Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-11-13

gested itself to Christina,
Having so far met as she thought, the
exigencics of the situation, Christina
moved herself aud her belongings to a
small cottage in Devonshre, lying mile
or two out Of Plymouth, and prepared, in
company with an old lady from whom she
rented the rooms to face the task of living
out the rest of her life.
For awhile the beautiful aspect of the
country, then reddening under the first
flush of autumn, soothed and consoled her,
but presently chance meeting with an
old fellow student of music revived again
in all its intensity the trouble OF the i'm
prsoned sense, and once more Christina
lapsed into "A duh despair
The sympathetic kindly vicar of the
place himself an accomplished amateur
musician and as such keenly apprecative
of the calamity that had befallen Chris
tina, sought her out. BY this time she
had acquired the ptiful skill of reading
words by the motions of the lips
"You must he brave, she could perceive
he was saying to her. and resigned "
Would you heg" she asked.
81 should try he answered, sticking to
his guns, "and with help perhaps succeed. "
Christina smiled and shook her head
You are not the only one, you know"
continued the vicar, Disconnected and
laundering in his effort at consolation.
"There have been Others-Be Beethoven. "
Beethoven" broke in the girl hotly.
Il have been reading about him lately,
and here is what he said himself What
a humiliation when any one standing be-
side me could hear at a distance a flute
that l could not hear or any one heard
shepherd singing and l could not distin-
gush sound Such circumstances
brought me to the brink of despair, and
had well nigh made me put an end to my
life-nothing but my art held my hand.
That is how Beethoven felt about 1t, and
he had his art, you see-the consolation of
composition But what have r. a little
mechanical skill and passionate love for
music-now become curse to me. tell
you candidly, vicar that it is sheer cow
ardice that prevents me from taking my
life"
The vicar tried to look shocked, but only
4 partially succeeded
ITS very sad" he said simply, "but
patience is the only weapon we poor NOR
tails have against fate-that and time. p"
And deadly, dreary weapons they are.
But by all means let us console ourselves
with our own imperfeCtions-th impossi-
/ bility of retaining a sharp edge to our i'm
pressions In time perhaps l may become
dull enough to forget that there is such
thing rs nusic-or heaven. Possibly with
care may make even further progress to-
ward vegetation.
She spoke with great bitterness. and the
good CLERGYMAN. not being able to make
ANYTHING of her mood. beat "A retreat.
He was not man, however, to sit
down easily under rebuff. Christina
Phillipson interested him personally, and
the problcm of her life interested him still
more. He determined. if possible. to find
some tolerablc solution of that problem.
1t was under the pressure of his urgent
advice that the Girl resumed her piano-
forte practice. The movements Of her fin
gers over the keyboard helurd. she found
to reproduce the score in her mind, and
she took to plnyinp for hours at a stretch
until the old Dcvonshire dame who kept
the house was almost fain TO wish she were
deaf too
But. in suite of this solace and in spite
of the hclpful vicar and his admirable
wife and all tbe soothing Influences of
rural life. Christina became more and
morn restless ard unbonnv and when tho
lnrd-capc grew white under a hard winter
/ and the hllc summer seas changed to an
iron grav she fell into so RESPONDENT a
state that her friends at the parsonage be-
came seriously concerned for her
And then an event happened which once
moro changed the course of her life.
Returning one afternoon from brisk
walk which had lent a touch of color to her
male cheeks she was met mt the doorway
bv her old dueuna.
"There's Il visitor to see YOU. miss" she
remarked. with a half smile
Wondering a little ms to the identity of
this afternoon caller. Christina PASSED into
her little room.
A man sat with his arm resting on the
table and his head bent. His back was
turned toward hcr but she rcnIized in an
instant that hero was ber lover returned
t,T.,mt -, - I.tl
David Fraser started to his feet
~ have found vou :, he cried and held
ont his hands
/ =, ~, i. -,