The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-09-15

AYE, SIe SHall, Silt SHdfl. tIltu
IT least forty of the fifty voices
Il wilt will sing" and she lifted
Il face that would have melted stone
bat not now Oh, not today
Now, now; strike up. Go on wi
thee"
oh, lasses. friends, please have
pity. Ies. yes. III sing. if You'll let
NE alone
At word from Peg the rest fell
back. ard dropping upon the floor
and folding their less under them. they
made ready to listen and laugh, o.
mock or ironically applaud, as seemed
! fittest
Jessie. her face whittier than ever,
and her lips quivering, puckered her
| brow in evident enGeavor to recall
| some song, but suddenly she broke
cJwn and pathetically begged to be
excused
Let t. girl alone" cried two of the
elder ones; but Peg. taking a stride
| nearer and standing over her, said:
I'll gi' thee till | count twenty, and
then" And Peg shook a significant
fist.
Pitiful. abashed and tremulous. Jes-
sic desperately braced herself and then
as sudden thought came rushing upon
her her face flushed. her eyes began
to shine, and next moment that old
shed rang with such notes as it had
certainly never heard before. Few of
the listeners knew the song, but all
recognized the words, and presently
the sneers began to fade. incredulity
and grudging surprise both gave way
TO solemn wonder. and in moment or
two fifty pairs of eyes were fixed on
the soloist and fifty mouths stood half
open in everincreasing appreciation.
Jessie was singing, "Oh. Rest in the
Lord and as the immortal solo as
serted its ascendency the most flip
pant and empty face in that company
became soft and solemn and Peggy
Pratt, who had a Sunday school past,
looked and listened with rapt melting
expression.
But presently there was a change.
Even that wonderful voice and it's
equally wonderful subject faded in in
terest before the notice given to the
singer herself. All fear. all shyness
had gone. the face had become impas-
stoned; the singer had escaped them,
forgotten them, fioated out of their !
reach, her throat swelling. her face !
glowing, and her eyes ablaZe with !
glory. She was somewhere else, sing |
ing to somebody else, and all the fire |
and passion of her soul were in her |
song. Every eye was riveted upon her, |
fascinated and hypnctized. the music t
forgotten in the musician: they watch
ed and watched. and suddenly another
flush and an eager, radiant smile pass
ed over her face, tears gushed from
eyes that seemed drowning in glory;
she swayed moment, expanded her
chest for last eorJ, and the next mo-
ment lay swooning on the floor.
When Jessie came to herself, nothing
would induce her to go home and by
three O'Clock, whittier and wanner than
ever. she had set her looms going
Bat that was the Guietest afternoon in
the history of Number Seven shed.
and though little was said. everything
that those rough natures could think
Of was done to atone for the past
Jessie was not in her place next
neither was Peggy Pratt.
The latter, however, came at breakfast
time, and as soon as the weavers had
got all seated, with their eatables in
their laps, and their cans at the corner
Of their knees, Peggy came out Of her
loom alley. and. standing in their
midst, commanded, "Hearken,"
Attention was not difficult to get,
for they had not yet recovered from
the sudden SOLDERING of the day before,
and most of them felt there must be
yet to be told.
Even the rattle of spoons and can
handles stopped.
I've found out all about that-that
there singer"
The listeners were forgetting to eat
She won a scholarship for singing,
an wur goin' to London fur t. larn to
be Professional"
One or two looked a little supercili-
GUS.
And her folks wanted her to breik
it on wi her chap, cause he wur sick
ly."
The mention of her chap raised a
little giggle among the juniors, but it
was suppressed by sternest glances.
AN stead o that she married him
and chucked London UP"
A low murmuring, supported by
fifty pairs of shining eyes.
And her folks took AEGEAN her for
it; and when he wur took bad she had
to TAX to her viewing agvin to keep