The Shasta courier., 1872-09-28
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ONLY A SONG.

Monsieur Bur0nte, VINO had large
family and small income, hired the upp er
floor Of large building in Paris, and to
reduce his rent, underlet room to young
Monsieur FerDsnde, the musical composer
of whose compositions no une had yet heard
anything.
1t was liule narrow room, With cne
very high window; but it had this I'd.
va, tage. out Of this window one could, u,
the risk IF breakiug ones neck, catch q
glimpse ofthe beautiful prima donna, Mad
amoiselle La =, as she famed herself
on the balcony Of the fEt fJof
For this sensible reason had Monsieur
FerDande hired the apartment
He was dreadiully in love with her
though they had never spoken to eact
other, and he toudy and falsely believed
that she knew that Re had thrown her
bouquets. a, d had given him special thank.
tor them as she held them against her
pretty chin. and bowed her pretty he d
over them and smiled with the beaming
smile Of an actress dowr uron the audience
II he ever made his name and fortune
then she should know. but not until then
So he loved on la silence. and worked al
his compositions and offered them to the
publishers and had them "declined with
thanks"
Now and then. of course, he sold
Il song, but the song did not become popu.
lar. and he must have starved to death, but
that lie now and then played the piano
for some dancing patty. AT best be lived
on bread coffee and little soup.
In his room he had an old piano, desk,
u ,air, meer>chaum and little charcoal
furnace When he had five francs in bis
pocket, and it WAS not rent day he felt rich.
Mdle. La e. had every xuriour lounge
and coach and sofa to be bought for
nohey. Sic lavished gold ON her friends,
ie eff h r ret poodle, on the beggars
who held uut their crooked hands, and
showed their distorted faces at the door of
the house, as she lriTped from it to her
carriage.
They said she had been peasant child,
whose sweet voice u she stood singing at
the door of little hut. had caught the
ear OF a wealthy music worshiper, who
b her taught in consequence. They
tell such stories OF so many prima doDnas.
No one would have guessed trom her man.
Der now that she ever knew The value OF a
song Yet with this extravasance she
was growing rich, and could make little
fortune in night
Young, heautiful, adored, who could be
happ er? And yet though she 'ould sing
50 diviuely. she could not have composed
one of those little songs which were writ
ten in the garret over her head, to save
her bri4 ht young life. Each one gen.
a'd probably NJ Fernando knew it, for
genus ought to know its own work Still
rattllng marches, waltzes that were the
same old thing over az in, and bits from
well known operas twisted into galops, sold !;
while his little songs lay neglected on the
counter, and others never reached the
counter It all, being scorned from the fr.t
BY publishers with ne music in their souls,
howev' much there may have been in
their shops.
II, indeed, some we'll known singer
would have sung one of them Madam.
oiseIle La C--for instan e then there
might have been change The thought
crept in.o poor Fernanue's heart by degrees;
at last it strengthened into u resolve; but
it must be the best of all that he should
lay before his idol, the very best-nothing
else would do.
So he wrote in his attic room, the poor
composer, and below. the hrpry song bird
irilled her songs, and laughed and chatte d /.
and was carelessly generous. and never even
knew Of his existence, who, evening after
evening. watched her, listened to her, en-
Wed the men who had the right to sit be-
side her, hold her o, perhaps-who knew
--her hand also; the men ne of whom
might one day be her favored lover. Aud
she enjoyed her happy butterfly existence
aud KIN. " nothing about him
At last, in fit Of romantic influence,
our composer turned poet. He wrote the
words ofs song which he called Live s
Dying Dream" and he fitted il to an
air 80 sweet, so gentle. SO tender, so
plaintive, that playing upon the old piano,
he knew it 10 be the best of all that be
had ever doue-the bright, particular gem
fit to lay before his lady
He copied it out dantily he wrote a
pretty note without any signature but that
of IAN Adm rer." AMI be resolved to
leave it at her door and await the result
"lf should ever hear her sing It,
should be SO happy-so happy" he said to
himself, Il should be willing to die"
What strange things We say sometimes !.
Did you ever say anything, not quite mean
Jug 1t, thst afterwards proved itself true,
though not as you intended it ? l have.
And one morning he said:
"To-day will do it, and with these
words lett his little room.
He ran down stairs with the precious
little parcel iD his hand aud stood before
the door that led to Mdlle. La C--'s suite
of rooms with palpitating heart He
had inteuded to knock ard leave the music
and note with servant. but-ah, how