The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-02-20
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1rallg Grit in rich, full tones from the
music room Joseph Harrington
paused OIL Che stairs to listen. Never
had ah6@heard ayoicea so sweet, and
he wondered who the singer couldebe.
IT. WAS one, of the last releafsals for
sNiucentiari. Hospital: benefit con
cert. Joseph had come in late and
was. ON his way to Father Stephens
room for a book he had left there.
s There had been much confusion
-tltis.iast week, caused by the sudden
illness of the soprano. The manager
had tlespaired of finding a substitute
lat lsoSglate an hour. 2' ::.,,s ~.
tlisYittpntly had at last succeed
-ntl land Joe Harrington wars more than
glad of the golden promise. in.that rare
young voice. They had all worked too
|hard for. thfs concert to. see it a.. fail
slue., = & a, g.
He entered the music room a little
fcurious,. Ito see 1.-THE new acquisition.
Smiles greeted him on. all sides, for
he was general favorite.. Smiling
in return, he glanced from face ito
face, seeking the stranger. When he
Found what he sought She caught his
breath in sharp surprise.
Over by the organ, facing him, a
tall, slender girl was standing, listen.
ing attentiVely TO the instructions of
the organist Her face was as rare
ly lovely as some ,nictured saint,
clear-cut oval in its frame of dark
hair,,e BUT it. was not her beauty
alone which. SO caught and held the
attention. There looked. from those
sad clear eyes 9, white young soul,
troubled, but unsullied.
"A low prelude on the organ and that
voice; rang, out again, filling the room
with it's thrilling sweetness. 20 spot,
less maiden, hail to thee, who deign'st
our guiding, star to be- The breath,
less hush was the best applause. The
face of the Singer was lifted up, and
her eyes saw some lovely vision. "To
point to, Heavens felicity. =
AS the last low ave Maria" died
softly away the listeners came back
to earth with a sigh.
After the rehearsal. Joseph Harring
ton was presented to the fair young
singer, and talked with her while
To his surprise he found that she was
not Catholic. She had been edu
Gated al Immaculate Conception Acad
e1ny, she. said, and to that fact was
due her presence there that evening.
To his cousin, Sister Ighatia, teach
er of music at the academy, Father
Stephen had written of his dilemma
about soprano for : the concert
Sister, Ignatia had told him of this
old pupil of hers, who had graduated
some years before, and whose home
was but q short distance from St
Johns Cathedral.
Mary Kingsley proved to be al
earnest, eager worker, as anxious fol
the success of the concert as those
who had been interested from the
| first. :.
During, the rehearsal and in the
days that followed Joseph Harrington
met her frequently. AS he came t.
know her better he found that the
admiration he felt from the first wa!
fmo1fe- than justified. Her beauty O.
face was no mere accidental physica
perfection, but the outward sembIanct
Of TIE 'BeaTtys@ithin.
=-44 There wa Il Iameless, =nysteriOus
something. about her which he found
himself constantly. trying to solve
She was so frankly fond Of pleasure
So girlishly gay and light-hearted, We
reserved and quantity dignifcd Blu
it was not that, either. 1t was al
unfathomable something, a ,feetins
seriousness Of expression, a look il
her eyes, now there, now gone
puzzlins, bafflpg. s,.... -
J. Her voice as he had first, heard i
rang ever in his ears. He had heard
others sing that ave Maria" but NJ
one else put into that indefnable ex
preston of childlike confidence ant
Eloying- tenderness that made it ;
.Eegitable. prayer, ..,r...
il: He never, saw her, look: quite 81
lovely as. she did when she sang tina
l.seng.e, lie asked her once. what i
was she saw. that made ;. her fac
light up and her eyes grow bright
Was it some girlish dream o
heavens felicity?" She smiled AM
shook her head. Her answer was a
Eppzzling as. everything else about her
i Il see a, little convent chapel, dirnl.
lit and .shadow-filled; flower-decket
i shrine and a statue of a lovely, slende
woman, crowned with stars, a. cres
cent moon beneath her feet. | SIM
to her. Do you know, Mr.. Harrington
no. flowers have ever smelt so sWee
as the flowers in that shrine. Thei
fragrance comes back as II sing"
! But you are not a Catholic, Mis-
Kingsley"
No. slowly, was it 'regretfully
And there came into her eyes. tina
look he could not understand. Word
failed before it, and for a time the!
were silent Then they spoke of othe
things. He would not force her con
Ifidence,
Suddenly one day he realized tina
he loved her. She had not been on
.lof his thoughts once since that even
ling he entered the music room, seek
/ ing the owner of that lovely voice.
When he asked her to marry hin
and she accepted he half hoped tina
she would speak Of their difference o
/ religion, but she did not Iookfn:
into those pure, earnest eyes, he wa:
/ willing to wait, confident that in ;