Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-03-31
AN EASTER ANTHEM.

niticent forest trees, with vines trained over
the rustic portieo, and two large orange
trees peeping in the south window.
The church was very lovely and peaceful
in its isolation, but on this Easter morning
it was radiant with flowers festooned in
garlands around the pillars and reading.
desk, and worked into. notices everywhere.
The altar was a pyramid of fragrant white
roses and gardenias, and through the open
windows the petals of the orange blossoms
outside hoated into the pews and chancel,
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 otthem.
selves, too; for the taste and labor bestowed
upon It,
Bat their special peide was in their choir
and their organist, Rerr Seldorf
He was German musician, who, year
before in his wanderings, had CHANGED upon
this little country village, AMI somehow had
grown so fond of the people and the place
that he fingered there STILL
ut was so PEACEFUL" he said. And every
stranger who happened in church on such
q 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 door
way from the beginning of the seryi ces.
She was evidently a stranger, and did not
belong to the rows of nicely dressed girls
who, in their fresh spring costumes looked
like the flowers themselves.
She was shabby and dusty, with a dark,
gypsy face and flashing black eyes which
royed aGmiringly everywhere.
She seemed to shrink from notice until
the pagniicent tie Denm" rose upon the
air, and then she stepped forward with
clasped hands and a face so full of raptur-
Gus delight, that 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 gal.
lery.
In few minutes new voice joined in
the chant a clear, pure soprano, of such
wonderful fexibility, such sweetness 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 il view Of every one, the old
n-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 forgettul
of her surroundings.
Bnt when the chant was over she re-
lapsed into the shabby girl, ashamed of
be- shabbiness, and pulled the old sun
bonnet 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 curieusly at the singer as they passed
the pew where she sat. Some paused, and
would have spoken, but she so evidently
shrunk from notice that they passed on.
As for Herr Seldorf, at the very moment
he had stopped to sccost her, he had been
seized by friend and carried off in hot
haste to explain a difficult passage in the
afternoon anthem to some of his pupils.
Whilst wrestling with his own bad English
and the stupidity of the learner, the girl
had slipped out of the church.
By this time church was empty and the
people riding or walking homewa-ds. The
girl stopped at the stile, and set down on
the step with weary sigh.
Are you tired, little one?" asked the
sexton, "old farmer john" as every one
called him, who had come up unnoticed.
''Not as tired as I was before went TO
church, she answered, tlmidly.
caw Won fhara A in khpSa
parts, reckon"
"Yes, sir. I used to live in Virginia"
with another sigh. Were moving to Texas,
and the wagons have stopped over that hill
yonder."
"Your pa and ma there too?'
1t was minute before the girl seemed |
able to answer that question, and her beauti- |
full eyes filled with tears.
Mamma died when I was baby" she |
said, in low voice; "but papal oh, my |
dear papa he died after we left home. Oh!
1 wish he had been buried here in this sweet |
place. instead of in that ugly field, full of |
John felt very badly to have caused such
pain.
"You sang beautifully, my childP' He
tried to change her thoughts. II don't |
think I ever heard any one sing SO beau
tifnlly before. They must have taken |
great pains to teach You to we'll"
She smiled. |
"Oh, I've sang in the choir at home |
ever since / could speak, think. Papa
was wealthy once, and he liked music so |
much that I had the best teachers. But |
haak of III. ~ fol UnT
off 30 far that you can't feel sorry or any
thing. It's like having wings to fly away"
"Who are you travelling WITH" asked the |
sexton.
'.Oh, Cousin Nan and her husband. They |
are my only kinsfclk in the world. Good
by, SIR" holding cut her hand. ''The |
church did me so mnch good to-dayl You |
see, we've been travelling SO long, and |
never had a chance to get to church before. |
God somehow seems so far Oft when we |
don't go there. l know ought rot to say |
this, but then s'pose Pve had so much |
trouble since we left Virginia; and besides, |
I'm not good girl, Cousin Nan says Pm
not" with a sad little smile.
Father John was TOO much interested in |
his new acquaintance to part with her i'm
mediately. He walked on; chatting by the
way. Her simple history was soon learned.
The father losing all his property by disas-
trous speculations, determined to begin life |
again in a new place and among new peo- |
Die. He sickened and died on the road, !
and was buried in deserted field. The |
girl did not say much of the Cousin Nan, on
whose protection she had been thus thrown,
but the old man soon cleaned that she |
was harsh taskmistress to poor little Or |
phan Alma.
tEhe doesn't like me-" the girl said. 81
s'pose do give her trouble and when we |
started she didn't expect to have the charge |
Of me. She's poor, too, and it's hard on
her"
She started of at halfrun, but the old (
man kept up with her, determined to get
gIinpse of this terrible Cousin Nan, and |
perhaps save the girl from reproof, or worse.
sfOh, they've left mel" cried the girl, |
hopdc uUbiob xuay hax. |