Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-12-03

| small cottage in Devonshire living n uile
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 tho
country, then reddening under the first
| Hush OF autumn, soothed and consoled her
| but presently q chance meeting with an
Old fellow student of music revived again
In all its intensity the trouble of the i'm
| prIsored sense, and once more Christina
lapSed into u duh despair
The sympathetic kindly vicar of the
place himself an accomplished amateur
musician and as such keenly appreciative
of the calamity that had beiillen Chris
tina, sought her out. BY this time she
bad acquired the pitiful skill of reading
words by the motions Of the lips
You must TO brave" she could perceive
he was saying to her, and resigned"
Would you heY" 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-Beethoven ~
"Beethovenn broke in the girl holly
II have been reading about him lately,
and here Ia what he said hn1Nrlf What
humiliation when any one standing be-
side me could hear at II distance a flute
that | could not hear or any one heard a
shepherd singing and l could not dstin-
guish sound! Such circumstances
brought me to the brink Of despair, and
had well nigh made mo 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 I? A little
mechanical skill and passionate love for
music-nnw become "a curse to me. | tell
you candidly, vicar, that 1t is sheer COW
ardice that prevents me from taking my
life"
The vicar tried to look shocked, but only
partially succeeded.
Its very sad" he said simply, "but
patience is the only weapon we poor NOR
tails have against fate-that and time"
And deadly, dreary weapons they are
But hy all means let us console ourselves
with our own mperfections-th impossi-
| bility Of retaining u sharp edge to our i'm
pressions. In time perhaps may become
dun enough tn forget that there Is such
thing as musc-or heaven, Possibly with
ward yeeetation."
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 en>ily under ii rebuff. Christina
ph!llip4ou Interested him personally, and
the problem of her life interested him still
more. He determined If possible, to find
some tulerallc solution Of that problem.
II 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 helped, she found,
to rcrrf tiucr the score in her mind, and
she took t. playing for hours at a stretch
until the old Dcveushire dame who kept
the house was almost fain to wish she were
deaf too.
But, in spite Of this solace and in spite
of the helpful vicar and his admirable
wife and all the soothing influences of
rural life, Christina became more and
more restless and unhappy, and when tho
landscape grew white under n hard winter
and the blue summer seas changed to an
iron gray she fell into 50 respondent n
state that her friends at the parsonage be-
came seriously concerned for her.
And then AN event happened which once
more changed the course of her life.
Returning one afternoon from a brisk
walk W hich had lent Il touch Of color to her
pale checks, She WAS met at the doorway
by her old dueuna.
"Ihcre's visitor to see you, miss, y she
remarked, with II half smile
Wondering "a little rs tn the identity OF
this afternoon caller, Christina PASSED into
her little room.
i,b J. 10 IN
table and his head bent. His back Was
turned toward her but she realized in an
instant that here was her lover returned.
David" she exclaimed involuntarily.
David Fraser started to his feet.
81 have found you, he cried and held
out his hands.
But the girl did not Immediately re-
| spord and for moment they two re-
| pnrtltd each other with mutual pity
| Fraser WAS wasted by sickness, and the
seal Of a great sorrow had left its mark
upon Christina.
She had borne her trouble dry eyed I'M
til then, bur the sympathy expressed IN
her lovers face was too much fer her. and
she broke into "a flood of tears.
David Fraser was not the man to neglect
his opportunity. He took her hand in his
"Christiua,' he said, we want each
other, you and l. Your deafness matters
nothing. My life has been shaken TO its
foundations. need your help to strength
en- it,
He struck the right note, not the note of
pity, but that Of appeal. Christina
watched the words form on his lips and
hope arose in her heart
Are You sure you want me- she asked,
and added hastily, but for both our sakes,
for heavens sake do not say yes out OF
compassion,
And Fraser made answer IN the I'M
memorial fashion.
Eighteen months had passed and Chris
+ina sat with Aer nrstborn child in her
arms. I.anguidly she watched the June
roses uodding at the open window, and
| then her eyes fell upon the sleeping child.
j.. (. .,,..,,,n,,t the old trouble swept over