Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-11-27

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/ low, it grows, until every year adds a new
grace and beauty to its sounds. Well,
/ then, suppose that you could inspire these
/ tones with the inspiration you feel, so
that not only your mechanism, but also
your soul, would speak through it, Sup
! pose that playing on it, year after year,
with the same enthusiasm, you should
! give its tones a Vitality, living tender
ness, that would always breathe from it.,
no matter what your present mood might
! be. Then your violin, julius, would have
| the magical power of returning to you IN
inspiration the passion you had before
! breathed into it.n
! julius smiled upon the eager eyes, the
! glowing face, now so near his own.
"Show me love, how to do it, But 1t
would require the sacrifice of my own
| soul-or some one else's," he added, soft
| ly-'to work this miracle Everything
| has its price, and why should l die, TO
| leave my violin in other hands, to have
my passion, my aching heart, made to
serve another? No, Lisa, the cost is too
| great! And YETI he said after long
| silence, it is not impossible Some
voices have this touching quality they
move YOU to tears while the singers have
no idea of spathos or feeling. A violin
| has, to start with, more sensitiveness than
| nine out of ten human beings. But you
! look like an inspiration yourself, my love,
and as long as you keep those tender eyes
for me shall always play at my best!'
| Lisa smiled as she replied, but were
my tender eyes cold tonight"
"Do not let us talk of that. Let me
play for you now. In this dim tire,light,
alone with you, l feel as though | must
play and then, too, do not want you to
go to sleep with the echo OF my encore on
your ears"
Without waiting for any reply, though
he might have read one in the eager,
wistful look she gave him, he took his VIC
lin from its case on the table beside him,
and, after softly tuning it, began to play,
while Lisa, sinking down into her easy
chair, laid her head on its cushioned
back, and quietly listened.
AT first his music was of dreamy and
uncertain character, although it was gen
tie, but the melody wandered incOherently
through maze of fantasy as the player
hardly seemed conscious of his own inten-
tions. But soon the tones became tirmer,
more distinct and a quick and passionate
air awoke from them, an ardent spirit in
spired them. Lisa turned her head to
look at him, her lips parted, the quietness
forsook her eyes, she leaned forward, and
then, by quick, impulsive movement,
slipped to the floor, and sat there, leaning
her arm on low cushion, and looking up
into his eyes.
AS Julius watched her, his music grew
more intense and sharper. The tones be
came slaccato and quicker, as some un-
quiet thought seemed to vex his heart.
He wandered among minor tones, he made
half modulations and restless Combna-
tons, until Lisa's sensitive little heart
could bear it no longer. Her breath was
coming and going in gasps, her eyes were
filled with tears, and an indescribable fer
ment of feeling made her heart beat un-
easily. 1t seemed to her as if some lost
love, forbidden to love but doomed to
Lonesome active, eager heart, with para
lyzed speech, was trying to express itself;
she listened as long as she could, and
then, leaning over, she laid her hand on
his arm and said
Julius, cannot endure it,"
Her lover looked down on her with
smile that vas not all love- nor altogether
pleasant. An enthusiast in science,
watching the writings of some dumb
animal in the agonies he had predicted
when he gave the poison, might have so
looked, and so smiled. Fortunately, Liza
did not see this, she was simply conscious
of the strong and tender arm that lifted
her from the floor and placed her on the
chair again. Once there, her head sank
YEARLY back into its old position, and
Julius played so softly and so quietly that
when he left her, soon after, she was
asleep.
Julius was by no means a selfish or
cold hearted man, but he was capable of
being absorbed in one idea, and of sacri-
tiCing much personal comfort to any en-
terprise in which he was interested. Be
fore he knew Liza, he had lived for his
art alone, and friends as well as sweet
hearts had meant but little TO him. He
now loved most heartily, and after their
marriage felt her every day grow more
indispensable to him. AS she often said,
her only rival was his violin; and yet, as
she, perhaps, instinctivey knew-al-
though, being a woman, and so DESTROYS
of being loved for her own sake alone,
she would never confess it even to her
self-it was also her best friend. If
julius had been thrown into everyday as
ISOLATION with her, he might have been
won by her beauty and her sweetness;
but, as it was he had undoubtedly been
attracted by her sensitiveness to his mu-
sic. He was not only an artist of rare
merit, but he was composer of exceed
ingly fine music. Unlike most writers
for their own instrument, he cared but
little for music that displayed technical
ability, but aimed instead at an emo
tlonal development of his ideas. He
had, perhaps, morbid desire 10 exercise
power over the feelings Of his hearers, and
was never really satisfied unless he had
worked himself into intense excitement,
and aroused in others a corresponding en-
thusiasm As he had said, the remarka-
BILE susceptibility shown by Lisa had al
tracted his attention as she sat in the au-
dience, and, as artists and actors are apt
10 do, he had soon learned 70 single her