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THE COURIER.
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THE CHOIR.
At W , in tlhe annexed district, the
dboir of one of the leading churches
practices every Saturday night. This
is generally a very orderly proceeding.
After it is over, the tenor escorts the
soprano to her home and the bass per
, forms the same pleasant duty for the
alto. The organist, Vho is a married
mon,( walks part of the way with
whichever couple is the less forbid
ding. One Saturday evening, however,
choir practice did not pursue the even
tenor, or rather, quartet, of Its way.
.' The singers were trying' over tibe
hymns first, in order to limber up
their voices. Between times the bass
was ho-ho-hoing up and down: the
scale, the soprano was setting off oc
casional vocal skyrockets, the tenor
was giving vent to impassioned "ahs"
of high pitch, and the alto was keep
ing still, after the choir practice habit
of altos. The organist toad just given
out the numbers of the evening
hymns, and the leaves fluttered nosily
in the echoing church as the singers
found the place. The organ boomed.
Suddenly, however, the boom died
into an asthmatic wheeze, for tlhe side
door opened an an indistinct figure ap
peared among the shadows. The
choir members strained their eyes in
tihat direction.
"Must be Mr. Toogood," said the
organist, referring to the minister.
That you, Mr. Toogood?" called
the bass, hospitably.
There was no reply but the figure
advanced, toward the middle aisle, ad
vanced with evident difficulty, placing
alternate reliance on the' pew backs
and the waul.
"It's a drunken man," gasped the
soprano, under her breath.
Nobody else said a word, arid in si
lence the intruder steered- a zigzag
course half way down the middle aisle
where he mode harbor and sank into
the corner of the seat.
"Just go right on," remarked' the
bass to the organist. "He'll get tired
and go -home after a while."
So the organ boomed again, and- the
quartet struck up the first verse of
"Lead, Kindly Light." At albout the
fourth line, however, the stranger
struggled to his feet, and-, picking up
a hymn book, banked loudly on the
seat in front of him.
"Stop that! Stop that!" he roared.
The organ crashed, and there was
a mingling of dying, wailing notes as
the organist spun around on his seat.
" "Thatzh! worssever heard," an
nounced the visitor, shaking Ms head.
"Won't sthond- thing Kke that Give
you one more sthurt. Now one, two,
lettergo."
There was consternatnon in the
choir. The soprano was trembling,
and the alto was trying to look as if
she wasn't filled with thankfulness
because the bass was there.
"My friend, you'd better get out of
here and go home," called that brave
personage, the bass. You'll feel better
in the open air. Just try it."
The eyes of the intruder gleamed
and he stiffened himself.
"You shut your mouth wnen youTe
not singing." he said slowly and- care
fully. "I'll tell you when to open it.
Open it when I say lettergo, an' the
Test of you do the same or I'll moke
selves out of your old organ pipes
up there, an' don't you forget it. Now
then one, two, lettergo."
The choir started; but uttered not
a. sound. The stranger's eye gleam
ed more fiercely, and he steered a
straight course half a dozen seats
.down the aisle, producing at the -same
time a revolver, which caused a sud
.den ducking of heads in the organ
loft.
"Get up there! " roared the stranger
as the organist was trying to get under
the keyboard. "All of you get up -unere
nn' sing pretty an I won't do a thing
to you. Give you my word I won't.
But if you don't" . There was an
omtiious click.
"Stand up!"
The quartet straightened up slowly.
"Give him his head for awhile,"
muttered the bass and the organist.
"We'll jolly him around."
Once more the organ boomed; rather
uncertainly, to be sure, for the or
ganist kept his eyes principally on
the mirror in which he dimly saw the
reflection of the dictator. Once
more the choir attacked the first Terse
of- "Lead, Kindly Light," through
there was an unnecessary tremulo in
the soprano's tones. The fourth line
came again, and again the stranger
pounded the back of the seat, this
time with his revolver, and called up
on the choir to stop.
"Never"! do, never'll do," he called
out. "BTave to try something else."
"Take the second hymn," whispered
the bass. "We must humor him."
The organist gave them the num
ber and the leaves fluttered noisily
Then the choir began "Sarely Througn
Another Weew," The stranger nod
ded approvingly over the little duet
between the soprano and the alto and
called for more. When all the stan
zas had been sung and the bass an
nounced that there were no more, the
stranger pleasantly said to begin at
the beginning again, which was done.
At the end of the second round e
appeared satisfied with that hyr.wi
and asked for another one.
"Try hrm with 'Onward-, Christian
Soldiers!" suggested' the bass with
a brilliant inspiration. "Maybe he's
just out of camp."
The stranger was mightily pleased
with the swing of the hymn and beat
time energetically with his revolver
on the back of the seat.
"There's a good one," he announced
with satisfaction. "Now for 'Marcbin
Through Georgy.''"
"Make a stand there," whispered
the bass. Then out loud "The or
ganst says he" can't pJay it."
"Can't play it," echoed the strang
er. "He needs light in his head so he
can find that tune, that's all. Stand
aside, the rest of you, till I make a
window in his head."
There was a crash s the organ .t
slipped off the stoll and landed on the
pedals. The bass hauled him up with
the injunction to play whatever he
was asked for.
