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’ fied with hér improvement? * * van
After the service, was over, many crowd-
Copyright, 1907, by David C.
Cook Publishing Company.
7, r ey PUBLISHED
Vor. VI. No. 30. 4 Wenge
DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO., ELcIN, ILLINOIS, AND 36 WASHINGTON St., CuIcaco.
July 27,.1907.
o2.Hle That
“Sometimes I hear strange music
ike none e’er heard before,
Come floating softly earthward
As through heaven's open door—”
As she sang, Loyce looked down into
the familiar faces of the congregation and
read an approval there that brought a
wave of happiness to her. It was the first
time the home folks had heard her sing
since ‘she went to the city to have her
voice trained a year before, and it was
very gratifying to feel: that they, were satis-
ed about to tell her how much they had
enjoyed-her singing. “ It was fine, Loyce !”
Mrs. Gates, her nearest neighbor, declared
enthusiastically. ‘ We feel quite proud of
the fact that you belong to us. Didn’t I
hear that you are to sing at First Church
when you go back to the city?”
yce’s face lighted up. ‘ Yes, I expect
to,” she answered simply.
There was a chorus of exclamations and
congratulations. :
“Tt’s just splendid that you are going
to have a chance like that, Loyce! I know
we'll wake up some morning and find you
famous!’ her chum exclaimed, giving. her
hand an eestatie squeeze.
”
“Of course we will, and it won’t be very |.
long before we do, either,” someone else
chimed in,
Just ‘then the pastor joined the group
and thanked Loyce for the song. “ God has
certainly given you a gift,” he said to her.
“Be sure and make the most of it. You
do not know how much good you may
accomplish through its use.”
There was a happy glow at Loyce’s heart
as’ she started home. She did not expect
to be famous exactly, but the way toward
being successful did seem to be opening up
before her. She was to have the best train-
ing the city afforded the next year, and she
was very anxious to make the best of it,
for the. famous professor who had con-
sented to give her lessons was going abroad
in another year, so this would be her
only opportunity of receiving his training.
Then, her engagement to sing at First
Church meant much to her. Altogether,
the prospect was very bright, and. the ap-
preciation and encouragement of her
friends that morning had added a warm
glow to her happiness.
Presently. she became aware of a conver-
sation behind her, » “ Loyce is certainly
going to make a success,” one voice said.
“Tt is a pity that her brother Ilarry has
not a little of her ambition. “That boy will
never amount to anything. It is a shame,
too, for he is a bright boy.”
“Te is getting pretty wild, I hear,” an-
other ydice answered. ‘“ He always was in-
clined that way, and he has been a good
deal worse this year, since Loyce has been
away. She seems to have a good deal of
influence over him when she is at home.”
yee hastened on out of hearing, the
glow at her heart suddenly chilled and the
light gone out of her face.
The shadow stayed with her, and it was
with a very sober face the next evening
that she went up to her room to pack her | teased her about her sudden change of
suit case in order to be ready for an
early
start the next morning. :
isoseth ©
Oe
KG
The suit case packed, she returned to the
sitting-room, where -Harry sat reading
while he waited for her. Ie did not hear
| her, and she stopped in the doorway, stand-
ing there and studying his face as the
light fell strongly upon it. Yes, it had
changed during the last year. The eyes
were not as frank as they used to be, and
there were hard lines beginning to show on
the boyish face. Loyce’s heart ached with
the tragedy of the story those lines told.
Ilarry certainly was growing wild, and—
oh, she-wanted him to be his best self!
Ie must be! She could not bear that he
should be less. Oh, if she only could help
him! Suddenly she turned, went swiftly
back to her room, and unpacked her suit case,
There was much surprise and not a little
criticism when it was known that Loyce
was not going back to the city and to her
music.
“T am disappointed in Loyce. I cer-
tainly thought she had more pe verance
than that... The idea of her giving up now,
just ‘when she has every opportunity. to
succeed! It is a shame! She evidently
The year wore slowly away. It was a
disappointing year to Loyce. She gave her
best efforts to helping Harry; she gave
up her evenings. almost entirely to enter-
taining him and his friends; she tried to
arouse his ambition; she was always ready
to discuss his plans with him, and she was
interested in whatever interested him. She
had some measure of reward. Harry was
easily influenced, and her influence was
stronger than anyone else’s. So she could
usually keep him from doing things that
she thought he ought not to do, and coax
him to do those things that she thought
he ought to do. But he never seemed to
depend upon himself. As soon as he was
away from her, he was influenced by
Whvansoevyer he happened to be with.
