Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-15


| too. lie showed IL TO me yesterday. Inc doc
| tor Is in the audience now Run and ask him
10 get Il Tor Us. lie lives only n block away
AS the usher rushed off loud round of APP
plauSe from the hall told that Franklin's speech
| OF explanation had been satisfactory. My
| spirits mad now revived, and turned to the
| stranger and held out my hand.
| lyon have saved tho Oratorio,' said.
| Hardly a smile stirred his serious face as he
| said quietly: Lam very glad That was all.
| "Talilan came in with one of the chorus bas-
| sos, anu by the time the stranger was arTayed
| in mis- dress suit, and the basso wrapped in
| 0vcrcoa;s, had sent for another, the usher and
| DR.. Ellsworth entered with the cello in green
| bag. As the good doctor carefully took IL out
| and handed ii to the player Inc said: Take
good care of 1T: love it next 10 ny WIFE,
| "The stranger suddenly Strengthened UP, and
| fixing piercing glance upon the minister, said
quickly, so much as that?'
| ." Yes said the doctor.
"'Well, then, replied the cello PLAYER glove
1t more than you do Then taking the precious
| instrument he said TO me, i am ready, and we
went upon the stage.
at was exactly half-past eight and the audi
! encc resssEred me of their good humor by q
hearty round OF applause. L had not heard
| touched me, and pointing with scorn over his
shoulder said in q disagreeablc voice: who is
this eenO-player you We picked up? Don't you
Know that was not engaged to sing with street
n,iIsfctciHsf
".Metz, said, IF you fail to sing When your
time comes, shall stop the whole performance,
make a speech TO the audience and place tine
blame where IL belongs. And stepped upon
the platform and gr.iSped my baton The or
chestra gave the fOUr grand opening Chords
and Metz sang. have never heard that brief
but impressive Iccitative SO impressiyely rend-
Tine performance of Memberships master
piece was excellent from the very beginning,
and nothing occurred to disturb the smooth
progress OF the oratorlo until we came to the
great solo that Metz had stopped ON liz the after
noon rehearsal. glanced ut the strange cello
player and almost feared that Were upon
the point of a breakdown. Ills eyes We're fixed
neither upon me uor his music. He sat with
ms right hand grasping his bow, and resting
u,si lie fpr\v "A
and the head of his cello pressed against his
cheek, while his eyes gazed intently at MOTH
Ing, and seemed yelled in sort of reverie.
Such look oil inefiablc sadness have seldom
seen on the lace of u man. L did not know Tor
All instant what To do. did not want TO rap
for attention, yet hardy dared begin the intro
ductiOn, with its lovely cello solo, while the
man whom had taken on his own recommen-
datiOn In play 1T sat there in apparent oblivion.
There was, however, not All instant TO lose. l
lifted my baton anG the sobbing accoinpani-
ment began. / kept my eye on the cello player
and the moment his time came to play he
raised his head, glanced mechanically nj my
moving baton, though without apparently tax.
ing any notice Oh me, and GREW his bow across
the string.
Il cannot describe TO you how he played that
melody. Its every note went straight 20 my
soul. 1t Is only eight measures long, yet into
that eight measures was crowded burden of
sorrow, a lifetime OF despair such as no strings
ever vibratcd with before. Even Metz turned
in astonishmentund looked list at the stranger
and then at me. The cello player still looked
not at his music, but at something far away
gaze was unearthly. As for me L ceased to con-
duct; though my baton continued to move
it was not but the cello player who con-
trolIed it.
80 II as enough; oh Lord nor take array ;ny EJe;
Jor ohs not better than nay fathers IL as enough
II is enough Thus sang Metz in a way that I
had never heard him Sing before. lie, too,
seemed under the spell. And all the time that
sobbing accompaniment OF the violins and the
mourning OF the cello intensified the hopeless
vail OF the Hie-weary Elijah. The allegro
wherein he with burning indignation recounts
the evil and wickcdness That the enemies of
God had done, was but ii brief relief, and again
the despairing cry broke forth: 1T is eEoagh;
notg tet me die. . LORD, R0oo take G,ody my me-
and died away interviewer with the Vibrations
OF those sobbinS strings, and the chief work OF
the strange cello player was done.
Zine rest OF the oratorio was like dream.
IL went and went We'll, but no more con-
troiied IL than II had sat in the audience.
1t might have been i've minutes or five hours
Tor ali that my sensations told me.
AS soon us the final chords had ceased Metz
rushed up TO Ine. who is he: Where did
you get that cello player? Come, Introduce
Inc to him. He Is The greatest artist ever sang
with
Then remembered that had neither asked
tine strangers name nor made any terms with
him Tor his services. l turned TO where he had
sat, but hc was not there. FASTENED into the
drcssing-room, but he had already changed ,his
clothes and lett.
1--WE hunted the town high and low Not a
hotel or boarding house escaped; yet the cello
player could not be found. He certainly was
poor, and did not appear like one who had
money enough TO travel. He had not registered
AT any hotel, nor been seen by anyone before
ms mysterious appearance at the concert hail.
Al last VIC save 1t up, and about midnight
went TO my hotel. AS applied at the Office for
my key the clerk said:
by the way, MIR. Gilbert, here is roll of
music that guess YOU must have dropped ON
the street. sccdy-looking tramp brought it
In here just after the performance tonight and
asked Inc to give 1t TO You when you should
come in. He would not wait, and went right
away, seeming i'll u hurry
unrolcd ihe music. 1t was that REQUIEM
4 pl1yeI I HOY
seen the cello player since; but that compost
ton Is worthy OF the man VINO could play 1T is
enough as he alone could play it,"
As Gilbert ceased speaking he turned tn the
organ, and taking down the manuscript looked
long and thoughiiuily at the last page As we
LETT the now darkening church heard him re-
peat TO himself tie Latin words written at the
close OF The cello players requiem:
DE pr9fl'r'dts CLAIMANT I'D te, Doaaine.'