St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-12-23

time; I thought then that I would writ
it up some time. But ! haven't. /
would seem almost sacriege to treat Iii
ideal any less earnestly than he did.
couldn't write that sort of story, any
way, bur I'll try to tell it to you just Il
he tod it to me.
Yes, can tell you his story, now tina
he is dcad-poor bpy-so full Of life ano
hope and promise that it seems almost q
though it could not be.
must have grown to love him more
than knew. for now that he is dead,
feel in Iced that have lost friend. Yc
| never kne" him, never spoke to him
He was q young man. while my you'll
has gone SO far into the past that it seem:
as thought never had BEEN young. III
was a man of the world, with man,
friends, and what am l but poor, ole
tired-out musician, living by adding wha
little | cln to the pleasure Of others?
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-
spcct they bore him. We heard the
minister say those words of consolation
and hope. old, yet ever new, II am tho
resurrection and the life" What more
| could he have said!
| Now all are gone and you and | are
left alone up here, I with my thoughts
and the memories Of other years that
come flooding over me. The light from
those rich -culOred windows is already
beginning to fa'le away and these evening
shadows give an added gloom to this
dreary place. Not one Of all that crowd
that was so lately here cyergave a Thought
to the old musician, and yet it seems to
me that knew him better than any of
them. knew his hopes and fears and
I knew what the sorrow was that spoiled
his life and made him glad to die
There was one other, but she learned it
when it was too late.
| saw her, too, to-day. She was pale
and sad-cyed and when the voice Of the
singer rang out rich and clear, bearing
aloft the words of that sweet hymn Of
hope, land is this all 2" felt somehow
that she was weeping and that she knew
it was not all.
| remember 50 we'll the first time that
l saw her. She was but girl then, Just
growing into womanhood, and was one
of the musicians who played at the ball
given in honor Of her first appearance in
society. Yes, she was what they call Il
society girl, but she looked to me like
one who was able to lead and not to fol-
low others. Well born, rich and beauti-
full, life must have looked very fair to
her. | remember she was spoken of as
the most successful dcbutante Of the sea-
son. She WAS beautiful, If that there
was no doubt, with dark hair and eyes
that would Start a man to lmprOviSinr
wild aud noble music, with passionate
and tender strains, but with here and
there a iarring note, for there was some
thing about her eyes that med out of
place--a proud, ambitious look that did
not become Young girl and that made
her look older than she really was. She
was that sort OF woman that might in
spirc q man to noble deeds if she would.
or else to wreck all beside rather than
to lose her; whom u man might love,
and, losing, die for. knew that even
though was but lonely old musician.
| often wonder whether the people at
receptions and balls in the great world
ever give IL thought to the musicians
sitting off Ivy themselves and playing
for their pleasure. DO they ever realize
for a moment that We see all tn t goes on
about lis and axe the TN cen audience of
many farce and comedy and tragedy
Mauyu ball room is the scene of events
that may make CT maj a life. aud we
musicians, left out g account and
screened, perhaps. behind flowers and
foliage, are often the closest and most
lntcre ted spectators. \ queer lie is
this Of ours, going from house to house,
from reception to ballroom, playing oar
parts in scenes in which W. really have
no part. Yet We are always there Dur
ing the gay season VIC may see the same
faces aglin and again, day after day,
night alter Ii ,,ht, until we get to know
hem well. New faces come, familiar !
aces disappear from our view, yet nany's /,
he one We follow with interest. w sec !
'e' pc meeting for tnc first time. They (
ak idly for while, dance together |
nd, perhaps. never see one another !
again. Or the following winter
We see them together everywhere /
sc 60 and, seeing me, we know right |
veil We viii! see the other not far away. |
)nc can tell great deal if one only sees
persons eye light up as if :: sees a
slshed-ior face appear. That may be .
II, or tie friendship may ripen into
pore. So the world wags, and 50 it
vi!l continue to wag on long after my
myers have lost their cunning and !
rown stiff and cold. /
How often have played right merriIy !
t young girls first dance, and later on
layed her wedd ng march, or, per-
hancc-and this is the saddest task of
ll--have played above her body music
hat she did not hear and that would
rave sounded weak and poor compared
o the sweet strains she was perhaps
lready hearing All, me, what deal
II old man has seen: and yet that boy
gho is now in his last resting pIice
nows more of the great riddle of life and
cath than one can learn in a long life on
arth. "In moment, in the twinkling
f an eye," said the minister.
But am wandering from his story.
1t was in her second season that they
let. From the first she had been what
hey call success. I could tell that
ven from my point of view. She was
ourted, sought after and admired. At
very ball it seemed to me she held
title court. Men tiocked to her side,
nd heard it whispered that one or two
ad reason to wish that they had never
act her. | did not like her as we'll as I
lid when | first knew her. I am old,
nd [ may haYc been q little cunical t,1t