Middletown transcript., 1903-03-14
,SAMOND had been
trying to make up her
mind for very nearly
two years. Those

trying to make up her
mind for very nearly
two years. Those
who looked on
thought she might have done il
ii quarter of the time; but
when they discovered that their
own minds did not agree, they
realized Rosamond's difficulties.
IF she had decided according to
Miss Alice Reeds judgment, she
would have disappointed half a
dozen people who knew just as
much about it as Miss Alice did.
And II she had decided as Mr..
Ray wanted her to, Miss Alice
would have been disappointed in
her. So she had a right to be
puzzled and even to take the
two years, between twenty and
twenty-five, to make up her
mind. :
Rosamond was a dear child;
people said that who were no re-
lation to her; indeed, none of the
neighbors were related to the
Gorhams. This was remarkable
ina village where everybody was
everybody else's second cousin
unless he was first cousin. The
Gorhams had come to live in this
little corner of the world because
it was thought that the hill
breezes and the quiet and the
peace would be good for the
judges health. Rosamond was
only three years old then; her
father and mother adored her,
which was only natural, for she
was all that was left to them; but
everybody loved her. She was
SO pretty, and she had such gen.
tie manners, and then-her voice.
Rosamond sang like a bird, as
lightly, as gaily, just as if she
could not help singing. Indeed,
David Ray, who was the organ
ist, and who began to give her
music lessons when she was six
years old, said that she was a
genius; and that was how it all |
began David Rays enthusiasm
and the music lessons, and then,
by and by, the singing lessons.
She had to go into town once
a week for those, for of course
there was no one in the village
who could teach her properly; al
though Mrs. Baily, the doctors
wife, said that that was perfectly
absurd, for she had studied her
self for a year under fine teacher
and would have been perfectly
willing to give the child lessons,
and save her the trip into
town, to say nothing of the ex-
pense; although it seems that ex-
pense is not considered by the
Judge and Mrs. Gorham, Mrs.
Baily ended, severely.
But when she was twenty Ros-
amond came to the end of such
instruction as she could get in
town. She sang delightfully."-;
her voice was perfectly true and
very sweet; it was not a power.
full voice, but it was delicious.
Mr.. Ray could not properly ex-
press his ad admiration; it was not
snough to say the child was a
genius. He said she would be-
vt least, she could be-a great
prima donna!
But not without study, David
Ray said; not with this miserable
,Wo-penny instruction she has
lad. If she went abroad and '
lad masters-I tell you; l know
what I'm talking about! he said,
pounding the table. s
He had been playing whist, and I
he cards jumped up under the a
low. I know what I'm talking /
bout! You may think I'm a n
lried-up old fogy, playing that \
zheezy old organ every Sunday p
S if / were as big a barbarian t
bout music as the rest Of you
ut Rosamond has q voice, and 6
he ought to go abroad and cult n
ate it! "
IF he said this at the, whist b
able, Of course he said it to Ros. f
mond and to the Judge and to "
ear, gentle Mrs. Gorham. So "
y and by, little by little, it be- Ii
an to be a thing to be consid- b
red. At first her friends con- W
dered it more than Rosamond "
id; but the summer that she
as twenty she began to look u.
loughtful, and sometimes wor. g
ed. Which meantshe was con-. 81
dering it, too. b,
do love my music, Miss Alice, ST
said, one June Sunday, as g
Il and her old schoolteacher TO
liked home from church. Miss a
lice was coming home to have nc