The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-03-02
Mary laughed. ~ I strum! Plano.

A little Chopin-Grieg-
You wouldn't nstenv"
Bibbs drew a deep breath. "T'm
frightened again." he said, in an un-
steady voice. I'm afraid you'll think
I'm pushing, but" He paused. and
the words sank to a murmur.
"Oh. II you want me to play for
your! she said. Yes. gladly. 1t will
be merely absurd after what you heard
this afternoon. play like a hundred
thousand other girls, and l like 1t. I'm
glad when anyone's willing to listen.
and II you" She stopped, checked
by a sudden recollection, and laughed
ruefully. But my piano won't be here
after tonight I'm sending 1t 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. II you care to-"
"If could play" he said. wist-
fully, "if could play like that old man
In the church l could thank you"
"Ah. but you haven't heard me
play. I know you liked this afternoon,
but"
YES" said Bibbs. ut 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-
sciousness of saying anything especial
ly significant, that she knew 1t was the
truth. For a moment she was nom
plused, then she opened the gate and
went in. You'll come after dinner,
then?"
"Yes," he said, not moving. "Would
you mind II l stood here until time to
come INF"
She had reached the steps, and at
that she turned. offering him the re-
sponse OF laughter and a gay gesture
of her mum 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 . blank life and
dll It. Everything that II beautiful 10
music, II you can listen.
There Is no gracefulness like that of Q
graceful woman at . grand piano. There
II . swimming loveliness Of line that
Deems to merge with the running of the
sound. and you seem. az you watch her.
to see that you are hearing and to hear
what you are seeing.
There are women who make you think
OF pine woods coming down to 4 sparkling
oea- The air about such q woman Ii brac-
Ing. and when she II 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
. 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 mako you think
Of Diana. crowned with the moon. But
they do not have the Greek profile. l
do not believe Helen of Troy had .
''0reek profile" they would not have
fought about her II her nose had been
quite that long. The Greek nose Is not
the adorable nose. The adorable nose IL
about an eighth of an inch shorter.
Much OF the music of Wagner. 1t ap-
pears. is not suitable to the plano. wag-
nor was . composer who could interpret
Into music such things as the primitive
impulses Of humanity-he could have
made Q machine shop into music. But
not II ho had to work in It, Wagner
was always dealing in immensities-a ma
chine shop would have put . majestic
lump in 30 grand a gizzard as that.
There 10 . mystery about pianos. 1t
seems. Sometimes they have to be sent
away" That Ii how some people speak
of the penitentiary. Sent away" is .
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 where7
sometimes = glorious day shines into
tho most ordinary and useless life. Hap
piness and beauty come caroling out OF
the air into the gloomy house Of that life
az II some stray angel 1ust happened to
perch ON the roof-tree. resting and sing
ing. And the night after such q day is
lustrous and splendid with the memory
of 1t. Music and beauty and kindness-
those are the three greatest things God
can give U.s. To bring them all ip one day
to one who expected nothin8-ah! the
heart that received them should be az
humble a. 1t 10 thankful. But It Is hard
to be humble when one II 80 rich with
new memories. 1t II impossible to be
humble after a day OF glory
Yes-the adorable nose IL more than an
eighth of an inch shorter than the Greek
nose. 1t II q full quarter of an inch short
There are women who will be kinder
to a sick tramp than to a conquering hero.
But the sick tramp had better remem-
Der that's what he is Take care, take
~.