Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-23

ness of his loss, the shadow of something
| beautiful which was to have been, but
somehow failed to be, lay on him, and
| gave his face a wistful look, which was
| sadder far in its mute endurance than any
wall OF speech could have been.
Music was to him now something akin
to the sound of "sweet bells jingled, out
of tune and harsh"
One day in early spring he went to the
church for the first time, leaning on Hes
ter's arm. The old. familiar look of the
place struck him forcibly and reused his
dormant wits. He sat down to the organ
| and glided his hands over the keys; few
jangling, discordant chords followed
wandering and disconnected; then his face
changed, and, with a terrible cry, he
flung his head down on his arms.
ooh, Hester! tell me what is it have
lost? Sometimes l almost reach tit is
in my mind, something beautiful which ]
almost grasp, and then it eludes me and
Hester! take me homer
she kissed him and soothed him with
sweet, womanly words, and when he was
more composed she led him away
Soon after that they were married. In
posed her. She was quietly determined
He loved me when friends and for
tune smiled on him." she answered them
He would have given me every great
gift which the world was ready to bestow
on him for love of his beautiful genius,
and shall | desert him now when misfor-
tune has overtaken him? Perhaps-oh,
perhaps some time God may restore to
him his lost mind" Tears filed her
lovely, soft, pathetic eyes. off l dared
to hope it-oh, if l but might hope for
it, how willingly would give my life to
have it So"
The day before her wedding she re-
ceived a visit from Conrad Charters
at shall not ben' he cried out vehe-
mently. "Do you realize what you are
doing? Why, you had better far die at
once, for Robert Field is but little better
than an idiot"
"And if he uere an idiot" returned
Hester, bravely hiding her hurt at the
brutal words, "even then | would marry
him. I love him, and if not one vestige
Of his glorious intellect remained | would
be Robert Fields wife, and proud one,
tool"
"And so I believe you would
answered Conrad, looking with a fond,
mad longing into the small, pale face,
lifted so undauntedly to his dark gaze.
" Hester, you will drive me mad. |
would to heaven that Robert Field was
dead. Why did he not die that night last
winter?" and he struck his hand furiously
on the table in blind frenzy of despair
"GOd knows it was from no lack of
purpose in you that he did not die" re-
tOrted Hester, spiritedly
She spoke at random, but Conrad
shrank away with white face. The idle
words evidently hit him hard. They cut
close and sharp as steel in their unexpect-
ed descent, and wheeling abruptly about
he left her and did not seek her again.
They were married quietly, and after
that, in the tender security of his modest
home, under the fond and cherishing care
of his wife, health and strength came
slowly back to the shattered frame of
Robert Field
Slowly, too, out of the darkness he be-
gan to wrench, one by one, the secrets of
his prisoned mind. Old melodies began
to shape themselves under his touch, dis
cordant and fragmentqry at first, but grad
ually assuming symmetry and power.
C Not quite a wreck" he would sigh,
wistfully "Some day some good genGj
will unlock my prison door and set me
free"
In the child that was born to them, a
beautiful boy who sang sweet music in
every tone of his childish voice, his pride
was great He talked of him, listened to
him, watched him, and dreamed of him,
predicting a future of which Bertrand
was to be the perfect flower, the very gold
en- rose of JOY. So the years passed, and
sweet Hester Fields fair face grew heav-
emily beautiful to see, with its tired look
of patient waiting. God only knows how
her heart failed her now at times; or with
what fierce power she wrestled with her
growing doubts, and prayed for strength
to help her bear this cross whose shadow
fell even darker and deeper on her young
life.
Had her love, then, been sacrifice in
vain?
But one day the answer camel
Returning one afternoon from long
walk, Robert Field stopped in the hall
spell-boUnd by the triumphant strains Of
SOM new and beautiful melody floating
through the rooms. His worn face
flashed with the old light of inspired
thought; his eyes dilated his whole form
shook with a mysterious emotion.
"What is it? What is it," he asked of
his wife, who came to meet him.
Berrand's music!" answered proud
mother Hester. He has been engaged
with it long time. He meant it to be a
surprise for you"
Robert Field threw up his arms with a
joyful cry,
at is mine!-mine! My lost mus1c!-
the music l played for you that long-for-
gotten day! Hark, Hester! do you not
recognize it now? Oh! to think that it
has slept so long and now comes back to
me so fresh and fair. This is what have
missed out of my life! This is my treas
ure which was lost to me and now is re-
turned TO me after many years. Brought
back by little child! Our child, Hes
ter! Oh, thank God for that"
Rushing into the parlor he swept Ber-
trand from the stool, and, seating himself
at the organ, with one powerful sweep of
his hands over the keys he summoned his
GOd-given genius from the tomb of his
youth and babe it stand resurrectionized
in new life before him. On and on the
music swept; not note was lost, not a
chord dropped out of the splendid work.
Shoutingly, eXultantly the tones leaped
forth, land their name was called Won
derful." OnI on! Up and up!
At last, from sheer exhaustion, the mu-
stefan dropped to the floor, and lying
there at Hester's feet he wept tears which
were no shame to him.
at is the very samen' he cried. "Ber-
trand has written it out note for note, a
counterpart of my own work. Is it not
an awful thing to think of :? My own
work, and yet his! Who but God can ex-
plain it. And oh, Hester The darkness