Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-11-03
A BURIED TALENT.


Marriage seemed to have entirely ex-
tinguished Mrs. Montgomerys musical
talent. This lady's ability had seemed
unusual, and had been carefully
fostered and developed by wise parents
and the most accomplished teachers at
home and abroad. She had thoroughly
mastered the principles of harmony,
and had even taken to looking into con-
trapuntal 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 i'm
the country, and had acquitted herself
with the greatest credit But now, af-
ter eight years of married life. this lady
was In the habit of declining all invita-
tons 20 play by the repetition of the
hackneyed and exasperatng excuse.
that she was entirely out OF practice"
Mrs Montgomery : cares could hard
iy be respOns bic for this serious remiss-
ness. She was the mother of three
healthy, happy children, and the wife
OF man whose interests were conferred
IN his family. and with means enough TO
supportitin luxury. Mrs. Montgomery
musical talent had been the first at
traction 10 the gentleman who after
ward became her husband. He was not
MUSICIAN himself, but extremely fond
OF music, and an excellent critic. Mrs.
Montgomery had played occasionally
for her husband for the first two or
three years, but these treats had be-
come less and less frequent, and had
finally ceased altogether. Her husband
had coaNed, and reasoned, and some
times scoldcd. He had used all the in
1uence he possessed TO induce her to keep
up her practice, but To no purpose. It
seemed to Mr.. Montgomery that his
wife was totally indifferent to the art
she had once wOrshiped. and. more
than this, that she was entirely indif-
ferent to his feelings on the subject.
III Mr. Montgomery told himself some
times that he hal been cheated. IL is
certainly not TO be wondered nj.
This gentleman was in the habit now
OF declining all invitations to nusicaIes.
and it was only when the old longing
for sweet strains became Unsuitable 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 in TO the
coy room where Mr.. and Mrs. Mont
gomery and their children were taking
breakfast.
"Well," said the wife, after examin-
ing the programme, "you can go if
you please.
Her UiS-a-riS responded. with a ring
in his voice which was easy to inter-
pref.
Z" But shall decline"
There is going to be somo good
music" said Mrs. Montgomery, land
IL seems pity not to 60"
lit is pity" the gentleman re-
sponded. with considerable bitterness.
"but YOU are wholly to blame for it"
"Oh, Dick! how unreasonable YOU
are!' was the deprecating answer. Il
wish YOU could put yourself in my
place for Just once. You have no more
conception of my work and response
bilities than little Dick has" And
Mrs. Montgomery drew the urchin's
high chair little nearer the table.
why. Richard, there is something to
do al The time. i try TO keep Vour
house nice. dear. and your company
welt entertained, and your children
sweet and presentabe q. There isn't
servant i'm the establishment who works
rs hard and rs unremittingly rs | do"
" Bertha, could endure to see the
children in calico, and sometimes not
quite tidy. / could manage on one
meal day very nicely, indeed. and
could live comfortably without
visitors, but i shall never be-
como accustomed or reconciled to
my vile rs n hOuSekeeper
and mother only. / was given the
right To expect something more. and
while may be Obliged TO live nv life
without IL. you may n well understand
that / am not and never shall be salts
fed"
These were hard words. and Mrs.
Montgomery's eyes filled with tears.
"But, Richard she began again.
after little pause, 'evcvy one will tell
you that 10 is impossible for a wife and
mother to keep up her music. No one
ever does. IL YOU had more compre-
hension of woman's work you would
see II was out of the question"
You were given n talent of very
high order. Bertha, and you have DELHI
erately buried it. 1 seem to be the
only sufferer ut present, but this will
not always be So, am sure. There must
be penalty proportionate to that of
tense as To others"
That morning after Mr.. Montgomery
left the house his wife sat down before
her grand piano and attempted one
of the simplest of Memberships Lieder
ohne Worte, but though the old express
sion was there the once supple fingers
were still and awkward. and after a half
hour of practice she rose, and closed the
instrument in disgust.
-Four hours n day for a year might
bring back little of the old power of
execution" she told herself. But what
would become of the house and the
children should she set herself to such
= taskP Impracticablei impossible.