Loyce sat soberly thinking it all over
the evening of the day when Harry had
thrown away his position in the store
where he.was employed, because he could
not get a day off to go to a football game.
“T do not know what good my staying at
home has done,” she thought, much dis-
couraged. “Harry is no different. I
couldn’t have gone away and not tried to
help him, though.”
Just then she heard Harry’s step in the
hall. Something about it attracted her at-
tention; it was a firmer tread than usual.
There was something different in his face
when he entered the room, too. There were
neve lines of resolution there. [le came
directly across to Loyce, and sat down
facing her. . .
“ Loyce,” he said, “I want to know why
cos Rete cmonmrnan necaee mmm
“YoU MUST GO ON
hasn’t any more ambition than her brother,
after all!”
appointed emphasis; and everyone agreed
with her,
Loyce herself avoided the subject and
gave no satisfactory answers to the many
| questions that were put to her. — Harry
mind,. but neyertheless he seemed well
pleased to have her at home.
So said Mrs. Gates, with dis-
WITH YOUR MUSIC.”
you didn’t go back to the city last year
sic.”
to go on with your mu
Loyce stammered and tried to make some
light reply, but Harry would not be put
o!
“T know why you didn’t,” he said. “It
just came to me to-day, when I saw your
disappointed face. You stayed at home to
try and make something out of good-for-
nothing’ me, and I’m not worth it.”
“Oh, Harry, you-are! you are!” Loyce
cried, startled into admitting her motive.
No, I’m not!” he answered savagely.
Then his face and his voice softened. “I
know I never have amounted to anything,
but, Loyce, if you care that much, I will
amount to something now. You must go
back to the city’ at once, and go on with
your music. I can’t have you sacrificing
yourself like this for me any more. But
I promise you that I will do my best, with
God's help, to prove myself worthy : of
what you have done for me.” The boyish
face was earnest. He meant it. He would
do it!
Suddenly ‘the world was full of joy fo:
yee. :
The next Sunday morning she sang in
the little church for the last time before
her return to the city to take up her musie
again:
“We'll know why clouds instead of sun
Were over many a°cherished plan;
Why song has ceased when scarce begun;
’Tis there, up there, we’ll understand,
“God knows the way; He holds the key;
Ife guides us with unerring hand;
Sometime, with. tearless eyes, we'll see;
Yes, there, up there, we'll understand.”
The last words’ of the song died away
in a silence that is the greatest compliment
that a singer can receive.
At the close of the service the pastor
came to Loyce. $
“T want to tell you something, Miss
Loyce,” he said earnestly, “I wonder if
you know that your yoice has gained a
new power this year. It has gained the
power to touch hearts. I have watched
the faces of the congregation Sunday after
Sunday as you have sung. A year ago they
were interested and appreciative; the peo-
ple’ enjoyed your songs, but they were not
moved by them. But all this year a new
note has been growing, in your singing.
There is soul in it now, and ‘it touches
people’s hearts and makes them better. I
do not know. where you,have-gained this -
power. I know it only; comes through self-
sacrifice... But in some’ way thig year has
done more for you ‘as’a’ singer than the
|sreatest teacher in the world could have
) done.”
All the way on her trip back to the city
there sang through Loyce’s mind:
“God knows the way; He holds the key ;
Ue guides us with unerring hand.”
—..
AN INJUSTICE TO HERSELF,
BY ANNA B, SPHNCER,
“T wish you had come sooner, so that you
could have had a chance to get better ac-
quainted with Louise,” a lady said one after-
noon to a friend who had found another caller
just ready to leave. “She is such a bright,
intelligent girl, and so well educated! She
is college bred, you know.”
“College bred!” the other echoed, and the
astonishment’ that involuntarily showed _ it-
self in face and voice caused her friend to ask
curiously, “‘Why do you look -so surprised?
Wouldn’t you take Louise for a college girl?”
“No, to be quite frank, I shouldn't,” was
the reply. “ And I hope you won't be offended
with me if I say that your friend doesn’t do
herself justice when she uses so much slang
and so many cheap ejaculations and exclama-
tions. I presume it is slang that she has
picked up at college, but it gives people a
wrong impression.”
“TI think you're right,” her friend an-
swered. “I~ noticed it very much when I
first knew Louise, but I’ve grown accustomed
to it, and I suppose I’ve forgotten how it
would impress strangers.” ” os
When we meet strangers, we are judged
first by our general appearance, and next by