Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1910-12-16

Sembled the statue OF Melancholy. The
light OF tho lamp illumined her classic
profile and blond bair; her eyes pre-
sented a peculiar appearance as II they
were covered by yeii; she seemed to
be blind; In her attitude and features
there were tokens OF sorrow and resig-
nation. but In the light OF her forehead
faith aud hope shone with rays Of d.
vine purity and sweetness. All the sur
roundings Of this young couple betok.
ened poverty. even misery. but mis-
cry bravely borne, life OF toll marked
by decency and pride.
ayes, remember" said the young
man. ut was on Christmas eve. on
just such night as this. that you had
that adventure, an adventure that
would bring a pitiful smile to the face
Of any but poor person. and yet
cherish aud bless II because II brought
n ray OF sunshine into the dark shad-
ows Of your life. Tell me once more.
dear Alice the story Of your adyen-
turc. ! love to hear you in the deep
silence Of the night relate the story In
your slow and gentle voice. which
seems to come from above, while your
fingers lightly caress the keys Of your
old friend"
She resumed her place before the In
strument and dreamIly played q few
chords.
"0h. yes," she said, "that was q d.
vine melody. Alas, can remember
nothing OF It but this one air. but that
simple air Is as broad as the winter
sky and as deep as the ocean. Every
time play It the whole scene returns
TO my memory. You remember. Fritz.
you had taken me that night TO Aunt
Gertrude. who was very III In her little
attic In the Platz Roemer, and as you
had some work to finish you left me
there for several hours. Sitting at the
side OF the inyalid's cot, could hear
her breathing, and. although i could
aot see her. imagined the appearance
OF her poor face. yellow. wrinkled and
emaciated by age. privation. illness and
suffering. A profound silence reigned
around me. My habitual darkness ap-
peared TO be deeper, heavier and more
cruel than before, and trembled as
thought how sad and burdensome
this life was to the poor and unfor-
tunate such rs !.
Suddenly some one began to play
piano In an adjoining room. The mu-
sic commenced with soft prelude like
the beating OF birds wings in the
distance or the approach Of cohort
of angels, and as the rhythm expanded
and increased imagined saw the
seraphim, all white and dazzling, de-
scending from the stars and illumining
the darkness that surrounded me.
Then was seized and inundated oy
an overwhelming harmony which open
ed TO me the gates OF paradise. All,
how can l express the torrent OF in
effable sensations and delicious pleas
ures that submerged my senses In
those enraptured momentsl Inspired
by the wonderful notes that were Gre
ated by the fingers OF that magician, ev-
erything around me vibrated and lived.
Radiant visions greeted my new found
sight. Beautiful saints, brilliant with
light and glory. pointed out to me the
heaven whence they came and whittier
they returned-without me, alas, the
cruel ones! Suddenly all this world of
dreams faded away and disappeared in
the night; then. vast. profound, reli-
gious, consoling and inspired, the an.
dante that have retained and learned
arose majesticaliy in the midst Of the
: mysterious darkness"
Yes" said Fritz, "and when I re-
turned found you trembling and
weeping, and 1t seemed to me that the
features OF our poor old aunt were i'm
pressed with an unusual degree Of
serenity. In fact. imagined that Fa'
ther Christmas had paid visit to both
Of you during my absence, But on oui
way home you related to me that
strange adventure. Next day made
inquiries and learned that Aunt Ger
!, -