Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-11-20
The Buried Talent.

carefully fostered and developed by
wise parents and the most accom-
plished teachers at home and abroad.
She had thoroughly mastered the
principles of harmony, and had even
taken to looking into contrapuntal
depths, than which nothing more
need be said to show her devotion to
her art. She had more than once
enjoyed the honor of playing for the
most distinguished musical society in
the country, and had acquitted her.
self with the greatest credit. But
now, after eight years of married life
this lady was in the habit of declin-
ing all invitations to play, by the
repetition of the hackneyed and ex-
asperating excuse, that she was Cen
tirely out of practice" :"
Mrs. Montgomery's cares could
hardly be responsible for this serious
remissness. She was the mother of
three healthy, happy children, and
the wife of man whose interests
were centered in his family, and with
means enough to support it in luxu-
ry. Mrs. Montgomery's musical
talent had been the first attraction to
the gentleman who afterwards be-
came he1 husband. He was not a
musician himself, but was extremely
fond of music and an excellent critic.
Mrs. Montgomery had played occa-
sionly for her husband for the first
two or three years but these treats
had become less and less frequent,
and finally had ceased altogether.
Her husband had coaxed, and rea-
soned, and sometimes scolded. He
had used all his influence to induce
her to keep up her practice, but to
no purpose. 1t seemed to Mr.. Mont
gomery that his wife was totally in
different to the art she once worship
ed, and. more than this, that she
was entirely Indifferent to his feelings
on the subject.
If Mr.. Montgomery told himself
sometimes that he had been cheated,
it is certainly not to be wondered at.
This gentleman was in the habit now
of declining all invitations to mast
Gales, and it was only when the old
longing for sweet strains became IN
satiable that he allowed himself to
live over the past again at concert
or an oratorio.
One morning an invitation to a
musical soiree was brought into the
cozy room where Mr.. and Mrs.
Montgomery and their children were
taking breakfast.
"Well," said the wife, after ex-
amining the programme, ''you can
60 if you please"
| Her vis-a-vis responded, with a
ring in his voice which was easy to
interpret:
"But / shall decline"
"There is going to be some good
music" said Mrs. Montgomery,
sand it seems pity not to co.
SIT is pity" the gentleman re-
sponded with considerable bitterness
s'but you are wholly to blame fol-
it."
go Dick how unreasonable yor
are !" was the deprecating answer
81 wish you could put yourself in my
place for just once. You have NJ
more conception of my work and re
sponsibilities than little Dick Ant
Mrs. Montgomery drew the urchin''
high chair little nearer the table
"Why, Richard, there is something
, to do all the time. / try to keel
| your house nice, dear, and your com
, pany well entertained, and you
children sweet and presentable
There isn't servant in the establish
ment who works as hard and as un
remittingly as 1 do
+ ssBertha, 1 could endure to see tn
: children in calico, and sometimes no
t tidy. / could manage on one meal
day very nicely indeed, and / coul
live comfortably without company
: but shall never become accustome
or reconciled to my wife as house
q keeper and mother only, / wa
n given the right to expect somethin
s more, and while / may be obliged
t live my life without it, you may 9
:, well understand that / am not, an
, never shall be satisfied"
If These were hard words, and Mr..
Z Montgomery's eyes filled with tears
''But, Richard, she began again
L after little pause, 'every one wi
! tell you that it is impossible for
= = wife and mother to keep up her mi
y sic. No one ever does. If you ha
!" more comprehension of woman
b. work you would see it was out of tt
IN question"
u "You were given a talent of
= very high order, Bertha, and yt
have deliberately buried it. [ see
= to be the only sufferer at present b
70 this will not always be so / am sur
m There must be penalty proportion
ny ate to that offense as to others.
i'll That morning after Mr.. Mon
~ gomery had left the house, his wi
- - sat down before her grand piano al
nv attempted one of the simplest
Mendelssohn' Lieder ohme Wor
but though the old expression W
. | IL 49,, crrrlIo G,,ororo