The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-03-28
Only A Song.


family and q small income, hired the
upper floor of large building in Paris,
and, to reduce his rent, underleta a room
to young Monsieur Fernando, the musi-
cal composer, of whose compositions no
one had yet heard anything.
1t was a little narrow room with one
very high window but it had this ad-
vantage, out of this window one could,
at the risk ofbreaking ones neck, catch
a glimpse of the beautiful prima donna
Mdle. La c., as she famed herself
on the balcony of the first floor. For
this sensible reason had Monsieur Fer
nande hired the apartment.
He was dreadfully in love with her,
though they had never spoken to each
other, and he fondly and falsely be-
lieved she knew he had thrown her
bouquets and had given him special
thanks for them as she held them
against her pretty chin, and bowed her
pretty head for them, and smiled with
the bcaming smile of an actress upon
the audience.
If ever he made his name and fortune,
then she should know; but not until
then. so he loved on in silence, and
worked at his compositions, and offered
them to publishers and had them "de-
clined with thanks"
Now and then, of course, he sold
song, but the songs did not become pop
ular, and he must have starved to death
but that he now and then played on the
piano for some dancing party. AT the
best he lived on bread, coffee and little
soup.
In his room he had an old piano, a
desk, chair, q meersChaum, and little
charcoal furnace. When he had five
francs in his pocket, and it was not
rent day, he felt rich.
Mdlle. La c. had every luxurious
lounge and coach to be bought fol-
money. She lavished gold on heI
friends, herself, on her pet poodle, oil
the beggars who held out their crooked
hands, and showed their distorted faces
at the door of the house, as she trippec
from it to the carriage.
They said she had been a peasant
girl, whose sweet voice as she stoot
singing at the door of little hut hat
caught the ear of wealthy mnsic-wor
shipper, who had her taught in conse
quence. They tell such stories of Sc
MANY prima donnas. No one would
have guessed from her manner now
that she ever knew the value OF sou
Yet with all this extravaganza she was
growing rich, and could make little
fortune in night.
Young, beautiful, adored, who coult
be happier? And yet, though she coulc
sing so divinely, she could not have
composed one of those little songs whicf
were written in the garret over he
head, to save her bright young life
Each one was gem, and probabl!
Monsieur Fernando knew it, for geniu
ought to know its own werk.
Still, rattling marches, waltzes tina
were the same thing over again, ant
bits from well-known operas, twisted
into galops, sold; while his little song
lay neglected on the counter, and other
never reached the counter, bein!
scorned from the first by publisher
with no music in their souls, howeve
much there may have been in thei
shops.
If, indeed, some well-known SINCE
would have sung one of them-Mdlle
La c., for instance-then ther
might have been change. The though
crept into poor Fernande's heart by dc
grees; at last it strengthened into a re
solve; but 1t must be the best Of all tina
he should lay before his idol, the yer
best-nothing else would do.
so he wrote in his attic room, th
poor composer, and below, the happ
song bird thrilled her song, and laughe
and chatted, and was carelessly genel
Gus, and never even knew of his eXi'
tence, who evening after evening
watched her, listened to her, envie
the man who had the right to sit b'
side her, hold her fan, perhaps-wll
knew--her hand also; the men one {
whom might one day be her favore
lover. And she enjoyed her happ
butterfly existence and knew nothin
about him.
At last, in fit Of romantic intiuenc
our composer turned poet. lie wro
the words of song which he Gale
Loves Dying Dream" and he htt'
It to All air so sweet, so gentle, tina
playing upon the old piano, he knew
10 be- the best of all he had ever done
the bright particular gem fit to lay b
fore his lady.
He copied it out daintily; he wrote
note with the signature Of "An Adm
rer," and resolved to leave 1t at III
door and await the result
IF should even hear her sing II
should be so happy" he said TO himseI
ii should be willing to die"
What strange things we say som
.t rt1 ,,n, avar soV auVthiuk