The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-06-24
A DISCORD.
BY +. ]. W.


TO Whisper
Better late than never
She gave him n nod and laughing
sidewise glance, and slipped softly
into her chair between the short. good.
natured Second Soprano and the tall,
melancholy Tenor. She herself was
neither short nor tall but quite the
happy medium.
A light snow was falling, and few
Of the great feathery fakes still clung
to her sealskin jacket. The Second
Soprano obligingly flicked them of
with her handkerchief in return for
which she received flashing smile of
thanks
The Soprano smiled a great deal. In.
deed, she could we'll afford to, for her
teeth were faultless, and her eyes of
that rare golden brown color which al
ways reminds one Of a sunbeam dane.
ing upon clear, dark pool of water.
Beautiful eyes, truly, and rejecting
in their liquid depths the many and
varying moods of an impulsive, gener-
Gus, intense nature.
When She rose in her place and sent
that wonderful voice of hers ringing
and thrilling straight into the hearts
of the people. they listened in an &C.
stacy of enjoyment and sudden spirit
ual uplifting.
For some the radience of actual di-
vinity lay along the dim old aisles and
touched the exquisite faces upon the
chancel window; the solemn tones of
the great organ became the blended
sweetness Of many harps and voices
led by the one soaring, vibrating voice
which sang praise and honor and
glory to the Most High.
Something of this kind was said to
her once. She threw back her dainty
head and laughed long and heartily.
Really. you do me too much honorw
she cried when she could speak. Far
too much honor! Why. have studied
in Paris, Berlin, Rome-I have spent
thousands of dollars to get just that
quality into my voice which you are
pleased to consider so admirable II
is my stock in trade, and should be
foolish indeed did | not use it to the
best advantage"
She loved her art with ardent enthu.
siasm, and pursued it unremittingly
She had been known to spend months
upon an aria before she considered her
self capable of rendering it in an ac
ceptable manner before the congrega
ton.
She said once, carelessly, that She
should never marry-a husband would
be an encumbrance. Women of her
type rarely married men with interests
or attainments similar TO their own,
and If not there could be but one re.
ness either for one or both. which was
true enough as far as it went.
She had not said this in the hearing
Of the Organist, yet it came, as such
things do. to his ears.
There can be no secrets exchanged OF
kept In choir. Every confidence
every bit Of gossip, soon becomes com.
mon property.
The Organist knew perfectly well
that his love for the Soprano afforded
delectable food for many a conjecture
which knowledge often made him pro
vokingly absent-minded; or was 1t the
fault OF the narrow mirror which hung
before him on the organ? That dear
delightful bit of French plate glass
II 1t was tilted at just the proper an.
gle he could catch a glimpse Of rosy
ear nesting in a mass of dark hair
and white neck cleaning above a
brown fur collar, though the vision.
It's true, was often spoiled by the in.
tervening heads Of the lower satellites
Then there was always the hope
that she would permit him, as she
sometimes did, to walk home with hei
after service. True. she lived barely
block from the church. and the dis.
tance always seemed so short to him
because from delight, fear and longing
he was bereft Of speech, or II he spoke
at all, must only utter merest common
places about the weather. or the at
tendance, or the choir, instead OF say
ing that which was In his heart te
say.
On this particular morning he seemed
more than ordinarily lost in thought
When he began to play the "Nunt
Dimitts' instead Of the "Te Deum,
the Basso apprised him of his mistak.
by vigorously poking him in the bacl
with hymn book. The poor organls
colored to the roots Of his wavy blond,
hair. He hastily changed the music
and by the skillful use of a few chord,
dropped into the required key. Blu
the blunder obviously annoyed him
He WAS of an extremely nervous TEN
perament.
The Soprano sang solo that morn
ing-an exquisite. difficult thing wiIici
she had taken great pains In prepar
Ing. After the first note or two sh
saw that she had the undivided sttep