San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-29


wealthy.
NO" said Lawrence; IL can't afford tc
do that. My father was younger son, anC
inherited little from my grandfather. The
little he had he lost, and my brother and
earn our own living"
as it pOssiblep' cried the old gentleman,
almost piteOusly. And what is ii that you
doP'
II am musician" answered Lawrence.
II write good deal. | have played in pub
lie for the last five or six years" He was
not in the least ashamed of his position, and
yet he could have wished that he had an.
other story to tell. He spoke frankly and
honestly; but he was yeXed at his own in.
ward reluctance. 1t was early to be think
ing of such things, but Olivia was possibly
an heiress.
Almost as he spoke she arose from the
table and walked to the end of the room. In
moment she came to his side with a great
bundle of music in her hands.
"'OberOn and Titania,'" she said, "'By
Arthur Lawrence. Is that yours, Mr.. Law
rence%
Yes" he said in little pleasant confu.
sion. That is mine"
She laid the heap of music on the table be-
side him and began to sort it, and he saw
the familiar faces Of half-a-dOzen of the
title-pages of his own works. All the pieces
which bore his name she set aside, and then,
with pretty pleading in her voice and eyes,
she said:
'Will you play for US, Mr.. Lawrence%
Uncle RaOul bounced from his seat and,
crossing the room, threw open the piano.
The old lady added her request to Olivia's.
"Mr. Lawrence will excuse my pipe whilst
he plays" said the elder brother Il smoke
everywhere" He produced the silken to-
baccO-bag and the big meerschaum, which
he polished with aSsiduOuS affection before
he filed it.
Lawrence crossed to the piano and sat
down. Olivia stood facing him at the oppo-
site end of the instrument, with her white
hands just touching the dark rosewood as If
with caress. The rescued stood beside
him smiling atfectiOnatelya his niece. DIV
ia had noticed Lawrence's hands already,
and when they touched the keys, she re-
marked anew their combination of delicacy
and power. They were large and capable,
and the finger-tipS were broad, but they
were eXcellently formed, and as white as
her own. lie began to play and Olivia be-
gan to dream.
Dull people say that to speak of descrip-
tive music is to give voice to a mere absurdi-
ty, and to couple words without meaning.
But people whose perceptions are not limit
ed to the senses know better. He that hath
ears to hear, let him hear.
The wind mOaned outside, the logs crack
led on the open hearth, and the lamplit
room was filed with gentle lights and soft
oh al cd Ia
head to the music, and the younger beamed
over the grandson of his dear old friend.
The placid old lady sat with her hands in
her lap, and the tender flow and murmur Of
the music made her pleasantly drowsy. But
Olivia saw dim aisles of forest where the
branches swayed to the wind, under great
round moon and hazy stars, not seeing these
things merely as in picture, but as one
sees them who moves among the trees
dreaming awake. 1t was a forest of old
Greece, and it needed but that turn of
thought TO show at the end of a wooded
vista, and far away, the white walls of
Athens. The fairies danced on the mOonlit
sward while ObprOn and Titania sat apart
looking on at their reyels well pleased. Now
Messieurs Bottom and Flute and Ounce
and Starveling were here, rOusing the night
owl with rustic catch; and surely that
tricksy step was Puck's!
She did not know what picture she made
for the musician, as she stood in the half
light listening and dreaming. In plain fact
and sober earnest she made just such pic
ture as true-hearted young fellow can only
see once in a lifetime. Lawrence's own
music had power over him. In music, as in
other things, the wounded is the wOunding
heart. If he played, mOOnlit forest and all
its mysterious CLEAN and gloom land for
once hearers thoughts were at one with
the player's), the tranquil dreamy delight
and faint vOluptuous awe filled his heart
and thrilled his nerve, and paled his cheek.
If in his music the Fairy Queen loved the
clown, the pity of it mixed with all the
sweet melody of her fancy, and his own
pleasure was like pain.
Any man but blind man would have pro-
nOunced Olivia sweetiy pretty; but while
the artist lived in the glamour Of his own
artistic dream, and looked at her, she grew
to be goddess. There is no Disgusting it.
Certain faces are fate to certain people. The
right man sees the face, sees it long enough
to recognize it, and his business is dOne-he
is disposed of. Such cases must always be
rare, because the imperative cOmpulsion is
not given to every woman, and because
there may be but one man in the world on
whom the face may operate with that su-
premacy of power which creates love at first
sight. The poets and the stOry-tellers have
abused this truth, though it is not to be won
dered at if they have chosen somewhat too
often to dilate upon theme so charming.
Lawrence had known himself in danger.
He knew himself out of danger now, as q
dead man might know it if he could look
back at the fatal stroke of minute ago.
The thing was done. He was in love full
fathom five. As he played he looked at
Olivia now and again, and ina while he saw
that her eyes were glistening with moisture
that would not fall; a dew of feeling and
not rain. The girl loved music. 1t was a
language, passion, a delight to her. and
until now she had never heard music like
this. We cannot all get great artists to play
for us in our own private rooms, but II we
could we should hardly be persuaded to a
big concert-room filled with lights and peo-
pie. The sense of dOmesticity, of the home
freight and lamplight, and of the presence
of the few she knew and loved, helped out the
charm of the perfect music with another
charm which had never accompanied 1t be-
fore in her experience.
The elders were pleased in more tranquil
fashion, and when Olivia half sighed pray
20 onp' at the close OF the musicians first
performance they were well content that
the entreaty should be obeyed. As for Law
renee, he surrendered himself, and discov-
ering an unusual Elasticity in 0livia's face,
he played upon it as he played upon the in
strument before him. Now her eyes dream
ed, and half-smile parted herlips, and now
she was elate and eager. She dreamed and
smiled at the sedate grace of the minuet,
and when in the changing storm of notes she
heard the rolling of drums and the hlare of