Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-05-03
AN EASTER ANTHEM.

III luG ltlit YAK Hill.
A lovely little country church nesting
amidst magnificent forest trees, with
vines trained over the rustic portico and
two large orange trees peeping in the
south window.
The church was very lovely and
peaceful in its isolation. but on this Eas-
ter morning it was radiant with flow
ers festooned in garlands around the
pillars and reading desk. and worked
into notices everywhere. The altar
was pyramid of fragrant white roses
and gardenias, and through the open
windows the petals of the orange bios
SONS outside floated into the pews and
chaneel, and lay there like snowfakes.
Everybody within two miles of Oak
Hill was at church that Easter Sunday,
looking happy and smiling. The people
were very proud of their church, and
perhaps of themselves, too, for the taste
and labor bestowed upon it.
But their special pride was IN their
choir and their organist. Herr Seldorf.
He was a German musician, who, a
year before in his wanderings, had
CHANGED upon this little country village
and somehow had grown so fond of the
people and the place, that he fingered
there still.
1T was so peat sfuln he said And
every stranger who happened in the
church on such a perfect day as this
Easter Sunday would be apt to agree
with him.
A girl about fifteen, in faded calico
and sun-bonnet, had stood timidly in
the doorway from the beginning of the
services. She was evidently stranger
and didnot belong to the rows of nicely
dressed girls who, in their fresh spring
costumes looked like flowers them
selves.
She was shabby and dusty, with
dark, gypsy face and flashing black
eyes, which roved admiringly every
where.
She seemed to shrink from notice
until the magnificent ''Te Deum' rose
upon the AR, and then She stepped for
ward with clasped hands and face so
full of rapturous delight, that the
people turned and looked at her.
She did not see them but slipped into
the nearest empty pew and stood there
with her eyes full of fire fixed on the
choir gallery.
In few minutes new voice Joined
in the chant, a clear, pure soprano, of
such wonderful iieXibility, such sweet
ness and strength, that Herr Seldorf, at
the organ, gasped with surprise, and
rolled his eyes wildly about in search of |
the strange singer.
She stood in view of every one, the |
old sun-bonnet pushed back, the dark |
cheeks flushed, the luminous eyes, |
which seemed themselves to be singing |
the inspired notes, raised upwards. |
She seemed floating away on the tide of |
melody utterly forgetful of her sur
roundings.
But when the chants were over she |
rehpsed into the shabby girl. ashamed |
Of her shabbiness, and pulled the old
sunbonnet over her face. She seemed |
to pray very fervently, but her real
prayers went up in the anthems, for
she did not seem to know the hymns
The service was over and the people
commenced leaving the church. Each
one looked curiously at the singer as
they passed the pew where she sat.
Some paused and would have spoken,
but she 50 evidently shrunk from notice
that they passed on.
As for Herr Seldorf, at TIVE very mo-
ment he had stopped to accost her, he
had been seized by friend and carried
Off in hot haste to explain difficult
passage in the afternoon anthem to
some of his pupils Whilst wrestling
with his own bad English and the stu
pidity of the learner, the girl had Slip
ped out of the church
BY this time the church was empty,
and the people walking homewards.
The girl stopped at the stile, and sat |
1n1yy 90, ha afo txrffl
care yon tired, little one?" asked the
sexton, "Old Father john" as every
one called him, who had come up unno-
ticed.
. Mot as tired as | was before | went
to church" she answered timidly.
II saw you there. A stranger in
these parts, | reckon
Eyes, sir. | used to live in Virginia.
|, with another sigh. "We're moving to
Texas, and the wagons have stopped
over that hill yonder.'
Your pa and ma there too?"
II was minute BEFORE the girl seemed
able 10 answer that question, and her
beautiful eyes filled with tears
Mamma died when Twas baby"
she said in low voice; ''but, papa! oh
my dear papa! he died after we left
home Oh! | wish he had been buried
here in this sweet place, instead of in
that ugly field, full of briars." Her
voice choked, and Father John felt very
badly to have caused such pain.
"You sang beautifully, my childr'
He tried to change her thoughts. 81
don think ever heard any one sing so
beautifully before. They must have
taken great pains to teach you SO WELL
She smiled.
"Oh, I've sung in the choir at home
ever since | could speak, | think
Papa was wealthy once, and he liked
music SO much that | had the best teach
ers But like music best of ALL it takes
YOU of so far that you can't feel sorry
or anything. Its like having wings to
fly away"
"Who are you travelling with?" asked
the sexton.
"Oh, Cousin Nan and husband. They
are my only kinsfolk in the world.
Goodbye, Sir holding out her hand.
1.-The church did me so much good to-
day! You see. we've been travelling 50
long, and never had chance to 90 to
church before God somehow seems so
far off when we don't get there. |
know ought not to say this, but then | !
spose I've had so much trouble since we |
left Virginia; and besides, I'm not a
good girl. Cousin Nan says I'm not, "
with a sad little smile.
Father John was too much interested |
in his. new acquaintance to part with |
her Immediately He walked on, chat |
ting by the way. Her simple history |
was soon learned. The father, losing |
all his property by disastrous specula-
tions, determined to begin life again in
new place and among new people. |
He sickened and died on the road, and |
was buried in q deserted field. The |
girl did not say much of the Cousin
Nan, on whose protection she had thus
been thrown, but the old man soon
CLEANED that she was harsh task-mis-
tress to poor little orphan Alma.
"She doesn't like me- the girl said.
Il s'pose | do give her trouble, and
when we started she didn't expect to
have the charge of me. She's poor too,
aud it, hard ON her"
She started off at a half-run, but the
old man kept up with her, determined
10 get a glimpse of this terrible Cousin
Nan, and perhaps save the girl from
reproof, or worse
''Oh, they've left mer' cried the girl,