Middletown transcript., 1894-07-21

lady Wonder in the horse-cloth dress ant
billy-cock hat say? Don't you think yol
ought to go and help her to drive ava!
the goatp She looks SO frightened. She
/ ,terests me deeply. I wonder whether
she has writer an essay on the 'Femi
nine in Woman should like to read
it: it would do me so much good"
"You are at least true woman, he
said. laughing, "for 1 see you can be
spiteful. The tuning has not driven
that away"
"Ah, 1 had forgotten about the tun-
ing" she answered. brightly; "but now
you remind me, l have been seized by a
great idea"
Won't you tell it to me9" he asked.
"No," she answered. 81 keep my
great ideas for myself, and work them
out in secret. And this one is particu-
larly amusing. What fun l shall have?'
"But why keep the fun toyourselfS''
he said. "We all want to be amused
here; we all want to be stirred up; lit
tie fun would be charity"
"Very well, since you wish it, you
shall be stirred up" she answered; "but
you must give me time to work out my
great idea. do not hurry about things,
not even about my professional duties.
For l have strong feeling that it is
vulgar to be always amassing riches!
As | have neither a husband nor a
brother to support I have chosen less
wealth, and more leisure to enjoy all
the loveliness of lifel So you see take
my time about everything. And to-
morrow l shall catch butterflies at my
leisure and lie among the dear old pines
and work at my great idea."
81 shall catch BUTTERFLIES" said her
companion. "And 1, too, shall lie
among the dear old pines"
"Just as you please" she said; and
at that moment the table d'hote bell
rang.
The little girl FASTENED to the bureau
and spoke rapidly in German to the
cashier.
each. FrauleinT' he said. "You are
not really serious9'
"Yes, am" she said. II don't want
them to know my name. 1t will worry
me. Say l am the young lady who
tuned the piano.
She had scarcely given the directions
and mounted to her room, when Oswald
Everard, who was unusually interested
in his mysterious companion, came to
he bureau and asked for the name of
the little lady.
"Es ist das Fraulein welches das pi-
ano gestimmt hat" answered the man,
returning with unusual quickness to
his account book.
No one spoke 10 the little girl at ta-
Die d'hote, but for all that she enjoyed
her dinner and gave her serious atten-
lion to all the courses. Being thus
'olidly occupied she had not much lei
sure 20 bestow on the conversation of
he other guests. Nor was it specially
original; it treated Of the shortcomings
If the chef, the tastelessness of the
soup, the toughness of the beef and all
he many failings which 60 to complete
| mountain hotel dinner. But sud-
ienly, SO it seemed to the little girl.
his time honOred talk passed into an
,ther phase. She heard the word |
music mentioned, and she became at |
'nce interested 10 learn what these |
PEOPLE had to say subject |
which was dear TO her than any |
'ther.
"For my own part" said stern
ooking old man, II have no words to |
lescribe What gracious comfort music
las been to me all my life. 1t is the
loblest language which man may un.
erstand and speak. And | sometimes
hink that those who know it or know
of it are able at rare mo-
nents to lind an answer to life's per-
licking problems.
The little girl looked up from her
late. Robert Browning's words rose
0 her lips, but she did not give them
tterance:
rod has few OF us whom He whispers in
the ear.
he rest may reason, and welcome; it's we
musicians know.
81 have lived through long life,"
aid another elderly man, "and have
therefore, had my share of trouble; but
he grief of being obliged to give up
1usic was the grief which held me
ongest,or which perhaps has never left
le. l still crave for the gracious plea
ure of touching once more the strings
+ violincello, and hearing the dear,
ender voice singing and throbing and
and answering even such
oor skill as mine. Istill yearn to take
ly part in concerted music, and one
t those privileged to play Beethoven's
tring quartettes. But that will he in
mother incarnation, I think"
He glanced at his shrunken arm, and
hen, as though ashamed of this allu-
ion to his own ptrs nal infitmity, he
dded hastily:
"But when the first pang of such a
ain is over, there remains the com
Drt of being q listener. At first one
oes not think it comfort; but, as
ime goes on, there is no resisting its
lagic influence. And Lowell said
lightly that one of Gods great chari-
les is music.''
II did not know that you were mu
ical. Mr.. Keith" said an English lady.
You hi We never before spoken of
lusic."
perhaps not, madam, she answered.
Ono d,,oo MT of onoa11 of IN huf |