San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-26

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1t was only by an heroic effort that Mr.
Randolph subdued the evidence of his
curiosity, and perhaps did not succeed
in Disgusting it so completely but that
his guests could amuse themselves by
detecting it.
At length, when the bottle was near
ing its last glass, Jocelyn turned to the
young hostess with his most fascinating
manner and said: my dear Beatrix,
wonder whether your piano is in tune!
The general and are pining for|some
music. The fall season hasn't begun yet,
you know, and positively l don't believe
either he or ! have heard any singing
| worthy of the name for four months
| Ell, general
-Four months! / should think not, by
Jupiter" returned the general, rubbing
his nose pleasantly. Zone doesn't hear
| good singing as often as that, my dear
boy. I'm just tell you," he continued,
turning to Beatrix, "a thing my dear old
friend Dorimar said to me once
"Was Professor Dorimar friend of
yours" exclaimed Beatrix, with sun
shine streaming from her eyes.
"Wel, guess it was good while be-
fore you was born that | knew him
first" said the general gallantly; ''and
there was nobody had much to say about
music after him.
''Oh, I'll sing for you as much as you
wish!' rejoined the young lady, all alive
with generous pleasure. Thinking of
Professor Dorimar always makes me feel
as if could do anything" She led the
way, as she spoke, to the inner sit
ting room, the scene of her late battle
with Mr.. Vinal. The gentlemen fol-
lowed, and Jocelyn took the opportunity
to murmur to lingo, What do you think
of herr"
IF she could sing as she looks" re-
sponded that persOnage, "Td never bother
my head again about the Russian. The
funny thing is this gal looks little as
the Russian would like to, if she could.
But the beauties can't do anything but
look beautiful, as rule. Well, We'll
see. l might like to have her for opera
bouffe, anyhow"
"Were you on the southern side dur
ing the war; general?' inquired Mr. Ran
dolph, as they sat down.
."Humph! my commission was an En-
glish one," the general replied, with
military presence of mind. Hadn't the
luck to see your country till after the
racket was over" Here he endeavored
to catch Jocelyn's eye, in order to relieve
his own feelings by wink, but at that
moment Beatrix's fingers touched the
keys, and thenceforward nothing was
possible but to listen.
1t need not be asked what she sang on
this momentous occasion. Her method
and quality would have been apparent
in almost any selection. But the phases
of emotion through which she had re-
Gently passed were surging toward that
expression which only music can afford,
and with deep drawn breath and ex-
ultant heart she launched into passage
from one of those grand works of the
last century which all the intellectual
brilliance and pictorial completely of
the modern gospel of music cannot sup
plant nor outweigh.
AS the mighty strains won control of
the listeners senses all things seemed
70 undergo a noble Transformation.
There was a feeling of enlargement and
exaltation, what was trihing and ignoble
faded out of sight, or was absorbed into
the prevailing harmony of ordered
beauty. Passion gained majesty from
restraint Sorrow throbbed with the
delight of joy, and joy assumed the
dignity of sorrow. The mystic unity
of art, which grasps the elements of
ing; the utterance of the divine reason,
which transcends the bondage of words;
the language that belongs to no man,
but to mankind-this magic and mys-
terry of song, flowing forth in its grand
eur and enchantment from a simple
girls throat cast over all spell of Won
der and delight, and but for the pro-
found warrant of its beauty would have
seemed miraculous.
The room in which the auditors sat
appeared to assume finer proportions;
| the very chairs and tables were endowed
| with elegance, and the persons them
selves were conscious of certain state
| illness in their attitudes and movements,
and of being uplifted to higher sphere
of thought and feeling than was native
to them. And the singer was transfg-
ured; for the music which touched the
others as it were from without was made
the very form and fiber of her soul. 1t
magnified and strengthened her; it an
nulled the merely individual and acct