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THE MINISTER'S STUDY.
Helen was in the way of now and then writing music to any song that
specially took her fancy--not with foolish hankering after publication,
but for the pleasure of brooding in melody upon the words, and singing
them to her husband. One day he brought her a few stanzas, by an unknown
poet, which, he said, seemed to have in them a slightly new element.
They pleased her more than him, and began at once to sing themselves. No
sooner was her husband out of the room than she sat down to her piano
with them. Before the evening, she had written to them an air with a
simple accompaniment. When she now sung the verses to him, he told her,
to her immense delight, that he understood and liked them far better.
The next morning, having carried out one or two little suggestions he
had made, she was singing them by herself in the drawing-room, when
Faber, to whom she had sent because one of her servants was ill,
entered. He made a sign begging her to continue, and she finished the
song.
"Will you let me see the words," he said.
She handed them to him. He read them, laid down the manuscript, and,
requesting to be taken to his patient, turned to the door. Perhaps he
thought she had laid a music-snare for him.
The verses were these:
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