The Storyteller THE SILENT KEYS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 16, 18 April 1907, Page 3

The Storyteller THE SILENT KEYS

In the closed and deserted jnusic room stood the grand piano that had - belonged to Elizabeth Robertson. it was a beautiful room, riohly .and tastefully fur- - nished. The -mahogany cabinet was filled with' musde, fine compositions of the old masters, the best modern - productions,- and vocal selections .Jrom grand opera/ The ptano was open, and on the rack was a ' composition " bearing the title, ' Too deep for tears. 1 -A marble bust of Mozart stood en th& mantel-piece, and one of Beethoven-, laurel-crowned, looking scowlin-gly in the direction of "music's monarch.'

An,, oriental rug lay on the polished floor. The soft, rich colors were curiously wrought, l>ut exquisitely blended. The delicate buA-tinted walls were adorned with a few choice pictures, and the curtains were line, enough -to have been the handiwork of fairies It was neanng the twilight hour when the door was opened softly, and as one might enter a sanctuary, a fair but sad-faced woman glided into -the room. She moved noiselessly to a shadowy corner, where gleamed-the lon« " r0W < £(■ 0^ ,k(, k( : ys ' an^> Reeling, bowed, her head., . Hilizabeth, '— the soft, sweet voice was a -wail - of pain—' it is the "De Profundis '-''hour. Ob, my child is your spirit hovering .near me ? ' * wood he laM h?f ha * ld With senble touch " on the shining * ' This was the hour when she loved to pour out hS^ S «°ni *? melody. Only a week ago she sat nere, and. to-naght she lies in her grave ' " Bending, x she kissed Che keys, and at ' the . touch" of her lips, a soft minor note Broke the stillness. . She shivered at the sound. 'It is a farewell ' she " r u d- A. No one shall ever P re s s taese keys made sacred .by the touch of her fingers. Her music I shall Sf mS a7 f- Thi « P^ e '-^e rose and took the Seel f ™ 10 fr f the rack-was the last she • played Too deep for tears '-so is my grief.- Oh, EliLbeth - • l?L W f C ,i yoUng ' die; you were beautiful and . good, and life, seemed so * full of "promise Where is bound S ™°7 lik %, min e ? / You werTSflast^^e that '. Sit Tt eal '\.* ltllOut you > wealth can giveao tor m are dSdT' ng *° W *** * Lea " tifUl memor F- " nal H^in/ OiC Si, rti ? ii M aW S r like -. the m-°anm -°an of the autumnal wind. She laid the music in, the cabinet, locked it, and with the key clashed in her hand, left the room

weJht 6 Z™? ided by ~'- lox , ' Time knows weight of sleep or weariness. > hut S' X? obel li S( i n hjwi uot « cease fl t<> mourn Elizabeth, softened bhi r* USe ? »«* UU ™ an K«^h had beeA soitened by the Great Consoler. +».» She i h J^ beei i true t0 her - wovd > and> unyielding to the pleadings of friends. No one had opened the closed ?l &X l C ~i c keys were stiH silent - Despite the fact tttat she had noti cared again to'aningle in- society and preferred to liv& in retirement, her station demanded' that she pay the tribute ' wealth owes to humanity Many appeals were made to her in the name of cfraritv bhe always responded readily, but mechanically. Visits- to the haunts of sorrow a nd- misery did not change the heart that grief had made cold and unresponsive. She could feel distress, but not pity ' She ? a fu, never w ? pt since the coffin lid closed over Elizabeth s beautiful face, cold- and white as marble. • It has been said that there are few things stranger in a large city than the juxtaposition of the rich and , the poor—the close proximity of wealth and poverty In- a narrow, crowded street, only a few blocks from the sumptuous home of Mrs. Robertson, with shout and sihrill , laughter the " children of the poor were following a dark, foreign-looking man, carrying a "hand organ, an<d upon .whose shoulders was perched a hideous little monkey wearing a scarlet 'blanket. . The brute's , keen eyes gleamed with almost human intelligence, and' ; the little black paw was eagerly extended for pennies, or perchance a cooky. ' *. Both seemed scarce in that vicinity. _ The man trudged along scowling and "muttering, and would not play again. At last, where the street merges into a much-travelled thoroughfare, a- man passing- by -tossed a c P* n , ±o the greedy monkey. Then the procession of children halted, the man turned the crank, and the organ began to grind out the air of a popular song. > ' Let me hear the music,' cried a clear, childish voice, and a. little girl ran from a ya^d in whieli stood a neat cottage, and started to cross the street.

