Year: 1866

used the old cobler's instrument. impro
wing daily. Itwas strange that the limbs
and fingers. so rigid and stiff for every
other impulse, should under the influence
of sound, move with such precision, ease
and exaciness.


Sam my boy said the cObler one
day, you shall have an instrument. and
yeur father shall buy il for you, or the
whole parish shall cry shame upon him. ;


But be does Dol now word Of this,
I said.


Never mind, Sam. my boy, he shall
be glad TO know it : and he told ME all
his plans.


AT certain times it was customary for
the ch0irs of neighborlng churches to
help each other. and it was arranged
that the choir of our parish should play
and sing on he next Sunday morning at
his parish church, and he and his choir
should come over to our parish for the
evening service.


And you, Sam, said be, shall take
my place in your church and please
God, you do as well there as you've done
here, it will be The proudesl day shall
know, Sam, my boy, and yOnr father and
/ moibar mill COW co too


How ! practiced. morning. noon and
night, for the grea. day; the cObbler
darkly limited a. prodigy that vas to be
forthcoming at he festival; and the day
itself, with its events-all is as vivid be-
fore me as if it was but yesterday.


The evening came; and there in the
dimly-liI gallery sat waiting, with my
master beside me.


Sam my boy,' said my master, its
great risk it's getting very full
There's the squire and my lady just came
in. Keep your eye OF your book and
feel what you're playing, and think
you're in the little shop; have brough;
bit of leather to you, and he put
piece of the black leather that has a Pc
culiar acid scent in front of me. The
scent Of it revived me; the memory of
the many hours had spent there came
back to me at once. and felt as calm as
if were indeed there.


She came at last. and service began,
Oh. that nigh! Shall / ever forget lis
pleasure-lhe wondering looks of the
friends and neighbors who came and
found in me, The despised, awkward, left
handed sadler's apprentice, The prodigy
of which they had heard rumors Oh, il
was glorious! The first few strokes of
my bow gave me confidence, and | did |
well, and knew it, through the hymn,
through the chants and on to the anthem
before the sermon. That was TO be the
gem of the evening it was Handel's
then new anthem. 81 know that my Re.
deemer livelh."


l begaq-harsh, harmonious, out of
tune-I know not why or how; but as it
progressed one by one lh instruments
ceased and were silent; one by one the
voices died away and were lost, and she
and l alone. bound together and driven
on by an irresistible impulse. went
through the anthem; one soul. one spirit
seemed to animate both. The whole
congregation listened breathless as to an
angel aud she, self-absorbed. and like
one in trance, sang, filling me with
delicious sense of peace, and exulta lion,
the like Of which / have never known
since.


Il came to an end at last, and with the
last triumphant note / fell forward on the
desk in swoen.


When 1 recovered, I found myself at
home in my own room, with the rector.
the doctor and my parents there, and
heard the doctor say


i told you he would, my dear madam
knew he would


: Thank God y murmured my mother.
My dear boy, how we have feared for
you


What a difference! 1 was courted and
made much Of. 'Genius,' and very
clever and delightful TALENT such
were the expressions / nov heard, In
stead of stupid, awkward and unfit I
for anything


My father bought fine instrument,
and was the hero of the village for
months. I


Ii was some days after that Sunday
lhatI venlured to ask after the recIOr's
niece.


My dear boy said my mother, The
like was never heard. We saw you there
and wondered what you were doing, bat
as soon as we saw You with the bow, we
knew you must be the person there's been
so much talk about; and then when the
anthem came and we all left off singing, ]
and they all left off playing, ami only {