Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-08-27

One day soon after had been declared
convalescent, my stepfather suddenly
raised the house by announcing that some
money-but paltry amount, only few
sovereigns, left carelessly by him in his
study before his dinner-had disappeared
after that meal.
None but members of the family and
the servants were In the house at the
time; of these the last were subjected to
strict examination and search, all to no
purpose, and then the storm burst above
my head.
was the only person who had been seen
to enter the room where the money was,
between the time of its being placed there
and its disappearance, and-you know the
rest. my own pure good mothers son,
was accused before the whole household
| or stopping to an act, the petty meanness
Of which was as far beneath me as the sky
| is above.
Yes, then and there, before all the as
| Sembled servants and family, my step
| father made the accusation In words which
fell upon my soul like iron bars scorching
| human flesh.
Never to this day shall l forget how,
| with all the cruelty of which man was
ever capable, he condensed into one sweep
ing torrent of reproaches all the taunts Of
| days gone by; upbrafding me with every
| meanness and vice, until, with all my
| souls fire thrilling in the command, I
| babe him be silent.
| AT length he had reused mel, whose
| only fault in the matter was that nv
pride had s1umbered too long. had
listened quietly, nay patiently, to insults
which had not had the strength to refute
| Now, however could sleep no longer,
and face to face dared defy my accuser
to the very last. But alas my defiance
was but short-lived, my failing breath
brought it to an abrupt end. When re-
| covered consciousness l was too weak and
i'll to think of anything but submission.
For my mothers sake, as he said, my
| stepfather would not make the affair Of
| my theft public; the torrent of my just
anger had, 1 verify believe, cowed him: he
was willing to make concessions but
would listen to no word from him.
No longer would prove myself Of such
| mean spirit as to stay in the house
where SO unjust an accusation had been
| made against me-in home which was
mine-under such degrading conditions
No; would not remain beneath that
inhospitable roof one day longer.
would quit it for ever, and go
| Where9
That was the question. But would
not stop to answer it. After what had
occurred any place under any oircum-
| stances was better than the present one.
So go l did, without pausing to think
DE-
Thus the next morning found me setting
out into the world-alone and utterly
without friend to whom to turn in my
trouble-to seek my fortune, OF myself to
be lost in the busy mazes of the great
universe.
Yes, was alone and friendless, but not
entirely desolate No. that 1 could never
be while that one great consolation re-
manned to me, the one pleasure in all
w n rno fhn h1r InI 10
cling to, on which hung with feverish
belief that 1t might lead me to some end.
have spoken of an anchor which in the
shipwreck of my first highest aspirations
my dear mother held out to me-
From quite child had been passion
ately fond Of music. 1t was that that
saved me in my worst trouble
found that though nv arms were
bound so that I could not stretch them
out to reach the glorious fruits In the gar
den of knowledge, there were other no
less beautiful delights which lay beneath
my hand. There were the flowers-the
beautiful soulinspiring heart-stirring flow
ers of melody within my grasp.
If l was debarred by nature from all
else, 1 could yet satisfy my longing to be
master in some science, and 1 would be a
musician. Filled with delight at the idea,
/ pursued 1t with an eagearness which for
once was not checked by inward weak
ness. I ceased to regret what else had
lost in the greatness of what had found.
l forgot all holder, more worldly dreams,
and lived in glorious, only too happy
world-where music, the GODDESS Of
sounds-the one great golden link be.
tween the material and the immaterial
reigned. This should make life worth liv-
ing to me-nay more, it should be my life,
the means by which should live, and that
living, life of fame and complete happi-
ness.
The means by which 1 should livel ]
pause and repeat those words because ]
think of the second Interpretation which
learnt to put upon them. At first to me
1t meant only that my beloved music
should feed my soul and keep 1t from be-
ing entirely hidden meath the darkness of
dispair; but when l found myself about
to start for myself into the world, very
unwillinglv ! saw in it the only means by
which l could hope to support my body,
the only weapon had with which to fight
against the greater darkness of the work.
ing world.
In what before had been my pleasure
and pastime 1 now saw my sole means of
living, without which must indeed have
been desolate.
Ny favorite instrument was the harp.
but could also play the piano, violin, and
organ; none of which, however. pleased
me so much as my favorite-
How many time, when my whole body
and soul were weary with the endless
struggle perpetually going on within me,
have sat down with my harp against my
knee, resting my burning brow against its
gilded frame, and letting my fingers stray
at random over the strings, poured out !
the bitter anguish of my soul In the music !
which flowed beneath them until uncon-
sciously the utterance of my own grief and |
WEAKNESS soothed me, and brought back |
the piece which seemed driven from me
for everi
My beloved harpi How my heart even
now burns at the sight of you, with your
quaintly-carved and gilded frame, we'll. |
worn with age, but to which the wear of |
time has even a&1ed yet more beauty
How well do l remember the first day I |
claimed you as my ownl But thereby |
hangs tale which since it has to do with |
what have to tell later on, 1 will pause |
for moment in my story to relate
was one day in the town with my |