A Cathedral Singer

iet reigned. The day was very still up there on

owd which somewhere in the city every day gathers about such scenes quickly gathered about him. In this throng was the physician whose car stood near by; and he, used to sights of suffering but touch

e entrance she had pleaded in

ho lifted the lad to the stretcher, speak

hough he shouldered the responsibility of the further expense. "And

his back, not seeing anything. The skin of his forehead had been torn off; there was a bandage over his eyes. And there were bruises on his body and bruises on his face, which was horri

never hav

e doctor left, she followed him into the hall as usual, and questioned

ll to get well, he has the bravery to get well. H

" she said scornfully.

m back to life," he added, and he laid o

t tenderness toward herself at such a moment

who brought in the meals, the woman who scrubbed the floor. All this had kept her up. If an

was with him, she walked up and down

, many to match the yellow of the sun. The whole hillside of swaying; boughs seemed to quiver with happiness. Her eyes wandered farther down to the row of houses at the foot of the park. She could s

y turned and studied the cathedral curiously as those who had never before seen it. Others turned and looked at it familiarly, with pride in its unfolding form. Some stopped and looked down at the young grass, stroking it with the toes of their fine shoes; they were saying how fresh and green it was. Some loo

need of it their pent-up, ungratified affection. With not a glance to the window where she stood, with her mortal need of them, her need of all mothers, of everybody-her mortal need of everybody! Why were they not there at his bedside? Why had they not heard? Why had not all of them heard? Why had anything else been talked of that day? Why were they not all massed around the hospital doors, tearful with

bought flowers for him, and one of them had brought their gift to the main hospital entrance. Every day a shy group of them had gathered on the

e whole brutal and careless world that did not care-to legislatures that did not care, to magistrates that did not care, to juries that did n

oung couples passed, flushed with their climb of the park hillside, and flushed with young love, young h

ance below-the choir-master. She had not sent word to him or to any one about the accident; but he, when his new pupil had failed to report as promised, had come down to find out why.

about the human tragedy. It was afternoon and near the hour for the choral eve

turning his head a little toward her under his bandaged eyes, and apparently feeling much mystified about her, but saying nothing. She kept her b

two listened to it in silence, soon there floated over to them the voices of the choir as the line moved slowly down the aisle, the blended voices of th

ar? Do you

speak but they hurt him too much

tugged at the band

ang tow

ou must not tear the

since I saw you! What's the matter with you? Where a