Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-12-11

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 parsonage, 'Fd never bother
my head again about the Russian. The
funny thing is this gal looks little az
the Russian would like to, if she could.
But the beauties can't do anything but
look beautiful, as a rale. Well, we'll
see. | might like to have her for opera
GoufTe, anyhow"
"Were you On the southern side dur
ing the war, genera1T- inquired Mr.. Ran
doiph, as they sat down.
''Humphl 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 complexity of
the modern gospel of music cannot sup
plant nor outweigh.
AS the mighty strains woD control of
the listeners senses all things seemed
to undergo a noble transformation.
There was feeling Of enlargement and
exaltation, what was trifing 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
things, and gives them speech and mean
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 -orth 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 It
and strengthened her; it an
nulled the merely individual and acct
dental limitations of her being, and
brought her into that large, impersonal
state which marks the artist in seasons
of inspiration. So was it with the py
thoness of old, who, in such measure as
her private personality was subdued and |
Obliterated by the god, took on the gods
own superhuman guise Of majesty. |
Beatrix, when she sang, rose above |
Beatrix, and became the fearless and |
self unconscious instrument of her arts |
expression. Whatever reverence and /
dignity belonged to music belonged in
;uch moments to the musician, and she /
bestowed the faculty of reverence upon
hose who were before incapable of it.
The general had at first put on astrict-
y critical air, as of one to whom pleas
Tres and social amenities are one thing, /
md very well in their place, but bust
less quite another. After two or three
minutes, however, he had forgotten all
bout everything except the rise and fall,
he swell and resonance, the airy gam
)olings and the strong, melodious poise
md movement of this matchless voice.
There is point in the enjoyment of art
where we cease to draw comparisons, |
md only feel that we are following the
rtist's charmed footsteps into hitherto
regions of beauty and fasci- /
lation Our burden of responsibility /
ais from our shoulders because we are
conscious that what we now see or hear
5 better than anything we have hereto
ore known. This recognition Of true
mastery, wherever and whenever met
With, is among the surest signs of knowl-
dee and exDerience a fun um find :