The Republican journal., 1876-01-06
A Country Chorister.
From Harper's Monthly.

''lt is the case" said Jane, "of the
sheep that tumbled over the precpice
and the whole flock rushed pell-mcll aftel
it. OF course our little eve lamb couldn't
be expected to escape the ridiculous in
tection.n
At this obscure hypcrbole Mrs. Fairfield
opened wide her eyes and looked at her
eldest daughter in bewilderment
''lt's plain to be seen," pursued Jane,
THAT Dora's head over ears in love with
Miles Van Dorm. like all the other fools in
the parishn
Mrs Fairfield quite blushed at this bold
assertion.
I'm ashamed of you, Jane" she said,
severely. "Dora's mere child, and has
no more idea of that kind than babe in
arms. should think you'd have more
delicacy than to accuse your sister OF Civ
ing her love unsought"
'That's all ballerdash, mother" said
the practical Jane. 81 don't profess to
know much about the tender passion, but
the little attention I've bestowed upon it
proves to me that it holds itself quite be-
yond the yoliton of its victims. Her fail
ing to gain the appreciation of this piping
shepherd is the only thing that gives me
hope of quenching her love for him"
Nonsence, Jane, -. said her mother.
"Of course she respects hiln-we all do !;
but as for love"
Gas for love- repeated Jane, IL never
saw more decided case Of intatuation in
my life. The way she hung upon every
note OF his at the singing school tonight
was simply distracting.n
"She's fond of music, pleaded the
mother.
''Ycs, and for that reason" said Jane,
"she should have listened with any thing
but delight. His voice is passable, mere
ly passable; in the high notes it fails ig-
ANONYMOUSLY. But high or low, true or
false. upon every note Dora hung enrap-
tured. [ felt q chill creep down my verte-
bre as | looked at her"
Jane Fairfield was the eldest OF the two
daughters of the village school-master,
and had, years since, left the paternal
roof and gone up to the city in search of
fortune. Steadily eschewing more nsthet-
ic but less profitable employment, she had
served long apprenticeship to the dress
making business and having graduated
with an artist in that line at the metropo-
lis, she counted her future safe in her own
hands. Devotng herself. to her needle
and shears, the world dwindled down to
a small compass with Jane, and time fled
speedily by. Once fortnight she ran
down home, and heartily enjoyed whatdo-
mestic amusement she could CLEAN there
- advised and harangued her mother.
scolded and drilled her little sister, ac-
cepted reluctantly the benign patronage
of her father, and, looking around upon
the village folks, devoutly thanked Heav-
en- that she was not as other people are.
In all dispositions like James there
must be one element predominating her
nature was too strong to be ditfusive 1t
was necessary there should be concen-
trating point. With her it was ambition
Not for herself-that was given up long
ago with a bitterness that pArtook of
scorn. Nothing could be done without Il
reasonable capital, and poor Jane had a
scrawny figure, harsh voice and q gen
eral toHt-ensenble that possessed more
character than grace. That portion OF
James life which the French gracefully
term the beauty of youth had been trit-
tered away in the struggle for independ-
ence, so that Jane had ceased to hope for
any personal Joy but it had become a de-
light to her to iancy that something might
come of Dora.
When her sister was but 4 child it
chanced that she sang simple little bal
lad within hearing of u professional friend
OF James, who fell into raptures over the
pure clear notes, and declared there was
the germ OF a fine, of perhaps an extra
ordinary. voice. Jane cherished this SEM
blance Of promise, and as soon as Dora
was old enough she was brought to the
city twice week and placed in the pro-
fessor's hands. as docile little pupil as
that ardent lover Of music could desire
And the child grew lovable as the years
went by-lovable and, above all, lovely
above all with Jane, as it was the one
thing she held altogether without ap-
proach She had been known in one OF
her audacious flights to declare the result
OF genius could be attained by applica-
ton, but nothing had ever been found that
quite took the place of beauty. So the
energetic spnster gloated on Dora's fresh
young loveliness, upon the 1.-the plant
form, the shifting lights in her hair, the
wonderful color that was never the same
from one minute to another-now faint
and fading rapidly, now bright, vivid, in
creasing in intensity, until it glowed like
flame, then fleeing again like the gor-
geous tints OF an evening sky
The music lessons went on, the profess
sor became more and more encouraging,
and poor Jane reveled in FOOLS paradise
Heaven knows what lofty aspirations took
shape in her mind When her establish
ment was closed, and Jane, who could
well afford it, took hack to the stylish
boarding house where her nights were
spent. she allowed her busy hands rest
ing spell they lay idly in the folds of her
well-litting robe, while her Imagination
wove many a tanciful dream of the tu-
turc. The dream generally eliminated in
a spacious hall crowded from pit to dome
with a tall-dress audiance, each man and
woman Of them all breathlessly intent up
on catching every note that fell from the
lips of a marvelously lovely creature bend
ing and swaying upon the great stage be-
fore them, shaking out from her pretty
throat trill after trill, each one more Won
derful than the last, until, driven to en-
thusiasm by this witchery, they rise from
their seats and fling flowers and jewels at
the feet of this beautiful magician.
Jane was in the full tide of these vision
ary delights when, in that summer holi-
day at home, she went with her young
sister to the choir meeting. No other
gathering could have tempted her from
the paternal hearth; but there was sort
of malicious slipping from the cup of
nectar in hearing Dora sing in the village