The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-04


son the contrary, like it very much.
1t is ra,ishing. Can you not sing like
that9"
"No. Why should II"
Because L am determined that / will
not marry you until you can.
Phebus did not know what to do, for
it was simply impossible for him to put
together two ideas in song, or to sing
n note. Always thinking of his body,
he had quite forgotten his mind. He
was beautiful as a peacock, and stupid
as goose.
All this time Esop was in tears, for it
was very hard that the moment he began
to feel some pleasure in singing this
brother should command him to refrain
from it. Phoebus knocked again at the
door,
Who is it9" said Esop.
at is /, Phoebus, your brother.
What do you want with me, now that
you call me brother for the first
time?"
81 am come to ask favor"
" Enter"
Phebus shut the door, and though
he had come to demand a service of his
brother, he could not help laughing at
the sad look of the hunchback.
"What can do for you z" said Esop
gently.
81 want you to teach me to sing the
song that you have just finished"
"The one that you forbade 2"
eyes," said Phebus blushing.
"Why do you want to know it 2"
Because the lady of my love will
not marry me until / can sing as you
do"
And who is this LADY,"
A" Her name is Angelique."
How, does she live in the chateau
that 1 can see from the window"
eyes"
"Then she is the young girl who
laughed the other day, as passed under
the balcony"
4" Yes, l was there"
"Aud you did not beg her to desist
from laughing at your brother"
"No indeed, L laughed with her, you
looked SO droll in your fine clothes with
that hump on your back.
"And you really want to learn my
song2"
And why not
because it is only the unhappy that
sing as do"
"Good gracious 1 don't want to pay
that price for your songs"
&" But think. If you indeed wish to
sing like me, 1 must give you my hump.
1t is my music box"
"No, thanks, would be too ugly"
Phebus sought Angelique and told
her of the hard conditions that his bro
Their had made if he wished to learn to
sing.
"Accept them," said Angehque.
"How, you are willing to marry a
hunchback l'
"Since it is the only price that he will
take for his gift"
&C But you will hate me when am de-
formed"
cam not beautiful enough for both2"
said the girl, "and do believe that /
prefer the beauty of intelligence to mere
outward grace"
"But you laughed yourself at the
hunchback when he rode by"
eyes; but / had not heard him sing.
If had, L should have pitied him first,
and loved him afterward. Do you really
love me2"
eyes"
"Well, go and learn to sing"
"What foolish fancy"
"Make haste, or shall never marry
you"
Phpbus ran again to his brother.
"Give me your hump!" he exclaimed.
"Why SOL"
because you must.
"Does your lady consent to marry
eyes"
"Then | shall keep my hump"
"Keep it2"
Certainly"
"But L want i'll must have it.
"Not so. have kept it through sor-
row, and now that it promises love, L
will not part with it.
"What do you mean ?"
You say that the lady will marry a
hunchback, provided he sings as L do.
eyes"
"Well, ] shall not part with the hump.
1 shall marry the lady myself"
Phebus stood aghast. Esop left the
room and sought Angehque, and, kneel-
ing at her feet, he sang his third song,
full of love and tenderness.
He sang of lovely lake Swallowed by
the night, which felt the first rays of the
sun, and which moved the lott
erer on its banks to trust himself to its
gentle rocking. "Before seeing YOU"
the song said, "my soul was this shad-
owed lake, for all was dark in my life.
You are here, and now smile as did the
lake Mt the first rays of light"
"Sing again." said the girl. "You
are beautiful as Apollo the divine.
The Count and Countess fell on their
knees before their son.
At this moment Theos appeared sud-
denly, after the manner of magieians.
I" Do you see now, dear Knight, why
/ gave the hump to your SOM If he had
had only the gifts wished for him by his
kinsmen he would have been like your
other boy. This deformity was mis-
fortune, and misfortune alone can make
men thoroughly great, for it constrains
its children to strive to overcome an un-
toward fate; q struggle which ends in
power. Your child has suffered: his
sufferings have made him poet. The
beauty of his spirit has caused this young
girl to forget his deformity of body. Ia