Sealed Lips — page 25: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SEALED LIPS. Ea Finally his consent was given on condition that the countess assumed all the expense. A few days later young Antoine knew the cathedral organ in another way than blowing it. He has often recounted since that the happiest day of his life—musical—was when he was seated upon the old oak bench for the first time to accom- pany athird-class- burial mass. The dead, thank the Lord! did not seem to notice the substitution of pupil for master, and the living, if they noticed it, did not complain. Three years after he left his home Antoine entered the Conservatory ; he was invited frequently during the winter to his benefactress’ house, and learned in the best society of Paris a knowledge of the world, that so many of our illustrious geniuses are ignorant of, on account of studying it too late in life. L’ Ecole de Rome received the young prize-taker, and when he returned to France almost immedi- ately fortune favored him, and commenced to wreath about his head the golden crown of success, a thing more rareat his age than the Institute laurels. From thence only two sentiments filled the heart of this happy mortal—love of his profession and eratitude toward the generous woman, who had given him this profession. One of the first and greatest troubles of his life was the ruin of the O’Farrell family, a disaster followed in two years EOmicbdooks (E(0)