"The more the merrier," said the
bass. "If he makes us too obstreper
ous soroebody'll come in and create
a diversion."
So the cloir sang "Marching
Through Georgia."
"Bully!" declared the stranger.
"Now give the other fellow a show
and play 'Dixie. "
The organist thought he would nev
er accomplish "Dixie," on the pipe or
gan, and the soprano and alto were
decidedly shy on the words. But the
stranger joined in to such an extent
that aill such deficiencies were lost on
Mm.
"Now 'Yankee Doodle," shouted the
stranger, and the organist breathed
hard, but made a valiant effort.
"Now," said the stranger, panting
from his exertions, "let's see what
we"l have next, 'The Wabash, I
guess." So they had "The Wabash.-
"Hoopla!" shouted the musically in
clined strange. "I never had so much
fun in my life. I knew I could run
this Choir. Now, then, old butter
fingers, give us 'a Hot Time,' " which
the organist made haste, to do
"I say, my friend," called the bass"
after this effort, "I think the ladles
are tired. We've done our best to en
tertain you, but I think you're too
ETHEL AND ALICE DOVEY.
The fairy like little girls, Ethel and
Alice Dovey of Flattsmouth whose
pictures adorn the Medley's pages, be
gan their musical education at Joliet,
I1L, under Miss Lillian Delan Terry,
when they were but nine and seven
years of age, respectively. They
studied with her four years. In 1S94,
they went to England with Madame
Cellini and Miss Terry, where the lat
ter continued with Miss Terry. Dur
ing their stay in England they were
favorably received by many critics,
who predicted a bright future for
cessful concert under the patronage
of Mrs. Hay, the wife of Minister Hay,
who, with her husband, have been
warm friends of the girls. They have
sung at several very select "at homes"
during their stay and were selected
this year out of fifty to sing at the
American 'banquet at the Hotel Cecil
on July 4th. When the girls were
through singing, the gentlemen gave
three cheers for Nebraska.
They expect to give a concert in
London some time during the next
month at which some notable persons
will be patrons. They will return to
this country in December and hava
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them should they continue to study.
Among the warm friends of the little
girls were Mr. and Mrs. John Morgan
Richards, the parents of the, writer
John Oliver Hobbs (Mrs. Craigie).
Through the influence of the noted
author, the girls sang before mem
bers of the royalty and other noted
people, making a most favorable im
pression. They were home for a
year in 1895. In 1506 they returned
to England and began to study with
Madame Cellini for the culture of the
voice, and took up the study of the
drama in Gartside and Neville's dra
matic school. They gave a very suc-
been engaged for a concert at New
York on their way home. They will
also sing in Chicago and Joliet and
will perhaps Sing in concert in Ne
braska before returning to study with
Madame Cellini and finishing with
Madame Marchesi in I'aris. They are
now spending their vacation in Doug
las, the Isle of Man, with their great
grandfather, William Kerruiah. They
visited the graves of their ancesters
for two centuries back. Sir James
Gill took a fancy to the girls and has
dirven them about in his carriage to
the places of interest. Miss Ethel has
taken for her professional name Marie
Louise Nebriska, and Miss Alice will
will be known as Lillian Nebriska.
The Medley.
good a fellow to want to impose on la
dies. What do you say? Don't you
think you owe the ladies a vote of
thanks and a rest?"
"Yes," he said. "You've played
square, and I ain't goin to be severe
on a woman. You thought you could
fire men, but I guess you found out
who was a runnin' this establishment.
1 guess I'm satisfied now, and I'm
much obliged to you. He got out
into the aisle and backed out toward
the door. "Just stay where you are
for a while," he called, with a final
vave of his gun. There was a bang
which made them all jump, but it was
only the slam of the door resounding
through the church. Evidently the
exhilariation of running the choir
lent wings to the stranger's feet, for
he made good his escape and 'has not
been eard of since. But the choir has
adopted the custom of rehearsing be
hind locked doors. Queen things hap
pen in the annexed district. The Sun.
ACROSS THE SEA.
This week the Nebraska Library as
sociation published a preliminary list
of the lbraries of Nebraska, together
with the library law of 1877. This is
issued hi a neat pamphlet of twelve
pages.
My love a soldier brave would be
So far from me!
He dwells upon a sunny isle
Where soft skies smile.
Ye waters cold and deep and vast
O bring him safe to me at last, """"
But bear him now the love so true
And warm, that I entrust to you;
Each ripple weave with loving strands
Of hsart-thoughts bent to distant
lands,
And bridge the depths 'twixt him and
me "
Across the sea.
My love hath sailed away from me
So far from me!
The battle raged about his head
If he be dead!
O billows heap to foaming brim
With love I only feel for him,
And haste in mighty ebb away
To give hdm all without delay!
Ye winds! help ocean without fail
And breathe my love in murmured
wail
That fills the space 'twixt him and
me
Across the sea.
ANNIE L. MTLLER.
m IL v . HEART DISEASE
Juvens What do you think of the
idea of having a woma- in the cabinet? And nervous ailments are as curable as
Senex I think that we have too " diseases. I treat nothing else
many old women in the cabinet al- JS&9TL,&orx'ka.T'&9 2VI.D.
ready. Ojfice 1427 O St., Lixcolx, Nebk.
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