The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-08-18
What Edward Saw in the Moon.

"Hdl lGWaFo oaW IN lbe MOON.
Violin" said Grandpa Armstrong
testify. and what 10 You want With
violin, # you plcase?"
Oh. grandpa the Italian teacher
staying down the village says I've
such a good ear, ana I'll be splendid
at music if had a chance"
oh. You always We're mad with
your whistlins and singing, But what
Sood IS music to you, should like
TO know? Will it chop the wood or
hclp ne With the haying later on
Of course it won't It's no good at
all. and that's the long and short of
it,"
Edward did not know enough to dis
prove this statement, SO he wept 81
lently as he climbed upstairs to bed,
while the moon looked in at him from
every window as he passed. Grand
papa had enough money to make him
a musician, he knew, when he could
prove that music was of any real
use.
1t did help in some way, He thought
Of this as he lay in bed while the
moon grew larger and larger above
his tear-dlmmed eyes. He continued
! thinking as it grew larger still
/ enormously large; and then suddenly
| he saw that this largeness was due
! 70 the fact that he was rushing I'D
higher and higher toward that great
! yellow space. He was journeying up
a moorheam to the moon, and pres
entity, after a few dizzy minutes, he
landed on its surface
But what strange place. There
was no sun and no sunshine. yet
round him were the loveliest gardens
and orchards and wide fields Of ripen-
mig corn. Why" he said, Il thought
nothing ever grew on the moon"
Did yOu?" said a small moon man |
standing near, with violin under his |
arm. That would be funny with so |
many OF us farmers around"
Are you a farmer? But what are
you doing with violin?"
why, what does farmer generally
do with violin?' said the moon man,
much surprised Make his corn grow
with it, of course"
What, does corn grow by music?
and do you play to it yourself?"
Il just think | do Nice sort Of
farmer l should be if couldn't cult
vate my own fields. This patch here is
mine. done by violin, and touch of
the flute as it ripened."
But now the other moon men were
gathering around Edward. Some were
gardeners, and played waltz music,
which is good for flowers, while a
good deal of drumming, he heard, was
necessary if one wanted a really sat :
isfactory return from maize and DO
tatoes. Everything grows by music :
here they explained when they saw 3
that it was all new to him. "Oh.
tell you it means something to be t
good farmer. A few false notes
ruined three of our best last year
Brown, the other day, what lopsided :,
trees he grew in his plantation, all be-
cause he would keep bad time. OF
course, it's easy here, where the eli
mates temperate; it's much harder
in the Arctic regions. We're organ
ling a colonizing expedition there this
season. Trombones will be required
to soften the ground, and our chief Il
aericulturist is composing just the
lOveliest. fugue to melt the icebergs. u
Oh, no, you cant join in that" as Ed
ward begged to be OF the party; but, =
there he added kindly, handing him "
his own violin and leading him fur u
her on; Now here is a piece Of V
ground that none Of us can do any
hing with: our music doesn't suit it.
See if you can do anything" % .,
And then grandpapa will see there u
$ use in music" cried Edward, look ~
ng round the stony tract which seem
ID to soften as the bow swept over .
he strings. a.
Faster and faster he played, and all r.,
ound him the ground trembled, the I,
lodS Of earth dissolved. Little shafts -,
i green appeared; they shot upward. IT
lie softened his notes, and now on the h,
reen branches bloomed little blue II
lowers; they became bluer and lar nj
or; they massed together into one sr
immense blueneSS-and above him T.,
:as the morning sky, and he was in g,
is own little bed on earth. 20
But it does show that music NAV n;
Q good for something somewhere" 70
aid Edward, as he related his dream h.
breakfast, doesn't it, grandpapao" s,
"Humph,' said Grandpapa Arm B.
rong, but his face looked more cheer ps
III than usual: seems to me | might in
5 well get you that violin and be r.
one with it. '-Constance Clyde in the n
ondor News &c