The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-24
Fables Portfolio.
..Rosanond Ford

Nh N -tfdI Wa "y I H
,her-wbem nv father had soveu' a.
~ no Md married his brotber,-dyins :
3osamond came to us. c;rp r; Ii
Nc father had been steward 70 or M !,
mi Eurrlval. Ehis great req "fiIA -" -. 5,
could te seen from our gardens). pa "nen ;.
L;nd Lady Fntoival died, hau aus'seio :" r
rnrn led Sir Richard, and my ia'hel wa" 5
dismissed. People salo IL d nv wy Il
the Fnniv' Is ronoth a wo.I i
49, heau,y for their own, but when tue
49, h was wasting, the beau'y waning
nnu,d cast them aside without com
ton - 40 nearer TO
IN nv cousin. She still lowered a,oo'u
strange. cold, shy. and avoioeo al IAN
hout herself. Patient, INDUSTRIOUS. she
~ her so,er life without complaint. She
.aan,.d n,ssiona e'v fond of music, huf l
,.ver heard her sing "a note. he young
nrr,n;st viii Gray tried to persuade her TO
ain his hand of singers. but kosalh"nu
e. arilv refused. One evening MI ana |
w,.Ie entering the ga:den earnestly taihins
over a conc,r t ne was getting up 10 sue"
what musical Prayminster couia q" WHEN :
was put In it's mettie.
and SAID. ..listenl" Within my own walls.
there rose q sound that set my heart peat
;no-the sound of a woman $ voice, souno,
strong. grand. singing the chant we iao
supo last Sunday in the cathedral.
Ian it he Rosamond g | said 'oi
course it is. And what a voice! Goo"
heaven! What a volce!
..Oh WILL l said, 80 pretty ana sncn
vo,cel What are We TO do with her
..She Will sing and bc famous, and earn
uor.v Come" said Will. "What IN the
void is The mystery, | wonder. she says she
Cant sing, and we detect her singing IKE
aniartist." AS we entered Rosamond look
ed M from her sewing and smiled family.
Miss Ford" VIII said when doeS the
nightingale warbler -,
turned MS white as death. Maurice, on
Maurice. YOU heard me. you have found me
on, | have never sung a note since moth
er,s death till to night and then because
had forgotten myself. Oh. why ala yo'
hear-why was [ so wicked!.
Yes, Rosamond," said Will. 1--WE OH
hear you. and how dare YOU st'he a v"ic
tina, Col created ? For shame :"
cit was hard she said, ''but listen t
me-"
Ny mother was a poor, sickly. amh
tnus woman, who hoped to acromplis
through me all she had missed OF tn
worlds fame and riches. We were vel
poor and my needle was all that we mad
ieen us from absolute want. had TAKE
lessons IN music Oh Il llu>Sidu vi L oiC, WV
in some strange way, had drifted down IN
cnr little provincial town and who ha
once been a chorus singer at the Oi'eI
House in London. This old waif told n
was horn TO succeed on the stage. 1
wanted to take me to London and nave II
voice heard 10y acknowledged Judge
When I told mother, one day, IN sort
Hespcration. as we had no money IN [
house. her anger was pitifultO see, and S
-, - - ,t,,, nnu mora lessons In
afternoons, when she was asleep, | won
Steal away to Schuyaloff"s den, and pra
tice. and soon a great event occurre
Some London artists were announced
sing some operas at cur theatre. l p
sumo. consin, you guess the end. one
the singers was taken sick. and L took b
MACE. made some excuse to mother, "A
stole away. ! sung. l made no great sc
sa,iop. but got til: ouSh my part. VIII
was considered wonderful. considering
Ignorance. When / reached home. | lear
ed some one had told of me. and that I
excitement had killed my mother, but S
was dying. | rushed to her. and screame
1t was for you, mother dear, II was
YouH"
She only said, For shame, unnatu
girl. There is a curse upon you and yC
voice, when you sing, may
'Oh. cousin | saw the charge in
face, and | tainted and was i'll for many
long week after she was buried and whe1
F began to recover my voice was gone, |
the doctor said with health and freed
from excitement it might come back, blu
second attack would probably be fatal to
voice.. a#.
You see the doctor was right" S
Maurice, your voice is come back eli
and glorious as ever
st brings me no hope she said. III
could i ever sing again, couain2 L sho
hate myself" stf ea a,.5t lEz a..
But by strategy and patience, tact
perseverance, we conquered her fear a
morbid resolution, never to sing, and e.
obtained a promise of assistance in our c
sert. Mr. Dick Furnival, the only chils
The widower. Sir Richard, at the Cha