The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-12-05
VIVIAN'S
AWAKENING
BY EDGAR FAwcETT
sooocooooocooooooooo


His family were what one could
safely call very plain people. They
lived in a little house, rather far to
the westward, and in a street that
cut through the heart Of Harlem. His
father had married rather late In
life, and his mother likewise; so that
now, when their youngest child, WV
Ian, was full-fedged young man. they
both had the air and look of elderly
persons.
But to glance at their beloved Wv
ian, always gave them gladstone and
youthful thrill. Mr.. Firth was one OF
those many mortals who strive stur-
Oily yet end by partial failure. Now
past SO, he was still clerk. But his
employers, who were prosperous and
prominent New York bankers, trusted
him implicitly, and gave him a salary
about half as large as his keen and
shrewd services deserved. Still, they
had blandly promised Firth that some
day they would make an opening"
for his son, and this airy sort of agree
ment had filed their listener with
hopeful cheer.
Only" one of them had said. ut
seems little = er = extravagant.
doesn't 1t, for you to send him to col
lege like this for four years?"
Firth thought it "extravagant,' too,
but he rejoiced in his power to be-
stow on the dear boy collegiate train
ing. Afterward there would be the
position" at cambridge Brothers.
Vivian had two elder sisters, Ann
and Jane, very nearly of an age, who
worshiped him.
And Vivian? He took their homage
quite for granted, as he did that OF
his parents. He had. indeed, al
ways taken for granted all the fam
lily affection showered upon him. He
was amisble to his relatives, but pas
sively So The smoke of their incense
kept constantly ascending to his nos
trils, and he shifted it with the sweet
est of smiles. But he shifted it quite
as a matter of course.
At convivial meeting of his fell
low-classmates, during his sophomore
year, Vivian sang SOMEONE of the
pretty, current ballads of the day.
by Jove," said Stuyvesant Har-
rowe, clapping him cordially on the
shoulder. when the song was ended.
you can sing about as well as you
can play football, and that's putting
1t rather strong. considering how you
helped our side Of the game out last
Saturday.
Vivian blushed little and his
brown eyes sparkled. Stuyvesant Har.
rowe was one of the aristocrats Of the
college, petted and fiattered for his
parents wealth and place-and per-
haps for popular personal reasons as
we'll.
Till then Vivian had been nobody
at college. But soon, rs the chosen
"chum" of Harrowe, he became a
member of the most select secret fra
ternity and counted his friends by
the dozens. Harrowe presented him
to his family. who beamed on him
with great politeness. Ethel Har-
rowe was Stuyvesants only grown-up
sister, tall, blonde girl, with light
azure eyes.
Ethel Harrowe was very gracious to
him, and babe her parents, who low
ingly obeyed her least caprice. regard
him as a genius of song. He became,
as it were, the girls protege.
BY dint OF straining and pinching in
certain household ways. and of an in
dividual self-denial practiced with fur
tive gladness by each of his idolizing
relatives, Vivian was enabled to be-
gin lessons under the same teacher
who had lured the silvery do-re-mi-fas
from Ethel Harrowe's blooming lips.
Signor Boldini now taught him free
of charge He had made friends with
the Italian, as he made friends with
nearly everybody with whom he came
in contact. Meanwhile the professor
had grown privately yet sadly amused
by his pupils enormous self-reliance.
II somehow suspect, Signor Boil
dini," said Ethel to him one day,
that you have now no real belief in
Vivian Firth's voice.
"You must not even fancy it, was
the first shocked response.
But soon. by adroit questionngs,
Ethel drew from her teacher this con-
fession:
at has disappointed me. He sings
with admirable style: he has acquired
a delightful grace and finish. But,
frankly. j can teach him nothing more
1t would be like overlooking with en-
broidery some flimsy fabric. His voice
is all charm and sweetness and capti-
walton. But it has no depth, no vol
ume. see now what totally missed
seeing before. He can sing for the
drawing room only
And with such charm.'' sighed
Ethel Then. in accents of reminding
earnestness she pursued: But he has
made up his mind to sing in public"
Il know know. AT Steinway hall.
shall be there; three or four OF our