The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-01-15
The Power of Song.


copyright, 1909, BY American Press Asso
ciation.l
Queen Margaret Caroline Frances
Josephine S~tephanie Lucille Eulalie de
Raganza succeeded TO the throne al
twenty. under the title Of Margaret III.
From her earliest childhood she had
shown an independent disposition. In
these times she would be a suffragette.
for she believed not only In women
having q voice In the government, but
In their governing. Scarcely had she
been proclaimed when she startled her
people by calling for the resignation Of
the cabinet and filing the places made
vacant with women
The queen filled other Offices with
women, and the men were stand
Ing about. holding their hands. Then.
q fat political job being given to a wo-
man, the men thought 1t time to bestir
themselves. They sent the most ac-
compllshed, handsomest and most se-
ductiye men to the queen on one pre-
text or another, hoping through her
heart to attain their ends. But the
queen saw through their designs and
laughed ut them.
One day a knot Of politicians hungry
for plumber were discussing the situa-
ton when a little, half deformed, home
ly man said to them; III you will
back me w l will go to the queen and
accomplish those things you desire.
All l want Is d suit Of fine clothes"
A shout Of laughter greeted his offer.
Then some one suggested that for a
Joke 1t be accepted.
Not long after this the queen re-
celyed q message that II special am
bassador from a neighboring sovereign
had arrived with u view to making u
treaty.
Margaret expected to see a man of
klll'po1hs dRpNot hAN ahh pVAAib Ii
what timorous of such men, steeled
herself to meet him. She was sur
prised to see a nan barely five feet
three inches high, with long arms and
legs and n slight curve in his back.
Nevertheless his head was large. and
he possessed one feature of remarka-
BILE beauty and intelligence-his eye.
Margaret unbent to this Insignificant
creature at once, assigned him a wing
Of the palace and as soon as he was
ready-he seemed In no hurry-began
to talk over the terms Of the treaty.
Whenever the queen made a demand
for a slice OF territory, a payment Of
indemnity or any such matter the I'M
bassador would say In a soft voice:
"four majesty's modesty In your de-
mands Is what Is to be expected from
a woman Of such loneliness. | shall
advise my sovereign to double the
amount you claim"
There was no difficulty In making a
treaty on such terms, and the queen
closed the negotiations, delighted with
the envoy. Then the treaty was sent
to the other sovereign Interested for
confirmation, and the ambassador,
obliged to walt for an answer, re-
turned to lis apartments.
That night the queen heard a voice
singing In the ambassadors wing, ac-
companied by II guitar. 1t seemed to
her that 1t was the voice Of nm angel.
She listened till the song had ended
and, not hearing more, sent n request
for the singer to resume. He did SO,
and Margaret went to bed filed with
the most enhancing thoughts.
The next day on inquiry she learned
that the singer was the ambassador.
She asked him to sing to her. but he
excused himself. saying that the spirit
Of music came to him only in accord
nnce with Its 0wn sweet will. II came.
however, on balmy nights from a pleas
ant distance and sounded especially
sweet when the moon cast Its soft
light owe the palace and the grounds
In which 1t stood, Queen Margaret al.
ways listened to 1t sitting at her bed.
window and continued under its
spell long after II had ceased. Grafl-
ally the singer and the song became
one, OF the homely body nothing re-
NAMED, but from the ambassadors
eyes the queen saw a spiritual body
OF t~ranscendent beauty, a soul that
seemed to beckon her to a higher,
holier existence.
Meanwhile during the day, there be-
ing no treaty to talk about, the queen
began to speak to the ambassador
about her affairs. Never had she heard
such wisdom, such farsighted sugges
tons, He told her that such a queen
as she would be a blessing to every
people, but in all Kingdoms there was
low grade work that only coarse ma
tured men could properly perform.
The treaty never came back, and the
ambassador at last confessed that he
was no envoy. but one who. ha wing
seen his queen from a distance. so
worshipcd her that he had been I'M
PEELED to do a dlshonorable act for the
sake Of passing a few weeks in her
adorable companionship.
One mtrning the journals announced
that all the ministers had resigned
and their places were to be filed with
mon. Then the people waited for an
announcement Of the names of the
members Of the new cabinet. When
the name Of the prime minister was
published no n knew him. At the
Nryf meAfinn NJ tho cnbinoA nsnu.A