At the same moment a large automobile • came swiftly around the corner. -C^ui'dc, as"*thoughr r Ht was" upon the .little flying, 'figure. 1 here was a frantic but - useless effort to escape, a piercing scream^ a thud,- and the child, bruised and bleeding, lay on 'the pavement. The conveyance was stopped quickly, the occupants alighted and gave what assistance they could. The ' child was tenderly laid on the cushioned seat and taken with • all possible speed to the nearest hospital. - It was twenty-four hours later that -Sister Augusta, -accompanied by Mrs. Robertson, was' walking down a long corridor in St. Joseph's Hospital. 1 Yes, we are very busy,' said the Sister, in answer to the lady s inquiry. ' There is so much sickness and many accidents. A particularly sad case was'brought here yesterday ; a little" girl struck by an automobile and severely injured. The circumstances are unusual and make it extremely pathetic' - ' What are the circumstances 1 ' asked Mrs. Roberta son, more from politeness than because she felt interested. 'I am going- 'to relieve the Sister who has been caring, for her,' said Sister Augusta. 'If you care t 0 accompany me, I can tell you her history.' A little later the two women were standing beside a Xttie white bed. On it lay the "small bandaged form. No wonder Sister Augusta's tender heart softened with a love almost maternal as she looked, at the" fair flushed face lying on the pillow. The bright eyes opened, but there was no recognition in their depths • the lips moved, but to Mrs. Robertson 'the words were incoherent. ' What is she saying, Sister ?" ''"Let me hear the music "—she ts ' always talking of music, poor little Eliz t abtth.' The Sister laid her hand tenderly on the. short dark curls, and waTs so intent in her contemplation of the •child that she did not observe the look that passed - over Mrs. Robertson's face. • 'Music— Elizabeth.' What memories those words recalled ! Her voice bad lost the calm, steady- tone, and^ was slightly tremulous as she asked : Do you think she will recover, Sister ? ' ' Yes with good care, but there - will be many weeks of pam v 'She will suffer greatly I fear ' • iHhi l^? 7o^ hh IV-Ll V-LV -L I , eisu ?«' Please tell me' the history of little— of the child,' said Mrs. Robertson With a fe,w quiet but deft touches, Sister Augusta • made the patient more comfortable, and sat down beside her visile r. nf APVI^ 7 Wa ,l toM t0 me by a servant J of Elizabeth s mother, who was Eleanor Fielding the only child of wealthy parents. She was highly Altai and an ornament to society. She married in opposil rSXJSL f r par £ nt : s l wishes an ' d her father refused to ESfi? %K er> Gr + re f an l Worry affccied her mother's . ?n| her cMid™ "' ' and d i e ' d wil ' hout a « a in see- ' Eleanor could have borne it, if she had had * strong and loving support upon which to lean, but too «K*j X afaSflSfs^ sh^u^of : feffed Thl nn m fUSIMf USI M° r * "vdibood, untiP her health - failed. Then for the sake of her child, she made ' a last appeal to her father. He bad married again, .and death meSSage ShG reCeived belped fasten her '«n his joy over the birth of a son he said hp * had entirely forgptten that he ever had' ah ungrateful ' daughter Eleanor died, and the sale of her few Sects - £££ F a ith5 n i-M the M-r n 7 J° pay herJuneTal ex! ] SS?L* w£s f rS> Mll I W " taok little Elizabeth tolie* • £ ability.^ ° and CarGd for ' h e r t0 the ' best of - Sister Augusta paused, and a slight sigh escaoed her lips as she said : < Roor Mrs. Miller has a iS h£ft ?? ff i her Tl'"T 1 '" ~ She is unal)le to^oLynfor? BUMfieil? S ° mehoW that G ° d Wi " prei ™ de *« TtS c ehiltf The mtlSiC< Ut me hear the mvs ' ic >' moanid the EliSth'?^^ 8011 ' 8 S^ nk on her >b '- east - Her oo n sff couM .W w me , d Ul rise from a silvery mist and shl S^to fove dear> - SWGet VOiCe sin^ ln S a so «g in 2h fl °nM?J Elizabeth's beautiful life had been sunk •a i^r^ w tiETc^ reato its memcaT wouw - MrouM^olfiet^W 1111 ?: + Sal ' d f lister -Augusta,, 'that music \ ~B~ B q M »' bUt ° f COurse ifc is q uit€ looted atl?r' ? obe^ So] ? "^ V head, the Sister Ssed ttlvL "i^tanshmen*, and she scarcely reco^ nised the voice that vibrated with feeling as she said :

1 Sister, let me relieve you 'of the care' and of lit— the Elizabeth herself, the caft~be-~ removed to my house without danger, 'ami I shall go myself to see Mrs. Miller. You have so many, Sister.- Let me frave'tMs wee one to care for, yes ,io love, as my very own. 1 A.. sob' brtdve -in her throat, and tears filledSbier eyes and trembled- on ' her long lashes. She seemed .a statue awakened to the "blessing ol life, and the' rapture of love. ■ , * .Sister Augusta's eyes, were full of tears when she finished, but they wei^e tears of -joy, to see" the old loving nature of her dear friend assert itself. Now she knew the ice -about her heart had melted, never to congeal again.' She .had " found something upon which to -lavish "her affection, and the little stranger who, an a few hours had grown so dear, had found a" yhome. . ->- • ; . / And thus it was, that 'from the keys so long silent, came sweet entrancing strains ' of music that l calmed the weary suffering child and brought peace and comfort to the mother who often fancied she saw her dear one's face smiling on her' in approbation..—Exchange.