Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-05-05

moonlight mingled freely Win us.
In voice deep and tremuIant with
emotion he exclaims: 20 blessed,
blessed angel, thou hast baptized my
soul with thy tears, and henceforth 1t
is consacrated to thee-thee alone.
IF aught shall tarnish the lustre of
our love in future life. may heaven
mercifully close mine ears to all hui
man music, and let naught but the
love throbs of thy heart at this hour
thrill my memory"
They stand, statue-like, closely
clasped in each others arms for few
enraptured moments. when the count
ess, sadly smiling through her tears,
family whispers: Farewell, my be-
loved Almost glorious destiny awaits
thee. Devote thyself to music. 1t
will quickly efface my image from
thy heart, and soon, alasl thou wilt
forget me-"
Never" he replies vehemently,
never. Each separate note which
flows from my music hereafter, will
be love greeting to thee. My music
shall be a complete history of my
soul in it's yearning for thee. Prom
Use me, dearest one, never to doubt
me-"
She nodded her head in silent ac
uuiescence, and after one more long,
fervent embrace, one more cllnglng,
passionate kiss, one more thrilling,
deep searching interchange of tear
full eyes-they parted, and in silence
retraced their steps to the palace.
The short moments which formed
such an important epoch in these two
human lives passed almost unnoticed
in the gay crowd of jewellers. Yet
when Beethoven entered the room,
his couutenance wore such weird,
unearthly expression, that it seemed
to exert a strange and powerful in
fuence upon the whole assembly.
The most breathless silence prevailed
as he mechanically moved toward the
piano, which stood directly between
the two large windows.
The moonlight streamed full upon
him, and appeared to envelop his
form with pale, CHASTITY radiance.
His eyes were fixed upon vacancy,
and seemed not to possess physical
sight, but to be mere windows through
which his soul cleaned wildly forth.
When one dips his head at night
under water there is an awful stiffness
round about him; into similar SUI
pernatural stiffness did the audience
seemed plunged when Beethoven
touched the first few resonant chords.
His lips moved almost imperceptibly
in deep sepulchral tones, as of one
from another world he exclaimed
80 musicl thou who bringest the re-
ceding waves of eternity nearer to
the weary heart of man as he stands
upon the shore and longs to cross
over, art thou the evening breeze of
this life or the morning air of the
next one?" Then in the key of g
sharp minor-the weirdest of all keys
an adagio foated forth, so calm, so
mournful. so touchingly sweet, that
it seemed as if the moonlight had
melted into music and was thus be-
ing nodded by masterful genius at
the piano. Sadly and soft, the Gid
ing movements continue, carrying the
heart irresistibly along in its fascin-
ating undulation. Following this
comes an allegretto, in which all the
agony of parting is acted over again.
SO wildly is it depicted that the ten
der and overstrained nerves of the
countess give way, and she is carried
in a deep swoon out of the room.
Beethoven is too much absorbed in
his soul-stirring theme, however, to
take any notice of surrounding events.
And in the ensuing trio the music
sobs itself into a dreamful slumber.
Dreamful? Aye Into sleep so be
nightmared that it seems a mad,
frantic race between pursuing fiends
and retreating soul. Betimes the
fugitive finds some nook where cool
waters bubble and purl, and it raptur-
ously allows itself to enjoy the deli
cious fragrance and quiet GOODNESS.
But ever and anon the shrek Of de
mons, now beneath, now above, goad
it onward until it falls into the bot
tomless abyss, too deep and awful
even for the pursuing spectres.
Before the last hollow chords
ceased to reverberate, Beethoven van
ished from the room and fled far into
night never to return. The beauti
full countess did not recover her
health sufficiently to marry, and after
few years of invalid life died; and
shortly after her death Beethoven be-
came inflicted with a deafness in
which he took singular and gloomy
satisfaction-why. it is scarcely nee
essary to mention.
WOMvN,q RANGS