where food and fuel both were scarce; and yet the young gene- fally remained In doors all day assiduously writing or rather dottng something upon paper, an occupa- Lon he alternated with music.
 Thus passed many months. The young man krew thinner and paler, and his leave of absence 6ppeared likely to bring no conyalesceRee. Bot he was handsome aud interesting despite his sallow hue. Long hair, full bcamng eyes, that spoke of intel- kenee, aud even genius, frankness of manner, all prepessessed in his favor, and many . smile and look of kindness came to him from beautiful eyes that he noticed not nor cared to notice. In fact he but rarely vent out but at night, and then to walk down by the booming sea, which made kind of music he seemed 10 love Sometimes. it is true, he would hang about tie theatre door when operas were about be played, and look with longing eye within; but he enteFed-either his purse his incIi- nation failed him. But he always examined with care the of the piece and it's author. and then walked away to the sbore, 10 muse and mediate
 shortly after his arrival in Marseilles, he visited,
 
 CTS in the town with bundle of manuscripts in his hand but his reception was apparently not very favorable, for he left them all with frowning air, and still with his bundle of manu scripts. Some had detained him long time, es if estimating the value of the goods he offered for sale but these were no tnoFe tempted than the others to try the saleabIe character of the commodity. The house he lodged tn had attached to it large garden. By permission of the landlord the young man often selected it for his evening walks, and, despite the cold. would some- times sit and muse in . rude and faded bower under wall at one end Of tho gables Here he would occa- sionaliy even sing, In low tone, some of his own compositions. It happened, once or twice, that when he did so. female head protrudAd from window above him. seeming to listen. The young man at length noticed this.
 ''PardOn, lady," said he one evening. ''perhaps dIstnrb youf'
 "Not at all, i" she replied; '.I am fond of music very fond; the airs you ham arc naw to me. Pray, if not rude question. whose are they?"
 "CtoyeRae," he answered dfidently; ''they my own"
 '' Indeed :" cried the lady with animation, and you have never published theml'
 e shall never try-ags;a," he murmured, utter ing tho last word ia low and despairng tone, which, however, reached the of the young woman.
 "GoOd night. eitoyeR." said she, and she closed her window. The composer sighed, rose, and went out 10 take his usual walk by the beech; there, before the grandeur aud sublimi,y of the ocean, and amid the murmur of it's believing waves, to forget the of the world, his poverty and his crushed visions Of glory and renown--the day y-dream of all superior minds-a dream far Oftener a punishment than e reward; for of those who sigh for fame few indeed are successful.
 Scarcely had he left the house, than lady. habi- tod n cloak and hood, entered it; and after what heightened conference with his eoRcier9e as- eended to his room, and remained there about an hour. At the end of that time she vanished. IL was midnight when the composer returned. He en- tered with difficulty, the Cerberus of the lodge being asleep, and ascended to his wretched room. He had left it filtered and dirty without light, fire, or food. To his surprise a cheerful blaze sent its rays beneath the door. He opened it, not without alarm, and found his apartment neatly ordered, a Ire burning, a lamp, and on the table supper. The yeass mat; sso= aea, and locked s.e.aly 8. .he
 "Wbo dares thus insult my povertyl Is 1t mol enough that sm starving with cold and hunger that am rejected by the world a useless and wretched thing, incapable of yielding either sword or pen, but must be insuIted by charity7 Fire light, and food, all sent to me by who knows my necessity. A nd yet who knows2 Perhaps my mother may have discovered my retreat. Who elst could have acted thusl My mother, bless the, both for the action and for respecting my conceal meut!" And the invalid officer sat down to the frs hearty meal he bad eaten for weeks He had lei his home because his friends wholly disapproved O making music profession, and wished him to em Ploy his leave of absence in learning another occu patton. His mother so pressed him that he saw n, recourse but soldiers last resort-a retreat. Fo two months no trace of the fugitive had been seeI two months spent in vain efforts to make his cho sen career support him and now, doubtless, hi mother had found him out, and had taken this deli cate way of respecting his secret and Punshing hi pride.
 Next morning the young man awoke with ap petite unknown to him of late. The generous foo, of the previous dight had restored his system, an, brought him 10 a natural state Luckily, suffcien wine and bread remained to satisfy his craving, an, then he sat down to think All his efforts to ge his music sung, or played. or published, had beer vain. Singers knew him not. Publishers declared him unknown, and the public seemed doomed never to hear him, because they never had heard him-s logical consequence very injurious to young begin ners n hterasure, poetry inusic. and all the bera arts But he was determined to have one more trial Having eaten, he dressed and went out m the direc ton of the shop of the eitoyen Dupont, a worthy and excellent man, who, in his day, had published more music. good and bad, taan a musician wouit have played in lifetime.
 "You have something new, then, eitoyea ?" sait Dupont after the usual prcliminaries and after apoo gising to lady within his office for leaving hel awhile As my time is precious, pray play it at once, and sing it if you will" The young man sal himself at the harpsicord which adorned the shop and began at once the "Song of the Army of the khine:" The music publisher listened with the
 
 shook his head as the composer ended.
 Rough, crude, but clever. Young man, you will, doubt not. do something one of these days but at present, am sorry to say your efforts wan, hnish polish, - The singer rose. and lowing, 'eit the shop, despair at his heart. He had not a sou lh the world; his rent was in arrear; he knew not how to dine that evening, unless, indeed, his mother came again 10 his aid--an aid he was very unwilling to receive. His soul repunged from it, for he had parted from her in anger. His mother was royaiist, he was republican, and she had sad bitter things to him at parting. But most of all the composer felt one thing Inc world would never be able to judge him. be able to decide he had or had not merit and this the bitierest grief of all.
 This day was spent Iu moody thought. The eve hihg came, and no sign again of his secret friend whether mother or unknown sympaihiser. To wards ngAt the bangs of hunger became intolera- pe' and. after numerous parleys with himself the man nAadf f.xh