Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-23
NOT LOST.


LET me recount to you true love
story; story of love pure and undefiled
love as it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be, world without end
For love is all things in one to us. 1t
is hope and fear and joy and despair; ii
is truth and it is falsehood; it is anything,
in short, that you are pleased to call it.
and it can represent the brightness OF
heaven or the blackness of perdition.
Love is melting of the soul''
1t was late in the afternoon of a dull
autumnal day that group of young peO-
pie came chatting down the flight of stone
steps leading from the door of cathedral
church, in an old Atlantic seaport town.
They were members of the choral society
attached to the church, and they had
evidently been there for rehearsal. With
in, the great building yawned black and
lonely, save in the gallery, where, over
the organ, a gasjet spun rays of light in
the gloom, and the sound of sOftly-sub-
dued voices broke through the stiffness.
The visible occupants were two, a man
and a maiden-young, and with the ca5a-
listc word "lovers" cleaning, as did
the mysterious handwriting of old on the
wall, on their foreheads. Robert Field,
the organist, was turning over some sheets
of manuscript music with an absorbed
air, while by his side stood Hester
Heathersleigh, her pretty face full OF
anxious interest as she watched his move
ments little cloud of uneasiness
wrinlIled her forehead now and then as
she saw the rent edges of angry clouds
scud by the narrow slit of window giving
to the east where the gray sea lay tossing
stormily.
"Well, Robert!" she said at last, drop
ping her slim hand on his shoulder
'Well, Robert, what is it?'
The musicians dark, serious face
lighted a moment gloriously, as he
turned and took the little ungloyed hands
in his.
g / asked you to stay, Hester, because
wished to play for you some passages
from my new piece | shall submit it to
the society at Music Hall tomorrow
evening, and | want your opinion in
advance"
The young girl laughed-a little, rip
ping laugh of gleeful enthusiasm.
My opinion! Why, Robert, you know
beforehand what that will be. 1t would
be nothing but form asking it."
Robert raised the little hand tenderly
to his lips
q l know that love makes gentle critics
of us ALL" he said, wisely. But now [
want you to forget who is the author of
the melody, and to exercise your judg-
ment without stint. Remember, too, that
love is the theme; love which, wisely or
unwisely hopes all things, believes all
things, and endures all things unto the
end" And then he turned to the organ
He played slowly at first 1t was a
lonely opening, full of strange, sad
chords as if soul were waiting some
where in shadow. Then, as brightness
entered, the theme asserted itself The
wonderful tones climbed higher and
higher, expressive of a great faith, of a
fond mad triumph, and bewildering iOv.
On and on the chords swept; it was as if
q living chain of light ran round the
WORLD
When he had finished there was silence
for a moment between these two. The
lingering echoes rolled back and forth
till one by one they, too, escaped into
stiffness. Then Hester Heathersleigh
stopped, and, with quivering lips and
tear-wet eyes, reverently kissed the bowed
forehead of her lover.
"Oh, my darlingr' she cried, q" it is so
beautiful! | am SO proud of you. Who
taught you to play like that?"
A proud and satisfied smile curved
Robert Fields lips as he listened "My
love for you taught me-" he answered
My love for you, which is so great, so
all-absorbing, that my music seems to
be but poor expression of It,"
Then lifting her head he gazed for a
moment with wistful tenderness into the
rose-pink beauty of her small, sweet
face
"You think it is triumph, then, dear:
l.
the music itself, or only out of a tender
mercy born of your love for me?"
An indignant light frightened the pref
ty violet eyes out of the drowsy languo1
of youths enchanting dreams.
Tender mercy for you?" she repeated.
Then her voice changed. "Ah, Robert
if my love can make you write like that
now, then your future life shall be full OF
inspiration, for | shall love you more and
more the longer | know YOU shall love
you more and more forever"
She wound her arm about his neck, anG
with tender maiden sweetness kissed his
forehead, and kissed his wavy hair. anC
kissed the thin, pale hand which lay nerve
Iessly on the yellow organ keys AnC
then a stiffness crept about them, still
ness more fraught with eloquent 10Y thar
any measure OF golden speech could have
been.
While they thus stood hand in hanC
talking, the curtain behind them partition
ing off the long gallery parted, and darl
face peered through. 1t was mans face
handsome but cruel in that purple gloon
of gathering shadow. 1t was no friendl
face, either, that with its many change
of hate and jealous anger and furious de
enair seemed. while the lovers talked, t
he nIaying a dark and stormy accompa
niment to the idyl of their love.
A sudden angry burst of wind at tn
narrow window reused them unplea;
antlv to sense of night and the nearin
storm.
ooh. the rain!" cried Hester, with
pale face How thoughtless of US
STAY, and you have that long, desolate wal
over the cliffs in the dark"
"Never mindr' cried Robert, stoutiy
"There are such light and warmth will
in me that I shall not heed passin
touch of wind and water. will see yo
to your door first, and then goodnight.