River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-06-28
HER CHOICE.

| 'cneSLl Ut lIduo, INT INC JuuSo III
Whittier's poem.
IL was a sunny morning in early April,
and, although not by any means lover
of rural life, the gallant major found it
quite impossible to lo3k unmoved up n
the beautiful. stretch of country, with its
low hills, its clustering trees, its breath
of early flowers. He hummed softly his
favorite song from the opera which was
at once his joy and his greatest annoy
ance.
A bird, poised on swaying limb,
commenced charming song without
words.
The major halted and listened atten-
| uvelv.
The tiny songster, unabashed by the
presence of the famous critic, poured
out his wonderful food of melody; trills
that would have made a prima donna
wild with envy quivered from his silvery
throat; sweeter and fuller the joyous
notes filed the air with their rapturon9
sweetness until as if enamored of his
| own voice, or, perhaps, overc ONE by
the sight OF his admiring auditor, the
singer plumed his wings end scared up
into the blue.
The major clapped his hands en-
| Enthusiastically.
II acknowledge the perfection of
your manner, the charm of your voice,
| but why are you not a woman able to
take the part of Emilia in my unfortu
nate opera? Why have / discovered a
| musical genius if | cannot find voice
| for my heroine? | want nothing more,
I
The major was becoming tragic; he
clinched his hands in mock despair, and
went mOodily on his way when-but let
| the gallant gentleman tell the story in
| his own way.
| 1t was after dinner on the same day,
and he and his friend, Colonel Fortesque
of the Grange, were lingering over their
| wine.
"You know, Hall, that when 1 left
| you for a ride | was still out of sorts.
| have told you of my new opera; the
music is phenomenal; | need marvel
Gus voice. The first thing | heard was
what the poets call ''feathered song
ster;" he could fill the part superbly,
but-he flew away; they all do. | shall
not feel safe until my young lady has
signed her contract. You can't imagine
| the trouble / undergo, the misery ! en-
|
grumblers like yourself. | have to salts
| fy everybody; prima donna, prima
donna's husband, her stage lover, the
public, the"
Colonel Fortescue laughed, and filed
| the majors glass.
81 understand; but what about your
discovery"
"Fll tell you liz good time. Well, as l
left my bird--or after he left me, rather tth her
i went on my way gloomily enough,
| regretting that so much sweetness
should be lost, when l heard a woman's
voice-a woman's, did | say? Barbar-
| ianl savagei--an angels voice, the voice
of a seraph! | rode on quickly in the
direction whence issued the clearest
and fullest notes even | have ever heard
and beheld her. A girl of seventeen,
or so, tall, slight, with a face as lovely
as her voice. could have fallen on my
knees before her, calculating family,
My delivererl' butt didn't"
"Glorious" laughed Colonel Fortes-
cue; ,'let me finish your story for you.
know her-have known her since we
were children-at least, since she was a
child; you can tell me nothing. She is
the orphan daughter of poor physi-
clan. Her name is Ethel Terrier, her
home is with shrewish step-aunt, If
such relationship cav exist. She is
very lovely. Her voice is marvellous,
but" Here the gentleman paused
10 enjoy the eager expectancy of his
friends face-"But, madamoiselle has
lover; a stern young man, who thinks
it is a sin to laugh, who looks upon the
theatre as the bottomless pit, who-but,
in short, you can never succeed, Fred,
so give it up at once"
Major Burnett stroked his long mus
taches cOmplacently.
"Give it up, mon ami? You don't
know women. ! do. spoke to her,
told her of the power which lay con-
cealed within that glorious voice of hers;
pictured g,owingly the happy life of a
famous singer; told her of the wealth
she could gain; waxed eloquent until
startled myself, and fell to thinking
what pity so fine an orator had been
| lost to the world. Give it up? You will
hear her next season on the stage-the
greatest prima donna of the century.
Colonel Fortescue leisurely filled his
gla,s, pushed the decanter across to his
friend and lit another cigar; then, lazily
watching the white rings of smoke as
| cend, he said, carelessly:
can very true as to the wealth and
| the fame, but Miss Terrier is engaged to
d
America. | have understood that they
are to be married upon his return to
England. Harold Carew is man of too
much ability and pride OF family to
allow his wife to appear on the stage as
what would you call her? Madame
| Cariua?"
In nowse disconnected, Major Bur
nett hummed softly his favorite song
| from his new opera.
Charming, is it not7 And then her
| facet What eyesl-what a mOuthl AS
| she stood there in the sunlight in her
white dress, a halt-started eNsreSslon
on her young face, one fair hand lightly
| clasping her white throat, i would have
given worlds to have been an artist She
why, positively, | never felt so old, so
blase. beforel The man is fortunate who
| wins that exquisite creature. But she
| will be Emilia in the opera of my rising
Young genius-Mares ViIlari. You know
him? No?'
Then the conversation branched o fl
| from Ethel Terrier to the Italian whose
| music to was all the world wondering"
| a little later in the year.
Still, when Major Burnett rose to re-
tire for the night, Colonel Fortescue re-
| turned once more to the charge.
"Mark nav words, you will fail yet,
/ he observed.
"Faill on should have seen her face
as ] pictured her glorious future to her!
J 1t was an easy conquest, mon ami.
! When has ambition ever conquered
| love?' YOU asked, the other day. A lit
| tie while, and You shall see that in a
woman's heart there is no love like the
| love of fame. The applause iof kings
against the tame commonplaces of hus-
| bands affectonl Nonsense! Hal, you
are behind your age. Fred Burnett,
| late of the til. old, gray, with a glitter
/ ing bait, can give the odds to handsome
Young Harold Carew. Still, | will be
generous. He shall have compliment
/ tary ticket during the season"
| "Most kind. most nobel But we sbaii
| see what we shall see.
(Which will be Miss Terrier as Emilia,
4 the new prima donna, with the face OF
an angel and the voice of the bird !
/ heard this morning. Give up, inieedl"
The gallant majors face OF disgust was
( . study as tie left the room.
I Mean y lille, in her own quiet chamber
Ethel Terrier sat alone, bordering over
/ the strangers words.
Inc one regret neT proud heart had
ever experienced since she had become
Harold Carew's promised wife WAS that
/ she was a penniless orphan. Now, while
he should be toiling for her in this fal
South American home, she, too, could
win laurels and wealth. She had never
been further from her country home
than to the neigh oTing country town
she knew as much of the world, and lts