The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-03-16
ONLY A SONG.

Fernando, the musical 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 advantage out
Of this window one could, at the risk OF
| breaking ones neck, catch glimpse of the
beautiful prima donna, Mdlle. La C, as
she famed herself on the balcony of the first
| floor For this sensible reason had Fernando
hired the apartment.
He was drcadfully in love with her,
though they had never spoken to each other,
and he fondly and falsely believed she knew
he had thrown her boquets and had given
| him special thanks for them against her
pretty chin, and bowed her pretty head for
them, and smiled with the beaming 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 pub
fishers and had them "declined with thanks"
Now and then; of course he sold song,
but the songs did not become popular, 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, desk,
chair a meerschaum, and a 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 for money.
She lavishcd gold on her friends, herself, on
her pet poodle, OIL the beggars who held out
| thor crooked hands, and showed their dis
torted faces at the door of her house, as she
tripped from it to the carriage.
They said she had been peasant girl,
whose sweet voice as she stood singing at
the door of little hut had caught the ear of
a wealthy worshiper, who had her
taught in consequence. They tell such
stories of so many prima donnas. No one
would have guessed from her manner now
that she ever knew the value of sou. Yet
with all this cXtravagance sho was growing
rich, and could make little fortune in a
night.
Young, beautiful, adorrd, who could bo
happier? And yet, though she could sing
50 divinely, she could not have composed
one Of those little songs which were written
in the garret over her head to save her
bright young life. Each one was q gem and
probably Fernando knew it, for genius ought
| to know its own work.
Still, rattling marches, waltzes that were
the same thing over again, and bits from
%ell-known operas, twisted into gallops, sold;
while his little songs lay neglected on the
| counter, and others never reached the coun-
ter, being scorned from the first by publish
cr5 with no music in their souls, however
much there may have been in their shops.
If, indeed, some well-known singer would
have sung one of them-Mdlle. La c.,
for instance-then there might have been a
change. The thought cropt into poor Fer
handles heart by degrees at last it strength
encd into resolve; but it must be the best
of all that he should lay before his idol, the
very best---nothing else would do
So he wrote in his attic room, the poor
| composer, and below tic happy song bird
thrilled her song, and laughed and chattedy
and was carelessly generous, and never even
knew of his existence, who evening after
evening, watched her, cnvicd the man who
had the right to sit beside her hold her fan,
| perhaps-who knew-her hand also; tho
men one of whom might one day be her
favored lover. And she enjoyed her happy
butterfly existence and knew nothing about
him.
| AT last, in fit of romantic influence, our
composer turned poet. lie wrote the words
/ of song which he called Cloves Dying
Dream" and he fitted it to an air so sweet,
so gentle, that, playing upon the old piono,
| he knew it TO be the best Of all he had ever
done-the bright particular gem Fit to lay
| before his lady.
He copied it out daintily; he wrote note
with the signature of"An Admirer," arid re-
solved to leave it Mt her door and await the
result
off / should even hear her sing it should
be so happy" he said to himself, 81 should
be willing 10 die"
Whit strange things VIC say sometimes
Did you ever say anything, not quite mean
ing it, that aiterward proved itself true,
though not as you intended il? | have.
And one morning he said:
"To-day | will do it," and with these
words left his room.
lie ran down stairs with n precious parcel
in his hand, and stood before the door that
J led to Mdlle. La C-'s suite Of rooms with
palpitating heart. He had intended to
knock and leave the parcel with q servant,
but-how unlortunate!-the door stood open.
He would steal in and put the music ON the
table. He crept in he laid the parcel down
softly, but as he did so, his eyes fell upon n
miniature. 1t wss portrait of his divinity
herself, and it was set in costly gems. These
he neither noticed nor cared for. All he saw
was the sweet face. He stopped over it ) he
took it in his hand.
Z" 1t is herself" he said.
And I think he would have kissed it, but
at that moment he heard scream and a
savage growl.
He turned. The scream came from Mdlle.
La c., the growl from gentleman who
accompanied her, and on the instant two
hands came down ON Fernande's shoulder,
and the miniature was wrested from him.
" How careless Of Auguste," said the lady,
ITO leave the door open for thieves to enter
by"
The gentleman Justify called for help.
Fernando said nothing, Conscious of his
position he was stricken dumb, and it was
as one passing through the changing scenes
of dream that he knew himself to be ar
rested aud cast into prison.
The prima donna appeared against him
when the time came. She had found him
in her room. He had a valuable ornament
in his hand. She believed that he intended
to steal it. She had never seen him before.
At this the young man felt that il would
be well to be dead. She had never seen him
beforel 1t was all fancy. Hehad not caught
her eye. She had not noticed him.
The gentleman gave his evidence, but he
was fierce, and called Fernando a thief and
a rascal, and Fernando could only say he
was not guilty. He would not even bring
his reepectability forward by way Of deksnss