The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-06-24
"ROSAMOND FORD"

pearl, but with clear red DluSheS, crown
OF auburn hair, dark somber, glistening
eyes, a bright, unsmiling mouth, slender
shape-that was my cousin Rosamond.-
Her mother-whom my father had loved,
but she had married his brother, dying,
| Rosamond came to us.
My father had been steward to Sir
Richard Furnival, (his great red brick
house could be seen from our garder),
but when kind Lady Furnival died. bad
advisers surrounded Sir Richard, and my
father was dismissed. People said 1t
was the way of the Furnivals.
They would take mans strength, a
woman's beauty for their own, but when
the strength was wasting, the beauty
waning, they would cast them aside with
out compunction.
Days went by, and 1 came no nearer
to my cousin. She still hovered aloof-
strange, cold, shy, and avoided all talk
about herself. Patient, industrious, she
lived her sober life without complaint
She seemed passionately fond of music,
but l never heard her sing a note. The
young organist VIII Gray tried to per-
suade her to join his little band of sing
ers, but Rosamond steadily refused
One evening Will and l were entering
the garden earnestly talking over con-
cert he was getting up to show what
musical Prayminster could do when it
was put in its mettle.
He pulled up suddenly under the ter
race and said "listenl" Within my own
walls, there rose a sound that set my
heart beating-the sound of woman's
voice, sound, strong, grand, singing the
chant we had sung last Sunday in the
cathedral.
''Can it be Rosamond2" / said. ''Of
course it is. And what q voice! Good
heaven! What voice!"
ooh, WILL" said, $50 pretty and
such a voice! What are we to do with
her?"
''She will sing and be famous, and earn
money, come in" said Will. "What in
the world is the mystery, 1 wonder. says,
she can't sing, and we detect her singing
| like all artist" AS we entered Rosamond
looked up from her sewing and smiled
family.
"Miss Ford" Will said, "when does
the nightingale warble?"
My darling dropped her sewing and
turned as white as death. Maurice, oh,
Maurice, you heard me, you have found
me out! l have never sung a note since
mothers death till tonight and then
because 1 had forgotten myself. Oh,
why did you hear-why was so wicked?"
eyes, Rosamond. " said Will, "vvo did
hear you, and how dare you stife voice
that God created2 For shamel'
cit was hard" she said, "but listen to
me-"
"My mother was a poor, sickly, ambi-
tious woman, who hoped to accomplish
through me all she had missed of this
worlds fame and riches. We were very
poor, and my needle was all that we had
| to keep us from absolute want. l had
| taken lessons in music of Russian or
Pole, who, in some strange way, had
drifted down into our little provincial
town, and who had once been a chorus
singer at the opera house in London.
old FOL II 10
succeed on the stage. He wanted to take
me to London and have my voice heard
by acknowledged judges. When told
mother, one day, in sort of desperation,
as We had no money in the house, her
anger was pitiful to see, and she forbade
my taking any more lessons, but after
moons, when she was asleep, 1 would
steal away to Schuvaloff's den, and prac-
tice, and soon n great event occurred
Some London artists were announced to
sing some operas at our theatre. pre-
sume, cousin, you guess the end. One
of the singers was taken sick, and / took
| her place. l made some excuse to moth
er, and stole away. / sung, made no
| great sensation, but got through my part,
which was considered wonderful, consid-
ering my Ignorance. When I reached
home, l learned some one had told of me,
and that the excitement had killed my
mother, that she was dying. I rushed
to her, and screamed, it was for you,
mother dear, it was for you!'"
She only said, "For shame, unnatural
grill There is a curse upon you and your
voice, when you sing, may"
"Oh, cousin l saw the charge in her
face, and / tainted and was i'll for many
long week after she was buried and
when / began to recover my voice was
gone, but the doctor said with health and
freedom from excitement it might come
back. but second attack would probably
be fatal to my voice"
''You see the doctor was right" said
Maurice, ''your voice is come back clear
and glorious as ever"
at brings ME no hope" she said
''How could ever sing again, cousin?
should hate myself.
But my strategy and patience, tact and
perseverance We conquered her fear and
morbid resolution, never to sing and even
obtained promise of assistance in our
concert. Mr.. Dick Furnival, the only
child of the widower, Sir Richard, at the
Chace, had promised to be at home with
some of his gay friends TO attend the con-
cert, and had suggested the introduction
of little popular music in our program
me, and he proposed the quartette in
Rigoletta. Rosamond was to be Gilda.
Shall ever forget how she sang that