The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-02-28

t would be cruel to wholly disappoint.
And then she asked so little-'only a
place to leev and bread to eat. and to he
hurt no more"
The tears came to my eyes as the
simple words REQUIRED to me, and
yielding to sudden impulse I took her
in, fed her, and made her as comfortable
As possible; meanwhile turning it over
and over in my mind as to what should
DO with her.
AT dinner time held consultation
with Jack, the nominal head of our fam
ily,; I say nominal advisedly, for he in
sists that I defer to him only as a mat
ter of form, after having fully deter
mined in my own mind upon any course
Of action. - =
Be this as it may, he generally con-
firms my decisions, thus making assuf-
ance .doubly sure; SO this. time, after
looking over my Every latest" as he
called her, he promised to go to her
mother and negotiate, if he could, for
Helenores services.
As q result of that interview he found
out for certainty that Madame Bal
deau was horrible old vixen, but she
readily agreed to let-her daughter re-
main in our employ if, after: a suitable
trial, we so desired.
When J ack. came home at night he
found us all together in the sitting
room. I was sewing and Helenore was
sitting near ME playing with little Ned,
our 3-year-old boy.
s'Well, Helenore," said he lightly,
II have seen your mother, and you can
stay with lis if you are good girl"
Sometimes quite an audience would
gather around her while she played,
and she always received their applause
With much dignity, and as matter of
course. But there was one thing about
this instrument very remarkable and
mysterious; it responded to Helenore's
touch and to hers alone. Many others
t1ied it, but always with poor success.
Even Jack, who has sort of facility
with dozen Instruments, and can play
the whole opera of Patience" on a tin
whistle, after fashion, finally gave it
up in despair, declaring that he believed
that Helenore was witch undoubtedly
it was the popularity of her voice that
gave to her footing such wonderful eff
feet.
She seldom sang, and when she did,
it seemed to be solely for the sake of
giving vent, to some powerful emotion
otherwise inexpressible. Her voice was
low, but very sweet and flexible; she
had no high tones. I think she consid-
cred them too light and frivolous to
convey the feelings. Of her soul.
once asked her why she never sang
high.
''Mne heart is down here" she an
swered, laying her hand on her heart and
I was glad to believe that in those low,
deep tones of hers, 50 tremulous and so
solemnly sweet, the strange, poetic soul
of this poor untaught creature found
full expression and was satisfied.
She sang her own words generally,
and they were without connections
senseless tumble; and yet as she sang
them they often possessed weird and
startling significance. Here is one of
her songs:
Ion happy. happy me-!
So still, 80 still, white moon.
To leev, to love, to die.
All still and white, to de-"
By questioning found out what these
words meant to her. She was always at
ease with me, and could express herself
more freely to me than anybody else; so
she tried to explain this verse;
She turned toward him with a look
of unutterable gratitude and tried in
vain to speak; then, with one swift
movement, she threw herself at my feet,
and fastening her great eyes upon mine
with an expression I shall never forget,
she made the sign of the cross upon her
forehead and breast.
We saw her do this afterward on sew
eral occasions when deeply moved, and
it was as expressive and touching as
characteristic.
We soon became much attached to
her, and her odd wild ways furnished
us no little amusement. One of her IA
vorite pastimes was to sit with baby in
the back door and play on her music
as she called it. This was an invention
of Helenore's own, and was only one of
her many grotesque but poetic fancies.
It was only large sheet of thick pa
per, rolled up into huge trumpet
shape, and on this queer instrument she
would play for hours, bringing out the
most unearthly, but withal, musical
tones, which the neighbors far and
near soon learned to marvel at and des-
ignate as ''Helenore's music"
She said she was :'sOh, so happy"
with us. She loved her little chamber
she could be ''all STILL" she lovedst to
have the "white moon" look so kindly
upon her at night, and she felt it would
be good to die there all still and white"
In the spring, however, change
came over our Helenore.
Her deep content gave: place to a
ger the faithful, attentive little hand
maid had learned to love and trust.
She seemed SO. be- irresistibly drawn
away from all her in door occupations
if bird sang near the house, she would
drop her work and eagerly to the
window as if she theard -her own name
called. If she were sent down town On
an -errand, she was una countably long
in returning; and, finally, one afternoon
when she took little Ned for his accus-
toned airing she was gone for hours,
wandering away across tie fields, and.
bringing him home at dusk lying hack
fast asleepin his carriage, witha wreath
Of violets ike ahalo round bis golden
head, and more cMtched tightlyin his
chubby hands. @fssS3sss4
K; II CT. ~ooo;-,,a -, - :. !: !. i . e =: