The suburban citizen., 1901-09-21

J delightful gift for music.
"rhe girl with big blue eyes
and curly brown hair?' the other
members OF her class would begin, in
reply to some visitors query oh
you must mean Lucille. She plays
beautifully. She is a perfect genius
and only seventeen! Really, you
must hear her.
Then perhaps they would go in
search of Lucille, and present her to
the Questioner, and then usually the
guest would ask Lucille TO play; and
Lucille, with little added color, would
shyly comply. The visitor, whether
musical or not almost invariably was
interested and pleased, and sometimes
surprised by the girls delicacy of
touch aud expression. "She plays re-
markably well; and she is young" was
the usual Judgment. Are your family
musicale
MY mother used to play" Lucille
always replied quietly, SO quietly that
questioners never asked her why her
mother no longer played. Sometimes
they ask the other girls. in LuCile's
absence; and Beth Burns usually re-
Piled
"Yes Lucile's mother used to play
years ago, before Lucille can remem-
Der much. Mother says she played
much better than Lucille. She probably
would have been famous, but she
burned one Of her hands. 1t was when
Lucille was four years old Her
mother left her for a moment, and
Lucille set her dress ailre with some
matches and her mother took her
right in her arms and put the fire
out with her hands-her beautiful,
wonderful hands! She burned one so
badly that it is all stin. 1t doesn't
show much, but she never could play
again; and she's never been very well
since then, either. Ii hurt her nerves
some way. Lucille just adoreS her."
Beth never tired Of singing the
praises Of Lucille and Lucile's mother.
"They just adore each other. Lucille
spends all her time out Of school doing
things for her mother They used
TO be rather rich, but they aren't now.
Lucile's father died four years ago;
and Lucille and Jim--little hmp-are
the only children"
Beth was thus discoursing one even
ing TO Herr Won Meister, German
pianist, for whom the school was Civ
ing a small reception. Her Won Meister
had honored his hostesses and their
other guests by playing three times
for them. Then he cOurteously re-
peated his request that some of the
music pupils play for him. Il viii
polite be- ne said to himself. He
had heard so many music pupils play!
When at a word from the music
teacher, Lucille, with her white dress,
her shy blue eyes and her Gretchen
like braids Of brown hair, went 10 the
piano. he sighed patiently to himself
and then prepared to give his polite
attention to the expected performance.
"American Fraulelns, dcy bang, oder
dey tinkle," he said to himself.
After one or two measures Herr
Won Meister sat straight up in his
chair This American Fraulem
neither banged" nor "tlnkled." She
played, not wonderfully, but well. and
with touch that was at once charm
ing and original.
! "Vill you once more play, Fraulcin|
was his only comment as she finished
the nocturne. The color deepenod in
Lucile's cheeks IF only mother were
here" she thought.
Wont you come, mother" she had
urged; but the little mother, who also
had blue eyes and curling brown hair,
had shaken her head.
mot tonight, dear You know ]
have all the doctors next article TO
copy. | must do some Of it tonight -
ITO think Of you doing typewriting
when, If it hadn't been for me, you
might have been playing Beethoven
before kings and queens! You should
have thought Of that, mother, when
when you didn't"
Her mother laughed merrily. "My
dear, so l might, but / prefer you, /
think, 10 playing Beethoven before
kings and queens"
Lucille could never forget that for
her, and through her, her mother had
lost the power 70 play the music with
her fingers. "She plays it with heI
life" the imaginative daughter said
to herself Everything she does Is
beautiful music"
She was thinking thus tenderly OF
her mother. when Herr yOn Meistei
nsked her TO play once more. "Beeth
Oven-yOu can" he added; and Lucille
Tmiled; her mother loved Beethoven.
"She will be so happy because he
asked me that" Lucille thought, ant
she smiled to herself, and played on,
Of the andante movements. Il wisl
] could remember how she played it,
she lifted her face, still softly smiling
with thoughts Of her mother, TO Herr
Won Meister, as he in turn stood ant
smiled down at her.
'Mein llebes Fraulein, we're Is it yol
study! We're Is it you get your-touch
| We viii - lao "a gkp1 bap