Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-07-28
Mary laughed. .TY I strum! plano

mary MugneQ. 1T SCrum! E1aMW
A little Chopin-Grie Chaminade.
You wouldn't listenv'
Bibbs drew q deep breath. "I'm
frightened again." he said, in an I'M
steady voice. I'm afraid you'll think
I'm pushing, but" He paused, and
the words sank to murmur.
"Oh, if you want me to play for
your she said. Eyes, gladly. 1t will
be merely absurd after what you heard
this afternoon. play like hundred
thousand other girls, and like it. I'm
glad when anyone's willing to listen.
and if you She stopped, checked
by sudden recollection, and laughed
ruefully. "But my piano won't be here
after tonight. I-I'm sending it away
tomorrow. I'm afraid that if you'd
like me to play to you you'd have to
come this evening"
you'll let me?' he cried.
Certainly, if you care to-
IF I could play" he said, visit
fully, '.if could play like that old man
in the church could thank you"
s'Ah, but you haven't heard me
play. I know you liked this afternoon.
but
eyes," said Bibbs. 1T was the
greatest happiness I've ever known"
1t was too dark to see his face, but
his voice held such plain honesty, and
he spoke with such complete uncon-
seriousness Of saying anything especial
~ significant, that she knew it was the
truth. For a moment she was nom
plused, then she opened the gate and
went in. you'll come after dinner.
then?'
eyes," he said, not moving. would
you mind if I stood here until time to
come in?"
She had reached the steps, and at
that she turned, offering him the re-
Spouse of laughter and gay gesture
of her muff toward the lighted VIM
dows Of the new house, as though bid
ding him to run home to his dinner.
That night, Bibbs sat writing in his
notebook:
Music can come into blank life and
fill it. Everything that is beautiful is
music, If you can listen.
There is no gracefulness like that OF q
graceful woman at grand piano. There
is a swimming loneliness Of line that
seems to merge with the running or the
sound, and you seem, as you watch her.
to see that you are hearing ana TO near
what you are seeing.
There are women who make you think
Of pine woods coming down to a sparkling
sea- The air about such a woman is brac-
ing, and when she is near you, you feel
strong and ambitious; you forget that
the world doesn't like you. You think
that perhaps you are great fellow, after
all. Then you come away and feel like
boy who has fallen in love with his
Sunday school teacher. You'll be whipped
for it-and ought to be.
There are women who make you think
of Diana, crowned with the moon. But
they do not have the Greek profile. I
do not believe Helen OF Troy had a
sGreek profile" they would not have
fought about her if her nose had been
quite that long. The Greek nose is not
about an eighth of an inch shorter.
Much of the music of Wagner, it APP
pears, is not suitable to the plano. Wag-
ner was a composer who could interpret
into music such things as the primitive
impulses of humanity-he could have
made a machine shop into music. But
not If he had to work in 1t. Wagner
was always dealing in immensities-a ma
chine shop would have put a majestic
lump in so grand a gizzard as that
There is a mystery about pianos, 1t
seems. Sometimes they have to be "sent
away" That is how some people speak
Of the penitentiary. 'Sent away is q
euphuism for .'sent to prison" But pianos
are not sent to prison, and they are not
sent to the tuner-the tuner is sent to them.
Why are pianos .sent away''-and where !?
Sometimes glorious day shines into
the most ordinary and useless life. Hap
piness and beauty come carOling out of
the air into the gloomy house of that life
as If some stray angel just happened to
perch on the roof-tree. resting and sing
ing. And the night after such a day is
lustrous and splendid with the memory
of it. Music and beauty and kindness
| those are the three greatest things God
can give us. To bring them all in one day
| to one who expected nothing-ah! the
heart that received them should be as
humble as it is thankful. But it is hard
| to be humble when one Is so rich with
| new memories. 1t is impossible to be
humble after day of glory.
Yes-the adorable nose is more than an
eighth Of an inch shorter than the Greek
nose It is full quarter of an inch short
| There are women who will be kinder
| to a sick tramp than to conquering hero.
| But the sick tramp had better remem-
Der that's what he is. Take care, take
care! Humble's the word!