The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-05-27
FREMONT SANDUSKY COUNTY OHIO; FRIDAY MAY a. 1870

SOIhG6llluS WOliAstA4A - w. tlBOuJ 1llC
little slender fgure-that tiny frame
i in which dwelt the clear, beautiful
voice.
"Why do l never hear you sing
at home?" suddenly asked Louis,
"I never sing unless when 1 am
out and alone" answered the girl.
"My father does not like to hear
me-"
Youth is quick in jumping at
conclusions. The wcaver's satur-
nine countenance, Renee's sad looks,
a sound of subdued weeping which
he had heard one evening from their
house, helped Louis to build up a
little story, unhappily not wide from
the truth, of which Renee was the
Bpoor iIl-used heroine. He looked
at her with sad wonder. That dain-
ty young bird, whose song is so
sweet in his ears, found no favor in
the eyes of its owner and could not
even warble its song in its rude
cage! Louis made no COMMENT
but shook his head over Renee's
hard lot, then talked of other things.
"You know the old schoolmaster, "
he remarked, with a kindlng look;
"well, he has got piano, and 1 am
to see it. Perhaps he will let you
see it also" This half promise
Renee received with much calmness,
vet Louis pursued with unabated
enthusiasm, "Then there is the
church organ, which is SO old that
no one can play on it now"
"My mother heard it, interrupted
Renee.
"Did she! Well"
Louis looked breathless, but Renee
shaking her head demurely, implied
unutterable things.
"Oh! I have heard the organ in
Fontaine," said Louis, "but still l
shall like to see this one, and the
Ischoolmaster is to take me up to
the gallery; perhaps he will take
you, too"
This time Renee looked interest
led. And so Louis talked and Renee
listened, and she sang again, and
the hours went on, and Louis, who
was going to Fontaine, on an eTrano
for his mother, and who was ID come
back to Manneville as quickly as his
fleet could carry him, spent the best
part of that summer day with Renee
and when they parted the two friend;
agreed to meet the next day,
The church Of Manneville was
very old, and bore tokens of those
remote DAYS when Manneville--noV
a poor Norman village-played its
part in feudal story. Its stained
glass windows sent many glorious
Tint of purple and azure of the mutt
lated efigies of knights and abbot'
resting in calm sleep on their stone
beds and though its low organ was
mute now. and never helped fortl
the solemn Te DeuD1 or joyful Gloria
|, Its rich brown oak and many tai
, ltubes bore witness to the muniticen
lpiety which raised it more than two
hundred wears ago. Manneville haC
, been very proud of its organ once
lit had gioried in its grand music; i
, had boasted of it when Fontaine anC
other towns and villages scarcely
knew what an organ was; and nov
THAT ruthless Time had silenced thii
Iold friend, Manneville, though ii
could boast no more, was tenacious
Iof that past glory. That the organ
lof Manneville had been the best OF
J lorqans. that its voice had been the
, most powerful and yet the swectes
; land ciearest which ever organ had
was a settled article of belief witt
leverv son and daughter Of Name
willie, but with none more so than
with the old schoolmaster, who, or
la sunny summer evening, a weel
latter the first meeting of Louis and
Renee. took them both up the dark
stone staircase in order to SHOW
them the innner mechanism OF the
Instrument. Renee was too mucl
Iawe-struck to utter a word, but Louis
was all ardor and curiosity, and the
lold man, who had been the last OF
osnist in Manneville, answered hin
yery willingly. His head was white
las snow. his face was covered witt
wrinkles, his body was bent, hi
!, step was unsteady; but between hin
and the boy of twelve there was
strong link of common passion
music.
ooh! how fine it must have been,
said Louis, with a sigh of regret
| show very fine"
"Finem echoed the old schoolmas
tier in his thin Quivering voice. 6
,Ishould think so! You never hear(
lanvthing like it-never! Do not tel
Ime of the organ of Fontaine, he ad
Ided, testify; Il have heard 1t, and
say it was nothing to ours, and thii
was an organ indeed, and those wer'
times for Manneville."
"And can the organ never be play
led upon again?" asked Louis.
ooh, yes, by all means, replied
1.-The schoolmaster, with cutting sar
Icasm "when Manneyille has three
Thousand francs to spend upon it,
Renee clasped her hands on hear
ling the enormous sum mentioned
but Louis, nothing daunted, sai(
, again
"CouIdnot you play if l wereto at
tempt to blow the bellowsT
The schoolmaster's lip quiyere(
as he said, "The Sunday after M
last child was buried, the organ wen
wrong. l have never played on /
since then. and Inever shall. Com
down children" Thougl
Ino one knew it, not even Louis him
self a great Gift slept in the boy
breast, There are "many mansions
in art as well as in heaven. SOM
are as kings or creators IN the Worlt
Iof sweet sounds, calling them fortl
and giving them life; others are only
worshipers, who listen and admire
land even of these 'many are called
Ibut few are chosen" 1t is a rarr
rift to feel the beauty of anything
in its fuIlness, and 4 rarer gift still
1t is to love that thing with all tht
passion of a human heart. Ever
Renee, though she had a correct ear
! had not so keen or perfect an appre
ciation of her own singing as Louis
who only listened to her. She sans
1;4+Io bird miUbt sinU hanDil,