The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-01-07
THE PHONOGRAPH
BY C. C. Goodwin.


(The following is from an unpub-
lished manuscript written by the late
Judge C. c. Goodwin shortly before
his death:)
An humble and devout family OF
this city had a child who was blessed
with a wonderfully sweet voice.
She, moreover, had perfect
musical ear, and the gift 70 write
touching little so"gs and hymns
w;ich she was wont to sir 8 to the
airs that she hat learned whlc yet
in her early teens. Her masterpiece
was a Christmas hymn she had spent
m eli time up5n, and had adapted to
the air of a Chris: mas carol which
especially pleased her mother.
She had a sensitive mind, and
vivid Imagination; fairy stories were
real stories to her, and her mother
was the godmother of all the FAIRIES
that were beautiful and good.
She was sent to a school for young
ladies, and there her voice attracted
immediate attention, and on numer-
GUS occasions she was called upon to
sing. Her schoolmates called her
the whip-poor-will, so shrill but
sweet and sad was her singing.
At a concert her voice had at
tracted a man whose business it was
to make records for monograph.
She sang for him, and he made many
records of her songs and hymns.
With the money she received, she
was able to purchase monograph,
and this with many records she sent
to girl friends who had long been
her chum and who lived near her
mother in the old home.
Explaining that it was gift to her
mother, and to keep it secret until
Christmas eve, she told her to take
it to her home and to play one of the
records, which was Christmas
hymn.
The friend obeyed instructions,
and in the cleaning of Christmas
eve carried the photograph and re-
cords to the mother, saying: 81
heard from your daughter today, and
this is a present she has sent you. :"
Then she sat the photograph upon
the table, put upon 1t the record of
the Christmas hymn, wound the in
strument and upon that home came
back the full voice of the absent one,
perfect in cadence and intonations.
The effect was wonderful, the
family was almost crazed with ex-
element, and the poor mother thru
her tears cried out: "Is she dead, and
is this her spirit singing?"
Tyuin IN
evening was spent listening to the
songs and hymns, and in the wonde"
of the thing and the excitement it
caused, no other such Christmas eve
had ever been spent in that home.
But half q year later the daughter
came home i'll, and few weeks later
died. Now each night the evening
service is closed by the photograph
singing to the family one of the girls
hymns in her own voice.
The poor girl is falling back to
dust, but every night in its old tones
her voice rings out and fills that
home with music, and the mother
says: "She is not dead, she is still
singing to us. She has gone away,
but she has not forgotten. When
we go where she has gone, does any
one doubt that we shall hear her
voice again, only with added, inef-
fable sweetness and the higher
measure Oh lie music Of Summer
land?"
Who knows? If the intangible
voice cen be caught and preserved.
and made to come at our bidding,
not one divine note lost, caught and
saved from the perishable what Of
the mind behind it which first awak-
ened that voice into sweetness? Is
that lost?
Has not the mother foundation
for her faith? Have not all the same
foundation who believe in the wisdom
and power and mercy Of the Infinite?
Mrs. Murphey, who lives at the
east end Of the Kirkpatrick lane west