The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1922-03-23
SILVIA DREAMS
BY AGNES GRAHAM BRoeAN

by. This outer kitchen was u place
where Silvia pared potatoes in sum
mer time-and dreamed her dreams.
Silvia was not a child; stored in her
quiet head were wise PHILOSOPHERS and
happy beliefs. These beliefs she in
tended by faith and effort to bring
true. But the summer bOarderS who
flocked yearly to Mrs. Haskins' CHEEKY
home were unaware of Silvia's wis
dom; her dreams had long been a
source Of general amusement. Mrs.
Haskins, good natured and indulgent
loved to enlarge upon Silvia's visions.
'She sure is an odd piece" Mrs.
Haskins would say, land has been.
ever since l took her out of the orphan
age, six years ago. She was fourteen
then, and land knows why l fancied
that she'd be help to me, but did
And Silvia is great help with all
her notions; that's the strange part.
They called her Ann, there, for want
OF true name, but as soon as Miss
Ann comes here she looks at me de-
cided, out of her big black eyes and
says: From now on, Mrs. HaSkins, l
name, and l guess I've as good a right
to choose it as the asylum. Silvia is
the kind of name my mother would
have chosen"
What" asked Il boarder. did the
child know of her mother?" Moth
ing" Mrs. Haskins replied, except
what they told us at the institution.
Silvia had been rescued when a baby
from a deserted tenement room, where
her young dead father lay with his
cold hand on her tiny warm body.
Silvia's mother had died in the same
room at the child's birth. The two
young people had come there Just be-
fore, and no one knew thing about
them-except, that the man played a
violin.
Then asked sympathetic young
woman, that is her fathers VIOLIN
which Silvia keeps in the shed?"
BLESS you no." laughed Mrs. Has
kins. her fathers violin was taken
for debt. The one Silvia has, was a
premium offered by a grocery concern.
do you think" asked the interest
ed young woman. that Silvia would
play for us? After the dinner dishes
are out of the way, mean?" II am
sure" responded the smiling hostess,
that she would not. Silvia goes far
into the wood to play her music"
'She is then IA queer little thing"
agreed the guest.
Tears filled the elder woman's eyes
"And a dear little thing, too" she said
Silvia slipped down from the stool
where she had been polishing kitchen
faucets, then from beneath farm
workers hanging green sweater, she
drew her violin; and far in the wood
where shadows were deepest, she
raised 1t lovingly to her chin.
A man in n cabin flung his book
quickly aside, and Fastening through
the doorway came nOiselessly toward
the player. Close to her he halted
his eyes filled with wonder; breath
lessly he listened. And then, as the
last bird note echoed and echoed still
again softly across the strings of Sill
Was violin, the man faced her. She
gazed startled. Il thought no one
was near" she reproved him. Are
you so selfish with your music?" he
asked.
The dark eyes were suddenly alight
SIS it then music?" she asked eager
ly, "real-music? And do you under
stand?"
The man sat down beside her.
81 understand music so we'll" he re-
piled, that 1 am out here in the
woods nursing the disappointment Of
failure. For you see-I realize that
all the skill / have will not compen-
safe for lack of-genius Your mu-
sic is genius"
Silvia looked down at him sorrow
fully.
"WithOut skill" she said
"See here" asked the man sharply,
"who are you, where do you come
from? l have kept hidden in my
shack for days, fearing that my pres
ence might startle you away; yet your
playing played upon my heart strings
because it is such as / had hoped to
create. Tell me-about yOurself?"
SO Silvia told him. He listened as
others had not listened to her dream
ing; understanding, believing.
"You are right" he said at last,
"your father has bequeathed his gift
to you. What are you going to do
with it?'
This" cried Silvia, and rose to her
feet.
"This is the song that my father
would have played when death called
him
over the tree tops the enchanted
melody rppled. Against the girls
round chin the violin sang wOndrOus-
ly of life, of joy, of sorrow. And
when the song finished the man leaned
tensely forward.
You he said, "must take that
money which j intended to spend i'm
study you shall fulfill my-ambition."
And when later, a great ship started
upon its voyage across the waters,
little Silvia stood high on the deck
waving her good-byes She smiled
cheerily into the rosy face Of Mrs
Haskins; and then turned that her
last farewell might be to the man who
watched her intently from shore. And
into the eyes of Silvia famed a sud-
den new dream. a dream Of love