Morris tribune., 1886-03-10

strains that had held him spellbound
M. Dupont heard; after which he said
to the boy:
"Francois, can you remember the
words of Mary's Lament'P'
"Yes, sir, perfectly"
.Then you shall sing that solo here
and now. All, we will give his grace
an entertainment. Now! Be not
afraid. Open thy mouth. Give thy
thoughts to the dead Christ and the
weeping mother. Raise thine eyes as
thou didst in the chapel, and think of
nothing else under the sum-"
If anything was different, the singing
of the boy on this occasion was better
than it had been before. The arch
bishop was like one entranced. He de-
clared that it seemed to HIM more like
a dream than reality.
At the conclusion of the performance
M. Dupont leaped to his feet, and
smote his hands together.
my faith! l shall change the score
of my oratorio. That solo, and one
other, shall put into the mouth of an
attendant spirit. will make seraph
attend upon the Virgin; and he shall
sing these solos, Win it not be
grandP'
AS the chief musician said, so it was
done. He made satisfactory arrange
ment with the lady who had been en-
gagged to enact the part of the Virgin
Mary, and little Francois went into
training for the new character, which
the author gladly introduced.
Tbnunb tho hpv onnl1 not road MIL
sic from the written notes, yet his
memory of musical sounds was so Won
erfully acute and sure, that, when once
he had sung piece, he could not for
get it, nor could he mistake. And an
other thing was in our hero's favor:
the singers, old and young-every one
of them-fell in love with him, and
gave him all the help in their power.
/ At length the evening came for the
| singing of the new oratorio in the great
| cathedral. 1t had been announced that
a new singer had been engaged, but
the name was not given.
The cathedral was filled with a mu-
sic-loving audience, including the tlrst
people of the city; Jean Clopin and his
| three elder children were there, be-
cause free tickets had been sent them.
stWell," said the old instrument
mender, when he received the tickets,
"our Little Good-for-Nothing has done
us SO much good. We get these tick
cts because he works the brake OF the
great organ bellows" ="
The oratorio commenced, and the
opening was we'll received. By-and-by
came the requiem of the seraphim,
with solo by the leading seraph.
There was hush upon the vast au-
dience, people seeming to hold their
breath for fear note of the wondrous
music might be lost. 1t was sublime;
it was heavenly; though the tones were
but as the evening zephyr in volume,
yet they were so sweet, so pure, and sc
enhancing in quality, that they reach
ed to the uttermost parts of the vast
auditorium.
When the song was done dead 81
lence followed-.a silence lasting until
the hearers could regain their suspend
ed BREATH and then the thunders of ap-
plause burst forth. And the tempest
continued until the boyish seraph came
forward and bowed to the audience,
and resumed his place for repetition
of the piece.
Madeline Chopin sat pale and culver,
ing. Could that be her brother? She
| could not believe it until he had come
forward and made his bow, and then
she knew him. She caught her father s
arm, and whispered into his ear:
''Oh, father! 1t is our Francois
See!''
The old man saw, and the effect up.
on him was wonderful. He saw again
the beautiful singer of long-ago, as. she
was before the sad accident befell. He
saw again his own loved and worship
ed Lizette, as she was before she be.
came his wife.
| Strange was it, that he had never be-
fore seen how much the boy looked as
his mother had looked in her youth
But he saw it now; and from that mo-
ment the boy was taken to his heart.
But never again was Jean Clopin tc
have the boy under his care and Keep
ing. The great public claimed him
Yet it was blessed hour for Francois
when his father clasped him to his bo
som and kissed him. 1t frightened his
life, and gave him new strength for the
work before him.
And, in after years, when Francoi:
Clopin had become known, and loved
and honored, not only throughout his
native France, but through Southern
Europe, when kings and princes deem
ed it favor to patronize him. the latt
evening of the old instrument-maker's
life was made bright and blessed by
the untiring and generous devotion O
the child whom he had once founc
heart to call his Little Good-for-Noth
ing.