Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-06-22

They had reached her gate, and she
set her hand upon it, but did not open
1t. Bibbs felt that this was almost
the kindest of her kindnesses-no to
be prompt in leaving him.
after ALL" she said, ''you didn't
tell me whether you liked 1t"
mo. l didn't need to-
"No, that's true, and didn't need
to ask. l knew. But you said you
were trying to keep from telling me
what it did mean"
81 can't keep from telling it any
longer" he said. 1.-THE music meant to
nett meant the kindness of-of
you"
Kindness? How"
''You thought was sort Of lonely
tramp-and sick"
NO." she said, decidedly. II thought
perhaps you'd like to hear Doctor
Kraft play. And you did,
Its curious; sometimes it seemed
to me that it was you who were play
| ing"
Mary laughed. 81? 1 strum! Piano.
A little Chopin-Grieg- Chaminade.
You wouldn't listen!'
Bibbs drew a deep breath. "Tm
steady voice. I'm afraid you'll think
I'm pushing, but He paused, and
! the words sank to a murmur.
ooh, if you want me to play for
you" she said. Yes, gladly. 1t will
be merely absurd after what you heard
thousand other girls, and l like it, Pm
glad when anyone's willing to listen,
and If YOU She stopped, checked
by a sudden recollection, and laughed
ruefully. But my piano won't be here
after tonight. I'm sending it away
tomorrow. I'm afraid that if you'd
like me to play to you you'd have tc
come this evening"
You'll let me?" he cried.
Certainly, if you care to-"
eff 1 could play" he said, visit
fully, eff I could play like that old man
in the church could thank you"
"Ah, but you haven't heard me
play. 1 know you liked this afternoon,
but
YES" said Bibbs. 'It was the
greatest happiness I've ever known"
It 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
ly significant, that she knew it was the
truth For a moment she was non
plussed, then she opened the gate and
went in You'll come after dinner.
then"
YES" he said, not moving. "WOuld
you mind if 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 a gay gesture
of her muff toward the lighted win
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 a blank life and
/ fill it, Everything that is beautiful Is
music, if you can listen.
There is no gracefulness like that of a
graceful woman at grand piano. There
is a swimming loneliness of line that
seems to merge with the running OF the
sound, and you seem, as you watch her,
/ to see that you are hearing and to near
| what you are seeing.
There are women who make you think
! of pine woods coming down to 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 a great fellow, after
| ALL Then you come away and feel like
a 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
Greek profile" they would not have
fought about her if her nose had been
quite that long. The Greek nose Is not
! the adorable nose. The adorable nose is
about an eighth Of an inch shorter.
Much Of the music of Wagner it ap-
pears, is not suitable to the piano. Wag-
ner was a composer who could interpret
into music such things as the primitive
/ impulses Of humanity-he could have
made machine shop into music. But
| not II 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, it
seems. Sometimes they have to be "sent
away" That is how some people speak
of the penitentiary. "Sent away" is a
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 a 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 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 a day of glory.
Yes-the adorable nose is more than an
| OF oh of ho ha