Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-12-23

OF course. They knew now that it must
be so, though they had not given up
hope till they had left the old home and
followed their wanderer to the new coun-
try. They had heard of the wrecked ship
to be sure, but hope dies hard. Perhaps
! II they had been patient-had stayed on
amid the scenes of his childhood-he
might have come back to them; but how
could they be patient when the world
was so wide, and half of it lay between
them and the land that had called their
enid. They were only waiting now-he
! and Elspeth-for the summons which
should call them to the happy reunion in
nome where there would be no sad
sooo-oys, where music knows no minor
ana hearts forget how to ache.
Inc first stroke OF midnight sounded
ana an instant later the bells pealed
| lortn, While the old man sang with trem-
| p4lns lips and voice that no one heard but
God-as he had sung every New Year
since that one:
children Of the Heavenly King
AS ye journey sweetly sing,
sing your Saviour's worthy praise,
SAAo0S Ill his "OTkS anu >NGSS.
Then, as the last reluctant echo died
| away, ne stumbled down the narrow
stairs toward home and Elspeth.
Not far from the believer stood a
mansion, where a great throng had as
sembled to watch the old year out and
! the new year in. Silken draperies rustled
| jewels cleaned, music rippled on the per-
| TUNED air, and happy voices rang sweet
and high. But every sound was silenced
| and bright eyes grew dim in the flood OF
melody which suddenly poured about the
gay throng. They crowded toward the
music room. trying to catch glimpse of
the player. Those who were near saw a
slender man, with fair curling hair
brushed back from a brow as pure as a
woman's. The face was pale and the eyes
sad, but about the sensitive mouth played
an expression of rare sweetness and
beauty. Quietly he sat before the grand
piano, playing without the slightest eff
fort such masterful music as had hushed
the listeners to awe-struck silence.
"Who is he?" was the question passed
from one to another when at last the
cessation Of the music broke the spell.
HE is friend of fathers,'' their
hostess told them. Father met him
abroad some years ago, and by helping
him in search for some missing friends
won his heart. The search was not sue
cessful, but that did not seem to lessen
Prof. Won Bulow's gratitude, and they
have corresponded in desultory way
ever since. Father invited him here for
the holidays this year, but he declined the
invitation, then this evening suddenly
and unexpectedly appeared. These great
musicians are always eccentric, you
know. I heard him tell father that this
is an anniversary he doesn' like to spend
alone. Some love story probably. No.
he isn't married. He spends his entire
time with his wonderful music. That is
really all know about him." With that
the interested guests were forced to be
content. for the player had vanished from
among them as suddenly as he appeared,
and soon the gayety resumed its sway.
At II o'clock the hostess seated her
guests in circle saying: Now we will
turn down the lights and tell ghost stories
till midnight Everybody must contrib
ute something. The more gruesome and
narrowing the BETTER" she added laugh
ingly. The young people fell in with the
spirit Of fun, and ghosts walked, hob
COLLINS shrieked and ghouls moaned, till
the more timid begged for mercy
1t was almost y o'clock when a new
voice suddenly broke into momentary
pause. Everyone looked up to see the
musician standing in the door.
my friends he said, my story is not
of the spirits of the unseen world-it is
of lad in the far-away Fatherland, who
once, on night like this, left home and
friends and went out into the wide world
with music as the priestees who presided
at the altar, where burned the fires of
his ambition. So brightly did this fire
burn that its glow hid the quieter emo
lions which fingered in the shadow, and
father and mother and home were left be-
hind. The youth had not dreamed of the
pain of broken ties-but he afterward
learned it all
"Shipwrecked, weary sickness and
| deliverance, miscarried letter returned tc
| it's writer long afterward-all these came
| between the lad and his loved ones, and
when at last, overcome by the deadly
! 'heimweh,' he turned toward home, he
| found it empty-the loved ones gone
while the chimes in the tower which the
father had played ever since the lad had
! lived, responded sadly to the touch OF
| strange, unfriendly hands.
with breaking heart the lad turned
back to the country of his adoption, hop.
ing, against hope, to find the dear ones
who had followed him there during his
long silence. The years have passed and
the lad is a man, but the father and the
mother he has not found, nor does he ex.
pect to greet them again until the New
Year of Heaven dawns for him, as he
believes it has already dawned for them
So, when the midnight comes play each
New Years Eve as las the lad PLAYED
on that last night long agony message
to my dear ones"
The clock on the mante1 warned TO,
IL, and the musician turned to the piano
and played again simply and lovingl,
| Pleyel's hymn, singing as in the long age
the beautiful words his mother loved.
! AS the last note died away in the ouiet
room the tower clock began to strike, bu,
was drowned by the music of the chimes
| A thrill ran through the hushed circle as
they recognized the strain they had JUS
heard, but the musician arose with 6
mighty cry: "Mein Vater!" and ran Out