Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-09-09
SUNSHINE TO SPARE.
by EVERETT HoLBRooK.
[copYR1aHr. 1851

In the early days Of my struggle In
this big city | used to suffer a yeritable
hunger for music. had been brought
on it. My father and mother and
my sisters are real musicians. As for
me, | am singularly destitute of any
capacity for playing upon an instru
ment. couldn't learn even the jews
harp in n thousand years, and, though [
can sing a little, my principal use at
home was as a listener who never got
tired. 1t is hard for a young fellow
who has had home such as that to
come out into the world all alone AMI
hear practically nothing for year but
the hand organs under his window. OF
course, there is plenty of music in the
city, if one can pay to hear it, but |
couldn't, and so | went hungry. That
wasn't the only sort Of hunger that !
suffered, either, for things went badly
with me, and | was at the brink of de-
spair. | wouldn't let the people at
home know about tat least not all of
it, They knew that the brilliant pros
poets which cheered me in the begin
ming had faded into nothing, but they
supposed that / was making my living.
As matter of fact, was getting into
debt. | was even in arrears with the
rent of the room / occupied. 1t was a
very small parlor at the front of
ground floor fiat, and cost only four
dollars a week. l thought that quite
moderate when Iengaged the room, but
in the days of my adversely | learned
that one can't pay four dollars with
nothing any easier than he can pay
four thousand.
1t was a gloomy room, / suppose,
even when | was out of IL, but &ny
thoughts in those days cast shadows OF
their own: and so it happened that in
the afternoons when l came back. de-
feated and sat down alone, the dark
TESS fell earlier around me than in any
other spot in the whole city. 1t was
then that | used to fancy myself at
home where there was almost always
music in the hours of twilight; and
Ionged for it, remembering how my
ravorite sister could sit down TO the
piano and play me into any mood she
pleased.
It was at such time that l first
heard the sound of a piano in the room
over my head. l remembered having
seen some furniture vans before the
house on the previous day. Evidently
a family had moved into the second
fat. which had been vacant many
months. IF had known that piano
was being brought into the house,
might have had more fear than hope
for there is always the danger OF an
eternal medley Of popular songs; but l
was spared the period of uncertainty
without warning came the genuie
chords that in a moment grew INTO an
old familiar strain, such as might have
been a part Of my day dream. 1t was
a nocturne of Chopin's, tinged with the
despairing sadness which characterizes
much of that composers greatest work.
It was played correctly and with feel
ing. and my soul responded 10 It
AT home |. used to hear endless as
cussions of the power of music over the
emotions: and | observed that the most
thorough musicians denied any leglu-
i
mate connection between music anu
sentiment. They declared r''usie 70 oe
IN intellectual exercise. ard IT'S proPe,
endowment a matter OF the mind ana
not Of the heart. They always seemed
to me to have the best of the argument
and am willing to admit even now
that TO speak of composition as gray
or gay. hopeful or despairing' Is 70 og
below the level of the subject. rev
think one should have the prlvliese ..
confessing frankly that he Is oelo" 'li'.'
level: that he is the chill of his anees-
tors who have fancisd themselves san
tened or cheered or erlltec by 4a'.sli'
I'd t,at 1t is to hime direct appear
stronger than words and accurately IN,
teIIipible. | had never been suDJeI'Nu
70 m influence more powerful '4lal.
that which was exerted upon me by Lls
neighbor in the room above during ens
succeeding DAYS. What manner o. PEI
son that neighbor might be. u'o no'