The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-11
EASTER In THE CHOIR.


The blue of a baby's eyes is not clearer.
is not purer, is not deeper than was the
blue of the freshly washed April sky one
Easter morning. To the basso in the
church choir that sky was especially beau
tiful as, from where he sat. he could catch
a glimpse of just one little patch of the
big, cerulean arch. and had not the stained
glass window been just the least bit tilted
for ventilation he could not have seen even
that much of it. The blue sky had. besides.
a particular charm for the basso for he
was comparing it. much TO the sky's dis
advantage. to pair of blue eyes that were
located beneath the leading sopranos be-
wildering Easter hat.
The audience was still. The choir from
its elevation. could hear nothing except
that faint and indescribable rustic OF new
Easter dresses, the occasional clearing of
a throat, the sudden exclamation of a child
not yet church-broken. and the subdued
tiptoeng Of the ushers showing the always
late attendant to a seat. These sounds
were from the congregation, whence came
also an aroma of flowers and the hardly
perceptible breath of artificial perfumes.
1t was in the holy hush that intervenes
between the seating of the congregation
and the pastors announcement of the first
hymn, the hush in which the rafting rum
bic of the trolley car. the Gathering of horse
hoofs on the pavement, the tinkle of the
bicycle bell, the gongs of the milkmen.
the shouts of unchristianiZed children and
other sounds from the outside world seem
almost profane enough TO call for an olden-
time visitation of divine wrath.
But on that particular Easter morning,
and in that particular before-hymn hush,
there wasn't trolley car within full half
dozen squares of the basso's church, and
the nearest trotting carriage horse was
SO far away that the sound of its footballs
were drowned by the heart throbs of the
basso he looked at the leading soprano.
The only distinct sound that did find its
way into the church at that moment was
the singing of a number of birds in the
trees quite near the window that gave the
glimpse of sky. They seemed to the
basso to sing words of love, and, as he
listened reverently. he dropped his eyes un-
til they rested upon the huge bouquets on
the pulpit. There were Easter lilies, roses,
carnations. aspara gus-called by some more
polite name in the greenhouses. but still
asparagus-and moss-rOse buds, all min
gled with fragrant hyacinths. And amid
the waxen petals and green leaves glistened
the florists spraying. Religious emotion,
inhaled with the church atmosphere, had
full sway in the bassos breast, and he felt
as if he could never again think an evil
thought. The cadences in the bird chorus,
the beauty of the flowers, with their dewy
sparkle. the springy fragrance of the
church, the holy silence, the patch of sky
and the leading sopranos eyes became
a inf
and for a brief moment lifted him above
and out of his grosser self and filled him
with exquisitely happy thrill. The mo-
mentary experience was delicious, end
when il had passed it left a sense OF lone
illness that even the eyes of the leading So
prano could not remove. But the hymn
was announced. and as the choir arose and
the first swelling chords of the grand or
gan filled the place with an intensified
Easter spirit, that feeling flashed back upon
the heart OF the basso, and he was happy
again.
When the hymn and the anthem had been
finished the basso took an old envelope
out of his pocket. and, shielded by the
friendly railing, tried To put into verse his
experience of few moments before. But
the sweet emotions were fresh in his
memory that the written words seemed ut
terIy expressionIess by contrast and with
: IL ...-,, - - g
q Sigh, lie CiuIipieu the piece VI envelope
and threw it upon the floor
ne "du VI paper pouhueu near 10 Inc
cOntraito's chair. She partially arose 10
Il. -. s.: - -, -,
dulusI hei uidpeiies' the SWISH Oh the
skirts carried the little unclaimed failure
A.. - $500 g.. e - ,.. 1870
W lHc very leet VI Tire ieduins SoprdnO,
whose blue eyes. never looking in the
basso's direction. had seen all. Without
taxing her eyes from the CLOCK AT the OPP
posite side of the ROOM the soprano let her
natont-,aatho, ,,a s,,ii,a Tho or,harod r.od
and - roII.a hanaa,b har ch.;- No -,
no" ,he ieS. was uoie' inc "au Vi paper
-
nome WIN heT. III the ioheiihess Oh her
room the blue-eyed soprano read these
lines.
49,,
Inc BIRDS sang words
To 1nT LEA .b bI notes