Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-06-30

"Mr. RUSSELL
Thornton appeared in the evening,
and fixed upon plan for Felicie's fu-
ture arrangements.
'sYou shall have certain amount q
month" said he, ''beyond your board.
With that you may do as you please.
You may go to school, or learn dress
making, or anything else you like. I
leave for New York tomorrow. evening,
and in a week sail for London. shall
be in Europe certainly for three years,
and at the end of that time shall look
you up to see what you have made Of
yourself"
Felicie looked at him with her pretty
dark eyes brimming over with tears.
She had learned to dread and fear
strangers. These two-Russell Thorn
ton and Miss Shepard-were the only
two who had ever been kind to her in
all her life.
ST will try will try I" was al, she
could say.
Thornton rose to say goodbye.
"When I come back expect to be
dazzled with your requirements"
He shook hands with her as he spoke,
and then with Miss Shepard, and the
next moment she saw his graceful figure
disappear in the darkness. She turned
to Miss Shepard.
"Will he ever-do you think he will
ever come back?" she asked, with quiv-
ering lips.
"Of course. Three years will slip by
easily"
It seemed an eternity to look forward
to, in Felicie's imagination.
The next day, she said to Miss Shep-
ard:
'sDo you know what I am going to do
with what Mr.. Thornton gives me? I
intend to learn to sing!''
'Learn to sing r said Miss Shepard,
in the same tone as if she had said,
"Learn to fyl''
''Yes," said Felicie-ssto sing like the
great opera-singers. Ny mother sang
beautifully, and I mean to sing like
her."
Miss Shepard interposed no objection,
and she soon learned to oppose nothing
that Felicie said. She was so
bright, and so helpful Miss Shepard's
dull little house had never known any
youthful merriment, and it warmed the
poor old souls heart to feel Felicie's
active and magnetic young presence
about her.
She summed herself, as it were, in Fe-
icie's youth and beauty; and Felicie
found herself soon to be the very apple
of Miss Shepard's eye.
She had begun her singing lessons
1,ar L 11f4 ~
be heard trilling and caroling down in
Miss Shepard's stuffy little parlor, and
touching light chords on Miss Shepard's
wheezy old piano, all day long.
Nor did she forget to learn some other
things besides. She never knew her
self to be fond of books. Her life had
been SO hard and colorless that she
really did not know what she liked ex-
cept singing. But she read with q
steady purpose of improvement that
worked wonders. She bought copy
books and changed her uniformed, child
ish handwriting for one full of vigor.
She had natural quickness in learn
ing everything that belonged to domes-
tic affairs, and two years slipped away
in happiness and content that poor Fe-
icie had never dreamed of.
About this time, when Felicie was
twenty, she saw an advertisement for a
first soprano in one of the great city
church choirs She determined to ap-
ply for it, and without saying word to
Miss Shepard, she slipped of, and went
to the vestry-room where the candidates
were being examined.
When she found herself before so
many persons, and saw the strange pro-
fessor who presided at the organ, her
heart sank; but when at last "lMlss Bre-
ward" was called forward, and she saw
the familiar notes, her voice returned
to her. She had never felt more mis-
tress of herself. She sang with inspi-
ration. Her voice was so pure and rich
and beautiful In tone and compass that
she knew almost intuitively that she
would succeed. And, indeed, about a
week afterward, she received letter
from the choir committee, who fshaving
made inquiries about her, and finding
she was suitable person, would be glad
to have her accept the place of first So
prano. The salary would be five hun
dred dollars, with the privilege of tax
ing lessons from any professor she might
select in the city, not to cost more than
-, etc."
Felicie rushed upstairs to show it to
Miss Shepard. -
''Just think Five hundred dollars |
And only to sing for it And lessons
from Barilli What have longed for
and could not afford r.
Miss Shepard looked at her in de-
lighted surprise.
'sOh, Felicie, dear what will Mr.. Rus
sell say? ?"
''Don't you think he will like it ?''
said Felicie, stopping short.
"Of course he will, my darling"
sThen it's all right" said Felicie,
skipping off to answer her letter.
In O little while Feicie began to think
she took wicked pleasure in her voice.
She could not but be proud of it. Sun
day became a day of triumph to her.
She felt that when she sung her solos
every note was listened to with de-
lighted attention; but she kept down
her innocent, girlish vanity by saying
to herself:
"When Mr.. Thornton comes home he
Will have heard so many nne voices
that mine will be nothing to him; and
if he sees that am vain of it, he will
be utterly disgusted with me-"
She had been singing in the choir
one whole winter. 1t was the afternoon
of Easter Sunday, and the church was
packed to hear Miss Brevard sing.
| She had never sung SO gioriously !;
she felt a delicious sense of impending
happiness.
Atlast the service was over the peo-
pie had focked out; the sexton would
be around in half an hour to lock up
everything for the night.
Felicie remained. When every one
had left the church she stole to the or
gan and began playing. Then she be-
gan to sing a simple little hymn that
Miss Shepard had told her was the fa-