Milford chronicle., 1889-02-08

from It, the two Of them ate salt together
and the German embraced the American
and they both again laughed. But really the
air was so exhilarating, aud they were both
80 young, and full of Vitality and happiness
that they laughed as babies cry, because II
was the thing they could most easily do.
Whether the sailors road was the same as
bis own, John did not know; but they kept
on together, going steadily southwest towards
the city Of Granada, but being still two days
journey away from It. When the sun had
turned toward the west, and all the shadows
pointed east, the sailor began to sing His
voice was baritone, but it was so high that
had an Italian singing master had the train
ing Of It, be would have pulled it up into a
tenor. He would have done this because the
Italian Of today scorns the medium registers,
and would rather sing high than sing well
But John pricked up his ears to hear the
song. 1t was old enough and was plainly
enough suggested by the scenery, and it was
very well sung indeed, although it was writ
ten for the Zerlina Of Fra Diavolo who is
not usually baritone
After singing few bars, he paused, looked
up at tho sun, and said: 'Es ist drei Uhr
Ewanzig Minutenn
He was not proud Of his voice, but he was
Of his skill In telling the hour by the sun
But John understood it as a challenge, and
he at once took up the air and carried It on.
And they understood each others operatic
Italian.
Johns voice was a good clear tenor, and
when he took his high notes. with a fine
flourish of bis arm, who ever applauded
prima donna as the sailor did Johni And
they nodded and smiled in great glee. So
then they quit Fra Dinvolo,n and the sailor
broke into the duet between Lionel and
Plunkett; and thus the two road mates sang
much Of the opera Of Martha" to the rocks
Of Andalusia But what entertained them
best was the discovery that they could sing
70 each other what they could not say.
When the sailor thought to compliment John
by "God Save the King John stopped him
short by Yankee Doodle" and this was
palmer than passport could have been. So the
sailor again embraced him, and said something
about Chicago, which John replied to by de
nouncing the Anarchists and by singing Old
Hundred" He chose this staid and ancient
melody, not because It bore upon anarchy,
but it seemed TO him at the moment the most
peaceable and orderly tune he knew As the
understood him, and it seemed more like the
"Doxology" than ever.
Then the sailor stood stih by a young tree
and sang some Of the soprano part from
'Tannhauser' in as good falsetto as he could
command, and fell on his knees before the
sapling and looked earnestly lit John took
this to mean that he greatly admired Wag-
ner, as indeed he did; but still nNre deeply
did he adore a certain fraulein who sang Elsa,
and this was what he meant, and when he
rushed forward to embrace the sapling, and
then fell back suddenly and in great dejec-
tioion, he meant to express the hard hearted
ness Of the prima donna. 1t was astonishing
how many condolences they gave one to the
other in song and that neither understood
made no difference, because it is always sweet
to tell, even if we are not comprehended.
1t was, however, to a very pretty Spanish
woman that John sang Schubert's IVAN
derer," and so explained why they were on
the road She lived In a little house up high
among the rocks, where the goats seemed
more at home than human beings; but when
John had sung to her, and the sailor had by
the drinking song from 'Lucretia Borgia"
asked her for wine, she went into the house
and brought out her guitar and sang to them. .
This pleased them greatly, because her /
voice was as pretty as her face, and she had .
store Of ballads they had never heard. One
Of them she taught John, who had used
guitar in the days when he was a chorister .
and had a soprano voice It would be hard .
to tell which Of the three was best pleased,
and they were as courteous to each other as
grandees Of Spain could be.
When the sun set they separated. John
meut ofhundreds or iractiofis tneTSSsl' l'isls .s Z
X the road Gown ll44 ...44- - ..... --,-- II
meant to spend the night, and the sailor
a -uck out for the high road where a coach .
missed each evening before dark. When they
oerted the two men embraced each other, .
d the German kissed John on both cheeks
"a John kissed him on the lips as he would
aSs little brother. To the woman John gave
an silver match safe, and the German fol
..ged it by a silk handkerchief. And then,
changing walking sticks, they parted.
They made, each in his own tongue, many
ionlises % meet again, and this each well
aderstood and thoroughly meant. And
yuever forgot each her. John never went +
ar port or on a ve&=i without looking for
German friend in Spanish service, but he .
- ,ver. found him.
His chances however, would have been .
tier had he gone in seaTch Of a German
ain, and who, having failed to win the
,y by his love and his rank, had schemed
try love and romance And it would have
Natly pleased John, who wished bis road
tie good fortune, had he known that the
,sy Of this adventure, told with enthusiasm
i eagerness, had made the singer pardon
= intrusion Of a rejected suitor, and that
q baron losing no advantage, had at last
mt the sapling and won a wife And it
puld also have amused John had he known
vt wherever American millionaires, who
known to be as eccentric as they are rich, /
I've congregated, there did the baron look
st his friend But, after all, it probably /
rs the Spanish woman who had the best in
end because when she went to Granada
h her husband, who was a matador, how
llny operas and how much music did she .
& hear while she and her friends were look
u for the two foreign singers who had .
pped at her house and rested while they /
cticed their parts.-Louiso Stockton In
l'pers Bazar.