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

turn with redoubled force to the old
place.
Il felt so happy, my dear" the old
lady at last found chance to remark.
"when / heard that my boy Richard
had married musician. l can remem
Der when he used TO sit in my parlor,
and sit, and sit, listening to my playing
till i was often obliged to send him
home. used to tell him that he would
fatigue musical giant. Ut was ALWAYS
more, please, more, more Is he still
as hungry for music as in those ol5
days?'
81 haven't kept up my music" Mrs.
Montgomery replied, with burning
cheeks. Though 1 have reason to be.
lieve that Dick is just as fond of it as he
used to be-"
"Ithink l have heard that you PLAYED
in public" Mrs. La Force inquired. a
slight wonderment apparent only in VI
fine old ewes
Eyes, a little
Ibid you enjoy it?''
Bertha's eyes kindled with real pleas
ure.
at was the keenest enjoyment had
ever had" she answered. 81 expected
to be entirely overcome with fright.
, but L never felt more at home in my
/ life"
Eyes, Bertha played without notes.
and with an orchestra" Mr.. Montgom-
Iery remarked, with considerable pride
"Well, that was something to attain
/ to- said Mrs. La Force.
| After dinner Mr.. Montgomery had an
hour or two's business to attend to, and
the ladies were left alone
] Mrs. La Force examined the number
less pretty things in Mrs. Montgomery
ldrawing-roOm, spoke of the pictures
with critical appreciation, and at last
halted ut the music-rack.
Il see you have all my pets" size
remarked ut last.
! Mrs. Montgomery was somewhat as
tonished. She made a point of pur-
chasing all the new music by the best
authors. and one of Mrs. La Forces
especial admirations was a difficult and
wonderfully weird selection from Lo
hengrin.
And has 'the music of the future
found admirers in Colorado" the
hostess inquired.
Colorado has kept pace with the times
in mu &c as in every thing e'se," the old
lady replied, putting on her spectacles
rs she spoke, land all good music is
necessarily the music of the futCre.'
With this she seated herself at the
piano.
II have enjoyed this selection more
than l can tell YOU" and now the
wrinkled old hands came down on the
keys with power which made her
companion thrill with establishment
On went the performer with clearness
OF touch, a depth of expression, and a
! facility of execution which would
shame many professional, until
/ Bertha, tremb ing in every nerve,
drew near. to see us well as to hear.
"Oh! dearn she exclaimed rs the
old lady struck the last chord OF the be-
wi dering .fniS. "Oh dear me! how
beautiful" and then the usually SELL
posse sed and dignified Bertha Mont
gomery buried her face in her hands,
and wept bitterly.
"Why! whyr' said the old lady;
"what is the matter?''
"Oh! nothing-I don't known was
the incoherent answer Don't mind
me. Go on PLAYING please"
- [ think we had better talk WHILE"
said Mrs. La Force. taking a seat by her
companion. eff L were nearer your
age it might perhaps be safer for our
continued friendship if l ignored the
real cause of your breakdown. Itwasn' t
Lohengrin, my dear, neither was it nv
Interpretation of the selection. 1t was
n heart-wail over the grave of your lost
talent. Lfeel as if l could weep with
| You, for to me such grave is the sad
dest of all graves"
But, Mrs La Force, you must know
something of my duties, my responsible
tiles, rs wife, mother and housekeeper.
and all the rest of it, Mrs. Montgom-
cry sobbed. II thought was doing my
best"
"Music was my ONE talent" Mrs. La
Force resumed, land to that have
chung with all the energy L possessed.
Perhaps some of my ideas in this con-
nection may seem strange to you; but,
my child, great share of my work has
been done with reference to another
state of existence. l don't know that
i can give you any reason for this feel
ing except the faith that is in me. but it
is clear TO me that the same rules of har-
mony and musical composition obtain
in the sphere to which we are tending
as in this one. The musician here must
be the musician there. You see, my
dear, that have n very laudable ambi-
ton TO start right"
But do YOU really believe all this?"
Mrs. Montgomery inquired. her eyes
br ght with wonder and tears.
From the bottom of my heart.
cannot conceive of world where knowl-
edge is not obtained by labor. All that
have achieved in musi. has been by
hard, persistent toll. and it is impossible
that such labor can be wasted. Some
one might answer that the growth OF
the spirit in patience and the other vir-
tues was compensation enough. 1t does
not appear so TO me. If | am given a
talent, and L cultivate that talent to the
best of my ability. it is mne forever
Tor all il is worth. am sure of it, :
But, my dear Mrs. La Force" Ber-
tina took one of the old ladv's
hands in hers and tenderly kissed it,
eff you are n musician in Heaven you
can not play with these hands. So what
will it avail that you have brought them