r868.]

VOX Ht/MANA.

77

—not in prayer--but in rebellious re monstrance with God I “ ‘Vi/hy should this be P’ I would ask.

“At the Oflirtmy, Franz sang Stra della’s hymn Pielrz Szjgnora, and I alone accompanied him. Voice and instru

‘Why should I, the pure and the true,

ment united as they had never done before. My fingers drew out from the

serve only as an instrument of use,

in the hands of another, for my own misery ?' “ But as the light of the never-darlo

keys the solemn responses to this divine composition, whose melody is a succes sive harmony, and the prompt speech

ened lamp that hung before the altar

and light traveling tone of the Stopped

stole down in cool, pale rays over me, it seemed to recall the words of the stern Saint Paul: WNay, but who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it: Why hast ‘thou made me thus? Hath not the pot ter power over the clay of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?’ “One Sunday-it was Easter_ve had a grand musical display in my organ

Diapason, to which I added the Dulci nea, gave the organ part a character of great beauty and delicacy. “ My organ was a beautiful little in strument-it was Miiller’s—the one at

loft.

A cardinal from Rome was to be

present at the sacrifice, and I sent for the singers at the opera house to help me. The mass sung was the D Minor of Haydn-_that sublime one in which the trumpet-notes seem as if they should be sounded by the silver trumpets of the ancient synagogue. “ Selma took the soprano solos. I

forgot that she was my rival while list

Breslau, you know.

It had only twelve

registers, but it was large enough for the church, and moreover it was as docile as an obedient child. “I threw all my strength of feeling into the music, and it seemed that Sel ma and Franz were drawn close to me by unseen hands. Their eyes were full of tears, and they looked tenderly at me: at least so I thought. “ How flute-like was the Benedz'cite!

Even the holy priests at the altar paused to listen, as did the crowd, to Selmafs

crystal tones, that rose undimmed above the lul/1' of the whole choir and or

chestra.

voice, entirely unaided by the organ or other instruments, attacked the high G

“After the joyful H0sanr1a came the Agnus Dei. Selma stood beside me, and appeared to be struggling with un controllable feelings; her voice sobbed out, rather than sung, the responses to the contr’ alto solo, and a murmur of

of the major key of the Gloria in

wonder and sympathy rose from the

E.rcel.u'.r. “Full, round and rich-colored as a

crowd when they noticed the tenderness and pathos in her voice. “ Franz sat near us, his beautiful face

ening to her singing. After executing the rippling passages of the K)/rie Elai

ron with unerring exactitude, her superb

bursting pomegranate that Gloria floated off from her beautiful throat, filling the whole building with its splendor. I for got mortal love and jealousy, and all the angel arose within me. “ When the violins played the soft melody which precedes the E! in term fax, the notes sounded as if proceeding from angels of peace and love. Franz

sang the invocation with a tenderness that gave an impetus to my new-born hopes, and when Selma responded the Pax I10//zim'bu:, my whole soul felt

emancipated from all the past torturing doubts.

hidden in his hands, but I saw the tears

trickling between his fingers. and his whole form trembled with emotion. At the close of the service I played one of Bach’s organ passages, filled with multi plied melody, through which I desired

to express not only the overflowing‘ happiness of my heart, but a solemn thankfulness for the new life of faith and truth that seemed to be dawning for me. “ That night Selma and Franz fled

together!

I never saw them again.

Those who pitied me said I was too

noble and gifted to grieve for such an