Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-02

~T| s ours 'I''s s% often .,
tempted to think that
| It would make a really interesting story II
a reporter would some time simply
write out an account of a single
days experiences and tell all he sees with
out adding even tinge of romance.
First Of all the very variety Of the life has a
certain charm for the uninitiased, who have
an idea that it must be delightful to be be
| hind the scenes in everything. as they like
| to put it. AS though it was always pleasant
to see things stripped of all romance.
Now 1t is right there that / take issue
with what the colonel has just said. 1t is
not well to have everything laid bare
would rather have some Of the Silt left on
my ginger bread. / want a little romance
in mine would like to go all through life
and have some OF the illusions of youth left
when get through; and here l am not yet
thirty, not by several years, and the few
ideals that 1 managed to bring with me
since 50 fast that have hardly been able
to see them go. That's why 1 ON tempted to
quit journaltsm-thanks, 1 mean the news
| story to tell that illustrates the point ] am
making. Talking is not much i'm my line,
however. and have often thought / ought
TO Write what 1 have to say. Still, IL some
body will stand mug of ale I'll tell il any
way. Thanks, judge, here's to you. and
mere goes.
Well. to begin WITH I suppose you boys all
remember that fellow Harrington who died
couple OF weeks ago and had such big
funeral snnes 70 The papers gave good deal Of
amount to good deal, even IL he dim {,
peace to his ashes. He was a pretty lively
youth and they do say that The way he
made the paternal ducats fly WAS n caution
to fathers and I've no doubt he has fur
nished the text for many a sermon to way
ward youth since he left us. He set a fast
he Ir, E.ax.r
II up long, but he had a good time while Il
lasted. The way 1 came to get on to tbs
story was very natural one.
The day after he died our city etlitor
called me into his room and told me he
wanted me to do the funeral AMI TO give il
"He never did anything in particular" re-
marked the man of the shears and paste
pot, but his father is an old-time friend of
about half a column II you can get il in
early enough. The ceremony is a. . O'clock
You can write your stuff up in the organ
loft, and If You have one of the boys come
up there after your copy You ought to be
aDIe TO get a good story down in time for
me second edition. There's nothing on the
book for you this evening, SO you needn' I
come back to the Office"
1t was a great show, and fiatter myself
that We had fairly good account Of it
that afternoon. Pretty much all of the
west end was there. and could have filled
half a column with the ma mes of prominent
people In the congregation IL 1 had wanted
1 was through my work and had my stuff
on Its way to the Office long before the GER
emony was over, but stayed on because
wanted to see just how far the minister
would go in his remarks about the departed
brother De mortuis and the rest of it is
all Well enough. but / think they carry 1t
too FAR sometimes. Then, you know up at
that church they have an organist that can
fairly make that big organ of his talk and
cry, too, when he feels that way; and like
nothing better than to sit UP there in the
lott when he Is playing away 80 that he
fairly forgets that there is any one else in
the church. After the congregation has all
gone he sits there by the hour and plays to
himself as though it was his only pleasure
and solace in life.
He's a queer old chap. I don't suppose he
ever had much fun out of life, but somehow
! like him. and every time i am sent up
pon9 tne WS;s make
ward with my old friend. could
SIT there for hours and hear him
talk to me with his music There is
about it. but IT touches me in some sensi-
i've place, and II makes me feel sure that
mere an,T Is some story in his life II one could
special. ! know, and I'm going to try to get
1t sometime. He has no family OF that /
am certain, but somehow he seems to take
the greatest interest in young people and
I've noticed that he always plays his best
at weddings. He does not often talk much.
but that day after every one had gone [ got
MIN started by asking him If he had
known anything about the young man Who
was dead. At first he did not seem inclin-
ed to talk. but finally. after he had been
wandering over the keys for some time.
making music that was infinitely sad and
as If ii was full of tender memories he
turned part way about on his stool and told
me story that 1 shall never forget 1 DO
not know whether Ii was true, but at any
rate 1t was worth the hearing, for 1T taught
me lesson that was worth the learning
1t showed me that there are always two
ways at least of looking at the same thing.
and who can say which is the better v-.y?
There was something very impressive in
the scene to me. By the time he had fin
ished the church was almost dark and all
the iight there was came through the STAIN
ed glass windows and gave a melancholy
tinge to it all. One ray from the setting
sun as 1t broke through the clouds fell fair
upon the old mans head and gilded his
young again. The lines in his face seemed
to fade away as he talked along in his low
sweet voice. For time almost forgot
the realities OF the world outside and was
lost in the enthusiasm and feryor of the ola
musicians story. i can give YOU a pretty
good idea of what the old man said, for IL
made deep impression on me at the time
and thought then that / would write II nm
some time. But / haven't. 1t would seem
almost sacrilege to treat his ideal any
less earnestly than he did. couldn't write
that sort OF story, anyway, but I'll try to
tell 1t to you just as he told it to me.
Yes. can tell you his story now tina, he
is dead-poor boy-so full of life and hope
and promise that it seems almost as though
1t could not be-
1 must have grown to love him more than
knew, for now that he Is dead 1 feel in
deed that have lost friend. Yet never
knew him, never even spoke to him. He
was young man. while my youth has gone
so far into the past that Ii seems as though
L never had been young. He was a man of
the world. with many friends and what am
L but poor old tired-out musician living
by adding what little / can to the pleasure
of others? 1 have looked upon his face for
the last time. He is dead, and they have
carried him forth from this great church.
where his friends were gathered together
TO show as best they could the love and re-
spect they bore him. We heard the mir
lister say those words of consolat ton and
hope, old, yet ever new, It am the resur-
rection and the life" What more could he
have said?
alone up here / with my thoughts and the
memories Of other years that come flood
ing over me. The light from those rich
coiored windows is already beginning to
fade away and these evening shadows give
an added gloom to this dreary place Not
one of all that crowd that was so lately
here ever gave a thought to the old musi-
clan, and yet II seems to me that 7 knew
him better than any of them / knew his
row was that spoiled his life and made him
glad to die. There was one other, but she
learned 1t when 1t was too Lane
l saw her, too today. She was pale and
sad-eyed and when the voice of the singer
rang out rich and clear. bearing aloft the