The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-05-25


his abstraction of mind, together with
an extreme diff1dence, rendering him
unfit both to follow and to lead. With
in himself he might lay plans for vigor-
GUS action, for forcing the world to rec
ognize the genius which he knew was
his, but when the time for action came
he always shrank and waited until it
was too late
And so the dreams of his young days
had never materialized, and he was still
almost where he had begun, an uniden-
tifiable part of that great whole, the
grand orchestra of the Hyperion.
Never at ease in the company of 9TH
ers, he had drawn further and further
away from his fellow men, finding his
only comradeship, and the clearest ex-
preston of his thoughts in the clinging
sweep of the bow upon the strings. He
fell into the habit of putting all his
doubts and hopes into the music which
he played to himself, and it seemed as
though the violin understood and an
swered him.
1t came to pass that he rarely spoke
in any other way, but went through his
work silently, unheeding the presence
of others, unanswering their words. His
fellows in the orchestra called him era
~ and made him the butt for many
pleasantries of a personal nature. The
conductor alone recognized the absolute
certainty Of time and strength and pur-
ity Of tone which the little old man
evoked, and when some one must be
found to take the solo part in the great
orchestration Hartzell was chosen.
"We'll give you chance the IA
nous musician had said. Remember
your time and don't hurry, and am
sure you will get through all right, y
and Hartzell had dumbly bowed his
thanks and gone home in a condition of
dreamy exaltation to tell the glad news
over and over again to the only friend
whose sympathy he cared for.
The distant peal of the tower clock
reused him at last, and he fastened
through his simple toilet and went out
into the cold, drizzling rain Of the au-
tumn night The streets were crowded
with people on their way to the various
places of amusement, and he was jostled
this way and that like a frail skiff
among larger craft, but he noticed moth
ing, for in the glory of hope he was as
one marching in the procession of his
own triumph.
In the dim orchestra room under the
stage Hartzell received his final instruc-
tions from the leader, and then, mount
ing the dusty stairway, found quiet
corner in the wings and sat down to
wait his turn, hugging the violin to his
breast.
From the auditorium came the faint
burr of many voices, mingled with a
subdued rustling as the late arrivals
settled themselves in comfortable an
ticipation. Suddenly there was hush,
and the melody of the grand overture
burst forth in all its swinging, swaying
rhythm. Hartzell listened intently. He
had never before been upon the stage
during performance, and the music
sounded strangely in his ears. He start
ed apprehensively at the rattle of APP
plause which followed hard upon the
closing strains Of the overture, and a
wave of nervousness swept over him as
he realized that he must face so many
people. He was conscious of wish that
his trial came later in the programme
instead of being the third number.
The prima donna stepped forth from
one of the brightly lighted dressing
rooms and nodded smilingly to Hartzell
as she passed. He envied her the conf
dence which she showed so plainly. A
few moments later her glorious voice
rang out as steady and clear as the
Ginning of a bell, but to him it was
only as the running of the sand in an
hour glass, for when 1t ceased he must
take his stand on the brilliantly illu-
minated stage, before the gaze Of 1000
eyes. His heart began to beat wildly
against his breast, and he found himself
tremblingly shrinking from the moment
to which he had looked forward 90 con-
fidently. Vague thoughts Of possible
fight flashed through his brain, but he
realized that it was too late, and vainly
tried to steady his nerves for the ordeal.
Again and again the applause rose
and fell as the last notes of the wonder
full contralto died away, and the solo
list had to bow her acknowledgment re-
peatedly; then there came a pause,
which to Hartzell seemed to last for
hours. At length the orchestra played
the Introduction to his number, and he
started to his feet convulsively and step
ped out into the glars Of the footlights.
The audience saw an undersized, gray
haired man, whose clean shaven face
was almost childish in expression as he
stood there, nervously waiting. Hart
zell saw shimmering, changing blur,
from which half indistinguishable
forms started out for a moment, and
then faded away like phantoms in a
cleaning mist, only to reappear again
in different shape. A noise like the
shouting of an angry mob sounded in
his ears, and he reeled and took a step
backward, raising his hand to his fore
head involuntarily. At last he caught
the eye Of the conductor, who nodded
encouragement, and he raised his violin
mechanically and made ready to play.
The smoothly flowing accompaniment
began, but Hartzell stood at first mo-
tionless, his heart held in the grasp of
deathlike fear. He could recall no
note Of the air which he knew so we'll
His memory, confused by fright. was at
a standstill and would not respond to
his desperate entreaty. Like one in a
trance, he saw the conductor give the
signal which was fatal to him and his
hopes. The accompaniment stopped abb
ruptly, and he felt the wondering hush
which came over the great audience.
In his disappointment and hopeless
ness he could have cried aloud. This
was the moment for which he had wait
ed so many cruel, long years. This was
his triumph The tears crept down his
withered cheeks and his lips moved
TREMENDOUSLY. He made no attempt to
leave the stage, but stood with bowed
head, while the hopes and dreams Of
his wasted life passed in review before
him and crumbled away in the light Of
the consciousness that he had been
found wanting.