The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-07-23

thornton appeared IN the evening, ana
fixed upon plan for Felicie's future arrange
monts.
"You shall have certain amount a
month";" said he, "beyond your board. With
that you may do as you please. You may
go to school, or learn dress maSing, or any
thing else you like. leave for New York
tomorrow evening, and in a week sail for
London. l 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"
Felcie looked at him with her pretty dark
eyes brimming over with tears. She had
learned to dread aud fear strangers. These
two-Russell Thornton and Miss Shepard
were the only two who had ever been kind
to her in all her life.
al will try will try I" was all she could
say.
Thornton rose to say good bye,
"When l come back expect to be dazzlel /
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 disap-
pear in the darkness. She turned to Miss
Shepard.
"Will he ever--do you think he will eyer
come back ?" she asked, with quivering
lips.
"0f course. Three years will slip by
easily"
1t seemed an eternity to look forward to-,
in Felcies Imagination.
The next day, she said to Miss Shepard
"Do you know what am going to do
with what Mr.. Thornton gives me? in
tend to learn to singl"
"Learn to singl" said Miss Shepard, in
the same tone as if she had said "Learn to
nyp
"Yes," said Feicie-"to sing like the great
opera-singers. My mother sang beautiful
ly, and mean to sing like her."
Miss Shepard interposed no objection and
she soon learned to oppose nothing that
Felce said. She was so bright, and so
helpful Miss Shepard's dull little house
had never known any youthful mcrriment,
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 Felicie's
youth and beauty and Felicie found her
self soon to be the very apple OF Miss Shep-
ards eye.
She had begun her singing lessons the
week after Thornton left, and might be
heard trilling and caroling down in Miss
Shepard's stuf1y little parlor, and touching
light cords on Miss shepard's wheezy old
piano all day long.
Nor did she forget to learn some other
things beside. She never knew herself to
be fond of books. Her life had been so
hard and colOrless that she really did not
know what she liked except singing. But
she read with a steady purpose Of improve
meut that worked wonders. She bought
copybooks and changed her uniformed hand
writing for one full of vigor.
She had a natural quickness in learning
everything that belonged to domestic af-
fairs, and two years slipped away in hap
piness and content that poor Felicie had
never dreamed Of
About this time, when Feicic was twen-
ty, she saw an advertisement for a first So
prano in one OF the great city church choirs.
She determined to apply for it, and without
saying a word to Miss Shepard, she slipped
of, and went to the yestry Groom where the
candidates were being examined.
When she found herself before so many
persons, and saw the strange professor at
the organ, her heart sankj but when at last
"Miss Brevard" was called forward, and
she saw the familiar notes, her voice re-
turned to her. she had never felt more
mistress of herself She sang with inspira-
ton. Her voice was so pure and rich and
beautiful in tone and compass that size
knew almost intuitiyely that she would
succeed. And, indeed, about a week after
ward, she received a letter from the choii
committee, who "having made inquiries
about her, and finding she was suitable
person, would be glad to have her accep
the place of first soprano. The salary would
be FIVE hundred dollars, with the privileg,
Of taking lessons from any professor sh'
might select in the city, not TO cost NOR
-, etc"
Felicie rushed upstairs to show it to Mis-
Shepard.
"Just think? Five hundred dollars
And only to sing for it And lessons from
Barilli What have longed for and coult
not afford p
Miss Shepard looked at her in delighted
surprise.
ooh, Felicie, dear what will Mr. Russell
say ?"
"Dont yeu think he will like itY" sal,
Felicie, stopping short.
"of course he will, nv darling"
"Then it's all right" said Felicie, skip
ping of to answer her letter.
In little while Felicie began to thin
she took wicked pleasure in her voice
! She could not but be proud of it. sunda.
became day of triumph to her. She fel
} that when she sung her solo every note wa
listened to with delighted attention. bu
she kept down her innocent, girlish vanit.
by saying to herself
{ "When Ny Thornton comes home h
will haYe heard SO many fine voices tha
mine will be nothing to him. and if
sees that am vain Of il, he will be utter
disguised with me-"
She had been singing in the choir on
whole winter. 1t was the afternoon of Eas
ter Sunday, and the church was packed t
hear Miss Brevard sing.
She had never sung so gloriouslyj sh
= felt a delicious sense Of impending happi
ness.
At last the service was over; the peopl
had tiocked out; the sexton would B
l around in half an hour to lock up every
II thino for tha pfokk