Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-02-10
CHAPTER XVI.
On the Stage.

Full many a tone Of thought sub
lime,
And Painting, mute end h.c'!onless.
Steals but a glar1e of time.
But by the mighty actor brought,
Illusions perfect triumphs come;
Verse ceases 20 be airy thought,
AID Sculpture to be dumb"
Campbell
Piale had gained the wish Of his
heart; but, like many other people,
he discovered that, when gained, it
proved more of a care than a pleas
ure He had plotted and planned, he
had argued and persuaded, and now
a. length his best pupil was ready to
appear on the operate stage, but
nevertheless the old maestro was far
from happy. lie was haunted by the
conviction that Carlos health would
give wav; for he knew him too well
not to perceive how sorely the events
Of the last few weeks had taxed his
powers Of endurance 1t was all very
we'll for him to prescribe perfect
quiet when the hours Of study were
over but he knew that at the Palazzo
Forti quiet was not likely to be found
knew that wherever he went Carlo
would BE- haunted by the spec. er of
his vanished happiness. Oft an did
he anathematize Captain Britton and
the insular prejudice which ad cost
his pupil so dear; often did he rack
his trains for some means Of cheer
ing the debutant.
Carlo was, indeed, very much al
tered; for the time he lost the boyish
look which had always before been
one Of his characteristics he lost,
too, his fresh, rudy cC.or and, whereas
he nad hitherto been habitually gay,
and only upon occasion grave. he was
now only cheerful when by a deliber-
ate effort of will, he forced himself to
be so. It was not in those first days
of his trouble that he could all at
once attain TO the serenity of per-
fectly disciplined heart, He was hu.
man, and he was very young; the
light Of his lie had gone out, and he
did not always acquiesce in the dark
ness--did not, except in rare inter-
walls of comfort, feel anything but an
aching void, an unconquerable long.
ing for his own will to be done.
Not being of a self-tormenting ma
ture however, he did not trouble him
self much about the right or wrong
of his feelings; as far as possible he
ignored them, and went on deliber-
ately with the everyday business of
the life he had chosen. Piale worked
his voice as hard as he dared, and the
professor Of defamation taught him
all that be had the power to teach;
but Carlo, altogether dissatisfied with
the scanty attention paid to acting on
the operate stage. studied his charac-
ters with a minute faithfulness
which occupied him even in his times
Of so-called leisure; he was inces-
sanity observing, and, after three
weeks of this sort of work, his heart
began, as L. were, to thaw the per-
sona grief which had held it frost
toand was softcnet Gv the wide love
Of tbc human family. which cannot
fail 20 be quickened i'm the heart of
an. one who .ruly observes life. For
to observe truly you must sympathize
With those YOU observe. and to sym
paihlze With them you must love
them, and to love them you must for
get yourself Without a deep, living
sympathy the artist surely degener-
ates into species of vivisectionist
for
TIC be observed when observation is
0ot sympathy
Is ;usl to be tortured"
Carlo soon found the happiness
which comes TO the worker who is
really suited 70 his work He learned
to be very grateful 10 his newly
chosen profession. for 1t brought him
hours of forgetfulness: 1t raised him
az Owe the atmosphere of petty misery
which seemed 10 prevail at the Pa.
lazzo Forti; it. made him conscious
that he had not chosen his life with
headstrong blindness, but that he had
gifts for which he was responsible
gifts which made the life of a singer
his true vocation In thog days Of
his trouble he worked W h all his
might, and the tremendous effort Of
memory he had 10 make stood him in
good stead. ard forced him to keep
his grief arms myth
pale saw with relief that he was
apparently not in the least nervous,
that he was entirely free at present.
from all fear of failure. but the old
maestro was too experienced hand
to imagine that his calmness would
last
You so to YOUR ordeal with a Dexter
heart than most debutants," he re
marked one day, looking curiously
into the face OF his pupil But You
have good reason to be cheerful about
it Tor You arc safe 10 be popular"
'Ou the contrary" said Carlo. with
q smile am told that ten tc one
Comvrio will organize claque, and
try TO get me Kissed of I'm not at
all confident OF oeing popular. hut n
know that I have in any case to be a
singer
There speaks the TRUE artist
q