The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-03-10
NUMBER i3.

see. might like to have her for opera
bouffe, anyhow"
"Were you on the southern side dur
ing the war, general?' inquired Mr.. Ran
dolph, as they sat down.
"Humphl my commission was an En-
glish one" the general replied, with
military presence of mind. Hadn't the
luck to see your country till after the
racket was over" Here he endeavored
to catch Jocelyn's eye, in order to relieve
his own feelings by wink, but at that
moment Beatrix's fingers touched tho
keys, and thenceforward nothing was
possible but to listen
It need not be asked what she sang on
this momentous occasion. Her method
and quality would have been apparent
in almost any selection. But the phases
of emotion through which she had re-
Gently passed were surging toward that
expression which only music can afford,
and with deep drawn breath and ex-
ultant heart she launched into u passage
from one of those grand works of the
last century which all the intellectual
brilliance and pictorial complexity of
the modern gospel Of music cannot sup
plant nor outweigh.
As the mighty strains won control Of
the listeners senses all things seemed
to undergo noble transformation.
There was a feeling Of enlargement aud
exaltation, what was triHing and isuoble
faded out of sight, or was absorbed into
the prevailing harmony of ordered
beauty. Passion gained majesty from
restraint. Sorrow throbbed with the
delight of joy, and JOY assumed tho
dignity of sorrow The mystic unity
of art, which grasps the elements Of
things, and gives them speech and mean
ing; the utterance of the divine reason,
which transcends the bondage of words;
the language that belongs to no man,
but to mankind-this magic and mys-
terry of song, flowing forth in its grand
eur and enchantment from simple
girls throat, cast over all spell of Won
der and delight, and but for the pro-
found warrant of its beauty would have
seemed miraculous,
The room in which the auditors sat
appeared to assume finer proportions
the very chairs and tables We're endowed
with elegance, and the persons them
selves were conscious of a certain state
illness in their attitudes and movements,
and OF being uplifted to higher sphere
of thought and feeling than was native
to them. And tho singer was transfig-
ured; for the music which touched the
others as It were from without was made
the very form and fiber of her soul 1t
magnified and strengthened her; it an
nulled the merely individual and acci-
dental limitations of her being, and
brought her into that large impersonal
state which marks the artist in seasons
of inspiration. So was it with the py-
thoness of old, who, in such measure as
her private personality was subdued and
obliterated by the god, took on the gods
own superhuman guise of majesty.
Beatrix, when she sang, rose above
Beatrix, and became the fearless and
; self unconscious instrument of her arts
, expression. Whatever reverence and
dignity belonged to music belonged in
= such moments to the musician. and she
? bestowed the faculty of reverence upon
! those who were before incapable of it.
The general had at first put on astrict-
? ly critical air, as of one to whom pleas
. ures and social amenities are one thing,
and very well in their place, but bust
5 ness quite another. After two or three
minutes, however, he had forgotten all
4 about everything except the rise and fall
the swell and resonance, the airy gam
bolings and the strong, melodious poise
and movement of this matchless voice.
There is point in the enjoyment Of art
where we cease to draw comparisons,
y and only feel that we are following the
7 artists charmed footsteps into hitherto
. unexplored regions Of beauty and fasci.
$ nation. Our burden of responsibility
falls from our shoulders because we are
i conscious that what we now see or hear
is better than anything we have hereto
fore known. This recognition of true
: mastery, wherever and whenever me,
@ with, Is among the surest signs of knowl
edge and experience. A fool will find
l fault with Raphael, and chat through 8
y symphony by Beethoven.
Gen. lingo was not fool He WAS
" vulgar Jew, Of uncertain nationality
Q whose past history and private life would
3 not bear examination, but he knew wha,
music and musical genius are, and ht
could estimate accurately the rarity and
J value of the discovery which Jocelyr
Z had led him to make. Accidents aside
i this unknown and unsuspecting CIR
8 would be one Of the great prime donnt
!, Of the world. 1t was not matter ol
opinion, but Of certainty, Indeed tn,
general fiattered himself that no one be
u side himself and D9rimar would be abl,
i to understand how great she really was
= tro BE Continued