New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-09
AN ALOE BLOSSOM.

1t is one of the miserable things in life tina
there are people to whom the gift of ey
preston 10 denied.
Helen Miles was enc of these speeches
souls. As child she was pale and still
The aunt who brought her up, and did no
love her, suspected her of .'slyness," an,
openly quoted the proyerb of ''still waters.
At sixteen she was called "shy," at twenty
five stigmatized as cold. Shyness is not al
admissible excuse after twenty. Tall, will
good figure and features, thick liah,
brown hair without the least gloss or curl
q fair cOlOrlees, skin, a graceful hand and
arms, Che was entitled to pass for a pretty
woman. Ip fact, women no prettier ran
often as bellies. But she was not beautiful
enough for q statue, and as statue
her acquaintance persisted in regarding
her, which certainly was not fair.
She had some dim Consciousness of this,
and it made her uncomfortable. Her ewes
looked out at times with pitiful inquiring
loOk-the look We sea in q dogs ewes or n
does; q look we can not quite read. No
body read Helen's. Two or three people,
attracted by this odd face, made little ex-
periments, fumbled at the lock of her i'm
passible reticence. but it was in vain: all
the incantations, the 'oHen sesames, failed;
nothing came of it. Gold as stone. NV
dear" women said Of her, and by general
agreement she was set down as a person
without enthusiasm, Faulty faultless
Jelly REGULAR person who said little be,
cause she felt nothing, to whom generous
impulse was unknown. With such judg-
ment are some women Judged, and VIII be
to the end of the world.
Just one crevice existed in this armor of
ice, through which at times the real Helen
looked out and revealed herself Did l saw
that che sang! Her voice wac low and rici.
rather soprano than contralto; its range was
limited to few notes, but 1t possessed an
extraordinary pathetic quality. She sang
no songs that other people sang, but took |
scr'ps from this poet and that-Arnold,
Tennyson, Rosetti, Landor-and set them |
to weird little harmonies of her own
composition. Nothing of the Limitation of |
her nature belonged TO this unique musical |
faculty, except that she could not always
ENG, or 10 all people, and that there were
persons before whom she could not sing at |
all. VI course this only made every one
more eager to hear her. Happy and light
hearted people find certain luxury in
being made miserable. 1t WAS fashion.
able excitement to sit in the twilight and
have Helen Miles break your heart with her
pathetic voice, and she vas in great reouest.
in fact, her music constituted her chief hold
on society.
Reginald Thurston remembered onp
afterward the night when first he heard
her. Mrs. LIE Clerc's drawing room was
Olm with nrelignt as lie went 1n-the light |
of Pickering wood fire, which sparkled on
the sofa where Resale LIE Clerc lay and
sent long sudden shadows across the aoor,
From the inner room came the sound of
singing.
He stood in shadow till the music ended.
then moved forward.
How do you dor said Mrs. LIE Clerc.
her gay, friendly voice coming like relief
after that other. I'VE are keeping blindmans |
holiday, as you see and Miss Miles has
been singing to us. Can YOU find chair in
his darkness, Mr.. Thursonl Here's one. .
Oh, Helen, don't stop; go on"
But Helen had lett the piano and was {
moving toward them. Reginald, who was
haking hands with the invalid Rosalie, was b
lad OF this. He did not care for music as a
music, and he hated to have his feelings a
rawn upon in society. Besides he had v
ONE curiosity to see the singer.
She came forward steadily. made an lev T
tile bend ON introduction and sat down by
le fire.
please, Miss Miles, sing something else. " m
'Excuse me. Rosalie; not tonight" cl
"Well," said Mrs. LIE Clerc, 1T you won't t.
. persuaded to give rs more music, we | eI
i'll have the gas" She lighted it ~ she b,
'oke. Reginald glanced ut the cool a,