Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-12-19
AN INFIDEL's CHRISTMAS.
a story of To-Day.
BY ELLA A. GILES


st was playing one Of those grand
choruses from Handel, which, so long
as they are repeated, will keep alive
in human hearts some of the religious
enthusiasm that inspired their lofty
strains.
GLORY be to God on High"
sang Florence Fleming, the power
full contralto, as she moved up the
long, dimIy lighted aisle Of the ch nrch
a few evenings before Christmas. Her
companion, a stately and rather dis
tingushed appearing gentleman in a
heavy brown ulster, paused in bis
march, AS if to show appreciation Of
her unexpected bravura tones. lie
stood in deferential attitude, holding
his hat in his lifted hand, listening TO
the echoes of her rich voice, as 1t re-
verberated through the empty church.
But his position suddenly changed.
For before the tones had quite died
away, another voice responded. 1t
was soprano of wonderful sweetness
and strength. It's owner gave to the
passage she sang all those delicate
shades Of expression which it requires.
AS she finished singing
And on earth Pence,
she leaned forward little ia her seat
near the organ and peered into space,
as if trying TO see who had entered
with her friend. Iler rare accent and
her peculiarly vibrant tones were not
lost either upon the girl walking to-
ward tine gallery, or the finely tuned
ears of the man standing in tho dis
lance. Her musical notes Heated
gently down, and SO clear was her
enumeration of the words that they
penetrated TO the fartheset corner Of
the large cathedral-llke building.
Peace, Peace" resounded from the
walls. The air, laden with the strains
of that fresh young voice, seemed us
willing to part with them, and per-
petually tossed them back and forth
in faint, lingering echoes. Again
the organ, mighty III its power, pealed
forth the prelude and kept on with
the ripping accompaniment. The
organst was only practiclng, but as
the glorious anthem swept along, like
n majestic stream, it bore three souls
upon It's surging waves Of sound, and
rs if irresistibly moved by a current
Of worshipful tenderness and joy,
they sang in simultaneous accord the
words of the chorus:
GLORY be to God on High"
From below were two parts; one
was taken by the stranger, whose bass,
heavy, deep, sonorous and thrilling,
rang out triumphantly and with more
meaning than the human voice or the
words sung could possibly convey
more meaning even than the
master who composed the anthem
could find notes to full express; the
other was the contralto of Florence
Fleming, who sang the words some
what indilrGrently, but 30 whon the
mere melody had been unusually IN
spring. From the somewhat elevated
gallery of the church rose the trcm.
bling tones of the now hushed organ,
guiding and sustaining the girls
sopran ms its liquid noted bubbled
forth, scared far up into the arched
roof and dropped, sparkling, round
and full upon the ears of an enraptur,
ed listener, whose own impulsive
strains had suddenly ceased.
'Who is shel' he eagerly asked, but
the alto voice flowed on with its
Good will to men," thrice repeated
and prolonged rs its distracted owner
slowly moved up the aisle. Just at
the foot of the steps, however, she
paused, looked back, and, seeing for
the first time, that her companion had
not followed, beckoned him to do so.
He, Ill the meantime, had seated him
self IN one of the pews and was listen
ing with absorbing attention to the
murmuriug notes Of the organ and the
bcnediction of Peace. Peace" that
seemed to be- falling from the lips of
Gods chosen interpreter.
All the space in the vast church was
wrapped in darkness but the one cor
ncr occupied by the beautiful pipe or
gan and the crimson curtained gallery
The glow and the harmony proceeded
from the same spot and the girl who
sang seemed the central source Of
both. Tho undulating chords from
the organ, the porcelain shaded gas
Jets, the mellowneSS Of sound and
light lent fitting aid to the hour aud
the scene As the singer went on, the
golden rays seemed but the halo of
her personality, and the soft, smooth
accompaniment a component part of
her voice. The divine melodies of the
great anthem fouad their highest ex-
presSioA, notin the superb instrument,
but in the living breath that rose from
earth to heaven and echoed back again
with its two fold blessing of peace.
The stranger looked and listened as
If entrauced. Every faculty o. his
being was strained to fine appr, cia-
ton of the Subtli& spell wrought upon
him by surrounding forces. Long
latent chords of his nature were now
being awakened by holy influences.
He was disappointed, cynical, world
weary man. He had turned in his
youth from the muse who had sought
To enthrall him saying cannot
make singing pay. | must amass a
fortune by the development and use
of other than musical abilities"
Aud he had accomplished his par
and unhappy. Tie had striveu against
the inclination of an over sensitive
temperament, and finally crowded
far into the back ground of his being
Il passion for music that had once al
most wholly controlled hin. In
early life he had Stihcd his insatiate
love OF art with business aud political
ambitions, whose fulfllment had
brought him no deep and abiding
satisfactions He had long since
given up singing even for pleasure or
diversion because it made more
arduous the duties pertaining to an
extensive law practice. He could not
DO justice to both art and his profess
sion; they seemed TO war with each
other; and not being contented with
superhclality in anything, he devoted
himself body, mind aud soul to &C
cumulatiug wealth.
That element in him which was
capable of becoming am absorbing
passion, he could not, with his pecul-
lar views, use as a simple recreation
ia leisure hours He and his once
worshiped goddess of song were
alienated from each other. Occasion
al operas, once INDUCED in, only
served to distract his mind and dis
tress him in his work. Chants,
anthems, oratoiies, the grandest
music in the world, that which sways
the hearts of men, aud that in which
seems blended the voices of the CEN
turtles. pleading and praying aud
praising, had not been heard for