Penelope's Irish ExperiencesWiggin, Kate Douglas Smith
General
Penelope's Irish Experiences
Wiggin, Kate Douglas Smith
Ireland -- Fiction
'Fair and tender creature, pure and affectionate heart! Boots it to you
now that the whole world loves you and deplores you? Scarce any man
ever thought of your grave that did not cast a flower of pity on it,
and write over it a sweet epitaph. Gentle lady! so lovely, so loving,
so unhappy. You have had countless champions, millions of manly hearts
mourning for you. From generation to generation we take up the fond
tradition of your beauty; we watch and follow your story, your bright
morning love and purity, your constancy, your grief, your sweet
martyrdom. We know your legend by heart. You are one of the saints of
English story.'
As Dr. Gerald's voice died away, the strains of 'Love's Young Dream'
floated out from the distant end of the building.
“The organist must be practising for a wedding,” said Francesca, very
much alive to anything of that sort.
“'Oh, there's nothing half so sweet in life,'”
she hummed. “Isn't it charming?”
“You ought to know,” Dr. Gerald answered, looking at her affectionately,
though somewhat too sadly for my taste; “but an old fellow like me must
take refuge in the days of 'milder, calmer beam,' of which the poet
speaks.”
Ronald and Himself, guide-books in hand, walked away to talk about the
'Burial of Sir John Moore,' and look for Wolfe's tablet, and I stole
behind the great screen which had been thrown up while repairs of some
sort were being made or a new organ built. A young man was evidently
taking a lesson, for the old organist was sitting on the bench beside
him, pulling out the stops, and indicating the time with his hand. There
was to be a wedding--that was certain; for 'Love's Young Dream' was
taken off the music rack at that moment, while 'Believe me, if all
those endearing young charms' was put in its place, and the melody came
singing out to us on the vox humana stop.
'Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will,
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.'
Francesca joined me just then, and a tear was in her eye. “Penny dear,
when all is said, 'Believe me' is the dearer song of the two. Anybody
can sing, feel, live, the first, which is but a youthful dream, after
all; but the other has in it the proved fidelity of the years. The first
song belongs to me, I know, and it is all I am fit for now; but I want
to grow toward and deserve the second.”
“You are right; but while Love's Young Dream is yours and Ronald's,
dear, take all the joy that it holds for you. The other song is for
Salemina and Dr. Gerald, and I only hope they are realising it at this
moment--secretive, provoking creatures that they are!”
The old organist left his pupil just then, and disappeared through a
little door in the rear.
“Have you the Wedding March there?” I asked the pupil who had been
practising the love-songs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account